Louki Raita (Zucchini in Creamy Yogurt)
(Gourmet Magazine)
Courtesy of Mike (MMazzarese@aol.com)

3 medium zucchini
1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (preferably Middle Eastern)
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh coriander sprigs
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons whole milk, if necessary

Grate zucchini on largest holes of a four-sided grater. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water blanch zucchini 1 minute. Immediately drain zucchini in a sieve and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Squeeze zucchini dry by small handfuls and transfer to a bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding enough milk to reach desired consistency. Raita may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Serve raita at cool temperature.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Indian-style Chick Peas
Courtesy of Amy

1 large onion, chopped coarsely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, mustard seeds, (or 1 1/2 tsp. garam masala)
2 cans chickpeas (about 3 1/2 )
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. peanut butter

Saute onion and garlic in nonstick pot until slightly browned. Add indian spices and cook about 30 seconds, or until spices start to give off wonderful smells and turn slightly brown. Add chick peas with half their liquid if
canned, with some cooking broth if cooked from scratch. add lemon juice and tomato paste. Cook about 10 minutes, to let chickpeas heat through. Stir in peanut butter and cook a few minutes more. season with and pepper to taste and serve over rice.

Bengali Khatti Mithi Chana Dal
Sweet and Sour Chana Dal
Serves: 6
Courtesy of Iara <IL918@aol.com>

300 gms chana dal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp onion seeds
1/4 tsp ani seeds
5 whole red chillies
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup fresh coconut sliced into 2 cms long pieces
2 tbsps raisins
Oil
Salt to taste

Soak the dal for 4 hours in water. Pressure cook till soft. Add turmeric, salt and sugar. Keep aside. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek, aniseeds, broken red chillies, onion seeds, bay leaves,coconut chips and raisins. Fry gently till golden. Pour the cooked dal into the fried masala. Add enough water to cook and make into a
thick gravy. Simmer and serve with 'loochies' or 'puris'.

Oondhiyoon
Mixed Winter Vegetables
Serves: 6
Courtesy of Iara <IL918@aol.com>

100 gms small potatoes, peeled, halved
100 gms small papdi beans, split into two each
100 gms peas, shelled
100 gms small brinjals, quartered with stems intact
2 bananas, cut into three pieces each
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 coconut, grated
2 cups methi leaves, chopped
2 cups coriander leaves, chopped
1 small kand
4 cms piece ginger, ground
4 green chillies, ground
4 tbsps gram flour, sieved
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsps coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp curd
1 lemon
2 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp soda bicarb
1 tsp ajwain
A pinch of asafetida
Oil
Salt to taste

Add the methi leaves to the gram flour together with 1/3 of the masalas given in the ingredients ginger and green chillies paste, coriander, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Add curds, sugar and1 tbsp oil. Form a stiff dough. Shape into long sausage like rolls . Deep fry the rolls in hot oil till brown. Keep aside. Mix the grated coconut with the rest of the masalas. Heat 6 tbsps oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafetida and ajwain. Add soda bicarb. Put in all the vegetables, the coconut, masalas, salt and the muthiya rolls. Cover and cook till tender. Sprinkle lime juice and coriander leaves over the oondhiyoon before serving with hot puris.

Methi ki Missi Roti
Fenugreek Leaf Rotis
Serves: 4
Courtesy of Iara <IL918@aol.com>

1/2 kg wheat flour, sieved
4 tbsps gram flour, sieved
1 cup methi leaves, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped finely
3 tbsps curds, well beaten
Ghee
Salt to taste

Mix wheat flour with gram flour, salt, curds, 1 tbsp ghee, onions and methi leaves. Mix well. Add enough water to make a stiff dough. Reserve for 30 minutes. Make into lemon-sized balls. Roll each into a 12 cms disc. Cook on a hot greased griddle till browned on both sides. Serve hot, dotted with butter.