Serve Hot

The book has several other simple recipes like Potato and Sago balls, Besan Wali Simla Mirch, Besan ki Kadhi, Khatte Chawal and Dhoklas and Idli Sambhar, all without onions or garlic. Sections on Pickles and Chutneys and Desserts round up the Burman family favourites from the kitchen of their mother Brij Rani Burman.

For a meal I tried the Rajma. Next to a ready-to-eat meal, I think it must be the simplest way to make the beans. While the cooker did the tenderising, I watched the bay leaf turn brown in the tomato puree. It’s always a wonder when all the ingredients come together to look like a proper curry. I think it came out pretty well. Though it did lack green chillies and that most vital of ingredients—a grandmother’s touch.

MATAR KI KACHORI

INGREDIENTS
500 gm flour, sieved
2 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
250 gm peas
1 tbsp oil
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Red chilli powder to taste
1/2 tsp mango powder
1 tsp coriander powder
A small piece ginger, chopped
250 gm oil for frying

METHOD
Knead the flour with the ghee and salt to a medium stiff dough. Set aside.

To make the filling, boil and mash the peas.

In a karhai (wok), heat the oil. Drop in the hing, and after a few seconds, the peas with the rest of the spices. Fry for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Now shape the kachoris. Take a piece of dough the size of a lemon. Flatten it. Put a little stuffing in the centre; then with your hand, pull close to form a ball. Seal with a little water.

Heat the oil for frying. Drop in a few grains of wheat flour to test the temperature. They should brown in a few seconds. Drop in the kachoris in batches and fry on low heat till half done. Just before serving, fry again on medium heat till crisp and golden brown. Drain excess oil and serve immediately.

BAZAAR KA ALOO

INGREDIENTS
350 gm potatoes
1 1/2 tbsp oil
3/4 tsp panchphoran (a combination of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, aniseed, nigella and fenugreek seeds)
1 bay leaf
Green chillies to taste, slit
Red chilli powder to taste
1/2 tsp mango powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
A large pinch turmeric powder
Salt to taste

METHOD
Boil the potatoes. Peel and cube.
Heat the oil. Drop in the panchphoran, bay leaf and, after a few seconds, the green chillies. Meanwhile, mix together the red chilli powder, mango powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder to a paste with a few teaspoons water. Add to pan. Fry for a minute.

Add the potatoes and toss in the spices for a few minutes. Add salt.

Add water to get consistency of curry required. Mash a few potatoes into it to thicken if desired.

Boil for a few minutes and take off the fire.

RAJMA

INGREDIENTS
250 gm rajma
50 gm chana dal
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4 tsp mustard oil or ghee
1 bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger paste
250 gm tomatoes, puréed
2 tsp coriander powder
Red chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander, finely chopped

METHOD
Soak rajma and dal overnight in water. The next day, tenderise in the pressure cooker with turmeric and salt. Depending on the quality of the beans, this should take 20-30 minutes.

Heat the oil. Drop in the bay leaf and after a few seconds, the cumin and ginger paste. Stir and fry till light brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook five minutes or till the oil separates. Add the spices and cook another minute or so. Add the beans and water in which the beans were boiled to make the curry the consistency you prefer. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh coriander.

Grandma’s Favourite Vegetarian Recipes, HarperCollins, Rs 395