Date: Wed, 28 Jul 93 18:08:55 PDT From: Lol Grant Given the interest recently in Indian food, I thought I'd start posting with some Indian recipes. This is from "Slim Cuisine" by Sue Kreitzman, a lowfat (but not exclusively vegetarian) cookery book. It is particularly interesting for her technique of dealing with spices which usually require being fried in oil to prevent them having a very un-Indian, sandy, gritty texture and raw taste. Vegetable Curry --------------- Sue says "Making 8.75 Cups, this curry packs a lot of nutrition into a very low calorie, low-fat dish. The sauce is a thick & rich puree of onions, peppers, mushrooms & carrots. Serve the curry with cucumber raita & basmati rice for a delicious main dish, or serve it as part of an array of curries. I have also served it tossed into pasta.". I say, "This is one of the few dishes I have actually made (I prefer not to cook. It's time consuming & fattening). Like so many of this type of dish, the flavour improves the longer you keep it". 2 large onions, cut into eighths About 2.5 C stock 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1.5t ground cumin 1.5t ground coriander 0.5t allspice 0.5t ground turmeric 0.5t ground ginger 0.25t cayenne pepper (to taste, it varies widely in hotness) 1 small red & 1 small yellow pepper, chopped 3 carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped 0.75lb mushrooms, quartered 1T tomato puree 2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled & cut into 1.5 inch dice 1 large cauliflower, trimmed & broken into florets Juice of 1 large lemon Salt to taste 0.5lb green beans, trimmed & cut into 1.5 inch lengths 1). Separate the onion pieces into segments & spread them in a heavy frying pan. Add no liquid or fat. Heat the pan gently, cooking at moderate heat without stirring for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are sizzling, speckled with dark amber and beginning to stick to the pan. 2). Stir in 1.5C stock and deglaze the pan (i.e. let it bubble up, stirring up the browned bits in the pan with a spoon as it bubbles). Stir in the garlic, spices, peppers, carrots & mushrooms. Reduce heat & simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is very thick (not at all soupy) and the vegetables are "frying" in their own juices. Don't rush this step; it is essential that the spices should not have a raw, harsh taste. Cook very gently for a few more minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. 3). Cool slightly, then puree half the mixture in a blender & push it through a sieve. Combine the pureed and unpureed mixture in the pan. 4). Add the potatoes and cauliflower to the pan. Toss everything together very well. Pour in additional stock to reach about one third of the way up the sides of the pan. Squeeze the lemon juice over the contents of the pan. Season with salt, bring to a boil. 5). Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the beans & continue simmering for 5 minutes more or until all the vegetables are tender. Note: this reheats very well. If you plan to cook it ahead, undercook the curry slightly so that the vegetables do not become mushy when they are reheated.