New Delhi-born Monica Bhide is one of the great translators of Indian cuisine. She remakes the traditional dishes of her heritage into new miracles of  flavor that appeal to contemporary palates and suit our lifestyles. Her third and latest cookbook , Modern Spice, is full of brilliant recipes. It confirms my belief that Indian cuisine is ideal for healthy cooking because it depends on bold spices rather than fat for depth and intensity. Monica’s chili is a perfect intersection of Indian and American theory and practice.

To give you a taste of what awaits you in Modern Spice, I thought I’d share some of the recipes I’ve flagged: Red Pepper and Green Tomatillo Chutney, Fennel-Chile Dry Rub, Pomegranate Chutney, Pan-Fried Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Cumin, Caramelized Shallots and Turnips with Onion Seeds, Green Beans Subzi, Roasted Cauliflower with Fennel. I can tell just by looking at these recipes that any one of them, served with a simple protein, will make an interesting meal. If I want to make protein the star, I’ll try Red Chile, Garlic and Basil Chicken; Stir-Fried Lamb; Chile Squid; Curried Scallops; Pomegranate Shrimp, or Dry Crab Masala. Monica handles spices with such dexterity that I can reduce the fat in her recipes without elaborate compensatory strategies.

I started my Modern Spice adventure with a trip to an Indian market, and found myself in the odd position of defending his native cuisine to the man behind the counter. He was impressed with the number of items on my list and asked me what I planned to do with all of them. I told him that I was a food writer and that I was going to test some recipes in a new Indian cookbook. By way of explaining who I was and what I did,  I gave him my card. “You’re an MD?” he asked, “Why do you want to do this?” I told him it was much more fun than practicing medicine and that I believed I could contribute to people’s health through my website. Then he wanted to know why I bothered with Indian food when “Italian food is so much better”. I said that I cooked Italian dishes as well, but felt that Indian food lent itself more readily to healthy cooking because of its reliance on spices instead of fat. As he handed me my receipt, he declared that Indian food was “too cheap!” Delicious, healthy, and cheap? Three good reasons to put yourself in Monica’s hands and try it.

Serving suggestions: You can go in Indian or American directions here. If I’m going Indian, I serve it with raita; if American, I go with one of the slaws in my repertoire (one coming soon to this website) or a simple salad with ranch dressing.

Note: If you do not have Indian ginger garlic paste, you can simulate it by combining equal parts minced and mashed garlic and ginger. Also, Indian red chile powder is NOT the same as American chili powder. You may substitute cayenne pepper for it, but start with a little and increase it to taste.

Special note: I’m pleased to announce that our photo of this dish made the Foodbuzz Top 9 on December 23rd, 2009.

Monica Bhide’s Indian-Style Chili

• 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil or other neutral oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 medium red onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon store-bought ginger garlic paste
• 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1¼ pounds ground turkey or ground bison (buffalo)
• ½ teaspoon red chile powder
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups red kidney beans, preferably home-cooked
• Salt to taste
• Finely chopped onion and green chiles (optional), for garnish

1. In a large lidded nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the cinnamon stick. When the stick begins to sizzle, add the onion and ginger-garlic paste. Cook 4 minutes, stirring, and then add 3 tablespoons water to prevent sticking. Stir to blend. Cook until the onion is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until mixture thickens slightly.
3. Add the turkey and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
4. Add the chile powder, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix well. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the beans and the remaining 1½ cups water. Cover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, until the turkey is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
6. Once the chili is cooked, remove the cinnamon stick. Divide the chili among 6 bowls and garnish with the onions and chiles, if using. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Per serving: Calories 390, 11 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 43 g total carbohydrate, 17 g dietary fiber, 32 g protein, 111 mg sodium.