The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

In the western world, Indian cuisine is mostly equated with rich, spicy gravies – kofta curry and chhole masala and shahi paneer and their ilk. In reality, Indian cuisine is far broader than that. Indian food can be simple and minimalistic, as this dish I’m going to write about today – roasted moong dal with a green vegetable combination. I picked up the recipe of ridge gourd moong dal from a friend from Andhra, it’s been a regular in my kitchen since.

Ridge gourd and moong dal are both very gentle on the stomach, as are asafoetida (hing in Hindi) and lemon, the prime flavorings in this dish. Hing is a strong spice and, I suspect, an acquired taste. If this is the first time you’re cooking with hing, I’d suggest using very little of it. If you like it, use more another time. I do recommend it warmly, especially for its wide array of health benefits.

(more…)

Cutting open a pomegranate (anar) can be a messy affair, enough to keep me away from the fruit much as I like its juicy sweetness. Not so today. My local foodmart had on sale tempting glossy shelled pomegranate seeds – which got promptly purchased and put to use in this refreshing pomegranate raita.

(more…)

Strawberries are in the market – exorbitant as they always are in India – but allow yourself a little indulgence. And take heart that you get the REAL deal when you make strawberry milkshake at home – no gooey magenta syrup that the juicewalla surreptitiously adds to the blender.

(more…)

Get your vitamin boost with freshly squeezed orange carrot juice. Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Oranges are loaded with vitamin C. Together, oranges and carrots combine to give a powerful health drink.

(more…)