Dense coconut bread
Fa'apapa is a dense, chewy Samoan coconut bread, once baked wrapped in banana leaves in the umu (earth oven) for Sunday lunch, and now often made in a tin in home ovens in Apia and Pacific Auckland. It is made from flour and freshly grated coconut with coconut cream, so it is rich, slightly sweet and very filling, best eaten warm in thick slices. A common mistake is expecting it to rise like bread; it's meant to be heavy and moist. Chef's tip: wrap the dough in banana leaf before putting it in the tin for a gentle, smoky aroma.
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Diced potatoes, carrots, beans and peas cooked until tender in a pale, creamy gravy of yogurt, ground cashews and fresh coconut, finished with cream and chopped cashews. It's mild, rich and comforting. Serve hot with naan. You can also make it with boiled, peeled baby potatoes instead of the mixed vegetables, or with corn kernels, peas, fenugreek and a squeeze of lemon juice.
A festive mixed vegetable curry from Kolhapur: fried potatoes, beans, carrots and paneer with peas, corn and three colours of capsicum, in a thick gravy of tomato, onion, mawa, cashew and yogurt spiced with coriander seed, cardamom and dried pomegranate. Topped with fresh cream, it's rich enough for a party. Serve hot with naan or choppadia.
Golden paneer cubes in a smooth, gently spiced makhani gravy of tomato puree, cashew paste, milk and cream, scented with kasoori methi. It's mild, creamy and a favourite with children. Serve hot with naan.
A quick pressure-cooker curry of chana dal and plenty of spinach with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilli. It's earthy, lightly spiced and full of goodness. Serve hot with chapaties or boiled rice. For a change, use green gram lentils with skin (soaked for 8 hours, then washed to remove the skins), or replace the lentils with four potatoes cut into 1 cm cubes and ½ tbsp lemon juice.
Whole eggs baked in layers of rich onion, tomato and capsicum masala, flavoured with cumin, black pepper and mild curry masala. Serve hot with bread or naan. Contains egg.
The classic Punjabi winter dish: mustard greens, spinach, fenugreek and a little cabbage pressure cooked until meltingly soft, then blended and thickened with maize flour. It's finished with onion, garlic and tomato fried in ghee and a sprinkle of Punjabi masala. Serve hot with chapati or makki ki roti.
Little half-moon calzones of a soft yeast dough made with plain and maize flour, filled with pizza sauce, mushrooms, red capsicum, onion and cheese, and baked until golden. Serve hot with chilli sauce.
Big squares of capsicum and quartered button mushrooms, seared quickly so they keep their bite, then folded into a smooth gravy thickened with a little bengal gram dal, tomato and milk. Butter and split coriander seeds give the base a nutty, gently spiced flavour, finished with lemon. Serve hot with naan.
Cauliflower grated into small crumbs and cooked until tender, then mixed with peas and a smooth, spicy onion-tomato paste flavoured with cardamom, black pepper and cumin. The texture is just like a kheema (mince) but completely vegetarian. Serve hot with parathas.
A Punjabi home favourite: red kidney beans pressure cooked until creamy, then simmered in a deep red masala of ground onion, garlic and ginger, tomatoes and yogurt, and partly mashed so the gravy turns thick and velvety. Serve hot with chapaties or boiled rice.
A colourful mix of baby aubergine, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, beans and carrots simmered in a ground onion, coconut and whole-spice paste loosened with coconut cream and yogurt. The vegetables go in stages so each one stays tender, not soft, and roasted cashews add crunch at the end. Serve hot with naan.
Chunks of fresh corn on the cob cooked in coconut milk, then simmered in a thick, nutty gravy of roasted peanuts, tomato, ginger and fresh coconut. It's mildly sweet, lightly spiced and best eaten with your hands, gnawing the kernels off the cob. Serve hot as a main curry with rotlis or rice.
Paneer two ways, fried cubes and coarsely grated, with green peas in a silky gravy of onion, tomato, yogurt and cream, flavoured with whole spices, poppy seeds and cashews and then blended smooth. It's rich and mildly spiced. Serve hot with naan.
Whole aubergines charred over a flame until the skin blackens and the flesh turns soft and smoky, then chopped and tossed with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chillies. A few black specks left in the flesh add to the smoky flavour. Serve hot with yogurt and millet rotla.
The Punjabi favourite: whole black grams and a little chana dal cooked long and slow until creamy, then simmered with tomato, kasoori methi, nutmeg and butter and finished with milk and cream. It's rich, smoky-tasting and velvety. Serve hot dal makhani with naan or tandoori chapati.
Oval potato koftas with a hidden filling of paneer, cashews and raisins sharpened with lemon and chilli, fried crisp and served in a smooth tomato and onion gravy finished with cream. Add the koftas to the hot gravy only at the last minute so they stay whole. Serve immediately with naan or parathas.
Crisp-fried brinjal and potato slices layered with a rich gravy of tomatoes, fresh fenugreek (methi) and ground peanuts, tempered with mustard, cumin and asafoetida, and baked. Serve hot with naan or paratha.
Short lengths of okra slit and stuffed with a spicy masala of peanuts, coconut, onion, coriander and gram flour, then cooked covered until tender and finished with tomato. The lemon juice in the filling keeps the okra from turning sticky. Serve hot with chapaties.
Soft wheat and maize flatbreads rolled around a spicy kidney bean and potato filling, baked in a fiery tomato and red chilli sauce and topped with sour cream and cheese. Serve with extra hot sauce, sour cream, spring onions or salad.
A one-pot Gujarati meal: sweet and sour tuvar dal with kokum and peanuts, with squares of a spiced wheat and gram flour dough simmered in it until tender. If the dal thickens as the dhokri cook, add more water. Garnish with coriander and jini sev and serve hot.
An eggless quiche: a crisp wheat and potato pastry case filled with a herby tomato, vegetable, pasta and paneer mixture, topped with cheese and tomato slices. Serve hot with salad and baked potatoes.
Boiled potato halves scooped out and filled with a creamy, gently spiced vegetable stuffing, baked in a sweet tomato cream sauce under cheddar. Serve hot with garlic bread. For a change, fill them with fresh corn or mushrooms instead of mixed vegetables.
A handi-style mixed vegetable curry: potatoes, carrots, beans, peas and long pieces of brinjal cooked in a tangy yogurt gravy with ginger, garlic and chilli, finished with cream, fresh coriander and a touch of mild curry masala. Serve hot with naan or chapaties.
Small long brinjals slit and packed with a spiced filling of coconut, peanuts, gram flour, fenugreek and coriander, then cooked slowly in tomato with a topping of coarsely ground peas. For a stuffed potato and brinjal curry, fill small potatoes too and cook them the same way; for a stuffed banana curry, fill ripe bananas and cook them in a saucepan, without pressure or baking. Serve hot with chapaties or naan.
Thin pancakes folded around a spiced paneer and vegetable filling, baked in a garlicky tomato sauce under cheese and capsicum. Serve hot with green and mint chutneys.
Jacket potatoes split and piled with a spicy kidney bean and capsicum chilli, topped with sour cream and served with a crunchy mixed salad. A filling supper for two.
Soya granules soaked until soft and cooked like a kheema with lots of browned onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, fresh fenugreek and coriander, spiced with cinnamon and clove. It's hearty and high in protein, with a texture just like mince. Serve hot with naan or bread.
Steamed carrots, beans, peas and potatoes in a vivid green gravy ground from fresh coriander, spinach, mint, coconut, green chillies and whole spices. It's fresh, fragrant and spicy, and big enough for a crowd. Serve hot with naan or chopadia.
A party-sized pot of chickpeas and golden paneer cubes with stir-fried capsicum, in a deep, glossy gravy built on browned onion, ginger, garlic, tamarind and a little jaggery. Coarsely ground black pepper and halved coriander seeds in the tempering give it warmth. Serve hot with naan or bhatura.
Home-made paneer mashed with peas, carrot and potato, rolled into small koftas and fried, then dropped into a mildly spiced, creamy gravy of onion, tomato, cashew and mawa. Add the koftas only just before serving so they stay soft but whole. Serve hot with naan or paratha.
A royal potato curry: halved potatoes are hollowed out, fried golden and filled with paneer, peas, cashews and raisins, then laid in a creamy, aromatic gravy of onion, yogurt, whole spices, tomato, cashew, nutmeg and mace. Make the gravy ahead and add the potatoes just before serving so they hold their shape. Serve hot with naan or paratha.
A golden bake of blended and whole sweetcorn with potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower and spinach, tempered with curry leaves, sesame and green chilli and finished with fried cashews and raisins. A favourite for parties; serve hot.
Julienned carrots, baby corn, capsicum, beans and peas, blanched so they stay tender-crisp, tossed with fried potato fingers in a quick tomato gravy with curry leaves, mustard, ginger and amchur. It's colourful, a little tangy and spicy. Serve hot with naan or parathas.
A creamy, cheesy bake of sweetcorn, baby potatoes and spaghetti in a sauce of blended capsicum and cashews mixed with white sauce, topped with cheese and capsicum rings. Serve hot with tomato ketchup and chilli sauce.
Small capsicums and firm, unripe tomatoes hollowed out and filled with a spiced mix of potato, peas, carrot, beans and paneer seasoned with roasted cumin, chaat masala and amchur, then topped with cheddar and cooked gently until tender. A lovely dish for a dinner party. Serve hot with naan or chapaties.
A smooth, gently spiced curry of thick and thin coconut milk with a ground paste of onion, coconut, coriander, ginger and green chilli and a tempering of cumin and curry leaves. It's mild and silky, and good with almost anything. Serve hot coconut curry with any baked vegetables or rice.
Par-boiled potato halves filled with a buttery mix of sweetcorn, fresh coconut, onion, chilli and cream, topped with sesame seeds and coriander and baked. Serve hot with chilli sauce as a starter or side.
Small potatoes scooped out, deep fried and stuffed with spiced crumbled paneer, then simmered in a pale, luxurious gravy of yogurt, cashews, almonds and fresh cream. Finished with coriander, green chilli and a dusting of cinnamon, it's a true party dish. Serve hot with naan.
Tindora (ivy gourd) slit and lightly fried, then stuffed with a sweet, sour and nutty masala of peanuts, coconut, tomato and spices and cooked gently until tender. A simple everyday Gujarati shaak. Serve 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 thin, silky Gujarati kadhi of sour yogurt and gram flour, gently sweet with jaggery and fragrant with cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Stir it all the time as it comes to the boil so it doesn't split. Serve with pigeon pea lentil khichdi or rice.
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 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.
An unusual, generous one-pot curry: boiled lentils, peas, beans, carrots and a few noodles simmered in a coconut milk gravy flavoured with a fresh mint, garlic and green chilli paste and a roasted masala of fenugreek seeds, cardamom, coriander and cinnamon. A curry-leaf tempering goes on top. Serve hot with chapaties or plain boiled rice.
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 great Gujarati winter feast: papdi, fresh pigeon peas, baby potatoes, suran, sweet potato, small brinjals and ripe bananas, slit and stuffed with a green masala of fresh green garlic, coriander and coconut, slow-cooked with fried fenugreek muthia. It's cooked gently under a plate of water so the vegetables steam in their own juices. This makes a big pot for 20; serve hot with chapaties or puri.
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 rich, thick dal of pigeon pea, green gram, black and masoor lentils cooked until meltingly soft with potato, brinjal, spring onion, tomato and fenugreek, then simmered with a spiced coriander paste, tamarind and jaggery. It's sweet, sour and warming. Serve amiri dal with jeera fenugreek paratha.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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