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Chow Chow Tamatar: Chayote Tomato Curry

13 Dec

Chayote Tomato Curry with Jhunka, Rice, Baingan Bhaja

Chayote slow-cooked in a tomato base – simple flavors that get their kick from a tempering of mustard and asafoetida. This is one of those curries that only ask for time, not exceptional skill or effort.

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Spring Onion Jhunka

19 Oct

Spring Onion Jhunka - Hare Pyaz ka Jhunka

When you have run out of vegetables, make jhunka.

This piece of wisdom that I received from my Punekar friend was worth its weight in gold during the pandemic lockdown. With just besan and my backlog of onions, the barebones jhunka recipe gave me several filling, comforting meals.

So, what exactly is jhunka? Wikipedia defines it as:

…a vegetarian traditional Indian dish prepared in Maharashtra, Goa and North Karnataka. It is essentially a chickpea flour porridge.

Hmmm. Calling it a “porridge” is rather a stretch! Do they mean pithle? I’ll let the matter rest with a Shakespearean reference and point you to the blog becauseanyonecancook, which describes pithle and jhunka with more nuance.

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Sookhi Arbi Fry: Pan-Fried Colocasia

27 Sep

Arbi Sookhi Fry - Colocasia Pan Fried

An easy arbi (colocasia) side dish that doesn’t require much skill or vigilance to put together. And what’s more, it remains heroically spill-resistant even if you carry it around in a leaky creaky lunchbox.

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Kashmir-Inspired Radish Walnut Chutney

30 Aug

Radish Walnut Kashmiri Chutney - Mooli Akhrot Raita

Epic’s Tyohaar ki Thali was playing on my TV as I went about Sunday chores, only half an eye on the proceedings on screen…when this radish walnut chutney recipe made me stop in my tracks.

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.

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Sookhe Bharwan Baingan: Dry Spice Stuffed Eggplant

22 Aug

Sookhe Bharwan Baingan

Sookhe bharwan baingan is a delicious side dish of spice-stuffed baby eggplants. It uses few ingredients – no onion, garlic or tomatoes – and can be put together easily with basic Indian spices.

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Kachumber: Classic Indian Salad

8 Aug

Kachumber - Indian Salad

Kachumber – a classic Indian salad made with easily available raw vegetables. Light, fresh and oil-free, kachumber salad gives a pleasant counterpoint to leisurely-cooked, gravy-laden vegetable curries.

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