What was the simplest and quick Indian Dish that you prepared?

[Srivalli]

Do share your simple and most loved Indian Recipe that you prepared and make often.

[Harters]

Bean curry - totally inauthentic.

A cheat's sauce - onion, garlic, spices (say, coriander, cumin, fenugreek & garam masals), tin of tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes.

Three tins of different beans - maybe butter beans, cannellini and chickpeas. Warm through in sauce.

Eat.

[blue room]

I had fun making this -- fresh cheese -- http://www.google.com/images?q=paneer...

"... paneer. Panela or queso fresco are okay substitutes. Paneer is fresh white curd cheese you can make very easily (if a bit messily) at home, if you have a pyrex bowl and a microwave. Pour a quart or so of milk, maybe a cup of buttermilk if you have it, plus a lemon's worth of juice, into the bowl, mix, and nuke on high about 5 minutes, until the milk solids separate from the clear yellow whey. They should float in a mass and be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Take a colander or strainer over another large bowl, line it with a couple of layers of cheesecloth or 3-4 overlapping round paper coffee filters, whatever works for you. Carefully pour the whey over first, keeping the curd back in the bowl as far as possible until you've poured most of the whey through. Then drain the curd on the filters and press it until it's fairly firm and could be cut into cubes without crumbling apart. You'll get about 5 oz fairly dry curd for a quart of milk, so not a great yield. You can use some of the warm whey to make bread, or use it in pureed vegetable soups--it still has a lot of soluble smaller proteins and calcium in it, so it's worth keeping if you can use it quickly. "

[monopod]

In a pinch, medium tofu works as a substitute for paneer - similar texture. Gotta salt it or soak it in a marinade, though, since tofu doesn't taste like much on its own.

[chefj]

Thoran, is quick and easy if you have grated coconut in the freezer.

[missfunkysoul]

chana masala - easy, fast, tasty, nutritious!

[stomsf]

After a disastrous first start in Indian cooking <shudder> I tried a quick Chicken Tikka Masala recipe from Broke-Ass Gourmet a few weeks ago -- it was GREAT! And very easy to boot.

http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/c...

[rainey]

There are probably things that are faster but we like this red lentil dal and it doesn't take long at all. I use coconut milk for part of the liquid.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Red-Lent...

[monopod]

Saag. Just puree some onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno; fry in medium-hot oil until browning; add curry powder/garam masala and fry another minute or two; add chopped bunches of spinach, chard or any other greens and a little bit of chicken stock and cook until soft; and finally, stir in some yogurt at the end (or cream, if you're feeling decadent). Very quick, very healthy, very delightful. You can add chunks of paneer (easy to make too), tofu, meat or fish at the end - great way to use up leftovers.

[Srivalli]

Thanks..will surely try this sometime..

[JungMann]

Most often raita, bhindi masala, various chaat or kheema. Chicken tikka or karahi are also pretty quick and easy, though I don't make that as often.

[Srivalli]

Sounds interesting..do share your recipe of Karahi..

[JungMann]

Karahi is a variable stir fry, but it does start with a base of browned onions, ginger-garlic paste and sauteed tomatoes and green chilies. The masala will have turmeric and red chili, but I might add cumin seed, cinnamon and cloves along with a couple cardamom pods or just garam masala. When the aromatics are sufficiently browned and the tomatoes cooked with the masala, you can stir fry your sliced chicken in the mixture and add a little water to finish the cooking. The result should be a relatively dry stir fry.

[Chowrin]

mashed potato balls with horseradish. apparently horseradish doesn't make Krishna cry...

[Srivalli]

Oh I don't think I know what horseradish is..and what is this story about not making krishna cry?..:)

[Chowrin]

I was getting it out out of a Krishna-centric cookbook. Garlic makes Krishna cry, so it's not used. Horseradish is a spicy root. you can find it in jars in American supermarkets.

[shruti108]

There's nothing about "mak[ing] Krishna cry".

Devotees of Krishna do not eat onions and garlic, which are unacceptable to Krishna (God) because they are known to stimulate passion, which tends to invoke such unfavourable qualities as lust, anger, greed, and envy.

Followers of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, amongst other traditions, also avoid these and other foods in the allium plant family, for similar reasons. Ayurveda also recommends against eating alliums, except as required for medical treatment, with a similar understanding. These are a few of many groups that discourage or forbid the consumption of alliums due to their negative effects.

A longer and more detailed explanation may be found in the essay "Why no Garlic and Onions?" by Hare Krishna (ISKCON) devotee and notable vegetarian chef Kurma Dasa from Australia.

A number of substitutes are used in place of alliums in recipes, most commonly asafoetida (hing) either directly or sauteed with cabbage, which produces a similar taste and comparable texture to garlic and onions.

[shruti108]

Here's the link to that article:
http://www.kurma.net/essays/e19.html

[shruti108]

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is a food in the same plant family as mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbage. It's found in supermarkets worldwide. :)

[nasilemak]

Red lentils with carrot, turmeric, cumin and lemon juice.

[Srivalli]

When you say Red lentils..do you mean masoor or Toor?

[nasilemak]

Masoor. It cooks pretty fast.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

For absolute simplicity - sliced tomatoes, cucumber and onion, sprinkled with chaat masala.

[Srivalli]

That sure is very quick..:)

[cocktailhour]

my simplest is similar: sliced cucumber, sprinkled with salt pepper lime cumin and cayenne. or thinly sliced onions soaked in vinegar as a garnish on almost everything.