At first I was really intimidated to start cooking Indian food. It didn't take long though to realize what a misconception that was. Sure, there are some complex dishes one can make, but day to day cooking is quick, easy, and might I add...delicious! Oh, and fun.
I tell people the most difficult part about Indian cuisine is the spices & keeping everything on hand. The good part is, a little goes a long way. Once you buy it, you'll have it in stock for a while.
I used to be the type of cook who followed the recipe to the T, measuring and timing everything perfectly. When I started to learn from my husband and mother-in-law, I was somewhat overwhelmed because they didn't use recipes. They just chopped, tossed, and whizzed through preparations while I was trying to jot down approximate measurements. I was amazed at the skill they possessed and how many recipes they had memorized! Now, I find myself doing the same thing. It's freeing, in a way, to be able to cook like that. And to get creative while preparing meals. Currently though, I'm a little intimidated by what I've gotten myself into with documenting these recipes. I will do my best to document thoroughly for those of you who are methodical recipe followers.
We eat pretty simply in our household, so maybe that's why I can master these veggie curries. The beauty in cooking this way is that once you get the general process down pat, you just vary the veggies and create new recipes with whatever produce you have on hand. To get started, here's a recipe I made for today's lunch: Parsnip Carrot Curry (Quantity is based on serving 2 people)
Ingredients & Process
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Seasonings (in Telugu we call this popu)
In medium size pan, add 1 Tbs oil and heat over medium heat.
Add these spices in the order listed:
1/4 tsp black mustardseeds
1/4 tsp split channa dal
1/4tsp split yellow pesara dal
1/4 tsp split urad dal
Once mustardseeds begin to pop & sputter, turn heat to low & add:
6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
(Popu can burn quickly if the heat is too high, so try to add veggies quickly to help prevent the seasonings from frying too much.)
Add chopped veggies, a 1/4 cup water and cover to steam and cook veggies, about 10-15 min on med-low heat. Stir occasionally, adjust heat as necessary or add more water to prevent burning. Serve with rice.
So, in about 30 minutes you have a healthy, home-cooked meal!
*I will try to post more info to clarify ingredients. I mix languages when referring to these spices...some English, some Hindi, some Telugu :) Part of the reason why I'm feeling hesitant to post these recipes...I may be the only one who understands what I mean. Me and Google, of course. Google knows everything.
I tell people the most difficult part about Indian cuisine is the spices & keeping everything on hand. The good part is, a little goes a long way. Once you buy it, you'll have it in stock for a while.
I used to be the type of cook who followed the recipe to the T, measuring and timing everything perfectly. When I started to learn from my husband and mother-in-law, I was somewhat overwhelmed because they didn't use recipes. They just chopped, tossed, and whizzed through preparations while I was trying to jot down approximate measurements. I was amazed at the skill they possessed and how many recipes they had memorized! Now, I find myself doing the same thing. It's freeing, in a way, to be able to cook like that. And to get creative while preparing meals. Currently though, I'm a little intimidated by what I've gotten myself into with documenting these recipes. I will do my best to document thoroughly for those of you who are methodical recipe followers.
We eat pretty simply in our household, so maybe that's why I can master these veggie curries. The beauty in cooking this way is that once you get the general process down pat, you just vary the veggies and create new recipes with whatever produce you have on hand. To get started, here's a recipe I made for today's lunch: Parsnip Carrot Curry (Quantity is based on serving 2 people)
Ingredients & Process
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Seasonings (in Telugu we call this popu)
In medium size pan, add 1 Tbs oil and heat over medium heat.
Add these spices in the order listed:
1/4 tsp black mustardseeds
1/4 tsp split channa dal
1/4tsp split yellow pesara dal
1/4 tsp split urad dal
Once mustardseeds begin to pop & sputter, turn heat to low & add:
6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
(Popu can burn quickly if the heat is too high, so try to add veggies quickly to help prevent the seasonings from frying too much.)
Add chopped veggies, a 1/4 cup water and cover to steam and cook veggies, about 10-15 min on med-low heat. Stir occasionally, adjust heat as necessary or add more water to prevent burning. Serve with rice.
So, in about 30 minutes you have a healthy, home-cooked meal!
*I will try to post more info to clarify ingredients. I mix languages when referring to these spices...some English, some Hindi, some Telugu :) Part of the reason why I'm feeling hesitant to post these recipes...I may be the only one who understands what I mean. Me and Google, of course. Google knows everything.
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