a lot of things can be done with dressings. with a steamer, steamed vegetables, tofu, etc, are quick and healthy, and become exciting if a warm dressing is used as a tempering.

i’ve included here a bunch of 10 of them that i like, along with suggestions for vegetables that go with different dressings.

perfect as tadka - tempering -  to add to steamed things, a warm (or even cold, if you like) dressing for salad, or a base for a quick stir fry.

Ingredients for home-made garam masala

in general: heat oil, if it’s mustard oil then heat to smoking point; add things, fry for a few seconds, then drizzle over salad/steamed veggies or add raw things to stir fry.

any suggested oil can be substituted with something neutral like sunflower oil instead.

as i don’t have a photograph of any of these, i included a picture of the ingredients for home-made garam masala, which i made some months ago. roast, mix, grind!

1. bengali-ish
1-2 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp panch phoran (equal parts cumin, aniseed, fenugreek seeds kalonji/onion seeds, mustard seeds)
optional green chilli / red chilli
optional chopped ginger

2. south-indian-ish
1-2 tbsp til (unroasted sesame) oil
pinch of hing/asafoetida, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves
optional sliced green chilli / red chilli
optional chopped ginger
optional grated coconut
optional tsp of urad / arhar / pre-soaked chana dal
optional black whole peppercorns

3. hing-jeera
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
pinch of hing/asafoetida, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, dried whole red chilli
optional pinch of coriander powder

4. dhania-jeera
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp each cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dried whole red chilli
optional chopped onions and/or tomato
optional pinch of garam masala, amchoor

5. sichuan
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 whole red dried chillies
1/2 tsp whole sichuan peppercorns
optional splash of soy sauce

6. sweet-sour (date-tamarind)
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
pinch of fenugreek seeds, whole dried red / green chilli
1 finely chopped tomato
1/2 tsp  sugar or 2 or more chopped dates
fry till tomato is soft then add 1/3 tsp tamarind concentrate dissolved in 2 tbsp water (alternatively, juice of 1 lime)

7. garlic-spring onions
2 tbsp olive or peanut oil
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 finely chopped tomato
1 bunch spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced
splash of vinegar (balsamic or other)
optional: add chopped coriander at the end, and/or leave out spring onion altogether
fry garlic with tomato for 1 min, add spring onion & mix for another 1 min, just warming through, not completely cooking. finish with vinegar.

8. aglio olio
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves finely chopped/sliced garlic
dried red chilli flakes
optional: fresh / dried basil and/or oregano and/or other herbs and/or chopped tomato

9. soy ginger
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp lime juice
splash of soy sauce, dried red chilli flakes / chopped red chilli
pinch of sugar
fry ginger for 30 secs, finish by mix in other ingredients.

10. cumin-raisin
1-2 tbsp peanut or olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp raisins
1 tbsp lime juice
chopped coriander leaves
fry cumin and raisins, mix in other ingredients
optional: pinch of coriander powder fried with raisins.

mix and match

pick one of the dressings based on the main ingredients you’re putting together.

for instance (in my opinion):

carrots go well with 2, 3 (especially if diced small - even raw), 6, 10
cucumber - cubed or finely sliced, raw or steamed - goes well with 5, 7, 9
cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts etc go well with 3, 4, 10
cabbage, radish, etc go well with 2, 6, 10
aubergine, pumpkin, soft things go well with 1, 3, 6
spinach, green beans, other greens go well with 1, 4 (with tomato), 5, 8
tofu, paneer, potato would go well with 1, 2, 5, 6

i’m going to new york again, next week, this time for the Linux Foundation User Summit. i realised i am often asked what people should do in new york. and elsewhere (this is supposed to be a travel blog, but i guess i’m spending too much time doing the actual travelling). anyway, here are some things to do.

but first, since i intend to post a photo i took with each blog entry, here’s my favourite all-american NYC photo.

flag, fluttering in the autumn breeze at sunset, atop a skyscraper.

sometimes a different perspective is everything. with a fixed 100mm-equivalent lens on my camera i had to zoom with my feet. and without going too far back, i found the ideal profile picture for the 93-ton buddha in kamakura, japan. and yes, i do think i am ee cummings.