Indian

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

Garam means "hot" and masala means "spiced," though the mixture is not chili-hot. Instead the classic garam masala spices called for in the recipe-cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon-are warmly aromatic.

Top toast points with this for an appetizer, or serve it as an accompaniment to grilled lamb, fish or chicken.

Chef Beverly Gannon accompanies the bread with this salsa, plus a garlic-ginger yogurt dipping sauce and a tomato-mint sauce.

For an interesting presentation, set out bowls of some traditional condiments, like chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, raisins and chopped bell pepper.

Marinating the lamb for one day in a thick mixture of yogurt, lime juice, and spices intensifies the Indian tastes.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. The cuisine of Goa, a former Portuguese colony, is an exuberant amalgam of Portugal and India. Liberal use of Portuguese vinegar, along with hot chiles (an import from the New World) and spices, produces the scarlet-hued vindaloo curries typical of this state. The following outstanding Goan seafood curry — a milder variation of vindaloo, and with lime juice replacing the vinegar — features clams steamed with sautéed onion, spices, and fresh coconut milk. They are then tossed with grated coconut, cilantro, and a squirt of lime juice and are generally accompanied by a pao, a soft, warm roll (another Portuguese contribution) for sopping up the juices. This dish is equally good with mussels or oysters.

One extremely popular fish in Bombay, India's financial center, is pomfret, found in most coastal areas of the country. In one of my favorite pomfret preparations, called patrani macchi, the fish is stuffed with an herb paste and steamed in a banana leaf—which lends a unique fragrance and makes an attractive presentation at table (but should not be eaten). As pomfret is difficult to find in most parts of the United States, we suggest salmon, which is equally delicious.

For a special touch, serve a fresh tomato chutney (recipe follows) alongside.

This upscale Indian restaurant is perched above the shops of Harvard Square. The restaurant's location draws an international crowd of students, professors, and tourists. Dark wood tables and chairs and classical Indian music give it a refined quality, but authenticity is the restaurant's main pursuit — the kitchen grinds its own spices and makes everything from scratch, down to the yogurt and cheese. This traditional Indian dish is called baingan bharta. Serve it with naan or rice.

Pureed fresh mango gives this cheesecake a light and soft texture and subtle tropical fruit flavor.

A word of warning: I have a friend who at first refused to eat this dish because of its color, a wild, alarming fuschia. He complained that it did not look "natural." Since then he has been persuaded. The taste, he said, won him over. This is generally served at room temperature or chilled.

Kache Piaz In India, most dry meat preparations such as kabobs, _tandoori_food, and cutlets are eaten with raw onions, because the onions provide moisture against the dry meat. Besides, these meat dishes taste better with onions. The onion slices are often squeezed slightly to extract and remove some of the juices; this is done to reduce the impact of too sharp and hot a taste. The onions are washed in several changes of water to rid them of any clinging juices; this also makes them taste less sharp. If you want the onions even milder, soak the squeezed onions in salted water to cover (about 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of water) for 1/2 hour, and drain. This will make the onions taste sweet, and best of all, there will be no onion odor lingering in your mouth. To make this salad more aromatic, add leaves from 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh coriander.

South of Goa, the coastline of Karnataka state is scalloped with palm, mango, and jackfruit trees. This recipe comes from the city of Mangalore, where it is usually made with bangade, a small fish resembling smelt. We used salmon for this curry. And, when we can find them, we toss in about 10 fresh curry leaves along with the onion, garlic, and gingerroot.

Tandoori Murghi Of all the food cooked in a _tandoor,_the most popular and the best-tasting is chicken. The distinctive flavor, texture, and color of this dish are achieved by a particular yogurt marinade, by the use of tenderizers, a special tandoori coloring, and finally, by being cooked in the Indian clay oven. The recipe given here is designed for the conventional oven and charcoal grill. (Household-model tandoors are not yet commercially available in the United States.) The results are very much to my satisfaction.

This classic Indian salad, or raita, is perfect with any curry dish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Calcutta, former seat of the British Empire and today capital of West Bengal, sits just above the Ganges delta. Fish is cooked here in harmonious combinations with root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, incorporating Bengali seasonings such as pungent kalonji seeds and ground mustard seeds. In the following recipe, for a truly authentic taste use mustard oil instead of vegetable oil. Be sure, though, to heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it smoke for 3 to 5 seconds. This tempers its pungency.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.