TARLA DALAL is India�s Julia Child, there are no two opinions about that. For the last 26 years, she has been writing very successful vegetarian cooker books, starting with the Pleasures Of Vegetarian Cooking in 1973 and ending with Mithai last Diwali. Most of these you will find in Marwari housewives� kitchens. Also in Indian book stores, where one entire shelf in the cookery section is devoted to Tarla Dalal. That�s how popular she is.

Her success lies in her recipes. They are written in a style that is so simple, that almost any struggler in the kitchen could pick up a Tarla Dalal cookery book and turn out a five course gourmet meal with a little patience. For such people, she pioneered the step-by-step recipe procedure in India. It is a style she found most practical when she ran cookery classes from her home for women who wanted to graduate beyond what their mothers had taught them.

Fettucine with Pesto Indienne sauce
(Fettucine with a delicately balanced coriander-pesto cream sauce)

Ingredients:
1/2 packet white fettucine 1/2 packet green fettucine 3 tsps oil Salt to taste For the Pesto Indienne Sauce: 1/2 tsp paprika or red chilli flakes 1 tbsp pine nuts (chilgoza) 1 portion Pesto Indienne paste (given below) 1/2 cup cream 1 tbsp butter Salt to taste Pesto Indienne paste: 1 cup basil leaves 1/4 cup pine nuts (chilgoza) 4 cloves garlic 1/3 cup coriander, chopped 1 medium onion 1 tsp ginger, chopped 1 medium green chilli 1/3 cup olive oil Salt to taste Grind all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste.

For the garnish
Grated cheese Basil leaves Cherry tomatoes

Procedure:
For the fettucine. Put a lot of water in a pan, add salt and 1 teaspoon of oil and bring to a boil.
Add the white and green fettucine and cook till done.
Drain and keep aside.
After some time, add 2 teaspoons of oil to the cooked fettucine and mix well.

For the Pesto Indienne sauce
Heat the butter in a saucepan on a low flame. Add the paprika, the pine nuts and fry for some time. Add the Pesto Indienne paste, the cream, 1 cup of water and salt and heat till the sauce is a little thick. Keep aside. Do not boil the sauce as it will curdle.

How to proceed:
Place the fettucine in a serving bowl.
Pour the sauce over it. Garnish with grated cheese, basil and cherry tomatoes.
Serve hot.

Carrot and Pineapple salad
(A crunchy warm salad) Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 onions, cut into thin slices 1/2 tsp ginger, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 cups carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup pineapple cubes 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice 2 tbsps oil

For the garnish
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsps chopped parsley

Procedure:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, ginger and garlic and stir for a few minutes.
Add the carrots and stir fry.
Add the pineapple cubes and juice and stir till the juice dries. Garnish with the freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley.
Serve warm.
If you are using canned pineapple, add 1/4 cup syrup from it in place of fresh pineapple juice.

Pumpkin and Dill Seed soup
(A creamy pumpkin soup flavoured with dill seeds)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 cups red pumpkin, cut into cubes 1 tsp dill seeds 2 tbsps onions, chopped 2 tbsps fresh cream 2 tbsps butter Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish
Chopped spring onion greens

Procedure:
Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the dill seeds and onions and saute for a few minutes.
Add the pumpkin pieces and stir for a few minutes. Add 3 to 4 cups of water, salt and pepper and cook till the pumpkin is tender. Puree the soup is a blender till smooth.
Add the cream and bring to a boil once again. Serve hot, garnished with spring onion greens.
Strain the pureed soup if you want a really smooth soup.

Thai red curry & green rice
(A fiery red Thai curry simmered with assorted vegetables) Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
6 to 7 tbsps red curry paste 2 cups coconut milk 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed in water 1/2 tsp soya sauce 15 basil leaves, chopped 1/2 cup baby corn, diced 2 brinjals, diced 1 cup broccolli florets 1/2 cup mushrooms 1 tbsp oil Salt to taste

Procedure:
Mix the cornflour and coconut milk.
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the red curry paste and fry for a few minutes.
Add the coconut milk, soya sauce, basil leaves and all the vegetables. Simmer for 10 minutes till the vegetables are tender. Add salt.
Boil for 1 to 2 minutes till the curry thickens. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.
(PS: You can use any vegetables of your choice.)

Red curry paste
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:
10 Kashmiri red chilles, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tbsp ginger, grated 2 stalks lemon grass 6 stalks coriander 1 tbsp ground coriander 2 tbsps ground cumin 1/2 tbsp white pepper 1/2 tsp salt

Procedure:
Grind all the ingredients to a paste in a mortar or a food processor using a little water. Store in an airtight container. It can be stored for upto a month. Alternatively, it can kept frozen for upto three months. Use as required.

Green Rice
(Rice with green chilli, mint and coriander cooked in coconut milk) Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour 4 cups coconut milk 1 bay leaf 4 tbsps chopped coriander 4 tbsps fresh mint, chopped 4 green chillies, finely chopped 2 tbsps oil 1 tsp salt

For the garnish
Lemon wedges

Procedure:
Wash and drain the rice. Heat the oil in a pan, add the rice and fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, bay leaf and salt and cook on a slow flame with the lid on till all the liquid is absorbed.
Lower the heat as much as possible, cover the pan lightly and cook for 10 minutes more.
Remove the bay leaf.
Stir in the coriander, mint and green chillies. Serve hot garnished with lemon wedges.
It is important to cook the rice on low heat as a high flame could cause the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Mongolian Stir-fry
(Stir-fried vegetables with hoisin sauce) Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup broccoli florets 1/4 cup baby corn, sliced 1/4 cup capsicum (yellow, red or green), cubed 1/4 cup red cabbage, roughly chopped 1/4 cup paneer, cubed 1 cup spinach leaves, torn 1 tsp sesame seeds 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 tsp ginger, grated 1 tsp chilli sauce 1 tsp soya sauce 1 tsp butter Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Heat the butter in a pan and add the sesame seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the garlic and ginger and fry for a while. Add the broccoli, baby corn and 3 tablespoons of water and simmer till they become tender.
Raise the heat, add the capsicum, red cabbage, paneer and spinach leaves, and stir fry for some time. Finally, add the chilli and soya sauces, salt and pepper, and mix well. Serve hot.