Easy Indian Cooking by Hari Nayak

coriander
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt, to taste
1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef
One 8-oz (250-g) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
½ cup (20 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped

    1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cumin seeds, red chili peppers and mustard seeds. They should splatter upon contact with the hot oil.
    2 Add the onion and sauté, stirring constantly until softened, about 2 minutes. Mix in the coconut, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and salt. Stir until the mixture is golden, about 5 minutes.
    3 Add the ground meat. Cook, stirring until the meat is slightly brown, about 10 minutes.
    4 Add the beans, tomato and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and half of the fresh coriander and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with the remainder of the fresh coriander.

 
kashmiri meatballs
    Serves 4
Preparation 10 minutes
Cooking 35 minutes
Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian food that is very rich on the palette—a comfort dish to many. Authentic preparations feature onions sautéd in lard. I have used some aromatic spices to give it an Indian twist, including paprika, which is easily available at the grocery store. I use sour cream instead of the heavy cream to cut down on the richness of the dish. You could use meatballs that are available in the frozen aisle at your grocer’s or, if you have the time, you can make the meatballs from scratch as described here. Serve this with Indian breads like the Fresh-Baked Rosemary Naan (page 75).
2 tablespoons oil
1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 large tomato, diced
1 cup (230 g) sour cream
½ cup (125 ml) water, as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
Spiced Meatballs
2 lbs (1 kg) lean ground lamb
4-in (10-cm) piece peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon salt

    1 To make the Spiced Meatballs, add the lamb, ginger, fennel, garam masala, cumin, cardamom and salt in a food processor. Grind the mixture until smooth.
    2 Divide and shape the meat mixture into 2-oz (50-g) portions. Refrigerate until ready to use.
    3 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and onion, and cook until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the paprika and the salt and fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato, remove from the heat, and slowly stir in the sour cream.
    4 Carefully add the chilled meatballs and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, over very low heat until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is thick. Add up to ½ cup (125 ml) of water, if necessary, during cooking to maintain a thick, sauce-like consistency. Serve garnished with the fresh coriander.

 
chipotle pork chops
    Serves 4
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 30 minutes
I love experimenting with the various kinds of Mexican chili peppers. For this dish I substitute Mexican chili peppers for the traditional Indian choices, which gives this tikka an absolutely unique sweet and smoky flavor. As a variation to the method given below, you could skewer individual pieces of meat and grill them outdoors. If I’m serving this dish indoors, I like to offer a side of a Cannellini Dal Fry (page 86) and Spinach and Thyme Roti Flatbreads (page 76).
4 boneless pork loin chops, 1½ in thick
3 tablespoons oil
1 large red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1-in (2.5-cm) piece peeled and minced fresh ginger
¼ cup (65 ml) water
1 dried chipotle chili, chopped
½ cup (20 g) fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
Chipotle Chili