The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Besan ki sabzi is a curry we make for festive occasions: gram flour batter is cooked, cooled, cut and fried, then simmered in curry. It takes time, it takes skill – but the result is worth every bit of the effort.

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Sattu, or roasted gram flour, was once a litttle-known staple of rural Bihar. Not anymore. With more awareness of sattu’s nutritive profile – high protein, low glycemic index, high fiber, low sodium – “poor man’s protein” sattu is now hailed as superfood.

Is there a delight greater than discovering that tasty comfort food is also extremely healthy, and that extremely healthy is also extremely affordable?

This sattu jaljeera drink combines sattu with jaljeera (cumin-based spice). It is really quick to put together and needs no cooking or fancy processing equipment. A great post-workout drink or colon cleanser on the day after a heavy meal.

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This sharp and tangy tomato pickle works beautifully as a dip for stuffed parathas.

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Inspired by the minestrone, sabziwale rajma combines a host of flavors, colors and nutrients to give you a tasty filling meal.

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Spinach and coconut milk are partners made in heaven – the creaminess of coconut plays off the mild bitterness of spinach beautifully. With a bowl of plain rice on the side, spinach in spiced coconut milk makes for an immensely satisfying meal.

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A snack or side dish made of chana dal (Bengal gram) that capitalizes on this dal’s nutty taste. Sookhi chana dal needs very few ingredients and is easy enough to be put together by a kitchen newbie. Those who rely on instant noodles or packaged bhujiya for snack-time with the excuse "I don’t know how to cook" – prepare to shed that line!

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You can play "guess the secret ingredient" with this mooli chutney (white radish chutney) recipe. When cooked and blended with other ingredients, white radish sheds its sharp sting, taking on a gentle pungency instead. The end result is an exotically flavorful chutney.

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