Indian Cooking Class

As I have said before, we eat Indian food constantly and I get requests for recipes and so forth constantly as well, so I have decided to teach a class on some basic Indian dishes. This is the kind of stuff we (and probably a billion other people) eat on a day to day basis, rice or roti, dal, raita and sabzi. I am including naan in the class because people go crazy for it, but that is more of a special occasion dish for us at home.

Anyway, here are the recipes I used. 

Cucumber Raita

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 C plain yogurt (full fat is best)

1 tsp ginger paste

¼ – ½ cucumber minced or shredded with the water squeezed out

1 TBS finely chopped cilantro

¼ tsp cumin powder

salt to taste

Method:

Mix all ingredients and let rest at least 20 minutes

Serve with rice, or bread

Lime pickle:

About 20 servings

Ingredients:

4 limes cut into 16ths

¼ C lime juice

2 TBS salt

½ tsp turmeric

2 TBS oil (not olive)

½ tsp mustard seeds

1/8 tsp hing (asofoetida)

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

 Method:

Mix limes, lime juice, salt and turmeric and put into a covered jar

Let sit in the sun for 1-2 weeks, mixing everyday until the limes are soft and more yellow than green

Heat oil in small pot to med-high, add mustard seeds until the splutter, then hing and gin/gar paste

Remove from heat and let cool, then mix with salted limes and serve

Make sure to only use clean utensils to serve the lime pickle and the mixture will last for many months in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Simple Jeera rice

2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 C basmati rice

1 tsp salt

1tsp cumin seeds

1TBS butter/ghee/oil (not olive)

1/8 tsp cardamom powder

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp cinnamon powder, or 1 2 inch piece cinnamon

2 C Water

Method:

Heat butter to med in a small pot and fry spices for 1 minute

Add rice and sautee for 2 minutes to coat with butter

Add water and bring to boil

Cover and reduce to low for 15-20 minutes

Remove from heat, fluff and serve

Roti

4 flatbreads

Ingredients:

1 ¼ C Flour

½ C water

½ tsp salt

1 TBS butter/ghee/oil (not olive oil) (optional)

Method:

Mix salt and flour

Add fat and incorporate into the dough

Add water bit by bit and mix until you have a SOFT dough

Knead for 2-5 minutes until smooth

Cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes

Preheat Tawa/pan to med high

Cut into 4 pieces and make balls

Flatten ball and heavily coat with flour

Roll to thickness of a tortilla

Cook on ungreased pan for 1-2 minutes on one side, until there are small brown spots

Flip and cook another 30 seconds until brown spots form

Place on grate over hot burner, or directly over gas flame moving constantly until roti puffs up

Place in bowl with towel over the top while you cook the rest

Eat them!

Basic Naan

4 Naan

Ingredients:

1 ¼ C flour

1/2 C water

1 TBS butter, or oil (not olive)

2 tsp yeast

1 TBS sugar

Method:

Mix salt, yeast and flour

Add fat and incorporate into the dough

Add water bit by bit and mix until you have a SOFT dough

Knead for 2-5 minutes until smooth

Cover and let sit for 1-1 ½ hours until the dough doubles

Preheat Tawa/pan to med high

Punch down dough and cut into 4 pieces and make balls

Flatten ball and heavily coat with flour

Roll to thickness of a tortilla

Cook on ungreased pan for 1-2 minutes on one side, until lots of bubbles form

Flip and cook another 30 seconds- 1 minute until brown spots form

Place in bowl with towel over the top while you cook the rest

Butter the tops of the warm breads

Eat them!

Dal Tadka

4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 C Lentils (moong dal is what I used but anything will work)

3 C Water

½ tsp Turmeric

3 TBS oil (not olive)

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mustard seeds

1/8 tsp hing (asofoetida)

1 stalk of curry leaves

1 TBS ginger garlic paste

1 onion

Salt - to taste

2 TBS lime juice

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Cilantro - 1/4 bunch chopped

Method:

Boil lentils in water with turmeric until soft and mushy adding more water until desired texture is achieved, set aside.

Heat oil in small pot to med-high, add mustard seeds until the splutter, then hing, then curry leaves and gin/gar paste

Sautee for 30 seconds

Add onions and sautee until soft

Add your boiled lentils with salt to taste, lime juice, and garam masala

Return to a boil

Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Brinjal Fry

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 1/2lbs eggplant cut into 1x1x2 inch pieces

2 onions, cut into 1 inch matchsticks

¼ C oil (Not olive)

2 TBS ginger/garlic paste

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/8 tsp hing

1 sprig curry leaves

1 TBS cumin powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 TBS coriander powder

¼ C chopped cilantro

Method:

Heat oil in large frying pan to med-high, add mustard seeds until the splutter, then hing, then curry leaves and gin/gar paste

Sautee for 30 seconds

Add onions with some salt and sautee until soft

Add eggplant with cumin, pepper, and coriander powder with some salt and mix

Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until eggplant is tender to your liking

Add in cilantro and taste for salt, stir and serve.

Indian-ish hot sauce

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 C chopped serrano peppers
1/2 C Oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS achar masala
1 TBS red chili powder

Method:

Blend up your chilis with 1/4 C of the oil
Heat the remaining 1/4 oil in a small pot
Add blended chilis with salt and fry for 5 minutes stirring
Add masala and red chili powder
Stir, let cool and serve