KITCHEN TABLE
STATES OF PURE JOY
Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai invites you to a culinary journey across India’s states or regions in Yatra (Nourish, $45.95).
TOMATO CHUTNEY
Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.
1 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil
1 tbsp chana dal/Bengal gram
4-8 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 fresh green chillies, slit
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
3 medium-large tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander stems
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh root ginger
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 sprig of curry leaves
Salt, to taste
Tempering (optional)
1 tsp rapeseed/canola oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 dried red chilli, broken in half Pinch of asafoetida
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chana dal and sauté until aromatic and deeply golden. Add the dried red chillies, fresh green chillies and turmeric along with a pinch of salt, and sauté for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, coriander stems, ginger and garlic cloves along with the sprig of curry leaves, and sauté until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Transfer the cooled mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth (you may need to add a little water if it is too thick). Taste the chutney and add more salt, if needed.
To temper, heat the oil in a medium pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal, and sauté until the dal turns golden. Add the curry leaves and dried chilli and sauté until the curry leaves turn crisp, Stir in the asafoetida, then either stir the chutney directly into the pan or pour this tempering over the tomato chutney in a bowl. Mix well and serve.
ALOO POSTO
Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.
10 tbsp poppy seeds
Splash of water or coconut milk
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
8 large potatoes, par-boiled and diced
8 medium green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
Juice of 1 lime
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Place the poppy seeds in a blender along with the splash of water or coconut milk and blitz to a paste. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the nigella and cumin seeds. Once they start to crackle, add the potatoes and fry them well until golden brown.
Add the poppy-seed paste along with the fresh green chillies. Stir once, then add the salt and turmeric. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. If the dish is too dry, add a splash of water and stir again.
Remove from the heat and add the lime juice and fresh coriander. Serve with luchhi.
AMBOTIK
Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.
10-12 jumbo prawns/shrimp, shelled and deveined
Pinch of salt
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh root ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp tamarind purée
6 Kashmiri red chillies
100ml/scant 1/2 cup canola oil
500g onions, sliced
2 tbsp canned chopped tomatoes, blitzed to a purée
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 green chillies, slit
150ml/ 2/3 cup water
Sprinkle the prawns with salt and set aside for a few minutes.
Combine the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin seeds, peppercorns, tamarind purée and red chillies in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until golden brown. Add the chopped tomato purée and Kashmiri chilli powder and cook for 5-6 minutes, then add the spice paste and green chillies, and cook until the oil starts to separate. Add the measured water and bring to the boil, then add the prawns and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or bread.
MOONG DAL HALWA
Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.
3/4 cup moong dal
1/2 tsp saffron strands
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp lukewarm milk
150g ghee
100ml/ scant 1/2cup water
100g/1/2cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
To decorate
10 almonds, chopped
5 pistachios, chopped
Soak the moong dal for about 2 hours. Drain and transfer to a blender. Grind until smooth, then set aside.
In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in the lukewarm milk and set aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan over a low heat. Once melted, add the ground lentils and cook until golden brown and crumbly.
In a separate pan, combine the measured water and sugar. Bring to the boil until the sugar has melted and you have a thick syrup.
Mix the moong dal batter into the sugar syrup along with the saffron milk, stirring constantly. The mixture will become runny at this stage, but will thicken within a few minutes. Keep over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the moisture evaporates.
Reduce the heat to as low as possible, add the ground cardamom and keep stirring and breaking up any lumps in the mixture until the halwa turns deeply golden and aromatic.
Remove from the heat and divide among bowls. Decorate with chopped almonds and pistachios, and serve hot.
Yatra by Rohit Ghai is published by Nourish, $45.95.