The Peripatetic Chef!
Ah for the joys of staying with peripatetic friends and rummaging through their cookbooks. Here are some treasures.
SAMBAR (Lentil Stew)[1]
1 tablespoon mild curry
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
Fry in a few tablespoons of oil. Add two onions well chopped and ¼ cup lentils. Stir well for a few minutes. Add 2 well chopped carrots, a can of chopped tomatoes and a cup of water. Cook slowly for 20 minutes until lentils are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be like a thick soup. Serve over rice. Services 4.
MATTAR PANEER (Indian Cheese with Green Peas)[2]
1 lb. shelled green peas
½ lb. paneer
3 oz. butter
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/ teaspoon salt
Heat the butter and add the peas with turmeric and cayenne. Stir and cook 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the cheese (or cubed tofu). Mix well and cook together for 2 minutes. Add parsley and salt. Cover and leave on low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and raise heat to dry off any remaining moisture. Serves 6
NATIVE AMERICAN PUDDING[3]
1 quart cold milk
½ cup corn meal
¼ cup molasses
¼ teaspoon baking soda dissolved in molasses
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon ginger
pinch of salt
pat of butter
Mix and bake two or three hours at low heat (350˚F)
[1] Dharamjit Singh, Indian Cookery, (Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1970), back cover.
[2] Ibid., 178.
[3] Mrs. Harry E. Parker, Gathered Treasures, (Civics Department of the Winchendon Woman’s Club: Mass., 1920), 89.