Call for Dinner

Vidhu Mittal’s Pure & Simple: Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine is a culinary tour through your mother’s kitchen. Anyone from Uttar Pradesh will be quickly transported to the sights and smells of the kitchen of their memories. Overseas Indians who frequently find themselves fumbling trying to recreate the magic now have the ultimate dummies guide for recreating mummy’s meals. Pure & Simple is packed with recipes and visual instructions for 100 soups, appetizers, vegetable and rice dishes, as well as breads and desserts.

At a time when Indian cookbooks are experimenting heavily with fusion foods, new dishes, exotic spices or novel vegetables, Mittal transports you to the simple meals from the unadulterated kitchen of your past.

Mittal, who is an established culinary expert and cooking instructor in Bangalore, says the recipes capture “the characteristic flavor of my native province — Uttar Pradesh” and that her “emphasis has been on crafting delicately spiced dishes, contrary to the hot flavors stereotypically associated with Indian food.”

The book includes hundreds of stunning photos of the dishes and visual instructions for cooking them as well as for cooking processes, such as how to temper dals, blanch vegetables or set yogurt.

This is one of the best Indian cookbook that we have seen in a very long time and one deserving of space on your kitchen shelf, if not for what you will try, then for what you will remember and miss.

Magori Palak ki Kadi

Heat ½”-deep oil in a shallow pan; deep-fry the magori in medium-hot oil until light golden brown. Remove, crush them lightly and set aside.

Mix yogurt, gram flour, ginger paste, and green chili paste with water to a smooth paste; set aside.

For the seasoning, heat the pressure cooker for 30 seconds; add ½ tbsp clarified butter and the remaining ingredients in the same order; mix. Add fried and crushed magori; mix. Add 1½ cups water and ¼ tsp salt; cook to one whistle, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Open the lid when the pressure drops. Add yogurt mixture and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add cooked spinach and bring to a boil. Remove and transfer to a serving bowl and season with the tempering.

For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp clarified butter in a pan; add all the ingredients in the same order mentioned. Pour over the prepared dish.

Gobi Aloo

Serves 4–6

Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a heavy-bottom saucepan for 30 seconds; add asafetida, cumin seeds, ginger, chilies, turmeric powder, and red chili powder; mix.

Add cut potatoes, cauliflower, salt, and ½ cup water. Cook, covered, on high heat, stirring occasionally, until the water dries up or the potatoes are cooked.

Add garam masala, mango powder, and cilantro leaves; mix well. Serve hot.

Sabz Pulao

Serves 2–4

Wash and soak the rice in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Drain.

Heat 1 tbsp clarified butter in a pan for 30 seconds; add cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Add potatoes, cauliflower, and peas; mix well. Cook for a minute on medium heat. Add soaked rice and mix.

Add 2 cups water and salt; bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat till the water evaporates or until rice is done.