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A foogath is the Goan version of a coconut-stir-fry vegetable: a temper of mustard seeds, dried red chilli, urad dal and curry leaves in coconut oil, sliced onion and garlic cooked briefly, then the vegetable tossed in over high heat. Fresh grated coconut is folded through at the end. The cabbage keeps a slight crunch and gets a nutty-sweet finish.
Cabbage is finely shredded into ribbons. A temper of mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in coconut oil, the shredded cabbage tossed in over high heat, and a coconut paste of fresh coconut, green chilli, garlic and cumin folded through. The dish stays dry and the cabbage retains a slight crunch.
Fresh coconut is ground with green chilli, ginger, roasted gram and a small splash of water into a smooth paste. The chutney is finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, dried red chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida in hot oil, poured over the white chutney for a striking visual and aromatic contrast.
Plain steamed rice (often last night's leftovers) is the base. A hot temper of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cashews, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in coconut oil, then fresh grated coconut is folded in and warmed through. The rice is tossed through everything off the heat, so the grains stay separate and pick up flavour rather than soften.
Whole black urad lentils and a small handful of red kidney beans are soaked overnight, then pressure-cooked or simmered until completely tender. A tomato-and-spice masala is built separately with onion, garlic, ginger and a careful hand with the spices. The lentils are folded into the masala and simmered, low and slow, for two hours, while butter and cream are stirred through in the final stage. The lentils break down into a glossy, almost-velvet finish.
French beans are trimmed and chopped into 1 cm pieces. A temper of mustard seeds, urad dal, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in coconut oil, sliced onion is softened briefly, and the beans are tossed in with a splash of water to steam-cook them through. Fresh grated coconut is folded through at the end with a finishing pinch of green chilli.
Split yellow moong dal (or chana dal, or a mix) is rinsed and pressure-cooked or simmered with turmeric until completely soft. The dal is mashed lightly to a porridge consistency. A second pan fries ghee with whole cumin, garlic, sliced green chilli, dried red chilli and curry leaves until the garlic just turns golden. The hot tarka is poured over the dal with a dramatic sizzle; coriander and lemon finish.
A temper of mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, peanuts, dried red chilli and curry leaves is bloomed in sesame oil. Turmeric is stirred in for colour. Cooked, cooled rice is tossed through off the heat, then lemon juice is added at the end so the heat doesn't dull the acidity. Bright lunchbox classic; the dish should taste fresh and tart, not muddled.
Yellow split peas (chana dal) simmer with onion, turmeric and tomato until very soft. The lentils break down into a thick soup. Right at the end, a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, garlic and shallots is poured sizzling-hot over the surface. The aromatic oil seeps through; the dish transforms.
Ethiopia's red lentil stew, the vegan everyday main that turns up on every fasting-day table and most non-fasting ones too. You cook onions slowly in oil or niter kibbeh until they melt and turn jammy - this is the same long, patient onion cook that doro wat relies on. Berbere blooms in, tomato paste deepens, lentils go in with water and simmer until they're soft and the stew has thickened to a coating consistency. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the deep berbere-rich base. Bright orange from the spice, eaten by mopping with injera, made vegan with oil or richer with niter kibbeh. Either way, the dish that anchors an Ethiopian meal.
Lentils (brown or green, not red) simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Two batches of sliced onion fry in olive oil, the first batch goes very dark mahogany (almost burnt at edges) for the flavour base; the second batch is fried separately and reserved as a crispy topping. Rinsed basmati rice cooks absorption-style with the lentils, the first batch of onion, cumin, allspice and stock for 20 minutes. The crispy onion scatters on top at the table.
Brown lentils boil until almost tender; long-grain rice and water join them along with cumin and a touch of cinnamon. While they finish cooking, sliced onions fry slow in olive oil until they're deep brown and crisp. The crisp onions and their dark oil go on top.
Sambar powder is unique: it blends spices with roasted legumes (urad dhal, channa dhal, mung dhal) for both flavor and thickening properties. This multi-purpose powder flavors soups, stews, and vegetable curries while the ground legumes provide body and nutrition. The result is distinctly different from North Indian curry powders, slightly earthy, with deep spice notes and thickening power.
Shukto is the dish that confuses newcomers and converts Bengalis for life. It is the first course of a traditional Bengali meal, served on the rice plate at the very start, before the dal, before the fish, before anything sweet. The logic is Ayurvedic: a small portion of something bitter eaten on an empty stomach is said to wake the digestion and tune the palate. The bitterness comes from korola (bitter gourd), but it is always counterweighted with the sweetness of milk, a little sugar, ripe banana plantain, sweet potato or radish, and the warm nuttiness of ground ginger and roasted radhuni (wild celery seed). The vegetables are cut to a uniform finger-shape (jhuri) and added in order of cooking time: bitter gourd first to mellow it, then plantain, drumstick, brinjal, sweet potato, with bori (sundried lentil dumplings) fried separately and stirred in at the end. The tempering is unusual: panch phoron or, more correctly for shukto, just radhuni and a pinch of mustard seeds in ghee. Milk is added towards the end and the dish is finished with a paste of ginger and a tablespoon of poppy seed or mustard ground with milk. It is mild, complex and unmistakably Bengali. A first-time cook should not be afraid of the bitterness; once the milk, ghee and sugar enter the pot it transforms into a balanced, almost soothing stew. Shukto is most associated with West Bengal and is served at every wedding, every shraddha (ancestral) feast and most Sunday lunches in a Bengali Hindu home.
A spiced tamarind paste is built with a dry-roast of coriander, cumin, fenugreek, chana dal and dried red chilli ground to a powder, then tamarind extract is simmered with the powder, turmeric, jaggery and salt until thick. A temper of peanuts, mustard seeds and curry leaves is bloomed in sesame oil and folded through cooked rice with the tamarind paste, the dish left to rest so the flavour settles. Famously gets better overnight.
Split yellow moong dal (or toor dal) cooks with turmeric, salt and water for 25 minutes until soft and breaking down. A small whisk smooths it into a creamy dal. Just before serving, ghee heats until shimmering; cumin seeds, garlic, dried chilli and asafoetida sizzle for 30 seconds; the whole sputtering mix is poured straight onto the dal. Fresh coriander, a wedge of lemon.