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2 teaspoons fennel seeds

6 green cardamom pods

½ teaspoon peppercorns

4 cups soymilk

⅓ cup sugar

½ teaspoon rose water

Crushed ice

Organic dried or fresh red rose petals, for

garnish, optional

1. In a spice grinder, combine almonds, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom pods, and peppercorns. Grind to a smooth consistency.

2. In a small bowl, mix soymilk, almond paste, sugar, and rose water. Combine using a wire whisk. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours. (You can serve it right away, but the longer you let it rest, the more the flavor intensifies.)

3. Strain the milk (use general kitchen strainer not a tea strainer) into a pitcher. Squeeze out all the milk and discard the pulp. Serve over crushed ice and garnish with rose petals, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 238; Total Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g);

Carbohydrate: 31 g; Protein: 9 g; Fiber: 2 g;

Sodium: 120 mg

GF, LF

Spiced Chai Latte

Masala Chai

PREP : 5 minutes

COOK : 5 minutes

MAKES : 2 servings

SERVING SIZE : 1 cup

Chai—brewed tea with milk and sugar—is well known to most Westerners today. In India, chai is a matter of personal taste and preference, just as coffee is to coffee lovers. Some like it plain, while others prefer it with spices (masala chai). Chai latte has more milk than typical chai.

1¼ cups water

1 teaspoon chai masala (page 182) or

purchased

2 tea bags or 2 teaspoons black tea leaves

1 cup soymilk

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

1. In a small saucepan, boil water with chai masala. Add tea bags, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and steep tea for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add soymilk and sugar, return to stove, and bring to a boil. Remove tea bags and strain tea into a cup or teapot. Serve hot.

NOTE: Chai can be made in a microwave. Just remember to make strong brewed tea and reheat after adding milk and sugar.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 104; Total Fat: 2 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g); Carbohydrate: 19 g; Protein: 3 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sodium: 59 mg

CHAI MASALA

MAKES:¼ cup

Although you can purchase chai masala, you’ll love this version. It takes just a few minutes, so you can grind fresh masala whenever you need it.

1 tablespoon cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

8 whole cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

In a spice grinder, combine all the spices and grind until fine. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

GF, LF

Mango Yogurt Drink

Aam Lassi

PREP : 5 minutes

COOK : 5 minutes

MAKES : 2 servings

SERVING SIZE : 1½ cups

This is a variation on the traditional—and popular—yogurt drink known as lassi, which is often served at Indian restaurants. Lime juice adds tartness to the soy yogurt and helps to bring out the traditional sweet-and-sour taste of lassi.

1 cup plain soy yogurt

1 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks

2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute

equivalent

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

Crushed ice cubes

In a blender jar, combine soy yogurt, water, mango chunks, sugar, and lemon juice. Blend until well combined and mixture is the consistency of a smoothie. Serve over ice.

NOTE: If the mango has too many stringy fibers (as some mangoes do), strain the lassi and discard the fiber.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 226; Total Fat: 3 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g); Carbohydrate: 48 g; Protein: 5 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 48 mg

Salads and Chutneys

SALAD, PERSE, is not typically an Indian meal. That’s not to say that raw vegetables are not commonplace. In fact, a few pieces of cucumber, tomato, onion, and radish often grace a meal. Typically these vegetables, along with a fruit such as papaya, mango, or melon, are simply sliced and served raw alongside a meal, as a relish. You want to keep them as plain as possible—at the most, with a squeeze of lemon or lime, a sprinkle of salt, and black pepper—and enjoy a slice between bites, as a palate cleanser.

In my family, my dad was so fond