Q is for Quick Carrot Pickle

The myriad cuisines of India all love their vegetables! Veggies are diced and sliced, grated and mashed, stir-fried and curried into hundreds of vegetable dishes. In this series, the A to Z of Indian Vegetables, we take an alphabetical journey through the various avatars of vegetables relished in Indian cuisine. For each letter, we will make a tasty vegetable dish that illustrates one manner in which vegetables are savored in India.

The "Q" of Indian Vegetables
(Note: I had written this round-up and was a couple of minutes away from posting it, and very unluckily, blogger wiped it off and I lost the whole write-up! :( :( This is the painfully re-written version. If I accidentally left an entry out during the re-writing process, please let me know and I will include it right away).

The letter Q inspired twenty-three quirky Indian flavors!

First up, the only bona-fide English language Q ingredient that I can think of: the ancient seed, Quinoa. Quinoa is used as a grain, although botanically, it is closer to a vegetable than to a grain. Quinoa has remarkable nutritional value and it is worth the effort to get to know it. Here are two ways to enjoy quinoa, Indian style!

TC of The Cooker tells us that "Cooked quinoa doesn't have a distinctive taste of its own, which is a good thing as it means one is free to improvise." She marries the South American seed with traditional Marathi flavors to great effect, making a delicious dish of Quinoa with Goda Masala.

Suganya of Tasty Palettes talks about her experiments with quinoa and her efforts to use more of it in her diet. She creatively uses quinoa in the ever-popular dish, upma ("A savior for those women who have no idea what to cook for dinner") along with vegetables and a flavorful tempering to make some tasty Quinoa Upma.

Next, the quick-witted Cook of Live To Cook turns to a different language to find a Q fruit: it turns out the fragrant cantaloupe melon is Qawun kantalubi in the Arabic language! She cooks shredded cantaloupe, milk and barley into a creamy and delectable Qawun kantalubi kheer.

We now come to two rich and royal dishes from Northern India that are just fit for a queen!

Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi make an impressive tray of a layered rice dish called Qabuli. In their own words, "Qabuli is the poor man’s version of biryani. The meat is replaced with plant protein in the form of chana dal (split bengal grams), which has a sweet, nutty flavour and holds its shape while cooking. It is coated in yogurt and spices and baked between layers of rice, fried onions and mint for a one-pot meal. The saffron and rose water give it a wonderful aroma." You have to see this Qabuli to believe it!

Asha of Aroma/ Foodie's Hope makes a rich and creamy curry called Qorma. Asha tells us that, "Since Qorma in this recipe is Afghanistani,they mostly use yogurt as the base and add Nuts for more flavor.Either way,it tastes great". Her recipe uses a most unusual ingredient, the Tropical American tuber, Jicama, to make a flavorful and alliterative Qorma with Jicama.

Next up, Richa of As Dear As Salt sings an ode to India's very own cheese, the Quintessential Paneer and pays a tribute to it with some puffy, golden paneer puris.

Now for a dish that is not Indian but enjoys international popularity: the Quesadilla! This Mexican dish is made with tortillas (akin to chapatis), cheese (as the glue which holds the dish together) and a variety of fillings that can be tweaked to make a quasi-Indian dish. Here are a variety of quesadillas...

Swapna of Swad uses a savory filling of onions and mushrooms to make her Mushroom Quesadillas.

Neelam of Recipe Factory opens up a can of baked beans to make her Quick Quesadillas.

Manasi of A Cook At Heart makes a duo of Quesadillas, one with a spinach and cheese filling, spiced with taco seasoning, and the other with a filling of kidney beans (rajma) and lettuce.

Well, Q stands for Quick, and while I am all for slow-simmering, time-consuming recipes that are a labor of love, it is also nice to have a bunch of quick and delicious recipe in one's repertoire for those inevitable busy days.

We start with an array of Quick Snacks...

Aarti of Aarti's Corner gives us a healthier alternative to dep-fried potato chips and tortilla chips...indeed her fresh turmeric-tinged bright yellow Quick Popcorn, made with a whole grain (corn) is a nutritionally sensible snack.

Smitha of Andhra Food Network makes Instant Noodles with mixed vegetables and tomato, just like on the pack!

Dhana of Fresh Kitchen takes two pantry staples- chickpea flour and peas- and cleverly turns them into a duo of snacks, the first is a pancake (chila) with a savory filling of peas and carrots, and the other is a microwave dhokla with a bright green peas filling.

Coffee of The Spice Cafe makes a sweet tea-time snack in minutes- mixing condensed milk with desiccated coconut to make these adorable coconut ladoos.

Tee of Bhaatukli magically transforms a boring ol' can of tomato soup into some spicy and fragrant Tomato Saar with the help of some spices, herbs and coconut.

The next set of recipes is all about the Mango, Unquestionably the most beloved of all Indian fruits. This is the very season for mango mania, so read on for a quartet of quick mango pickles, and a duo of quick mango desserts...

Suma of Veggie Platter mixes tiny cubes of raw mango with a few select spices, then bathes them in mustard seeds and oil to make a devastatingly delicious Quick Mango Chutney.

Manasi of A Cook At Heart uses a tried-and-tested store-bought pickle masala mix to make a tasty Quick Mango Pickle in minutes.

Coffee of The Spice Cafe writes a drool-worthy account of mango pickles and goes on to share recipes for Two Quick Mango Pickles; both call for the same ingredients but one is uncooked and the other is cooked, resulting in two very different tastes!

And now for some quick mango desserts. Nandita of Saffron Trail teams up with a friend to make a cool and creamy Quick Mango Sandesh: slices of fragrant and juicy mango are sandwiched between some milky fresh chenna.

Sreelu of Sreelu's Tasty Travels shares a recipe for a fool-proof crowd-pleaser: her Quick Mango Cheesecake can be whipped together in mere minutes with delicious results.

The final category is just right for the summer months when the sweltering sun results in our quest for cool drinks and melt-in-the-mouth ice cream. Here is a slew of cool and refreshing quenchers!

Dhana of Fresh Kitchen turns to the orange mini-me, the kumquat! She turns the kumquat into a refreshing Ice cream: topped with fresh berries, it simply screams SUMMER!

Pooja of Khana Pina makes a beloved raw mango squash that just hits the spot on a sweltering day; her Panha blends cooked tangy mango and sugar with a touch of saffron and cardamom.

The final two drinks both use two summer favorites: lemon and watermelon...

Ramya of Mane Adige tells us of her memories of beach-side outings followed by a sweet treat. She recreates her favorite Watermelon Slush; icy watermelon juice topped with a luscious scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Aarti of Aarti's Corner takes everyone's favorite summer drink- lemonade- and gives it a spin; her Melon Lemonade is spiced with a touch of black salt to bring out the flavors!

We set out to prove that Q is an exciting culinary letter after all...and what can I say, except, Q. E. D.!!

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Q is for Quick Carrot Pickle: Pickles!

Today, following the chutneys and the raitas comes the last of the tasty trinity of Indian condiments: the pickles! Like the other two condiments, a dollop of pickle on the side of the plate can magically transform a ho-hum everyday meal into a memorable one.

Pickles are a time-honored way of preserving vegetables for a "rainy day", for all those months of the year when fresh vegetables are not easily available. Indian pickles capture the flavor spectrum from salty to spicy to tangy to sweet, often all in one delirious bite. In India, pickles are made with fresh vegetables- cauliflower, carrot, chilies; with fruits- lemon, mango; and every permutation and combination of these. Pickles can be anything from pungent and garlicky to syrupy and sweet. Some pickles are made to be eaten fresh and only last a week or two (in household with strong-willed individuals anyway), others are made to last and get better as they age. Mango deserves a special mention in the world of pickles- for most Indians, the thought of mango pickles evokes a rush of memories- of hot summer days and lazy school-free holidays, and baskets of mangoes, and beautiful jars of pickles being laid out in the sun, and chubby little fingers stealing cubes of pickled mangoes when no one is looking. The four delicious mango pickles in today's round-up are testimony to the popularity of this pickle!

For all my love of pickles, and the unhealthy way in which I consume jars of (store-bought) pickles at an alarming rate, I have never tried making pickles at home. Until now! This is my first attempt at pickle-making, and I chose to use carrots. Colorful, crunchy and naturally sweet, carrots lend themselves very well to being pickled. I used a combination of two recipes in putting this pickle together: the idea of microwaving the carrots briefly comes from a pickle recipe from Tarla Dalal's Microwave Desi Khana, and the combination of spices comes from the iconic Marathi cookbook "Ruchira" by Kamalabai Ogale. The main reason why I never tried my hand at pickle-making before this was- I always thought of it as a laborious and difficult process. I was thrilled to see that this pickle came together in minutes! There are only two potentially time-consuming steps: (1) the cutting of carrots into matchsticks, which I did by hand (one could use a food processor with the right type of blade). (2) making the fenugreek powder: roasting fenugreek seeds lightly, cooling them, then grinding them to a fine powder. Be aware that this pickle needs to be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 3-4 days...it is not a long-lasting pickle (and tasty enough that you will never have to worry about it).

If one is interested in making long-lasting pickles to store for months and years, it is important to learn how to do it properly! Pickles that do not have enough salt/ sugar to retard microbial growth, or that are filled into improperly sterilized jars can be pretty dangerous if consumed. With a quick pickle (quick to make and quick to eat), you don't have to worry too much.

Quick Carrot Pickle

(makes about 1 and half-2 cups of pickle)
Ingredients:
To be mixed:
Carrots, cut into matchsticks, 2 cups
Garlic, 1 clove, sliced
Red Chili Powder, 1 heaped tsp, or to taste
Fenugreek Seed Powder, 1 tsp
Turmeric, 1 tsp
Salt, 1 heaped tsp, or to taste
Lemon, 1, juiced
Tempering:
Oil, 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds, 2 tsp
Asafoetida, 1/4 tsp
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients, except the tempering, in a microwave-safe bowl (glass is best, as plastic can leach into food).
2. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add mustard seeds and asafoetida. Add the hot tempering to the rest of the ingredients.
3. Microwave the bowl on HIGH for 1 minute. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then place in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours. The pickle is ready to eat!
I was delighted at how properly pickle-y this stuff looked, with a thick spicy layer clinging to the carrot sticks! The garlic adds a great deal of pungent flavor, fenugreek adds a touch of bitterness and the lemon juice brings it all together.

I served the Carrot Pickle with some fresh-off-the-griddle Rajma Parathas, inspired by this recipe (don't miss the gorgeous picture on the post!) from the blog Talimpu, written by Raji. I wanted to try the recipe the minute I saw it: the addition of fresh tomato and cooked kidney beans to whole-wheat flour results in a protein-rich, fiber-rich paratha that also happens to be delicious! The method is very simple too, and this is how I made these parathas:
1. I soaked 1/2 cup of kidney beans overnight, then pressure-cooked them.
2. In the food processor fitted with a metal blade, I blended the cooked kidney beans (discarding excess cooking water), 1/2 cup tomato puree, cumin-coriander powder, cilantro and a sprinkle of salt to a thick paste.
3. I replaced the metal blade with the plastic dough blade. I added 2 cups atta to the food processor bowl and blended everything into a firm dough (adding only a few tablespoons of extra water).
4. After letting the dough rest for 30-40 minutes, I divided it into 12 portions and rolled each out into a paratha, cooking the paratha on a hot griddle with a few drops of olive oil.
The addition of soft cooked beans made the dough soft and delightfully easy to roll out. The parathas were also soft and tasty, and perfect for packing into lunch boxes and picnic baskets. The combination of the crunchy carrot pickle and the soft mild parathas was beautiful!


How do you serve this pickle?
1. A highly popular way to enjoy pickles is with parathas, as above.
2. Serve as a side with dal and rice, or a side dish with any Indian meal.
3. Spoon some pickle into a sandwich or pita pocket for a taste explosion.

Fellow bloggers have come up a spicy-tangy-sweet array of pickles. Here are some of my favorite finds, and I can't wait to try them all:
Two Punjabi Pickles from Musical's Kitchen,
Tomato Pickle from Saffron Hut,
No-Oil Lemon Pickle from Indian Food Rocks,
Lemon Date Pickle from My Workshop,
Mango Sweet Pickle from Aayi's Recipes,
Avakkai from Green Jackfruit,
Two-Minute Ginger Pickle from Vyanjanaa,

Previously on the A to Z of Indian Vegetables...
A is for Aloo Gobi: North-Indian Stir-Fry
B is for Bharli Mirchi: Stuffed Vegetables
C is for Carrot-Cashew Payasam: Desserts
D is for Dum ki Arbi: Dum Style of Cooking
E is for Egg-Fried Rice: Rice and Vegetables
F is for Foogath: South-Indian Stir-Fry
G is for Gobi Paratha: Vegetables in Breads
H is for Hariyali Tikki: Vegetables in Appetizers
I is for Idli with Vegetables: Vegetables for Breakfast
J is for Jalfrezi Vegetables: Restaurant Style
K is for Kati Roll: Vegetables and Paneer
L is for Lasuni Dal Palak: Vegetables and Lentils
M is for Malai Kofta: Dumplings
N is for Nargisi Kebab: Vegetables and Eggs
O is for Onion Chutney: Vegetables in Chutneys
P is for Pattagobi Pachadi: Vegetables in Salads

Monthly Blog Patrol, Weekend Stuff

Every month, Coffee from The Spice Cafe sends us off on a mission called the Monthly Blog Patrol: the idea is to browse our favorite blogs and choose some recipes that make us want to run to the kitchen and try them, and, well, run to the kitchen and *actually* try them, instead of just drooling all over the keyboard. The theme for this month was Something Sweet. I chose the simplest sweet treat ever: Banana Muffins from one of the most gorgeous new blogs on the block: Tasty Palettes, written by Suganya. I loved this recipe because (a) it is a good way to use over-ripe mushy bananas that would be otherwise fated for le garbage. (b) most muffin recipes are for 12 muffins, this one only makes 6, the perfect number for my little family (and I only own one 6-cup muffin pan anyway). (c) it calls for all pantry ingredients, no sour cream or any such thing that I don't usually have on hand.

I followed the recipe quite closely, only omitting the walnuts (since I made it the day after V's dental surgery, as a get-well-soon treat, and he was certainly not able to chomp on walnuts at the time), and adding a dash of cinnamon and a couple of drops of vanilla extract instead. Here is a look at the muffins right after they emerged from the oven:

I wonder why the tops looked so funny! Any ideas from experienced bakers? The only thing I can think of...the oven temperature was too high, so the outside of the muffin cooked before it got a chance to rise. Next time, I will bake at 350 F instead of 400 F.

Anyway, the muffins tasted wonderful, and made for a very special breakfast-dessert indeed!


Thanks, Coffee for hosting and thank you, Suganya, for a lovely recipe!

Weekend City Blogging-1

(Pictures taken by V)
Now that the weather is nice, I thought I would share some glimpses of Saint Louis. The first in the series has to be the iconic Gateway Arch that defines this city. I'm never too interested in monuments and touristy attractions, but I do think the arch is a very beautiful creation, rising sleekly into the sky at the bank of the Mississippi river, denoting the border between Missouri and Illinois.

It is in the shape of an inverted catenary arch and is made of stainless steel. It is the tallest monument in the United States. You can get into tiny pod-like elevators and take a 4-minute trip to the top of the arch.

We recently made a trip to the arch as part of a Flat Stanley project. What is it all about? Basically, an elementary school child (in this city, V's cousin's little girl) makes a paper doll ("Stanley") and mails it out to a family friend/ relative (in this case, V and me) in another city (in this case, St. Louis). The recipient has to take the doll on an adventure and write back to the child telling her all about it. It is a lesson in geography, letter writing etc. and fun for all concerned. Read more about the Flat Stanley project here.

Here we are, taking a paper doll to see the arch...

Weekend Dog Blogging

(Pictures taken by V)
As part of his adventure, our lucky paper doll Stanley also got to spend some quality time with the most adorable dog in all of St. Louis, Dale!

But posing for pictures is so exhausting! After a few minutes, Dale heads off for a nap...

Dale might be asleep, but his ears stay wide awake in case someone should utter the magic words "Chalo" heralding a walk!

I'll leave you with a final link: As a avid food-blog-watcher, my new favorite place to find new posts is Food Blog Desam. Many thanks to Mathy and Indira for their efforts in creating this time-saving resource that lets us find newly written posts the minute they are posted! See you tomorrow, for the Q of Indian vegetables.

RCI Andhra: A Trio Of Podis

Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine has come up with a new event that is close to my heart: Regional Cuisines of India or RCI. Each month, we will be making the food of one region/ state of India. This month, the RCI event is being hosted by Latha of Masala Magic. The theme is Andhra Cuisine, i.e., the cuisine of the Southern state of Andhra Pradesh.


I am a relative newcomer to the world of Andhra food. A few years ago, I was living in Bangalore for the summer, and ended up with some friends at a Andhra restaurant called Bheema's. That evening was my memorable introduction to Andhra cuisine. We ate off verdant banana leaves; the courses kept coming, progressively ever tastier and ever more fiery, until I had tears of pain running down my cheeks. But I kept gulping down cool water and eating some more. I don't know what they put in that food, but that stuff was downright addictive.

Now, the world of food blogs has provided me with several wonderful "teachers" who are providing a glimpse into their Andhra kitchens. Two of the earliest Andhra food blogs that I came across- Mahanandi and Sailu's Food are both excellent resources for traditional Andhra recipes, written neatly and precisely, accompanied by gorgeous pictures.

From the vast domain of Andhra cuisine, I am choosing one category that I find fascinating: the various ready-to-eat spice powders or podis. From a bunch of dry items that are commonly found in the Indian pantry- dried red chillies, desiccated coconut, different dals (split lentils), a few spices- it is possible to mix together, roast and grind ingredients in special proportions to make all types of spice powders. Once you have a bottle of the dry powder sitting in your kitchen cupboard, it can add a touch of magic to so many meals. It gives the term "instant meal" a whole new meaning...mixed in with steamed rice, you get a tasty dish in seconds. It can be sprinkled on idlis and dosas for a dash of spice when one is too busy to make a fresh chutney. I have been known to sprinkle podis on buttered toast too!

The one essential kitchen equipment for making podis is a good grinder. If you own an Indian "mixer", boy, those are some powerful machines and will have a small dry grinder attachment that will reduce grains, dals and spices to dust, in mere seconds. For those of us who don't own the Indian-style mixies, the usual blenders and food processors are unable to grind hard grains and dals (and it is unwise to try, they can be damaged by doing so). What does work well is a spice grinder, often sold as a coffee bean grinder. Be sure to keep separate machines for grinding coffee beans and spices, unless you happen to like coriander-flavored coffee and coffee-flavored idli podi.

The one I have is a compact little thing from Krups and was a gift from my aunt Jayashree in Toronto. When she gave it to me 3-4 years ago, I had never made my own spice mixes before and expected that this contraption would lie in some forgotten corner of my kitchen. As it turns out, having the means to grind nuts, spices and grains has improved my cooking tremendously, and I use the spice grinder several times each week! Just goes to show you that aunts know a thing or two :) My one grouse with this machines is: the bowl does not detach, and that makes it a little difficult to clean. It is not a huge issue, since I never grind wet stuff in it. I clean it using two ways: (a) Wipe it down with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel, being careful to avoid the sharp blades, (b) Run a dry old piece of bread through the grinder. It picks up bits and pieces from all corners of the grinder. The resulting bread crumbs can be discarded and you end up with a clean grinder. The cover of the grinder does detach; it can be washed with some soap and water.

Today, I am making three podis or spice powders, all from Sailu's recipes. Each uses some basic ingredients- chana dal and urad dal provide the body and texture for the podi (not to mention a nutty base and a boost of nutrition), dried red chilies provide the kick and the heat, a touch of oil is needed to roast the ingredients and enhance their flavor and aroma, and the final essential ingredient is a bit of salt. Apart from these ingredients, different podis are enhanced with other main ingredients (nuts, sesame seeds, coconut), flavorings (garlic, tamarind) and spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds) in different permutations and combinations. One can adjust the level of heat by adding more or less chilies. For the exact recipes and method, I am providing links to Sailu's recipes so she can teach you herself.

The first podi is dry coconut powder or Endu Kobbari Podi, made with...
Desiccated coconut, Garlic, Chana dal, Urad dal, Dried red chilies, Oil, Salt

I served this podi with plain steamed idlis. Soft idlis, topped with generous sprinkles of coconut podi, and a few drops of sesame oil made for an authentic and tasty brunch.

The second podi is sesame seed powder or Nuvullu Podi, made with...
Sesame seeds, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Chana dal, Urad dal, Dried red chilies, Oil, Salt

I served this podi with some freshly steamed rice and ghee. The nutty and mild flavor of the podi with rice, it was delicious and comforting.

The third podi is curry leaf powder or Karivepaaku Podi, made with...
Curry leaves, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Tamarind, Chana dal, Urad dal, Dried red chilies, Oil, Salt

I served this podi sprinkled on to my favorite instant rava dosa which is inspired by our host Latha's recipe. The difference is, this time I added brown rice flour to the dosa instead of the regular white rice flour that I normally use. I made the brown rice powder myself, by simply grinding brown rice in the spice grinder. I also omitted curry leaves from the dosa batter since I was going to serve the dosa with this powder. This podi was a taste and flavor explosion! As I made it, the aroma of curry leaves simply filled the kitchen. The combination of dosa and spicy curry leaf powder was incredible.

Thank you, Sailu, and all the other Andhra food bloggers out there for helping me learn more about your cuisine! And thanks, Latha, for hosting this event! I am eagerly waiting for the round-up!

Quick "Bisibele" Bhaat

This week at One Hot Stove, it is "Q for quick"! So here is a quick post featuring my favorite quick meal. It maximizes flavor and nutrition while minimizing effort and prep time. Mixed vegetables, lentils and rice come together, and are flavored by tamarind and a ready-made spice mix. The whole thing virtually cooks itself in the pressure cooker and you are in for a treat!

Bisibele rice is a specialty from the Southern Indian state of Karnataka, featuring lentils, rice, vegetables and spices cooked together slowly and lovingly into a festive dish. In my quick khichdi, I use bisibele spice mix to approximate those flavors in a fraction of the time and make faux bisibele rice. Here's how...

1. Prepare 2 cups of mixed vegetables, cut in medium dice. Here, I have used green beans, frozen peas and carrots. Other vegetables that work well are zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, lima beans etc.


2. Prepare 1 tbsp thick tamarind paste. If you use tamarind pulp, the paste is prepared by soaking 1 heaping tsp of tamarind pulp in a couple of tbsp of hot water, then squeezing out the pulp and discarding the solids. If you are using tamarind concentrate, you can directly use 1 tsp of it instead of the paste.

2. Measure out 1/3 cup rice and 1/3 cup green (unhulled) split moong dal.


3. Have some ready-made MTR brand bisibele masala handy. It is available in Indian and international grocery stores, or in online stores.


4. Other prep: chop half a small onion.

5. Now, in the body of the pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp oil. Make the tempering with: 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, chopped onion, 5-6 curry leaves, pinch of asafoetida.

6. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp bisibele powder (or to taste) and salt to taste.

7. Stir in vegetables, dal, rice, tamarind and 3 cups water. Pressure-cook for the amount of time that you normally need for cooking rice (in my superhuman efficient cooker, it takes one mere whistle).

8. Serve piping hot, with pickle and yogurt on the side, if desired. Potato chips/ papads take this dish to a whole new level :) When I have time, I throw together a pachadi to serve with this khichdi.


MTR's bisibele masala is extremely flavorful and authentic (to the extent that I am able to recognize authenticity of Kannada dishes, at any rate). And no, they are not paying me anything to say this, this endorsement comes straight from the heart. Quick "bisibele" rice is stewy and soupy, and may not be much by way of good looks, but it is the one dish that I make time and again. It has sustained me through countless busy nights, and through rough times at work, and through times of illness. Last week, it fed V when he was unable to eat anything else after dental surgery. Now I have made it so many times, I can make it in my sleep!

Got a favorite flavorful quick recipe? If it has vegetables in it, and Indian or Indian-inspired flavors, you can send it in for the Q of Indian Vegetables!

P is for Pattagobi Pachadi

The myriad cuisines of India all love their vegetables! Veggies are diced and sliced, grated and mashed, stir-fried and curried into hundreds of vegetable dishes. In this series, the A to Z of Indian Vegetables, we take an alphabetical journey through the various avatars of vegetables relished in Indian cuisine. For each letter, we will make a tasty vegetable dish that illustrates one manner in which vegetables are savored in India.


The "P" of Indian Vegetables

The letter P inspired forty phenomenal Indian flavors!

Let's start with a array of P vegetables: the first is colorful and chubby , followed by nine veggies that all happen to be painted in myriad shades of green, and the last is a popular starchy root!

First up, the Pepper: an potent word in the culinary world. It can mean anything from peppercorns that constitute the most basic seasoning, to the dizzying array of chili peppers that provide the kick and the zing in a multitude of cuisines, to the chubby vibrant bell peppers that are mild and tasty enough to be savored as vegetables. TC of The Cooker takes advantage of the hollow insides of the colorful peppers. She stuffs pepper halves with a savory mixture of vegetables, potatoes and spices, then bakes them to perfection. The resulting Stuffed Peppers are versatile delights that can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a main dish.

The next vegetable is the Pea, the pint-sized green gems packed in their pod. Peas are such a versatile vegetable, used in dozens of different ways in Indian cuisine. Today, we get to eat them in the tastiest way possible, in two delicious appetizers, both P words!

Dhana of Fresh Kitchen chooses to make pattice. Now, we all know what a "patty" is: usually a savory flattened cake of some kind. But in India, the unique term "pattice" refers to a turnover consisting of puff pastry enclosing a tasty filling of some sort. In bakeries all over India, across small towns and megacities, patties (pattices?) will be made and sold like hot cakes every single day (confused metaphor there, but you get the picture). Dhana now teaches us to make these delights in our own home: she makes a savory filling of peas, corn and spinach, then drapes some ready-made biscuit dough over it to makes this appetizing Peas and Corn Pattice.

Sharmi of Neivedyam chooses to make potlis. A "potli" is a cute little purse or moneybag that can be closed with a drawstring. Sharmi's adorable edible potlis are made of home-made pie dough, and contain a treasure of spicy potato and peas. Go steal a look at these artistic Potlis with Potatoes and Peas.

Coming up next is the long, tapering, placid Plantain, the family that includes bananas. Some varieties of the starchy plantain are especially wonderful for cooking. A Cook of Live To Cook cooks them in a very interesting Tamil style called Plantain Paniyaram, or puffy, golden brown, savory pancake balls.

The next vegetable is a proud member of the prized family of green leafy vegetables: Palak, Hindi for spinach. Here is a vegetable that is inexpensive, nutritious, easily available and that cooks in mere seconds. Here are four ways with the versatile spinach...

The first course is a steaming hot cup of soup: Ramya of Mane Adige cooks spinach with a flavorful combination of onion, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, then adds some tomatoes and corn to make this nutritious and utterly slurpable Palak Corn Soup.

Next, a popular appetizer: Swapna of Swad makes Palak Pakoras that take minutes to make and mere seconds to disappear, blending spinach with chickpea batter and spices, then frying spoonfuls of the batter until golden brown.

Tee of Bhaatukli makes a cool recipe for summer: tasty spinach dumplings in a yogurt sauce. Her Paalak Dahiwade are a smart way to sneak in vegetables into a beloved snack.

Then, Rinku of Cooking in Westchester illustrates that spinach can be teamed with other foods to make quick non-fussy everyday meals. She combines bright green spinach with deep red kidney beans to make a pot of colorful Palak Rajma.

Following close is another green vegetable, with tightly packed pale green leaves: Pattagobhi, Hindi for cabbage. "patta" means leaves, and "gobhi" means cabbage, the close relation, the cauliflower is called the "phulgobhi" where "phul" means flower. Musical of Musical's Kitchen makes a complete Home-style meal: she cooks the Pattagobhi together with Purple Potatoes, and serves this with a dal made using Peas...comfort food at its best!

The next vegetable is beloved in India- a cute petite squash called Parwal in Hindi and ivy gourd or pointed gourd in English. Richa of As Dear As Salt eats a delicious dish featuring parwal at a restaurant, then comes home and recreates us in her own kitchen, then shares the recipe for Parwal and Kale Chane.

Then comes a huge prickly tropical fruit: the jackfruit or Panasa. Dee of Ammalu's Kitchen makes a festive dish with canned jackfruit, a stir-fry with an aromatic tempering of mustard seeds, Panasa Pottu Koora.

Then comes another green vegetable with an interesting patterned skin, the bitter gourd, called Pavakkai in Tamil and Pavakka in Malayalam. Bitter gourd is, well, too bitter for many palates but it has its fans, and there are certain ways of cooking it that lower the bitterness and bring out the true flavor....like these two:

Sheela of Delectable Victuals cooks this vegetable by the method of Pan-frying, a useful cooking method for rustling up quick and tasty vegetable dishes. Her Pan-fried Pavakkai is a wonderful side dish, and the post has many useful tips for cooking with this vegetable.

Sigma of Live To Eat turns the bitter gourd into a Pachadi, or yogurt-based salad. In her step-by-step recipe, one can see how minced bitter gourd is fried until golden, then seasoned with tempering, a spicy coconut paste and yogurt to make a cool Pavakka Pachadi with complementary bitter, tangy and spicy flavors.

The next veggie is a poised and pretty, long strands of green blending into white...Piyajkoli, the poetic Bengal word for scallions/ green onions/ spring onions. Sandeepa of Bong Mom's Cookbook makes a quick and delicious stir-fry with scallions- her Piyajkolir Tarkari has a burst of flavors from scallions, potatoes and shrimp, with the aroma of nigella seeds to spice it up.

Then comes a summer favorite; mint or Pudina. With its pleasant sweet flavor and distinctive cool aftertaste, mint adds a special something to many Indian dishes. Madhuli of My Foodcourt created a recipe of her very own: stir-frying tofu in a fragrant mint paste, with a tangy touch of chaat masala to make this Pudina Tofu Stir-fry. Well, this experiment looks like a complete success to me!

The last vegetable is #1 when when it comes to popularity, none other than the pre-eminent Potato! Swapna of Swad gives the potato a glowing representation by cooking it with eggs in a famous Parsi brunch dish, Papeta-Pur-Eedu.

Now come four P foods that are popular, prominent and precious in the world of Indian cuisine!

First comes Paneer: the milky, mild Indian cheese. Un-aged and rennet-free, paneer is easy to make at home and versatile in its uses. We have five paneer dishes here, all crowd-pleasers!

Now that barbecue season is upon us, it is time to make some juicy paneer kebabs. Paneer is a non-melting cheese; upon grilling, it becomes tender and flavorful and eagerly absorbs the flavors of the marinade. Sreelu of Sreelu's Tasty Travels takes this Indian grilled staple to the next level: she skewers chunks of paneer together with a whole host of P goodies...Pineapple, Pepper, Pudina (Hindi for mint), Pyaaz (Hindi for onion). The combination of the spicy paneer with the smoky sweetness of the vegetables and the aroma of the herbs results in this picture-perfect platter of Paneer Kebabs!

Pooja of Khaana Pina talks about the nostalgia of street food in the city of Pune. She then recreates one of her favorite street foods, Paneer Kathi Kabab, with a detailed recipe so we can all try it too! Also, check her blog for many interesting posts about the "rainbow colors of food".

Aarti of Aarti's Corner was inspired by the Vietnamese and Indonesian pastries called lumpia. She makes a spicy mixture of paneer and cabbage, then stuffs it into a freshly made dough and rolls it into a cigar shape. The roll is fried to perfection to make these innovative and tempting Paneer Lumpia.

Mahek of Love 4 Cooking makes a classic tomato-based curry, Paneer Jhalfrezi. The classic trio of onion-pepper-tomato combines with classic North Indian spices and soft paneer to yield lip-smacking results!

Swapna of Swad tasted paneer biryani made by a friend and loved it so much that she wheedled the recipe out of him! She now shares the recipe for this popular Paneer Biryani with all of us, with neat step-by-step instructions, complete with pictures.

The final paneer recipe is the classic combination of paneer with spinach, the Palak Paneer. We have two recipes here...

Neelam of Recipe Factory shares an easy recipe to make the restaurant favorite, Palak Paneer, in your very own kitchen.

Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine shares a fellow bloggers' tried-and-tested recipe for another delicious version of Palak Paneer.

Second comes Pulao, or pilaf or pulav...all terms for flavored rice dishes. A pulao offers an open-ended opportunity to a cook- a blank canvas to paint with spices and veggies, nuts and dried fruits as one likes: rice+ innovation= pulao!

Vani of Mysoorean shares a recipe for a Plain Pulao which does not sound that plain to me at all- it is cooked in a rich mixture of water and milk and is redolent with whole spices and herbs. To make a complete feast out of it, Vani serves the pulao with some tasty egg curry and crisp Potato wedges.

Ramya of Sena's Rasoi makes the ever-popular Peas Pulav, with a recipe that is elegantly simple- a few ingredients come together in an uncomplicated way to make a tasty meal in minutes.

Third comes Papad: thin, dried, brittle discs that can be roasted or fried into crunchy treats. The papad or papadum can make every meal special (pulao and papad happens to be a particularly well-loved combination). One wildly popular brand of papad, Lijjat papad, also happens to be a very interesting story of women's empowerment. Swapna of Swad is inspired by her aunt's recipe and shares a way to make a crunchy tea-time snack, Papad Pohe.

Fourth comes Puri: a deep-fried bread that makes for a special treat. Dough is rolled out into thin discs and deep-fried to puffy, golden goodness. Puris can be made in a dozen different ways; the plain puris are generally served with spicy curries, while the flavored puris can be enjoyed by themselves or dipped into a chutney. We have three stellar examples here...

Reena of Spices of Kerala makes plain whole-wheat puris, then goes on to serve them with a spicy and aromatic vegetable made with potato and fenugreek (a match made in heaven!), resulting in this appetizing and festive meal of Poori with Aloo Methi.

Manasi of A Cook At Heart kneads spinach and wheat flour together, then rolls out the dough into little Palak Puris. Tasty, puffy and crisp, these puris are the stuff of school picnic memories for many of us!

Asha of Aroma/Foodie's Hope minces up some aromatic mint leaves and kneads them into a spicy dough to make these lovely fried Pudina Puris. Served with some tasty tomato chutney, these quick puris sound like the perfect tea-time snack!

Coming to the regional specialties, first up is Puttu, a cylindrical steamed rice cake. Reena of Spices of Kerala explains that, "Puttu and Kadala curry (Black chana curry) is Kerala’s very own breakfast". As they say, try, try and you will succeed, and here, Reena shares her puttu success story with a tried-and-tested recipe for Puttu and Chana Curry.

Then comes Pithla, a rustic curry made with chickpea flour. Aarti of Aarti's Corner makes the classic combination of Pithla Bhakri and adds that she served "pithla with bhakris, rice, buttermilk and spring onion…. A perfect marathi meal, ideal for a weekend...". for a simple meal that is rich in taste.

Next comes an elaborate appetizer/ side dish that can only be described as edible art: Patra, also known as patode or patrode. Giant leaves of the taro plant (they are also called elephant ears!) are spread with a savory paste, then rolled and steamed. In the style of Swiss rolls, these steamed rolls can be sliced, resulting in a beautiful spicy treat. We have two recipes for patra...

Anita of A Mad Tea Party assures us that, "Preparing alu wadi (wadis made with taro leaves) is somewhat labour-intensive, but not hard". She proceeds to write a beautifully detailed account of the preparation of the delicate Patode, complete with pictures that will make you want to run into the kitchen and make them right away.

Roopa of My Chow-Chow Bhath tells us that, "Back in my hometown, we grow these leaves in our backyard is very handy to use in case we are short of veges". I remember the taro plant in my parents' backyard too! Roopa gives a delicious step-by-step recipe for Patrode/Patra with handy tips for serving the sliced rolls, and for freezing them.

Next comes a signature savory pancake: Pesarattu, a wholesome dosa made with a batter of rice and lentils (moong dal). A popular way to serve pesarattu is with a stuffing of upma ( a savory dish made with semolina). We have two versions of this filling breakfast/ tea-time treat...

Prema of My Cookbook explains that "Pesarattu is a key item in Andhra cuisine" and goes on to share a detailed recipe for making Pesarattu with Upma that is thin and crispy, filled with chopped onions and chilies.

Sukanya of Hot 'N Sweet Bowl talks about her love for this dosa..."Once my family and I went to Trupati and we found this pesarattu in almost all the restaurants.. From that time Pesarattu became my families favorite dish." She provides recipes for the whole menu: Pesarattu with Uppma, and a flavorful ginger chutney.

Next comes a distinctive style of cooking vegetables: called Patoli in Andhra Pradesh and Parippu Usli in Tamil Nadu. In this method, a mixture of lentils and spices are ground to a paste, then cooked by steaming and crumbled to bits. The tasty lentil bits can be mixed in with any vegetable to make a dry curry that is nutritious and protein-rich. We have two versions to learn from...

Suma of Veggie Platter makes three traditional versions of the Patoli to demonstrate the versatility of this method, pointing out that it is "An easier, smarter way to feed the family, the nutritious stuff".

Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi show us a way to get creative with the basic method and adapt it to all kinds of vegetables; they take advantage of seasonal produce to make some Patoli with Asparagus. To make everyday cooking more efficient, they share a useful tip: "Make extra batches of the lentil paste and freeze for later use".

The next P food may not be distinctly Indian, but it sure has an international fan following: Pasta! Deepa of Recipes 'N More raids her pantry and whips up a simple and tasty lunch of Pasta with onions, peppers and tomato sauce.

As we start winding down this round-up, it is time for a bite of something sweet. One stove-top pudding that is a popular sweet in its many avatars (can be made with wheat/ rice/ noodles) is the Payasam, the South Indian counterpart of the Kheer. Sushma of Sunkiran's Recipe Source gives us a taste of some rich and creamy Payasam made with semolina, with a delicate touch of saffron.

The final dish is a rather mysterious one: Pidza! Are you perplexed and perturbed? To solve the puzzle, go visit Coffee of The Spice Cafe and find out what Pidza is all about. Two hints: (1) it is the international food of mystery, and (2) it is delicious!

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P is for Pachadi with Cabbage: Cool Salads

We are on a "accompaniments" roll...close on the heels of the chutney, comes the salad! Unlike most American and European meals, where the salad is usually a separate course, in the Indian thali, the salad is part of the array of delicious "courses" all beautifully arranged on one large plate. It forms a crunchy, cool counterpoint to the rest of the meal. During the sultry days of summer, a big bowl of raita is a truly refreshing treat.

Indian salads come in many different forms. In a departure from olive oil and mayonnaise, Indian salads are most often dressed with yogurt or lemon juice. Other additions are often region-specific. The raita is the term often used for salads made in North Indian style, usually seasoned with cumin, mint and yogurt. The kachumbar often has a mixture of onions, tomatoes and cucumbers with a fiery hint of chillies. The Maharashtrian koshimbir gets a nutty sprinkling of crushed roasted peanuts. The South Indian pachadi sparkles with an aromatic tempering of curry leaves and mustard seeds with the creamy backdrop of yogurt. Indian salads can range from the really simple to the fairly complicated. Many times, the salad may simply consist of thin slices of beets, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and onions, all decoratively arranged on a plate and sprinkled with salt and lemon juice. Other salads may involve complex pastes of coconut and an array of spices.

In my kitchen, I often throw together raitas and pachadis with commonly available vegetables such as radishes, cucumbers and carrots. This is my recipe for a pachadi made with crispy fresh cabbage. I use the classic South Indian tempering and apply it, along with yogurt, to any vegetable I have on hand...and viola: it becomes a pachadi! I have used the crinkly, lacy Savoy Cabbage. My favorite addition to pachadis: dahi mirchis...

These are hot chillies that are stuffed with a mixture of yogurt, spices and salt, then dried in the sun. They can be stored, and to use them, one simply pops them in some hot oil for a couple of seconds. That is enough to get them beautifully crisp. Crushed fried "dahi chillies" really takes pachadis to the next level by making the flavor pop! If you plan on using these, add less salt to the salad, because dahi chillies are generally quite salty. The dahi chillies I used were store-bought, but you can certainly make them at home in dry, sunny weather.

Cabbage Pachadi

(makes about 3 cups of salad)
Ingredients:
To be mixed:
Savoy cabbage, shredded, 2 cups
Plain yogurt, 1 cup (low-fat or non-fat OK)
Milk, 1/4 cup (low-fat or non-fat OK)
Sugar, 1/4 tsp
Salt, to taste
Other ingredients:
Oil, 1 tsp
Dahi mirchi, 3-4 (see note in recipe introduction)
Cilantro, minced, 2 tbsp
Mint, few leaves
Tempering:
Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp
Chana dal, 1/2 tsp
Urad dal, 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves, 5-6
Asafoetida, pinch
Method:
1. Place all the ingredients "to be mixed" in a large bowl, and stir gently to mix them together.
2. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Fry the dahi mirchis (stuffed chillies) for a few seconds, then remove from oil and set aside.
3. To the remaining oil, add all the ingredients in the "tempering" list and stir until the mustard seeds pop and the dals turn golden. Pour the tempering into the bowl over the cabbage and yogurt.
4. To the bowl, add the cilantro and crushed fried dahi mirchis. Mix well. Top with sprigs of mint and serve.
(Pictured: Cabbage Pachadi gets an elephant ride.)


How do you serve this dish?
This salad goes well as part of any South Indian meal. I love eating it with khichdi too. I also mix culinary traditions and eat it with North Indian parathas!

Variations: Pachadis can be made with a variety of different main ingredients. Here is what you could use instead of the cabbage...
1. Mixed vegetables: tomato, cucumber, onion
2. Carrot, shredded
3. Radish, like so
4. Vegetables like okra and eggplant (just cut and saute them first to cook them)
5. Fruits, like mango

Fellow bloggers have come up a colorful array of salads. Here are some of my favorite finds:
Red
Red Pumpkin Raita from Happy Burp,
Pink
Beet Raita from Musical's Kitchen,
Orange
Carrot Peanut Salad from Saffron Trail,
Pale Green
Cucumber Raita from Priya's Kitchen,
Bright Green
Okra Pachiri from Food, In The Main,
Dark Green
Spinach Raita from My Chow-Chow Bhath,
Yellow
Corn Salad from My Rasoi,
and finally, a sprouts salad:
Mung Sprouts Salad from The Cook's Cottage,

Previously on the A to Z of Indian Vegetables...
A is for Aloo Gobi: North-Indian Stir-Fry
B is for Bharli Mirchi: Stuffed Vegetables
C is for Carrot-Cashew Payasam: Desserts
D is for Dum ki Arbi: Dum Style of Cooking
E is for Egg-Fried Rice: Rice and Vegetables
F is for Foogath: South-Indian Stir-Fry
G is for Gobi Paratha: Vegetables in Breads
H is for Hariyali Tikki: Vegetables in Appetizers
I is for Idli with Vegetables: Vegetables for Breakfast
J is for Jalfrezi Vegetables: Restaurant Style
K is for Kati Roll: Vegetables and Paneer
L is for Lasuni Dal Palak: Vegetables and Lentils
M is for Malai Kofta: Dumplings
N is for Nargisi Kebab: Vegetables and Eggs
O is for Onion Chutney: Vegetables in Chutneys

O is for Onion Chutney

The myriad cuisines of India all love their vegetables! Veggies are diced and sliced, grated and mashed, stir-fried and curried into hundreds of vegetable dishes. In this series, the A to Z of Indian Vegetables, we take an alphabetical journey through the various avatars of vegetables relished in Indian cuisine. For each letter, we will make a tasty vegetable dish that illustrates one manner in which vegetables are savored in India.

Before we start this round up, a brief announcement: In two weeks, we will come to the Q of Indian vegetables. Now, Q is a very challenging letter, so I have built in a loophole. Q is for Quick, so recipes with the prefix "quick" will be welcomed as entries. If you have a favorite quick Indian/ Indian-inspired recipe involving vegetables, please do consider participating. Do you *have* to send in "Q for quick" entries? Absolutely not! If you want to get creative and make other Q recipes or use other Q words, please do so, I would love to see what else you awesome bloggers can come up with.

The "O" of Indian Vegetables

The letter O inspired twenty-two outstanding Indian flavors!

Let's start with three O vegetables. They have a reputation for being pungent, bland and slimy, respectively. Can you name these veggies?

The first vegetable is an important pantry staple: the Onion. Layers and layers of pungent flavor nestled inside a papery skin, the onion finds its way into a majority of Indian dishes. Once cooked, it mellows down and sweetly allows the other flavors in the dish to take over. Here, the onion is celebrated as a vegetable in its own right, with five delectable dishes. What's a good meal without some savory appetizers? We start with some onion-based snacks...

Most traditional South Indian kitchens always keep a rice-and-urad-dal-batter on hand, to make idlis (steamed cakes) and dosas (thin crispy crepes) at a moment's notice. The leftover, slightly over-fermented, sour batter is never wasted, instead it is flavored and used to make thin pancakes called "uttapams". Sukanya of Hot n' Sweet Bowl stirs grated onion and chilies into the batter to flavor it, then makes uttapams sprinkled with shredded carrot, corn and peas, resulting in these colorful and tempting Onion Uthappams.

Deepa of Recipes n' More gives us another version of this breakfast/ tea-time snack. She uses her onion-chili-batter to turn out some crispy golden-brown, adorable little Mini Onion Uttapams, and proceeds to serve them with a delicious chayote squash chutney.

Sreelu of Sreelu's Tasty Travels takes a trip down memory lane to her beach-side home in the city of Visakapatanam/ Vizag. She reminisces about the spicy snacks sold by vendors on the beach and goes on to make a gorgeous recreation of one of these snacks: Stuffed Bajjis with Onion Masala. I'm warning you...you will want to reach into the screen and grab one of these fritters!

After snacking, let's move on to some main dishes featuring the onion. Asha of Aroma/ Foodie's Hope creates a delightful platter of Onion Lentil Chutney, sauteed red onion cooked with a coarse paste of chana dal for an unusual side dish.

Pavani of Cook's Hideout shares a basic recipe for Onion Rice, made by combining cooked rice with some golden, caramelized onions. I can just imagine how aromatic this is, and this basic recipe could be modified in so many ways to make creative pilafs of all kinds.

The next vegetable is the pale green, sturdy Opo Squash. What is this, some exotic vegetable? Actually, opo squash is just another name for the vegetable better known to most of us as bottle gourd/ doodhi/ lauki/ ghiya (Really, how many aliases does this vegetable have?). As a conseqence of its rather bland and watery taste, the poor opo squash is not considered very glamorous. However, these very qualities make it a versatile vegetable. Here are two ways to cook the opo squash, one from Southern India and the other from Northern India:

Sheela of Delectable Victuals takes the basic recipe for a Tamilian specialty, a buttermilk-based stew, and makes it even more interesting and tasty with the addition of opo squash and carrots, resulting in this delicate Opo Squash Mor Kozhambu.

And now we travel North to the state of Punjab, where Musical of Musical's Kitchen explains that "lachha" means "grated stuff". Here, grated opo squash gets sauteed with onions, and tomatoes and a few select spices, and what you get is this Opo Squash Lachha, a great accompaniment to any meal.

The next vegetable is the subject of strong mixed emotions: it is loved and adored by some, and detested and shunned by others. Yes, it is the Okra: the tapering green beauty, with the slime, oh the slime! Well, I am firmly on the side of okra lovers, and fervently thank the next three bloggers for representing my beloved okra in this round-up.

A Cook of Live to Cook says, very wisely, that, "The challenge of cooking is presenting the dishes in such a way that even the dislikes are turned into likings". She proceeds to elevate the status of okra in her household with a very creative, and completely delicious Okra Dosa, made with a wholesome batter of okra, coconut, spices and brown rice.

Suma of Veggie Platter shares her husband's tasty recipe for Okra Dal, combining the flavor of okra (convenient frozen okra, at that!) with the goodness of dal, with an aromatic tempering to pull the flavors together.

The third okra dish is made in classic North Indian style, and is perennially popular on Indian restaurant menus. Many of my non-Indian friends say that the "okra masala" from Indian restaurants was the first time they found okra palatable. Rinku of Cooking in Westchester provides an easy recipe for recreating the classic Okra Masala in your very own kitchen, with a great tip for broiling the okra to get it crispy and perfect.

Next, an O fruit with a difference, the savory, unctuous Olive!
TC of The Cooker combats wet and rainy weather with a tasty treat, making a gorgeous Olive-Onion Naan made with whole-wheat flour and freshly baked on a pizza stone. Also, check the post for a bonus appetizer recipe for little olive bites.

Then comes a most unusual O plant: the Obedience Plant! I really need to find this plant and feed it to our wayward pooch :) ! Actually the roots of the perennial obedience plant are the source of the starchy arrowroot powder. A Cook of Live to Cook tells us some great tips for using arrowroot and then creatively adds arrowroot powder in place of eggs to turn out some beautiful Arrowroot Crepes.

We now come to an important O grain, none other than Oats! Oats, and their processed product, Oatmeal, have long been part of the diet in some cultures, and increasingly, the health benefits of oatmeal are making this cereal more and more popular with everyone. We all know about oats for breakfast, but how about oats for dinner and oats for dessert?

Nandita of Saffron Trail shows us that a quick convenience dinner need not be an unhealthy one. She cooks oats with an aromatic tempering and a selection of colorful vegetables to make an appetizing, steaming-hot bowl of Oats for Dinner.

Mahek of Love 4 Cooking takes her husband's suggestion of trying out some "oatmeal for O" and makes her very first batch of delicious and nutritious Oatmeal Squares, a sweet treat eagerly shared by her son and his friends!

The next dish is a brunch favorite, the Omelette. Omelettes are often one of the first dishes that a budding cook learns to make, and once you know how to make a good omelette, the possibilities for playing around with it can provide endless fun. Swapna of Swad recreates a omelette from a popular breakfast restaurant. Golden-brown, stuffed to the gills with vibrant veggies and cheese, her Omelette with Veggies looks like the perfect way to start off a leisurely weekend.

Next, an unusual category, O kitchen equipment...the Oven! Unlike kitchens in the US, where an oven is considered indispensable, kitchens in India specialize in stove-top cooking and an oven is often an accessory. Nevertheless, if one has an oven at home, it does open up many possibilities for delicious outcomes. To give just one example, Manasi of A Cook At Heart dips thick eggplant slices into a mayo-and-cheese mixture, then dredges them in bread crumbs and bakes them into this tempting Oven-baked Eggplant.

Coming to some specialty dishes from different regions of India...

Oola is the Marathi term for "wet" or "fresh" in the case of vegetables (which is to say, as opposed to dry, preserved vegetables). Aarti of Aarti's Corner brings out the sweet flavor of the "oola watana" or fresh peas in a classic coconut-based curry called Oolya Watanyachi Usal.

Odachakadalai is the Tamil term for dalia dal. Ayesha of Experimenting on Taste Buds grinds the nutty dalia to an aromatic paste with spices, then uses it to make a tasty gravy that anoints roasted corn on the cob. The result is this mouth-watering Odachakadalai Corn Masala.

Odho is a delicacy from the Kutchi region of India...a remarkable geographical region that is part wetland and part desert. Richa of As Dear As Salt gives a beautiful introduction to Kutchi life and shares a recipe for Odho, a spicy dish of roasted eggplants that almost resembles a chutney or relish.

The next dish is a classic vegetarian preparation from the Southern state of Kerala, a mild stew called Olan. We have two authentic recipes for this dish!

Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi bring out the true flavors of green chillies and curry leaves in their version of Olan, with potato, white pumpkin and black-eyes peas enveloped in a delicate coconut-based sauce.

Sigma of Live to Eat explains that Olan is an integral part of the "sadya" or festive meal, and makes her version with ash gourd and black-eyes peas, with a flavorful tempering of mustard seeds and fiery red chillies.

The final entry is a highly Original one. I mean that quite literally! Coffee of The Spice Cafe takes the classic Gujarati dish, muthia (savory steamed cakes), and gives it her creative treatment, adding a variety of shredded veggies and mixed flours to make these inspired and inspiring Original Muthias.

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O is for Onion Chutney: Chutneys and Relishes

Through the round-up so far, we have made curries and rice, and even an appetizer or two. Main dishes are all well and good, but often the most appetizing and tantalizing dish on the Indian plate is that small dollop of chutney in the corner. Indeed, every traditional Indian meal will include one or more chutneys or relishes, a little something to perk up the palate and jolt the taste buds. In fact, the English word chutney itself derives from Indian languages.

What is a chutney? Practically anything you want it to be! Anything that is approximately the consistency of a paste (could be smooth, could be coarse, could be chunky), flavorful (could be tangy, could be hot, could be sweet and is generally a combination of flavors), made of fruits or vegetables (could be raw, could be cooked), and served as a condiment could theoretically be called a chutney.

Some chutneys are traditional recipes and come from regional cuisines of India. Just to give a few examples from the four corners of India...in Punjab (North), the hugely-popular samosa is traditionally accompanied by two chutneys: the sweet tamarind-date chutney and the spicy mint-cilantro chutney. In Tamil Nadu (South), idlis and dosas are accompanied by a fresh, nutty coconut chutney. In Bengal (East), the last course of the traditional meal is always a chutney, often a sweet tomato chutney. In Maharashtra (West), a very spicy and pungent chutney of garlic and chillies called thecha is eaten with thick bread (bhakri) as a rustic meal. These chutneys are just a drop in the ocean of flavorful chutneys from India!

I love chutneys because they can convert an ordinary everyday meal into something quite special. Chutneys rely on bold flavors rather than fatty components, and are a delicious way to add punch without adding unwanted calories. For instance, chutneys are a smart choice for a sandwich spread, they make butter and mayo utterly unneccessary, while adding flavorful herbs and vegetables to the sandwich. Today, I chose to show-case the onion. In this chutney, the onion is cooked to the point where it is smoky and sweet, and the resulting chutney is a marvel of complex flavors.

Onion Chutney

(adapted from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan, makes 1 cup or so)

1. Prep: Soak 1 tbsp tamarind pulp in 1/4 cup warm water for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze out the tamarind juice and discard the fibers, to get thick tamarind paste. In addition, dice 3 medium onions and clean and chop 5-6 stalks of cilantro.
2. Spice powder: Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet. Add 2 tsp mustard seeds, 4 tsp urad dal, 2-3 dried red chilies (or to taste) and 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder. Saute until the urad dal is pale golden. Remove this mixture into a bowl. Let it cool for a few minutes, then run it through a spice grinder to a fine powder.
3. Cook onions: Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same skillet. Saute onions on medium heat until golden brown.
4. Final step: In a blender/ food processor, blend together sauteed onions, spice mixture, tamarind paste, cilantro and salt (to taste) into a thick paste. You can add a tablespoon or two of water if necessary. Remove into a bowl and serve. I served this onion chutney with crisp rava dosa.

This is an instant savory pancake. The recipe I love best is from fellow blogger Latha of Masala Magic. I have used her recipe so many times, and the proportions of the flours are exactly the way I like it! I also love the way she adds curry leaves right into the batter, making the dosas so flavorful. See Latha's recipe for Rava Dosa here.

Rava Dosa

This recipe makes about 8-10 dosas, about 3 servings. The dosa can be refrigerated and heated in the microwave. It won't be crisp any longer when reheated but will still be very tasty!
1. Mix 1 cup rava/ sooji/ semolina/ cream of wheat + 1/2 cup rice flour + 1/4 cup AP flour/ maida
2. Add 2 tbsp finely chopped onion + 1 finely chopped fresh chili
3. Add 5-6 curry leaves (crumbled into pieces if they are dry, chopped fine if they are fresh) and 2-3 stalks of cilantro, minced fine
4. Add 1 tsp whole cumin seeds and salt to taste
5. Add 2 tbsp yogurt + water, little by little, and mix well to make a batter that is slightly thinner than pancake batter
6. Using a little oil on a non-stick or cast iron pan, drop 1/3 cup measures of the flour and spread it to make thin dosas/ pancakes, and serve hot, with chutney.

How do you serve this dish?
Chutneys are remarkably versatile condiments! They can be used as...
a) a sandwich spread, either by themselves, or stirred into some cream cheese
b) a dip for chips or crudites, either by themselves, or stirred into some sour cream
c) accompaniments to idlis and dosas
d) mixed in with steamed rice for an instant meal.

Fellow bloggers have come up with many tantalizing chutney recipes that capture the flavor spectrum from spicy to tangy to sweet. Here are some of my favorite finds:
Four vegetable chutneys...
Mixed Vegetable Chutney from The Green Jackfruit,
Tomato Thakkali from Indian Food Rocks,
Red Bell Pepper Chutney from Mahanandi,
Zucchini Chutney from Cooking Medley,
Three fruit chutneys...
Cranberry Apple Chutney from Past, Present and Me,
Mango Chutney from The Cook's Cottage,
Pineapple Chutney from Bong Mom's Cookbook,
Two herb chutneys...
Mint and Walnut Chutney from A Mad Tea Party,
Cilantro and Ginger Chutney from Sailu's Food,
And finally, one gorgeous Trio of Chutneys from Tastes like Home

Previously on the A to Z of Indian Vegetables...
A is for Aloo Gobi: North-Indian Stir-Fry
B is for Bharli Mirchi: Stuffed Vegetables
C is for Carrot-Cashew Payasam: Desserts
D is for Dum ki Arbi: Dum Style of Cooking
E is for Egg-Fried Rice: Rice and Vegetables
F is for Foogath: South-Indian Stir-Fry
G is for Gobi Paratha: Vegetables in Breads
H is for Hariyali Tikki: Vegetables in Appetizers
I is for Idli with Vegetables: Vegetables for Breakfast
J is for Jalfrezi Vegetables: Restaurant Style
K is for Kati Roll: Vegetables and Paneer
L is for Lasuni Dal Palak: Vegetables and Lentils
M is for Malai Kofta: Dumplings
N is for Nargisi Kebab: Vegetables and Eggs

Coincidentally, both V and I have to undergo dental procedures this week, and I foresee a bleak culinary week ahead: lots of yogurt, pureed soup and mushy potatoes. I don't think I shall be able to post during the week, but will be lurking on other blogs as usual. And I will certainly be back next Sunday (May 13) with the P of Indian Vegetables! See you then!

Playing with Pasta: Spicy Thai Linguine

Every month, Meeta hosts an enjoyable event called the Monthly Mingle, where bloggers gather together for a potluck based on a theme. This is my entry to this month's event, which is based on the theme "Spring is in the Air". Here I am, celebrating the season's bounty.

In St. Louis, a frigid winter has finally given way to warmer weather that seems to be rushing headlong into summer. This can only mean one thing: time to hurry to the Farmer's market. In my few short months in this city, I have already fallen in love with Soulard Market. The Mississippi river which laps at the foot of St. Louis, bisects the USA, dividing the country into East and West and giving St. Louis the nickname Gateway to the West. Soulard Market is considered to be the oldest Farmer's Market west of the Mississippi, i.e., in the Western half of the United States.

A couple of days ago, my dear friend Cathy was visiting us for the weekend. Other people take their out-of-town visitors to local museums and monuments, but when two foodies get together, the logical thing to do is to head out to the local markets, and early on Saturday, we made a beeline for Soulard Market. The weather was warm and perfectly gorgeous, everyone was in a good mood, and the market was humming with activity. Next time, I'll get some pictures to show you all...this time I was too busy enjoying the company and soaking in the atmosphere to take the camera along.

Anyway, from the rows and rows and rows of colorful produce, I bought green beans and yellow peppers, asparagus, zucchini, mustard greens, and bags and bags of other fruits and vegetables. We also made a stop at the cutest pasta stand: Pappardelle's. This artisanal pasta company is from Denver, Colarado, but they have a year-round stall at Soulard market. They specialize in dried flat pasta with the most incredible flavors...such as orange-schezuan linguine, chipotle-pepper fettucine, and even a dark chocolate linguine! They also have dried flavored blends of pasta, including some really unusual fruit pasta flavors (raspberry penne, anyone?). Anyway, after much deliberation, I settled on the Spicy Thai Linguine.

Back home, I had to wonder, what was I going to do with this beautiful pasta? As luck would have it, my pantry was stocked with a can of coconut milk and a jar of Maesri Thai red curry paste, thanks to inspiration from Sandeepa's post. I put these ingredients together and came up with this dish, which was ready in minutes!

Spicy Thai Linguine

(makes 3-4 servings)
1. Prep the veggies: You can use any assortment of vegetables that you have on hand. This is what I used. Clean and dice the following vegetables...1 large yellow pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 carrot. Finely chop 4-5 green onions (green and light green parts only).
2. Cook the pasta: Boil a large pot of water. When it comes to a rolling boil, salt generously and add 1/2 pound of linguine. Stir around and let the pasta cook for 7-9 minutes, or until al dente. Drain into a colander.
3. Make the sauce: While the water for the pasta is coming to a boil, start the sauce. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add the diced vegetables and stir-fry until barely tender. Now stir in 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk, 1 tsp red curry paste and salt to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more curry paste if desired.
4. Assemble: Stir the cooked drained pasta into the sauce and toss well. Turn off the heat. Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon/ lime juice and the chopped green onions for garnish. Serve right away.

The verdict: Amazing, amazing. I can't even tell you how much we enjoyed every bite of this impromptu meal. The canned curry paste makes it all too easy, and the result is too creamy, colorful and flavorful for words.

Variations:
1. The spicy Thai linguine made this meal extra special, but I am sure that unflavored pasta that is much more readily available would be great too...just be sure to add a little more of the curry paste.
2. One could play around endlessly with this dish, adding different vegetables (green beans and pineapple is what I will try next), different curry pastes (green, yellow), different garnishes (fresh basil, cilantro) and other additions (fried baked tofu or mock chicken strips).

I'm going to pick up a different flavor of pasta from Soulard every time I visit, and keep experimenting with these wonderful flavors. Here is another one of their pastas that Karen tried...it looks sooo good!

Thank you, Meeta, for hosting this lovely event! I shall be back on Sunday, with the O of Indian Vegetables.