Dal Makhani

Yield:

• 2 quarts

Time:

• 90 minutes plus overnight soaking

Difficulty:

• Moderate

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups sabut urad (whole, dried black dal), picked over and washed
• ½ cup dried red kidney beans, picked over and washed
• 1½ t salt 
  
  
• 1 T ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
• 2 t cumin seeds
• ½ t turmeric powder
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf 
• ½ t fenugreek seeds 
  
  
• 1 small yellow or red onion, minced
• 1 (1-inch piece) ginger, minced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1-4 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
  
  
• ¼ cup unsalted tomato paste
• 2 t garam masala
• 2 t ground cumin
• 2 t ground coriander
• 2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 t cardamom seeds, ground (optional)
• 2 T methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  
  
• 1/4 cup cream (optional, can substitute cashew cream for vegans)

Instructions

1. Soak the urad dal and kidney beans together in boiled, hot water for at least 1 hour or in room temperature water overnight. Drain and discard the water. 
2. Add salt and 5 cups fresh water, and cook till soft. [40 minutes will do in an instant pot]  
3. While beans are soaking/cooking, prepare masala. Begin by heating oil, then add hing, cumin seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the seeds turn reddish brown.
4. Add the fenugreek seeds, and stir and cook for 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook, as these seeds get bitter quickly.
5. Add the onion, stir and cook for 3 minutes. 
6. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chilis. Stir and cook for 1 minute. 
7. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, ground cumin, coriander, cayenne, cardamom, garam masala, and methi, together with ½ c water.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
8. When beans are done, stir in cooked masala, add water to correct thickness, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
9. If using, gently fold in cream and stir. Serve with basmati rice or Indian bread. .

Source: Based on https://www.indianasapplepie.com

Naan

Yield:

• 6 servings

Time:

• Prep time 2 hours 30 minutes, cook time 10 minutes

Difficulty:

• Easy

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp active yeast (if using fast acting, cut rise time in half)
• 1 tsp organic cane sugar
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp plain yogurt [either dairy or vegan]
• 2 Tbsp oil
• Fresh cilantro 
• Additional salt, oil, garlic, and herbs for garnishing as desired
  

Instructions

1. Combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir and set aside about 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, add flour(s), salt, and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Add yogurt and oil to yeast mixture, and stir to combine. Add to dry ingredients and use a fork to mix - the dough will be sticky.
4. Turn onto a floured surface and add just enough flour to gently knead for 5 turns and form into a loose ball. Place back in mixing bowl, cover and let rise for  and rub with a bit more oil and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 2-4 hours. 
5. Remove dough from bowl and turn onto a floured surface. Knead for 30 seconds  and divide into 6 pieces.  Form each piece into a loose ball, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. In the meantime, begin heating a cast-iron pan and prepare any garnishes for topping (i.e. melted vegan butter or coconut oil, sea salt, minced garlic, or cilantro).
7. Once the dough has rested, roll each piece into a circle or oval, dusting with flour as needed.  Working one piece at a time, brush with water and place wet-side down on the hot pan.
8. Cook for 1 minute or until the edges of the dough look dry and it’s beginning to bubble. Flip the dough with a spatula and cook until the underside is dark brown. 
9. Repeat until all naan is cooked. Then brush with melted butter, margarine, or coconut oil, and sprinkle with herbs and sea salt (optional). Serve immediately.
10. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for about 2 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.

Notes:

• I mixed all ingredients together without bothering to foam the yeast; it was fine. 
• For even cooking on bottom side, press down lightly with spatula after flipping.

Variations:

• Whole-grain: instead of all-purpose, substitute 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup bread flour
• For garlic naan, press in minced garlic immediately after brushing with water.
• Optional flavorings to add when making dough: ¼ tsp ground cumin or curry powder, ½ tsp fenugreek leaves, 2-3 cloves of garlic, grated. 

Source: The Minimalist Baker.

Eggplant with Red Potatoes

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

Time: under 45 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil or melted ghee (page 41)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 large oval eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 large red potatoes (or any kind), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds
• 1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder - see notes)
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
• ½ teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large cast iron or nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander, turmeric, and salt, then add the eggplant, potatoes, and green chile peppers. Cover the pan and cook over high heat, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the eggplant is very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir every 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the mango powder and cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Notes:

• Use any kind of eggplant - especially nice with the small egg-sized ones found in Indian groceries, which can simply be quartered.
• Mango powder (amchur) is available at Indian groceries or online at Penzeys – you can leave it out, but the sour-savory flavor gives this dish [and others] an extra kick.  Maybe one could use tamarind instead - I haven't tried. 
• Potatoes take longer to cook than eggplant, so unless you like very soft eggplant, add the potatoes and cook for about ten minutes before you add the eggplant.

Variations:

Source: Neelam Batra, 1000 Indian Recipes

Saag Paneer

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces paneer cheese 
• 2 small bunches (about 1 pound) fresh spinach, trimmed of roots only, washed well and
• coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger + 1 (1-inch) piece peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 4 large garlic cloves, 2 peeled + 1 minced
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon melted ghee
   
• 2 1-inch sticks cinnamon
• 5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, whisk until smooth
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
• 4 whole dried small red chili peppers, such as chile de arbol

Instructions

1. Cut paneer into 1-by-½ inch squares. Lightly fry if you like [see notes below].
2. Place spinach, onion, ginger slices, whole garlic, and water in a large nonstick saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. 
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the spinach is wilted and the onion tender, about 10 minutes. 
4. Let cool, then pulse lightly in a food processor until just minced (do not make a smooth puree) and return to the pan.  [An immersion blender works nicely here.]
5. Heat the oil and ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cardamom pods, and ginger matchsticks, stirring until the ginger is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and salt and stir a few seconds. Then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Immediately transfer to the spinach, cover, and simmer over medium heat, 10 to 15 minutes.
6.  Add the paneer cheese to the pan and stir gently to mix, trying not to break the pieces. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.Transfer to a serving dish.
7. Heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the dried chile peppers, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, add the paprika, then immediately add to the spinach dish and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of the chile peppers visible as a garnish. Serve hot.

Notes:

• The proportion of spinach to paneer cheese varies according to the cook's taste.  Also, the authentic recipe calls for the paneer pieces to be deep-fried: if you wish, lightly fry the paneer pieces until they are just golden. This firms up the pieces, so you don't have to be as careful when stirring.
• If you like more of a ginger flavor, use all the ginger in the sauté instead of boiling some with the greens.

Variations:

• Substitute tofu and soy yogurt to make a vegan dish.

Source: Neelam Batra, 1,000 Indian Recipes.