Aloo Paratha (Indian Potato Pancakes)

Hey, did you know "aloo" means potato? One of my favorite foods, for sure.

Aloo parathas are delicious anytime. While some people eat them for breakfast, they're also great to wrap up fillings like cucumber-yogurt salad, eggs, chutneys, lentils, beans, or anything your imagination suggests. The most difficult part, if there is a difficult part to this simple recipe, is rolling out each cake. Be gentle and sprinkle your surfaces with flour as you need it.

Though my Indian-American friend Sheilja has made these before, she called her mom in New Jersey to get a specific recipe before we cooked together this week. Sheilja says her mom can toast these cakes on three or more griddles at once without losing her head or getting flustered.

Ingredients

6 cups potatoes, boiled and finely shredded
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp red chili powder
4 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp salt (or more, to taste)
About 3/4 cup flour (we used whole wheat flour), plus more for rolling
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for cooking (about 1/4 cup total)

Directions

Stir together all ingredients. Form the potato mixture into balls the size of a golf ball - about 2" in diameter. Coat each of the balls in flour and let rest for 5 minutes.

Gently roll out each ball on a floured surface, until it is about 1/4 inch thick and 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Place on waxed paper while rolling the rest.

Heat a flat skillet on high until a drop of water sizzles off it immediately. Place one or two parathas on the skillet, making sure they don't touch while browning. Swirl a drop of oil on the top of each pancake, then flip it when the first side is browned. Put a bit of oil on that side as the uncooked side browns and begins to bubble a bit.

Serve warm with any variety of chutneys, vegetables, yogurt, or the delicious raita - a cucumber-yogurt-mint sauce.

Makes about 30 pancakes.

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Aloo Mattar (Indian Pea and Potato Stew)

Aloo mattar (AH-loo mah-tar) stew is a super-easy and filling vegetarian dish full of a lot of complex curry-like flavors. You can make it as spicy or as mild as you like. It was very much a comfort food on a cold day, and our home smelled fabulous while we were cooking it. As simple as the recipe is, we were surprised that it tasted just like the one made in the restaurant by Indians.

My friend Sheilja recommends buying spices like cumin, coriander, and cardamom as whole seeds and then grinding them as you need them, so that they retain more flavor. They really smell amazing when you grind them fresh! She uses a Magic Bullet, but our electric coffee grinder works just as well. Again, try a Hispanic or Asian grocery store for the spices if you have trouble finding them at your supermarket.

Ingredients

4 medium russet potatoes
1 tbsp oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small green chili pepper, minced (bell, jalapeno, serrano, or other, depending on how much heat you want)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp garam masala powder (you can substitute good curry powder, but the taste will be different)
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Scrub the potatoes, then cut them into 1" cubes. Boil them until slightly tender, then drain.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil, then add the onion, garlic, and pepper and saute until tender. Stir in the cooked potatoes and the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes and peas are tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir in the cilantro.

Serve over rice with naan or puri flat bread on the side.

Serves 4-6

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Chana Masala (Indian Chick Pea Stew)

Chana masala is a stew made of chick peas (or garbanzos) from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan - the vast territory at the top of India, touching the Himalayas. This is my friend Sheilja's homeland.

When she was a girl, her mom was determined to send her to an English boarding school up in the Himalayas, far from her family. Her mother wanted her to have the best possible chance for a good life, and a solid education was the path, even if it wasn't the traditional path for women in her family.

Sheilja went on to college in West Virginia, then worked in New York City before settling down in the Chicagoland area. She speaks perfect, nearly unaccented English, too. What a fascinating life!

Punjabis sure know how to cook. This filling and healthy traditional Indian stew is completely meatless, but I promise you won't miss the meat for the highly flavored and slightly spicy party of flavors in this bowl. The garam masala and chole masala spice mixes give it a distinctive taste - in a pinch, you can use an equal amount of generic sweet curry powder.

Because many Indians cook with a variety of dried beans, lentils, seeds, and corn, you can often find a pressure cooker in the kitchen. This cuts down the prep time for Indian food enormously. But if you don't have one, soaking and then boiling the dry legumes is a perfectly good option, or allowing them to cook all day or overnight in a slow cooker before making the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups dry chickpeas, rinsed and picked over, or 2 15-oz cans garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp grated ginger root
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground punjabi chole masala
1 tbsp ground garam masala
1 tsp tamarind paste, or 1 tsp sugar and the juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

Cooked rice for serving (optional)
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

Cook the dry beans in a pressure cooker according to the manufacturers directions, or soak them for 1 hour and then boil about 2 hours until tender. Drain well.

Heat a large skillet and toast the cumin seeds until slightly browned and fragrant. Set the seeds aside. Heat the oil, then saute to garlic, onion, pepper, and ginger until tender. Sitr in the rest of the ingredients, including the chick peas. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Serve over rice with a side of warm naan or chapatis.

Serves 4-6.

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Moong Daal (Indian Yellow Lentil Stew)

An Indian friend of mine says that moong dal soup is good food when you're ill - they serve it to women recovering from childbirth and people with upset stomachs. I made this one day when Joe and I were recovering from summer colds. We did feel better! The basic recipe can be a little bland to help invalids, but it can be spiced up a bit for an everyday dish.

This is a surprisingly filling and low-fat vegan meal. We like it with a spoonful of strong Indian garlic pickle. Add savory, chewy garlic naan for a vegetarian dish (naan often contains yogurt or sour cream). You can scoop the stew right out of the bowl with a pinch of naan; it's perfectly good manners to eat this with your fingers.

By the way, if you go to a store that stocks lots of Indian food, you may notice a stunning array of different beans, peas, and seeds. Each has a slightly different taste, texture, and use. Moong, or Mung, dal is a small yellow lentil that usually has its outside skin removed. Dal is a generic term for lentil.

If you want to learn more about Indian spices and ingredients, the Cook's Thesaurus is a great resource.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked moong dal without skins

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves

2 small green chilies (optional)

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp grated ginger

½ tsp Asofetida powder (optional)

4 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Cook mung dal in a pressure cooker or boil on the stove until soft.  This will take about 15 minutes in the pressure cooker, or about 45 on the stove. Heat a medium saucepan or frying pan, then add the oil. Cook onion, cumin, pepper, and garlic in oil, then cook turmeric, ginger, and asofetida powder. Add the vegetable broth and lentils and cook until smooth and soupy, mashing the lentils slightly so that they smooth out. Indians sometimes use a star-shaped tool on a stick, rolled between their hands, to make the lentils more creamy. Here Sheilja is using that utensil.

Serves 4-6.

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Sheilja's Cilantro/Mint Chutney (Pudina)

This is that fresh and light chutney, sometimes called pudina, that they serve in many Indian restaurants. It can be made right before serving and used as as a dip (we love it with Indian naan, samosas and pakoras) or drizzled over meats before cooking. This also makes an excellent marinade for lamb, chicken, or fish.

We made it only slightly hot because I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to very spicy foods. The chiles used in this recipe are the tiny green spice torpedoes that are smaller than a pinky finger; add more if you like more heat. Be sure to use gloves when you chop them up.

I recently learned that chutney is a word that can be used for all kinds of sauces and condiments. Some are smooth and liquid like this one, some are dry or chunky or preserved. It's similar to all those salsas in Latin American cuisine. Now we have a whole new genre of sauces yet to try!

Yesterday, Sheilja and I went to Devon Avenue on the north side of Chicago, where there is a large population of people from all over India. We checked out the stunningly beautiful saris and jewelry; one shopkeeper invited me to try on a wedding sari, but I was too focused on lunch. The jewelry is 24-carat gold and is a form of insurance or financial security for some Indian women. I didn't see any price tags on the jewelry, so you know what that means! The dresses were between $400 and $1500.

After lunch at a vegetarian Punjabi restaurant, we went shopping at a couple of Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Sheilja helped me find some yellow lentils (mung daal), fresh flat-bread chappatis, mango pulp for smoothies, and tandoori paste. There are some delicious meals in our future.

Ingredients

3 Cups chopped fresh mint (we used spearmint but peppermint is best)

3 cups chopped fresh cilantro 

2 small Green Chiles, finely chopped 

2 tsp Garam Masala
1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp Salt (or to taste)

1/3 cup fresh lemon Juice
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Makes 2 cups.

Sheilja says, "After the chutney is done, I add 2-4 Tablespoons of plain yogurt to a small amount in a separate bowl.  This gives it the light green color to it and makes it milder for the kids to be able to eat it."

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Strawberry Mango Lassi - drink your breakfast!

A mango lassi always reminds me of my very cosmopolitan friend Natasha. We used to work together in corporate IT, and she took me to all sorts of interesting places and cajoled me into trying new foods. She found great places, too, like a Turkish kebab stand in suburban Arlington Heights or the best sushi place close to work. At the time I was a single mom with sole custody of my daughters, so my only social outlet was lunch dates. Natasha's friendship was a lovely gift to me.

On summer mornings, Natasha used to stop into an Indian store on her way to work to pick up a mango lassi. One time she brought one for me, and it was a splendid creamy-fruity breakfast. I had no idea that Indians invented fruit and yogurt smoothies, or that there were mangoes in India, but I completely approved. Delicious.

Eventually Natasha moved away and we lost track of each other. It's a shame. Stephen King wrote, "Friends come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant, have you ever noticed that?" Keep track of the good ones, if you can.

A mango lassi is a nice cooling breakfast or snack on a summer day, and I bet it would be even more refreshing in sultry India. Last week I took my smoothie out on the balcony and sipped it (well, it was so thick I also needed a spoon) while I watched the hummingbirds at the feeder. Three ruby-throated hummers have been stopping by lately.

I added some strawberries to this recipe because, you know, it's strawberry season here in the Midwest. You can stir them in sliced after your make the lassi, or puree them with the mango, or skip 'em entirely if you want.

Ingredients

2 cups ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 cups plain lowfat yogurt
1 cup ice cubes
3 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground green cardamom pods

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more ice or a bit of milk if the smoothie is too thick. If it's not cold enough, chill it in the refrigerator before eating.

Makes about 6 cups.

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Vegetarian Saffron Rice (Pulao) with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce (Raita)

Bottom left: Raita; bottom right: Vegan Pulao

There's something so social and intimate about cooking; besides cooking for friends, our favorite thing to do is cook with friends. When you ask someone to show you how to make their favorite recipes, their stories and memories come tumbling out while the flavors and smells rise through the kitchen.

This is a LOT of rice.

When my friend Sheilja offered to teach me some of the traditional recipes of Northern India, I couldn't wait to get started! She told me about growing up in the northeastern coastal city of Calcutta (Kolkata), the fishing-boat smells and the way her mother used food for healing the family as well as nourishing them.

When you make these low-fat and fiber-rich recipes, just know that they are bursting with health and flavor. Cardamom helps digestion and is packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Saffron, cinnamon, and turmeric are anti-inflammatory ingredients good for people with arthritis and heart disease. Turmeric also works to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Cumin, which they call jeera, has been proven to aid digestion, boost the immune system, and help cure insomnia. No wonder we wanted to take a nap after cooking and eating all this great food.

The fragrant and flavorful rice is wonderful topped with cool and tart cucumber salad. Saffron can be very expensive, but Sheilja tells me that turmeric is an acceptable substitute though the flavor is different. For the Raita, we used black salt; it is a potent salt with the flavor of hard-boiled egg yolks and adds an interesting touch.

Make sure you take out all the cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks before serving.

Ingredients

For the Pulao

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp mustard seed

2 cups cut-up mixed vegetables, or 12 oz. frozen mixed vegetables

2 black cardamom pods

2 cinnamon sticks about 2" long

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 green chiles, thinly sliced
3 cups rice

1/2 tsp saffron threads, or 1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp red chile powder

6 cups water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For the Raita Sauce

1 1/2 cups Greek-style plain yogurt
1 cup shredded cucumber
2 tbsp chopped cilantro or mint leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black salt (or 2 tsp white salt)

Stir together all ingredients and keep cool until ready to serve.

Directions

In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the cumin, mustard seed, and onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the vegetables, cardamom, cinnamon, garlic, and chiles and cook for 5 minutes.

Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then let it drain. Pour the second tbsp of oil into the pot and add rice. Saute until the rice is beginning to look golden. Add the saffron or turmeric, garam masala, chile powder, and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Serve topped with cilantro and raita.

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