Free The Café Spice Cookbook: 84 Quick and Easy Indian Recipes for Everyday Meals by Hari Nayak Page A

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    Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cauliflower florets, Café Spice Garam Masala, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock or water and the spice pouch. Simmer for 20–25 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from the heat and discard the bag of spices. Let the soup cool slightly.
    Purée the cooled soup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Force the soup through a strainer into a clean saucepan. Add the heavy cream and bring the soup to a simmer. Ladle into soup bowls and serve hot.

Chickpea Curry with Sweet Potato Shakkar Kandi Chana Masala
    This is a version of chana masala, a chickpea dish that is unquestionably one of the most popular vegetable curry dishes in northern India, and the most versatile. It is served as a one-dish meal at all times of day or as a snack. Its blend of fragrant spices is warming and healthy. Serve with a dollop of natural yogurt and a sprig of coriander. I use ghee in this recipe, but for a healthier version, use vegetable oil. Try serving this with Fried Puffed Bread (page 125 ) or Potato and Pea Samosas (page 46 ).
    Serves 4
    Prep time: 15 minutes plus 8 hours soaking time if using dried chickpeas
    Cook time: 30 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes if using dried chickpeas)
    2 cups (350 g), dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained, or three 15½-oz (439-g) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
    4 cups (1 liter) water plus ½ teaspoon salt for cooking dried peas
    ½ cup (125 ml) oil
    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste (page 22 )
    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
    2 onions (about ¾ lb/350 g), minced
    4 fresh green chili peppers, slit open lengthwise
    1 piece fresh ginger, 1-in (2.5-cm), peeled and chopped
    ½ lb (250 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) dice
    2 tomatoes (about ¾ lb/350 g), minced
    2 teaspoons salt
    2 teaspoons Café Spice Garam Masala (page 22 )
    1 teaspoon Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper
    1 cup (250 ml) water
    3 cups (150 g) packed fresh baby spinach leaves, washed
    2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves ( kasoori methi ) (optional)
    4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
    If using dried chickpeas, bring the soaked and drained peas, water, and ½ teaspoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the peas, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Set aside.
    Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and fry for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the crushed coriander and cumin seeds and fry for 15–20 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
    Add the onions, green chili peppers, and ginger and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onions are uniformly dark brown in color, about 10–12 minutes. Add the diced sweet potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, making sure the onions do not stick to the pan. Add a little water if necessary. Add the tomatoes, salt, Café Spice Garam Masala, and Asian red chili powder or cayenne pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup (250 ml) of water, chickpeas, and spinach and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, partially covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon juice, fenugreek, and fresh coriander leaves. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.

South Indian Lentils and Vegetables Sambhar
    Use any available, seasonal vegetables to make this dish. There is an alternate, shorter method using store-bought sambar powder, which is readily available in ethnic stores (my favorite brand is MTR). If you are using store-bought powder, add it along with the lentils and water and bring it to a boil. Just be sure to read