World Recipes

Savory Lentils (Dal)

This is the perfect side dish for spicy-hot foods. Sometimes it is served over rice to make it a heartier side dish.

3 cups water
1 cup dried lentils or split peas
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
Lime wedges

Heat water and lentils to boiling in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in salt and turmeric. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Cook and stir onion, garlic, cumin and cardamom in ghee until onion is tender; stir into lentils. Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve with lime wedges.

Yields 5 servings.

Spicy Split Peas with Vegetables (Sambar)

4 cups water
1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 tablespoons shredded or flaked coconut
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seed
1 (1/2-inch) stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 medium carrots, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small eggplant, diced
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
Hot cooked rice
Snipped fresh cilantro

Heat 4 cups water and the peas to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Cook and stir coconut, coriander, fenugreek and cinnamon in 1 tablespoon ghee in 8-inch skillet until coconut is light brown. Remove from heat; stir in salt and cayenne pepper. Crush coconut mixture with mortar and pestle until finely ground; reserve.

Cook carrots, zucchini, onion and eggplant in 2 tablespoons ghee in 12-inch skillet, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir 2 tablespoons water into tamarind pulp until softened. Stir tamarind mixture, coconut mixture and peas into skillet. Cook and stir over low heat, adding water until of consistency of soup, if necessary, until hot and well blended. Serve over rice, then garnish with cilantro.

Yields 6 servings.

Sweet Golden Yogurt (Shrikhand)

1 (18 ounce) container plain yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Dash of ground nutmeg
Few threads of saffron
4 teaspoons finely chopped green pistachios

Mix all ingredients except pistachios. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Stir; spoon into dessert dishes. Sprinkle with pistachios.

Yields 4 servings.

Tandoori Chicken

10 drumsticks
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, shredded
6 cloves garlic, ground
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt, to taste
Red pepper, to taste
Garam masala, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Skin drumsticks and make cuts on the drumstick meat. Mix yogurt, tomato paste, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper and garam masala. Marinate chicken in this paste for six hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes.

Carrot Pudding (Gajar Halva)

6 medium carrots, finely shredded
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios or slivered almonds

Heat carrots and half-and-half to boiling in saucepan; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until half and half is absorbed, about 1 hour. Stir in brown sugar, raisins, butter, cardamom and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until brown sugar is dissolved and mixture is of desired consistency, about 15 minutes.

Garnish with pistachios or slivered almonds.

Yields 6 servings.

Cashew Nut Fudge (Kajoo Barfi)

Raw cashews are available at health food stores. Rose water is available at pharmacies and specialty food stores. Almonds, pistachios or walnuts may be substituted for the cashews.

2 cups raw cashews (1/2 pound)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons rose water
3 sheets edible silver leaf (optional)

Place cashews in a bowl, cover them with boiling water, and soak them for 1 hour.

Drain the nuts, put them in an electric blender or food processor, and reduce them to a fine paste (adding some milk or water if the paste begins to clog).

Heat a well-seasoned frying pan (at least 9 inches in diameter) over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the nut paste and sugar. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook the mixture for about 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan frequently. When the fudge is thick and sticky, stir in the butter.

Pour the fudge into a buttered 9-inch square pan. Spread the fudge evenly by patting it gently with a spatula.

When cool, brush the top of the fudge with rose water and let it dry briefly. Press the edible silver leaf over the fudge, if using, and cut 1 1/2-inch square or diamond-shape pieces using a knife dipped in cold water.

This fudge keeps for 3 weeks if stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature and will keep for several months if the container is stored in the refrigerator.

Cauliflower and Potatoes

1 cauliflower, cut into pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Salt, to taste
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red pepper
Cumin seed

Warm the oil in a medium frying pan with some cumin seed. When very hot, put vegetables and spices in and mix well with a spoon. Let cook over low heat until tender.

Serve with bread or rice.

Indian Roast Turkey

1 (8 pound) turkey
1 pound butter
6 green cardamoms
1 pound cream cheese
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (225 degrees C/Gas 7).

Starting at the neck end of the turkey, use the point of a knife to make a small slit between the skin and meat, taking care not to cut the skin. Using your fingers, and working from the small cut, gradually separate the skin of the bird away from the breast and leg meat. Do not remove or cut the skin: the idea is to create a pocket which can be filled with the cream cheese stuffing. Set the turkey aside.

Melt half the butter, then cool it slightly, if necessary, as it should not be hot enough to melt the cream cheese. Split the cardamom pods, scrape out the tiny seeds and add them to the cream cheese; discard the pods. Mix the melted butter into the cream cheese, then add the garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, cumin seeds, grated ginger and ground cinnamon. Season to taste, mix well and stir in the chopped coriander leaves and mint.

Spoon the cream cheese stuffing into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and carefully insert it between the skin and leg meat of the turkey. Squeeze the mixture into the pocket between the meat and skin, carefully patting it and spreading it to ensure that it covers the flesh evenly. Repeat the process to cover the other leg and the breast meat. Place the prepared turkey in a roasting tin.

Melt the remaining butter. Cut a piece of muslin large enough to cover the whole bird and soak it in the melted butter. Lay this over the top of the turkey to keep it moist during cooking. If you do not have muslin or very fine cotton, brush the butter all over the turkey and cover with foil.

Roast the turkey for 2 hours 40 minutes, or until cooked and golden brown. To check that the meat is cooked through, pierce the thick area on the thigh with the point of a knife: the meat should be firm and look cooked and the juices should be clear. If there is any sign of pink meat or blood in the juices, re-cover the turkey with the muslin or foil and continue cooking, then check again after about 15 minutes.

Remove the muslin and transfer the turkey to a warm serving platter. Carve the turkey and arrange the portions on individual plates. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.