Asian Vegetarian Cooking

Lesson 4: SOUTH INDIA

Recipes

BASIC SAMBAR
Serves 4

Almost any vegetable can be used in a sambar. This recipe is from Wendy Hobson's The Classic 1000 Indian Recipes.

• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon asafetida (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chile, halved
• 2 green chiles, halved
• 8 ounces of mixed vegetables (radish, onion, potato,
• eggplant, zucchini, green bell pepper, etc.), cubed
• 2 tablespoons tamarind juice
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sambar powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon rice flour (optional)
• 2 tablespoons water (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

1) Cook the lentils in boiling water for about 1 hour until tender, then drain and set aside.

2) Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the mustard seeds, asafetida, fenugreek, cumin seeds, and red chilies until the mustard seeds start crackling and the spices become aromatic. Add the green chiles and vegetables and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the tamarind juice, water, sambar powder, turmeric, and salt. Cover and simmer over a low heat until the vegetables are tender.

3) Stir the cooked lentils into the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes. If the sambar needs to be thickened, blend the rice flour with the water, stir the mixture into the pan and simmer for a further few minutes until thickened as desired.

4) Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice.

RASAM
Serves 4-6

The second course of a South Indian meal is typically rasam. This broth is served, in small cups, as an aid to digestion. Some Indians will make a light meal of rasam, rice, and chutney. Dal is the Indian term for dried beans, lentils, or peas.The following recipe is taken from Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking. Urad dal is available in Asian grocery stores or through the Indian Foods Company

• 1/2 cup split yellow peas
• 2 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pound red ripe tomatoes (about 2 large ones), chopped
• 4 teaspoons tamarind paste
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
• 7 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
• 1 whole, dried hot red pepper
• 10-15 fresh Chinese parsley stalks
• pinch of ground asafetida (optional)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Chinese parsley leaves

1) Put the yellow peas (called "dal"), 4 cups water, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric in a small pot and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, turn heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir 3 to 4 times in the last half hour, mashing this mixture of "dal" slightly as you do so. Turn the heat off and let the mixture sit covered for 10 minutes.

2) At the same time, combine the tomatoes, tamarind paste, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, salt, 5 of the garlic cloves, red pepper, parsley stalks, asafetida, ground cumin, ground coriander, and 4 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3) In the dal pot, take a cup of the broth and add it to the pot with the tomatoes. Now take out 1/4 cup of the thick dal, mash it slightly and add it to the tomato pot as well. Strain this mixture through a sieve, extracting as much liquid as you can. Put the strained liquid in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat.

4) Put the oil in a small skillet and heat over a medium flame. When hot, put in the remaining 2 garlic cloves, the mustard seeds, whole cumin seeds, and the urad dal. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop and the garlic darkens, pour the contents of the skillet into the hot soup and cover it again immediately. Let the pot sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Now strain the soup and ladle it into cups. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top.

MADRAS EGG CURRY
Serves 3-6

The unusual use of eggs in this Indian recipe clearly reflects British influence and probably means that the dish was created to appeal to British tastes.

• 4 tablespoons butter or ghee
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 hard-cooked eggs, cut in half lengthwise

1) Melt the butter in a skillet. Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

2) Blend in the curry powder and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring steadily. Cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add the salt and eggs. Serve warm.

South Indian Desserts

Dessert or mithai is generally not served after every Indian meal. It is reserved for special occasions. It also has a religious significance and is offered to the gods in temples to secure their blessings. Instead, after dinner, a plate of fruit or a bowl of dry-roasted fennel and cardamom seeds is typically passed around.

ALMONDS IN MILK
Serves 4

The almonds for this dish must be soaked overnight in water.

• 40 whole almonds
• few strands of saffron (optional)
• 4 cups whole milk, divided
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons golden raisins
• 6 cardamom pods

1) Soak the almonds overnight in 1 cup water.

2) Just before cooking, drain the almonds and discard the water, then peel and grind the almonds to a fine paste.

3) In a small bowl, soak the saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm milk, for 10 minutes.

4) Pour the remaining milk in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Add the sugar and bring it to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

5) To the milk mixture, add the ground almonds, saffron milk, and raisins. Continue stirring over high heat for another 5 minutes. The mixture will have thickened somewhat by this time. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

6) A thick layer of cream will have formed on top. Stir the cream into the pudding.

7) Remove the seeds from the cardamom pod, grind the seeds, and mix them into the pudding. Serve chilled in individual bowls.

SWEET PILAU
Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 2 cups raw long-grain rice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seedless raisins
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 3 cups hot milk

Melt the butter or ghee in a heavy saucepan. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly until the grains are transparent and yellow. Stir in the sugar, mace, cinnamon, salt, raisins, almonds, and milk. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes or until tender. Watch carefully and add a little boiling water if necessary, to keep from burning.

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