Vegetarian Feast

The son of a mother from Gujarat and a father from Uttar Pradesh, Pushpesh Pant grew up in a small town in the Himalayas, in an area which depended on local and seasonal produce almost all the year round and where food cooked at home was an amalgam of different regional cuisines and reflected the resplendence of a pan-Indian culinary repertoire.

Photography: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton

In these recipes, all herbs are fresh, milk is full-fat, and garlic cloves are assumed to be large, so you will need to use two if they’re small.

Papdi Chaat

Crackers with potatoes and spicy yogurt

SERVES 6-8

This is a very popular snack that originated in the streets of Delhi. Until recently, people rarely cooked it at home, but it is increasingly finding favour as a refreshingly different starter, or light lunch. The recipe cuts the crackers into triangles but they can easily be cut into small circles using a biscuit cutter.

YOU WILL NEED

200g potatoes

50g chickpeas

1 teaspoon hot red chilli powder

1 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor)

¼ teaspoon black rock salt

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, freshly roasted and ground

½ teaspoon icing sugar

150ml plain yogurt, whisked, plus extra for serving

1-2 lettuce leaves per person

GARNISH

1 sprig fresh coriander leaves per person, chopped

FOR THE PAPDI

200g plain flour

1 tablespoons ghee

4 teaspoons carom seeds (ajwain)

salt, to taste

oil for deep frying

1. First, make the papdi. Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until a firm dough forms. Set aside for about 10 minutes.

2. Roll out the dough on a clean work surface to about 3mm thick. Cut the sheet into small triangles, about 2.5cm in size.

3. Heat the oil in a deep pan or fryer to 180ºC, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Deep-fry the papdi triangles for about 3 minutes, turning once, until they are golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels.

4. Boil the potatoes and the chickpeas together for 20 minutes and set aside. When cool, peel and dice the potatoes.

5. Mix the potatoes, garbanzo beans, dried spices, and sugar with the yogurt.

6. Arrange a bed of lettuce leaves on a serving platter, top with the potato mixture, then drizzle more yogurt over the top and scatter with chopped coriander. Serve with pieces of papdi on the side.

Gucchi Pulau

Morel pilaf

SERVES 4

There are many kinds of pilaf prepared in India. Some trace their roots to central Asia, where rice and meats are cooked with condiments. Others believe that Indian pilaf is a more elaborate dish far more aromatic and flavourful than its Asian counterparts. There are many recipes for vegetarian pilafs but the morel pilaf is at the top of the pile because of the use of these exotic mushrooms.

YOU WILL NEED

800g long-grain rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes

20g dried morels

1 large onion, finely sliced

2 tablespoons ghee, plus extra for greasing

½ teaspoon black cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon green cardamom seeds

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon yellow chilli powder

2-3 blades of mace

1 teaspoon heavy cream

1 small sprig mint leaves, chopped

1 small sprig coriander leaves, chopped

2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and chopped

a few strands of saffron soaked in milk

salt, to taste

1. Soak the morels in hot water for 1 hour, then drain and wash thoroughly to remove any grit. Squeeze dry, slice,and set aside.

2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat, until browned. Set aside.

3. Bring 2 litres of water to the boil in a large pan, add the rice and cook for 20 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.

4. Heat the ghee in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the cumin and cardamom seeds and, when these begin to splutter, add the morels. Add the dried spices and some salt, to taste, and fry for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, stir in the cream, and remove the pan from the heat.

5. Grease the base and sides of a large, heavy-based pan with a little ghee and cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of rice. On top of this add a layer of morels. Repeat the layering until the rice and morels are used up. Scatter the mint, coriander leaves, chillies and saffron on top, then cover with a tightfitting lid and cook over a very low heat for about 10 minutes. Garnish with the browned onions just before serving.

Lauki Ke Kofte

Gourd koftas in tomato sauce

SERVES 4

When I was a child this dish was served on special occasions. Though bottle gourd is seldom given a stellar role on the dining table this was an exception. The process was laborious and signaled to the guest that special trouble had been taken. Nowadays, many other more complicated vegetarian koftas are prepared and served but this one remains my favourite for nostalgic reasons.

FOR THE KOFTAS

300g bottle gourd, peeled, deseeded and grated

100g potatoes, boiled and mashed

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely

chopped mint leaves

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

FOR THE GRAVY

3 tablespoons oil

1 bay leaf

2-3 green cardamom pods

2-3 cloves 1 cinnamon stick, about 2.5cm

1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

¾ teaspoon Kashmiri

red chilli powder

1 teaspoon ginger paste

250g tomatoes, pureed

750ml boiling water

½ teaspoon garam masala

salt, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated gourd with the mashed potato, chickpea flour, salt, and mint leaves. Divide the mixture equally into 20 portions and shape into small balls or ‘mini sausages’.

2. Heat the oil in a kadhai or deep fryer to 180ºC or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Deep-fry the koftas for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels.

3. To make the gravy, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the bay leaf and the whole spices, and cook for about 1 minute, until the seeds begin to sputter. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, and ginger paste, and stirfry for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, until the oil separates out. Add the koftas and season with salt to taste.

4. Depending on how thick you would like the gravy, pour in the desired amount of boiling water, reduce the heat and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the garam masala just before serving.

Urad Dal

Hearty dal

SERVES 4

Urad lentils are black beans unhusked and whole and are commonly cooked in the Punjab. Split and skin removed they are enjoyed equally in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. These lentils are considered to be heavy, hard to digest, and are usually tempered with asafoetida or garlic to lighten them. Dry urad lentils are a delicacy in Awadh.

YOU WILL NEED

225g urad dal lentils, washed

250ml milk • ¼ cup ghee

1 medium onion, finely sliced pinch of asafoetida

1 bay leaf

5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced into thin strips

2-3 cloves 4

-5 black pepper corns

2 black cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick about 2.5cm

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon yellow chilli powder

salt, to taste

GARNISH

2-3 fresh chillis, deseeded and finely sliced

1 small sprig fresh mint leaves

juice of 1 lime

1. Soak the lentils in the milk for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.

2. Heat the ghee in a large, heavybased pan over medium-low heat, add the onions and fry for about 10-15 minutes, until they turn a rich brown colour. Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3. Stir the asafoetida into the pan, then add the bay leaf, ginger, whole spices, and yellow chilli, cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the spices begin to change colour.

4. Add the lentils, stir in the ground coriander, and season with salt to taste. Pour in 475ml water, bring to the boil and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are almost done but not mushy. Drain, cover the pan tightly, turn the heat to very low and cook for about 5 minutes, on a heat diffuser if possible.

5. For the tempering, heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic cloves and dried red chilli, and fry for 30 seconds.

6. Transfer the cooked dal to a serving dish, pour the tempering mixture over, and serve, garnished with the fried onions, sliced chillis, and mint leaves. Squeeze the lime juice over the top, if using.

Lentil and vegetable stew

SERVES 4

No Indian meal is complete without a lentil dish and the south-Indian sambar has an unrivalled pan-India following. This vegetable enriched lentil soup is served with snacks such as Dosa and Idli and, accompanied by rice, can also comprise a separate course in a formal meal. There are many regional variations and it would be a very brave man who would hazard to share an ‘authentic’ recipe. Until a few years ago, many families laboriously pounded sambar masala following a recipe handed down the generations. Now, people are more likely to buy it.

YOU WILL NEED

200g arhar/toor dal (yellow split pigeon peas), rinsed, soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained

200g vegetable drumsticks or green beans

4 fresh green chillies, slit lengthwise

120g medium shallots, left whole

300g medium tomatoes, quartered

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon Sambar Masala

2 tablespoons tamarind extract

3 teaspoons chopped

coriander leaves

salt, to taste

FOR TEMPERING

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon urad deal lentils (black gram), rinsed

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

15-20 curry leaves

Pinch of asafoetida

1. Put the arhar/toor dal in a large, heavy-based pan, add the vegetable drumstick or green beans, green chillies, shallots, tomatoes, turmeric, and chilli powder, 1 litre water, and season with salt to taste.

2. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the Sambar Masala and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

3. Heat the oil for tempering in a frying pan over medium heat, add the lentils and seeds, and cook for about 1 minute, until the seeds start to sputter. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida, and stir-fry, until the leaves sputter.

4. Pour this mixture over the sambar, then add the tamarind extract and stir well. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.

5. Finally, add the chopped coriander and adjust the seasoning before serving.