Category: Vegetables and Salads

Chickpea Curry with Spinach “Puttu”

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I absolutely love puttu, the ubiquitious steamed ground rice dish that is popular in Sri Lanka and South India. I also cannot remotely figure out how to make puttu for the life of me. Enter couscous, a not-so-authentic shortcut that emulates that puttu feeling and satiates my cravings (oh, how I wish the Bay Area had more Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurants). Adapted from the Rambutan cookbook, this spinach-flecked puttu goes perfectly with fiery chickpea curry.

Ingredients:

For the chickpea curry:

  • 2 golf ball-sized pieces of tamarind, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 minutes
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
  • 20 curry leaves, divided
  • 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons Sri Lankan curry powder
  • 1/2 can coconut milk (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

For the spinach puttu

  • 3/4 cup couscous
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 pound spinach (or kale), finely chopped
  • 1 serrano chili, finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, divided: 1/2 finely diced and 1/2 thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup fresh grated coconut (frozen is fine)
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 lime
  1. Make the chickpea curry: Squeeze the tamarind with your fingers, then discard the seeds and skin through a fine-mesh strainer, saving the tamarind water.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, and fry until the onion is lightly browned. Add the fenugreek seeds and 10 curry leaves and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the chickpeas, tamarind water, salt, and Sri Lankan curry powder. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20-30 minutes with the lid partially covering the saucepan. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes to warm through. Plate in a serving bowl and set aside.
  4. In the meantime, make the temper: heat the remaining tablespoon coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 10 curry leaves and black mustard seeds. After about 1 minute, when the curry leaves are crispy, pour the temper over the chickpea curry.
  5. Make the spinach puttu: Place the couscous and boiling water in a saucepan, sprinkle with salt to taste, stir, and tightly cover. Set aside for 12 minutes until couscous is tender. (Alternatively, cook couscous according to package directions.) Gently fluff couscous with a fork and set aside.
  6. In the meantime, add the oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat, and saute the spinach, serrano chili, onion, and a pinch of salt for 4 minutes, until the onion is softened. Remove from heat.
  7. Gently fold together the spinach mixture, couscous, sugar, and grated coconut and set aside.
  8. Put the curry leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, fenugreek seeds, and red onion in a small saucepan and cover with 1 1/2 inches water. Bring to a boil and after 2 minutes, add the coconut milk and stir until it is heated through. Remove from heat and just before serving, squeeze in the lime juice. To serve, pour the fenugreek mixture over the puttu and serve alongside the chickpea curry.

Roasted Squash Curry

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‘Tis the season for pumpkin and all manner of squash. And yeah, I know, squash isn’t the most exciting vegetable, but I promise you that this comforting coconutty Sri Lankan curry will change your mind. You can use any kind of pumpkin or orange squash here, but I like to use butternut squash (delicata works well too). Don’t skip the roasting step — it adds a ton of flavor.

Ingredients:

For the squash curry:

  • 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sri Lankan curry powder (recipe follows)
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 20 curry leaves, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 cardamom pods, lightly smashed in a mortar and pestle
  • 1/2 of a 14 ounce can coconut milk (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 1/2 inches ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 lime

For the Sri Lankan curry powder:

  • 6 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 3 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 3 teaspoons dried Kashmiri chiles
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  1. Make the Sri Lankan curry powder: In a dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the coriander, cumin, fennel, and black peppercorns for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until they’re fragrant, and pour them into a bowl. Add the curry leaves and dried chiles to the pan and toast for about 3 minutes, stirring often until the curry leaves are completely dried (make sure the chiles don’t burn). Remove from the heat and when cool, grind in a spice grinder until fine. Stir in the turmeric and store in a jar. Curry powder will keep in a cool, dry place for months.
  2. Make the curry: Roast the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and season with salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the curry powder. Roast squash for 25 minutes, until tender and golden and beginning to brown at the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and when hot, fry the onion until beginning to brown. Add 10 curry leaves and garlic for one minute, then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and cardamom. Fry for 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the coconut milk and add the turmeric and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the roasted squash. Cook at a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat.
  5. In the meantime, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a small pan and add the remaining 10 curry leaves, letting them crisp up.
  6. Plate the roasted squash curry in a serving bowl, top with the tempered curry leaves, the fresh ginger, and squeeze the lime juice over. Serve with rice.

Bhindi Masala (Okra Masala)

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Behold, my favorite Indian dish of all time. If you’ve been around for a while, you know that this is a no-slander zone when it comes to okra. Adapted from Food & Wine, this version of bhindi masala is a little bit different in that it includes finely chopped peanuts for an extra dose of heft and flavor.

Serve with rice or flatbread, or if you’re like me and can’t help yourself, eat straight from the pot with a spoon.

Ingredients:

For the bhindi masala:

  • 1 pound okra
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds 
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano chile
  • 1/2 teaspoon chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

For tomato tarka:

  • 4 small tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Make the bhindi masala: cut okra crosswise into 1-inch pieces, and arrange a single layer on a baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until cut sides feel dry, 1 to 2 hours.
  2. Make the tomato tarka: pulse tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth, 8 to 10 pulses. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-low for 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds; cook, stirring often, until seeds begin to pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sugar, chile powder, coriander, turmeric, and salt; stir in tomatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and a spoon leaves a trail when pulled through sauce, about 20 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Set aside.
  3. Make the bhindi masala: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add fenugreek; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and sizzling, about 10 seconds. Add okra; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in peanuts, cilantro, salt, sugar, cumin, garlic, serrano chile, chickpea flour, coriander, turmeric, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant and peanuts are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat.
  4. Mix tomato tarka into the bhindi masala over medium-low, stirring often, until warm, about 2 minutes. Serve on a platter and garnish with additional cilantro.

Eggplant with Black Garlic-Tahini Sauce

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Summer may be over but I’m still happily working through the last of the warm weather produce. This buttery eggplant with a tangy, deeply garlicky, and creamy sauce is one my favorite eggplant dishes that I made this year.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 4 peeled black garlic cloves 
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 red Fresno pepper chile, thinly sliced
  • 6 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant (about 3 eggplant), roll-cut into 1-inch pieces 
  • Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
  1. Process 1/4 cup water, tahini, black garlic, mirin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Set tahini dressing aside.
  2. Stir together chile, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a cast-iron skillet over high until a wisp of smoke rises from skillet. Add half of the eggplant to skillet; immediately stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring often, until just tender and browned in spots, about 6 minutes. (Skillet will appear dry.) Transfer to a plate. Repeat process with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and remaining eggplant.
  4. Reduce heat to medium. Add cooked eggplant, chile mixture, and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until eggplant absorbs chile mixture, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spread 1/2 cup tahini dressing on a platter. Top with eggplant mixture, and garnish with green onions.

Okra Fries

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Six years ago, I tried the famed okra fries at Dishoom, London’s ode to Parsi cuisine. The entire meal was a revelation but it’s the okra fries that really stole my heart.

London may be eleven hours away from the Bay Area, but I bought the Dishoom cookbook so I can keep eating their okra fries on demand. Adapted from the cookbook, these okra fries make a salty-crunchy appetizer or side dish alongside any South Asian meal. Serve with tamarind chutney instead of ketchup, of course.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound okra, rinsed, patted dry, and trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • Avocado oil, for frying
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
  • Tamarind chutney, to serve
  1. Slice okra in half lengthwise. Mix the garlic, ginger, chili powder, and four teaspoons water. Add the okra and mix well to coat thoroughly.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy, deep pan to medium-high.
  3. Mix the chickpea flour and cornstarch. Add the okra and toss gently to coat.
  4. Carefully shallow-fry the okra in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with chaat masala, and serve immediately alongside tamarind chutney.