Tomato Sauce

olive oil

2 red or yellow onions, sliced thinly

salt

4 garlic cloves

4 lbs ripe tomatoes, or 2 28oz cans San Marzano or Roma tomatoes

16 basil leaves or 1 tbsp dried oregano

Heat olive oil. Add onions, cook on medium for about 15 minutes until translucent, don't let them burn. Crush or blend tomatoes. Add a little more oil and then garlic to the onion pan, then add tomatoes. Cook on low, stirring every so often to avoid burning, about 25-40 minutes until the tomatoes stop tasting raw/tinny. Then bring to a simmer, add 3/4 cup olive oil, remove from heat. Add pasta to sauce, mix. Thin with pasta water or olive oil as needed.

Source: Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Caesar salad

4 anchovies or 8 filets

3/4 cup basic mayonnaise (or 3/4 cup olive oil and 1 egg yolk; whisk olive oil into egg yolk very gradually)

1 garlic clove

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp white wine vinegar

3oz chunk parmesan, grated (about 1 cup)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

A bunch of lettuce, like romaine, little gem, kale, chicory, endive

Croutons: toast bread chunks with olive oil for like 20 min

 

Mash anchovies and garlic in mortar and pestle as well as possible. Stir together everything in the dressing. Combine lettuce, croutons, and dressing.

 

Source: Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Tuscan bean and kale soup

Olive oil

Optional: 2oz pancetta or bacon, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups crushed canned or fresh tomatoes

3 cups cook beans, from about 1 cup raw (or canned)

1 oz grated parmesan

parmesan rind

3-4 cups stock or water

2 bunches kale, thinly sliced

1/2 small head green or savoy cabbage, core removed, thinly sliced

Heat oil and pancetta until starts to brown. Add onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper. Cook 15 min. Add a little more olive oil in the center and garlic, then tomatoes, cook about 8 min. Add beans, parmesan and rind, and stock or water to cover. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil, simmer. Add cabbage and kale, simmer again. Cook about 20 min.

Source: Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Gado-gado 3

 4 garlic cloves

1 lemongrass stalk

2 tbsp sambal oelek

2 small pieces galangal or peeled ginger

4 medium shalots

1/3 cup oil

2 tsp salt

7 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp thick tamarind water

1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp turmeric

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

1/2 cabbage, in chunks

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup green beans, trimmed

1 small cucumber, thickly sliced

4 hard boiled eggs, quartered

4 oz firm tofu, in slices

cassava chips or fried croutons or wonton skins

3 tbsp cilantro

fried shallots

Puree garlic, lemongrass, sambal, galangal, and shallots, adding a little oil if needed. Cook paste on low heat for 40-50 min or until the oil starts separating, stirring regularly. Add salt, sugar, paprika, and tamarind water. Cook 10 min more.

Crush peanuts roughly in a food processor, simmer with a little water 20-25 min or until the water has mostly evaporated. Add to the spice paste, then add coconut milk, keep warm.

Put turmeric in water, cook potatoes in turmeric water until tender, drain. Blanch cabbage for 1 min, blanch bean sprouts 30 sec, blanch green beans 4 min.
Pile everything together and serve.

Source: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Cashew Coconut Green Beans

1/2 c grated coconut

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

4 large shallots, sliced

1 c unsalted cashews

1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed

1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste

1 red chile

Fry coconut a couple minutes until toasted and golden, set aside. Heat mustard seeds, fry shallots about 8 minutes, then add cashews until golden, set aside. Boil green beans about 4 minutes until still pretty crisp, then drain. Add everything together.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Tomato Uttapam

1 c rice flour

3/4 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

1 c warm water

2 eggs

 

For topping:

2 red onions

2 green chiles

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced

Put flours, baking soda, salt, and yogurt in a bowl, make a well, add water and eggs, whisk to smooth and set aside.

To make the topping, heat oil, red onions for 12-15 min, then add chiles, salt, and pepper, then the sliced tomatoes.

Cook like pancakes, but put the tomato mixture on the uttapam before you flip it.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Sri Lankan Coconut Lime Kale Dal

2 cups/1 lb red lentils, washed

3 cardamom pods, lightly mortar-and-pestled

coconut oil

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

2 green chiles, finely sliced

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 lb kale, chopped into 2 inch strips, discarding stems

1/2 14oz can coconut milk

salt

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp grated coconut

juice of 1 lime

 

Heat oil, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves for a minute, then add onions. Cook 10 minutes until soft, then add garlic, ginger, chiles. Cook another couple minutes, remove 1/3 of the mixture, set aside.

Add lentils, turmeric, and 4c hot water. Simmer 20-25 min until soft and creamy. Add coconut milk and 1 1/2 tsp salt, cook 5 min, then remove from heat.

Heat coconut oil and mustard seeds, add reserved onion mixture, then add kale and coconut, fry a minute, then add 1/4 cup water and put the lid on. Steam 4 min, add lime juice and 1/2 tsp salt, steam another 2 min.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Olan

 1 lb pumpkin or squash

oil

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 chiles, slit lengthways

1 large onion, halved and sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 14oz can black eyed peas, drained

1/2 lb tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 14oz can coconut milk

optional: 10 fresh curry leaves

Preheat oven to 400, line 2 pans with foil. Cut pumpkin into crescents about 3/4 inch wide, drizzle with oil, garam masala, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, toss to coat, arrange in a single layer, roast 30 min or until tender.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, add chiles and onion, cook 10 min or until soft and golden. Add garlic, then beans, then tomatoes, cook a few minutes.

Add turmeric, salt and pepper, and coconut milk, then roasted pumpkin. Cook 5 min.

Add a little fried curry leaves if you want.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Fennel Apple Almond Chaat

1 tsp fennel seeds

5 tbsp oil

1 cup flaked almonds (alas, it is important that they're flaked; whole almonds don't work)

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp honey

salt 

1 lemon

2 fennel bulbs

3 sweet crispy apples

1/2 a cucumber or one or two Persian cucumbers

A handful of mint leaves

1 tsp garam masala

 

To make the almonds: coarsely grind fennel seeds. Heat oil in pan, fry almonds for a couple minutes until pale gold, then add fennel seeds, ginger, honey, and a little salt. Stir fry for a minute until caramelized.

 

Make the salad by thinly slicing fennel, apples, cucumbers, and mint. Make the dressing with 3 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, garam masala, and 1/2 tsp salt.

 

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha

Savoy Aloo Gobhi

1 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

3 tbsp oil

15 curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 lbs baby potatoes, quartered

1/2 lb savoy cabbage, shredded

1/2 lb black kale, cavolo nero, or regular kale, shredded

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chile

1 tsp turmeric

Heat curry leaves and mustard seeds in oil, then add onion, cook 10 minutes until golden and sweet. Add coriander, cumin, and potatoes. Cook 10 min, turning sometimes, until crispy. Add a couple tbsp of water, put on lid, cook 5 min more.

Add cabbage and kale with a little more water, stir fry for 3 min, then add a turmeric, salt, and chile, cover, cook 4 min more or until wilted.

Source: Fresh India by Meera Sodha