A: The first one I start with is dal makhani. It’s almost a light bulb going o n. It’s this ah-ha moment. They’re like, ‘Are you kidding me? Is it really that easy?’ And it’s really that easy.
A couple of the ingredients in this (lentil dish) are a little bit tougher (to find) like the dried fenugreek leaves and getting your hands on the cardamom powder. But all I say with that is leave it out. It’s a no-brainer. If you come across an ingredient that just seems really bizarre and you don’t know where to get it, don’t get discouraged.
When we cook Indian at home we don’t always have everything right there, we just leave it out and we move on. You have enough flavor to be able to make up for it.
—Anupy Singla, former reporter, future public television star on Chicago’s WTTW and author of her third cookbook, “Indian for Everyone: The Home Cook’s Guide to Traditional Favorites.”
(February 2015)
