Well, after seeing Madhur Jaffrey on Sara Moulton's PBS show, I bought a masala dabba. Basically, it's a stainless steel bowl, filled with seven little bowls to be used for storing spices. That way, when you go to cook Indian, you don't have to mess with a lot of different spice jars, you just open up one lid and have all the spices ready to go. There's a link below to what it looks like.
I have to say that I'm kinda skeptical, I almost returned it. I'm thinking that the spices will fall out of the bowls and get mixed together. Plus I don't know how much I will use it. Anyway, I guess I am going to give it a try, since I have made a resolution to get more into Indian cooking. I'm trying to decide what to put in it, so far I am thinking: fennugreek seeds, cumin seeds, corriander seeds, garam masala, whole hot chilis, mustard seed, and tumeric. I'm not sure though. These are not spices I routinely use, except for cumin, in which case I use ground cumin. I'm not sure about the chilis either, since I am not a fan of hot food, although I don't mind a small amount.
Anyone have any SIMPLE, fast vegetarian Indian recipes that I could take a look at and get an idea of what spices to add. I'd like to try some dishes.
Here's one for starters from that blog -
Aaloo Methi
Originally uploaded by Anupama Puranik. A Family Favorite
Ingredients:
8 Baby Potatoes
1 cup green peas boiled
2 tblspns Kasoori Methi (fennugreek leaves, can sub fennel or celery leaves)
1 large tomato pureed
1 onion chopped
2 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)
2tspn Dhana jeera powder (cumin and coriander powders)
1/2 tspn garam masala
3-4 tblspns oil
Procedure:
Peel the potatoes, prick them with a fork and boil them in salted water until cooked but firm. drain the water and keep the potatoes aside.
Heat the oil in a pan (Kadhai), add the jeera and fry for few seconds. Then add the chopped onion. Fry the onion till golden brown. Next add the kasoori methi and fry again for a few minutes. Now add the tomato puree and fry till the oil separates. Add to this the garam masala, the dhana-jeera powder and chiili powder.Mix the masala and the powders well and again fry for one minute.
Lastly add the boiled potatoes and the peas to the mixture and stir them in gently. As the potatoes are bolied in salted water check the taste before adding more salt.
Garnish with chopped coriander and small cherry tomatoes for that special touch.
Here is a link that might be useful: Masala dabba blog
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