The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

Moong dal pairs well with gourds: my much-clicked recipe of ridge gourd moong dal is ample proof of that. This recipe combines moong dal with another similar gourd – the zucchini – with some green leafy goodness added to the mix. It’s homey, light and lemony, the kind that inspires coinages such as “comfort food”.
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A colorful salad bowl with an assortment of flavors and nutrients. Fresh leaves, walnuts and cheese, crunchy pear cubes, juicy cherry tomatoes give company to adzuki beans in this recipe.

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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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Laal saag (red spinach), with its delightful color, adds sparkle to any meal it is served with. This Bihar-style easy red spinach stir fry is one of my favorites ways to have this veggie.

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Tasty spinach recipes that would coax even the staunchest spinach opponent into a change of heart. From palak paneer to spinach pasta, my pick of recipes from the blog that use this lush leafy vegetable in varied avatars.

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Weekdays are busy times for many of us who come back from work late evening and then fix a meal. We want easy weeknight dinners that take little time to move from kitchen to plate. [Not counting the blessed few like Rohit’s boss who can whip up a fancy meal at that hour ;) ]

One could cook loads on Sunday and freeze for the week. But that’s not so exciting, is it? So how does one attain that elusive balance between easy + quick (pre-cooked) and tasty + interesting (freshly cooked)?

Here’s a middle ground.

Make ahead food parts. Mix and match. Embellish.

Use the Pareto Principle to your advantage: identify the steps in cooking that consume a majority time and labor, and do them beforehand. The chopping of greens. The slow-frying of spices. The boiling of dal. When the time comes to make your weeknight dinner, all that remains to be done is the remaining 20% of cooking that produces 80% of the result.

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Palak toor dal (spinach with yellow pigeon pea lentils) has everything your nutritionist would give the nod to – and your palate would agree. Proteins, minerals, iron, and great taste!

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