50g/2oz yellow or pink lentils 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1tbsp coriander seeds, finely crushed 2 or 3 dried red chillies A pinch of turmeric A pinch of mustard seeds A pinch of cumin A pinch of fenugreek 6 black peppercorns 2tbsp tamarind pulp 1litre/13/4 pints water 10 curry leaves (fresh or dried) 1tbsp sunflower oil
Wash and drain the lentils and put them in a casserole dish with the water, turmeric and some salt. It forms a vital part of the meal and is sipped both to add flavour and aid digestion: the spices help to make the protein in the lentils much easier to absorb A popular variation includes tomatoes. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saut?he scallops for a few seconds. Toss in everything else, except the coriander, and stir-fry over a very high heat until the dish is nearly dry. Remove from the pan and serve immediately, sprinkled with the coriander.. Rasam is a very healthy soup from south India, made in many different ways but usually with lentils.

Simmer for 15 minutes, then strain and serve, adding a little coriander. The red chillies can be recovered from the sieve and left to float decoratively in the soup.. This is a classic Goan-style dish, cooked very quickly so that all the goodness in the scallops and the vegetables remains. Goans, thanks to their Portuguese heritage, might well eat this dish in a toasted p?roll with salad leaves: a ciabatta roll would be a good substitute. 3 king scallops, cubed, or 6-10 queen scallops, cut in half (leave the orange corals attached if you like) 1tsp salt A pinch of turmeric 2tsp lemon juice 2tbsp sunflower oil A large knob of ginger, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 tomato, skinned and finely chopped Half a small green pepper, thinly sliced Half a small red pepper, thinly sliced 2 spring onions, shredded diagonally 1tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Marinate the scallops in the lemon juice, salt and turmeric for a few minutes. Boil until soft.Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the mustard and let it crackle, then add the onion, curry leaves, coriander, chillies, cumin, peppercorns and fenugreek.

Saut?or six minutes, then add the lentil broth and the tamarind and boil. A popular variation includes tomatoes.Serves 4 as part of a balanced Indian meal 50g/2oz yellow or pink lentils 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1tbsp coriander seeds, finely crushed 2 or 3 dried red chillies A pinch of turmeric A pinch of mustard seeds A pinch of cumin A pinch of fenugreek 6 black peppercorns 2tbsp tamarind pulp 1litre/13/4 pints water 10 curry leaves (fresh or dried) 1tbsp sunflower oilWash and drain the lentils and put them in a casserole dish with the water, turmeric and some salt. It forms a vital part of the meal and is sipped both to add flavour and aid digestion: the spices help to make the protein in the lentils much easier to absorb. Serve immediately, with a sprinkling of chopped coriander if you like.RasamRasam is a very healthy soup from south India, made in many different ways but usually with lentils. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cover with a loose-fitting lid until they stop popping Add the onion and chillies and cook until soft Add the coconut, turmeric, curry leaves and a little salt Stir, then add whichever vegetables you like.

Stir again and then steam for 2-3 minutes under a tight lid.Remove the lid and stir over a low heat until nearly dry. Almost any vegetable can be prepared this way (or a combination – mushrooms and broccoli work very well together) but remember that the final cooking described here takes just a few minutes, so any vegetable that takes longer to cook – root vegetables, for example, or tough spring greens – should be blanched first. Try Swiss chard this way, or purple sprouting broccoli, or broad beans.Serves 4 as part of a balanced Indian meal 3tbsp freshly grated coconut, or 2tbsp desiccated coconut soaked in 1tbsp water 2 or 3 green chillies, finely chopped 1 small onion, chopped roughly Salt to taste 10 curry leaves, fresh or dried 1tsp black mustard seeds 1/2tsp turmeric 2tbsp sunflower oil Your choice of vegetables: about 400g/13oz in totalHeat the oil in a large frying pan. Heat the oil in a frying pan and saut?he scallops for a few seconds. Toss in everything else, except the coriander, and stir-fry over a very high heat until the dish is nearly dry. Remove from the pan and serve immediately, sprinkled with the coriander.ThoranThis Keralan way of preparing vegetables makes good use of their most precious resource: the coconut. Goans, thanks to their Portuguese heritage, might well eat this dish in a toasted p?roll with salad leaves: a ciabatta roll would be a good substitute.Serves 4 as part of a balanced Indian meal 3 king scallops, cubed, or 6-10 queen scallops, cut in half (leave the orange corals attached if you like) 1tsp salt A pinch of turmeric 2tsp lemon juice 2tbsp sunflower oil A large knob of ginger, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 tomato, skinned and finely chopped Half a small green pepper, thinly sliced Half a small red pepper, thinly sliced 2 spring onions, shredded diagonally 1tbsp chopped fresh corianderMarinate the scallops in the lemon juice, salt and turmeric for a few minutes.

Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk the yoghurt with the cinnamon, then stir in the coriander and lemon.Transfer the aubergines to a serving dish and top with the dollops of the dressing: you could add sev (a crunchy chickpea snack food) or even Bombay mix for texture if you like.Scallops with ginger and garlicThis is a classic Goan-style dish, cooked very quickly so that all the goodness in the scallops and the vegetables remains. Add the chilli and tomatoes, simmer and reduce a little, then season to taste with salt.Place the aubergine slices, without overlapping, on a baking tray, sprinkle with chaat masala if desired and spread a spoonful of tomato sauce on each one. Slice the aubergines into 1cm (1/4 In) thick rounds and cook in the pan in batches until well browned on both sides, using a little of the oil for each batch. You should have a little oil left.Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas6. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and saut?he onion until it’s just starting to colour Then add the ginger and garlic and cook until golden brown. The name literally means “fruit of the clouds”.Serves 4 as part of a balanced Indian meal 2 aubergines A tin of chopped tomatoes 2-3tbsp sunflower oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped A knob of ginger, finely chopped Chaat masala (optional) 1/2tsp chilli powder 500g/16oz Greek yoghurt A pinch of cinnamon A small handful of fresh coriander, chopped Salt to season 1tsp lemon juiceHeat the oil in a ridged grill pan. And, thanks to Todiwala, these benefits are now available in the privacy of your own kitchen.Caf?pice Namaste, 16 Prescot Street, London E1, tel: 020 7488 9242; Dilli, 60 Stamford New Road, Altrincham, WA14, tel: 0161 929 7484Cyrus Todiwala’s baadaljaamThis is pan-grilled aubergine, topped with tomato sauce and a delicious tangy yoghurt.