The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Chickpeas lend themselves generously to experimentation. The classic channa masala with its onion-garlic base is by no means the only way to cook this legume curry-style. Chickpeas CAN be curried without a shred of onion and garlic – check out these recipes from the blog archives, for example: aloo chhole, dahi chhole.

And now, let me add yet another no-onion-no-garlic chickpea recipe to your repertoire.

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This light and nourishing ginger lime moong dal has a healing touch. Excellent for days when you want to soothe a sore throat.

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Mixed legumes cooked with whole spices and fresh fenugreek, topped with a rich ghee-garlic tadka. Panchmel dal is one of those rare dishes that are complex and, at the same time, comforting.

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Masoor dal pakodi – with red lentil as starring ingredient, this crunchy snack-time goodie also doubles up as a curry dumpling (badi). Learn how to make these delicious fritters.

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A Turkish-inspired masoor dal recipe that weaves the goodness of root vegetables in a wholesome, comforting soup.

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I was looking for a chickpea recipe that did not call for onion, tomato, ginger or garlic, and I stumbled upon a Himachali dish called madra which is served during the dham food festival. Madra is a legume and yogurt combination with an array of aromatic spices – just the kind of recipe I wanted. My version is lighter than the traditional one and calls for fewer spices, based primarily on what was available with me – I simply call it “dahi chhole” instead of madra as I have probably strayed too far from the template…

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Chana dal paratha with dahi and achar – nothing else comes close for a filling, comforting Sunday brunch. Try it this weekend!

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