Stuffed flatbread
Bolani are thin, crisp half-moon flatbreads sold hot from griddles in Kabul's bazaars and made at home for Ramadan iftar, picnics and guests who drop in unannounced. The dough is rolled paper-thin, filled with mashed potato and spring onion (or with leeks or pumpkin), folded and fried in a little oil until blistered and golden. Cut them into wedges and serve with plain yoghurt or a green chutney. Chef's tip: spread the filling in a thin, even layer right to the edges; bolani should be flat and crackly, not puffy and doughy.
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A showpiece party bake: a spiced mashed-potato base, a layer of tempered vegetables, a layer of spinach, sweetcorn and rice, then coconut chutney, all sealed under more potato and baked with sesame seeds. Serve hot with masala yogurt, tamarind and red chilli chutneys and a fresh salad.
A comforting Sindhi dish of spinach, fresh fenugreek, potato and onion pressure cooked with yellow moong dal, coarsely blended and finished with garlic, tamarind and a cumin tempering. It's soft, green and gently tangy. Serve hot with chapaties.
Light, crisp koftas of gram flour and chopped spinach dropped into a pale green kadhi of yogurt and spinach puree, spiced with a fresh-ground masala of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and coriander seed. Add the koftas just before serving so they stay soft but hold together. Serve hot with any paratha or puri.
A quick Gujarati and Kathiawadi favourite: ripe tomatoes cooked down into a sweet, sour and gently spiced curry, with fine jini sev stirred in at the very last moment so it stays slightly crunchy. Serve sev tomato curry hot with chapaties.
The South Indian classic: smooth pigeon pea dal cooked with ridge gourd and drumsticks, soured with tamarind and spiced with sambhar masala, curry leaves and mustard seeds. It's tangy, thin enough to pour and full of flavour. Serve hot sambhar with idlis, masala dhosa or uttapam.
A thick, tangy Punjabi kadhi of sour buttermilk and gram flour, simmered slowly for half an hour and tempered with ghee, cumin and fenugreek seeds, then filled with crisp koftas of gram flour, potato, peas and vegetables. Frying the koftas twice, and pressing them in between, makes them light. Serve hot with the paratha of your choice.
Muli thepla are spicy Gujarati flatbreads made with grated white radish, which gives all the moisture the dough needs. Ginger, garlic, chilli and coriander make them punchy. Roll them out straight away and cook on a hot griddle. Serve with pickled green chillies and plain yogurt.
A mild, creamy biryani: rice and husked green gram roasted in ghee, then cooked in coconut milk with peas, carrots, potatoes, peanuts and cashews, and finished with soft fried paneer and a fresh coriander yogurt. Serve hot, garnished with more fried cashews and paneer.
Puda are thick, rustic savoury pancakes made from millet and rice flour with sprouted green gram, onion, chilli, garlic, ginger and ajwain, bound with yogurt. Cooked on a griddle until brown-speckled, they're filling and naturally gluten free. Serve hot with masala yogurt.
Rotlas are hearty Gujarati flatbreads made with millet (bajra) flour. These are packed with fresh fenugreek and coriander, sesame seeds, ajwain and chilli, bound with yogurt and shallow fried. Serve with green chutney and fresh yogurt.
Gujarati pudla are savoury pancakes made from a runny gram flour batter with ajwain, chilli, turmeric and coriander, spread thin on a hot griddle and cooked until golden-speckled. They're quick, filling and naturally egg-free. Serve hot with dry potato curry, green chilli chutney and tea or yogurt.
Makki ki roti is a rustic Punjabi flatbread made from maize flour bound with hot water. This version adds fresh fenugreek, onion and green chilli; leave them out for plain makki ki roti. It's naturally gluten free and traditionally served with sarson ka saag and a dab of ghee or butter.
Pethi puri are little wholemeal puris with a thin layer of coarsely ground urad dal, chilli flakes and carom seeds pressed on top. Fried peethi side down, the dal cooks into a crunchy, savoury crust while the puri puffs up. Serve hot with chutneys.
Osaman is the cooking water from boiled whole green grams, gently spiced with ginger, chilli, tamarind and jaggery and finished with a cinnamon, clove and curry-leaf tempering. It's thin, soothing and easy to digest, so it's good for anyone feeling unwell. The leftover boiled green grams can be used to make a curry.
A simple, fresh one-pot rice: chickpeas, beans, peas and cauliflower cooked with turmeric and green chilli, brightened with plenty of chopped mint and a squeeze of lemon. Serve hot with yogurt.
A fresh, green pullao: sprouted green gram cooked with whole spices, mixed with rice and a vivid paste of coriander, mint, coconut and green chilli, then layered with whisked yogurt. It's light, herby and full of protein. Serve warm.
A rich party pullao: cardamom-and-cumin rice baked in layers with crisp paneer and potato koftas simmered in a tangy tomato and curd gravy. The top is scattered with browned onions and fried cashews. Serve hot with masala yogurt.
A hearty vegetarian biryani: rice cooked with soya mince, onion and garlic, layered with mixed vegetables in a spiced tomato, yogurt and mint gravy, then baked. Topped with fried cashews and potato cubes, it's high in protein and very filling. Serve with masala yogurt.
Tandoori roti made at home: wholemeal dough spread with chilled, solidified ghee, rolled into a cone and pressed out again so it bakes into soft, flaky layers. Cook it in a tandoor or on the back of a perforated earthenware tava over the flame until brown-spotted. Serve with a curry of your choice.
A quick vegetable biryani made in a pressure cooker: peas, carrots, potatoes, beans and tomatoes cooked with fresh coconut, yogurt and gentle spices, then steamed with the rice until each grain is separate. Finish it with crisp potato chips and fried vegetables. Serve with masala yogurt.
A festive pulao of basmati rice with green peas, golden fried paneer cubes and cashews, cooked with whole spices, ginger and garlic. Each grain stays separate and fragrant. Garnish with more cashews and sliced chillies and serve with masala yogurt.
A festive, baked khichdi: rice and pigeon pea lentils are cooked with cumin and tinted with saffron, then layered with a garlicky onion and yogurt gravy and crisp ghee-fried onions. It comes out of the oven fragrant and rich. Serve hot with plain yogurt.
A bright, quick rice dish: boiled rice gently mixed with sweetcorn and julienned red and green capsicum tempered with cumin and curry leaves, sharpened with lemon juice. It's light and colourful. Serve with plain yogurt or masala yogurt.
A simple, nutty rice of basmati and whole brown masoor lentils, mixed with sautéed onion, capsicum and tomato and gently spiced with garam masala and turmeric, then baked so the flavours meld. Serve hot with yogurt.
A crowd-pleasing baked rice: fluffy grains mixed with steamed vegetables and three colours of capsicum cooked in a gingery tomato and yogurt masala, then covered with cheddar and baked until bubbling. Children love it. Serve it hot, on its own or with a salad.
A special-occasion khichdi: rice and split green gram cooked with whole spices and onion, then layered with baby potatoes and peas in a fresh paste of coconut, green chilli, ginger, garlic and coriander, and gently baked. Serve garnished with crisp onion rings, coriander and coconut.
Easy home-made naan: a soft dough of self-raising flour, yeast and yogurt, left to rise and then cooked under a hot grill until puffed and light brown. Brush with butter or ghee if you like and serve hot with curries.
Puris are small rounds of wholemeal dough deep fried until they puff into golden balloons. They're best eaten straight away with a curry of your choice, potato bhaji or shrikhand. Tip from the book: puris can be rolled out an hour ahead and kept between well-rinsed wet muslin cloths, then fried just before serving.
Here the rice is 'brown' because sugar is caramelised in the oil before the rice goes in, which gives it a deep golden colour and a gentle toasty sweetness. It's layered with crisp matchstick vegetables tossed in a sharp, spicy vinegar marinade and ketchup, then baked. A good party dish; serve it with yogurt or raita.
Five kinds of lentil cooked together, then simmered in a gravy of browned onion, tomato, garlic and ginger under a fragrant tempering of cumin, cloves, cinnamon, red chillies and curry leaves. It's thick, hearty and full of protein. Serve hot mixed dal with chapaties or paratha.
Small, crisp squares of brown-sugar butter dough mixed with crunchy home-made almond praline, then topped with cinnamon and more praline. A lovely biscuit for festive tins. Like all biscuits, they feel soft in the oven and crisp up as they cool.
A light, everyday dal of husked and whole masoor lentils cooked with onion, tomato, ginger and garlic, blended smooth and seasoned with jaggery and lemon. A simple cumin and asafoetida tempering finishes it. Serve hot masoor dal with stuffed potato paratha.
Bhatura are big, soft, puffy fried breads made from a curd-leavened dough. This version has fresh coriander, fenugreek and tomato in the dough. Serve them straight from the pan with channa paneer masala or a curry of your choice. For masala bhatura, add chopped green chillies, coriander, onion and garam masala to the dough.
Soft, puffy bhaturas with a surprise inside: a yeast-raised dough is stuffed with grated paneer, fresh fenugreek, coriander, ginger, garlic and chilli, then deep fried until golden. Serve with chutneys and channa paneer masala.
A comforting one-pot khichda of rice, green gram and pigeon pea lentils with little cubes of potato, cooked in cumin-scented ghee with ginger and green chilli. It's soft and mild, everyday food. Serve with Gujarati kadhi or plain yogurt.
Folded square parathas made with wholemeal flour, semolina, fresh fenugreek and roasted cumin. Spreading ghee and flour between the folds makes them crisp and flaky. Cook them slowly until well browned and serve with pickles, yogurt and a curry of your choice.
Chapatis are the everyday Indian flatbread: thin rounds of soft wholemeal dough, cooked on a hot tava and then puffed over a wire mesh on the flame. Spread with ghee and serve with any curry or dal. Tip from the book: you can half-cook a stack of rotis ahead and do the final roasting just before serving.
Fresh sweetcorn is ground to a smooth paste with ginger and chilli and cooked into thin, lacy pancakes, covered so they steam and turn light brown. They're naturally gluten free and sweet-savoury. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.
A quicker bhatura that needs no long rising: soaked bread and yogurt with a pinch of bicarbonate make the dough soft and puffy, and wholemeal flour and fresh fenugreek add flavour. Deep fried until golden, they're ideal with channa paneer masala.
A colourful, mildly spiced rice cooked in puréed tomatoes and coconut milk with carrots, peas and french beans. Creamy coconut softens the tang of the tomatoes. Garnish with coriander, tomato slices and coconut, and serve with masala yogurt.
The much-loved aloo paratha, Gujarati style: soft wholemeal dough wrapped around mashed potato tempered with cumin and asafoetida and seasoned with lemon, a little sugar, ginger and chilli. Cook on a hot griddle until golden and serve with masoor dal and banana raita.
Soft, leavened naan with a fragrant topping of fresh fenugreek, coriander, green chilli and garlic pressed into the dough. Traditionally roasted in a tandoor; at home cook it on an upturned earthenware tava or under a hot grill and brush with butter. Serve with a curry or dal of your choice.
Two thin rounds of dough sandwiched around a filling of potato, carrot, peas and cauliflower cooked with cumin, ginger and chilli and mixed with cheddar and lemon, sealed with a flour paste and shallow fried. Filling and kid-friendly. Serve hot with spring onion and yogurt dip.
The everyday Gujarati khichdi: rice and husked pigeon pea lentils cooked soft with turmeric in a ghee tempering of cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and asafoetida. It's simple, soothing and nourishing. Serve hot with Gujarati kadhi.
Uttapam are thick South Indian pancakes made from a fermented rice and urad dal batter mixed with onion, green chilli, coconut and coriander. They're topped with a sprinkle of chilli and cumin, covered and cooked until crisp underneath. Serve hot with sambhar and mint coconut chutney.
Thin mint-flecked chapatis folded into square envelopes around a filling of spiced soya mince, onion, coriander and grated cheese, then cooked on a hot pan until brown-speckled. They're high in protein and great for lunch boxes. Serve hot with green, red and tamarind chutneys and salad.
Chopadia are flaky, layered parathas: the dough is spiced with roasted cumin and black pepper, brushed with ghee, rolled into a cone and rolled out again so it cooks into soft layers. They can be made several hours ahead. Serve with any curry, dal or pickle.
Kulchas are soft, leavened breads from North India. Here the yogurt and poppy seed dough is filled with soya mince sautéed with garlic and green chilli and mixed with cheddar, baked, then finished on a griddle just before serving. Make plain kulcha by leaving out the filling.
A light Indo-Chinese style fried rice: cooked rice tossed over a medium-high heat with shredded cabbage, french beans, carrots, celery and spring onions, seasoned simply with soy sauce. Serve with sweet and sour vegetables, sweet and sour sauce and chillies in vinegar.
Bhakhri is the classic Gujarati crisp flatbread: a very stiff dough of wholemeal flour and oil, rolled thick and cooked slowly while being pressed, so it turns biscuity and crisp. The edges crack because the dough is stiff, which is how it should be. Spread with butter or ghee and serve with mixed lentil curry or dry potato curry and yogurt.
Bright green parathas: the dough is kneaded with puréed spinach and lemon, then filled with a gently spiced stuffing of crushed peas, grated cauliflower and crumbled paneer and cooked on a hot griddle. Soft inside with crisp spots outside. Serve hot with yogurt and chutneys.
A traditional vegetarian biryani with whole baby potatoes cooked in a fragrant paste of onion, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, aniseed and warm spices, layered with saffron rice and crisp browned onions, then slowly baked. Serve hot with masala yogurt.
A clever way to use leftover rice: cooked rice mixed with gram flour, buttermilk, onion, cabbage, carrot and green chilli into a thick batter and cooked into golden pancakes on a hot griddle. Serve hot with green chilli chutney, yogurt or a cup of tea.
Sweet, crunchy triangles of wholemeal dough kneaded with jaggery water and deep fried until brown. In Gujarati homes they're eaten with green gram curry or potato curry and mango pickle, a lovely sweet-savoury pairing. They keep well in an airtight tin.
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