Heavenly Vegan Dals & Curries: Exciting New Dishes from an Indian Girl’s Kitchen Abroad

Yadav, creator of the Box of Spice blog, presents a solid collection of vegan dals and curries for all tastes and skill levels. Surprises abound, such as urad dal risotto with caramelized fennel; and masoor peanut sauce dal, which artfully blends Indonesian and Indian fare. Illustrating the versatility of dals and curries, Yadav offers up a spicy coconut plantain soy bean curry; potatoes with a carrot curry with brown lentils, bok choy, and asafetida (a pungent spice also known as “devil’s dung”); and a green apple and potato curry with crunchy green beans. Ingredients are easily sourced, and dishes are simple to prepare. Beans, however, often require soaking overnight, such as the chickpeas and lentils in a dal minestrone, though Yadav’s ginger tumeric chickpeas with roasted cherry tomatoes calls for canned beans and is ready in 15 minutes. Ghee, or clarified butter, is a prominent Indian ingredient that Yadav sidesteps by substituting coconut oil. The result is a wonderfully inventive collection of dishes that is sure to strike a chord with vegan lovers of Indian cuisine. (Apr.)