vegetarian dishes

The amazing world of Indian cuisine can be summed up to tantalizing aromas, colorful flavors and exotic textures that work in harmony to create signature dishes like curries, tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala.

One of our favorite Indian dishes is dal (daal or dahl) which is actually a split version of a number of pulses such as lentils, peas, mung beans, chickpeas and more. When they are split into half, it is considered to be dal; an example would be mung beans split in half is mung dal.
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There is a spice, a very strange and uncommon spice that is unfamiliar to most western palates, but not to central Asian folks. In fact this particular spice has been around for ages, and is widely used in Indian cuisine. I am referring to asafoetida, also known as Hing, which is a potent resin with a powerful aroma, something akin to musty, earthy smells. Or in some cases it has been deemed to have an odor of sweat. But don't let the odor fool you, once a tiny pinch of the resin is sauteed in hot oil or ghee (clarified butter) the spice dissolves and emits a smell reminiscent of onions and garlic. The infused oil is used to add depth and complexity to a variety of savory dishes such as rice, vegetables and legumes ordal. It can also be mixed with salt and eaten with raw salads. For those vegetarians who shun garlic and onion, asafoetida is a great replacement.
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