How To Do It (With Food): Indianesque Cooking--Quick and Satisfying

I've been enjoying Indian cuisine of many kinds as long as I've lived in the Bay Area, home to a large population of emigres and the restaurants that support their cultural heritage.

I've been trying to cook Indian dishes just about as long, with help from Madhur Jaffrey and her wonderful cookbooks, as well as the local groceries that carry Indian spices and other ingredients.

What I'm going to describe in this post is an "Indianesque" one-pan dinner, and I need to say up front that it is probably not a real Indian dish, but it incorporates many aspects of typical Indian dishes and ingredients. Here's your grocery list:

2 c. masoor daal* (split peas that are orange ["red"] rather than green)
1. c. basmati rice (regular white rice works, as long as it's not instant)
2 Anaheim chile peppers (or one can of fire-roasted green chiles)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger root (or 1 tsp. ground)
1 can diced tomatoes (in summer, use 2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped)

1 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds (or 1 Tbsp. ground cumin)
1/4 tsp. turmeric (if you have curry powder, this works fine here)
1 tsp. roasted cumin seeds (from Indian grocery) optional
fresh chopped cilantro
plain unflavored yogurt

*often found in the kosher section if your grocery has one

Crushing garlic is easy: use the back of the knife to whack the whole clove (therapeutic!) and the outer papery skin will come off easily. Then chop.

Basmati rice is best because it has a distinctive flavor. This is brown basmati rice, even more nutty than the white variety.

Set a full kettle on to boil. Rinse rice in a strainer, shaking to remove excess water.

Place cumin seeds, turmeric, and roasted cumin in a small container to have ready.

Dice one onion and two cloves of garlic.

Heat oil in large skillet or shallow pot. When hot, add spices and stir.

Being careful not to let the spices burn, stir gently.

Add onion/garlic mixture and chopped fresh ginger (if powdered ginger is used, it can go in the dry spice mix you began with). This is fresh ginger (on right) and is best stored by wrapping in aluminum foil and keeping in the freezer. I let it sit for a few minutes after removing from the freezer before chopping up.

Add rice and continue stirring.

Rinse masoor daal (red lentils) and shake to remove excess water.

Add lentils and stir.

Tea kettle should have boiled by now; when rice and lentil mixture is sizzling, stir well and add kettle of water. Also add diced green chiles.

Turn heat down to medium and place lid on, partly ajar.

Water will be absorbed quickly, so immediately set another kettle to boil; when it has done so, add this water to the cooking lentil/rice mixture. Cook on medium heat.

Keep covered, stirring every few minutes. After five minutes, add canned tomatoes and stir in. Replace lid, cook again over medium heat, for another 8-10 minutes. Add 2-3 tsp. salt (to taste) and adjust seasonings.