This is a very simple and tasty vegetable. This can be served with Basmati rice or with Indian flatbreads.

2 Cups Potatoes peeled and cubed

2 Cups Cauliflower Florets

1Cup Peas

4 Tbs. Cooking Oil

1 Tbs Whole Cumin Seeds

1 tbs. Jalapenos chopped

1 Tbs. Turmeric Powder

1 Tbs Paprika Powder

1 Tbs. Salt

1 Tbs Sugar

1 Cup Water

1 Tbs. Clarified Butter

1 Tsp. Garam Masala

Heat the oil in a pot and add the cumin seeds and jalapenos. After frying them for sometime add the potatoes. After the potatoes are fried for sometime add the cauliflower florets and all the ground spices, salt, sugar and peas. Add one cup of water and when everything is heated cover and simmer on low heat for about twenty minutes, stirring in between. After everything is cooked add the garam masala and ghee and serve.

The word Khichuri literally means a hotchpotch or a mixture

2 Cups Mung Bean Dal, or split yellow Lentils available at the Indian Groceries or Asian and Thai markets. You could substitute with split Red Lentils available at regular grocery stores.

1 Cup Basmati Rice

4 Tbs. Ghee, clarified butter, or cooking oil

2 Bay Leaves

2 Whole Cayenne Peppers

1 Tsp. Cumin Seeds, whole

1 Jalapeno or two Serranos chopped fine

1 Tsp. Asafoetida or Hing powder (available at Asian or Indian grocers)

1 Tomato chopped, about one cup

1 Tbs. Fresh ginger peeled and grated

1Tsp. Turmeric powder

1 Tbs. Roasted and ground Cumin Seeds

1Tbs. Salt

1Tbs. Sugar

1Tsp Garam Masala (Equal amounts of Cardamom Cinnamon and Clove ground together)

6 Cups Water (You might need more)

In a big stockpot boil about 6 cups of water. Wash the Mung Bean Dal and put it in the pot with the turmeric powder. After the dal gets soft and starts to fall apart add the Basmati Rice. After the Basmati Rice cooks for about five minutes add the roasted Cumin Seed Powder. The consistency of this dish should be like the American chili. If you need more water add hot water so as not to slow down the cooking. After the rice is cooked but not glutinous turn the heat off the pot but keep it covered.

In a small pan heat three tablespoons of the ghee or oil. Put the bay leaves, cumin seeds, whole cayenne peppers whole and the Asafoetida. Keep stirring constantly and reduce the heat so as not to burn. Add the grated ginger and fry it a little bit. When the flavor starts coming out and the ginger turns a little light brown in color, mix the whole thing in the stockpot with the salt and sugar and start simmering it again. Add the green chilies, the remaining tablespoon of the ghee and the Garam Masala. Serve hot. You can be creative and add different types of vegetables to this stew. This stew is a meal in itself.

1/2 Cup Fine sugar

1 Cup Brown sugar

1 Tbs. Salt

1Tbs. Peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 Tbs. Whole mustard seeds

1 Tsp. Crushed red pepper

1 Tbs. Cooking oil

Heat the oil in a pot and put the mustard seeds and the crushed peppers in. When they start popping add the ginger. Fry the ginger a little bit and then add the cranberries, sugars, salt and simmer the chutney in medium heat till the cranberries are mushy and there is a thick gravy. Serve as a condiment or sweet chutney on the side with dinner.

1 Green lime juiced.

1 Tsp. Roasted and ground Ground Cumin seeds.

1 Tsp. Kala Namak or Rock Salt Powder available at Indian Groceries already powdered and if not available, use regular Salt.

1 Tsp. Sugar

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1 Cup Chopped Cilantro

2 Tbs. Fresh Mint Leaves minced fine

Mix everything together in a bowl and serve as a condiment with dinner or as an appetizer with chips.

This cuisine is a special one and it is better to search for small sized whole vegetables.

1 Cup Small whole potatoes.

1 Cup Small onions peeled

1 Cup Frozen peas

1 Cup Butternut Squash peeled, and chopped

1 Cup Baby carrots

1 Bunch Spinach Leaves

1 Cup Brussel Sprouts

2 Plantains

2 Tarro Root this can be found in Asian markets or in regular grocery stores

You can be creative and add any vegetables. Do not stick to the rules, if you have bigger vegetables cut them in chunks.

Boil the vegetables together with 1 cup of water and after they are cooked try to dry the water up as much as possible on high heat taking care not to burn them. Cool the vegetables and mix them in a bowl with:

2 Tbs. Mustard Oil available at Asian or Indian Groceries. You can also use Ghee or Clarified Butter

1 Tbs. Ground hot mustard powder

1 Tbs. Salt

1 Green Lime or Yellow Lemon juiced

1/2 Cup Chopped cilantro

1 Jalapeno or two Serranos chopped.

Serve with plain rice or the rice and lentil stew.

4 Big Potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed.

1 Tbs. Ground Black Pepper

1 Tbs. Ghee or Clarified Butter or cooking oil

1 Tsp. Salt.

1 Cup Water

In a pan or cooking pot heat the ghee or clarified butter, or canola oil. Add the potatoes and salt and start cooking on medium heat until the potatoes mix well with everything. Add the ground black pepper and keep cooking. Add the water, lower the heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are more soft and the water is dried up. Serve over rice, toasted bread or with Kitchuri.

Methi Aloo

Fenugreek and Potatoes

2 Cups Potatoes chopped up small with skin on

1 Cup Fenugreek leaves chopped up small or you can get dried ones at some Indian or Asian grocery.

2 Tbs. Safflower or Vegetable Oil

½ Tsp. Whole Fenugreek Seeds

½ Tsp. Whole Mustard Seeds

½ Cup Chopped fresh Tomatoes

1 Tsp. Sugar, optional

1 Tsp. Salt or to taste

1 Cup Water

If you find fresh Fenugreek leaves, just pull out the leaves only and discard the stems. Chop the leaves fine. Otherwise you can only use the whole fenugreek seed as a seasoning. Heat the oil, and put in the whole fenugreek and mustard seeds. As they pop, add the potatoes, sugar and salt. Fry these in medium heat for about five minutes and add the water. When the potatoes come to a boil, turn the heat as low as possible and cover the pot. After about seven more minutes check and stir and put in the tomatoes. Cook some more till you have a thick sauce over the potatoes. You are free to add any other vegetables or Spinach with this too. Serve with chapatis or over rice, with a little plain yogurt on the side if you are Vegan use a non dairy yogurt substitute.

There are a lot of different foods you can make for breakfast in India. You can fry onions with tomatoes, green chili and cilantro, add cream of wheat and some water, the result should be wet and dry. This is called Upma in South India. You can also make pancakes with rice flour called Appams. Appams are gluten free but the flatbreads and Upma are not. You can always experiment making the breads with gluten free flour too. Cooking is so much fun, almost anything is possible to make. In North India most people prefer Daal, Lentils and Rotis or Flatbread. Puris or fried bread is sometimes served with mixed vegetables. Sundays and holidays when everybody is home many different items are made in the morning because lunch is usually late, around 1.00pm. Children mostly eat Chapatis with fruit and milk or rice and milk. It gets difficult to mention everything because there are so many things you can make and still invent. Cooking is an on going art that never stops. Every chef cooks his or her own way. I am still learning.