The Infinite Vegetarian

“What better vegetarian food is there than that of India?” asks Neelam Batra. “Indians can cook vegetarian every day of the year and not have to repeat a recipe.”

This Santa Monica-based author and cooking teacher is loyal to her native cuisine--and with good reason, having just written “The Indian Vegetarian” (Macmillan; $25) for those who want to incorporate new flavors in their own meatless cooking. The book is subtitled “Flavors for the American Kitchen.”

‘I’m not aiming at the Indian market,” says Batra. “They know what to do.”

Batra includes fusion recipes such as paneer cheese fajitas (paneer is Indian-style homemade cheese), raita with avocado and toasted slivered almonds, and upside-down basmati rice cake with crispy ginger and onion. She suggests that certain sauces be served over pasta. It’s a liberal approach that grew out of comments from her students and from her own experiments with the produce she buys each week at the Santa Monica farmers market.

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Batra fills her cloth shopping bags with green and yellow zucchini, lettuce, carrots, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, Asian pears, cilantro and whatever else is in prime shape, then incorporates these into Indian-style dishes.

Mushrooms go into grilled-mushroom-and-cheese sandwiches lightly flavored with curry powder. Apricots, peaches, kiwi and summer berries inspire a fruit salad seasoned with Indian chaat masala. And purple and gold potatoes wind up in a saute with dill or cilantro. In addition to these recipes, Batra also includes some for classical Indian dishes, many of them from her family and friends.

Born in New Delhi, Batra moved to Los Angeles with her husband 21 years ago. At that time, Indian restaurants were rare in this city. Although she had never formally studied cooking, Batra had watched the preparation of dishes at home. Her mother had insisted on it. “I tried to recapture all my memories and started cooking,” she said. She did it so well that a friend suggested she teach. For years now, Batra has taught cooking classes at Santa Monica City College and Montana Mercantile.

During lunch at Nawab in Santa Monica, Batra nibbled on grilled shrimp and chicken with saag (spiced greens); clearly, she is not a vegetarian. Batra had intended to write a comprehensive book including meats, but her publisher wanted the vegetarian angle. That was fine with Batra. “I have a way with vegetables,” she says.

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Batra hopes to perk up the standard American “light” diet (which relies on salads and plain steamed vegetables) with nutritious, flavorful legumes, breads and paneer dishes.

In India, paneer is a plain, white cheese, but Batra has come up with innovative herb and spice-flavored variations. She uses basil-flavored paneer in a tossed green salad and suggests adding this low-fat cheese to pizza, pasta and stir-fries. She calls it “today’s guilt-free cheese.”

Batra’s chapter on sauces departs from Indian custom. In India, sauces are part of each dish and are not prepared separately. Western cooks, on the other hand, create sauces to drizzle over food or serve on the side. Batra combines the two approaches with Indian-flavored sauces that can accompany a variety of dishes. Recipes range from classic curry sauce to a yogurt sauce with caramelized onion that can be used on pizza instead of tomato sauce.

Batra does adhere to some traditions. She came to lunch dressed in a lacy cotton sari trimmed in burgundy and gold and printed with peacocks, the national bird of India. And, like her mother, she uses a pressure cooker. As a matter of fact, she has five of them.

In India, where hospitality is a way of life, it is necessary to cook quickly for unexpected guests. Batra recalls her mother would expand a meal in a few minutes, using the pressure cooker. Batra uses hers for legumes, curries and even for caramel custard, a recipe included in the dessert chapter.

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Although she nibbled with apparent immunity on a slice of raw serrano chile, Batra plays down the spiciness of Indian cuisine. “Contrary to popular belief, the vegetarian food cooked in homes in India as well as here is not very spicy,” she said. “And it is not heavy on the stomach.”

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Pistachios and almonds add rich taste to this unusual version of spinach salad. Batra credits the idea to Sunil Vora of the Clay Pit restaurant in Los Angeles.

FRESH SPINACH SALAD WITH CUMIN-YOGURT DRESSING

1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon ground roasted cumin seeds

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 bunch spinach, trimmed of tough stems, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Place pistachios in small saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat, then remove from heat and let soak 30 minutes. Drain. Transfer to kitchen towel and rub gently to remove skins. Set aside for garnish.

Combine yogurt, milk, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Place spinach in salad bowl and drizzle half of yogurt mixture on top. Top with pistachios and almonds. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve with remaining dressing on side. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

113 calories; 347 mg sodium; 2 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.80 gram fiber.

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These mashed potatoes appear twice in Batra’s book, first as a vegetable side dish, then as part of a spinach and cheese casserole.

CILANTRO MASHED POTATOES

1 1/2 pounds potatoes

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1/2 cup firmly packed finely chopped cilantro, soft stems included

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Cilantro sprigs

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2 to 5 serrano chiles, halved lengthwise

Place potatoes in saucepan, cover with water, bring to boil and boil until tender. Drain, peel and mash or grate. While potatoes are still warm, mix in butter, yogurt, cilantro, pepper and salt.

Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, chives and serrano chiles. Makes about 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

147 calories; 270 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.81 gram fiber.

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Try this sauce with grilled vegetables, or over pasta.

CREAMY SAFFRON SAUCE

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

5 green cardamom pods, pounded lightly to break skin

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper

In bowl stir saffron into milk and set aside.

Heat oil in small saucepan over high heat. Add onions and cardamom pods and stir until onion turns golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor fitted with metal blade. Add saffron milk, yogurt and cornstarch and process until smooth.

Return to saucepan. Add salt and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until sauce becomes smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with pepper. Serve hot. Makes about 2 cups.

Each 1-tablespoon serving contains about:

16 calories; 62 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

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Colorful zucchini from a farmers market inspired this dish. Batra recommends buying whole coriander seeds--the slightly green Indian variety--at an Indian market and grinding them. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, packaged ground coriander does not have much flavor,” she says.

BABY ZUCCHINI WITH SPICES

25 to 30 baby green and yellow zucchini, to equal 2 pounds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon mango powder

1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups 2-inch julienne strips sweet red and yellow peppers

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, soft stems included

Rinse and dry each zucchini. With sharp knife slit each vertically from tip end to within 1/2 inch of stem, leaving stem intact. Do not cut zucchini in half.

In small bowl mix coriander, cumin, mango powder, mint, paprika, cayenne and salt. Set aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Add zucchini and cook, gently turning with kitchen tongs, until lightly browned on all sides. Cook in batches if necessary. Sprinkle over 3/4 of spice mixture and cook, shaking pan, 2 minutes.

Remove zucchini to serving platter, cover lightly and keep warm. Place julienned sweet peppers in same skillet and cook over moderately high heat until barely tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in remaining spice mixture and cilantro. Garnish zucchini platter with sweet peppers. Serve at once. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

56 calories; 300 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.75 gram fiber.

Note : Mango powder is available at Indian markets.

* RELATED STORY: Meet the Jains, India’s most rigorous vegetarians. H29

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* Cover design by TRACY CROWE.

* Food styling by Donna Deane and Mayi Brady.