The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

White radish, crisp and juicy, is in season. I like radish but can’t have much of it raw. More than a couple of bites, and I’m left nursing a stinging sensation and – if it’s a particularly potent specimen of the vegetable – watery eyes.

I wasn’t a fan of cooked radish either, until I discovered aloo mooli kadhi. Recently a new radish recipe has made its way into my armory, the one this post is about: mooli lachcha sabzi, or stir-fried grated radish. Thanks to a friend who shared her family recipe with me.

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The staple Indian salad ingredients – kheera tamatar (cucumber and tomatoes) – can take on a curry avatar too. As these veggies are edible raw, the curry need not be cooked too long either. Cucumber tomato curry is great on the side with chapatis and a sprinkling of Bikaneri bhujia on top.

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Hare moong ka cheela (savory green gram pancake) is a richer variation of the yellow moong ka cheela. The process of making the cheela remains the same, except that the base lentil in this one changes from the light yellow moong bean to the more potent green gram (moong bean).

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Broccoli and red pepper are not traditionally used in Indian cooking, but they take to Indian spices very well. A simple red capsicum curry works wonderfully when you want to cook quick. With a bit more time and a few more ingredients on hand, take a stab at this colorful mixed vegetable recipe.

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Laal saag (red spinach), with its delightful color, adds sparkle to any meal it is served with. This Bihar-style easy red spinach stir fry is one of my favorites ways to have this veggie.

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Pumpkin and moong dal hit it off beautifully together. Mild to taste, the two have the capacity to combine a wide array of flavors very well. This recipe of pumpkin moong dal makes the most of this attribute, with its luxurious use of curry leaves and masalas.

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Nutty, sweet flavors complement beans very well – I had taken to this idea when I first made string beans with peanuts and jaggery. This time I had green beans (French beans) on hand, which meant a milder flavor and more crunch. This felt like a good opportunity to up the experimental quotient on "nutty, sweet flavors".

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