Real Om Cooking

Driving down the quiet residential street in Culver City, one notices only a small white frame house, much like any other on the block. The backyard of this one, however, has been transformed into a magical space for relaxation and meditation. A path leads from the garden to the kitchen door and a lineup of shoes is left outside, in accordance with Indian custom. The best surprise is inside: a spectacular array of dishes that are certainly not native to this neighborhood.

Sharing great food in a beautiful garden--how much nicer could a Saturday night be? This felicitous blend of site and supper took place at a summer potluck staged by the Sri Aurobindo Center.

The center attracts followers of an Indian spiritual leader who taught a synthesis of the spirituality and culture of East and West. A large ashram devoted to Sri Aurobindo and his associate, a European woman known as the Mother, is situated in Pondicherry in south India.

The local center conducts classes, religious ceremonies and cultural programs. On the first Saturday of the month, participants gather for an informal supper, each person bringing a dish. The only requirement is that the food be vegetarian.

It does not have to be Indian, because the center attracts Westerners and people from other parts of Asia as well as Indians. However, the menu usually winds up predominantly Indian, although a pasta or western salad may appear.

During the summer, people take their plates outside to enjoy the carefully tended garden. A large pond, stone benches for peaceful relaxation, beds of mixed flowers and a profusion of roses are some of its attractions.

The gathering is informal. Food arrives in a homely assortment of pots and pans, then is reheated in the small kitchen and set out for people to help themselves. The experience is comparable to eating in an Indian home where the food is prepared with great care and a light touch. Regional specialties appear, as well as dishes handed down in Indian households and recreations of food tasted during travels in India. The evening ends as most potlucks do, with the clatter of pans and bowls being washed and packed to take home.

Although there is no coordination, the contributions seem to go together well. Often, conversations develop around their origins.

Manjari De, for example, tells how her family in Calcutta made a pudding that would be served in silver bowls and decorated with rose petals. De, who now lives in Pasadena, recreates that pudding but serves it in cups scooped-out orange halves.

She uses a pudding mix based on China grass, which is the Indian name for agar agar. This substance, derived from seaweed, sets liquids in the same fashion as gelatin but requires no refrigeration. That makes it ideal for hot climates and homes without refrigerators. Another advantage is that agar agar sets rapidly. De’s dessert is ready 10 minutes after the mix is combined with boiling milk.

Recipes sometimes illustrate the ways Indians adapt their cookery to ingredients available here. Ketchup, for example, is a component of the chutney sauce that De serves with her Indo-American Chat. This appetizer consists of potato salad, spiced corn, sliced cucumber and jicama. One combines these to taste and spoons on the chutney mixture.

Amrita Banerji’s main dish combines balsamic vinegar and bottled marinara sauce with Indian paneer cheese and bell peppers. Surprisingly, the dish tastes Mexican rather than Indian. Banerji obtained the recipe from her father in Calcutta. Her brother, Debashish Banerji, is president of the Sri Aurobindo Center, which was founded in 1953 and was formerly known as the East-West Cultural Center.

Indian vegetarians rely on dal (legumes) to supply some of their protein needs, so dal is always present at the potlucks. For the summer gathering, Diana Arias of Los Angeles cooked whole unpeeled moong dal (mung beans) with Swiss chard from her garden and red potatoes. A raft of such Indian spices as cumin, cardamom and turmeric joined with onions, garlic, chiles, lemon juice and cilantro to brighten this hearty main dish.

Arias, who once ran a restaurant in Los Angeles called the Road to Mandalay, draws upon long experience with Indian and Burmese food when she cooks for the center.

Anie Nunnally of Marina del Rey has lived at the ashram in Pondicherry and also at the nearby international community of Auroville, which was founded by the Mother. For 15 years, she was administrative director of the World Foundation for Education, which supports work related to Sri Aurobindo’s teachings.

Nunnally brought lemon rice, made from a recipe given to her by Manjari De. The dish is seasoned with curry leaves sauteed with mustard seeds, urad dal, raisins, onions and garlic. This mixture is tossed with cooked Basmati rice, which is then sprinkled with lemon juice and decorated with cashews, green onions and cilantro. The taste is nutty, with an occasional burst of sweetness from the raisins.

Dessert is often fresh fruit, but on special occasions, Dorian Schneidman of West Los Angeles makes an extravagant rice pudding. Starting with a recipe clipped years ago from The Times food section, Schneidman has added his own embellishments. He seasons the pudding with cardamom, saffron and rose water, lightens it with whipped cream and decorates it with pistachios, glazed almonds and cherry sauce. Rather than turning to shortcuts, Schneidman handles each component himself, right down to grinding the cardamom seeds, making the cherry sauce from scratch and glazing the almonds with butter and sugar.

The pudding quickly vanished as some took second and even third helpings. It was a fine ending to a dinner so pleasant that participants did not want the evening to end. And so, long after the dishes were done, the guests lingered, enjoying the camaraderie that arises when friends share good food.

Diana’s Moong Dal With Potatoes and Swiss Chard

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minutes * Vegetarian

Spinach, kale or mustard greens can be substituted for the chard. Serve the dal over steamed basmati rice as a main dish, accompanied by cucumber raita, or serve as a side dish.

1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 cloves

1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick

Seeds of 2 green cardamom pods

4 peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/4 teaspoons turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 cups whole unpeeled moong dal

6 cups water

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small dried hot red chile or cayenne pepper to taste

2 red boiling potatoes, each cut in 8 pieces

2 cups chopped Swiss chard, leaves only, packed

1 tablespoon sea salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 brown cardamom pod, optional

1 large bay leaf

3 serrano chiles, 2 chiles seeded, and all chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tomatoes, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

1 tablespoon butter or ghee, optional

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

* Grind coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom seeds and peppercorns in spice mill. Place in bowl and stir in paprika, 3/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

* Wash dal and remove any stones. Put in Dutch oven and add water, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, ginger, garlic and dried chiles. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer, covered, until dal has softened, 40 minutes. Check to see if dal needs more water. Add potatoes, chard, salt and sugar and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

* In large skillet over medium heat, saute onions, cumin seeds, cardamom pod and bay leaf in oil until onions are slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add serrano chiles and crushed garlic. Stir 1 minute. Add ground spice mixture and fry 1 to 2 minutes. Add more oil or water if needed to keep mixture from drying out and scorching. Add tomatoes and stir until tomatoes soften, 2 minutes.

* Add onion mixture to moong dal. Stir together and heat to simmer. Cook, covered, making sure dal does not stick, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add butter and stir. Remove cardamom pod and garnish with cilantro before serving.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 167 calories; 911 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 2.4 grams fiber.

Basmati Lemon Rice

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes * Vegetarian

Anie Nunnally’s vibrant yellow rice makes a beautiful side dish.

1/2 cup oil

4 small onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

12 to 15 curry leaves

4 teaspoons split unpeeled urad dal, soaked 45 minutes in water

4 teaspoons golden raisins

4 cups cooked Basmati rice

2 teaspoons turmeric

Salt to taste (up to 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup halved roasted cashews

1/4 cup lemon juice

8 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

* Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet or wok. Saute onions and garlic until soft, 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and raisins and saute 2 minutes.

* In a bowl, mix rice, turmeric, salt, sugar and cashews, saving a few cashews for garnish. Spoon rice into skillet with onion mixture and heat through, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Garnish with reserved cashews, green onions and cilantro.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 252 calories; 32 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.38 gram fiber.

Paneer Capsicum

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Vegetarian * Easy

Panner cheese and the spice mixture garam masala are available at Indian markets.

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons water

1 onion, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons oil

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 pounds paneer (Indian cheese), cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons bottled marinara sauce

Sugar

Salt

Cayenne pepper

3 green bell peppers, cubed same size as paneer

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

* Combine ginger root and 2 teaspoons water in blender or food processor to form paste. Set aside.

* Puree onion in blender or food processor with about 1 tablespoon water or just enough to form paste. Add more water if needed.

* Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion paste and fry until light golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger paste, 3 cups water and paneer. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 30 minutes.

* Add vinegar, marinara sauce and sugar, salt and cayenne to taste. (Dish should not be sweet, just mildly sweet and sour, and it is not very spicy.) Simmer 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook just until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with garam masala.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 294 calories; 179 mg sodium; 16 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.27 gram fiber.

Dorian’s Rice Pudding With Cherry Topping and Glazed Almonds

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes plus 4 hours for chilling

Dorian Schneidman buys shelled cardamom seeds from an Indian market, then grinds them with a mortar and pestle. Along with saffron, glazed nuts and dried cherries, they add sumptuous flavor to this rice dessert. Look for Montmorency dried cherries at Trader Joe’s stores.

10 cups milk

1 1/3 cups sugar plus 1 tablespoon

1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, ground medium fine

2 cups Basmati rice, washed

3 tablespoons rose water, preferably French

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 or 2 pinches saffron threads, optional

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

* Combine milk, 1 1/3 cups sugar and cardamom in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add rice and return to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until mixture is thickened but not stiff, 35 minutes. Break up saffron with fingers and toss in, if using. Cool. Add rose water, vanilla and almond extracts.

* Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Fold into cooled pudding. Chill 4 hours or overnight.

CHERRY TOPPING

3/4 cup dried pitted Montmorency tart cherries

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

* Place cherries in saucepan. Add 3/4 cup water and sugar and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until cherries are softened, 6 to 7 minutes.

* Blend cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup water and stir into cherries. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Refrigerate to thicken further, 30 minutes. Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

GLAZED ALMONDS

About 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon water

1/2 tablespoon butter

Salt

3/4 cup sliced almonds

* Dissolve sugar in water in small saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add pinch or two of salt. Remove from heat and stir in almonds, tossing well to coat.

* Spread on baking sheet and broil 8 inches from heat source until golden brown, turning to brown evenly, about 5 minutes. Cool. Makes about 3/4 cup.

ASSEMBLY

1/4 cup dry-roasted, unsalted pistachios, shelled and crushed into medium pieces

* Turn rice pudding into 10 or 12 serving dishes. Place Cherry Topping in center (if too much, place some in center and serve rest on side). Surround with Glazed Almonds and form outer ring of pistachios.

10 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings: 566 calories; 141 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 82 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.38 gram fiber.