Kaddu borani takes a set of independently prepared ingredients (pumpkin + tomato sauce + yogurt sauce) and meshes them into something so exquisite, the end product is nothing short of a work of art.

What’s “borani”?

That was the question foremost on my mind after first coming across the recipe. Wikipedia says:

Borani is an Iranian appetizer made with yogurt, spinach and other ingredients.

That had me puzzled, as my reference borani recipe used no spinach.

Further digging around online showed me several interpretations of “borani”.

It isn’t just pumpkin that is cooked borani style: a few other popular favorites are eggplant, potato, spinach, beetroot. The sauces have variations too: the yogurt sauce might use mint or do without it; the tomato sauce might call upon onions or not. The plating can get really creative, with garnishes of cheese and walnuts and pomegranate and so on.

The way the dish is spelled has variations too: kaddu bourani, kadu borani, borani kaddo, you get the drift.

My kaddu borani recipe takes elements from the following: Arzo Food Channel, Zakia Hamidi’s Kitchen, Ashpazkhane Mazar.

Two departures from the source: I use fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste as I don’t have the paste, and for pre-cooking the pumpkin, I don’t deep fry but use a stove-top grill pan instead.

You Need:

[For 2-3 servings]

For pan-grilling the pumpkin:

• Pumpkin – 250 grams
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon [buy here]
• Equipment*: stove-top grill pan [buy here]

*Note: Feel free to substitute stove-top grilling with another pre-cooking method of your choice: say, microwave grilling or shallow-frying. Or just stick to the classic way of deep-frying.

For the tomato sauce:

• Tomatoes – 3 medium
• Garlic – 3 fat cloves (~1 heaped teaspoon when crushed)
• Salt – to taste
• Cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon [buy here]
• Ground pepper – 1/4 teaspoon [buy here] (adjust to taste)
• Red chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon [buy here]
• Dry red chili – 1, cut into pieces [buy here]
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon [buy here]
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon [buy here]
• Equipment: flat-bottomed, thick-walled pan with lid [buy here]

For the yogurt sauce:

• Yogurt – 3/4 cup
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Salt – to taste
• Dried mint – 1/2 teaspoon [buy here]

The links in the list above are amazon.com affiliate links. The Steaming Pot will earn a small commission if you buy via the links, at no additional cost to you.

How To Make Kaddu Borani:

1. Grill the pumpkin

Peel the pumpkin, chop into manageable chunks and scoop out its seeds. Slice the pumpkin chunks into thin slivers about 2-inches long.

Heat a large grill pan. When hot, spray some olive oil into the pan and place the pumpkin slivers.

Let the pumpkin slivers toast undisturbed for a couple of minutes on medium-high, then check if the side facing down has started to turn golden. Move about only if you must to evenly distribute the heat.

Spray oil on the top, flip over the pumpkin slivers. Now toast the other side for another few minutes or till done.

Sprinkle some salt and set aside till the tomato sauce is ready.

2. Make the yogurt sauce

Whisk yogurt with some salt. Add a crushed garlic clove and a sprinkling of dried mint to the yogurt, and whisk again.

Set aside (this yogurt sauce will be called upon in the final step).

3. Make the tomato sauce

Crush the garlic. Slice the tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a flat-bottomed thick-walled pan. On low heat, add the crushed garlic and dry red chili pieces to the hot oil.

Stir around and fry on low heat for a few seconds. Follow immediately with turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder.

Give a quick mix and immediately mix in tomato slices and salt. Cook with lid on, on low heat.

Cook the tomatoes for ~6 minutes, stirring once or twice in between.

Add half a cup of water and continue to cook covered for another 3-4 minutes, or till the tomatoes have turned into a sauce-like consistency.

4. Grilled pumpkin in tomato sauce

Layer the grilled pumpkin over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle groƒund pepper in between the layers.

Put the lid on and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

Let the pan stand for another 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.

5. Assemble kaddu borani for serving

Take a wide serving plate. Spread at the bottom, the yogurt sauce prepared in step 2.

Layer over the yogurt sauce, the pumpkin and tomato sauce prepared in step 4.

Top with dollops of yogurt sauce.

Finally, garnish with a sprinkling of dried mint, chili flakes and ground pepper.

Enjoy kaddu borani with any bread such as chapatis or parathas.

Meal below: kaddu borani with ginger lime moong dal, masala bhindi, chapatis.

Notes:

Try other pumpkin recipes:

Check out other dishes that use olive oil as starring ingredient:

The post Kaddu Borani: Pumpkin with Tomato and Yogurt Sauces appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

What an intriguing flavor profile, and what simplicity!

I had a fresh bunch of moolis in my fridge and a pot of homemade dahi. I decided to try out this recipe immediately.

The outcome was as pleasing as I’d imagined. This radish walnut chutney is a regular in my kitchen since then.

On to the recipe. I hesitate to call it a “Kashmiri” recipe as I am working with borrowed wisdom here – can’t be sure how far this strays from its classical form muj chutin. So I’ll content myself with calling it “Kashmir-inspired”.

You Need:

[For 3-4 servings]

• White radish (mooli) – 1 big / 2 medium
• Plain yogurt – 1 cup
• Walnut kernels – 1/4 cup [buy here]
• Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
• Roasted cumin powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Green chilies – 1 or 2, finely chopped (adjust to taste)

How To Make Radish Walnut Chutney:

1. Season the yogurt

Crush the walnuts. I do this on a flat surface using a rolling pin.

Whisk the yogurt to smooth. Add finely chopped green chilies, roasted cumin powder, crushed walnuts to the yogurt.

Mix and refrigerate till we are ready with the radish.

2. Prepare the radish

Scrape and grate the radish using a fine grater.

Mix a quarter teaspoon of salt with the grated radish. Set aside.

The salt will cause the radish to give off water. After 15 minutes, press the grated radish to squeeze out the water.

Note: Don’t throw the squeezed-out radish water away. Use it for kneading paratha dough.

3. Put it all together

Add the drained grated radish to the seasoned yogurt.

Stir around to blend.

That’s it – radish walnut chutney is ready. Let it stand for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle and mellow, and then serve. If making the chutney ahead of time, refrigerate till ready to use. (This chutney stays good for two days or so when refrigerated.)

Serve radish walnut chutney on the side with fried snacks such as kachoris or at lunchtime with a bigger Indian meal.

Meal below: methi parathas, zuchhini tomato curry, channa masala, radish walnut chutney.

Notes:

Check out other interesting mooli-based recipes…

…and more Kashmir-inspired recipes:

The post Kashmir-Inspired Radish Walnut Chutney appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

I have used in this recipe the “varikatri” brinjal which is in season locally – this has a pretty purple-and-white striped skin and a mild tasting fleshy interior.

I tried looking for its English name – couldn’t find an authoritative translation but from its appearance, I guess it is the fairy tale eggplant. Can my learned readers confirm?

You Need:

• Baby eggplant – 300 grams (6-7 pieces)
• Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
• Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
• Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
• Amchoor powder – 1/3 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/3 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Salt – 1/3 teaspoon
• Peanut oil – 1 tablespoon

How To Make Sookhe Bharwan Baingan:

1. Quarter and soak

Slice each eggplant into quarters, without cutting all the way through – let the joint at the head remain intact.

Keep a bowlful of salted water nearby. As soon as you slice each eggplant, drop it into the salted water. This is to prevent the browning of eggplant on being cut.

Let the quartered eggplant stand in salted water for 20 minutes.

Drain and wash.

3. Spice and stuff

In an dry bowl, measure out the spices: coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, amchoor powder.

Add salt to taste to the spice powders. Stir and mix.

Pat the eggplant with a kitchen towel to dry out excess moisture. We are now ready to stuff the eggplant.

Pry each eggplant slit open and stuff in some of the spice powder – fit the powder near the head of the eggplant and clamp the open ends shut. Remember to divide the spice powder evenly across all the eggplants – don’t overstuff to start with and then have nothing for the last ones!

3. Cook

Take a flat non-stick pan, just large enough to hold all the stuffed eggplants in a single file – a pan with 8-9 inch diameter works best for 7 small eggplants.

Heat the pan on medium heat. Pour half a tablespoon of oil into the pan, give it a swirl to coat the base evenly and place the eggplants in the pan close to the source of heat.

Cook the eggplants covered and undisturbed for five minutes.

Shake the covered pan gently to move eggplants around. When you start hearing crackling sounds (~2-3 minutes), uncover and turn the eggplants over using a wooden spatula or tongs.

From this point on, uncover every 2-3 minutes to check for doneness. Keep moving the positions of the eggplants to roast them from all sides evenly. Drizzle a few drops of oil whenever some part looks dry.

When all sides are roasted well, switch off the heat. Let the eggplant stand for another ten minutes, covered.

Sookhe bharwan baingan (dry spice-stuffed eggplant) is ready.

Serve on the side with an Indian meal of rice/chapatis, curries/dal, raita.

Meal below: sookhe bharwan baingan with coconut rice, vegetable red lentil soup, pineapple raita.

Notes:

Looking for more stuffed vegetable dishes? You must try:

The post Sookhe Bharwan Baingan: Dry Spice Stuffed Eggplant appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

In Hindi, kachumber is colloquially used to mean something that’s minced. One can find Hindi film characters issuing threats of making kachumber of their enemies! This post limits itself to the word’s literal interpretation of delicious salad ;-)

Ingredients:

[For 4-5 servings]

Fresh vegetables:

• Cucumber – 2 small (~1.5 cups when diced)
• Tomato – 2 medium (~1.5 cups when diced)
• Onion – 1 medium (~3/4th cup when diced)
• Green chili – 1 (more if you want it hotter)
• Lime wedge
• Fresh coriander leaves – a few sprigs

Dressing:

• Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
• Powdered jaggery – 1/3 teaspoon
• Roasted cumin powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Kashmiri red chili or paprika powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Kala namak (black salt) – 1/4 teaspoon

How To Make Kachumber Salad:

Take the skin off the onion. Lightly peel the cucumber if you like (I let the peel remain on).

Dice the onion, tomato and cucumber. Finely slice the green chili. Chop the coriander leaves.

Get the seasoning ready: salt, kala namak, red chili powder, jaggery, roasted cumin powder.

Toss the salad ingredients with the seasoning and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Kachumber salad is ready. Serve immediately.

Variations:

What to Serve with Kachumber:

Kachumber can be had as a standalone snack, or as a “salsa” of sorts with crisp savories such as papad or nimki to scoop it up with.

Traditionally served with an Indian meal on the side as a salad. Here’s an example: Indian meal thali: kachumber salad, chapatis, vegetable red lentil dal, gobhi methi, potato fry.

FAQ:

Q1. Can I make kachumber ahead of time?

A. The vegetables can be chopped and kept ready for assembling ahead of time, but DO NOT mix the dressing until you are just about to serve the kachumber.

Q2. What happens if I mix salt and lime juice into kachumber in advance?

A. The salt and lime juice draw out the water from the vegetables and cause the kachumber to lose its crunch and color. The flavor of lime juice also tends to degrade and turn somewhat bitter if left to sit.

Q3. Is kachumber vegan?

A. Yes. Traditionally kachumber only contains raw vegetables, lime juice and plant-based seasonings.

Q4. I do not have jaggery. What can I use instead?

A. Sugar, or maple syrup / agave nectar. Use 1/4 teaspoon of sugar or syrup for 1/3 teaspoon of jaggery.

Related Recipes:

If you liked this kachumber salad recipe, do try making other colorful salads from The Steaming Pot archives –

The post Kachumber Salad: Classic Indian Cucumber Onion Tomato Salad appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

You Need:

[For 5-6 servings]

• Beetroot – 2 small
• Plain yogurt (dahi) – 3 cups
• Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Red chili powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Tadka ingredients:

• Peanuts, raw and unsalted – 1 tablespoon
• Urad dal – 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Dry red chilies – 2
• Asafoetida powder – a pinch
• Salt – a pinch
• Peanut oil – 2 teaspoons

How To Make Beetroot Raita:

1. Prep the beets

Wash and place the beets in a pan. Add two cups of water to the pan and bring it to a boil. Simmer covered for 15mins. Switch off the heat and let the beets sit in the hot water for another 30mins.

Uncover the pan, pick the cooked beets out of the water. Peel or scrape the skin off the beets. Cut and discard the hard top and bottom.

Using a grater, grate the beets.

You could grind coarse or fine, according to your liking – I have kept in coarse.

2. Prep the yogurt

Whisk the yogurt till smooth.

Add salt, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder.

Mix well.

4. Blend and temper

Stir in the grated beets into the seasoned yogurt.

Do the tadka: heat two teaspoons of oil in a tadka ladle. Set heat to low to prevent burning. Add to the hot oil, mustard seeds and peanuts. When the peanuts just begin to turn color (watch carefully, a few seconds here and there can turn tadka from underdone to burnt), add urad dal, torn dry red chilies. Stir with a clean dry spoon. As soon as the urad dal turns brown, add asafoetida powder and salt. Switch off the heat.

Pour the tadka into the beetroot raita. Tip: Mix three-quarters of the tadka in, use the rest as topping.

Beetroot raita (chukandar ka raita) is ready.

Garnish with a sprinkling of roasted cumin powder and (optionally) chopped coriander. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Meal below: chapatis, capsicum tomato saute, goji berry dal, beetroot raita.

Notes:

Enjoy offbeat raitas? Then you should also try chayote raita, bathua raita, drumstick raita.

The post Chukandar ka Raita: Beetroot Raita appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

Bathua is like a tougher, trickier cousin of spinach. It doesn’t really work when had raw (spinach, in contrast, does), but tame it with boiling and blend it with dahi – it then shapes up beautifully as bathua ka raita.

Ingredients:

• Bathua leaves – 250 grams
• Green chilies – 1 (more if you want it hotter)
• Plain yogurt (dahi) – 3 cups
• Salt – 1/4 teaspoon + more to taste
• Kala namak (Himalayan black salt) – 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
• Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon

How To Make Bathua Ka Raita:

1. Boil the bathua leaves

Pluck and discard the tough stems from the bathua.

Wash the leaves well. Chop roughly.

Bring a cup of water to a boil. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the water. When the water starts bubbling, add chopped bathua leaves to the water.

Boil the bathua leaves for 7-8 minutes on low heat.

Let the boiled bathua leaves cool to room temperature. Drain away excess water.

2. Grind and whip

Place the boiled bathua leaves in a grinder along with green chilies.

Grind.

Prepare roasted cumin powder if not handy already.

Take 3 cups of plain yogurt and whip to make it smooth.

3. Put the raita together

Mix into the whipped yogurt the boiled bathua leaves-green chili paste, roasted cumin powder, kala namak and salt (be mindful of the quantity – remember the bathua has been salted already).

Bathua ka raita is ready. Let it stand for an hour before serving. If planning to serve later, refrigerate. Raita is typically served cool.

Meal below: chapatis with potato carrot curry and bathua ka raita.

Notes:

I normally append an English translation of the Hindi recipe name in the title, but made an exception this time. "Chenopodium album yogurt dip" sounds alarmingly like a Marxist revolutionary who, for the lack of a stage or audio recordings, jumps into a pool of yogurt. No thanks – bathua ka raita will have to do on its own as name, regardless of language.

Online sources say pregnant women should avoid eating bathua – do check with your nutritionist/doctor about it.

Related Recipes:

Try other vegetable-based raita recipes: lauki raita, drumstick raita, spinach raita.

The post Bathua Ka Raita appeared first on The Steaming Pot.

Ingredients:

• Zucchini – 400 grams (1 large or 2 medium)
• Coriander leaves – 1 small bunch
• Green chilies – 2 (adjust to taste)
• Freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – to taste
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoetida powder (hing) – 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil – 2 teaspoons

How To Make Indian-Style Zucchini with Coriander and Lemon:

1. Cut, pound, grind

Zucchini: Slice the unpeeled zucchini into thin wedges about 3cm long.

For medium-sized zucchini: remove the ends, slice lengthwise into quarters, then halve each quarter. Cut the zucchini wedges into 3cm long pieces.

Dry whole spices: Coarsely grind together coriander seeds and cumin seeds. You could do it in a mortar and pestle, or with a few seconds’ run in the chutney grinder.

Fresh coriander-chili paste: Chop coriander leaves and green chilies roughly. Place them in the chutney grinder.

Give the grinder a quick run to make a coarse coriander-chili paste.

2. Cook!

Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan or kadhai.

When the oil is hot, add asafoetida powder, coarsely ground coriander-cumin powder.

Stir for a few seconds, then add turmeric powder and follow with the zucchini wedges. Add salt, mix.

Cover and cook on medium heat.

Zucchini will give off water as it cooks, so you need not add extra water or worry about burning. Every other minute, uncover, stir the zucchini around, and cover again – until it is nearly done. This will take around 7-8 minutes.

Add coriander-chili paste to the pan. Mix well to coat the zucchini wedges evenly with the green paste.

Cook uncovered on high heat for a minute or two, so that the excess water dries up.

Turn off the heat. Stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cover and let zucchini with coriander lemon dressing rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve zucchini with coriander lemon dressing hot with a regular Indian meal (chapatis / rice / dal).

Plated below: zucchini with lemon coriander dressing alongside (clockwise) anar ka raita, chapatis, amaranth leaves stir fry, kachumber salad, beans in tomato garlic sauce.

Notes:

Looking for more zucchini recipes for Indian meals? Try zucchini tomato curry, easy cheesy zucchini, moong dal with zucchini and coriander.

The post Indian-Style Zucchini: Zucchini with Coriander Lemon Dressing appeared first on The Steaming Pot.