Articles Written By: Ramona

Afghani Noodles

Aghani noodles with lentils, beans, ground meat and yogurt

Aghani noodles with lentils, beans, ground meat and yogurt

This is a Persian recipe (‘Ash-e Reshteh’) that I modified – very similar to the ash I sampled at an Afghan restaurant. ‘Ash-e’ means soup in Farsi but as you can see by the photograph above that mine is a drier version (albeit there is a fair amount of soup at the bottom to spoon over the noodles if you prefer).  Persian noodles (Reshteh) are available in Middle Eastern food shops although I have used flat egg noodles from the grocery store (kosher section) with equal success. I sometimes substitute whole milk yogurt for sour cream if it is not on hand. This dish tastes better made a day ahead.

Paneer Makhanwala

Paneer Makhanwala

Paneer Makhanwala

North India enjoys more pastoral land than the South and has a tradition of dairy farming. The abundance of milk has influenced the cuisine of Punjab and its neighbouring states with milk products such as yoghurt, butter and the fresh cheese paneer are used frequently. This popular dish is also known as Paneer Makahani or Butter Paneer.

Chicken Chili Andhra style

Chicken Chili

Chicken with hot green chillies and capsicum

If you like food with a hot garlicky green kick to it, this preparation from Andhra Pradesh, India is for you. I need to have this dish hot enough to make my eyes water, so if I’ve said to use six green chillies, you know better. Also, be brave and taste the chilli before you cook (just a quick lick to the inside of a slit chili),  sometimes they aren’t as hot as they look so you’ll need to up the quantity! In authentic Andhra restaurants in India, they serve a small bowl of sugar cubes on the side, just in case your palate gets unbearably scorched!

Steamed Chinese Dumplings

Siu Mai

Steamed Chinese dumplings with minced pork and shitake

Dim Sum ranks high on my foodie outing list. I’m no expert, but if I can do it, you can. The most time-consuming part is making the dumplings and steaming them. But in the end, its totally worth it! You can add them to a soup, but I like to eat them as they are, with a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and chilli. I’ve also made a vegetarian version with shredded cabbage. carrot and mushroom.

Punjabi Cholle ~ Spiced Chickpeas

Punjabi Cholle

Punjabi Cholle

I love chickpeas and can eat them just plain boiled. This is a very popular North Indian style preparation from Punjab, and is usually served with deep fried bread or ‘bhature’ . I’ve had the best versions of this dish at rural dhabbas or trucker stops in the North, and still recall its spicy deliciousness balanced with the cool lassi that washed my throat every now and then.

Daal ~ Comforting Lentils

This is one of my favourite “everyday” kind of daals. Masoor (split pink lentils) is easy to digest, and cooks faster than most other lentils. I mix in some tuvar (split yellow peas) or moong (split green or golden gram) depending on which ones are available in my pantry at the time. Don’t ignore the ghee – just a tad – that will go right on top of your steaming rice and daal before you dig in!

Matar Pulao ~ Fried Basmati Rice with Green Peas

Pea Pulao

Aromatic Indian basmati rice with green peas and spices

A pulao is rice sauteed in ghee, onions, ginger & garlic and cooked with spices. Vegetables or meat can be added, though vegetables (commonly peas, carrots, cauliflower, green beans) are a more popular option. The rice grains in the pulao should be perfectly cooked – each individual grain must be identifiable, the consistency of the rice soft, not lumpy or mushy.

Rajma ~ Red Kidney Beans

Rajma

Red kidney beans Punjabi style

Fibre, iron, magnesium and more – a cup of these can provide one with half of the daily fiber requirement. Beans are often blamed for intestinal gas which is why you must use ginger liberally when cooking these beans as this recipe does. Serve with either naan or rice and a yogurt relish on the side

Taro ~ Arbi Fry

Arbi Fry

Sliced Arbi or Taro root lightly fried in oil and spices

Arbi or taro root is a starchy vegetable of South East Asian origin – its leaves are large and dark green, and my favourite way to consume them is in the form of patra, a Parsi preparation. Taro is different from the tree-like yucca, whose root is used widely in Carribean and South American cuisine.

Andaa Kari ~ Egg Curry

Egg Curry

Egg Curry South Indian style

An easy egg curry using hard-boiled eggs, with South Indian flavours using cardamom & coconut milk. (You can also modify the recipe and try the “Goa” version of anda curry by using a cup of diluted tamarind juice with the tomatoes, 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon powder and a tsp. of cumin to the dry spice mix. Use jaggery instead of sugar).