The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

I often shop online for cookware. The result can be a hit or miss. We can’t accurately gauge the size, thickness and “feel” of pots and pans until we handle them non-virtually. Then there is the bigger question of how well the cookware would do their job, how sturdily they would hold up after months of use.

In this article, I talk about three of my favorite pots and pans – those that have stood the test of quality and time in my kitchen. If you’ve been wondering about buying cookware online, hopefully my experiences will help you make your decision.

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Methi toor dal dry was a revelation when I first tasted it. I was keen to learn what ingredients and techniques went into preparing this flavorful dish. My friend’s mom who had cooked the meal for us assured me that the secret was just a generous addition of onions,  and the patience to caramelize said onions on low heat.

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“Eat only as much as your cupped hands can hold“, goes a popular dietary maxim.

“Eat the rainbow“, advises another.

The Buddha Bowl beautifully embodies those two principles of nutrition: there’s a receptacle, a general rule that we put into it an assortment of grains, plant protein and vegetables, and a subgoal that the end result be as pleasing to the eye as it is to health.

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Pudina rice – fragrant basmati with the freshness of mint leaves, the zing of ginger and lime, and nutty cashew goodness to round it all off.

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You will find a delicious mix of flavors, textures and colors in this patta gobhi aloo matar ki sabzi (cabbage potato peas curry). There’s crunch from cabbage, tender starchiness from potatoes, a slight sweetness from peas, all ensconced in a mustard and spice flavor base.

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Tomato rice – this vividly colored one-pot meal is just right for boxing up and carrying to school or office. Plan ahead for rushed mornings: boil some extra rice at dinnertime, stash it away in the fridge overnight and, when it’s time to pack your lunch the next morning, put together tomato rice.

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Tender broad beans / fava beans (sem in Hindi) are cooked with an unusually colored, delicious black sesame sauce in this recipe. The dark, nutty flavor of the sauce brings out the earthiness of the broad beans.

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