The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Puffed and crisp, a poori is the epicure’s delight – a delicious bread to accompany potato curry, chhole or aamras. While chapatis are everyday fare, pooris sit proudly as the "special occasion" treat.

Pooris aren’t so easy to make, though, are they? I say they are, once you’ve learnt the ropes.

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Cumin (jeera) is a staple in Indian food – it goes into the tadka in dals and vegetables, flavors jeera rice. It is roasted and ground and sprinkled over raitas and salads and dahi vadas and chaats.

You can get roasted ground cumin powder in the market but it does not hold a candle to the flavor of fresh roasted cumin powder made at home.

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There was a time when I lived next to a dairy that sold really fresh, soft paneer (cottage cheese). Now the only paneer I can lay hands on is the store-bought variety. Fridge life of three weeks says the wrapper, but within three days it starts to feel rubbery and sour.

Homemade paneer has acquired irresistible charm. Pre-packaged paneer will do no more – the taste buds crave the real deal.

Fortunately, this is an easily satiated craving. It is surprisingly easy to make paneer at home.

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A common problem with the aubergine / eggplant / brinjal is that it begins to turn brown on slicing.

This is actually a good sign as it signals the presence of powerful antioxidants in the eggplant.

Good signs are all fine, but you don’t want your dish to look a muddy shade, do you?

Here’s a simple tip to prevent cut eggplant from discoloring. This has the added effect of reducing its bitterness.

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How to make yogurt at home, in five easy steps.

1. Start with the correct "jodan"

"Jodan" is what we call the little amount of yogurt that cultures and sets the full thing. For yogurt to turn out thick and tasty, the foundation – its jodan – has to be right. I generally save some jodan from my previous batch of yogurt but if you don’t have any handy and live in India, I can suggest Nestle’s plain white yogurt. I have tried other brands like Britannia and Amul – they taste great on their own but don’t work as well when used as "jodan". Other options: the local dairy, or borrowing a bit off your neighbours.

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A nifty tip I picked up via Mahanandi – roasting yellow moong dal before cooking it. When you roast moong dal, the dal acquires a more aromatic, nuttier taste which really adds to the dishes being cooked with it.

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What do you do to get this lovely lush color in your palak paneer, I am asked.

I’ll let out my secret today.

As they tell you in Kung Fu Panda, the secret of the secret ingredient is that there is no secret ingredient. Which means that my palak paneer looks that way not because of what I add to it, but because of what I do not add to it.

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