Written down here are some of the recipes for those who do not want to take in much of calorie conetent. But before that I did list out some of the sites for those who are luckly enough and do not have to worry about calories or fat. Check them out!

YOU ARE ONLY A CLICK AWAY FROM REACHING MOUTH WATERING RECIPES

YOU NEED 1 cup mixture of dhals (use any combination of tur dhal, chana dal or even split yellow peas)
2 cups long grained rice
Salt to taste.

Wash and rinse the dhals and rice thoroughly. When the rinse water runs clear, soak the dhals and rice together in a bowl with fresh water for a couple of hours. Drain the dhal-rice mixture and grind into a somewhat coarse mixture in a blender using water when necessary. Empty the batter into a bowl, add some salt and let it rest for at least an hour. You could also let it ferment overnight if you like a sourdough tang in your pancakes.

To make the pancakes, heat a non-stick/well-seasoned cast iron skillet on a moderate stove. If a few drops of water bounce off the pan, the pan is hot enough and you can proceed to make the pancakes.

Drop a ladleful of the pre-prepared batter in the center of the pan and with the back of the ladle, swirl the batter from inside to outside to form a thin round pancake. Wait till the top looks dry, wait another minute if you like them crisp and flip to cook the other side. Remove onto a plate and eat immediately with a nice coriander chutney. (Continue preparing pancakes in the same way, till you run out of batter and/or chutney. The batter will also keep in the fridge for almost a week and you can prepare the pancakes when the mood strikes you.)

Variation: Can add finely chopped onions/jalapenos/spinach/ginger/a few cumin seeds, anything you fancy, to the batter before making the pancakes. You will however not be able to make neat circular pancakes. Instead, you will end up with (tasty) irregular shaped ones.

Serves 6 as part of a mixed meal, maybe 3-4 on its own with rice/naan and a pickle.

This works well with either fresh or frozen spinach. I have made it with kale as well; 10oz (275g) weighed without stalks.

YOU NEED

1 1/2 lb (700g) potatoes
1lb (450g) fresh spinach (weighed without stalks) or frozen thawed
1 medium onion
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chilli powder (or to taste, and depending on its heat!)
2 medium tomatoes

PREPERATION 1. Scrub potatoes and boil them in their skins until almost, but not quite, done. Leave to cool, then cut into small cubes.

2. Meanwhile, if using fresh spinach or kale, remove the coarse stalks then rinse and cook gently for 10 minutes, in just the water clinging to the leaves in a covered pan. Cool and chop (reserve any remaining liquid). For frozen spinach, just defrost and chop.

3. Chop the onion finely, crush or finely chop the garlic and finely chop the tomatoes (keep them all separate). Measure the spices out into a little bowl.

4. Now brown the onion in a little vegetable stock or water until golden brown - about 10 minutes perhaps, topping up with hot water as necessary. Let it stick slightly from time to time to get that fried smell.

5. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and stir for a moment. Add the spices, and a little more water if necessary. Cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato. Cook gently 3-5 minutes.

6. Add the potatoes and spinach, mix well then cover and simmer gently until ready, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. It's done whenever the potatoes are cooked to your liking and the spices have permeated the vegetables.

1 large eggplant
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (1 1/2 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 Tablespoon turmeric
1 green chili pepper, chopped {I used 1 dried red chili}
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

PREPERATION

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place eggplant in pan, cover with foil. Roast 20-30 minutes or until eggplant is soft. {I cut mine in half, put water in the bottom of the pan and put in a 375 oven for 45 mins} After eggplant cools, peel and chop coarsely. Set aside.

Place onion, ginger, and garlic in blender or food processor with 3 Tablespoons water. Puree to paste. Heat a {non-stick} pan over medium heat and add pureed mixture, along with tumeric. Saute, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. When it begins to turn brown, add diced chili and 1 Tablespoon cilantro. Saute another minute and add chopped tomatoes.

Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped eggplant, raise heat to medium and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, lemon juice, coriander and cumin; simmer another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining chopped cilantro and serve with rice. Makes 6-8 servings.

Koftas:
YOU NEED

2 medium yams (pealed,sliced,boiled,drained)
1/2 c peas
1 tsp minced garlic
2 jalapenos minced (optional)
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
2 T chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp salt (optional) pinch pepper
2 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking powder

Gravy:

1/4 C peas
1/2 C bell pepper (green!)
1/2 C cilantro
1 jalapeno (optional)
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp black mustard seed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp sugar

PREPERATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine kofta ingredients and mix thoroughly. Form into 1 inch balls and bake 1 inch apart non-stick baking sheet until golden, about 30 min. Meanwhile, blend together 1st 5 gravy ingredients in a blender with 1 cup water. In sauce pan on med-high put mustard seeds and heat until they start to pop, then add blended ingredients. cook 5 min and add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 10 min. Cool koftas for 5 min. Pour gravy into a serving dish, add koftas and serve hot.

I served this with a basmati rice green pea pilaf and a vegie curry. It was so yummy, my family scarffed them up before anything else!

cooking spray 4 to 5 cups of vegetables(spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower, potatoes and peas, or whatever your heart desires)
2 cups Balti Sauce
salt to taste
chopped fresh cilantro and garam masala for garnish

PREPERAION

Heat spray in pan, add mixed vegetables and stir fry for about five minutes. Add Balti Sauce and stir-fry until hot and bubbling. Lower heat, cover, and simmer ten to fifteen minutes until vegetables are cooked. If sauce looks dry, add 1/4 cup of vegetable stock or water. Add salt to taste. Garnish with cilantro and garam masala.

Serve it over some basmati rice, and you've really got something. Serrano peppers are pretty hot, so cut down on them if you wish.

cooking spray

3 serrano peppers,roughly chopped
2 large onions, sliced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon salt

PREPERATION

Heat spray in pan, add next four ingredients and stir-fry until onions are soft. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Let cool. Puree in blender. Sauce can be refrigerated for a week or frozen up to two months. If your unfamiliar with garam masala, it's a spice mixture including cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. You should be able to get it at any Indian market or at a spice store.

Here's a recipe for snacky stuff I put together this weekend. This tries to emulate the 'Bhel Puri' you may have seen in Indian restraunts. The authentic stuff does have some ingredients in it I have no idea how to reproduce, but this came close enough.

YOU NEED 1 small onion - chopped - about 1/2 a cup
1 med tomato - chopped - about 3/4 of a cup
1 jalapeno - chopped fine - about 1 tbsp, more if you like heat
3 tbsp Cilantro Chutney (recipe below)
2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1 tsp hot sauce - optional
2 cups puffed rice

Toss all of the above in a bowl, check for taste, add lemon juice, salt, more chutney, more ketchup, whatever (:-)), to taste. Serve immediately. The puffed rice will become soggy on keeping.

Variations: You can add a cubed baked potato to the mixture. yummy!
Crumble up your favourite tortilla chips/baked wonton skins/any crispy stuff and add with the puffed rice.
Add a chpped cucumber.

I've been having this for dinner the last couple of nights, and have gone to bed very satisfied, no cravings whatsoever! :-)

Cilantro Chutney:

1 bunch Cilantro (leaf corriander, cannot substitue parsley)
1 small onion (about 1 inch diameter)
1 tomato (same size as onion)
1 jalapeno pepper (more if you like heat)
1 tbsp lemon juice (more to taste)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin (available in Indian grocery stores)

Blend the first four ingredients in a blender in this order: start with the tomato, then add the onion and pepper, and lastly the cilantro, this way you will not have to add any water to blend, the whole mixture will be watery enough once you are done. If you do have to add water, add the minimum amt possible.

Add lemon juice,salt, and ground cumin. You can adjust these to taste. The result should be slightly tart.

This will keep indefinitely in the fridge in a sealed jar.
I usually double all the ingredients, and it's all gone within a week. I eat this with everyting.

Biryani is a dish of layered rice and vegetarian mixture. The vegetarian mixture is based on potato.

INGREDIENTS

2 onions
1 clove garlic (or more, up to 5)
1 T fresh ginger

Saute in water until the onion is soft. Add

1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned

and continue cooking briefly. Then add

2 TSP yoghurt
2 T chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 inch piece of cinnamon stick

and cook until it becomes a thick smooth paste.

Meanwhile, cut potatoes in quarters or eights and bake on a flat sheet in the oven until fairly soft. The outsides should be golden. We use a toaster oven. Add to the mixture and simmer for up to an hour to let flavours mix.

Meanwhile make the rice.

1 onion
5 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves (or 1/8 tsp ground cloves)
1 stick cinnamon
2 T rose water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups basmati or long grain white rice

Chop onion and saute in water. Add spices and mix for a few seconds. Add rice and cook until opaque. Add twice as much water as you used rice, bring to the boil, then turn to minimum and leave covered for 12 mins. Remove cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, which will be sitting on the top of the rice.

Put half the rice mixture on the bottom of a large oven-proof dish. Put the vegetarian mixture on top, then use the remaining rice mixture on top of it. Heat in the oven to warm through.

YOU NEED

Yellow potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (or eighthed :) depending on size)
a chopped onion
a handful of fresh or frozen peas
optional other vegetables might include carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, whatever you want
a good bit of madras curry powder (to taste, maybe starting from a teaspoon per estimated serving) -- this kind of curry powder is available in almost all grocery stores
the big spice brands schilling and mccormick make it, for example a big handful of cilantro leaves
optional garnish : dairy or soy yogurt, raisins

this comes out great with everything but cilantro and garnish cooked in a pressure cooker; otherwise "sautee" the onion and curry powder in a little apple cider vinegar, then add the potatoes and optional vegetables and a little vegetable broth. simmer until the potatoes are almost done; add peas. simmer about five minutes. stir in cilantro; serve immediately with yogurt if desired.

YOU NEED 3/4 cup lentils
1/4 cup saute liquid
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 small green chile, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup long-grain brown rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth or water
1/2 pound spinach leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

PREPERATION

Wash lentils and put them in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to add to the rice.

Heat the saute liquid in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion and celery and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Add carrot and chile. Cook, stirring, 1 or 2 minutes. Add ground spices and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add rice. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, until grains turn translucent, then opaque, but not scorched. Stir in the lentils and any unabsorbed water in the lentil pot. Add salt, pepper, and broth or water. Cook at a low boil for 15 minutes. Add the spinach, pushing it down into the rice mixture. Cover, reduce heat to very low, and cook 30 minutes.

In a small skillet or saucepan, cook the cumin seeds until they begin to darken and pop. Pour over the lentil-rice mixture, add the lemon juice, and serve.

Serves 3 or 4 as a main dish.

YOU NEED 2 15.5 ounce cans low-salt garbanzo beans
1 tsp cumin (I didn't have the cumin seeds. Recipe calls for cumin seeds)
1 c onions
2 tsp ground corriander
1/8 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced (grated finely)
1 cup water
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 15.5 ounce can tomato puree
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red chili powder (optional)

To prepare:

Rinse garbanzo beans in cold water and drain. In a saucepan, "fry" cumin seeds (I skipped this step since I had powdered cumin). Add onions, (cumin), and fry until they turn brown (translucent). Lower heat and add coriander, tumeric, garam masala, salt, ginger, and garlic. Mix and cook for 30 seconds, stirring all the time. Add 1 cup water, tomato paste, and pureed tomatoes. Mix and bring to a boil. Add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, and red chili powder. Mix well, cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until garbanzo beans are soft. Stir occasionally. If the mixture gets too dry, add a little water. Serve garnished with green chilies, onions, tomatoes or cilantro.

I left the garnish off and ate the mixture over rice. It was an excellent chana masala. Flavorful and slightly spicy.

I found this recipe in the book "Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart."

YOU NEED

1 cup water
2 teaspoons Cummin
2 teaspoons Coriander
2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 inch Fresh Ginger, crushed
1 large Onion, chopped
1 Red Chilli, chopped
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt (optional)
1 teaspoon Vegetable stock (I use Vecon)
1 large Cauliflower
1 can Tomatoes
2 tablespoons Tomato puree/paste
1/2 cup Sweetcorn/Corn

TO PREPARE Bring water to the boil in a frypan on the highest setting. Add the cummin, coriander, paprika, black mustard seeds and turmeric. Boil ferociously for a good five minutes, adding boiling water if the mixture begins to dry out too much. Add the garlic, ginger, chillies and onions with a little more water and continue on a high heat. Add the base of the cauliflower and any green stalks and simmer covered till soft. Add the cauliflower florets and baste in the spices (a little more water may be needed). Add the tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper and leave simmering covered for about 15 minutes. Add the sweetcorn (optional, un-authentic, but what the hell) and then the tomato puree to thicken. Serve with brown basmati rice or home made chappatis (which my wife makes so don't ask me how:-).

YOU NEED

1 lb (500 gm) mushrooms
2 leeks or 2 spring onions (scallions)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
6 curry leaves
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala( or 1/2 tsp nutmeg )
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tsp lemon juice

TO PREPARE Wipe mushrooms clean and cut in chunks if large. Slice leeks or onions finely. Put a few teaspoons water in a non-stick pan and fry leeks (onions), garlic, ginger and curry leaves until soft (add water as necessary). Add curry powder, salt and mushrooms, stir til mushrooms release liquid, then cover and cook on low heat 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with garam masala or nutmeg, add applejuice and cook uncovered, stirring til heated through. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Serve with rice and whatever.

GARAM MASALA:

5 tsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp green cardomon pods

Toast coriander and cumin seeds for 3-5 min. combine w/other ingredients and grind in mortar/pestle (or blender which works great for me). Store in a bottle for up to 6 months. This is a great spice mixture! But normly I don't have those spices on hand so I cook without it. But you might consider it worth investing in as its a neat combination of spices for cooking.

Paneer is soft white 'farmer' cheese that is commonly used in India. I substituted reduced-fat White Wave tofu, and it takes the place of paneer very well. This takes about 1/2 hour to make.

start some rice

cut 1 brick tofu into cubes and bake in 300 degree oven while you prepare sauce.

1 onion (slice very thinly and saute in your favorite medium until browned)
1 t. pressed garlic (in with the onion)
1 c. water
1 t. ginger
1 T. cumin
1 T. coriander
1/2 t. clove
1/4 t. methi (fenugreek)
1 t. salt

add spices to onion/garlic at last minute of saute. Stir until distributed and then add water.

mix:
2 t. gram flour (chickpea flour, besan)
enough water to make a thin, smooth paste

add a family size package of frozen green peas to the sauce, and cook until hot.

dribble in the chickpea flour mixture, while stirring. The sauce will thicken.

add:
1 cup of ground tomatoes or tomato puree

stir, adjust seasonings.

Add tofu and simmer until it absorbs some of the seasonings. Add more water if necessary.

Ingredients

basmati or other long grained white rice (1/2 cup uncooked per person)
1 onion
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp garam masala (curry powder will do in a pinch)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vegetable stock mix

Chop onion and saute in water (or balsamic vinegar) until soft. Add spices and brown slightly, then add rice (up to 2 cups) and brown slightly, stirring (rice will become opaque). Add water, exactly twice the quantity of rice used.

Bring to the boil, then turn to minimum and cover. Cook 12 minutes without opening the pot. Stir and serve.

This is normally served with daal, raisins, and bananas. [We eat small numbers of roasted peanuts, fewer than 10 per person, with this too.]

Brown basmati rice can also be used. Use about two and a half times the water per unit rice. Increase cooking time to about half an hour.

Any vegetables can be added to the rice after the water (peas, beans, carrots etc. but broccoli disintegrates).

To make daal:

YOU NEED

red lentils

PREPERATION Add water to a small saucepan. Pour red lentils into the water until they form a mound just above the surface. Bring to the boil and simmer, about 15 mins, salting liberally, and adding enough liquid in small quantities to keep the contents like a thick sauce. Add chopped onions or tomatoes to taste.

Spicy Potatoes

Adapted from the recipe for samosa filling in Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking (not a vlf cookbook, but many of the recipes are adaptable and the info on exotic spices and ingredients is very helpful). I wrapped this stuff in whole wheat tortillas to make a sort of multicultural burrito--pita bread might also work well.

3 baking potatoes, boiled whole in their peels, cooled, peeled and diced
A squirt of Pam (optional)
3 Tbs. water
1 medium-size onion, peeled and minced
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or any hottening agent to taste)
3 Tbs. finely minced cilantro
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. garam masala (use allspice if you don't have it)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. amchoor or lemon juice
salt to taste

Give a large skillet a squirt of Pam, and briefly saute the onions. Add the ginger, cayenne, cilantro and water. Cover, lower heat and simmer gently. Add more water as the pan dries out and continue to simmer until you have what MFK Fisher calls "an odiferous mulch" (about five minutes, stirring occasionally). Add the other ingredients and turn everything gently with a spatula to mix as it continues to cook. Add more water if stuff is sticking. After another 3-4 minutes it will be ready to eat. This served two with leftovers, but there were a few other things for dinner as well.

The original recipe called for a cup of defrosted frozen peas to be added with the ginger and cilantro, but I didn't have any. Other vegetables might work as well--lightly steamed carrots, for example,. or mushrooms.

This recipe is adapted from Pat Chapman's `Indian Restaurant Cookbook'. The tanginess that usually comes from yogurt is imparted by lemon juice in my version.

These can be made with all white flour if desired. Also, if you don't have any self-raising, substitute plain (all-purpose) flour and 1 tsp baking powder.

In breadmaking, a `stroke' is one repetition of the actions: squash down dough away from you with the heels of your hands; fold the dough over in half towards you; turn the dough a quarter-turn.

Makes about 3, depending on size

200ml (7fl oz - just under 1 cup) water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dried yeast
225g wholewheat bread flour)
225g white self-raising flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For Garlic & Coriander (Cilantro) Naan:

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

1. Put the water in a small pan and heat to hand-hot. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle on the yeast a little=20 at a time, stirring well in between each addition to avoid lumps. Put the pan somewhere warm until there is froth on top of it - about 15 minutes. If no froth happens your yeast is dead.

2. Mix the flours, salt and optional flavourings in a bowl. Sprinkle over the lemon juice, then pour in the yeast mixture. Adding more water as necessary to make a pliable dough, mix it all together then knead for 100 strokes. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

3. When ready to cook them (just before serving) knead=20 for another 50 strokes, then divide into naans. Form into a ball then flatten into a oval about 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick. Preheat a grill (preferably gas) and place the naans on a floured baking sheet. Cook on both sides under the grill, until puffed up and=8D browned.

4. Serve immediately, or cool and freeze.