Maharashtrian Varan/Dal: Vegan Indian dish

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A light and easy to prepare vegan Indian dish (varan) made of split pigeon peas/toovar dal from the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Maharsahtrian varan/Dal | The Novice Housewife #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

The days leading up to my dad’s retirement were full of farewell dinners hosted by many of my dad’s friends and colleagues. Each day my parents had a dinner engagement either at somebody’s house or the Mess and to a few of these dinners I, too, was invited. In that one month of dining out almost everyday, we tasted a variety of menus, ranging from a cheese and wine dinner to Kashmiri food to traditional Maharashtrian fare. I don’t think I have ever eaten so much, and of course the weighing scale made sure I never forgot it either. But then, I got to taste so many different things- some new, some old, some good, some very good. In the end it was all worth it.

Maharsahtrian varan/Dal | The Novice Housewife #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree

As mentioned before, at one of the dinners we were served traditional Maharashtrian cuisine. It was all beautifully served, pre-plated in a Thali, a total of close to 15 dishes, each prepared by our very gracious hostess. My mom particularly loved the dal and the kadhi and asked for both the recipes, which the hostess was kind enough to share. While certain Indian dishes have been made more popular worldwide, there are a lot of Indian dishes that are unknown to most people and what you see being served in restaurants abroad are mostly North indian favorites. So, I hope you enjoy this recipe that I am sharing with you today, which comes from the western state of Maharashtra, home to India’s financial capital, Mumbai and to the famous Bollywood industry. Read More →

Garam Masala Tuesdays: Mutton Curry

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Mutton Curry | The Novice Housewife

My parents’ cook made this amazing lamb curry the other day. Like lip smacking good. Even my sister-in-law who is technically a vegetarian but being married to a strictly non-vegetarian family sometimes eats the occasional chicken, fish and meat, loved it.

The mutton was perfectly cooked, the flavors spot on. So I asked my cook to teach me how to make the dish. He said its Mutton Rogan Josh but when I saw him prepare and read about the dish online I realized his recipe wasn’t traditional of rogan josh. But it was great to taste, so I had to share the recipe with you all.

Mutton Curry | The Novice Housewife

Traditional Rogan Josh does not use onions or garlic, nor does it use tomatoes, although there are various versions online and various restaurants across India that serve mutton made with the above mentioned ingredients and serve it as Mutton Rogan Josh. But since I do not want to face the wrath of Kashmiri Pandits who made famous this dish in India, I will just name today’s recipe Mutton Curry. A very delicious mutton curry.

If you are fond of lamb/mutton based recipes, you should also check out my mom’s Mutton Patiala recipe. My mom made it for V when she had come to US to visit us, and to date he still talks about how good it was.

And since we are talking about lamb and mutton, I have always been confused about the difference between the two. But then some time with my good friend Google helped clear the confusion.

Lamb is a sheep that is slaughtered between the ages of 4 months to 12 months. The meat from an older sheep that is slaughtered is called mutton. It is more tough and intense in flavor and requires an acquired taste. Probably thats why it is not so popular in the States. And thats why I hardly cook it there, since its more difficult to find in grocery stores. But since I am in India these days, am able to share this recipe with you today. If you are a mutton fan, I recommend you try this recipe out.

Mutton Curry | The Novice Housewife

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Garam Masala Tuesdays: Amritsari Kulcha

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Amritsari Kulchas with step by step photographs | The Novice Housewife Amritsari Kulchas with step by step photographs | The Novice Housewife

Before my grandparents moved to Mohali they were living in Jalandhar, a city in the northern indian state of Punjab. About ten minutes from our house in Jalandhar was this Gurudwara (the holy place where Sikhs worship) that my grandparents would go to regularly. Every afternoon, just a few feet away from the Gurudwara, a guy would come with his mobile cart and sell these amazingly thin, crispy yet soft Amritsari Kulchas. He would only come in the afternoon with the dough and filling prepared at home and would stuff and bake the kulchas in front of us, serving them in plates with his famous spicy chickpea curry. Our summer vacations were full of foodie adventures and my grandparents loved feeding us. These amritsari kulchas were a must on each of our visits.

Every afternoon, people would come during their lunch break and line up for a plate of this guy’s delicious Kulchas. He always came alone and stuffed the dough in front of you and baked it in his mobile tandoor to serve the dozens of people waiting next to his cart. Since he baked then and there, we would get piping hot kulchas laden with oodles of butter that would immediately start melting once placed on the kulcha. Not only were his kulchas to die for, but he made a delicious spicy chickpea curry and gave homemade pickle on the side. Eating them fresh out of his tandoor was the best option but generally we would get them packed for the whole family and eat at home. And stuff ourselves crazy. No wonder my brother and I would gain 5-6 kilos easily during the months of May and June.

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