One Page CookbooksNorth Indian Curry Families – A Primer
This cookbook details curry families common to the eight north Indian states – Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh. Treat this as a primer. Learning the nuances takes a lifetime! All recipes copyrighted. No reproduction / commercial use without permission. Siramki@Gmail.com
1.: Raita Fry eggplant fingers. Mix in yogurt with a pinch of pepper, salt and two pinches of sugar. Serve with mustard red chili tadka.	North Indian cuisine building blocks : Wheat, Vegetables, Spinach, Dals, Milk, Onion, tomato & Yogurt. Key Starches : Wheat, Millets (Ragi, Jowar, & Bajra in rural areas). Typical breakfast:: Roti, Poori / Paratha, with potato curry / dal / pickles, Khichidi ( rice – lentil porridge). Typical Lunch : Leavened / Unleavened flatbreads is served with one or two curries and dal. A meat curry might also be served. Onions / green chili / a simple salad and a lemon wedge accompany the meal. Key Flavourings: Cumin, Ginger, garlic, chilies, mint, coriander seeds, garam masala. Universal North Indian Flavouring : Heat a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of cumin, Mix in with any curry and serve. Curry Bases : Onion - tomato, yogurt, dal & coconut, dairy products Preferred fats : Butter, Ghee, Mustard oil, Peanut oil. Protein Source: Lentils (Masoor dal, Mung dal, Channa Dal, Tuvar dal), Chicken, Mutton & eggs. Beef / Pork are uncommon. Common Vegetables: Eggplant, String beans, French beans, Cauliflower, Radish, Potato, Ridge gourd, Spinach, Pumpkin, Squash, okra Souring agents : Dried mango powder, Green mangoes, yogurt, tomatoes, dried pomegranate seeds. Desserts : Sweets from cooked down milk (Kheer), Sweets from milk solids (Thrittipal/ Palgova), Sugar syrup based sweets ( Mysorepak, Laddoo) are common. Shopping List for making basic Curries Coconut, yogurt, tamarind paste , Tuvar dal – 500 gms, Oil – 100ml Mustard, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, pepper, Red chili, Green chili, – 50 gms Vegetables, Salt, Sugar – as needed Curry leaves, asafetida, cumin, – 50 gms www.ramkicooks.blogspot.com Download Posters : Tamil cuisine 1, Tamil Cuisine 2, Basic Indian curries , Basic South Indian Curies, North Indian Curries poster 1, poster 2 Kitchen Virgin Survival Manual
2.: Sukhi Sabji (Lentil Curry) or curries( Muga dali, Koltha Dali)
3.: Kadi (Cooked yogurt curries ).Take a handful of boiled potatoes. Mix in a pinch of chopped ginger, green chilies, a dash of mustard oil, half a handful of finely chopped onion and a pinch each of salt, cumin powder and chili powder. Used fried/ grilled and mashed veggies and chakata becomes bharta.
4.: Saag (stir-fried dry curries). Heat four spoons of oil. Add two handful of okra cut into thick slices. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Mix in a bit of ginger garlic paste, two pinches of salt, chili powder and a pinch of turmeric powder. Stir and cook till dry.
5.: Dopyaza . (Sweet & Sour curries) Heat a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of punch phutan and fry. Add a half a handful of chopped onion. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add a chopped green chilli. Add a handful of chopped tomato, a pinch of turmeric powder, two pinches of sugar and three pinches of salt. Stir and cook for five minutes. Mix in some water if needed.
6.: Masala (Spinach based curries) Heat a spoon of oil. Add two pinches of punch phutana and fry. Add two dry red chilies and a half a handful of chopped onion. Stir and cook for two minutes. Add half a handful each of chopped potato and eggplant. Sprinkle a handful of water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add two handfuls of chopped spinach and three pinches of salt. Stir and cook till vegetables are done.
7.: Korma (Mixed vegetable curry) Take a handful each of maida (refined flour), besan( gram flour) & rava( cream of wheat). Mix in a handful of finely chopped onion, two green chilies, a few pinches of chopped cilantro and three pinches of salt. Mix in water to make a thick, soupy batter. Pour on a hot, non stick skillet and spread into a thin round. Pour some oil around it. Cook both sides.
8.:. Sour Korma (Besara : Mustard paste based curries) Heat a spoon of mustard oil. Add two pinches of punch phutan and fry. Add a handful of chopped and boiled vegetables, a pinch of turmeric powder and two pinches of salt. Stir and cook for a minute. Blend / crush three pinches of mustard, a dry red chili and two garlic cloves to a paste. Mix in a cup of water. Add to pan. . Cook for 5-10 minutes.Can add fried badis, chopped fish, prawns, spinach in place of vegetables). Saru Besara ( colocasia), Badi Besara , Lau Besara , Sajana Chhuin(MUNGA) Besara , Chhatu Besara (Oyster Mushrooms), Bhendi Besara, Machha Besara
9.: Dal (Mildly spiced vegetables )Heat half a spoon of oil. Add a pinch of panch phutana. Add half a handful of chopped onions. Stir for a minute. Add a bit of ginger garlic paste, a chopped green chili, half a cup of water / milk, two pinches of salt and a handful of chopped and boiled mixed vegetables ( (banana, eggplant, potato, ridge gourd, raw papaya etc). (Optionally mix in half a spoon of oil). Omit the water / milk, cook it into a dry curry and it becomes Bhaja Santula.
10.: Bhartha (Dal – Vegetable curry) In a pressure cooker with the lid open, heat a spoon of ghee. Add two pinches of cumin, two dry red chilies, a pinch of chopped ginger and a handful of chopped mixed vegetables (papaya, radish, banana, yam). Add a handful of dal, , a pinch each of turmeric powder, two pinches each of cumin powder, chili powder & 3 pinches of salt. Close and pressure cook for two whistles. (Can use tuvar dal, chana dal, horse gram or a mix of dals)