no onion no garlic Recipes | Page 9 of 14

Papad ki Sookhi Sabzi (Dry Curry)

For the longest time, the only way I knew how to eat papad was as a plain accompaniment to an Indian meal (usually khichdi), much like chutney or pickle. I liked papad overall, but the “dish” didn’t seem all that consequential.

When I moved to Bombay, my friends there would order masala papad as a starter in restaurants. This was something new, something interesting – papad dressed up as a standalone dish. I started experimenting with papad in curries, and warming up to this novelty – papad curry was very convenient on days when there are no vegetables on hand.

I discovered ridge gourd only after moving to south India. The first time that I bought this vegetable, my motivator was curiosity – I had no idea how this sponge gourd / bitter gourd lookalike would be cooked or how it would taste. Pushcart vendors outside my apartment stocked fresh ridge gourd in large inviting heaps. One day I walked up to a vendor and asked in gestures (I did not know Kannada) to name the vegetable. In response, he wrapped two ridge gourds, held out the package to me and named the price.

And so I returned home, ridge gourd package in hand, and typed into Google image search: "long green Indian vegetable with spikes". Google did not disappoint – I found not just the name but also many ways to cook ridge gourd.

Red pumpkin does a great job of absorbing spices and mingling with a range of flavors: spicy, sweet, tangy, salty. These traits of the vegetable are put to perfect use in this glorious red pumpkin curry recipe.

This Andhra-style hot and sour tomato peanut chutney is great on the side with boiled rice, especially on days when you don’t have another curry to go with your meal.

A recipe from my grandmother’s kitchen – a tangy aloo chutney laced with mustard. The original version is made with jimikand (yam) instead of potatoes, and as those of us who cook with yam know, that vegetable is tricky to handle raw. And so we switch to the friendlier, more accessible tuber. Potato chutney is just as good and is super easy to make.

The magic of some recipes lies in exclusion: the dish tastes so good because certain conventional ingredients are knocked off from its making. This recipe of saadi lauki sabzi (simple bottle gourd curry) , passed down from my grandmother’s kitchen, falls in that hallowed category.

I am a fan of the fierce, bitter methi chutney, but I gather that not many are on my side. Most friends find it "a bit much" for their taste. And so – for them and for those of you that share their taste – here’s a milder, nuttier version of it: sesame fenugreek chutney or til methi ki chutney.

Papad ki Sookhi Sabzi (Dry Curry)

Ridge Gourd Tomato Curry

Red Pumpkin Curry

Tomato Peanut Chutney

Aloo Chutney: Tangy Potato Chutney

Saadi Lauki Sabzi: Simple Bottle Gourd Curry

Til Methi ki Chutney: Sesame Fenugreek Chutney