The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Is it just me or does a simple change like cutting vegetables in a different shape give a dish a whole new spin?

For dinner last night, before I started chopping up the okra (bhindi) into my usual 1-cm disks, I noticed that some of them were bulging – which means the seeds were big and ripe. I didn’t want those seeds and yet the bhindi good enough to eat. What could be done?

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I must warn you before giving you this recipe – methi chutney (that is, chutney made of fenugreek leaves) is not for everybody. It is bitter, it is really hot. If you are like me, you will love it. If you are not, I warned you, didn’t I?

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I’ve been trying out different dishes with my new find this year – the vegan, gluten-free red chili paste from Thai Kitchen. This Thai-inspired recipe using potatoes, onions and sesame seeds is one I specially liked.

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Achari gajar (instant carrot pickle) takes its inspiration from the taste of traditional Indian pickles. A side dish to spruce up any Indian meal, this recipe’s USP is its express approach. This recipe does not involve the long process of making conventional pickles; achari gajar is ready in minutes.

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Cumin (jeera) is a staple in Indian food – it goes into the tadka in dals and vegetables, flavors jeera rice. It is roasted and ground and sprinkled over raitas and salads and dahi vadas and chaats.

You can get roasted ground cumin powder in the market but it does not hold a candle to the flavor of fresh roasted cumin powder made at home.

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Parathas stuffed with a spiced peas masala. Peas parathas for a delicious, protein-rich weekend brunch.

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Classic imli chutney – a sweet and sour chutney made of tamarind (imli) and jaggery. Drizzle tamarind jaggery chutney over dahi vadas and chaats, dip your samosas and kachoris into it or have it on the side with any Indian meal.

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