Cookbooks make me really excited, especially cookbooks showcasing recipes from far away places that I hope to visit one day. In my quest to incorporate more vegetarian fare into our diets, I've been looking for inspiration in the cuisine of the India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, all places where I have never travelled but I love the food anyway. My current favorite cookbook, Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontintent by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, celebrates the food and cultures of those countries with gorgeous photographs, charming anecdotes and authentic recipes. You should make room for this one in your personal collection of cookbooks because you can curl up with this book in a comfy chair and be entertained for quite a while. The food photography will whet your appetite and the portraits of the villages and their inhabitants will transport you to new and different places. Mangoes & Curry Leaves has given me a better sense of the ancient and fascinating cultures of the subcontinent, which I really appreciate. Every time I cook one of the recipes from the book, I want to run out to the nearest travel agent and book a flight to Mumbai. Give a couple of these recipes a try and you'll understand exactly what I mean. The two dishes below pair perfectly with hot, fluffy jasmine rice.
STIR-FRIED GREENS, BANGLA STYLE
printer friendly recipe
1 pound leafy greens like baby bok choi, spinach or dandelion greens
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon EACH black mustard, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ref pepper flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/12 cups finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar if using bitter greens like dandelion
Wash and thoroughly drain the greens. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large wok or a large deep heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spices and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, but not the salt. Stir briefly, then add the garlic and stir-fry for just 10 seconds. Add the onions and stir-fry, lowering the heat to medium after 2 minutes, until very tender and soft, about 10 minutes. If using sugar, add now.
Raise the heat to high, add the greens and stir-fry until they are bright green, 1-5 minutes depending on the greens. Add the salt and continue to stir-fry until the greens give off their liquid, then cover and steam for 1 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to stir-fry until tender and cooked through. Timing will depend on the greens you use.
Transfer to a bowl and serve hot.
Serves 6.
SIMMERED SPICED SOYBEANS
printer friendly recipe
1 tablespoon mustard oil (I substitute vegetable oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 red cayenne chile, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large tomato (about 1/2 pound) diced into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cupped shelled fresh or frozen soybeans (edamame)
1 cup water
1/2 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chile and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the onion is well softened. Stir in the turmeric, cumin and salt, then toss in the tomato. Stir-fry for 1 minutes, or until the tomato starts to soften and give off liquid.
Add the soybeans and mix well. Add the water and bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the beans are softened but still firm to the bite. (Frozen or fresh take the same amount of time.) Serve garnished with t he coriander leaves.
Serves 3 - 4.
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