The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Till not too long ago, pancakes for me meant cheela. The flour/batter of the pancake would vary: if not besan then moong or sooji, but the template of ‘thick batter + a dash of seasoning’ was a constant.

A chance viewing of Maangchi’s vegetable pancake recipe brought about a paradigm shift* in this template.

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Momos seemed like exotic restaurant-only food to me for a long time, till a friend taught me how easy it is to make them at home. All you need is to figure out a way to steam the momos. The good news is: you don’t need fancy equipment for it; an idli stand and an Indian pressure cooker do the job perfectly.

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You will find a delicious mix of flavors, textures and colors in this patta gobhi aloo matar ki sabzi (cabbage potato peas curry). There’s crunch from cabbage, tender starchiness from potatoes, a slight sweetness from peas, all ensconced in a mustard and spice flavor base.

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Indian vegetable dishes are most often tinged yellow, the color of turmeric. Recipes high on tomatoes and red chilies may be red, those that rely on leafy vegetables, green. White is rare – one reason that makes this cabbage coconut stir fry exceptional.

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Here’s a way to sneak in some cabbage goodness into your meals, without cooking up a full-blown cabbage curry: make patta gobhi paratha / cabbage paratha. With a generous spiking of cabbage (patta gobhi in Hindi) and spices, this wholesome pan-fried flatbread is a satisfying meal on its own. With chutney or pickle on the side, cabbage paratha is just the thing for a weekend brunch or a lunchbox treat.

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A crunchy, nutty, leafy side dish for an Indian meal – cabbage and peanuts stir fry. This is just right for the day after gorging on pooja delicacies, when your tummy says "no more" to pooris and dum aloo. I had today cabbage and peanuts stir fry with a simple meal of tomato toor dal, mint raita and boiled rice.

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I often do a dry stir fry of cabbage, peas and onions with Indian spices, to accompany plain parathas in my office lunch box. This time I looked towards pan-Asian cuisine for inspiration, putting in a honey soy dressing in place of cumin and coriander.

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