Water Cooler Recipes

Adapted from a recollection of favorite Indian family recipes from my colleague Sundar at Fixya.

Roasted Eggplant Dip 

Roast a giant eggplant coated in light oil, either on an open charcoal grill or in a grill pan in the oven @ 400 degrees, for 35-40 minutes, until very tender and cooked through. 

Peel the eggplant completely. Mash the eggplant to a pulp, and add yogurt (regular dairy yogurt or nondairy coconut yogurt) until the mash becomes creamier. The consistency doesn't have to be totally smooth, though.

On the stove, heat up some oil (grapeseed or olive oil will do) and throw in a couple teaspoons of cumin, mustard seed, chili pepper flakes (or fresh minced chili pepper) and turmeric. When the spice mixture begins to pop, remove from heat, and combine with eggplant mixture. 

Serve as a side, with pita chips or flat bread. 

Roasted Spicy Potatoes

Dice 3 russet potatoes into quarters or cubes. The size of the potato dices depends on your preference. 

In a skillet, toss the diced potatoes with 2 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil. Add 2 tsp chili pepper flakes or fresh minced chili pepper, salt, cracked black pepper, and a tiny dash of sugar. Cook in the skillet at medium-high for about 7 minutes, trying to coat potatoes with oil and spices as evenly as possible, then transfer potatoes to a bake sheet. Roast potatoes on the bake sheet in the oven for ~25 minutes @ 400 degrees, or until they look crispy brown. 

Serve warm as a side or with toothpicks as a finger food.

Spicy Carrots

Peel and shred some carrots. Squeeze some lemon juice onto the carrots, and add some salt. In a saucepan or fry pan, fry up cumin and mustard seeds in a little bit of oil, until the mustard seeds begin to pop, and  then add it to the carrots.
Serve as a side dish