RAG Demo

Tag: No onion no garlic

  • Chana Madra

    Madra is a cornerstone of Himachali dham, the traditional festive meal served on leaf plates at weddings and temple fairs in Chamba, Kangra and Mandi. It is cooked by botis, hereditary Brahmin cooks, in large brass vessels over wood fires, and the dham menu would be incomplete without it. Cooking it is a matter of pride.

    The dish is defined by yogurt slowly cooked in plenty of ghee with whole spices: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and sometimes a pinch of nutmeg. There is no onion, garlic or tomato. The gravy is pale, creamy and mildly tangy, coating soft chickpeas, and the aroma of ghee and cardamom fills the kitchen. Kidney beans or a mix of vegetables can be used instead of chana.

    It is eaten with steamed rice as part of the dham, alongside dishes like rajmah, kadhi and meetha bhat. At home it is made for festivals and special lunches. It is rich, so a small helping is enough. The key is slow, patient cooking of the curd in ghee, stirring constantly so it does not split. Leftovers keep well for a day in the fridge and can be loosened with a splash of warm water when reheated.

    At a glance

    RegionHimachal Pradesh
    CuisineHimachali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschickpeas / yogurt / ghee / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup kabuli chana, soaked overnight
    • 1 1/2 cups thick curd
    • 1 tbsp besan
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 4 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A pinch of nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp chopped raisins (optional)
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the chana with 3 cups water and salt for 1 whistle on high and 15 minutes on low until soft but holding shape. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
    2. Whisk the curd with besan, turmeric, coriander powder and chilli powder until completely smooth.
    3. Heat ghee in a heavy kadai on medium. Add hing, cumin, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and let them sizzle 30 seconds.
    4. Add the drained chana and fry in the ghee for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring gently, until lightly coated and fragrant.
    5. Lower the heat to the minimum. Pour in the curd mixture slowly, stirring constantly in one direction.
    6. Keep stirring on low for 8 to 10 minutes until the curd comes to a boil and thickens without splitting.
    7. Add the reserved chana water a little at a time to reach a medium-thick gravy. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes until ghee shows on the surface.
    8. Finish with black pepper, cardamom powder, nutmeg and raisins. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Besan stabilises the curd; constant stirring until it boils does the rest.
    • Do not skimp on ghee – it is central to the flavour of madra.
    • Try rajma madra or a mixed-vegetable madra with the same method.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice, as part of a Himachali dham.

  • Rogan Josh

    Rogan josh is the best-known dish of the Kashmiri wazwan and of Kashmiri Pandit home cooking. Rogan refers to the fat or red oil, and josh to heat or intensity. The Persian-influenced dish took two directions in the valley: Muslim cooks use onions, garlic and maval (cockscomb flower) for colour, while Pandit kitchens skip onion and garlic entirely and rely on asafoetida, yogurt and spice.

    This Pandit version gets its brilliant red from Kashmiri chillies, which are mild and fragrant, and its distinctive character from fennel powder and sonth (dry ginger), the two pillars of Kashmiri spicing. Mutton is browned in mustard oil, simmered in whisked yogurt, and cooked until tender with a thin layer of red oil floating on top.

    It is served on festive days like Shivratri (Herath) and at family feasts, always with plain steamed rice. A good rogan josh is never thick or creamy; the gravy should be thin and intensely flavoured. In Pandit homes it is cooked in large quantities for Herath and eaten over several days. The flavour deepens overnight, so it is a good dish to make ahead. Kashmiri households also serve it alongside haak and a simple radish chutney to cut through the richness of the meat.

    At a glance

    RegionJammu and Kashmir
    CuisineKashmiri
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / yogurt / Kashmiri red chilli / fennel powder / dry ginger

    Ingredients

    • 750 g bone-in mutton (shoulder and leg), 5 cm pieces
    • 5 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida), dissolved in 2 tbsp water
    • 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
    • 1 cup thick curd, whisked smooth
    • 3 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder mixed with 3 tbsp water
    • 2 tsp saunf (fennel) powder
    • 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cups hot water

    Method

    1. Heat mustard oil in a heavy pot until it smokes, then let it cool for 30 seconds and set the heat to medium.
    2. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Add the mutton and salt and fry on medium-high for 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until the meat is browned and the juices have dried.
    3. Add the hing water; it will splutter. Stir for a minute.
    4. Add the Kashmiri chilli paste and stir-fry 2 minutes until the oil turns deep red.
    5. Lower the heat. Add the whisked curd a few spoons at a time, stirring constantly, so it does not curdle. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until the curd is absorbed and oil separates.
    6. Add fennel powder, dry ginger and turmeric and stir 1 minute. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil.
    7. Cover and simmer on low for 60 to 70 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mutton is very tender and the gravy has reduced to a thin, red sauce with oil on top. (Or pressure cook 4 to 5 whistles.)
    8. Sprinkle garam masala, rest 10 minutes and serve.

    Tips

    • Kashmiri chillies give colour without much heat; do not substitute regular chilli powder one to one.
    • Whisk the curd until completely smooth and add it slowly on low heat.
    • Bone-in meat is essential for body in the gravy, since there is no onion base.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice.

  • Kashmiri Dum Aloo

    Dum aloo is one of the most loved vegetarian dishes of Kashmir, served at Pandit weddings and festivals and eaten through the cold winters. Kashmiri cooking traditionally uses no tomatoes and, in Pandit kitchens, no onion or garlic, so the colour comes from Kashmiri chillies and the depth from yogurt, fennel and dry ginger.

    Small potatoes are boiled, pricked all over and deep fried until a crust forms, then cooked slowly in a red, yogurt-based gravy until they soak it up. The potatoes look fiery but taste aromatic rather than very hot, with a warm, slightly sweet fennel flavour and a sheen of red oil on the surface.

    It is eaten with plain rice or with roti, often alongside other Kashmiri dishes like haak (collard greens) and nadru yakhni. It is the vegetarian star of a Kashmiri feast. The potatoes can be boiled and fried a few hours ahead, leaving only the short simmer before serving. Choose small potatoes of even size so that they cook evenly and absorb the gravy at the same rate. A spoon of the red oil from the top makes a perfect drizzle over rice.

    At a glance

    RegionJammu and Kashmir
    CuisineKashmiri
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbaby potatoes / yogurt / Kashmiri red chilli / fennel powder

    Ingredients

    • 500 g baby potatoes, similar size
    • Mustard oil for deep frying
    • 1/4 tsp hing
    • 2 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 black cardamom
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 3/4 cup thick curd, whisked
    • 1 1/2 tsp saunf powder
    • 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tsp salt

    Method

    1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes until just tender. Peel while warm and prick each one all over with a fork or toothpick.
    2. Heat mustard oil in a kadai until it smokes, then lower to medium. Deep fry the potatoes for 6 to 8 minutes until golden and slightly crusty. Drain.
    3. Remove all but 3 tbsp oil from the kadai. On medium heat, add hing and the whole spices and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
    4. Take the pan off the heat. Mix the chilli powder with 2 tbsp water and add it, then return to low heat and stir 30 seconds until the oil turns red.
    5. Add the curd gradually, stirring constantly on low heat, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens and loses its raw smell.
    6. Add fennel powder, dry ginger, turmeric, salt and water. Bring to a simmer.
    7. Add the fried potatoes, cover and cook on low (dum) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes have absorbed the gravy and red oil floats on top.
    8. Sprinkle garam masala and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Pricking the potatoes lets the gravy seep in; do not skip it.
    • Adding chilli powder off the heat keeps it from burning and keeps the colour bright.
    • Some families add a pinch of ratan jot to the oil for an even deeper red.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice or phulkas.

  • Olan

    Olan is the mildest curry on the Onam sadya leaf, and it is there on purpose: after the tang of pulissery and the heat of pickles, olan cools and calms the palate. It is a simple preparation of ash gourd, sometimes with pumpkin, and red cowpeas, cooked in coconut milk with nothing more than green chillies, salt and curry leaves.

    It is pale, light and delicately sweet, with the ash gourd turning translucent and soft. There are no ground spices, no tempering and no onions in the traditional version, so the quality of the coconut milk and the fresh coconut oil at the end matter a great deal. It is eaten with rice, and many people enjoy it the next day too.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsash gourd / red cowpeas / coconut milk / green chillies

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup red cowpeas (vanpayar), soaked 6 hours
    • 400 g ash gourd (kumbalanga), peeled and cut into thin 3 cm squares
    • 100 g yellow pumpkin, thinly sliced (optional)
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 cup thin coconut milk
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1.5 tbsp raw coconut oil

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked cowpeas with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt for 3-4 whistles until soft but whole. Drain.
    2. Put the ash gourd, pumpkin, green chillies and salt in a pan with the thin coconut milk.
    3. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the ash gourd turns translucent and is soft when pressed.
    4. Add the cooked cowpeas and simmer for 2-3 minutes so they absorb the flavour.
    5. Lower the heat to the minimum and stir in the thick coconut milk. Heat gently for 1-2 minutes until just hot, without boiling, then switch off.
    6. Add the curry leaves and drizzle the coconut oil over the top. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Cut the ash gourd thin and even so it cooks quickly and uniformly.
    • Black-eyed beans can replace red cowpeas, though red cowpeas are traditional.
    • Use fresh coconut milk if possible; canned milk makes olan heavier.

    Serve with

    Kerala matta rice with sambar, thoran and pappadam as part of a sadya.