The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

It is no hyperbole to say that dahi aloo is the quickest vegetable curry ever. Ideal for days when you have no time to cook a full meal. Ditch those ready-to-eat boxes- just keep boiled potatoes and yogurt handy and in minutes you can make dahi aloo. This curry goes well with chapatis, or even toast if you’re in a time-saving mode.

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I try to include a variety of grains/flours and cooking oils in my diet. Whole wheat flour, gram flour, brown rice have been regulars in the pantry. One grain I haven’t taken to easily is finger millet (ragi in Karnataka / marua in Bihar). One reason is that I am not a big fan of this millet – too much of it in a dish turns its taste to what I can only describe as ‘dusty’.

Ragi’s health benefits are multifold – nutrition sites tell me it is a rich source of amino acids methionine and tryptophan, and minerals such as calcium and iron. One HAS to eat it, ‘dusty’ taste notwithstanding! The most palatable way I’ve found is to add a portion of ragi flour to chapati flour and make it into ragi roti.

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An instant stir fry, using a vegan, gluten-free red chili paste from the Thai Kitchen. Easy to make, great-tasting and ultra-flexible, this recipe of thai stir fry vegetables is a godsend for days when you have little bits of many vegetables and don’t know what to do with them.

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You get the most novel types of brinjals (eggplant) in Karnataka – today I picked up small bright round green brinjals, with gentle lines of white and purple, and prepared a quick side dish to go with rice and dal. Here’s how you could make crispy green brinjal.

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A common problem with the aubergine / eggplant / brinjal is that it begins to turn brown on slicing.

This is actually a good sign as it signals the presence of powerful antioxidants in the eggplant.

Good signs are all fine, but you don’t want your dish to look a muddy shade, do you?

Here’s a simple tip to prevent cut eggplant from discoloring. This has the added effect of reducing its bitterness.

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Aamras literally means "mango nectar" and that’s exactly what it is – flavored pulp of ripe mangoes. A summer regular on any Gujarati thali, this dish is unusual in that it isn’t an end-of-meal dessert – it is part of the main course, eaten with pooris and parathas.

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