Indian veg is the best!

Indian vegetarian recipes are unmatched in their vast repertoire. For every region, there is no dearth of recipes that use flours, dals, spices, herbs and vegetables to give many courses: aloo parantha in Punjab is also as famous as Puri aloo – both using flour and potatoes but in varied forms! The flour can be sautéed in ghee and made into a sumptuous halwa with sugar or jaggery. The potatoes can be cooked in gravy or with jeera in a dry preparation. So now we have a dessert and a main course too. Use the flour to make rotis that accompany the sabzi! That’s what I mean: the versatility of core ingredients in Indian cuisine gives us a huge scope.

Indian vegetarian recipes are not to be undermined when it comes to healthy techniques of cooking. We can have steamed delights like Idli and Dhokla for snacks, as also baked goodies like Handvo. Move over to the tandoor or grill, and you will discover a pandora’s box of vegetarian kababs. Dwell for a minute here and click on Arbi Seekh Kabab and Paneer Taash Kebab to check these out.

Snacks and starters like these can vie for attention with some of the fried ones. Well, having fried foods is not banned, it is just that you have to counter the calories they carry with exercise and of course, also practice moderation in your eating habits. You can fry these Hara Bhara Kababs but also shallow fry them. In a bowl add 4 boiled, peeled and grated potatoes. Add 10 leaves of blanched and chopped spinach, ¾ cup blanched and crushed green peas, 2 tbsps dhania leaves, 2” chopped ginger, 3 chopped chillies, ½ tsp jeera powder, salt, 2 tbsps cornflour. Mix well. Divide into 24 portions, shape into balls and press lightly between your palms, roll them in a little cornflour, deep fry till done. Best served hot.

Try another one called Phuljhari Kebab - Mix together 3 boiled-mashed potatoes, 1½ cups boiled corn, 12 shredded spinach leaves, salt, 3 tsps chaat masala, 3½ tbsps cornflour well. Pat the mixture around 8 breadsticks, roll in 1 cup rice flakes till well coated to make phuljharis. Deep-fry in hot oil till crisp and golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot.

As time goes by, we will keep extolling the values of Indian vegetarian recipes but in the meantime, try this recipe of Matar Paneer Samosa at the weekend.