An Indian Vegetarian Meal- By Asmita Modi

A basic meal consists of 1 bread, 1 vegetable dish, 1 lentil dish, and 1 rice dish. A kofta dish, paneer dish, or egg dish can be added as well. The frozen appetizers are usually fine to serve also (samosas, kachoris, etc).

* A pressure cooker works best for the lentils. Wash the lentils and then make sure they are soaked in water that extends about 1/2 inch above the lentils. Start with them since they take the longest.

* Types of dhaal to use include toor, masoor, and mung.

* Basic spices are: mustard seed or cumin seed; coriander and cumin powder (mixed); chili; turmeric; salt. Also can get oregano seeds and asofoeteda powder. Sugar, lemon juice, and coriander leaves are good toppings.

* Basic curry is onions, garlic, tomato, water (makes a gravy). Can add yogurt, peas, paneer.

* For vegetable dish, all can be cooked the same way. Green beans must be cut very small. Cauliflower has a lot of water in it, so don't add any water.

* For kofta, can make either malai kofta or vegetable kofta.

* For veggie kofta, blend potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans into a paste. Blend with a little chili peppers, spices, corriander. Mix with flour, and drop in oil.

* For malai kofta, boil milk, put lemon juice in it to curdle it, let it sit. Mix the curds with flour, salt, corriander, chili. Mix with flour, drop in oil.

* For Kofta curry, use: 4 large tomatoes, 4 oz. cream, oil, chili, salt, and spicy base (1 onion, 2 tbsp. coconut, 7 cloves garlic, 2 green chilies, 2 tsp. corriander, 1 tsp. cumin, 2 tbsp chanoli, 2 tsp. poppy seeds, 1 inch ginger, 2 tbsp. corriander leaves).

Cut tomatoes, add 4 cups water, make into a soup. Fry paste. Add chili powder, add soup, cream, stir.

* Pav Bhaji: chop, steam and mash- potatoes, peas, carrots, green peppers, green beans, cauliflower. Sautee onion, garlic, butter. Add veggies and masala, eat with bread.