Just a Dash: Recipes from Our Mother's North Indian Kitchen

97 Pages·2020·281.457 MB·English

by  Neeti Singhal

j u s t a d a s h
recipes from our mother’s
north indian kitchen
neeti singhal
recipes adapted from ameeta singhal
vegetarian & vegan-friendly
j u s t a d a s h
recipes from our mother’s
north indian kitchen
neeti singhal
recipes adapted from ameeta singhal
vegetarian & vegan-friendly
© 2020 Neeti Singhal
All rights reserved.
Recipes
Neeti Singhal
Ameeta Singhal
Text
to our mom...without you, there would be no spark
Neeti Singhal
Images
Neeti Singhal
Roberra Aklilu
Produced by Anil Singhal
The recipes contained in this book have been written for the ingredients and techniques in-
dicated. The author is not responsible for your specific health, allergy or kitchen equipment
needs that may require supervision. Nor is the author responsible for any adverse reactions
you may have to the recipes contained in this book, whether you follow them as written or
modify them to suit your personal dietary needs and tastes or cooking equipment.
No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any mean, electronic, mechanical photocopying, scanning,
recording or otherwise without the express permission from the writer.
Mentions of specific companies in this book does not imply endorsement by the author, nor
that these specific companies endorse this book or its author.
ISBN: 9798675159154
introduction pgs. 1-2
basics
the essentials - ingredients, equipment, freezer pgs. 3-12
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a note on tadka - also known as tempering pgs. 13-14
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a sample plate - anatomy of a thali pgs. 15-18
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t rice pgs. 19-34
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bread pgs. 35-50
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vegetables pgs. 51-92

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lentils, beans, gravies pgs. 93-120
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salads, raitas, chutneys pgs. 121-144
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snacks, drinks, desserts pgs. 145-178
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acknowledgements pg. 179
index pgs. 180-184
introduction
Like many first-generation Indian-Americans, I grew up with flavors and aromas so rich they When we say this book is full of some of the best North Indian recipes you will find out there,
were capable of invoking the strongest feelings of nostalgia when I’d been away from home we know that we are biased (I mean, she is our mom). But if you’re from the Boston area and
for too long. Whenever I would call my mom up to walk me through one of her recipes, pen had a homemade samosa at a large Indian party or even from several local Indian stores back
and paper in hand to scribble down her hurried instructions, I’d find myself staring at a list of in the ‘90s, then you’ve likely tasted one of our mom’s finest creations. She learned to make
spices and the phrase a dash. It’s just a dash of this, she’d say or a dash of that. And truly, that’s samosas at the age of 16, helping her mom at her family’s food stall for a local fundraiser for
the way she’d learn to cook those recipes from her own mom; she was part of the age-old a non-profit (legend has it, our grandmother learned this recipe from her own mom – which
oral tradition of passing recipes down in India. However, for the American child who’d been means this recipe has been in our family for almost a century). This dish was so popular and
born into a food culture rather removed from the kitchen (and the farm), I had no concept beloved in our community here in the United States that our mom was asked to cater for years
of what a dash of one spice versus another could do to impact flavors. I had no sense of why (and only stopped because the orders grew out of control). She’d send hundreds of these to
certain dishes called for specific fresh herbs or why others required their dried counterparts. school with us for culture days, and they’d disappear in minutes. My mom’s mother passed
And at the end of the day, I just wished I had measured everything she cooked throughout away before I was born and learning to fold and fry samosas with my own mother in prepara-
my childhood and written it all down. With a busy lifestyle that involved several cross-country tion for this book is the closest I’ve ever felt to knowing her.
and international moves, I never codified any of my mother’s cooking and thus, I never quite
figured out how to recreate her flavor profiles in a kitchen. Enter 2020 and a global pandemic Like many Indian moms, our mom shows her love through her cooking. And because of this,
with many unexpected months at home. Though this year has been a difficult time in many I have always grown up knowing how much she loves my brothers and me. Every dish she
ways, I have been blessed with the chance to slow down and learn how to cook firsthand from makes, she makes with such care and consideration, never subjecting us to anything but the
my mother. Following her around the kitchen and getting her to share more about our family freshest ingredients and meals. While I may not have appreciated the variety of vegetables,
culinary traditions has been enlightening for me, and I hope to share that with you. legumes and spices she exposed me to as a child, I now feel nothing but gratitude. In many
ways, my subsequent curiosity in food and agriculture derive directly from her talents and
our mom knowledge.
Our mom, Ameeta, was born in Northern India in a city called Bareilly in the state of Uttar this book
Pradesh. She learned to cook at the age of five, drawn to the kitchen out of curiosity and inter-
est. She’d follow her mom (my grandmother) around, watching her and their kerosene stove, Through my career, I’ve had the opportunity to not only travel and live around the world, but
picking up techniques and recipes that have stuck with her even today. By the age of ten, my also to work across many parts of the food and agriculture value chain. I’ve seen food as it’s
mom had three younger siblings and, given that her mother battled health issues and hospital- grown, shipped, processed and marketed. I’ve experimented with a variety of dietary restric-
izations throughout her life, my own mom quickly took on responsibility for the kitchen and tions, re-discovering a plant-based diet more recently in life. Through all of my adventures,
feeding her brothers and sisters. I have come to appreciate how simple, yet powerful, many of the food principles and tradi-
tions I learned as a kid can be in living a healthy life both for people and our planet. With
Fast forward more than 50 years later and following a move to Boston, my mom still cooks as 75 recipes, Just A Dash, aims to share only a smattering of the dishes we grew up with as kids
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she did, only now for her own three children. My two older brothers (Anil and Maneesh) and (though we’ve included all of our favorites!). I won’t lie to you – it has been challenging to get o
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I were raised on the freshly-made roti and seemingly never-ending rotation of spicy dals and everything measured and written. My mom never measures anything as she cooks and help- uc
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vegetables that my mom perfected over her life. Her experience is coupled with this uncanny ing her through this painstaking process has taught me the importance of understanding how o
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ability to taste and recreate that I have yet to see in other home chefs. Our mom has this way to improvise in the kitchen. That being said, we wanted to bring you everything measured as nt
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of trying something at a restaurant and somehow making a better version of it on her own at precisely as we could, knowing that you will use this as inspiration to innovate in the future.
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home, with no recipe. She can do this for almost any cuisine but is especially adept at Indian We will walk you through a lot of the basics required to put together simple delicious Indian
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creations. The Manchurian recipe in this book, for example, comes from one night of fast food dishes and provide you with concrete measurements that you can use as a basis for future in- d

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when we visited India as kids. spiration. We’ve geared these recipes to beginner cooks, Indian-food aficionados and to anyone
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who has ever heard add just a dash and wants to know where to start. We hope you enjoy! u
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the essentials
ingredients, equipment, freezer
Any Indian kitchen must be well-equipped with a variety of staples, ranging from basic
carbohydrates to dried lentils to spices and fresh herbs.
While many of these items are becoming more mainstream and making their way into
natural food stores and even traditional grocery stores, there are certain items that we
recommend heading over to your local Indian market or store to purchase.
In this section, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive overview of the items one might
find in my mom’s pantry and share some tips and tricks for storage.
ingredients - dry goods
Rice, flour and pulses are a staple in Indian cooking. Our kitchen is stocked with
large containers of the following ingredients. We recommend buying in bulk and stor-
ing in airtight glass or steel containers as many of these items can last for at least a
year if stored properly in a cool, dry place. Since a lot of our cooking happens sponta-
neously, it’s helpful to have everything already at home for fast and easy preparation.
We mostly buy dried beans, lentils and peas (and recipes in this book are geared to-
wards preparation from the dried ingredients); however, any recipe can be adjusted for
canned pulses. Just be sure to rinse well before adding and reduce the cooking time!
A quick note on pulses: There’s a lot of confusion on pulses both in Indian and
American vocabulary. While we often use the words dal, lentils, and legumes inter-
changeably at home, it is important to note several distinctions between these names.
Dal is often translated to “lentils” in English; however, it really refers to any split
pulse. Taking a step back we see that legumes are any plant in the Fabaceae fami-
ly and includes the plants’ leaves, stems and pods. Pulses are then the edible seeds
from a legume plant. Pulses include beans, lentils and peas. Indian pulses can come
whole, split, or split & skinned. Thus, a dal is any split version of a bean, lentil or pea
(with skin on or off). We use both split versions (along with the whole versions) in our
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everyday cooking. i
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arhar/toor dal (split pigeon peas): a

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Native to the Indian subcontinent, we love this high-protein legume. s
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besan (chickpea flour):
Also known as gram flour, besan is made from ground chickpeas. It’s a great gluten-free alter-
native that’s also high in protein.
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chana dal (split chickpeas): ingredients - herbs, spices, seasonings
Split baby chickpeas that have been skinned and cleaned.
Some of my earliest memories of my mom in the kitchen involve her running around, her
chapati flour (whole wheat flour): spice box in hand, adding a pinch of something here and a spoon of something there. Her
Also known as atta, this cannot be substituted with a plain white flour. A good chapati flour small steel containers filled with colorful powders and strange-looking seeds always seemed
contains the bran, endosperm and germ of the wheat grain that is required to make that mystical to me. She’d often talk about the health benefits of the concoctions she put together
perfect Indian bread. We recommend buying this from an Indian store or online retailer (our (long before anti-inflammatory diets were cool) and I’d nod and eagerly yearn for a house that
favorite brand is Swad and we buy Swad ® Chakki Atta obsessively). smelled “normal” instead of the aromatic storm that came from her stove.
chawal (basmati rice): Only in recent years, as I learned more about food-as-medicine and the importance of spices
A fragrant, long grain rice (and the queen of carbohydrates in our home). in developing flavor, have I come to appreciate my mother’s palette and knowledge of Indian
spices. Any time I move (whether down the street or across the world), my mother packs me a
kabuli chana (chickpeas): set of my very own spices (including her homemade garam masala) so that I can bring a piece
Now commonly found in the US, the kabuli chickpea is also known as the garbanzo bean. The of our kitchen to my new home. Here are some suggestions of how to stock your own kitchen
word chana means chickpea and kabuli refers to the fact that many think this pulse originated to optimize flavors in your cooking endeavors.
in Kabul, Afghanistan, before being introduced to India. It is larger and yellow/cream-colored
(vs. the smaller, darker chickpea known as kala chana) with a smooth seed coat. Most of the
canned chickpeas you’ll find in the supermarket are the kabuli variety! adrak (ginger):
Fresh and dried ginger root can be found in our kitchen at all times of the year. Spicy and
lobia (black-eyed peas): earthy, yet sweet and citrusy – the flavor profile of ginger is best described as complex. Add to
A legume also known as the black-eyed bean or cowpea and commonly prepared throughout any dish to elevate your senses.
the world today, including the US south.
ajwain (carom):
moong dal (split mung beans): Bitter, seed-like fruits (often mistakenly called seeds) with a flavor similar to anise or oregano
Derived from the popular mung bean, this pulse comes split, skinned and polished. There’s and a smell similar to that of thyme (both contain thymol).
also a version that keeps the skins on – be sure to buy the right one depending on what dish
you’re making! amchur (mango) powder:
A tangy, sour spice made from dried green mangoes. Used similarly to vinegar or lemon juice
rajma (kidney beans): to add acidity to a dish.
A red “common bean” that to us, is anything but ordinary. A star in several dishes in our
kitchen, the kidney bean is a family favorite. While not indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, chaat masala:
these beans have become an important protein source in the North Indian diet. Many Indian stores sell pre-packed blends of spices designed for specific dishes to help speed up
the preparation process. We always have a box of chaat masala on hand to add a pop of heat to
urad dal (split white lentils): any snack or salad.
Perhaps my personal favorite pulse, this version comes whole or split. The split and skinned
form (commonly referred to as a white lentil) is widely used across Northern and Southern chana masala:
India. Like pre-packed chaat masala, chana masala has been designed for chole (or chickpeas) dishes.
We highly recommend stocking up on this if you love chole as much as we do!
whole masoor (lentils):
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A red lentil high in protein and rich in taste. dalchini (cinnamon): c
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Familiar to most bakers, this sweet, warm spice is a staple in both sweet and savory dishes. It’s a
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whole moong (mung beans): also a key component of garam masala. |

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Also known as the green gram, the mung bean is used in both sweet and savory dishes across s
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the subcontinent. dhania (fresh cilantro): d
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Also known as fresh coriander, cilantro is an absolute must-have at all times. We buy it so t
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whole urad (black lentils): frequently that we’ve started growing it ourselves! Here’s a trick my mom swears by: When j
The whole version of urad is referred to as a black lentil and is popular throughout Punjabi you buy fresh cilantro from the grocery store, take off the tie it comes in, wipe it dry and then
cuisine. wrap it in a paper towel before putting it back into the bag in the fridge. This will help mini-
mize any build-up of condensation and should keep your cilantro fresh for longer!
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dhania (coriander) powder:
Made from coriander seeds (which you can also stock and grind yourself), this spice adds a
sweet, but mellow aroma and a hint of citrus.
elaichi (green cardamom) pods or powder:
Both whole and ground versions are used commonly (and you can always grind your own pow-
der from pods). Our family mostly uses green cardamom (as opposed to black cardamom), but
we stock both at home. It’s intensely aromatic and appears in savory and sweet dishes alike.
garam masala powder:
Every Indian cook has his or her own secret mixture for this famed spice mix that literally
translates to “hot spices”. My mom’s garam masala packs a punch and is a combination of
cumin seeds, cloves, black cardamom, mace, black pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, star anise,
nutmeg and dried ginger – all ground and mixed together in an old-fashion mortar & pestle.
You can find the recipe in the sidebar on page 10!
haldi (turmeric) powder:
A deep, golden-colored spice, turmeric is now commonly associated with its anti-inflammatory
properties. It adds an earthy, peppery flavor (and a beautiful yellow coloring) to dishes.
hing (asafetida) powder:
The secret to unlocking all other Indian spices lies in this peculiar powder. Asafetida is a gum
resin extracted from a plant known as Ferula asafoetida. While the yellowish powder smells
like sulfur (think hard-boiled eggs), it is key to releasing the flavors of other spices in a dish.
From experience, I can tell you that your meal will suffer if you skip this ingredient. We
recommend looking for it at your local Indian store (and we use either the L.G. or Vandevi
brand).
imli (tamarind):
Used for its souring ability, tamarind can come either as a concentrate or a solid block. We use
solid tamarind and dilute and mix it by hand to get the right level of tangy in our chutneys.
jaiphal (nutmeg):
Most commonly recognized as a sweet spice and used across desserts internationally, nutmeg
is often also used in savory dishes in an Indian kitchen. Like cinnamon, it’s used in small
amounts in garam masala.
javitri (mace):
Mace, like nutmeg, derives from the tree Myristica frangrans. Mace is actually the dark red
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outer coating of nutmeg. However, unlike nutmeg, mace is a bit spicier in flavor and more c
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pungent in its aroma. a
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jeera (cumin) seeds: s
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Cumin seeds are pungent and nutty. They add an earthy flavor, along with warmth, when d

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added to a dish. t
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kadi patta (curry leaves):
Curry leaves derive from a tropical and sub-tropical tree native to India. The leaves are
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typically a dark green and loaded with iron and folic acid. They come dry or fresh and while
dried leaves aren’t quite as fragrant, we stock them out of convenience and replenish frequent- 1. amchur powder - mango powder
ly as they have short shelf life. 2. dhania powder - coriander powder
3. elaichi - green cardamom pods
kala namak (black salt): 4. garam masala - “hot spices” mix (you can buy one at a local indian store)
Also known as Himalayan black salt, kala namak comes from volcanic mines. Don’t be sur- 5. haldi - turmeric powder
prised by the distinct sulfur (think hard-boiled eggs!) smell when used in dishes. 6. hing - asafetida powder
7. jeera - cumin seeds
kali mirch (black peppercorn): 8. lal mirch - red chilli powder
Black pepper – simple but powerful. We grind our own peppercorns regularly to maintain 9. laung - cloves
freshness. 10. rai - black mustard seeds
kesar (saffron):
Arguably one of the most beautiful (and historically, most expensive!) spices, this crimson sidebar: garam masala
spice both flavors and colors dishes across the subcontinent.
Often one of the most widely kept secrets in an Indian chef’s kitchen is the garam masala reci-
lal mirch (red chili) powder:
pe. While you may be able to find standard garam masala mixes at the grocery store, every chef
When we’re looking for heat, this beautiful red spice is our go-to. Be careful before you add –
keeps her specific blend near and dear to her heart. Thankfully for us, our mother has always
not all red chili powders are equal in terms of hotness. We recommend testing yours out and
been a giver and graciously agreed to share her century-old garam masala recipe. You won’t be
adjusting recipes accordingly.
disappointed in the result should you decide to recreate it at home – just remember, this hearty
mix is all heat so use sparingly!
laung (cloves):
Aromatic and slightly sweet. Used in both sweet and savory creations.
methi (fenugreek) seeds:
Fresh fenugreek is common in Northern India. The seeds exhibit a nutty, sweet flavor that
Yield: 1 cup
many compare to maple syrup or burnt sugar when eaten raw.
Ingredients:
pav bhaji masala:
1 cup of cumin seeds
This pre-packed spice is designed specifically for the pav bhaji dish. Like chana masala, it can
¼ cup of cloves
help cut down on preparation time.
½ cup of black peppercorns
2 teaspoons of mace
rai (black mustard seeds):
6-8 black cardamom pods
Like jeera (cumin), rai are strong, nutty seeds. Tiny, but pungent.
1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder or 2 sticks of cinnamon
5-6 bay leaves
saunf (fennel seeds):
½ tablespoon of nutmeg powder
Used commonly as a mouth freshener in India, saunf is thought to also aid in digestion. Its
2 star-anise
sweet and warm flavor also translates nicely to many dishes, both sweet and savory.
1 tablespoon of ginger powder
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tej patta (indian bay leaves): c
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Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until it reaches a pow- s
An aromatic leaf (literally translates to “pungent leaf”), tej patta are green in color and similar a
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to cinnamon and cloves in taste. They can be used whole (fresh or dried) or ground (dried). der-consistency. |

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We know this list of spices is overwhelming. In the process of writing this, we uncov- d

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ered that our mom’s spice cabinet is bursting at the seams! That being said, we tend to t
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think of a handful of spices as being the holy grail of our most common meals. If you’re
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going to invest in any, here are the ten you should absolutely buy to be covered for most
savory and sweet dishes:
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equipment freezer
An Indian chef, and my mom in particular, wouldn’t be caught dead without her pots, pans Fresh vegetables are a staple when it comes to cooking at our home. That being said, as a
and kitchen tools. There are a lot of gadgets in our kitchen, but when my mom travels any mother of three who worked part-time and helped manage our family business, my mom
place she may need to cook, she always packs the following. found ways of introducing convenience into her cooking routine without sacrificing health or
quality. Frozen vegetables are a simple, affordable and useful way to add nutrients and flavor
to veggies (and thankfully, can be stored for longer periods of time!). A few frozen vegetable
belan: bags we always have in-stock at home include:
A wooden rolling pin traditionally used to roll rotis and parathas. Feel free to use any rolling • Chopped Spinach
pin you may already have at home. • French Cut Beans
• Mixed Vegetables (any mix that looks appetizing to you!)
chaunk/tadka pan: • Peas
Chaunk, also known as tadka, refers to a cooking technique called tempering. Spices are roast-
ed in oil or clarified butter for a short time before being added to a dish in order to enhance
the spices’ flavors. You can prepare a tadka in a variety of different pans, including: a skillet, sidebar: ghee
a saucepan, or even a pressure cooker. There are also specialty pans designed just for tadka –
they are tiny and deep (to prevent spices and oil from splattering) with a long handle. You can
Clarified butter. Shelf-stable, anhydrous milk fat that has been a staple of Indian culture
get one at a local Indian store or online; however, truly any pan will work for this, so don’t
for millennia.
worry if you can’t find one!
Now considered a trending product in the Western world or a “super food”, ghee has played a
cheese/muslin cloth:
role in the Indian diet, Hindu rituals and the Ayurvedic tradition for thousands of years. The
You will need either a cheesecloth or muslin cloth if you choose to make paneer (cheese) at
clarification process used to make ghee removes many of the elements of butter that make it dif-
home. Any gauze-like, woven cloth will do for this task.
ficult to digest (including proteins, lactose and casein), leaving a beautifully nutty and caramel-
ized flavor. You can find ghee at any Indian store and in many traditional grocery stores today
karahi:
thanks to its growing popularity. In our home, we use ghee sparingly, reserving it for only the
A thick, circular and deep cooking pot, a karahi is a versatile kitchen companion. Given the
richest of recipes. You’ll see it referenced in a handful of dishes, but you can always substitute
similarity in shape between a karahi and a wok, you can use the two interchangeably. Just
with any butter or oil you prefer.
note, a karahi is typically heavier, with steeper sides and a flat-bottom, making it a bit more
stable on the stove.
In the spirit of doing things the traditional old-fashioned way, we want to teach you how to make
ghee in your home as my mom continues to do to this day.
pressure cooker (or instant pot):
Some of the most nostalgic memories I have from my mom’s kitchen involve the shrill whistle
and plume of steam that came from our beat-up aluminum Prestige pressure cooker. We’ve
since upgraded to a stainless steel one and seriously recommend investing in one. Pressure 1. Start with as much unsalted butter as you wish. My mom uses
cookers help speed up the cooking time for many pulse and potato-based dishes (which hap- 8 sticks to create a jar that lasts our family for several months.
pen to be quite common in Indian cuisine!). We know that many people prefer an instant
2. Put the butter in a saucepan on the stove on low heat for
pot (which is just an electric pressure cooker) nowadays and you should feel free to substitute
about an hour, stirring every 5-10 minutes. The cooking
accordingly in recipes throughout the book.
time here will vary depending on how much butter you start
with (shorten the cook time if you use less than 8 sticks); however, it’s s
tava: c
important to monitor the butter to know when it’s done. si
A tava can refer to a pan used for a few different cooking techniques; however, we use it to a
You’ll notice that the water evaporates from the butter leaving b

describe a flat or slightly concave circular pan (that is most often used in Indian bread-mak- |
behind two layers: a golden milk solid sludge that settles to h
ing). Common tavas are between 8 and 12 inches in diameter and usually made from cast-iron s
the bottom, and a translucent liquid top layer. a
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or aluminum. While my mom is old-school and uses a heavy cast-iron one with tongs to move/
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3. After you see the top layer turn completely clear, turn off the
manage it, we recommend getting one of the new ones with a handle. t
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stove. Strain the clear liquid into a glass container for storage u
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(and dispose of the solids). The clear liquid will turn yellow as
it cools.
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