Recipes

Kay Rentschler · NYT Cooking

I discovered that candied fruit likes getting soused with currants or dates, and that it isn't fussy about the medium: sherry, rum or Cognac all make it happy. And the trick to baking with it is simple: use the good stuff and use it judiciously. Fold just enough diced peel and choice cherries into a batter with chopped dates and spice and watch the tone and texture lighten up. No one would dream of calling this fruitcake.

Kay Rentschler · NYT Cooking

If the classic fruit tart is a well-heeled matron, a crostata is a lusty peasant girl. Pressed into a fluted mold for form and discipline? Not likely. Roll out the dough, fill it up, crimp it over and slide it into a blazing oven. A crostata is light and unencumbered, the perfect showcase for late summer fruit.

Kay Rentschler · NYT Cooking

The dark, soft fruits of late summer bake quickly and compatibly with this pastry, and here, Parmesan cream adds depth to the sweetness of ripe figs. These are generous portions, about five inches across, for ease of handling, baking and presentation (and sorely tempting to eat in one sitting).

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

At first glance, the fried rice of Macao looks like the ordinary Chinese variety. But Macanese cooks flavor it with the saffron, tomatoes and olive oil of Portugal. The rich amalgam of flavors can be traced to the travels of the spice traders during the late-15th and early-16th centuries.

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Julie Sahni · NYT Cooking

Molly O’Neill · NYT Cooking

Molly O'Neill

Elaine Louie · NYT Cooking

This succulent green bean dish, in a gently spiced sauce of coconut milk, is from Bihar, a state in India. “It is an everyday, simple dish that is several hundred years old,” said Julie Sahni, a cooking teacher, and author of eight cookbooks. The dish requires fresh green string beans, not French haricot verts or Asian long beans, which are thinner, and more dense. “The string beans will plump up, and absorb some of the sauce,” said Ms. Sahni. The recipe can be adapted for 12 ounces of raw cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, or brussels sprouts. For the eggplant, Ms. Sahni uses the long, slender Japanese ones, and cuts them on the diagonal, in one-inch slices. She trims and peels the carrots, and cuts them like the eggplant, in one-inch diagonal slices. For the cauliflower, she uses the florets, and cuts them in pieces that are one and a half inches in diameter. For Brussels sprouts, she trims and discards the stems, and cuts the vegetable in half. Very fresh cauliflower cooks in four minu

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman · NYT Cooking

This satisfying vegetarian dish is adapted from a recipe belonging to Julie Sahni, the popular Indian chef, cookbook author and teacher. Its preparation is very similar to baba ghanoush in that you roast and mash the eggplant before seasoning it with aromatics, herbs and spices, but its flavor profile is wildly different. Here, turmeric, garam masala and jalapeño add warmth, while the addition of lime juice provides brightness. Serve it as a dip with flatbread (like pita or store-bought roti), or as a main dish with rice and raita. Mark Bittman

Melissa Clark · NYT Cooking

In this classic Indian dish, adapted from the cookbook author Julie Sahni, hard-cooked eggs are swathed in a spicy tomato gravy fragrant with cardamom, cumin and cinnamon. Since garam masala spice blends vary in their chile content, sample yours before adding it to the sauce, then stir it in to taste. You can make the sauce and hard-cook the eggs a day ahead (store them in the refrigerator), but the eggs are best introduced to the pot just before serving; simply reheat them in the simmering sauce. You can serve the eggs over rice, or with flatbread on the side. Melissa Clark

Sarah DiGregorio · NYT Cooking

This recipe, which is adapted from “Classic Indian Cooking” by Julie Sahni (William Morrow, 1980), a treasury of foolproof recipes for home cooks. Masala dal is a staple of Indian cuisine and one that has infinite variations, but the basic technique is to simmer legumes until tender, then finish with a swirl of a tadka, ghee or other fat that’s infused with aromatics like onions, cumin seeds and chile. In the original recipe, the dal is boiled on the stovetop, but in this adaptation, the split peas are cooked in the slow cooker, which works beautifully, and has the advantage of making the timing a bit easier, as you can throw the peas into the slow cooker in the morning, and they will hold well until dinnertime. The success of this dish hinges on two key steps: First, be sure to beat the legumes to a creamy purée with a whisk before adding the tadka. Second, cook the onions on a higher heat and until darker in color than you might think: Ms. Sahni calls this technique “brown frying,” a

Pete Wells · NYT Cooking

This is more a stir-fry than a curry in spite of the name, which, like the recipe, comes from “Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking” by Julie Sahni (William Morrow, 1985). The potatoes get no sauce, just a coating of curry powder that adheres to their flesh as they crisp in the pan. Grinding your own curry powder is not strictly necessary, especially if you have a brand you like in your cupboard. But this is a very, very nice blend, unusually fragrant and nuanced. The quantities below will give you more than you need for the potatoes. Make half a batch if you wish, or make the whole amount and start thinking of things you’ll do with the rest. Pete Wells