Vegan Treats : A Healthy Option

Morphy Richards kettle

2010-11-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

I just happen to come across this wonderful kettle in amazon for good price. just thought if any of you are interested to buy this. There is also a matching toaster for a very good price at amazon.

Quick Mixed vegetable cutlets

2010-09-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

I delivered a beautiful baby boy 2 months ago and all this while was getting used to looking after this little addition to our family. My first kid and so much happening in our life in these 2 months. For 1st month my mum in law helped me look after my son so she had taken control of the kitchen. But now after one month I am in charge of the kitchen once again and now started to cook properly. So after the delivery of the baby this is my first post.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup mashed potato powder

1 cup frozen mixed vegetable

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

a pinch of asafoetida / hing

1 tsp cumin seeds

handful of coriander leaves chopped

Method

Put the mixed vegetables in a microwavable dish and microwave it for 5 mins full power. I have a 800watt microwave. Now mash the vegetables , add mashed potato powder, red chilli powder, salt , hing , cumin seeds and coriander leaves.Mix properly with hand. Add 1/4 cup water and make a dough. Add powder if dough is watery or add more water if dough is dry. Now make patties and roast them on a skillet sprayed with oil. Cook till they turn brown and now spray oil on the other side of the patties and cook them till they turn brown on the other side also. Serve with green chutney or ketchup . Can be eaten just like that . Best served when hot.

Rice with Baby Onion curry , Butternut Squash Palya and Vegetable bajji

2010-03-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

I tried this combination for the first time though I have made this curry few times and eaten with rice. I have also cooked pumpkin palya and eaten it as a side dish with other type of combination of curry and rice. And the vegetable bajjis are just a part of my pregnancy cravings. I had these baby onions at home which my sister in law had given to make this curry. And thanks to Mallika , my sweet sister in law from whom I got this amazing curry recipe. Its quiet an easy curry and no fuss curry. For pumpkin palya . I used butternut squash and the sweetness from this vegetable and the spiciness of chilli and mustard gives it a very good kick and balances the sweetness.

Baby Onion curry

Ingredients

About 250 gms baby onions

1/2 cup grated coconut

3-4 dried red chillies

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1/4 tsp methi seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

2tbsp oil

Method

Soak all the onions in warm water for 2 hours , this makes peeling a lot easier. Meanwhile dry roast coconut , red chillies , methi seeds and coriander seeds separately. Cool and grind these roasted ingredients with little water. After 2 hours peel the onions , heat oil and add the whole onions . Cook them till they turn golden brown in colour. Now add the ground paste and salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for 20 mins on low flame. Add more water if needed. If the onions are not cooked then cover and cook for further 10 mins. Serve with hot rice.

PS : I have also used normal chunked white onions instead of baby onions , they too taste quite good.

Butternut Squash Palya

Ingredients

1 Butter squash chopped ( The skin was tender so I did not peel the skin)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

3 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp oil

Method

Heat oil , add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering add chillies . Stir and immediately add chooped squash. Add 1/2 cup water and salt. Cover and cook on medium flame. This should take about 20 -25 mins. Do not overcook the squash , they become mushy.

Vegetable Bajjis

Ingredients

Sliced veggies

1 cup gram flour / besan

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp cornflour

1 cup water

oil for deep frying

Method

Mix the above batter ingredients into a smooth consistency. Use as many different vegetables you want . I used Bell peppers , butternut squash, sweet potatoes. Other vegetables that can be used are potatoes , broccoli, cauliflowers , babycorns , spinach, etc. I used some sliced onions for the left over batter and added about a tbsp of rice flour to make onion pakoras.

I am so excited to post my recipes for The Combo Event conducted by Pari of Foodelicious blog.

Vani's Yum Yum Capsicum onion gojju / Bell pepper and onion thick curry

2010-03-05T02:30:00.001-08:00

I love authentic Karnataka food and so I often browse some kannadiga's blogs for recipes. I wanted to eat something tangy and spicy and then I found this recipe from the blog Mysoorean by Vani , a blog I frequently visit . I have tried few of her recipes and I should say they tasted awesome. She is a very good cook . I have also tried to accommodate her method of cooking into my recipe ( Example I already had the recipe for Bisi Bele Bath but it was too complex , I read Vani's version of BBB and her method of cooking and I felt it was very easy . I adopted her method of cooking since then and to my suprise I did not have to comprise with the taste . My version of BBB was also good.) Thanks to Vani for her recipes and especially this gojju . I finished most of the gojju while tasting and there was nothing much left even for the photo and my poor hubby got the last bit of the gojju and could not even relish it much. I promised to prepare for him again and hopefully the next time also I don't end of tasting the entire quantity of gojju .

I served this with chappati for my husband as he is on diet . Not being a huge fan of chappatis , I ate it with white rice. I felt it tasted very good with rice.

For the recipe visit Vani's Mysoorean blog.

Thanks Vani once again.

Rava Idli / Semolina Indian Style Dumplings

2010-02-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

Rava idli is a very popular dish in southern India and a personal favourite of mine. Unlike the conventional type of rice idlis , this does not take any time to ferment and is quiet instant. MTR makes instant rava idli mix. My mum uses this mix very often but she also makes them from scratch which is very easy . There are no unusual ingredients . Its quick and tasty . This can be served with chutney or just eaten plain. These have a flavour of their own and hence I normally eaten just plain. Thanks to mum for this recipe . I have altered it a little looking at many recipes online.

Ingredients

2 cups semolina / rava

1 cup sour curd beaten smooth ( I used my normal soya yogurt which is not quiet sour but this should also work)

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp channa dal

3 mild green chillies slit

3 dry red chillies broken

few curry leaves

handful of crushed roasted cashewnut

handful of chopped coriander leaves

1/2 cup of grated coconut (optional , I did not use this time)

1 tsp salt

2 tomatoes sliced for garnishing

a pinch of baking soda (optional , I normally use it but ran out of it this time). This will make the idlis fluffy and spongy

Method

Heat a wok and add oil . when the oil is hot add mustard seeds , urad dal , channa dal , curry leaves , green chillies , dry red chillies . Saute for not more than a minute. Now add semolina and roast it with constantly stirring till a nice aroma of semolina is smelt . Turn off the heat and transfer into a wide big bowl. To this add salt , coriander leaves , grated coconut , and beaten yogurt. Add a cup of water to make a thick batter . Now get the steamer ready and idli moulds greased with oil. Add soda at this last point just before pouring the batter into idli moulds. On top of each idli in the mould placed roundly sliced tomato. This batter will make 2 batches of idlis approximately. I have four idli mould plates with four idli mould in each plate so this should make about 25 - 30 idlis. Cook on high flame for 5 mins and then simmer it for 10 - 15 mins. To check whther the idlis are done , insert a toothpick and check if it comes out clean then the idlis are done else keep for further 5 mins. Serve hot .

For detailed video see Show me the curry youtube video. The have added ginger which I do not add , I still haven't tried using with ginger . This video will give the idea for consistency of idli batter.

Batata Pohu ( Spicy rice flakes with potatoes)

2010-02-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

Its been very long since my last post. I became pregnant and was feeling quiet tired and fatigued so could not cook for long in the kitchen . I was experiencing morning sickness as well and so cooking was a torture for me as the smell of curries and any cooked food would make me nauseated. But after whole 4 months , I am back to my original self ( still pregnant with a growing bump though). This dish is a very simple one and I cooked it quiet often during my 1st trimester. Its normally eaten either for breakfast or as an accompaniment with tea in the evening. It should be served straight from wok . I got this recipe from MIL . My mom also made this but I like my MIL recipe. Thanks to her.

Ingredients

1 medium potato boiled and sliced into small bite sized pieces (I don't like peeling them for nutritional reasons)

1 1/2 cup poha / rice flakes

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium sized onion sliced

3 medium hot green chillies

few curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp salt

handful of fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method

Wash the rice flakes thrice and set aside for 5 mins. This will make the poha soft. Meanwhile heat a wok and add oil . When the oil is hot add mustard seeds , cumin seeds , urad dal, green chillies , curry leaves and onion. Saute the onions till they soften and to accelerate this process you can add salt with onions . This will make the onions cook faster. Now add turmeric and potato pieces. Stir it well and add the rice flakes / poha. Mix well and stir for a minute or two. Put of the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Sanna Polo ( Spicy Yam Dosa)

2009-07-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

This dosa is an authentic South Cannara recipe. Its a spicy dosa and hence doesn't need any chutney to enhance the taste. Its a blend of toor dal , rice and spices. This is commonly made with cabbage , bamboo shoots (my personal favorite) or just eaten plain (without vegetables). The best way to serve this is as a side dish for lunch or dinner (just like palya).

This dish at my home was usually prepared when a coconut would start to spoil and gives away a spoilt smell. A pinch of hing is added to compensate the smell from the coconut. Trust me the dosa as the end result doesn't carry the smell. My mum always served this straight from the skillet with a dollop of butter . As I would take a bite , I would wish for more spoilt coconuts ......

Ingredients

200g chopped raw yam

1 cup toor dal / yellow lentil

1/2 cup rice

3 tbsp grated coconut (fresh ones also taste the same , so don't bother to find for a spoilt coconut)

3 -4 dry red chillies / 1 tsp red chilli powder ( I used 1 tsp hot red chilli powder )

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 tsp salt

(For this dosa no hing/ asafoetida is required)

Method

Soak dal and rice separately for 1 hour . Grind together yam , coconut , red chillies , salt , tamarind into a smooth paste. Then add dal and rice , grind into a semi coarse paste. Add 1/2 cup of water to aid the grinding process. This mixture is the dosa batter , so more water can be added for a dosa batter consistency. Heat a non stick skillet and pour a ladle full of batter. Do not spread thin , just spread very lightly. Cook both the sides on a medium flame. Serve dosa with yogurt or with a dollop of butter.

I am posting this recipe for Padma's Dosa Corner Event , Sia's and Lakshmi's RCI Udipi and Mangalorean Cuisine and Padmajha Suresh's Let's Go Nuts event.

Spicy Mango / Mango palya

2009-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from www.aayis.com with a slight variation. For the original recipe visit Pineapple Palya . Thank you for this awesome recipe. I am posting this recipe for the

Mango Mela competition hosted by Cooking for all seasons.

My variation includes ripe mango instead of pineapple and adding ingredients straight from cupboard instead of grinding into a powder (this was a cheat I used without compromising the taste). Believe me this dish will be a hit. This was the second time I made this within a week. Apparently I have ran out of mangoes else I wouldn't hesitate to make it tomorrow again.

Ingredients

1 ripe big mango diced with skin. (I have not used canned ones ever )

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

3-4 curry leaves

1 tsp urad dal/ beaten black gram

a pinch of asafoetida / hing

1 tbsp grated coconut

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

1/2 tsp sweetener/ sugar/ jaggery (I used sweetener for I am a health freak)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp water

Method

Heat oil , add mustard seeds . After they stop spluttering add urad dal, curry leaves , hing , red chilli powder , black pepper powder and coconut. Roast this for a minute or two till you get the aroma of the masala. Now add the diced mangoes , salt , sugar and water. Cook till the mangoes are tender , this would take about 10 mins. Serve this with steaming hot rice.

Simple Noodle

2009-07-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

This is the basic type of noodles. Its easy and simple to make . Its ready within 20 mins. Noodles is such a versatile and complete dish. Noodles can be made dry or wet with gravy or can be very tasteful in chinese noodle soups. Any type of veggies can be added.

Ingredients

Any quantity and any type of vegetables can be added but I have added

200g noodles (any fresh or dried) I used wholewheat noodles.

1 julienne carrot

1/4 cabbage shredded

6-7 babycorn sliced lengthwise

1 large onion chopped

1 tbsp ginger - garlic- chilli paste

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp rapseed oil

handful cilantro chopped for garnishing (optional)

Method

Heat rapseed oil in a wok . Stir fry onions ,giner - garlic - chilli paste , babycorn, carrot and cabbage. Then add soy sauce and noodles. Put off the flame and add toasted sesame oil and garnish with chopped cilantro. If you feel the noodles are bland , you can add more soy sauce.

Spicy Vermicelli / Shavige Bath

2009-07-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

200g vermicelli / mung beans noodles

1 onion chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

6 baby corn sliced

1/2 carrot grated

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal / beaten black gram

1/2 tsp channa dal / beaten bengal gram

4 mild green chillies slit

1 sprig curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp salt

handful of chopped cilantro to garnish

Method

Soak vermicelli in hot water for 15 mins. Heat oil in a wok , to this add mustard seeds . After they stop spluttering add cumin seeds , urad dal , channa dal , curry leaves , green chillies. Saute for a minute. Add chopped onion and saute till they soften and start turning brown. Add tomatoes and cook till they are tender and then add turmeric powder , salt , all the veggies. Cook till the veggies are cooked and tender. Now finally add the vermicelli and stir for 5 mins. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Variations

Any type of veggies (like green beans , peas, sweetcorn , peppers ) and any amount can be added to this.

Aubergine and green beans curry

2009-04-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

I always bring home free food magazines from superstores. They have lots of good recipes . I even browse non veg recipes as well and substitute meat with soya chunks or tofu or just exclude meat from the recipe. I even substitute all non veg stocks with veg stock. This recipe was in January 2008 ASDA magazine. I had tried this earlier and was very delicious. You can make it dry and eat as a side dish or make curry with lots of gravy.

Ingredients
2 aubergines cubed
1 onion sliced
1 tomato chpped
handful of frozen beans (if using fresh ones then topped and tailed)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
handful of fresh coriander leaves chopped
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp oil

Method
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook till they pop. Add onions and saute for a minute till they start turning brown. Add aubergine , salt and cook for 3 minutes. Add turmeric , corainder powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder. Mix and stir well. Add 250 ml water (you could add more water for gravy or little water for dry side dish). Add tomato and green beans. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Vegan Celery Red Pepper Risotto

2009-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 cup arborio rice
1 litre vegetable stock (I used just 1 stock cube)
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 large pods garlic finely chopped
1/2 red pepper finely chopped
1 celery stick finely chopped
1/4 cup soya milk
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soya margarine / spread
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper powder
few saffron strand to garnish (optional)

Method
Heat oil and melt butter together in a saucepan . Add onion and garlic . Saute till it starts turning brown . Now add celery and red pepper and stir for a minute or 2. Add rice and stir for a minute more . Now start adding stock little by little and keep stirring till the stock is absorbed and then again add more stock and stir . Repeat till all the stock is added . Add milk , salt and black pepper . Cover and simmer for 5 - 10 mins or till the rice is tender . Occasionally give a stir. The whole process of cooking risotto would take about 30 mins. Ladddle hot steaming risotto in a bowl and garnish with saffron strands.

Vegan Thai Curry

2009-03-05T05:56:00.001-08:00

This recipe is for the "Its a Vegan World - Thai"

Ingredients

For curry paste
1 inch ginger piece
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1 mild green chilly
1 tsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp soya sauce (optional)
2 lime juices

For curry
1 carrot chunked
1/2 red pepper chunked
1/2 green pepper chunked
3 asparagus chunked
5 -6 mange-touts
349 gms firm tofu (this can be replaced with soya chunks also)
1/2 onion sliced
50 gms coconut cream
1 cup of hot water
handful of coriander chopped
1 kaffir lime leaf (optional)
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

Method

For Paste
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend it into a smooth paste , add little water if necessary.

For Curry
Heat oil , sauté onions till they start to brown. Now add the curry paste , saute for a minute . Add vegetables , creamed coconut, salt and hot water. Bring to boil , add kaffir lime leaf and simmer it for 20 -2 5 mins or till all the veggies are tender and cooked. Garnish with corainder leaves. Serve with hot steamed white rice.

Note : While making this curry you can use as many vegetables as you like and the quantity of each vegetable can be as much as you like.

Amazon Tripod to improve photos

2009-02-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

I have always been disappointed about my pictures I post of my recipes. Lately, my husband suggested me to buy a tripod from Amazon , its called Gorillapod. Its quite a cute model , it has several nodes so it can be bent into any shape. My dad in law has a similar smaller version of the one I am buying. During some of our small trips, we borrowed it from him and it is easily portable. Hey guys , if u want to buy a tripod, then this one is really worth seeing.

VEGETABLE LOVE 2009 - Upma / Spicy Semolina with Mixed Vegetables

2009-02-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

I am posting this recipe as an entry for the Vegetable Love 2009 competition.

This is the first culinary competition I am participating . I am very excited . The recipe I have posted is very easy and quick recipe. The advantage of making this is , it takes just 20 - 25mins to make it from scratch and its absolutely delicious and not to forget, its healthy too. Hence, you don't need to spend hours and hours in the kitchen preparing a meal for the special day. About the recipe, its a south Indian breakfast , but can be eaten for evening snack or as any main meal. I have used 5 different vegetables and 1 type of herb.

Ingredients

1 cup mixed frozen vegetables (preferably without green beans. I have used frozen peas,half fresh carrot chopped and frozen mixed peppers. You could also add frozen sweet corns or baby corns)
1 large onion chopped corsely
1 medium sized tomato chopped coarsely
1/2 cup semolina
2 1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal / beaten black gram
1 sprig curry leaves
2 medium hot green chillies slit into two
handful of chopped corrainder
2 tbsp grated coconut/ dessicated coconut (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Method

Heat a wok and dry roast semolina till it leaves an aroma , this may take about 5 mins. Remove the semolina into a bowl. Now heat oil in the same wok , add mustard seeds. After they stop spluttering, reduce the flame to minimum and add urad dal/ beaten black gram, curry leaves, green chillies. Saute it for a minute and then add onions. Saute this for a minute or two and add tomatoes and mixed vegetables and salt. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5 - 10 mins or till they are cooked. You can add 2 tbsp water if the vegetables are dry. Now add all the roasted semolina and 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Now reduce the flame to minimum and gently stir it for 3 -4 mins till semolina absorbs all the water and becomes a semi solid consistency. Remove from flame . Garnish with grated coconut and corrainder.

Vegan Broccoli Cheese

2009-01-30T11:17:00.001-08:00

Oh this looks little messy........ but this was the best I could take.....

Ingredients
1 broccoli head cut into florets (I do not discard the stem , I use them as well)
1 cup soya milk (I used sweetened)
1 tbsp plain flour
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper powder
1 tbsp soya spread
190g (1 packet )of Redwood mozzarella cheese / any non dairy cheese (you can experiment with cheddar style) grated

Method
Cook the broccoli in microwave for 10 mins / till they are tender. Meanwhile make white sauce by melting soya spread in a saucepan . Add plain flour and then slowly add milk little by little and keep stirring . Make sure to blend the little milk you add with the plain flour to make a smooth paste and then add little more milk. Repeat this till all the milk is added and the suace is ready without lumps. If any lumps, do not panic, you can blend it into smooth sauce . Add salt and pepper to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cooked broccoli and top it with grated cheese.
Bake it in the oven for 20-25 mins or till the cheese melts and starts turning golden brown.

Wholewheat Penne with mushroom and tomato sauce

2009-01-30T09:43:00.001-08:00

Ingredients
300 gms wholewheat penne
1 carrot cut into strips
1 large onions chopped into strips
2 large tomatoes chunked
3 tbsp tomato puree
3 garlic pods finely chopped
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
10 -15 mushrooms chopped
1 tbsp oil, preferably olive oil
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper powder

Method
Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the packet ( cook the pasta in 1 litre of water , drain and wash under cold water to remove extra starch and also it helps separate the pastas from each other ).

Heat oil in a large pan . Saute onion and when they start turning brown , add garlic and saute till the garlic starts browning. Add carrots and cook for 5 mins.Now add mushroom and coo till they sweat , add water if the mushrooms starts sticking to the pan. Now add tomatoes and tomato puree dissolved in 1 cup water. Add salt and pepper powder. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are tender and mushy. This could take about 10 mins. Add dried herbs and the pasta. Mix them and let the pasta heat for 5 mins . Keep stirring to avoid any sticking to the pan. Add water if the sauce is too dry to coat all the pasta. Serve with vegan parmesan (optional), I have not added.

Tips
You can add as many vegetables and as much as you like (peppers , baby corn, zucchini , sweetcorn , aubergine , sun dried tomatoes)
You can even add vegan sausages , seiatin . (I added Redwood's Ham style vegan Cheatin cut into thin strips while serving).

Vegan Baby Broad Bean Pate / Hummus

2009-01-30T09:40:00.001-08:00

My husband just hates broad beans, but I quiet like it. Now I had to invent a dish using baby broad beans. One day I was watching a food show on TV and they were making a dish using humus, and then the thought occurred to me "Why not use baby broad beans instead of chickpeas?" and thus , this recipe came into existence. My husband quiet liked it, he did not realize he was eating baby broad beans till i told him.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen / fresh baby broad beans
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of salt
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of black pepper
1/2 lime /small lemon juice
1/4 tsp paprika powder (optional)

Method

Defrost frozen beans , remove the skin (if using fresh ones , then cook them in microwave for 10 mins or till they are tender and the skin can be removed easily). Put all the ingredients along with de-skined beans into a blender with 1 - 2 tbsp water and whiz. Water is to aid the mixture to blend , if the mixture can be blended without water then do not use water. Care should be taken that the blended mixture is of humus consistency and not very liquidy. Pate / Broad beans humus is ready . At this point you can taste and add more spices or salt if required and then garnish with a pinch of sesame seeds and red chilli flakes.

Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup

2009-01-30T09:34:00.001-08:00

Ingredients
1 cauliflower chopped (do not discard the thick stem , chop them and use for the soup)
3-4 garlic pods coarsely chopped
1 large onion coarsely chopped
750ml vegetable stock
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oil

Method
Heat oil in a saucepan , add chopped onions and garlic . Saute them for 1 min or till they start turning golden. Now add chopped cauliflower , salt. Cover and cook till they are tender. Now add stock. Bring to boil and simmer and cook for 5 mins. Aloow it to cool for atleast 1/2 hour and then blend it to a smooth puree. Again boil the soup and sprinkle black pepper powder while serving.

Red Kidney Beans and Yam Curry

2009-01-22T15:39:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

1 can of cooked red kidney beans
100g yam chopped and cooked or 1 can of cooked yam
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
6-7 garlic pods crushed
2 cups water

For masala

3 tbsp grated coconut

3 dry red chillies

1 tsp tamarind juice

Method

For masala
Grind all the masala ingredients with lttle water to a smooth paste.

For curry
Mix masala, kidney beans, yam, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer and cook for 10 mins. Meanwhile heat oil in a small pan and add garlic and saute them till they carmelise. Add this garlic to the curry . Serve this with steaming hot white rice.

Savoury Lentil Bean Pie

2009-01-22T15:31:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

For filling
1/2 cup mixed dry beans (black beans, adzuki beans and black or brow lentils)
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp corrainder powder
3 garlic pods finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp oil

For pastry
1 cup plain flour
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Method

For pastry
Mix all the pastry ingredients and knead into a dough. If the dough is too dry, add little water or if the dough is watery or sticky, add little flour. Divide the dough into 2/3rd and 1/3rd part. Flatten them and place the 2/3rd part into a greased baking tin.

For filling
Soak all the beans without the lentils overnight. Next morning cook them with lentils with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 45 mins . Heat oil, add cumin ,onion and garlic, saute it for 1 min or two or till they turn golden brown. Now add cumin and corainder powder. Saute for a minute or two . Now add all the cooked beans with the cooked water. Add salt and chilli powder. Allow it to cook for 5 -10 mins . Then cool for 30 mins atleast and pour this filling into the tin and cover the pie with flattened 1/3rd part of the dough. Prick it with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Brush this with milk . Cook them in a oven at gas mark 6 for 30 mins till the top is golden brown.

Sprouted moong beans curry for rotis/ tortillas

2009-01-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

Bean sprouts are rich in proteins and are commonly used in Chinese and Japanese cuisines. They are also added in stir fries to boost the protein. Bean sprouts are also used in Indian cuisines. It is used to make curries and side dish for rotis. But the sprouts used in India are just 1 - 2 days sprouts unlike Chinese who use largely sprouted beans.

Ingredients

1 cup moong beans sprouted and cooked
1 large tomato finely chopped
1 large onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp sambhar powder / curry powder
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
4 garlic cloves finely minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric

Method

Heat oil in a sauce pan , add mustard seeds. After they splutter , add cumin seeds, curry leaves, onions and garlic. Saute it for 5 mins or till the onions start turning brown. Add tomato and cook till they are mushy. Now add turmeric, salt, curry / sambhar powder and chilli powder. Add 1/4 cup water if required. Cover and cook for 10 - 15mins . Serve this on a bed of rice or with tortillas or naans.

Vegan mushroom soup

2009-01-09T10:25:00.001-08:00

Mushrooms are rich in folic acid and this becomes essential part of diet for an expecting mother. This is also a good meat substitute for vegetarians and vegans. This can also be stir-fried with cabbage , carrots , baby corns, bamboo shoots , spring onions with minced garlic and ginger with a dash of soy sauce and sprinkling of sesame seeds. I have prepared a hearty thick soup .

Ingredients
20 - 25 button mushrooms halved
1 large onion coarsely chopped
3 pods of garlic coarsely chopped
750 ml vegetable stock
a pinch of salt
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp oil

Method
Heat oil in large pan and add onions and garlic. Saute this for a minute or 2 or till they start turning brown. Now add chopped mushrooms and pinch of salt. When they start sweating , add stock and pepper . Bring to boil and cover it. Simmer and allow to cook for 15 - 20 mins. Now the soup should be cooled for atleast 30 mins before it is blended smooth. This can be served with a hot crusty wholemeal bread.

Baked sweet-corn pakoras / fritters

2009-01-09T10:19:00.001-08:00

Pakoras are the most commonly served Indian appetizer. Usually they are made of onions only but then to add variety , many people add carrots, cabbage, green peas... About 4-5 years ago my mum had prepared this sweetcorn pakoras and we liked them a lot , but that was the first and last time she made them. About a week ago , I had a desire to eat sweetcorn pakoras and when I asked my mum for the recipe, she had forgot......

Now It was time for an experiment. i had prepared cabbage pakoras quiet a few times and so i had to just replace cabbage with sweetcorn..... This was easy. But I was also worried of all those extra fat that we would consume if I deep fry it. It then occurred to me of baking . This process will definitely take longer time but its safer and easy and you don't have to stand near the hob and wait for them to cook unlike deep frying.

The entire preparation for this recipe just took about 15 mins and while it was baking in the oven , i was happily relaxing watching TV. For people who love sweetcorn, this is really a treat.....

Ingredients

1 cup sweetcorn (I used frozen sweetcorns)
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tsp corrainder seeds crushed (preferably freshly crushed, do not powder it)
1/4 tsp salt
1 green chilli finely minced (optional), I did not use it because we do not like the chilli bits while eating.
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 - 2tbsp chickpea flour/ gram flour (the amount may vary depending on the quantity of water left after defrosting. I had about 1 tbsp water left after defrosting the corns.)

Method

Defrost the sweetcorns and do not discard the little water obtained after defrosting them. To this add chopped onions , salt, green chilli , red chilli powder and gram flour. Mix them thoroughly . The consistency should be crumbly mixture but when made a ball it should bind together. Grease a baking tray and spoon this mixture into lumps of 1 spoon each. Spray the top of these lumps with little oil and bake it for 30 - 40 mins or until golden brown and crisp at gas mark 6. this can served with coconut chutney or ketchup or just eaten without any dips. This recipe will make about 6 - 8 pakoras but varies depending on the size of your spoon.

Homemade Apple Pie

2009-01-09T10:15:00.001-08:00

I am a health freak so I try to avoid sugar, butter and too much of salt. I also substitute butter with vegetable il where ever possible. In this recipe I have not used sugar at all and substituted butter with oil. You coudl even use wholemeal flour instead of plain flour but I have used plain flour .
My husband has a sweet tooth and he relishes anything thats sweet and so he loves fruits more than veggies. Lately, he has been exercising to put down his weight and so I thought of treating him for this. I had some gala apples and had to finish them , this was an easy and quick way of finishing them.

Ingredients
3 apples (I have also used fuji apples. you can experiment with any apples) peeled , cored and sliced
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp rose essence
1 tbsp cinnamon powder

For dough
1 cup plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp oil to brush
1/4 cup water

Method
Heat a pan and throw in all the sliced apples , sugar and rose essence. Cover it and cook it till the apples become mushy. Sugar will help it breakdown quickly. Allow it to cool.

Meanwhile make the pastry. mix all the dough ingredients and make a dough. Roll it and brush with oil. Fold it and again roll it and again brush with oil. Repeat this for 5 times. Then divide the dough into 1/3 rd and 2/3 rd parts. Roll the 2/3rds to fit into the baking tin . Brush the tin with oil and roll this pastry into the tin. Pour the apple sauce into the pastry. Now roll the other 1/3 rd part and use this to cover the pie. Prick the cover with fork to let the steam escape during baking. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon powder. Bake this in a preheated oven at gas mark 6 for about 20 - 30 minutes or till the pie is golden brown.

Mushroom Tofu and Onion Vegan Quiche

2008-12-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

I usually make quiche with white sauce but this time I tried tofu instead and it was really super healthy and tasty as well. I could just manage to get a small bite of it, the rest of it my husband gulped. Mushrooms are rich in folic acid and are very necessary part of a vegan and vegetarian diet. I made this quiche using whole-meal pastry flour which gives lots of fibres. Its another quick recipe.

Ingredients

For pastry

2 cups wholemeal flour
1/2 cup water
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil (optional)

Method

Mix everything in a bowl and knead it into a dough. i dont have a food processor so I dont know how exactly a dough is made in it. I use my hands to knead a dough. Then roll it about 2-3 inches more than the baking tin base. This recipe make the pastry crust quie tough and hard and crispy. Fit in the pastry into a greased tin and press the pastry floue against the the wall of the tin. Now fill it with any kind of dry beans and cook in in the oven at gas mark 6 for 5 - 10 mins depending on the size of the tin . Check after 5 mins , If the pastry is cooked then allow it to cool else cook it for another 2 - 3 mins. After cooling brush the pastry with oil to prevent it from becoming soggy.

For quiche

10 button mushrooms ( you can use any kind of mushrooms ) chopped
350g of tofu crumbled and patted dry
1 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered black pepper
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion chopped
pinch of chilli flakes to garnish (optional)
1 tsp oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add onions and garlic. Saute it till the onions are translucent and tender. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 mins. To this add crumbled tofu. Arrange chopped pieces of mushrooms in the tin and pour the tofu onion mixture in the tin . Arrange the rest of the mushroom pieces on the top (try to fit it or arrange layers of mushrooms on above the other, these shrink after coking) and sprinkle chilli flakes.

For quiche with white sauce , you can skip tofu. For making white sauce you need
1 1/2 cup of soy milk (I use sweetned)
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp vegan margarine
a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper powder
Melt the margarine and add flour. Pour all the milk little at a time and keep stirring to avoid lumps. Bring it to boil and simmer it and keep stirring till it thickens to a sauce consistency. If you get lumps , then don't panic , just continue to make the white sauce. At the end you can blend it smooth.

Carmelised Mango with mango sorbet and chocolate sauce

2008-12-29T17:09:00.001-08:00

I had some leftover mangoes. They weren't quiet sweet variety , but I had to finish them before they started to rot. I browsed for some mango desserts and in some of the recipes I saw that mango can be caramelized and used in desserts. From my husband , I learnt that mango and chocolate can make a good combination. That instant I created this recipe....... Oh my god ! I feel so proud to have invented this recipe. This was a good recipe. And to note I haven't used sugar at all.

Ingredients

2 mangoes sliced into strips or chunked
handful of mixed nuts crushed or coarsely chopped (I used cashewnuts, almonds and pistachios)
2 tbsp cocoa powder or any chocolate drink powder
1/2 tbsp milk
2 scoops of mango sorbet
oil to brush

Method

Grease a baking tray and arrange the mango pieces. Lightly brush oil on these pieces and bake them for 15 mins or till they start to brown on gas mark 6. The time to brown these pieces make depend on the size of the pieces and the variety of the mango.

Meanwhile in a microwavable bowl take the cocoa powder and milk. Gently heat them for 10 seconds. Stir it and again heat it for 10 seconds. Repeat this till it gets a sauce consistency. I did this for a minute.

Once the mango pieces are done, arrange half of them in a bowl (as this recipe serves for 2). Top it with a scoop of mango sorbet and cpour chocolate sauce over it. Sprinkle with crushed nuts.

Stuffed Collard Greens (Pathrode / Konkani Style)

2008-12-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

This is a typical Konkani dish. This is again prepared during festival or any special occasions It is normally prepared using colocasia leaves which is found in coastal regions of Karnataka. These leaves should be picked very carefully as some of them could be of wild variety and end up causing itching of the tongues when consumed. I have been quiet allergic to these leaves but I love eating them. My sister in law suggested that I use collard greens instead of colocasia leaves. I actually found that the taste did not alter too much and meanwhile I could happily eat them withot any worry of allergy. Thank you Mallika for your suggestion.

Ingredients
1 cup toor dal / red lentils soaked for 1 hour
1/2 cup white rice soaked for an hour separately
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tbsp tamarind paste
6-7 dry red chillies
1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
20 collard green leaves deveined and washed thoroughly and patted dry

Method
Grind coconut, red chillies, tamarind into a coarse paste. To this add toor dal and grind coarsely. And then add the rice and again grind near smooth but not very smooth paste.

Now place the back of one leaf towards you and apply the paste. Now place another leaf with back facing you and apply the paste. Repeat this procedure for 4 leaves. Now fold the right and left edges and roll them just like spring rolls. Repeat this for other leaves with each roll made up of 4 leaves. These rolls should be steamed in a steamer for 20-25 mins or till they are tender.

After they are cooked cut them into circles and serve.

The link below will give a detailed pictorial representation of the method. The ingredients may differ but the method remains the same for collard green leaves also. Thanks Aayi's recipe for the detailed pictures .

http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/06/06/pathrado-or-pathrode/comment-page-1/

Moong Beans with green beans curry

2008-12-29T04:37:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 cup dry moong beans or 2 cups canned beans

1/2 cup chopped beans

1 tsp salt

For masala

3 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp tamarind juice

3 -4 dry red chillies

a pinch of mustard seeds

a pinch of fenugreek seeds

a pinch of turmeric

For seasoning

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

Method

For dry moong beans, you need to soak them overnight and following morning cooked them with 4 - 5 cups of water in pressure cooker for 30 mins. The cooker should not be opened immediately after 30 mins. Allow it to stand for atleast 30 mins. If the beans are not cooked then cook them again for another 15 - 30 mins.

Grind the masala ingredients with little water to a smooth paste. Add this to the cooked moong beans with salt . Add 2 cups water if using canned beans. Bring to boil and simmer it for 10 mins.

Take oil in a small pan . Add mustard seeds to the hot oil, after spluttering add curry leaves and immediately put off the flame. Add this seasoning to the moong beans and masala mixture. Serve this with white or brown rice.

Sale at Amazon.com

2008-12-22T04:17:00.000-08:00

To all those gadget freaks , its a real good christmas because Amazon is holding a very huge Sale on all their movies and TV dvds . I am thinking of buying some for myself. These items are reduced upto 60%. Its worth browsing this site .

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_4545332_1?ie=UTF8&node=672572011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_r=1CFYM907152D8YAR91VZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=466177391&pf_rd_i=130

This is the link. Why don't you have a look ?

I like the comedy serial Some mothers do 'ave 'em. I am thinking of buying this one. If you are interested then u can just click on the link below and buy it.

Enjoy!

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em: The Complete Collection [1973]

Spicy fruit salad in coconut sauce (Konkani style sasama )

2008-12-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

This is sweet and spicy dish so I cant categorise either in savoury or dessert. This is again served during festival meals and wedding. This can be prepared with variety of fruits. Most commonly used is pineapple. I have used mango, red grapes and bananas. But this can be prepared with just one kind of fruit or combination of these fruits.

Ingredients

1 cup raw fruits chunked (just a variety or mixed fruits)

3 tbsp shredded coconut

a pinch of whole mustard seeds

2 dry red chillies

1 tsp tamarind juice

1 tbsp jaggery or sugar or sweetener

a pinch of salt

Method

Take all the chunked fruits into a mixing bowl. Now grind the rest of the ingredients with 3-4 tbsp water in a blender. Add this ground mixture to the fruits and serve. This can be chilled. This tastes very flavourful the next day as these fruits marinate in the sauce. This can be served immediately also.

Minty Tofu Kebabs with Roasted vegetables

2008-12-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

Forgive my presentation and photography. Still an amateur. This recipe is from www.massala.com . This website is run by a Hema Alur Kundargi . She has posted some healthy and awesome recipes mostly vegetarian and vegan. All the vegans and vegetarians out there ! this website is really worth browsing . She has posted recipes for beginners also. My husband doesn't like the smell and taste of yogurt but he munches theses kebabs. She has even posted the video for this recipe in Youtube as well.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fb6RPhjb9fU&feature=PlayList&p=817FF6CADF84F8BA&playnext=1&index=22

The recipe can be found in link below.

http://www.massala.com/Tofu.html

Spicy cauliflower and potato

2008-12-18T04:33:00.000-08:00

I always make spicy cauliflower and potato but this is slightly different. I got the recipe for this from www.paajaka.com. I am giving the link below

http://www.paajaka.com/2008/06/cauliflower-palya.html

This is not at all spicy because the only spice used here is turmeric and mustard. This was the first time I tried this , I liked it but my husband though it could have been better if it was little more spicy. If you dislike hot and spicy food , then this is really a treat. Other day when I made this, I wanted a very bland and good food and hence , I made this. Thank you Paajaka.

Vegetable Biryani

2008-12-18T04:32:00.000-08:00

This is quiet a nutritious dish. This is very commonly served during parties, potlucks and wedding in India. You can add variety of veggies and make it more colorful and appetizing . This can be prepared very quickly and without any effort. This recipe was given to me by my ex colleague Sudha Baliga. She is a great cook. Thanks to her for this wonderful recipe.

Ingredients

5 -6 garlic pods chopped finely
1 medium sized cinnamon stick (equal to length of your index finger) powdered
3 -4 cloves powdered
2 cardamom powdered
3 onions chopped
1 tbsp red chilli powder
pinch of turmeric
thumb sized ginger piece finely chopped
1 cup of mixed veggies chopped (I used tomatoes, beans, carrots, peas, sweetcorn)
1 1/2 cup rice preferable basmati rice
pinch of sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt
3 cups water (for every one part of rice 2 parts of water should be added)
2 tbsp oil

Method

the spices can be powdered together or the whole spices with whole garlic pods and whole ginger can be ground in a blender. The latter saves time and effort. Heat oil in a pan and add the powdered spices and garlic and ginger and saute it for 1/2 a minute or you can add the ground spices with garlic and ginger and then saute it till you get the fragrance or aroma of the spices. Add the chopped onions and saute it till reddish brown . Now add washed rice and saute it for a minute or 2 and then add chopped veggies , roast them for a minute or wo . Now add chilli powder , turmeric, salt , sugar and water. Cook for 15 - 20 mins or till the rice is completely cooked and tender. At this point you can add more water if required. This is ready to be served with raita .

Dal and Roti

2008-12-18T04:31:00.000-08:00

This is a very simple and common dish eaten in north india. And lately it has been quiet a popular dish even in south india and a cheap one too. During my college days , I would crave to eat this and pull a friend of mine to a near by fast food outlet and eat it. It was just 10 Rs per plate and I relished every bite of it and even eat from my friends plate . I tried this at home but the taste was never the same. I miss my food outlets in India.

Ingredients for Dal

1 cup cooked channa dal
a pinch of asafoetida
a pinch of turmeric
2 tsp ginger paste or finely minced ginger
2 -3 green chillies slit
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil

Method

Heat oil in a saucepan and when the oil is hot, add cumin seeds. When the seeds stop spluttering add asafoetida, turmeric , ginger and gren chillies. Saute it for half a minute and then add cooked channa dal and about 1/4 cup of water and salt. Bring this to boil and cook the dal further till they are very tender and are easily mashed when taken between the fingers and crushed. This is ideally served with chappatis and rotis.

Marrow curry (Konkani style ambath)

2008-12-18T04:29:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 marrow chunked without the hard skin
1 onion finely chopped
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 tsp tamarind juice
3 roasted dry red chillies
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup red lentils / toor dal cooked and mashed
1 cup water
1 tsp oil

Method

Prepare the masala by grinding coconut , tamarind juice and red chillies with little water. In a pot add lentils , masala , marrow , salt and water and cook till the marrow is tender . Meanwhile heat oil in a small pan and when the oil is hot add onions and caramelize them . Add this to the pot above and the curry is ready to be served.

Spicy potato with cashewnuts (Upkari/ Palya)

2008-11-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

This recipe can be prepared using varied vegetables available especially in India. This is mainly made of ivy gourd and/or potato . This is commonly served in Konkani weddings or festivals and is again a delicacy.

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes chopped

handful of cashew nut (ideally soaked in warm water for 1 hour)

1 tsp mustard seeds

3 green chillies slitted

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp grated coconut

1/2 cup water

Method

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. After the spluttering of mustard seeds , add green chillies and curry leaves. Saute it for 1 min or two. Add potatoes , cashew-nut , salt and water. Cook till potatoes are tender. Add more water if required. Keep stirring for every 5 mins till they are cooked. Finally garnish with grated coconut and serve.

adzuki beans and yam curry

2008-11-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

Forgive my photography skills.

Ingredients

For Curry

1 cup dry adzuki beans soaked overnight

1 can of cooked yam or about 100g of yam chopped into chunks

6-7 garlic cloves crushed

1 tsp salt

1 cup water

2 tsp oil

For masala

3 tbsp grated coconut

3 dry red chillies

1 tsp tamarind juice

Method

For Masala
Grind coconut, dry red chillies and tamarind into a smooth paste.

For Curry

Cook the adzuki beans and 100g of chopped yam (if using cooked yam then it should be added to cooked beans separately). Add the masala to the cooked adzuki beans and yam . Add 1 cup water and salt bring to boil. Now simmer for 10 mins. This has to be tempered . For tempering heat oil in a small pan and add crushed garlic and caramelize the garlic and then add to the above mixture. Serve this with hot white rice.

Mushroom Stroganoff

2008-11-26T14:31:00.001-08:00

This has a rich and a very earthy taste.

Ingredients

250g mushrooms (any or a mixed varieties of mushrooms) chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1 tbsp of garlic-ginger- green chilli paste (together they should make 1 tbsp)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 1/2 cup soya milk

2 tbsp soya butter

1 tbsp flour mixed with cold milk / water to make a smooth paste without lumps

Method

Melt the butter and saute the onions till it starts turning brown. Add garlic-ginger and chilli paste now. Saute it for 1 min. Add chopped mushrooms and saute it till it starts sweating and turns brown. Now add milk , salt and black pepper powder. Bring to boil. Now add the flour paste and simmer it for 10 mins with occasionally stirring. This is now ready to be served with wholemeal bread or rice.

Pineapple Pudding

2008-11-26T14:29:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups pineapple juice

1 cup semolina

handful of mixed dry fruits

2 tbsp soy butter / I used PURE spread

1/2 cup of sweetener / sugar

Method

Melt the butter and add semolina. Saute if for 2 mins till you get the semolina's aroma. Now add pineapple juice and dry fruits. Cook till all of the juice is absorbed and then add the sweetener. Stir it for 2 mins and the pudding is ready.

Tip

Small pieces of pineapple can be added with sweetener to enhance the taste.

Watermelon rind spicy pancakes

2008-11-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

Normally the juice core of the melon is eaten and the rind is discarded . But this rind is also edible and tastes like cucumber. So this can be used as a substitute for cucumber. This can be used in salads and desserts (because of the little sweetness it gets from the core of the melon).

My mother makes a different kind of pancake with this but I never liked it, so I tried out this simple and easy kind and it was a hit.

Ingredients

1/4 watermelon's rind grated (need not be fine). Do not discard the juice while grating.

1/4 tsp salt

2 green chillies finely chopped

6 tbsp semolina ( more can be added according to the consistency)

Method

Mix all of these ingredients and allow it to stand for 5 - 10 mins. The consistency should not be very dry or very watery. If there is approximately more than 2 tbsp of juice then more semolina can be added. The whole mixture should be wet with very little juice dripping while spreading on a hot greased pan. This is ready to be eaten or a dollop of soya butter can be added on the hot pancake. Note that both the sides of the pancake must be cooked.

Bamboo shoot and black eye beans curry

2008-11-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

Bamboo shoots is commonly used in Chinese stir fries. This is added to curries and spicy pancakes in our community. This is very rare and expensive vegetable found in India so its considered as a delicacy. I was overwhelmed to see cans of bamboo shoots in supermarkets. Authentic Konkani bamboo shoot curry is prepared using sprouted moong beans or just cooked moong beans. The method remains the same. For any dry beans you buy, it should be soaked overnight and pressure cooked the next day.

Ingredients

200g / 1 tin of cooked black eye beans/ sprouted moong beans

100g /1 small tin of cooked bamboo shoots.

3 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric

a pinch of fenugreek seeds

1 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

4 dry red chillies

1 tsp tamarind juice

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

Method

prepare the masala by grinding cocnut, red chillies, tamarind juice, turmeric, fenugreek seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds and little water . Grind it into a smooth paste. Mix masala, black eye beans , bamboo shoots , water and salt. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer it for 10 mins. Meanwhile prepare the tempering by heating oil , to this add rest of the mustard seeds , when this stops spluttering add curry leaves. Now pour this tempering into the curry . This is ready to be served.

Cucumber salad (South indian style)

2008-11-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is crunchy and spicy salad. Just takes few minutes to make it.

Ingredients

1 cucumber grated

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp channa dal

1 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tbsp grated coconut

1/4 tsp salt

2 dry red chillies

Method

In a small pan heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add channa dal, red chillies, curry leaves and saute it till the channa dal starts turning brown. Add this "tadka" to the grated cucumber. Now add salt and coconut. Mix well and serve.

Bhakri (rice chappati) and sprouted moong beans curry

2008-11-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

The sprouted moong curry was experimental and it was a success. My husband liked it a lot. I am thinking of making it again. It uses just one spice which is readily available. Well this can't be prepared using the readymade sprouts from stores as they are too much sprouted for this curry, you have to sprout them at home for about a day or two (depending on the temperature).

The rice chappati called "bhakri" in konkani is recipe given to me by my grandmother. She makes them so easily and we all munch on them. This was the second time I was making it, it did not turn out to be as easy as I saw her make it. It was a little bit of disaster. But yet I am recording this recipe for my future refernce. If you want to make it, make at your own risk. The preparation is tough but it is very tasty.

Bhakri

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

3/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

Method

Boil the water and salt . When the water starts boiling , add all the rice flour and switch off the flame. quickly mix it into a dough. You will see how quickly the flour absorbs all the water. You will then have to make small balls out of them and roll it into thick sized bhakris. I couldn't make thin ones because it was breaking. If you are unable to roll them and it breaks or the dough is little watery then u can add some more rice flour . Now cook it on a pan / tava on a medium flame with little oil rubbed on the pan. Cook both the sides till red or brown spots appear.

Moong Curry

Ingredients

1 cup sprouted moong cooked in pressure cooker

2 large tomatoes chunked

1 tsp tamarind juice (optional)

1 medium sized potato chunked and cooked

1 large onion coarsely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp oil

Method

Heat oil and saute the onions till golden brown. Add tomatoes (you can add salt at this point to aid tomatoes to cook quickly)till they are cooked and become mushy. Add chilli powder and salt (if not added earlier) , and tamarind juice. Cook for 1 min and then add moong and potatoes. Cook for 10 mins till veggies get infused with the spice. Curry is ready to be served.

An escape to London!!

2008-11-21T04:41:00.000-08:00

This was the most awaited trip. I had been planning for this and packing a month before (though a four days trip). This was the second time I was visiting Lovely London. I happily alighted london station ,with my husband, feeling blithe and delighted without realising that the weather would be unbearable. Walking through the streets , all the 4 days made our sight seeing more difficult. The strong breeze and the chill weather and to add that , our legs ache ..... it was a terrific combination to put us off . Nonetheless we still managed to see several tourist spots , favourite one being Madame Tussauds. I was in complete awe to see the wax dolls which were so real , I embraced Bradd Pitt and Salman Khan and stood beside Jim Carrey ( my favourite comedy actor). Another day we visited St Paul's cathedral , there were stairs leading to upper floor (whispering gallery it is called) , we started to climb these but half way through I was totally exhausted , every 5 mins I would stop to gather some breathe and energy , finally I made it to the top (second floor also ) and when we climbed down to the ground floor , we realised that we had finished 257 steps one way. National History Museum and Science Museum were also great. I was surprised to see how clean, neat and organised these Museums were.

When it came to suffice our hunger, there were loads of vegan places to eat. There were many Thai / Chinese restaurants which made only vegan food, it was surprising to see how they substituted all the meat dishes with versatile tofu. We also found vegan burgers , falafels and caribbean food. The best thing about London was its a " heaven for vegan foodies" . We had a whole list of all vegan restaurants but unfortunately could not try all of them.

After a tiring four days , we headed back to our nest and felt " Nothing as good and comfortable as our home". No sooner, had we rested our heads on the pillow, we were fast asleep.

Pumpkin pudding

2008-11-12T05:02:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped pumpkin

2 cups coconut milk

handful of mixed dry fruits

1/2 cup of jaggery

1 cardamom pod

Method

Cook pumpkin with very little water. When the pumpkin is tender add coconut water and bring to boil. Add jaggery , dry fruits and cardamom . Cover and simmer it, let it cook for 10 mins. Sweet pudding is ready to serve.

Spicy Broccoli and Potatoes

2008-11-12T04:32:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 medium broccoli florets

1 medium sized potato chunked and cooked

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp channa dal

1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds

1 tsp urad dal

2 -3 green chillies slit

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

Method

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. After spluttering add channa dal, cumin seeds, urad dal and green chillies. Now add broccoli , salt and water. Cook till broccoli is cooked and then add potato. Serve this with rotis or as a side dish.

Salad

2008-11-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Manjula's Kitchen but there is a slight variation. It is so simple and easy. (courtesy www.Manjula's Kitchen.com).

Ingredients

4 cabbage leaves chopped

1 medium sized tomato chunked

1/4 cup sweet corn (frozen or boiled or canned)

1/4 cucumber grated

1 small carrot grated

Dressing

1/2 lime or lemon juice

pinch of black pepper powder

1/4 tsp salt

Method

Mix all the vegetables and add lemon/ lime juice, salt and pepper powder.

Sambhar / Curry (South Indian Style)

2008-11-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

This is a curry / Sambhar recipe was given to me by my mother in law. This picture is taken from sambhar prepared by her. She is an amazing cook . She has different versions of Sambhar and believe me all her versions are slurp...... She , along with father in law, came to UK about 30 years ago , a period when she didn't know cooking and to compliment her disadvantage , there were not many vegetable options and no curry powders, no indian spices but meat was in surplus. Being a strict Indian vegetarian, she had to learn to make curry powders and also suit her taste to English vegetables. Fortunately , she was successful in doing so and her experiments passed and she became a star of our family. Well this curry has Indian vegetables but there are some variations for my English readers. (courtesy mother in law)

Ingredients

3/4 cup toor dal cooked

1 large onions

1 large tomato

2 large potatoes cubed

1 tsp tamarind juice

For masala

lilttle oil

2 tbsp corrainder seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1/4 inch cinnamon

1 tsp methi / fenugreek seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp channa dal

1 tbsp urad dal

1 tbsp uncooked rice

2 tbsp shredded coconut or desiccated coconut

pinch of hing / asafoetida

1 tsp turmeric

5 -6 dry red chillies

4 -5 curry leaves

Method

Dry roast all the masala ingredients separately on low heat except methi / fenugreek seeds which has to be roasted in little oil till you can smell the aroma. Grind all of these with little water in to a smooth paste.

Cook the veggies , when its half cooked, add toor dal and ground masala, tamarind juice and salt (1 1/2 tsp ). Cover and cook till the veggies are soft and tender. Serve this with rice or idli.

Variations

Different vegetables or different combinations of vegetables can be used. Aubergines / Celery / Okra / Runner beans / Mange touts / any coloured Peppers / Baby corns / Frozen mixed vegetables except cauliflowers / Green peas. For any of these vegetables , onion and tomato are added. Green peas can be added separately or in combination with potato, beans or mange touts.

Spicy Bitter Gourd (Palya / Upkari)

2008-11-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

This is a simple recipe given to me by my mom. I like bitter gourd and mom taught me to reduce the bitterness from this veg and she successfully manages to do so unlike me . ;)

Ingredients
2 bitter gourds chopped coarsely
2 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil

Method
Add 1 tsp salt to the bitter gourds and allow it to stand for half an hour and later squeeze the water out of the gourds. Now heat oil and saute the onions till it starts turning golden brown and then add tomatoes and cook them for 2 mins. Add salt ,chilli powder and gourds, cover and cook till the gourds are tender. This may take about 15 mins. Serve this with rice or chappati.

Fantastic Facts

2008-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

I often read foodie magazines and health magazines. I also pick up free food magazines from superstores . And reading through several facts, I realized that it is very important to check what we are eating and how much calories we are consuming . Nonetheless I also started exercising to keep my self fit and burn those extra calories . I would like to share those fitness facts. (courtesy Tesco Healthy Living Club , Winter 2008)

1. Nutritional Information

85% of us want the nutritional content of foods in restaurants and cafes to be shown. For now you can find it on websites of the main chains.

2. To be more bendy

As temperature drop down in winter many of us start to stiffen up. But eating Mediterranean style diet can help us to stay supple. Cutting back on fatty mat, dairy, butter and pastry and switching to olive oil , rapeseed oil, spreads , nuts, avocado and 5 portions of colourful fruit and veg a day, helps.

3. Chewing helps

Take smaller bites and chew your food 20 - 30 times to allow time for the body's fullness signals to work. You could eat 70 fewer calories and feel more satisfied after a meal.

4. Pots of Health

More potted plants you can see from your desk, the fewer sick days you are likely to to take. Plants improve air quality , so stock up at work or at home.

5. Drive away back pain

Slouching in the car is the key cause of back pain. So check that your seat and steering wheel are set correctly for you, adjust your rear driving mirror to encourage you to sit up properly and if necessary, use a rolled up towel to support your back.

6. Fast Thinking makes you happy

People taking part in a timed brainstorm or reading text scrolling at twice the normal speed felt happier. For an instant feel good boost , set a time limit for reading the paper or doing sudoku and crossword puzzles.

7. Fresh breath

Chew a mint leaf, drink mint tea, or use a minty breath freshener. It also helps to chew mint sugar- free gum containing xylitol - a natural sweet plant substance that protects against tooth decay. To prevent bad breath in the first place, rinse with water after meals to wash out stray bits of food. Or floss and brush with toothpaste containing soda bicarbonate.

8. Nice style , but do they fit?

Don't forget the comfort factor next time you're buying glasses. They might look good, but if they dig in around your ears or rub against your cheeks, they'll cause discomfort, from headaches to sore skin.

Initial Stages of my Veganism

2008-11-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

My husband is strictly vegan . And the day I married I became a vegan too although I didn't like the smell of soya milk nor its taste. I cursed myself for accepting veganism . I didn't want to disappoint husband and so I continued being a vegan. But as time passed , I realised how environmental friendly i was becoming and gradually I started liking the taste of every little bite of vegan food. I could eat soya cheese, use cosmetics and even eat vegan medicines without the guilt of any animal slaughtered because of me. I didn't have any guilt when I was vegetarian either but neither did it give me pleasure of being a perfect animal friendly person unlike now.....

I WAS A BUDDING VEGAN.

Mooli / Radish Curry ( Ambath , Konkani style)

2008-11-05T03:38:00.000-08:00

Many people dislike radish for its odd smell. But trust me this curry will change your opinion about radish. Radish leaves are also edible and can be used to make tasty side dishes.

Ingredients

1 mooli / 15 radish cut into medium sized round pieces .

3 tbsp dry roasted red chillies

1 tsp tamarind juice

3 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp salt

1 small onion finely chopped

1 tsp oil

1 small tomato chopped coarsely

1/2 cup red lentils

Method

Cook lentils , radish , onion and tomato together. Grind coconut, tamarind, red chillies into a paste and add this to the cooked vegetables above. Bring to boil and simmer it for 5 min. To temper this heat oil and saute onions till it caramelizes. Add this to the incomplete curry. Serve this with hot rice.

Spinach Curry ( Ambath in Konkani Style)

2008-11-05T03:01:00.000-08:00

This is the most favorite curry for the members of my family especially my husband. This picture above is Methi leaves / Fenugreek leaves curry and the recipe for this is below in Variations.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped spinach / 5 blocks frozen Tesco spinach

1 medium tomato

1 small onion finely chopped

3 tbsp grated coconut

2 - 3 dry red chillies (roasted)

1 tsp tamarind juice

2 tsp oil

1/2 cup red lentils

Method

Cook lentils, spinach , tomato and half of the chopped onions. Meanwhile grind coconut, red chillies and tamarind into a smooth paste. When the lentils are cooked , add the paste and bring to boil and further cook for 5 mins. Now this curry should be tempered , heat oil and saute the rest of the onions till they are dark brown. Add this to the curry above. Serve it with chapatis or rice.

Tadka or tempering can be added when the curry is still cooking or after the curry is cooked.

Variation

Methi leaves curry is prepared in the same way but instead on onions for tadka , you need 1 tsp oil heated to 1 tsp mustard seeds and 4 - 5 curry leaves are to be added. No onions are added for this curry.

Spinach and Lentil

2008-11-05T02:40:00.000-08:00

This dish is very healthy and simple . This can be cooked on the days when you want a break from cooking because it doesn't take much of your time.

Ingredients

2 cups of chopped spinach / 5 blocks of frozen Tesco spinach.

1 cup of red lentils

1 medium sized onion roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

5 - 6 slit green chillies

1 large tomato cut into chunks

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 red chillies

1 1/2 tsp salt

Method

Add spinach (frozen ones can also be added directly from freezer , need not be defrosted), lentils, garlic, cumin seeds, green chillies, onion and tomato in a pressure cooker. Cook for 10 mins. Now this needs tempering, heat oil and add mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add red chillies, saute it for 1 min . Add this tempering and salt and cook it for 2 -3 mins . Serve this with rotis, naan , pitta bread or hot rice.

Money saving tip

I prefer frozen spinach as this available throughout the year and I saw this was cheaper than the fresh ones. I buy fresh ones only if there is an offer cheaper than frozen ones. Actually frozen vegetables contain more nutrients than the fresh ones as these are frozen when there are very fresh. But with beans, dry beans also contains the same nutrients as the frozen one. So soaking beans and cooking them also gives the same nutrients. Because drying process just dehydrates the seeds but doesn't remove its nutrients instead these nutrients become concentrated .

Beans Soup ( Saaru , Konkani style)

2008-11-05T01:50:00.000-08:00

This is not a proper soup . It is in between soup and curry or a curry with thin consistency. This is easy to prepare and very healthy too. This can be prepared using any kind of beans.

Ingredients

100 gms chickpeas / brown chickpeas / moong beans / horse gram / black eye beans / kidney beans / moth beans. ( Sprouted beans can also be used. )

2 tsp oil

5 - 6 cloves garlic crushed

2 - 3 dry red chillies

1 tsp salt

3 cups water

Method

Soak the beans overnight and cook them with the 3 cups of water. Cook for 20 - 25 mins in a pressure cooker. Now add salt and bring to boil . Meanwhile prepare for "Tadka" , heat oil in a small pan and add garlic and saute it till its golden brown. Note that it should be cooked in a medium flame . Now add chillies and saute it for 1 min . Add this to the cooked beans. This can be just consumed like a soup ( but its quiet spicy) or can be served with rice.

The tempering or tadka can be changed. Heat 1 tsp oil , add 1 tsp mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering add 2 - 3 dry red chillies and then a sprig of curry leaves.

Money saving tip

Instead of buying frozen or canned beans, buy dry beans . Soak them and then pressure cook them the following morning. By adopting this method , you are not only saving money but also eating freshly cooked beans which is much more tastier .

Spicy Cauliflower ( Cauliflower palya/ Upkari/ Sabzi)

2008-11-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 cauliflower florets

1 medium sized potato chunked and cooked

1 medium sized onion chopped finely

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

Method

Heat oil in a pan , add onions and saute it till golden brown. Add turmeric and cauliflower. Mix this well such that all the florets imbibe the yellow colour. Add chilli powder, salt and water. Cover and cook for 10 mins with occasionally stirring. Add more water if required. Now add the cooked potatoes and further cook this for 5 mins. Serve this with naan or pitta bread or rice or this can just eaten as a side dish.

Beans Curry (Indian Konkani style)

2008-11-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

200 gms of dry butter beans / pinto beans / green peas

1 medium potato chopped into bite size chunks

3 tbsp grated coconut

2-3 dry red chillies (this is available in any indian store). This has to be roasted.

1 tsp tamarind juice (extract juice from the pulp using hot water or use 1 tsp tamarind powder)

1/2 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 tsp salt

2 cups water

1 tsp oil

Method :

Soak the butter beans overnight and pressure cook it along with potatoes for 15 mins. Meanwhile grind grated coconut , red chillies and tamarind juice into a fine smooth paste. Add this paste and salt to the above cooked beans and potatoes . To this add half of the chopped onions and water. Bring this to boil and simmer it for 10 mins. the curry is ready but still incomplete without a "Tadka" or tempering and for this in another small pan heat oil and add the rest of the chopped onions and saute it till its dark brown. Add this to the curry. Serve this with hot white rice.

Money saving tip : You can buy long grain rice instead of basmati. For curries long grain rice are the best. Basmati is used mainly for pulao/pilaf/pulav. Supermarket' s basic brand is also ideal for curries.

Steaming hot Tomato Soup

2008-11-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 large cloves of garlic

1 medium sized onion

4 salad tomatoes (medium sized)

750 ml vegetable stock (i use Kallo stock cubes coz its vegan)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp cornflour (make a paste using cold water)

Method

Roughly chop garlic, onions and tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan and when the oil is hot add chopped onions and garlic and saute it till its golden brown. Add tomatoes and cook them till it breaks down and then add all the stock . Bring to boil and simmer and cook it for 10 mins. Allow this to cool for atleast half an hour and then blend it smooth . This can be strained which is optional. I don't strain my soup. Pour this back into the pan and bring to boil adding black pepper powder, salt and cornflour paste. Simmer it for 10 mins . Sprinkle with mixed herbs and any herbs of your choice (fresh or dried), this is optional. Serve this with a crusty whole meal bread.

For more healthy version, cooked handful of butter beans or pinto beans or cannelloni beans can be added after blending the soup.

Money saving tip

I buy tomatoes from wholesale dealers and make the soup in large quantity and store them in the fridge. This soup can also be used as paste sauce along with some veggies or it can also be used to make tomato based curries like chick pea curry (channa masala).

Proud to be a VEGAN !

2008-11-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

I am a proud to be a vegan because I am happy that I don't consume animal products and animal derived products and because of this I am reducing my carbon footprint . I eat healthy food made from soya instead of milk and thus helping myself remain healthy and fit. Being an Indian vegetarian , it was easy for me to adopt veganism unlike other individuals whose main part of meal includes meat. I know people who want to become vegan, fear that they would have to give up their desires for good food. But mark me , I can assure you all can have good food and also a healthy meal simultaneously.

Being a vegan hasn't limited my food options, I have started to experiment and few of them turned out success. In this blog of mine I would give the various "tried and tested" recipes and also few tips to save money and lead a simple and healthy living.