Rice porriges, eaten from Japan to Persia as breakfasts, snacks, and lunches, are considered warming and soothing, as well as a stabilizing influence on the stomach and digestive tract. The English word congee is derived from the Indian kanji, meaning boilings, a Tamil word for the water in which rice is boiled. In India today, kanji refers both to this "rice water" that is drained off when rice is cooked like pasta and to the thick gruel made by boiling a little rice with a lot of water.
In India, the flavorings added to porridge range from salt, ghee, black pepper, and cumin to more elaborate hot and salty pickles. In Gujarat, ghains is made by combining rice porridge with beaten yogurt and a little fresh ginger. Another gruel from India includes both rice and split peas. It is called khichri. It is always served with ghee, salt, and pepper, although other spices and vegetables may be added to the basic dish. There are actually two types of khichri in India - the porridge or wet khichri and a dry, puffy, grainy form known as khili hui khichri, or the "khichri that has bloomed".
To eat congee in the Indian style, salt it first. Then add lots of freshly ground pepper and ghee or butter If you like, this ghee can be heated, whole cumin seeds popped in it, and then poured over the congee and mixed in. Serve Indian style vegetables on the side.
A word of caution: Rice gruels should be made in heavy pots with an even distribution of heat.
If rice is American and "enriched" do not wash it. Otherwise, wash and drain the rice. Put rice and 5 3/4 cups water into a heavy, 3 1/2 to 4 quart pot and slowly bring to a boil. Stir now and then as it comes to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook rice for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, and cook onvery low heat for 1 1/4 hours. Congee may be made ahead of time and reheated. It tends to get thick and gummy as it sits. Thin it out with a little boiling water and then reheat, stirring frequently, over low heat.
makes about 2 cups
Put yogurt in a small bowl. Whisk until creamy and smooth. Heat oil in a small 1 1/2 qt. pot over medium flame until hot, add cumin seeds and remove pot from the flame. Pour over yogurt and stir in. Return yogurt and oil to the same pot, add salt, pepper, ginger, green chilies, and prepared congee. Heat slowly over medium heat, stirring constantly in one direction. Do not let it boil. When heated through, remove from heat. Put in small bowls and serve hot for breakfast or as a light lunch. You may also serve this dish cold, with some finely diced cucumber added just before serving.
You can make this khichri with other dals, or with yellow split peas. Serve it in small individual bowls and spoon accompanying vegetables, pickles, and chutneys over it as you eat.
makes about 1 quart and serves 6 - 8
Put dal, rice, ginger slices, and 7 cups water in a heavy 2 1/2 to 3 quart pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir, cover, turn heat to low, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until you have a porridgelike consistency. Stir every 6 to 7 minutes during the last 40 minutes to prevent sticking. Remove ginger slices. Add salt and pepper and stir to mix.
Khichri may be made up to this stage several hours ahead of time. Before serving, reheat over a low flame, stirring constantly, or reheat in a double boiler. Sometimes adding a little water and thinning it out slightly helps in the reheating process. Put the ghee in a small skillet and heat over a medium flame. When hot, add cumin seeds and sizzle for a few seconds. Pour hot ghee and cumin seeds over the khichri immediately. One minute later, uncover, and mix.
serves 6 to 8
Put mung beans in a heavy 3 1/2 quart pot. Add 5 1/2 quarts water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, lower heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let pot sit, covered, for 1 hour. Bring to boil again. Add rice and ginger and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heatto low, and cook gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and salt, bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 1/2 hour, stirring now and then to prevent sticking. Add a little hot water if it seems too thick.
Heat oil in small skillet over medium flame. When hot add asafetida. Two seconds later add whole cumin seeds. Five seconds later add onion. Stir and fry until onion begins to turn brown at edges. Add ground cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir and fry for 1 minute. Empty contents of skillet into rice and bean pot. Stir. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Discard ginger. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve in individual bowls with some or all of the optional seasonings.
from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking
The searing heat and intensely spiced flavors of vindaloo, a distinguished dish of southern India, is not just for carnivores. Gari is a vegetarian vindaloo in which sweet summer vegetables are cooked in a rich, tart, tamarind-based sauce. Substitutions for the various vegetables based on seasonal variations are acceptable, as long as the substitutes are sweet and firm and not sour and leafy. Serve with plain rice and raita. (A recipe for Kela Ka Raita follows)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet, add the onion and garlic, and lower the heat to medium. Fry at medium-high heat until the onion starts to brown (about 10 minutes). Set aside, off the heat. Drop the potatoes in the boiling water and boil 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, slice the vegetables about 1/2 inch thick. Place the skillet with the onion back on low heat and add paprika, turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, salt, and green chiles. Reheat until sizzling a little and add 2/3 C water. Stir in the vegetables (except the peas) and the potatoes. Simmer 20 minutes, covered.
Remove about 1/2 C of hot liquid from the pot, place in a deep bowl, and add the tamarind concentrate, stirring fiercely to dissolve it and pressing it against the sides of the bowl. Pour the mixture back into the pot, increase the heat to high, bring liquid to boil and reduce it until the sauce is very thick (about 5 minutes).
Stir in the garam masala, cardamom, cloves, cayenne, and coconut, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook peas separately in boiling water until just tender (2-3 minutes), checking frequently. Cool them under cold running water and reserve. Just before serving, add the peas to the mixture, cook them just long enough to warm them and serve the dish garnished with cilantro. Makes 3-4 servings.
The yogurt-based condiments known as raitas in India are an invaluable accompaniment to intensely spicy foods as the sooth and cool. The most common raita in Indian restaurants in the United States is cucumber raita. This recipe is for a rarer banana raita that is both sweet and tropical flavored and thus a good companion for the pungently fiery dishes of southern India.
In a heavy, dry skillet over low heat, gently toast whole cumin seeds, stirring gently and often, until they turn a shade darker and grow aromatic. Be careful not to burn them or theyUll taste nasty. Then crush them with a mortar and pestle. Combine the yogurt, spices and citrus juice in a small serving bowl and stir until smooth. Mix in the banana slices. Cover and refrigerate about an hour. Serve the same day.
Place spice mixture in a skillet and roast it lightly over a high flame until the spices darken in color. Grind in an electric spice mill and store in an airtight bottle.
Uploaded 6 June 1991 by Lon Hall
(Based on a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's "World of the East Vegetarian Cooking.")
Pick over the mung beans, wash carefully and drain. Wash carefully and drain the rice. Wash the spinach well, separate the leaves, and get rid of the worst of the big stems. Peel the onion, cut in half, then slice into very thin half-rounds.
Put mung beans in a nice, heavy pot of about 3-1/2 quarts. Add about 5-1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Cover tightly, lower heat and simmer a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and just let it sit undisturbed for an hour. Boil water again, add rice and ginger, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low again, and cook gently for about an hour. Stir gently every 5 or 10 minutes.
Now add the spinach and some salt, and bring back to a simmer. Cover and cook gently again for another 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. If it seems to be getting too thick or drying out, add a little hot water as needed.
During this last phase, heat the oil or ghee in a 6 or 7 inch skillet over medium. Get all your spices measured out and ready to go -- this goes fast. When the oil is hot, throw in the asafoetida. Two seconds later the whole cumin seeds to in. Stir once and wait 5 seconds. Now put in the onion and saute' until the onion just starts to brown around the edges. Add ground cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. Stir and fry for one minute.
Put the contents of the skillet into the pot with the rice, beans and spinach. Stir to mix, cover, and let cook for five more minutes. Fish out and discard the piece of ginger (unless someone wants a surprise.)
Sprinkle with fresh-ground black pepper and put into individual serving bowls. Optional extra seasonings you can add: some lemon juice; a pat of sweet butter per serving; a teaspoon of minced Chinese parsley (also known as fresh green coriander or cilantro).
These recipes are from a column by Abby Mandel "Vegetarian Spice" that appeared in the Los Angeles Times food sections on 3 February 1995.
Heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic, jalapeno, onions, carrot and apple. Cook until onions are tender, about 4 minutes. Add curry powder, tomato paste, cider, bouillon, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Can be made 2 days ahead to this point and refrigerated, or frozen as long as 3 months.
To serve, combine sauce and vegetables and heat through. Makes 6 servings.
Bring bouillon and water to boil. Add rice. Stir well. Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let covered rice stand 10 minutes. Can be made day ahead and refrigerated. Gently reheat in double boiler or microwave oven. Add green onions and cilantro. Fluff with fork. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
Combine cucumbers, garlic, ginger, yogurt, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste in large mixing bowl. Can be mixed day ahead and refrigerated.
To serve, mix well, then drain off most (but not all) liquid. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve chilled. Makes 6 servings.
Break the cinnamon stick into pieces. In a piece of clean muslin or double layer of cheesecloth, wrap the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods and peppercorns, and tie up into a bag.
In a soup pot, combine the spice bag, ginger, nuts, vegetables, stock and curry powder. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the spice bag, then puree the stock and vegetables in a blender or food processor. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Thin with additional stock, if desired. Return to pot and reheat gently.
For the seasoning, warm a small pan over moderate heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover and cook until they pop and turn gray. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cumin seeds and butter and let the spices cool. Pour the spice seasoning into the soup, stirring to mix. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with cilantro.
Note: Powdered vegetable stock can be purchased at health food stores, and I recently found Swanson's brand canned vegetable stock in my local supermarket. If you are not a vegetarian, you may use canned chicken broth.
Yield: 8 servings.
Recipe from "Yamuna's Table," by Yamuna Devi (Dutton, 1992).
Yield: 3 servings
"These hors d'oeuvres are easy to make and can be shallow or deep fried. Find chick pea flour (besan) at an Indian grocery store."
"Make sure vegetable oil is heated to 350F before adding food (bread cube browns in 15 seconds or test with deep fry thermometer. Too cool oil makes everything limp and greasy. Drain on a rack or paper towel before serving. A wok makes an excellent deep fryer."
Cut onion in half and slice about 1/4 inch thick. Beat together egg, flour and enough water to make a batter as thick as whipping cream. Beat in spices. Let rest 15 minutes.
Stir onions into mixture and let sit 5 minutes.
Heat about 1 inch oil in skillet on high heat. when very hot, drop a small mound of onion rings into oil. Press down slightly with spatula. Fry on one side until crisp and brown, turn over and fry second side. Remove bhajis as they cook. Keep warm in 200F oven. Pile on platter with mango chutney. SERVES: 3-4
SOURCE: Lucy Waverman's Fresh & fresh column in the Toronto Sun, Sept 22/93
posted by Anne MacLellan
Yield: 4 servings
KOFTA
Spicy Cream Sauce
Kofta, a classic dish of Moghul origin, is one of the most important preparations of Indian vegetarian cuisine. Traditionally, koftas are simmered in a delicate sauce and turned into a curried main dish. These kebabs are wonderful served as cocktail appetizers with a yogurt or fruity dipping sauce.
The kofta: Combine potatoes, peas, cheese, chile, coriander, cumin, salt, cashews and raisins. Form mixture into 1-inch balls.
Make a batter with the flour and water. Season with pinch of salt, if desired.
Heat oil to 375 degrees F in a deep fryer or large heavy saucepan. Dip balls into batter to coat completely, and deep-fry until brown (do not crowd), about 4 minutes. Set aside.
(If you want the kebabs to remain firm, put them on a heated serving platter, and tent with foil. To serve, bring cream sauce to a boil and pour over kebabs.)
The sauce: Grind cashews, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and garlic with a little water to make a fine paste. Set aside.
Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until wilted; stir in ground paste and cook 2 minutes.
Add turmeric, paprika, coriander, cayenne and salt. Stir in half-and-half and water. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes.
(May be prepared 2 days ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated.)
Stir in cream and kofta kebabs. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
Note: Chick-pea flour (also called besan) may be purchased at Indian grocery stores.
PER SERVING: 645 calories, 15 g protein, 54 g carbohydrate, 43 g fat (19 g saturated), 86 mg cholesterol, 1,450 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.
Laxmi Hiremath writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 6/24/92.
Brought to you from Ron's Recipe Database
Sev is a popular snack food in India, made from chickpea
flour.
Boil potatoes, peel while still hot, and put through
potato-masher or mash well.
Measure mashed potatoes, you should have 5 cups, twice as
much as chickpea flour. If you
have a little more or less, adjust amount of flour to
compensate.
Combine potatoes, flour, salt, cayenne pepper ( use more or
less than called for according to
taste, 1 1/2 tsp will make the sev mildly hot), lemon juice,
and sugar. Mix well and knead to
make a dough. If dough is sticky, add more flour.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a wok over medium flame. Put a
tangerine-size piece of dough into potato
ricer. When oil is hot, press dough through into into hot
oil. Fry 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until golden
brown on the underside. Turn with slotted spoon and cook
another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and
drain on paper towels. Continue until all dough is used up.
When cool, store in air-tight jars. Will keep for several
weeks.
from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking
This is a meat lookalike dish that is flavored to taste like
meat. Kabab means mince in
Hindi,refering to minced meat. Vegetarian meat patties are a
specialty of the Moghul city of
Agra. They are a favorite of all Indian vegetarians, because
the dish satisfies their curiosity
without getting them into trouble with God or endangering
the soul.
makes 24 kababs
For cooking the peas:
For flavoring the kabab mixture:
Cooking the peas:
Preparing the kababs:
Serve with any main dish as long as the ingredients in the
dish are not minced; you want to be
sure to provide a change of texture.
from Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie
Sahni
From south India, here is the simplest of recipes for
preparing curry (kari) of potatoes. All you
need is boiled potatoes and a generous amount of good curry
powder. For authentic flavor use
Indian sesame or coconut oil.
for 6 people
from Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie
Sahni
Here's one of my favorite fast and easy recipes. It's an East Indian
feast dish, pronounced KEY-ma.
Yield: 6 servings
Combine TVP and water in a bowl. Let stand 10
minutes. In a non-stick skillet or wok, heat 2 tbs.
water or other liquid. Saute onion, garlic, and
ginger root for 5 minutes. Add TVP and stir
constantly another 5 minutes (add additional liquid to
prevent sticking, if necessary). Add tomato paste,
tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and cayenne and simmer
for a few minutes. Add peas and mushrooms, bring to a
boil, cover, and simmer over low heat 5 minutes.
Serve over rice.
(Adapted from Vegetarian Times)
Potato Sev ( Snack Noodle )
Vegetarian Patties (Sabzi Kabab)
Spicy Curried Potatoes (Oorla-Kayanga Kari)
Kema (Curried Vegetables)