Taro is thought to be a native plant of South India and it was the poor man’s potato until the latter became very cheap. Growing up, when the taro plants sprouted amongst the paddy fields, we knew the summer was over, and soon school would be back in session and the rivers would be full.
The taro’s leaves grow as big as an elephant ear, and during the monsoon, it was almost scary to see these monstrous leaves. Even today, during Spring, it gives me so much pleasure to see similar leafy plants, like hosta, sprout up around here. I almost always stop to take pictures and remember the paddy fields with taro plants from my childhood!
In the South, the favorite way to cook this root is to deep fry it, but I wanted to figure out a healthy alternate. Taro roots contain toxic substances, and need to be cooked well. The IP provides excellent control while cooking taro root, and this recipe is a simple and a healthy way to cook it.
Taro Roast is a pure vegetarian and a vegan dish. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Taro Root (cheppankizangu, colocasia) Roast
In the South, the favorite way to cook this root is to deep fry it, but I wanted to figure out a healthy alternate. Taro roots contain toxic substances, and need to be cooked well. The IP provides excellent control while cooking taro root, and this recipe is a simple and a healthy way to cook it. This is a pure vegetarian and a vegan dish. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Add 1.5 cups of water into the Inner Pot of the Instant Pot (IP). Insert a stainless-steel steamer basket. Place the taro roots in the steamer basket.
Select ‘Steam’ with vent sealed, and cook for 6 min. Once the steam cycle is done, let the IP cool down and the pressure go down naturally.
When the IP has cooled down, open the lid and wait for the taro roots to cool down for about 5 minutes.
Peel off the skin (it should come off easily) and slice the taro root into ¼” round pieces.
Pour the contents of the dry spices into a wide non-stick frying pan (put the spices in one small area of the frying pan).
Pour vegetable oil over the spices (need enough to wet the pan surface plus a little more).
Heat on medium high. When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," spread the cooked taro roots evenly across the surface of the pan. Let them fry.
Add salt. Sprinkle turmeric powder, sambar powder, and the red chili powder uniformly over the surface of the taro roots.
Periodically flip the taro roots, each time spraying with canned aerosol vegetable oil. Continue to sprinkle red chili powder and sambar powder over the surface as needed.
Keep the heat on medium high and slowly dry roast the taro roots until desired color and crispiness are achieved.
Since the taro roots absorb nearly all moisture while they cook, sprinkling water on them occasionally may help to cook the taro roots with spices uniformly.
Once done, sprinkle a few cilantro leaves on top as garnish and serve hot.
What would a Madarasi do when cooking a Chole Masala? He naturally would add a spoon or two (or more) of sambar powder. I have been cooking this version of Chole for a long time and I would say this is a perfect blend of North and TamBram cooking traditions, resulting in a mouthwatering dish. It is the combination of sambar, chana and garam masala powders that gives this fusion its aroma and taste. For a TamBram, it is the sight of the black mustard seeds floating in the chole that makes this dish so homey. There is something in it for a Punjabi too. The alluring taste of amchoor and the masala smell is enough to make this dish at least partially Punjabi. But why add jaggery to this dish, you may ask. For a long time, this was a deliberately kept secret by the old-time wedding cooks in Madras. Their sambars were notoriously good and no one was able to figure out why. Legend has it that the master cooks wouldn’t even tell their own crews what it was. The master cook would come in at the final hour to taste the sambar, and pull out a packet of jaggery and mix it without telling anyone about it. But here is a word of caution, jaggery needs to be added in just the right amount. As they say in Tamil, beyond its limit, even the immortal nectar (amrit) becomes poisonous.
This is a pure vegetarian food, and you can make it vegan by substituting vegetable oil for the butter. It can also be prepared as a gluten free food, if you avoid the hing while garnishing/cooking.
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Madarasi Chole Masala
I have been cooking this version of Chole for a long time and I would say this is a perfect blend of North and TamBram cooking traditions, resulting in a mouthwatering dish. It is the combination of sambar, chana and garam masala powders that gives this fusion its aroma and taste. For a TamBram, it is the sight of the black mustard seeds floating in the chole that makes this dish so homey. This is a pure vegetarian food, and you can make it vegan by substituting vegetable oil for the butter. It can also be prepared as a gluten free food, if you avoid the hing while garnishing/cooking.
Carefully remove any small stones or bad garbanzo beans. Rinse the beans thoroughly and soak them overnight.
Pour the contents of the dry spices into the instant pot inner pot (IP) (put the spices in one small area of the pot). Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," add the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Stir until the butter melts and the chilies and garlic/ginger paste mix well together.
Add onions to the pot. Stir occasionally until the onions are cooked to a 'golden brown' color.
Add salt, sambar powder, masala powder, channa masala powder and the turmeric powder. Mix them well and let them cook together. Add a cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
Add the diced tomatoes. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices. Bring it to a boil.
Rinse the garbanzos and pour them into to the IP. Add Potatoes. Add about 1.0 cup of water, but ensure that the water is just enough and it is not too much.
On manual high pressure with the vent closed, cook them for 10 minutes. Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add jaggery when the contents are still hot and stir it well.
Chutney is assimilated into local food traditions so much so that the very meaning of it varies depending on who you ask. For a Westerner, it may be a kind of a jam, somewhat sweet, and sometimes sour, but most definitely invented by a British Major named Grey! In reality, however, chutney is the oldest known pickling process that evolved in India some three thousand years ago. It literally means ‘finger licking’ and it is usually spicy hot, particularly in Southern India. It is served as a dip, or as a side dish. For me, having tomato chutney served with masala vada is heaven. Here is a recipe for a delicious spicy tomato chutney. It is inspired by the Andhra style of cooking and made deliberately on the spicy side. Its characteristic ‘bite’ is the result of using a large amount of onion. It is particularly well suited as a side dish for any afternoon tiffin varieties, but is also great as a dip. It is certainly finger licking good!
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Tomato Chutney
Here is a recipe for a delicious spicy tomato chutney. It is inspired by the Andhra style of cooking and cooked deliberately on the spicy side. It uses large amount of onion to give its characteristic 'bite'. It is particularly well suited as a side dish for any afternoon tiffin varieties, but also great as a dip. It is certainly finger licking good! It is gluten free and will be a vegan dish if you remove or substitute butter in this recipe.
Pour the contents of the dry spices into a wide non-stick frying pan (put the spices in one small area of the frying pan). Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Heat on medium. When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," add the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Stir until the butter melts and the chilies and garlic/ginger paste mix well together.
Add onions to the frying pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are cooked to a 'golden brown' color.
Add salt and sambar powder. Mix them well and let them cook together. Add a cup of water to the frying pan and bring to a boil.
Add the diced tomatoes to the frying pan right after the first boil. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices. Add a ½ cup of water.
Stir just enough until all the spices are mixed with the cooked tomato and the water is somewhat gone. It should still be a good moist paste, with well-cooked tomatoes.
Turn the stove off. Allow it cool.
Once cooled, use a blender to make a purée with a good thick consistency. If water is needed, add minimally.
Of course, a dish as popular as Sambar must have a real tall tale to showcase its mighty origin! One day, Sambaji (none other than the son of the great Maratha warrior Sivaji), who also happens to be a great cook, finds himself without his favorite ingredients in his cousin’s kingly court kitchen in Tanjore. He magically creates this world-famous dish with local ingredients and aptly names it after himself – Sambar! Whether you relegate this to the great storytelling ability of our people or assign it to historians for further research, it is in general agreed, that the origin of this dish must have been from a modest Tanjore Brahmin’s kitchen and has since spread across South India over time. In doing so, it has incorporated elements of local cuisine, such as adding coconut in Kerala or even jaggery in Karnataka. But the real credit goes to the Udupi hoteliers who popularized their version of Sambar, which is sometimes referred to as ‘Hotel Sambar.’ It is this version that has ‘traveled the world and seven seas’ to become ubiquitous in all Madrasi restaurants and kitchens alike.
Sambar – The Spicy Soul
When my mother heard that I am going abroad for my studies, she immediately made sure that I learned to cook Sambar, and she sent me off with a packet of Sambar powder. Ever since then, I have been evolving my Sambar recipe. Now it contains all the key elements of all the Sambar recipes that I have come across. Try it for yourself…I think you’ll really enjoy it!
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Sambar (Vegetable lentil stew)
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic/ginger paste mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add onions to pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft, just until they are translucent.
Add salt, sambar powder, and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, mix them well and let them cook together. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Bring it to a boil. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1 cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (6 cups of) water
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
In a bowl, add the tamarind, and add a cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes. Once cool, make a puree by squeezing. Remove all pulp. Dilute the tamarind, if needed, for the right consistency and keep 1 cup of tamarind juice aside.
Add all the ingredients (except the coconut) for the paste to a small frying pan and add 2 tsp of oil. Fry them on medium heat until the lentils become slightly brown.
Grind the fried spices into a fine paste using a grinder and by adding enough water to achieve a paste consistency.
Open the grinder, add the coconut and grind them together for a few seconds. Set aside the paste.
In a small frying pan, add a bit of oil, some salt and gently sauté the cut vegetable until it is about half cooked. Add a small amount of water if necessary.
Add the tamarind juice, and the ground paste to the pan and cook them all together until they come to a boil. Turn off the stove after it has reached a boil.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the Cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add the cooked ingredients to the inner pot. Add water, if needed, for consistency. Set the IP for ‘slow cook’ high for 30 minutes. Close the lid, with the vent open.
Once done, taste and add salt if necessary. Add Jaggery (optional), if preferred.
Add in fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve hot over rice.
This is one of my favorite ways to make Dhal. It is very simple to make in the IP and has served as a complete meal on way too many occasions. This dish also happens to be the very first one that I really mastered. It’s inspired by the ever so popular Andhra Tomato Pappu. Over the years, this has become my go-to comfort food, and I often crave for this Dhal on rice along with a few (or more) fresh potato chips. Sometimes life’s “most simple things can bring the most happiness.”
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Andhra Tomato Pappu (Lentil Soup)
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic/ginger paste mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add onions to pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft, just until they are translucent.
Add salt, sambar powder, turmeric powder, and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, mix them well and let them cook together. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Bring it to a boil. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1 cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (4.5 to 6 cups of) water. Adjust water based on the consistency you are looking for.
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the Cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add in fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve hot over rice.
