Monks’ Cookbook

THICK SPICY GRAVY SERVED OVER RICE FOR LUNCH

Soak fenugreek in warm water for ten minutes. Then strain the seeds and discard the water. Saute onion and garlic in ghee. When golden, add the fenugreek and curry leaves. Dilute tamarind in water and add to the cooking onions with curry powder and salt. Boil for five minutes, add coconut milk and simmer until thick like a gravy.

Saute eggplant in ghee until cooked and remove it from the ghee. In another tablespoon of ghee fry the onion and fenugreek seed and curry leaves. Add the curry powder, salt and eggplant. Mix tamarind and water and add this to mixture. Simmer for ten minutes. Add milk and simmer until thick like a gravy.

THIN COCONUT GRAVY

Boil onion, chilies and tomatoes in water with salt for 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and simmer 10 minutes more. Remove from fire and add lime juice. (Tomatoes, potatoes or cabbage can enhance sodi: just add ½ lb chopped vegetables and boil with the onion and chilies.) Sodi is traditionally served with stringhoppers, idiappam or rice.

THICK GRAVY

Cook toor dal ahead of time with a pinch of turmeric in 1 ½ to 2 cups water until tender. Soak tamarind in hot water. When cool, extract the pulp. Fry coriander seed, dal, red chilies and coconut, without ghee, in that order until spices brown a little. Then add coconut. In another vessel, add ghee and fry mustard seeds until they stop popping. Add onion and saute until slightly golden. Then add tamarind juice and salt. Cook until onion becomes soft. Grind the fried spices dry, then add ½ cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the onions and cook 5-10 minutes more. Add cooked dal and parsley, bring to boil and remove from fire. Enjoy over rice for lunch or with dosai, idli or chapatis for dinner. Serves 3.

THICK LENTIL OR BEAN GRAVY SERVED ON RICE FOR LUNCH

Cook toor dal in water. The dal is cooked as soon as it becomes soft and mushy. This can take between 30 and 90 minutes depending on the type of dal (lentils) or beans. Add cumin seed, turmeric and salt, then coconut milk. Fry the onion, mustard seeds and urad dal. When urad dal turns golden brown, stir it into the cooked toor dal. Stir well. Makes 4 servings.

Cook mung beans with a pinch of turmeric (about 45 minutes). Add more water if needed. Heat ghee and fry cumin seeds. Add the chopped onion, green chili and ginger. When onions are golden, add tomato and cook for a few minutes more. Add dal. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Serves 4.

Cook the mung beans in two cups of water with the onion and chilies. Then add the pepper, cumin seed, salt, coconut milk and garlic, crushed. If you like, add ¼ tsp chili powder. Split mung beans and red lentils (masoor dal) are prepared the same way.

Wash the beans two or three times by rinsing and straining off the beans to get rid of stones and other debris. Then cook the beans in 12 cups of water. SAUCE: Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add hing and turmeric when mustard seeds start to pop. Stir in peppers (chopped). Let peppers roast for a minute, then add cumin seed and ginger powder. Let mixture roast for minute (but don’t let it burn), then add 1 cup water, lime juice and salt. Bring sauce to a boil, then add to the cooked beans. Serves 20.

Masoor dal is the same as red lentils. Wash and cook the dal. The water-dal ratio can be adjusted according to the desired consistency. Pop the mustard seeds. Add the garlic and onions. As soon as onions are cooked, add green peppers then the powdered items and sugar and salt. Add some water to prevent burning. Let mixture boil a minute or two, then add lime juice salt and sugar. Garlic and green peppers should be allowed to turn golden brown. Add sauce to the cooked dal. Serves 20.

SPICY SOUP: A BEFORE-LUNCH APPETIZER

There is no strict recipe for rasam. Common ingredients include ghee, mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, onions, anise, fennel cumin, fenugreek, pepper, crushed chili peppers, turmeric, tamarind, lemon juice, fresh coriander. Following are a few variations. Rasam is also commonly served during lunch in a cup or poured over rice.

In about 2 cups of water combine the tamarind paste (if using raw tamarind, soak and squeeze an almond sized pulp in ½ cup of water), a few dried chilies, the tomato, garlic and four curry leaves. Grind black peppers and cumin seeds together and add to the liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer for about ten minutes. Heat a skillet and fry the mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add one or more dried chilies and the remaining curry leaves. Saute until fragrant and add to rasam liquid. Add salt to taste. This should cook until the tomato is soft. More liquid can be added if mixture is a bit heavy. Serve in small cups. All ingredients are given in approximate measurements, so experiment a little! Makes about 4 servings.

Lots of ingredients, but easy to make. First combine all the powdered spices and dry roast until the mix starts to be fragrant. Mix the tamarind with water and add the roasted spices, garlic, onions and tomatoes and bring to a boil. As soon as the rasam boils, turn the heat down to simmer and cover the pot. Heat the ghee in a small frying pan and pop the mustard seeds, then add it to the simmering rasam. Salt to taste. Rasam is done when the tomatoes are tender. You can add more cayenne if you like, but it is very tasty without any spicy heat, too. This recipe serves about 15.

Cook toor dal with turmeric in about 1 cup of water. When this is cooked, add chopped tomato, salt, rasam powder, crushed ginger, asafoetida and 1 cup water. Cook on medium heat till the spices become fragrant. Add 1 more cup water and chopped coriander leaves bring to boil and turn flame off. Season with popped mustard seeds (to pop mustard seeds, in a separate pan, add ghee and mustard seeds and fry until the seed stop popping). Serves 3.

Rice is the mainstay of the South Indian diet and also plays an important part in the religious ceremonies as a symbol of fertility and abundance. It is said India produces over one thousand types of rice and there are probably as many recipes for cooking rice, too. When cooked correctly, rice should be flaky, not mushy, and tender all the way through. Each grain should be separate from the others. This is a trick for cooking good rice that each cook should master. Use brown rice whenever possible, as it is much more nutritious than polished, refined rice. One-half to ¾ cup of dry rice is a serving for one person. If you are cooking 1 to 3 cups of dry rice, use twice the amount of water to cook it in. For example, 3 cups of dried rice should be cooked in cups of water. Be sure your pot is big enough for the expansion. If you are cooking more then 3 cups, use twice the amount minus 2 cups of water. Confused? This means if you are cooking 7 cups of dried rice you would use 12 cups of water (7 x 2 equals 14; minus 2 equals 12). Here’s a test. How much water would you use to cook 20 cups of dry rice? If your answer is 38, you got it right!

Bring water to a vigorous boil. Add the rice and bring to a boil again, then reduce heat as low as possible (with cover on) and let steam for 30-40 minutes, until the water is gone. White rice cooks faster than brown rice. In the last stages of steaming you may check the amount of water left by carefully inserting a chopstick through the rice to the bottom of the pot. If little or no water bubbles up, the rice is done—remove from heat and set aside with the cover still on the pot. Once the rice is steaming, DO NOT STIR! The rice forms starch webs between the grains as it steams. Stirring breaks these webs, and the result is mushy rice. Rice cooked in a pot with a tight lid will stay hot for 30 minutes or more.

Follow the above directions, but add ½ tsp of turmeric for each cup of uncooked rice. Add the turmeric during the boiling stage. The boiling action mixes the turmeric through the rice, so there is no need for stirring.

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Fry onion and ginger in ghee. When golden, add spices and fry on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked rice and fry it for 1 minute. Then add water, tomato, vegetable bullion, peas and carrots. Bring to boil, then turn heat down and steam the rice for 40 minutes, until done. Fry cashews in ghee and add to rice. Serves 5, great for dinner with chutney.

Heat ghee. Add cloves, cardamom, bay leaves. When fragrant, add water. When the mixture begins to boil add the rice. Cook peas separately and add when rice is done. Garnish with sauteed onion rings, sauteed slivered almonds and raisins. Serves 4.

Heat ghee in a saucepan and fry the onion until golden. Add bay leaves, cardamom and mustard and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the beet and green pepper and fry for another 2 minutes or so. Add the rice and water together with the seasoning and bring to boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Lower the heat, sprinkle with the lemon juice and coriander, cover the pan and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes until the rice is cooked and the water has evaporated. Serve hot.

OFTEN MADE AS PRASADAM

Cook rice in four cups of water. Fry the chilies, mustard seeds, dal, curry leaves and ginger. Mix the curd and salt, add to rice with the fried spices. Stir well. Serves 4.

ANOTHER VARIATION FOR FESTIVE OCCASIONS

Cook the rice and add the salt and yogurt to it. In a separate pot, heat the ghee and pop the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop popping, turn off the heat and add the cumin seeds. They will also pop. Turn the heat to low and add the ginger and coriander and cook until the coriander is soft and done (about 5 minutes), then add to the rice. For a variation, you may use ½ cup of sour cream and ½ cup of yogurt for each cup of rice you prepare. This will make the dish much richer.

RICE FOR LUNCH

Boil the rice and dal in four cups of water for 20 minutes. Press one cup of milk from the shredded coconut and add it to the rice. Add salt, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove. Serves 3.

Steam 1 cup rice; then add lemon juice and turmeric powder. Fry cashews in ghee and add to the rice. Pop mustard seeds in ghee (keep cover on so seeds don’t fly all over the place). Add mustard seeds to the rice, stir thoroughly. Serves 2.

Steam the rice and set aside. Fry the chilies, mustard seeds, curry leaves and dal. Add lime juice, salt, turmeric powder along with the fried spices to the rice and stir well.

HOT RICE FOR LUNCH

Cook the rice and add to it the cumin, pepper, and coconut. Brown the cashews in ghee and add to the rice. Stir well. Serves 4.

Stir coconut into 4 cups of cooked rice. Fry cashews in ghee and add to rice. Pop mustard seeds in ghee and add to rice. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Serves 3.

A POPULAR RICE FOR DINNER

Saute onion in ghee until soft and golden, then add ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Next add all other spices and fry with low heat for two more minutes. Pour in 2 cups of cooked rice. Cook for half a minute, then add tomato and water. Bring to a boil; then lower heat and steam for 40 minutes. Serve for dinner with hot coconut chutney.

FOR SPECIAL DAYS

Soak dal in water for one hour. Steam the rice and set aside. Fry mustard seeds, chilies, curry leaves and dal. When the mustard seeds stop popping, add the tamarind paste, salt and turmeric powder (keep the pan covered until the seeds stop popping). Add enough water to the mixture to make a thin gravy and simmer for about 15 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add the rice to the sauce and stir well. Serves 3.

DINNER TIME SPICY VEGETABLE RICE

Peel and slice potatoes into ⅛ inch cubes and deep fry. Slice onion small and fry with mustard seeds. Cut cabbage small. Fry it in a small amount of ghee or steam lightly. Add all above ingredients to cooked rice. Stir in coriander and cinnamon. Great with coconut chutney. Serves 8.

Heat milk and saffron, stir into rice, set aside. Saute cashews in ghee and set aside. Fry potatoes and carrots and set aside. Then start on the main sauce: saute onions in ghee, add garlic and green chilies until golden. Add cloves, fennel and cinnamon sticks. Then add other spices. Add sauce and vegetables to rice, mix thoroughly. Serves 14.

Chop vegetable into small pieces. Cook rice with the dal. When they are half cooked add the vegetables. Cook ten more minutes, add chili powder, cumin, turmeric and salt, stir well and continue cooking over a low fire. When the rice is done, remove from fire. Add the grated coconut, garlic paste and coriander leaves, stir and cover the pot. Fry the mustard seeds, dal, onion and curry leaves, add to rice and stir well. Serves 4.

Cut cauliflower into flowerettes. Break the nuts into small pieces. Chop the coriander leaves finely. Heat ghee. Add ghee, mustard seeds, fennel and curry leaves. When popping begins, lower the heat and add chopped chilies, coriander, scallion, minced garlic, cashew nuts and cauliflower, turmeric and salt and cook on a low flame, without breaking the flowerettes, until tender. Then add 4 tbsp of ghee, cooked rice and lemon juice and mix well. Serve with yogurt or any raita (yogurt salad).

SOUPY RICE COOKED WITH MUNG BEANS

In a dry frying pan, roast mung beans (without ghee) for 5 minutes. Wash the rice by repeating two or three times momentarily soaking and straining off the rice to get rid of foreign substances. Heat butter in a saucepan and add bay leaves, cardamoms and cinnamon stick. Saute for a minute. Add the beans and washed rice, paprika, cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Saute on medium heat for 20 minutes and pour hot water over this. When mixture boils turn down to medium heat and cover the pot, stirring occasionally. After cooking, add the ghee. Serve hot. Feeds 4.

Pongal is a Tamil word that originally refered to a special batch of rice made for the Tai Pongal festival, to invoke the blessings of God and Gods for a bountiful harvest year. Pongal rice, often sweet, was a sacred offering cooked at the temple amid grand festivities. To this day, in South Indian Hindu temples, this practice continues, though now pongal also applies to a variety of rice dishes for a range of occasions. For all pongal recipes, however, cow’s milk is used. The following rice recipe, when cooked, will be halved for the making of the two primary kinds of pongal, one sweet and one salty.

Lightly roast raw beans in a skillet (without ghee) until dry. Remove from heat before browning begins. Check carefully and remove stones or impurities then wash thoroughly. Mix dal with rice, add hot water and cook in a pressure cooker. If a pressure cooker is not available, bring water to a boil in pan, add rice and dal, lower the heat and cook until tender.

SERVED TO DEVOTEES AFTER BEING OFFERED TO THE DEITY

Melt jaggery in a pot over low heat. Add cooked rice and dal (prepared in recipe above). Mix well. Add milk and stir until mixture thickens. Add melted ghee a little at a time. In a separate pan, fry cashews to a golden brown. Add the cashews, cardamom and grated nutmeg to the pongal and mix well.

SALTY RICE

Fry cashew nuts in ghee until golden brown. Add coarsely ground pepper, cumin, curry leaves and chopped ginger. Stir. Add cooked rice and dal (see recipe above). Mix well; add salt to taste. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, stir well.

SWEET RICE

Roast mung dal in a dry skillet. Boil rice and dal in five cups of water for thirty minutes, until rice is cooked. Add sugar and coconut and stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Fry raisins and nuts in ghee until nuts are brown and add to the rice along with the cardamom powder. Stir well and remove from fire. Serves 4.

Quinoa is a light grain common to South America’s Andean plateau. It is quick to cook and easily digestible. It is available in most health food stores, good for breakfast or for dinner. To make quinoa, add 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to a simmer. Allow the grain to cook for 15 minutes, or until water on the top disappears, and turn off heat. Let the remaining steam cook the the quinoa for another 10 minutes, and the quinoa will fluff. Quinoa is a versatile grain that can be used as an alternative to rice in the pulao and other vegetable and rice recipes.

Millet is another light grain, a favorite bird food, but very healthy for humans, too! Like Quinoa it is quick to cook and easily digestible, available in most health food stores. It is popular for breakfast or dinner dishes. To make millet, roast it on medium heat for 5 minutes then add 3 cups of water for every cup of millet. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and turn heat down to simmer. Allow the grain to cook for 15 minutes or until water on the top disappears and turn off heat. Let the remaining steam cook the the quinoa for another 10 minutes so the millet will fluff. Millet is a dry grain, best served with a little ghee or with wet curries or chutneys.

SPICY VEGETABLE DISHES

Cut the upper part of the broccoli into medium sized pieces and cut the stem into thin long pieces (peel the skin off if it is too hard). Steam broccoli for 9 minutes. Meanwhile, add to the yogurt 1 cup of cold water plus the mung flour and mix well. In another pot, heat the ghee and add the cumin and the mustard seeds. When mustard seeds have popped add the onions and fry until light brown. Add the asafoetida and turmeric powder to the ghee. After about 1 minute add the yogurt mixture. Stir constantly as sauce begins to thicken. Cook for about 20 minutes, then add the steamed broccoli and mix until sauce is very thick. Turn off heat. Serves 20.

Pop mustard seeds in ghee. Add other spices. Add onion and fry. Add ghee and cook a few minutes. Add tomato sauce, salt and coconut milk and simmer. Pour this sauce over steamed broccoli and simmer for about 5 minutes. Serves 30.

DRUMSTICK CURRY, A SOUTH INDIAN DELICACY

Pop mustard seeds in ghee. Add onion and garlic. Cook gently; best not to brown. Add murungai and tomatoes. Stir cook a while, then add fenugreek, cayenne, coriander and water. Bring to a boil, then turn flame down to low and simmer gently for one hour or until murungai is fully cooked. Then stir in coconut milk and salt. We’ve found this recipe tastes best with lots of garlic and fenugreek seeds. We also make it quite hot (cayenne amount should be same as coriander).

Cut breadfruit, broccoli, eggplant and steam in a large pot. Mix in a bowl: ginger, garlic, cumin seed, chilies, black mustard, garam masala, turmeric. Heat ghee in frying pan. When hot but not steaming, pour in bowl’s contents, stirring until mustard seeds start popping. Pour in tamarind and boil. Add spice mixture, sugar and salt. Stir in steamed vegetables and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Peel breadfruit and cut into ½-inch cubes. Steam for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, soak coconut in the water for 15 minutes, then strain to extract milk. Heat ghee in medium-sized pot. Add cumin and mustard seeds and cover. When popping ceases, add onions and chilies. Add garlic and ginger when onions are soft and golden. Keep stirring to prevent sticking. Add remaining spices after 2 minutes. After another 2 minutes add blended tomatoes. Wait 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Blend half the steamed breadfruit and add to the sauce. Then add unblended breadfruit. Remove from heat after 10 minutes. Serves 5-6.

In ¼ cup melted ghee, saute ingredients above. When onions are soft or a light brown color add 1 cup tomato puree, 1 cup yogurt. Serves 6.

Steam the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, and drumsticks for 12 minutes and set aside. Heat ghee in a frying pan and add ginger and garlic. Cook a few minutes, then mix in the green chilies, then the onions. Cook until golden brown. Add spices (coriander powder, chili powders and turmeric) and cook for a while. Blend the grated coconut with 1 cup of water and add to the mixture. Simmer for a 5 minutes. Add honey and if you wish add 1 cup of yogurt (do not boil the mixture after adding coconut.) Add the mixture with steamed drumstick and potatoes. Add salt and fresh coriander.

In ¼ cup ghee, saute the ingredients above. When onions are soft add 3 lbs of eggplant, chopped into ¼ inch pieces. Next add 1 cup tomato puree. Then add the juice of one lemon. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Serves 10.

Slice tofu and fry or boil. Then strain the tofu. Lightly frying or boiling the tofu helps it maintain its shape while being stirred. Fry the onion and fenugreek seed separately. Add the tofu and stir well for 10 minutes over low heat. Add the coconut milk, curry powder, chili powder, salt and turmeric powder. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes. Finish with lime juice. Serves 2.

Cut the okra in one inch pieces, mince the onion and green chilies. Mix the milk, lime juice and salt with the okra and simmer all ingredients for 15 minutes.

Saute spices in ghee, add cabbage and cook over low heat. Add yogurt at the end.

Cut the vegetables into small pieces and boil the milk with the spices for 15 minutes.

Finely chop the coriander leaves. Rinse the okra and pat dry with a paper towel or a napkin. Cut off the top and the bottom of the okras and chop into ½” pieces. Heat the ghee; add the spices, and a pinch of asafoetida at the last. When brown, quickly add okra. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Mix well and continue stir-frying until okra is nearly tender. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatis and yogurt.

Heat ghee and saute onion and chilies for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir for five minutes, then add coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Saute sliced onion in ghee, add vegetables (small pieces of carrot, beet, beans, peas and potatoes) and spices. Add coconut cream, close lid, cook till done.

Cut cabbage into small pieces along with the onion and chilies. Mix all ingredients and boil for 10 minutes. Finish with ½ tbsp lime juice. Serves 3.

Pound chilies and coconut; add to beet cubes and spices. Braise onion sliced and fenugreek seed in ghee until onion is soft and transparent. Add beets and spices; allow to simmer slowly. Stir well several times. Add water and cook until beets are tender. Mix in sugar. Garnish with a dry red chili and chopped coriander leaves and serve with mung kitcheri.

Saute onion in ghee until clear. Add fenugreek seed and peppers. Stir fry for five minutes. Then add milk and salt, simmer for 10 minutes. Add lime juice, mix thoroughly and remove from fire.

Chop beet and onion. Boil in milk for 15 minutes. Add the chili powder and salt and stir. Simmer 5 or 10 minutes more; add lime juice before serving. Serves 3.

Dry roast sunflower seeds, grind and set aside. In ghee, saute onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies. When golden, add steamed zucchini and tofu. Stir in mint and sunflower seeds, then add coconut milk and soy sauce. Salt to taste. Serves 20.

Cook potatoes till soft. Peel the skin if desired. Cut into 16 pieces. Coat the pieces with salt, turmeric and asafoetida. Heat ghee in a frying pan and add mustard seeds. When the seeds stop popping, add the potatoes. Lower heat and fry potatoes to a golden brown color, occasionally turning them over. Serves 2.

Cut the potato small and boil. Fry the onion, fenugreek seed and chilies in ghee. When onion is clear, add potatoes, milk and spices. Simmer over a low fire until potatoes are tender. Finish with lime juice. Serves 2.

Milk grated coconut twice, by soaking in 1 cup water for 15 minutes then pressing through a fine strainer. Peel and dice potatoes, boil and drain. Heat the ghee in another pot and pop the mustard seeds. Lower the heat and saute spices, then add coconut milk with tamarind in it. Add salt to potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Serves 10.

Chop and steam the potatoes as explained above. Pop the mustard seeds in ghee, lower the heat and then pop the cumin seeds. Melt the butter, add the black pepper and saute the garlic and the chopped coriander until both are cooked (the garlic and coriander may be blended together with a little ghee to save some time.) Add salt to taste and mix with the potatoes thoroughly. For another variation add two medium chopped tomatoes. Serves 4.

Chop the potatoes into ½ inch cubes and steam them until they are tender but not overcooked. This takes about 10 minutes. While the potatoes are steaming, heat the ghee in another pot and pop the mustard seeds. Lower the heat and melt the ghee, then add the chopped garlic and cayenne and saute on medium heat until the garlic browns. Add the milk, caraway seeds and salt, and warm the milk over low heat. When the potatoes are tender, combine them with the sauce, stirring gently so that most of the potatoes remain as cubes. Serves 4.

Chop and steam the potatoes. In a separate pot, heat the ghee and pop the mustard seeds, then the cumin seed. Add the butter and remaining spices; heat for a couple of minutes. Then add the garlic, ginger, coriander and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are done (the garlic, ginger and coriander may be blended in a blender with a little ghee.) Add yogurt and salt and heat until warm, then mix well with the potatoes. Serves 4.

Chop and steam the potatoes. Melt the ghee and saute the garlic in it until it browns. Add the curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk and let it get warm, then add the salt, the potatoes, and eat.

Boil the potatoes, cut into small piece chop tomato and onion and fenugreek seed in the ghee for 5 minutes. Add the potato and stir, then add the tomatoes and stir for five minutes. Add curry powder, milk, salt and simmer for 15 minutes.

Grind ginger, cashew, cumin, garlic and saffron to a fine paste. Grate the onions. Peel the potatoes and fry till golden brown. Fry the onions till brown. Add slit chilies and masala. Fry for a while and add yogurt and fried potatoes. Let simmer for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Serve with chapatis.

Wash and steam the sweet potatoes. Heat ghee in separate pot and pop the mustard seeds. Lower the heat and melt the butter; add garlic and cook until it browns. Add green peppers and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more. Next add the spices and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add milk but do not allow to boil. Transfer the steamed sweet potatoes into a larger bowl and mix in the sauce. Add salt to taste. Serve 15 to 20.

Steam diced sweet potatoes. Melt ghee over low heat and add spices. Add milk and simmer a bit. Then add the salt followed by the sweet potatoes. Stir well. Garnish with fresh chinese parsley. Serves 20.

Dice sweet potatoes and steam until cooked (10-15 minutes). Heat ghee in a pan and mix in the spices. When the spices become aromatic, add milk (do not boil). While the milk is warming check sweet potatoes and, if ready, strain off and set aside. Remove the milk-aspice mixture from the fire and pour over the sweet potatoes. Serves 20-30.

Slice the mushrooms. Chop onions and chili. Fry onion until clear, add fenugreek seeds and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Add salt and spices, stir and simmer until tender. Finish with lime juice. Serves 4.

Chop beans, onion and chilies. Fry onion and chilies until onion is clear, then add fenugreek and stir for 3 minutes. Add the beans and salt and stir for 5 minutes until beans start cooking, then simmer until tender—about 10 or 15 minutes. Serves 2.

Chop peppers and deep fry for 15 minutes. Remove peppers from the ghee and then fry the onion. Mix the coconut milk with the spices. Add peppers and onion and simmer 10 minutes. Salt to taste.

Saute onion in ghee. When onion is soft, add garlic and ginger. Next add rest of spices. When thoroughly mixed, add yogurt. Add sauce to beans.

Heat the ghee and fry the onions, followed by the ginger, garlic and halved peppers. Add a little water if needed, then mix in the garam masala and coconut milk. Allow this mixture to cook about 10 minutes, then add basil and sunflower seeds (ground). After boiling a couple of minutes remove from heat and allow to cool a little. Then stir in the liquid aminos or soy sauce and garnish with green onions.

Peel the ginger and cut onion, garlic, ginger and chilies into small pieces. Fry in ghee until onion is clear. Add the fenugreek seed and continue frying for two or three minutes. Mix the tamarind paste with one cup of water, add to onions and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is reduced.

Deep fry the onion until light brown. Add the onion to the milk along with the curry powder and salt and simmer 10 minutes. Add the lime juice and stir.

Cut the pumpkin into small pieces and boil in the milk with all other ingredients. When making the curry with coconut paste, boil all ingredients in ¾ cup of water about 15 minutes, then add the coconut paste, then continue to simmer 5-8 minutes.

Boil the dal for 15 minutes and set aside. Boil the pumpkin in ½ cup water for 15 minutes. Add the dal, coconut paste and spices, stir well and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Steam pumpkins chunks until tender. Fry cinnamon sticks, onions and green chili until onion is cooked. Then add tomatoes, cayenne and nutmeg. Cook until tomatoes are soft, then add coconut milk, salt and pumpkins. Turn off heat and mix well. Serves 6.

Milk grated coconut by soaking in 1-2 cups water and pressing through a fine strainer. Heat ghee and pop the mustard seeds, then the anise and fennel seeds. Saute for a moment and add onions, ginger, garlic and paneer cheese. Let everything cook for about 5 minutes, then add coconut milk, cauliflower, salt and cinnamon seeds. When cauliflower is cooked, remove from heat. Garnish with green onions and mint just before serving.

Bring beans to a boil in 1 ½ cups of water. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the cauliflower, turmeric and coconut (ground into a paste with the cumin). Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.

MIXED VEGETABLES

Slice the carrots, potatoes, eggplant, plantains and into medium-size pieces. Slice beans into long pieces. Boil everything together. Pop mustard seeds and add to drained vegetables. Add salt and coconut milk. Serves 6.

Slice and steam cooking bananas. Thoroughly mix chickpea flour, cumin seed and fennel seed, 1 tsp salt, and water in a bowl to make a batter. Dip bananas in batter and fry in ghee until brown. Strain oil off bananas and set aside. In another pan of ghee, saute handful of ginger, garlic, hot chilies, onions, green onion stems. chili powder, turmeric, tamarind, turbinado sugar, and Liquid Amino or salt. Add 2 cups water and allow to simmer, then mix in bananas and remove from heat. Serves 10.

Steam the spinach and bean sprouts and blend them in a food processor with grated coconut, adding yogurt until a thick and smooth consistency is achieved. In a pan fry in 2 tbsp ghee: ginger, garlic, fennel, anise and cumin seed. Mix the spices with the spinach and add lime juice and salt or liquid aminos. Serves 4.

Cut and steam bananas. Roast dal until brownish, then steam it until it is soft. Heat ghee in a frying pan and cook mustard seeds until they pop and add chilies, garlic and ginger, anise, fennel. Saute a couple of minutes then put in onions. Add turmeric, tamarind, coriander, green onion. Add coconut, salt and cooked bananas. Garnish with coriander leaves (chinese parsley). Serves 10.

A TRADITIONAL LEAFY GREEN CURRY

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a deep pot and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, add the cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and onions and stir fry until onion is half cooked, then add the amaranth, coriander and cayenne powders. Mix the amaranth with the spices and cover the pot and turn heat to high. Add up to 1 cup of water if mixture is too dry. When the liquid from the greens start to boil up, turn heat to a simmer and stir and cook until tender. Add lime juice and salt. Transfer to a serving tray and garnish with grated coconut. This recipe also works well with swiss chard and with Chinese cabbages such as bok choy or lei choy.

Peel and chop the plantain. Chop onion and chilies. Boil the vegetables in the milk until tender, finish with lime juice.

Cut the vegetables into small pieces and boil in the milk with the spices until tender. Finish with lime juice. Serves 2.

Cut the carrots into large pieces. Fry seed in the ghee until they are fragrant. Add the chopped onion and turmeric and cook until brown. Add tomatoes and cook until rather soft. Add 1-½ to 2 cups of water, the remaining vegetables (except peas), masala and salt. Cook on medium low heat until done, adding peas during the last few minutes. Serves 4.

Chop the green chilies and onion into small pieces. Rinse eggplant and slit lengthwise without cutting into half. Roast the first 4 spices together and grind to a powder. Add turmeric. Mix spices with chili, salt and lemon juice to make a stuffing. Stuff all the eggplants with the filling. Heat the ghee in a frying pan and fry the onions until light brown. Add the stuffed eggplants and cover with a lid and leave to cook, turning occasionally until tender for 20 to 30 minutes.

VARAI IS STIR-FRIED DRY CURRY

Boil and then grate the potatoes. Mince the onion and green chilies. Fry the mustard seeds and dal. When the seed stop popping, add onion and chilies. When onion is clear, add potatoes, coconut and salt. Stir-fry for five minutes. Serves 2.

Cut plantains in half and boil. Peel and grate when cool. Mince the onion and chilies. Fry the mustard seeds and dal until the seeds stop popping, then add onion and chilies. Fry for 10 minutes. Add plantains, salt, coconut, onion and chilies. Stir-fry for five minutes. Serves 2.

Chutneys are condiments made with cooked fruit or vegetables. Sambal is a condiment of cold vegetables or coconut, usually uncooked, served in small amounts with rice and curry. They are often quite hot, and may be as simple as grated coconut combined with chili powder. Pachadis are salads with light spicing to aid in digestion. Pachadis are usually served for lunch only, while chutneys and sambals work for lunch or dinner often as a dip for dosai, idli or chapatis.

Mix all ingredients well and chill. Serves 4.

Grate the mango, carrot and ginger, keeping each separate. Squeeze the excess juice from the grated mango (save juice for a beverage). Mince onion and chilies. Combine all ingredients. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Blend all items together (except coconut). After blending, add coconut.

Cut pumpkin and chilies into small pieces. Dissolve tamarind paste in two cups water. Combine with pumpkin, chilies, coconut paste and salt. Boil until tender.

Bake the eggplant whole for one hour at 400˚ or until it wrinkles. Allow eggplant to cool, then peel and mash it. Mince onion and chilies, and add to the eggplant along with salt and lime juice. Mix thoroughly. Serve at room temperature.

Grate the carrots. Mince onion and chilies. Mix all ingredients well and serve at room temperature or chilled. A small piece ( 1 ½”) of grated ginger may be added if desired.

Peel the ginger and fry it whole for five minutes with the chilies. Pound together the ginger, chilies and coconut into a paste. Fry the mustard seeds, dal and onion. Mix with the ginger, lime and salt. If using yogurt, omit lime juice, and use enough yogurt to make the mixture soft but not runny.

Chop tomatoes, onion, chilies into tiny pieces. Mix everything together very well. Serve at room temperature.

Boil the beets whole for 10 minutes, then peel and grate. Dice onion and chilies. Mix beets with the coconut paste, onion, chilies, curd and salt. Fry mustard seeds and the dal and mix with beets. One tbsp lime juice may be used instead of the curd.

Boil apricots with sugar and vinegar for 10 minutes. Skim. Add remaining ingredients except almonds and ginger powder. Cook 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add almonds and ginger powder and cook another 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Pack in sterilized jars and seal immediately. Makes enough to fill six half-pint jars.

Pop the mustard seeds in ghee, then add urad dal and roast until golden brown. Add remaining ingredients and salt to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves.

There is no cooking here. Just grind it all together. Excellent with idli. Serves 30.

Roast the chickpeas. Heat ghee and saute the chopped chilies, garlic and onion, then mix with other ingredients. Grind or blend together. Great with idli. Serves 30.

Bring above ingredients to a boil. Puree through juicer the following:

fruit of 6 oranges (remove seeds; use 4 that were grated and 2 more with peels)

Add to vinegar and bring again to boil. Cook 5 minutes. Lower heat, simmer gently for one hour. When cold, bottle and store in air-tight bottle. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 1 ½ gallon.

Blanch the tomatoes, then peel and mash them. Add the coconut milk and curd. Heat the ghee and fry the mustard seeds, dal onions and chilies for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the tomatoes. Serve at room temperature.

Mix well. Bottle and refrigerate. For 10 people, will last about 3 weeks. (It is best to alternate ingredients as you puree. For example, a handful of dates, small amount of parsley, 1 chili, more dates, etc. This makes mixing easier.)

Puree through juicer:

Mix thoroughly with:

Bottle and refrigerate. For 10 people, will last about 3 weeks.

Boil tomatoes in vinegar for 15 minutes. Chop raisins and garlic in vinegar to a paste. (Use the blender with just enough vinegar to operate the machine). Add other ingredients to tomato-vinegar mixture and simmer gently until the mixture is the thickness of heavy cream (about 2 hours). Pour into hot sterilized glasses.

Remove stems from chilies, remove seeds and veins from bells. Peel onion. Grind fine. Add to other ingredients (except the Certo). Mix well, bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add Certo after two minutes. Put in jars. Makes 2 quarts.

Mix pears and sugar in large kettle and cook gently until mixture is thick and smooth. Stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand overnight. Return to medium heat and bring to boil. Pack while hot in hot sterilized jars and seal.

Slice oranges about ½ inch thick; discard end pieces. Cut each slice in half. Cover with water and simmer in covered pan until tender. Drain. Boil other ingredients 5 minutes. Add oranges and simmer until slices are well glazed (about 1 hour). Pack in sterile pint jars. Fill with hot syrup and seal. Makes 8 cups.

Grind seeds in a seed grinder. Add rest of ingredients and mix in food processor until the mixture sticks together in a uniform mass. Roll into finger balls. (Ayurvedic note: because this mixture is ground, it is absorbed and assimilated quickly. The raisins, cinnamon and honey perk the agni (body fire) right away, the seeds add a little stamina and energy support. It perks pitta without disturbing vata or kapha even though raisins usually increase vata. This is negated by soaking them. Sesame seeds normally stimulate kapha, but this is balanced by the honey and cinnamon.) Often used as a traditional prasada at Dipavali and Ganesha Chaturthi festivals.

FRIED RICE BALLS IN SWEET SYRUP

Boil coconut milk until nutty oil flavor emerges. Mix rice flour, black pea powder, sesame seeds and salt in a bowl and add the boiling milk to the mixed flour. Make small balls with the mixture. Then impress balls with a greased fork (or any design desired). Set them aside on a buttered plate. Once all the balls are impressed, fry in ghee/oil one plateful at a time and drain. In water, heat and dissolve the sugar into a thick syrup. Add the fried balls to the syrup and mix well. Cool and keep airtight.

SEMOLINA PUDDING

Dry roast semolina for ten minutes. Dissolve sugar in four cups water. Bring to a rolling boil, then turn flame to low and slowly stir in semolina. When mixture thickens, add ghee gradually, stirring well. When kesari is soft, stir in nuts and cardamom. Remove from fire and flatten into tray. Let cool, cut into pieces as desired.

PAYASAM PUDDING

Roast the semolina and dal in a dry skillet. Boil the beans in three cups of water until soft (about 1 hour), add the semolina and stir it well for ten minutes. Add the milk and simmer for fifteen minutes more. Add the cardamom. Fry the nuts and raisins in ghee and add to the payasam. Stir well. Serve at warm or at room temperature.

Roast the mung beans for ten minutes in dry skillet over a low fire. Cook the rice and the beans in five cups of water until soft (about 30 minutes). Then add the sugar. Continue cooking and stir frequently until sugar is dissolved (about 15 minutes). Add the milk and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from fire. Fry the nuts and raisins in the ghee over a low fire and when nuts are golden, remove and add to the payasam along with the cardamom. Stir well.

Boil the beans in three cups of water until soft, then add the sago and stir for fifteen or twenty minutes. Add more water if necessary. Add the sugar and stir well, then add cashews (roasted in ghee) and other ingredients.

Soak the raisins in water. Blanch and slice the almonds. Crush the cardamom. In a heavy saucepan, cook rice until soft. Add milk and cream, a little at a time, constantly stirring to avoid lumps. Add sugar and raisins. Mix well. Keep stirring for about 15 minutes on low flame. Remove from heat. Pour into a big bowl. Add almonds, nutmeg powder and crushed cardamom seed and mix well. Cover with a plastic wrap. Serve warm or cold.

Fry the dal in the ghee until golden brown. Bring the water to a boil and add dal. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the rice and continue cooking until rice is soft. Add milk and continue to cook until mixture is thick. Add sugar and coconut and mix well. Remove from heat and add cardamom. This is very thick when cool and will not spread on the plate. Serves 8.

SWEET RICE

Roast mung beans in a dry skillet. Boil the rice and beans in five cups of water for thirty minutes. Add the sweetening and coconut and stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Fry the raisins and nuts in ghee until nuts are brown and add to the rice with the cardamom powder. Stir well and remove from fire.

INDIAN FLAT BREAD

To the flour add salt and ghee and mix well. Add sufficient water to make a soft, pliable dough. Knead until elastic. Allow to rest 15 minutes or more.

For chapatis: Divide dough into 8 equal parts. Roll into small balls and, using a rolling pin, flatten out into circles about 4-5 inches in diameter. (Before rolling into circles, flatten between hands and dip in flour to prevent sticking to rolling pin.) With each chapati, cook one side on a hot frying pan, then turn and half cook the other side. Finally hold it directly over a burner flame and allow to puff. Tongs can be used to old the chapati (and there is a special implement for this sold in Indian shops). Keep chapatis covered as others are being made. Brush upper side with ghee to prevent sticking together in the stack. Chapati and parathas is often made for dinner, served with potato curries or dals. Serves 2.

Make small balls as in chapati recipe and roll out in circles 3 inches in diameter. With the fingers, spread a thin coat of ghee on the circle and fold it in half. Fold again in half and press edges together to seal. Roll this out to the same thickness as a chapati, it can be made round if you are skillful. Cook on both sides in a hot frying pan. Add ghee (about 1tsp) around the edges and on sides of the paratha. In will puff up almost as much as a chapati. (For best results it’s best to learn paratha-making from an experience cook, but a little experimentation will go a long way!) Parathas are done when golden brown and puffed to capacity. Don’t be concerned if some don’t puff, when you are learning the art.

FRIED PUFFED BREAD

Mix onion and chili with flour, coconut and salt. Add cool water to form a bread-like dough. On an oiled surface, a tray or cookie sheet, roll by hand a small amount of dough and flatten it. Fry in a heavy skillet on a low fire, 5 minutes on each side. Puris are usually served in place of rice, with sambal and or curries. But they may also be served in addition to rice, though in South Indian cooking, papadam (see pg. 81) would be used. Papadams are paper thin and deep fry quickly. They are purchased rather than made at home. Puri is often served with masala potatoes.

STEAMED RICE FLOUR WITH COCONUT

The pittu maker is a thick piece of bamboo with a metal cover at one end (with a hole) which is mounted on a pot filled with water for steaming. It can be purchased at certain stores that carry South Indian groceries.

Making pittu: Put rice flour in a large bowl. Sprinkle in water little by little and mix it with the flour so that tiny balls are formed. Sprinkle one handful of coconut, a little at a time while mixing in the water to keep the flour from forming one large mass. Keep adding and mixing until all the flour has become dry dough. Be careful not to add to much water. Next, fill the bamboo to the top, alternating with layers of one handful of rice flour followed by 2 tbsp of grated coconut. Steam the bamboo on its pot. When steam appears at the top of the bamboo, cover and let cook for about 30 minutes. When cooked remove the pittu, which will look like a long tube, and cut into 1” serving slices. Add another batch for steaming until all the flour is used up. Pittu is usually served for lunch or dinner, with coconut chutneys or sambar. It can also be made sweet by add brown sugar to the coconut. Serves 10.

STEAMED SOUTH INDIAN RICE CAKES

Soak rice and dal in water (in separate pots) for 10 hours. Grind each separately with a little water in a food processor until smooth. Mix with hands the rice and dal to form the idli batter. The batter should be thick but slightly runny. Set the batter aside for about 8 hours to let it rise and sour slightly. Idlis are cooked in idli steamers, available at most Indian groceries. Ladle batter into each buttered compartment of the idli maker and steam for 20 to 30 minutes. Cool for a minute; remove idli from bowl. (There is no need to ghee the bowl.) Experiment to find the best cooking time. Serves 2.

SOUTH INDIAN THIN RICE PANCAKES

Soak the dal and rice grains in water for at least 8 hours. Process these separately in a food processor with a little water and mix both item to make the dosai batter. The batter should be runny enough so it can be poured over a hot griddle and spread out into a circle immediately. Mix with the rice flour and add ⅛ tsp baking soda. Let the batter sit over night to rise and sour slightly. A little yogurt can be added to the batter to help it rise through the night. The batter temperature should be around 70-80 degrees F.

Making dosai: Add 1 tsp of salt to the batter. Pour a ladle full of batter onto a very well seasoned hot griddle or heavy frying pan. Cook like pancakes. Ghee is spread on the griddle after cooking each dosai. This recipe serves 2. Dosai’s are usually served with coconut chutney and/or sambar and curries. The batter can be made very thin to produce and extra thin pancake, known as paper dosai. For masala dosai, potato curry is placed inside the pancake and it is rolled, something like a large, crisp crepe.

STEAMED CHICKPEA CAKES

Blend all ingredients together in a big bowl. Ghee a round cake pan and pour about ½ inch of dhogla mix into the pan. Steam one cake pan at a time in a large pot with another smaller pot inside it, upside down. Put about two to three inches of water in the bottom of the steaming pot and steam the dhogla. The dhogla will rise and pull away from the sides of the pot when cooked. Takes 20-25 minutes.

Mix the semolina, rice flour, wheat flour and the buttermilk together into a batter. Let sit for an hour. Fry onion, chilies, mustard seeds and dal and add to the batter along with enough water to make it medium thin. Cook like pancakes in a skillet with ghee.

JAFFNA STRING HOPPERS

Idiappams are made with a special wooden press, much like a spaghetti maker, available from most South Indian and Sri Lankan groceries.

To make the idiappam: Add 1 tsp of salt to the boiling water and mix it slowly into the flour with a wooden spoon. The dough should be thick and not stick to the mixing container. Take a little dough and put into the idiappam press and press out the dough strings in a circular motion over idiappam steamers. Steam the idiappam for 20-25 minutes. Serve for dinner or lunch with sodi or coconut chutney.

Vadais are spicy donuts served as a snack or prasada for special occasions. Often eaten plain, they are sometimes served with sambal or sambar or soaked in yogurt.

Soak the dal in water for 4 hours. Drain and grind to a coarse paste. Mince the onion and chilies. Add to the dal with salt and curry leaves. Stir well. To make each vadai, roll a small piece of dough into a ball and flatten it. Vadais are usually about 2 ½” in diameter and sometimes have a hole in the middle like a donut. Deep fry the vadai in ghee until golden (about 5 minutes).

Prepare exactly the same as urad dal vadai.

Wash the tamarind and soak it in ½ cup of water. In the same water also soak jaggery. Let mixture stand ½ hour then pour into strainer and extract the pulp with the help of the spoon.

Vadai: Soak both the dals overnight. Drain and grind to a fine paste in a blender, along with the chilies. Add a little water gradually to form a thick paste. Add salt and mix thoroughly. Set aside. In a bowl, place a handful of salt to 3 cups of water. Wet your palms with water and take small balls of paste, flattening them with fingers then placing them into hot ghee. Fry until golden brown. Drain them on paper towels. Soak cooked vadais in hot salt water mixture for half an hour. When soft remove and squeeze out the water between your palms. *Beat the yogurt and soak vadais in it. Sprinkle with cumin seed and chili powder and tamarind sauce as desired. Serve in individual dishes.

LENTIL SNACK FOR GANESHA CHATURTHI

Soak the dal overnight. Wash and then boil the dal in water for 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Fry the mustard seeds in ghee until they pop. Add the chilies and coconut. Stir for 5 minutes. Add the channa and salt. Mix well.

This recipe can be made with any dried pea or bean, even with beans that have been allowed to sprout. To sprout beans, soak for 12 hours and spread on a wet towel. Let stand for 24 hours, keeping moist. Wash sprouts well to remove skins.

POTATO CROQUETTE FOR LUNCH

Boil the potatoes, peel and mash them. Mince the onion and chilies. Heat the ghee and fry the mustard seeds and urad dal. When the seeds stop popping, add the onion and chilies and stir for five minutes. Add the potatoes and ¼ cup of water with the salt and simmer until tender. For extra spice, add ½ tablespoon chili powder. Remove from fire, let cool slightly and roll into small balls. Mix the channa dal flour with enough cool water to make a thin batter. Add salt and 1 tablespoon rice or wheat flour. Dip the potato balls in the batter and fry in deep ghee until golden (about 5 minutes).

NORTH INDIAN ENCHILADA-TYPE LUNCH SNACK

Heat ghee and add pinch of cumin seed. When brown, add potatoes. Fry over medium until until half done. Add peas and salt and stir-fry for 10-15 minutes more, until tender. Add roasted spices and lemon juice and keep stirring until dry. Set aside and cool.

Combine wheat flour and ghee in a bowl. Mix together with hands until it has a consistency of corn meal. Add yogurt and salt. Mix well. Slowly add water and knead dough until soft and smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for an hour.

*Form balls about an inch or two in diameter. Flatten into circles. Cut in half. For each samosa, keep the one half aside and roll the other into a hollow cone. Pinch the seams together and fill cone with the potato-peas filling, about 2/3 of the cone and press firmly the top two edges with a moistened fingers, to seal. They have to be well sealed, so as not to break open while frying. Heat ghee for deep frying. Fry samosas till golden brown. Serve warm with tamarind or coriander chutney.

LENTIL WAFERS

Papadams are paper thin deep fried lentil wafers usually served with lunch. They are available at most Indian and Sri Lankan groceries and even certain health-food stores. To make papadams, heat ghee in a shallow frying pan until hot but not smoking. (Start with high heat then turn to a lower setting.) Wipe off excess lentil powder from each papadam and gently place into ghee. The papadam will immediately expand. After about 5 seconds turn it over to cook the other side, pressing into the ghee any areas that you notice uncooked. Turn again after another five seconds, cook two more seconds then remove from ghee. Hold for a moment to drip drain and store in serving container. Papadams are cooked just before lunch time, so they are still crunchy when served.

Dry roast rice flour. Milk grated coconut twice, by soaking 15 minutes in 1-2 cups water and pressing through a fine strainer. Boil coconut milk well. Put other ingredients in a bowl with salt to taste. Mix in enough coconut milk to make a thick dough. Fill the murukoo mould and press the murukoos, dispensing dough in circles, onto a plate or banana leaf (or directly into the ghee). Deep fry in hot ghee in skillet or pan.

FRIED VEGETABLE BALLS

Peel and shred the potato. Finely chop the spinach and onion. Grind the coriander seed, red peppers and black peppers to a fine paste. Mix all the above ingredients with water until batter resembles pancake mixture. Heat ghee. To cook, form round balls with the batter and drop one at a time into hot ghee. Turn with a slotted spoon and cook until done. Remove and drain. Serve hot with chutney.

A SIMPLE AND DELIGHTFUL SNACK

Combine potatoes, chili, onion, ginger, salt and cumin seed. Mix thoroughly. Divide into 8 portions. Make a paste with flour and 1 tbsp water. Meanwhile heat ghee in fryer. Dip papads, one at a time in one cup water for a few seconds, until softened. (Do not insert in water too long; it will become difficult to work with.) Cut papad in half with a knife to make two semicircles. Place one portion of potato mixture on one end of semicircle. Overlap the other end to make a triangle. Seal all sides with paste made with flour. Deep fry in ghee until light brown. Drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining papads. Serve hot with mint sauce or tomato chutney.

In heated ghee dissolve sugar, then saute garlic and ginger until golden. Stir in corn starch, fry for 1 minute. Finally, add tamarind and water (separately dissolve the tamarind in the water first) and vinegar.

Roast semolina until light golden. Mince the onion and chilies. Fry the mustard seeds and dal in ghee, then add the onion and chilies. When the onion is clear, add four cups of water and the salt and curry leaves. When the water boils, slowly add semolina and stir it well over low heat for ten minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mixed vegetables may be added to this dish if desired: carrot, cabbage, green beans and cashews. Mince them and fry with the onion. When you add water, add one cup extra, and continue as directed. Uppuma is most often served as a breakfast or supper dish.

FIVE-NECTAR SOUTH INDIAN PRASADAM

Chop dates. Peel and mash bananas. Crush sugar into small pieces. Mix everything thoroughly. This dish is prepared for the Deity on auspicious days and served as prasadam.

Steam the tofu then saute in ghee with garlic and ginger. Add onions and mint leaf. When onions are cooked, add liquid Amino. Add zucchini and continue cooking until soft. Serve at room temperature. Serves 10.

Marinate the tofu in a mixture of safflower oil, lemon juice, Braggs Liquid Amino, garlic and basil or any fresh herbs. By marinating the tofu we can keep it two weeks without any appreciable loss of food value.

Cut the cooked beets into pieces, add to the vegetable stock and cook for about 1 hour. Rub through a sieve or liquidizer and return to the pan (or freeze at this point if desired). Mix the flour with a little milk and add when the soup is hot, stirring until it thickens. Add finely chopped herbs, yeast extract and seasoning to taste.

SEVEN PREMIXED CURRY POWDERS RECIPES FOR COOKS IN A HURRY

Bring water to boil and add spices. Bring to boil again, turn flame off and let stand for 12 hours or overnight. Drain water and discard the pasty residue at the bottom. (A fine sieve is adequate to catch the heavier residue.) Warm the tea and add honey just before drinking. (Heating honey above 115˚ turns it to ama, toxin.)

Grate coconut into bowl. Gradually add water while kneeding the coconut with the hand to release the milk. Pressing through a fine strainer and catch milk in another bowl. Canned oconut milk is availabe in most major grocery stores and nearly all Asian food shops.

To make paneer, bring 3 gallons of milk to a boil. As soon as the milk starts to foam up and out of the pot, add apple cider vinegar or lime juice until the milk curdles. Filter through cheese cloth or cotton. Press under weight for two hours to remove remaining liquid.

Saute onions in ghee until golden. Stir in ginger-chili paste and turmeric and fry for one minute. Add spinach, salt and half cup water. Bring to boil. Cook until almost done, then add fried paneer cubes and simmer for 5 minutes on a medium flame.

Cover bottom of pan with ghee. Add cumin seed and spices while heating. (Roast cumin seed a little in dry pan before adding.) Add tomatoes, ginger and green pepper puree. Saute for a few minutes. Add tomato paste, sugar, peas and water. Boil until peas and tomatoes are well cooked. Slice paneer (as prepared in previous recipe) into ½-inch cubes and add to the boiling vegetables.

CLARIFIED BUTTER

Put one pound of butter in a heavy, medium-sized pan. Warm at medium heat until the butter melts. Turn heat to low when butter begins to boil and continue to cook. Do not cover the pot. The butter will foam up and sputter for awhile and then begin to quiet down. Stir occasionally. In 12 to 15 minutes, it will begin to smell like popcorn and turn to a lovely golden yellow color. Whitish curds will begin forming on the bottom of the pot. When these curds turn light tan, the ghee is ready. Remove from heat immediately and strain through a fine sieve into a clean, dry container. If kept airtight, ghee needs no refrigeration. It turns to a soft solid at room temperature. Once familiar with the process, feel free to process larger amounts of butter. Tend the cooking carefully, for ghee burns easily, acquiring a nutty smell and a light brown color.

At Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, a small herd of Jersey cows graze our pastures and provide an abundant supply of organic raw milk. A large percentage of this is turned to yogurt. Not only is yogurt easier to digest than raw milk, but it also replenishes the healthy bacteria needed in the intestines to help digest other foods and break down toxins. The best yogurt is made fresh in your own kitchen, naturally sweet with no ingredients added. Most commercial yogurt contains artificial gums or chemicals to provide a longer shelf life. Yogurt is so easy to make. Various types of yogurt bacteria culture can be bought from cheese making suppliers. (Our monastery’s source is given on page 31.) To make a large batch of yogurt, heat two gallons of milk in a heavy pot to 195˚F. Then immediately place the pot in a basin of cool water. When the milk reaches 110-120˚F, remove the pot from the basin, pour in 2 packets of culture and stir gently. If your room temperature maintains at about 70˚F, all you need do next is wrap the pot with a thick towel to keep the heat in. Let it stand for 12 hours, and you will have fresh yogurt to savor. If your room is not constant, find a warm place: a draftless cupboard perhaps, or even in the oven, where the pilot light provides a steady warmth; or you can purchase a special yogurt-making thermos from your culture supplier. Refrigerated, yogurt lasts up to 7 days. Straining fresh yogurt through cheese cloth and letting it stand 5 hours will give you sour cream. The leftover liquid, called whey, is a very healthy drink—some say healthier even than the yogurt.