Characteristic: Indian

This dish was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's Palak Tofu but I've adapted and simplified it almost beyond recognition. Typically Palak Paneer employs a silky sauce made with spinach. I use chard and cabbage (not blended) or any combination of leafy greens instead. It has more texture, is deeply flavorful and makes wonderful leftovers.   I love employing Ottolenghi's salted water tofu-soaking method as it infuses the tofu with more flavor, but the dish will still be good if you skip it.... Read more »

There are dishes that are quick to prepare, there are those that take a long time and then there is the occasional one that tastes like it took a long time to make but was actually pretty quick. This falls in the latter category. It’s doable on a weeknight if you have the ingredients (more or less) on hand. Yes, the list of ingredients is long but most of them are spices and the dish comes together quite quickly once you've chopped everything.   Here’s a tutorial for “butchering” winter squash.  ... Read more »

Fragrant, light yet complex, this Indian dish is beloved far and wide and varies from cook to cook. Scale it up or down or vary the ratios as needed. Just be sure to use plenty of garlic and ginger.... Read more »

This sauce is so delicious and can be used with/on any manner of vegetable, protein, grain or bean even--it's delicious with chickpeas. Here I served it first (above) with rice and salmon and lots of cilantro and scallions and then (below), thinned out with a bit of cream and water with the black "forbidden" rice, some scallions and an egg. Makhani curry (a North Indian dish) is classically made with butter and cream. I use olive oil and coconut milk here but substitute butter and cream if you'd like. I often stretch the sauce on the second day with cream and a little water.   If you have a few extra minutes you can toast spices and grind them for the garam masala. The flavor is fabulous but a store-bought version will be just fine.  ... Read more »

Korma is a loose term originating in Southeast Asia, given to meats and/or vegetables braised in a spiced sauce to which yogurt or cream are added towards the end. This is a deeply flavorful version that can accommodate different vegetables (winter squash, kohlrabi, turnips) or chicken. It also comes together quite quickly.... Read more »

--Inspired by Seductions of Rice by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid   Indian pilafs are made by sauteing onions and some spices, then adding rice and more vegetables (in this case) and sauteing again before adding liquid, then covering and cooking and then finishing by steaming, off the heat. The result is a beautiful, deeply flavored, fluffy dish that can stand on its own or be a robust side dish. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables or just use a single vegetable.  ... Read more »

  This takes 20 minutes (at the most) to make and is richly flavored. It's delicious just with rice or with Sautéed Chard with Ginger, Jalapeño and Sausages or with stewed meats or other vegetables or grains. It is superb the next day and freezes well so by all means double the recipe. You can also stir leafy greens such as spinach, turnip, beet or mustard greens into the lentils a few minutes before they're done.   [caption id="attachment_20344" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Here I've served it with sauteed leeks and bell peppers seasoned with mustard seeds.[/caption]... Read more »

--Inspired by Quick & Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey   The complex flavors in this simple curry dish belie the speed with which it comes together. It is a good template as many different vegetables can be used and you can add meats or seafood as you like. I use whatever combination of vegetables I have on hand.    ... Read more »

This quick dish is delicious, not just with rutabagas, but a mixture of turnips, kohlrabi, and rutabaga, or any one of these. Top it with cilantro and some yogurt and you have a very satisfying side dish. ... Read more »

--adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey   A choka is a dish from Trinidad but with heavy Indian influence and is made with a variety of vegetables. Roasting (preferably over fire--but in a hot oven in my case) is a typical characteristic of chokas. This one is fresh, savory and bright and delicious with rice or bean dishes or with flat breads or chips even--as a side or salsa.... Read more »

--inspired by World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey   Serves 4   Richly flavored, hearty yet relatively light, this North Indian combination of flavors is so delicious and beyond a bit of chopping a cinch to make. You you can adjust the level of heat with more or less cayenne and by using/omitting the seeds of the fresh pepper. You can adapt the ratio of potatoes to tomatoes to suit your needs just be sure to keep enough liquid in the pan to keep it a just a little saucy.  ... Read more »

Raita is a cool yogurt and cucumber dish that’s used as a dip, topping, or sauce in Middle Eastern and Indian foods. It’s versatile, delicious and easy to make. ... Read more »

--adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater   My version of this fragrant, rich stew is significantly simplified but still involves a few steps and a bit of time.  You can break up the process and make it manageable and I think you will enjoy the resulting dish for several days or freeze some for a future meal.... Read more »

This classic Indian dish of tender spinach and almost squeaky fresh paneer (cheese) is a favorite. The paneer is very simple to make (recipe below) but you can also buy it or substitute firm tofu for an inauthentic but perfectly fine variation. And if you have a lot of spinach make a double batch and freeze half of the finished dish. It reheats beautifully.   You can also make this with a combination of spinach and chard and kale or most any other leafy green.... Read more »

--inspired by Tender by Nigel Slater   The turmeric gives the finished dish a golden hue and the mustard seeds and ginger add texture and flavor, as does the sweet, mild green garlic, used generously here.... Read more »

--adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi   This makes a lot but it just gets better with each re-heating. And it is so delicious that if you have enough potatoes, spices, etc. by all means make the full amount. It is a long list of spices but you can adapt and omit if you need to and use ground spices instead of toasting and grinding yourself. This dish does need plenty of salt so taste and don't be shy with the seasoning.... Read more »

  This is a perfect quick, weeknight dish that also freezes well so make extra and save yourself some time/work. And it’s even better the next day so double the recipe if you’d like. And if you haven’t cooked with red lentils before now might be the time. They are quicker cooking than any other lentils and are delicately flavored. You can find them in most stores and often in the bulk bins. This recipe makes a fairly thin soup/dhal but increase the amount of lentils or decrease the amount of broth if you want a thicker soup.... Read more »