Globe trotting with a saucepan

If the Gourmand Best Vegetarian Cook Book Award is to be believed, Tarla Dalal has competition. Asha Khatau is out with her brand new book that tells you how to whip up international dishes without maas-machhi-anda

Indian women love feeding their families. Food is the primary mode of displaying affection here. In Goodness Gracious Me, BBC's hysterical parody of Indian culture, the ever-prudent Mrs Bedi (a character purportedly inspired by actor Nina Wadia's mother) never gave in to her family's wasteful dining-out-demands. And why would she? After all, as she infallibly pointed out, whether her children craved pizza or her husband wanted chocolate cake, "I can make it at home for nothing. All I need is one small aubergine."

An aubergine may not be the answer to one's genuine desire to widen culinary horizons, but, if that is indeed your ambition, Asha Khatau's new book would certainly come handy. With dishes from America, Italy, Mexico, Europe, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean, Exciting Vegetarian Cuisines of the World includes some of Khatau's tried-and-tested recipes.

The homemaker and mother-of-three is excited that it's up for the Gourmand International Award for Best Vegetarian Cook Book, a competition that includes over 6,000 books from 150 countries.

Excerpts from an interview:

How did you start experimenting with foreign cuisines?
In our family, there has been a longstanding tradition of having a non-Indian meal for dinner. So, when I got married, this prompted me to try my hand at various cuisines and my in-laws encouraged my culinary experiments. I prefer oriental dishes or Mexican food, but the rest of the family loves European cuisine.u00a0

Are the measures in the recipes a rough indication in accordance with the Indian "hisaab se," technique of cooking?
The measurements are exact. Even a novice can follow them, using standard measuring cups and spoons, and get perfect results.

Since these recipes are sourced from around the world, how is it that egg doesn't feature in most of them?
From the cooking workshops I have conducted for 12 years, I've discovered that there's a very large section that prefers eggless dishes. At the same time, there aren't too many books that list recipes with alternative ingredients to the egg.

That's why you will find the 'Eggless' section.u00a0 Wherever possible, I have tried to substitute the ingredient with fresh cream or rising agents, while ensuring the authentic taste isn't compromised. This process took a lot of work but the Tex-Mex Quiche is one example of its success. Family members and friends have loved the dish.

Are ingredients required readily available locally?
When I started my cooking classes, it was a problem to source exotic ingredients. Now, of course, everything is easily available, though some items still come at a price. In our pressed-for-time society, it's practical to order items such as wonton wrappers and Vol-au-vent cases, rather than make them from scratch. Wherever possible, I would advise the use of local products as opposed to foreign imports; they are far fresher, and cheaper.

Asha Khatau's Exciting Vegetarian Cuisines of the World is available at bookstores for Rs 325. Hardbound version at Rs 425

Win
6 copies of Exciting Vegetarian Cuisines of the World.

For how long has Asha Khatau conducted cooking workshops?

Mail your answer to the above question to smdmail@mid-day.comu00a0Winners will be picked through a random draw and contacted on phone

Oriental vegetables with peanut sauce

Ingredients
500 gm vegetables (baby corn, snow peas, broccoli, water chestnuts, capsicums) cut into 2-inch pieces

For the Peanut Sauce:
3 tbsp coarsely ground peanuts
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp crushed ginger
1 tbsp red chilli paste
3-4 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp vinegar
cup coconut milk mixed with 1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp raw sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
Salt to taste

To Garnish:
Sprigs of coriander

Method

For the Peanut sauce:
Heat oil in a small pan; add garlic, ginger and chilli paste. Fry till fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a wok, heat oil over high heat and stir-fry the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt. When the vegetables are tender and crisp, pour the peanut sauce over. Toss gently. Transfer to a baking dish, garnish with coriander sprigs and serve hot.

Mediterranean Dip Platter

Ingredients
For Jalape ufffdo Hummus:
100 gm chickpeas, soaked and boiled
2 tbsp tahina paste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp finely-chopped jalape ufffdo chillies
Salt to taste

For Pickled Eggplant Relish:
200 gm large or small eggplants, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed with little salt
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

For Creamy Pesto Dip
cup cream cheese, softened
cup whipped cream
Green pesto sauce
1-2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

To garnish:
Olive oil, sliced olives and pine nuts

For Muhammara:
2 medium red capsicums, roasted and skin removed
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp pomegranate juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed with 1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin powder

To garnish:
Olive oil and chilli flakes
To serve:
Crisp pita bread triangles
u00a0
Method

Jalapeno Hummus
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture feels dry, add a little water. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with olive oil and chopped jalape ufffdo chillies.

Pickled Eggplant Relish
Sprinkle a little salt over chopped eggplant and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and saute the eggplant until soft. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well and set aside for 2-3 hours. Garnish with remaining oil and chilli flakes.

Creamy Pesto Dip
Process all the ingredients in a blender and turn out into a serving bowl. Garnish with olive oil, olives and pine nuts.

Muhammara
Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Turn out into a bowl, garnish with olive oil and chilli flakes.

To serve
Arrange all the bowls on a platter or large tray and serve with a basket of crisp pita bread or lavash.