Cumin & Coriander

A journey into cooking healthy, flavorful and delicious meals for your family, this book offers a glimpse into a North Indian home, where daily meals are cooked using local and fresh ingredients. This cookbook highlights over 50 everyday, practical recipes from North India for easy home cooking. The recipes are a blend of every day meals and dishes for special occasions. This book includes many popular Indian recipes such as pakoras, samosas, palak paneer, butter chicken, chicken masala, mango lassi, and Indian chai.

This book will enable beginners and food enthusiasts alike to incorporate ethnic Indian recipes into their everyday cooking.  We hope this cookbook lets you bring a little spice and excitement into your daily meals!

Red Potatoes and Leeks

Makes 4–6 servings

8–10 baby red potatoes, chopped into bite

size pieces

1 chopped leek

½ tsp ginger powder

1½ tsp cumin seeds

1½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp mango powder

1½ tbsp vegetable oil

salt to taste

1. Add oil to a sauté pan on medium heat.

2. When the oil is hot (not smoking), add cumin seeds.

3. When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add coriander powder and mix.

4. Add potatoes. Sauté the potatoes for 3–4 minutes.

5. Add leeks, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, ginger powder and salt.

6. Stir and cook for another 4–5 minutes until potatoes and leeks are cooked.

7. Add mango powder and garam masala. Mix well.

8. Check seasoning and adjust as required.

Serving Options

Serve it with a lentil or paneer dish and Roti/Parantha/Tandoori Roti

Fish Curry

Makes 4 –6 servings

1 lb salmon or snapper cut into bite size pieces

1 finely chopped medium onion

1 diced medium tomato

1 cup diced coloured bell peppers

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp vegetable oil

salt to taste

1. Add oil to a wok or a sauté pan on medium heat.

2. Add the diced onion when the oil is hot and sauté until the onion is golden brown.

3. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes until the garlic browns as well.

4. Add all the dry spices and sauté for a minute.

5. Add diced tomato and sauté for a couple of minutes until the tomato softens.

6. Add diced bell peppers and sauté for a couple of minutes.

7. Add fish gently to the curry and spoon the curry on top.

8. Cook for 10 minutes gently turning the fish until cooked through.

9. Check seasoning and adjust as required.

Serving Options

Serve with rice, Tandoori Roti or Roti.

Variations

You can make the same curry and substitute prawn or bite size pieces of beef, lamb or chicken for the fish.

Chai

Makes 2 servings

2 cups water

2 tsp tea leaves or 2 tea bags

3–4 thin slices of ginger

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 green cardamoms

2 cloves (optional)

1 small piece of cinnamon stick

(optional)

½ cup milk (optional)

sugar to taste

1. Add water, ginger, fennel, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat to med-low, cover the pan and boil for 5 minutes.

3. Add tea bags and sugar and boil for another 3–4 minutes.

4. If you are choosing to add milk, add now and bring to a boil.

5. Remove from heat, strain into tea cups and enjoy.

Tip

Instead of boiling the milk in the pot, you can also strain the tea into cups and then add the milk. This gives it a lighter flavor.