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Serves: 1 cup 
Prep time: 20 minutes (active); 30 minutes (inactive)

#### What you’ll need:

- 10 dates
- 1 ball fresh tamarind (small lime sized)/ 1 tbsp tamarind paste (I get my fresh tamarind slab from the local Indian store)
- 1 cup water + 3/4 cup water + 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp salt

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Soak the dates in hot water for 30 minutes to soften them
- If you are using fresh tamarind, soak the tamarind ball in 1/2 cup hot water for a few minutes
- Once the tamarind has soaked, stir to mix fully
- Use a strainer to separate the raw tamarind from the water
- Start boiling the tamarind 1 cup water on the stove in a medium sized pot. If you are using tamarind paste, add 1 tbsp of the paste to 1 cup of water and start boiling
- Add the palm sugar and fennel seeds to the tamarind-water and let this boil for 10 minutes
- While that is boiling, peel and deseed the softened dates and user a mixer to blend it together, with 3/4 cup of water. Blend until you get a paste (it should be a little thick)
- Set this aside and focus back on the boiling tamarind water
- Add the red chili powder, cumin powder and salt. By now this should be steadily boiling and bubbling
- Switch off the flame and mix in the blended dates
- Set aside to cool and wait for the flavors to meld in with each other
- Serve with my Hara[ Bara Kebab](https://shruskitchen.com/hara-bhara-kebab/) or [Vegetable cutlets](https://shruskitchen.com/vegetable-cutlets/), along with some delicious [coriander and mint chutney](https://shruskitchen.com/coriander-and-mint-chutney/)!

Sauces and Dips

Indian Food

Tamarind and Date Sweet Chutney

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Breakfast

Indian Spiced Flattened Rice (Poha)

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Serves: 2-3 people 
Prep time: 10 mins (active), 30 mins (inactive)

#### What you’ll need:

- 30 pieces of okra
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp red chili powder (scale back if sensitive to spice)
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Pre-heat the oven to 400F
- Slice each piece of okra into half length-wise
- Mix with olive oil and all the spice powders in a large bowl
- On a large baking sheet arrange each piece of sliced okra leaving half an inch between pieces, before placing in the oven
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping in-between
- Serve with dhal and rice for a wholesome and hearty meal!

Dinner

Indian Spiced Okra Fries

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Serves: 1 cup 
Prep time: 5 minutes

#### What you’ll need:

- 1 cup packed mint leaves
- 2 cups packed coriander leaves (with stems)
- 6 tbsp water
- 2 green chilies/ thai green chilies
- 3/4th tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5-6 tbsp lemon juice

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Roughly chop the mint and coriander leaves before transferring half of them to a blender (I use my Nutribullet)
- Add the green chilies and water and start blending. Once you get a watery consistency, add the rest of the leaves
- Blend until you get a smooth paste, add more water if needed but be careful not to make it too watery
- Transfer to a bowl before adding cumin powder, salt and lemon juice
- Stir until fully mixed
- Serve with my [Hara Bara Kebab](https://shruskitchen.com/hara-bhara-kebab/), [Vegetable cutlets](https://shruskitchen.com/vegetable-cutlets/), or just a slice of toast!

Coriander and Mint Chutney

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Serves: 4 people 
Prep time: 20 minutes

#### What you’ll need:

- 1 tbsp ghee/coconut oil if vegan
- 1/2 cup sago balls (I got these at my local Indian store)
- 3 cups water
- 1.5 cups coconut milk* (my recipes are dairy-free; however if you consume dairy and you’re going for the traditional taste, you can use regular whole milk here)
- 1/2 cup [coconut palm sugar](https://www.target.com/p/wholesome-organic-coconut-palm-sugar-16oz/-/A-17078458?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Grocery%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Grocery&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9031974&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247077&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo43nsr774wIVVBx9Ch0T1AanEAQYAyABEgKmq_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)/regular sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp cashew nuts (optional)
- 1 tbsp raisins (optional)

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Add the ghee/coconut oil to a pan and fry the cashews and raisins
- Remove once golden brown and place them aside
- Fry the sago in the same pan until they start turning brown
- Top with the water and boil until the sago balls are translucent and soft, indicating that they are cooked
- Add the milk/coconut milk to this (you can add more than recommended if you’d like a different consistency)
- Add the coconut sugar (again, add more if you’d like it to be sweeter)
- Continue boiling for another 10 minutes on medium flame
- Finally, add the cardamom powder and fried nuts
- Serve hot, or after cooling in the fridge for a few hours

**Recipe Musings:** *Sabudhana Payasam* was the default sweet that my mom would make for almost every Indian festival. It’s quick, calls for only a few basic ingredients, and incredibly tasty. This version with coconut milk is undoubtedly different from the traditional taste, but the thicker consistency gives it a very pudding-like texture. It’s definitely a twist on the classic, but I highly recommend.

Desserts

Coconut Milk Sago Pudding

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Serves: 3-4 people / 20 cutlets 
Prep time: 40 minutes

#### What you’ll need:

- 2 potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
- 1 small beetroot, boiled and finely chopped
- 2 carrots, boiled and finely chopped
- 15 green beans, boiled and chopped
- 0.5 cup green peas
- 0.5 cup onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp – 1.5 tsp red chili powder (scale back if sensitive to spice)
- 1.5 tsp garam masala
- 1.5 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste ( or 1/2 tbsp grated ginger + 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup cornflour flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp water
- 1 cup breadcrumbs

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Chop all the vegetables and boil them until they are soft
- In a pan, fry the onions in 1 tbsp olive oil along with the ginger-garlic paste
- Once the raw smell goes away, add all the vegetables
- While the vegetables are cooking, mix together the cornflour, all-purpose flour and water in a small bowl to create a thin batter
- Add all the spice powders and salt to the sautéed vegetables. You can mash the vegetables together at this point if you want to
- Once the vegetables are fully combined with the spices, garnish with the chopped cilantro and add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to bind
- Shape into small circular patties, about 2.5 inches in diameter
- Dip each patty into the cornflour and all-purpose flour batter
- Immediately coat each patty with breadcrumbs
- Pan fry in the remaining olive oil
- Flip until golden brown on both sides
- Enjoy with my tamarind-date chutney and coriander chutney (recipes coming soon)!

Appetizers

Vegetable Cutlets

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Serves: 3-4 people 
Prep time: 40 minutes

#### Ingredients:

- 20 whole white/cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1/2 tsp grated ginger and 1/2 tsp chopped garlic)
- 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped (skinned and deseeded for a better flavor, but optional)
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp red chili powder (scale back if sensitive to spice)
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil

#### Directions:

- Fry the onion and ginger-garlic paste in the oil until you get a slight aroma
- Add the tomato and sauté for a few minutes
- Add the turmeric powder and salt and continue stirring until the tomatoes become soft
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until soft
- Finally add the remaining spices and coconut milk
- Let this simmer for 5 minutes
- Remove from the heat and garnish with coriander leaves
- Enjoy with steamed rice or roti!

Mushroom Kurma with Coconut Milk

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Serves: 2-3 people 
Prep time: 15 mins (inactive), 30 mins (semi-active)

#### What you’ll need:

- 20 baby potatoes
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder (+ more if you like spice)
- 1 tsp salt + more to taste + more for boiling
- 1 tbsp olive oil

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Boil the baby potatoes in salted water for around 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft (but not too soft) and a fork can go through
- Peel the potatoes if you’d like – they taste great unpeeled too and the skin is rich in nutrients
- In a pan, heat up the olive oil and add the curry leaves
- Roast the baby potatoes for a few minutes until they start turning brown
- Add the spice powders and salt
- Continue roasting – this may take a while, especially if you’d like the potatoes to be well roasted and crispy
- Once they are a nice golden brown, they’re ready to be served with coriander chutney or any tomato based sauce!

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Indian Spices

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Serves: 2-3 people 
Prep time: 10 minutes to the pan (active); 20 minutes to the plate (semi-active)

#### What you’ll need:

- 1 12 oz pack frozen/fresh cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup moong dal (split mung beans) (I usually get this from my local Indian store)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp whole peppercorn
- 1 tbsp raw cashews
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafetida
- 2-3 pinches turmeric powder
- salt as needed

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Cook the moong dal in a pressure cooker (I use the instant pot!)
- About 10 minutes into cooking the moong dal, heat the ghee in a pan
- Add the cashews and fry them for a few minutes before taking them out
- Then add the peppercorn, curry leaves, cumin seeds and ginger to the oil
- Once the leaves are cooked, add the asafetida and turmeric powder
- Add the cauliflower rice soon after and add some salt at this point.
- Once the cauliflower rice is cooked, add the cooked moong dal
- Mix thoroughly before tasting and add more salt as required
- Once everything is well mixed and cooked, add the fried cashews
- Enjoy with some traditional South Indian coconut chutney!

**Recipe Musings:** I grew up in the south Indian city of Chennai, where [pongal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pongal_(dish)) was a staple dish. A popular rice based breakfast, there was something comforting about eating a large plate of pongal with coconut chutney and sambar (a lentil soup) on a lazy Sunday morning. As an adult, I realized that I just didn’t have the metabolism or lifestyle to eat large portions of rice. I tried making the traditional recipe with cauliflower rice and I couldn’t believe how delicious and close to the original it tasted.

Cauliflower Rice Pongal

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Serves: 2 people 
Prep time: 40 minutes to the plate (active)

#### What you’ll need:

- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves
- 1/2 cup frozen/fresh green peas
- 1 potato, peeled and boiled
- 1/4 tsp carom seeds (optional)
- 1/2 inch ginger, grated
- 1 green chili, chopped (scale back if sensitive to spice)
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder (scale back if sensitive to spice)
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- salt to taste
- olive oil/oil of choice

#### What you’ll want to do:

- Start by dry roasting the carom seeds and chickpea flour in a pan for 2-3 minutes until you get a nice aroma
- Put this aside and in the same pan add some oil and the ginger and green chili
- Add the peas and spinach and sauté for a few minutes
- Add all the dry masalas and salt and stir until mixed
- Blend this mix with the coriander
- Once this is blended, mash it together with the boiled potato and roasted chickpea flour
- Shape into small patties before dusting with all-purpose flour
- Shallow fry in oil on a pan until crispy and golden-brown
- Serve with coriander chutney or ketchup

Hara Bhara Kebab (Spinach Patties)

Recipes