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January 11, 2000

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Madhur Jaffrey's Vegetarian World

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Arthur J Pais

Madhur Jaffrey still remembers a woman in Springfield, Illinois, asking her a few decades ago: "What do vegetarians eat? Lots of boiled broccoli, I suppose!"

A lot has changed in the American kitchens since then. American taste buds have started accepting creatively prepared vegetarian food that is a far cry from boiled Idaho potatoes, creamed spinach, overcooked tomatoes and greasy French fries.

Vegetarian food is featured on menus of thousands of restaurants across the country. In the big cities there are also exclusive vegetarian restaurants serving Asian and American vegetarian delights.

Jaffrey, one of the most successful American food writers, has featured scores of vegetarian recipes in her previous seven cookbooks.

Now in World Vegetarian (Clarkson Potter, $ 40) she offers 650 meatless recipes from across the globe.

As she traveled across the world, she has been observing that people are heading towards softening of boundaries among all cuisine. She also knows that this has been a process that has been going on for centuries.

"Mixing and matching, borrowing and lending, we are consciously enriching our cuisines," she notes in the book, adding that the process is far faster today than anytime before.

Jaffrey's Taste of the Far East, was voted the Best International Cookbook and Book of the Year (1993) by the James Beard Foundation.

Her interest in world food was partly triggered by her family connections.

She notes:

"My own family is mixed. I, of course, am an Indian. I am married to an American, my children, through their marriages, have brought in Italian, Irish, English and French blood to those nearest to me -- my grandchildren."

Two of her daughters studied in China and Taiwan, and are complete Sinophiles, at least as far as food is concerned. Jaffrey has been traveling across the world since 1960s -- to east Asia, north Africa, Australia, southern Europe, central America and the Caribbean.

"It is impossible not to pick up good ideas, good recipes and new ingredients as one travels," she notes. "It is easy and natural to turn into a seasoned culinary 'collector' as one learns more and more about the craft."

Jaffrey notes that she has looked at vegetables in a global manner, drawing recipes from, among other countries, Morocco, Trinidad, India, Mexico and Italy and Cyprus.

The following recipes are excerpted from her book:

Trinidadian Mango Curry

Somewhere between a curry and a sweet chutney, Madhur Jaffrey notes, this dish can be served with all South Asian, Malay-style, and Middle Eastern meals.

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1-4 fresh hot green chiles, chopped
4 teaspoons curry powder (recommended: Bolst's)
2 teaspoons amchar masala (sold in Caribbean shops)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Quarter cup peanut or canola oil
3 half-ripe mangoes (about 1 pound each), peeled and flesh removed, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Salt to taste

1. Put the onion, garlic and green chilies into an electric blender, add 4 to 5 tablespoons of water and blend until you have a full paste. Set aside.

2. Combine the curry powder, amchar masala and cumin in a small bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of water, mix and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over high heat. When hot, put in the paste from the blender. Stir and fry for eight minutes, or until it has browned a bit. Turn the heat to medium and put in the curry powder paste. Stir for a minute and add the mango pieces. Stir well to mix. Add one and a half cup of hot water, sugar and salt and bring to a simmer. Stir and simmer gently, uncovered for 15 minutes.

How to Make Amchar Masala at Home

Amchar masala is easily available in Caribbean shops in big American and Canadian cities such as New York, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco and Houston. But if you are interested in making your own, here is how you go.

Quarter cup whole coriander leaves,
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
2 teaspoons whole pepper corns
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds

Roast the spices in a small frying pan over medium heat until they turn a shade or two darker. Remove from frying pan, allow to cool and grind in a spice grinder finely as possible. Store in an airtight jar in a dark place.

Makes about eight tablespoons.

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