The sattvic soffritto: flavour without onion and garlic# Italian, French and Spanish cooking begin with a soffritto (mirepoix, sofrito): onion, garlic, celery and carrot softened slowly in fat. The sattvic soffritto keeps the method and replaces the alliums with aromatics that build the same savoury depth.
The sattvic soffritto (for 4 servings) 2 tsp ghee or 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp fennel seed (whole or lightly crushed) — sweetness and aroma in place of onion 1 stalk celery, finely diced — the savoury, slightly salty base 1 small carrot, finely diced — sweetness and body Optional: a small piece of celeriac or fennel bulb; a pinch of hing for beans and lentils Method: warm the fat, add the fennel seed for 20 seconds, then the vegetables with a pinch of salt; cook on low heat 6–8 minutes until soft and golden. The Western tadka: herb ghee# The Indian tadka (chaunk) blooms spices in hot ghee and pours them over dal. The same principle works with European herbs: warm ghee gently with rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel seed and a little black pepper, then spoon over soups, grains or roast vegetables (Recipe 9.05). Fat carries fat-soluble aromas into food — and into the body.
Indian tadka, Western herb ghee, Best on Indian tadka Western herb ghee Best on Cumin + hing + ginger Fennel + celery seed + thyme Lentil and bean soups Mustard seed + curry leaf Rosemary + lemon zest Roast vegetables, potatoes Cumin + black pepper Sage + nutmeg Squash, gnocchi, risotto Fennel + cardamom Dill + lemon Rice, fish-free 'chowders', beets Turmeric + ginger Turmeric + ginger + bay Pilafs, kitchari
Swipe sideways to see all columns. Stocks without meat, onion or garlic# A good stock is the foundation of Western soups and risottos. This one keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
Ingredient, For 2 litres, Role Ingredient For 2 litres Role Carrots 2 large Sweetness Celery 3 stalks with leaves Savoury depth Fennel bulb or trimmings ½ bulb Aniseed sweetness replacing onion Parsnip or celeriac 1 small Earthy body Tomato 1 (optional) Umami, colour Kombu 5 cm strip Natural glutamates (umami) without mushrooms Bay leaf, thyme, parsley stalks 2 leaves, 3 sprigs, a handful Aroma Black peppercorns 6 Warmth Water 2.5 litres Simmer 45 minutes, strain; do not salt — season the final dish
Swipe sideways to see all columns. Grain cooking chart# Grain, Water per 100 g, Time, Yield, Tip Grain Water per 100 g Time Yield Tip Basmati rice 175–200 ml 15 min + 10 rest ≈ 300 g Rinse; soak 20 min for softer grains Arborio rice (risotto) 450–500 ml stock 18–22 min ≈ 350 g Add stock gradually Brown rice 225 ml 40 min ≈ 300 g Soak 1 h for elder digestion Wild rice 350 ml 45–55 min ≈ 300 g Done when grains split Quinoa 200 ml 15 min + 5 rest ≈ 280 g Rinse thoroughly Millet 300 ml 20–25 min ≈ 330 g Toast dry first; more water for porridge Pearl barley 300–350 ml 35–45 min ≈ 300 g Soak overnight Bulgur (fine) 200 ml boiling 15 min covered ≈ 280 g No cooking needed Couscous 120 ml boiling 5 min covered ≈ 250 g Fluff with ghee Polenta 500–600 ml 25–40 min ≈ 550 g Add milk at end for softness Steel-cut oats 400 ml 25 min (soaked) ≈ 450 g Soak overnight
Swipe sideways to see all columns. Legume soaking and cooking chart# Legume, Soak, Pressure cooker, Stovetop, Digestive helpers Legume Soak Pressure cooker Stovetop Digestive helpers Red lentils None — 20 min Cumin, ginger Puy lentils Optional 1 h 6–8 min 25 min Bay, cumin Split peas 4 h 10 min 50 min Fennel, ginger, hing Chickpeas 8–12 h 25–30 min (12 whistles) 1½–2 h Bay, kombu, cumin; peel skins Cannellini, haricot 8–12 h 15–20 min 1–1½ h Kombu strip, sage, fennel Mung beans (whole) 4–6 h 8–10 min 40 min Ginger, turmeric
Swipe sideways to see all columns. Western measures and conversions# Volume, Metric, Weight equivalents (approx.) Volume Metric Weight equivalents (approx.) 1 teaspoon (tsp) 5 ml Salt 5–6 g · ground spice 2–3 g · ghee 4–5 g 1 tablespoon (tbsp) 15 ml Oil 13 g · flour 8 g · honey or maple 20 g 1 US cup 240 ml Flour 120 g · rice 190 g · oats 90 g · lentils 190 g · milk 245 g 1 UK/metric cup 250 ml Slightly more than US cup 1 fl oz 30 ml — 1 oz 28 g — 1 lb 454 g — Oven 150 °C 300 °F Gas mark 2 — slow baking, rice pudding Oven 180 °C 350 °F Gas mark 4 — most bakes Oven 200 °C 400 °F Gas mark 6 — roasting vegetables Oven 220 °C 425 °F Gas mark 7 — flatbreads, crisp roasting
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