Vegetarian – Page 3

Seeraga Kozhumbu (Jeera/Cumin seeds Curry)

A simple recipe which can be made using items available in your pantry. This curry acts as a good stomach cleanser and is good for digestion too. We make this quite often and can be prepared when you do not have any vegetables at home.

It is best served with rice and any poriyal of your choice.

Soak a small piece of tamarind in water for 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Onions – 2 medium (finely cut)

Tomato – 2 medium (finely cut)

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Sambar powder – 1 tsp

Tamarind – a small ball

Water – 1/4 cup (for soaking tamarind)

Water – 1 cup

Gingelley oil – 1 tbsp or any other cooking oil

To grind:

Oil – 1/2 tsp

Shallots – 6

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1 – 1 1/4 tsp

Peppercorns – 3/4 tsp

Coconut pieces – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 2 tbsp

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Udad dal – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek/Methi seeds – 1/4 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup of water for 10 minutes and squeeze it well. After 10 minutes, remove the water and keep it separately.

In a pan, add 1/2 tsp oil . Wait till it becomes hot and add the peppercorns and jeera. Do not overburn the jeera or the taste may turn bitter. Next, add the shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Turn off the flame and keep it aside. When it becomes cold, transfer to a mixer and grind it alongwith coconut and 2 tbsp of water to a fine paste.

In another pan, add oil. Add the mustard and when it starts to splutter, add the udad dal, methi seeds and jeera. Add the finely chopped onions and curry leaves and saute till it becomes golden in colour. Then, add the tomatoes and keep stirring until it becomes pulpy and a paste. Now, add the ground paste, chillie powder, sambar powder, tamarind water and salt. Also, add 1 cup of water and let it boil on medium flame for 6 -7 minutes until the raw smell goes off.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice and any vegetable poriyal/thoran.

Note: For a more authentic taste, use gingelley oil. If you have vadagam, you can use it for seasoning instead of the items mentioned under ‘seasoning’.

Beetroot Poriyal/Thoran with a twist

Vegetarian

An earthy vegetable, beetroots is the hero of this dish. We call this “Beetroot Puttu”. Roasted gram ground with aniseed and cinnamon gives it a different, yet wonderful flavour and the addition of ginger further enhances the taste.

This dish can be served with rice and curry. Also, it is a perfect accompaniment for curd rice.

You may replace the beetroot with snakegourd or beans or nolkhol and prepare the same way.

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 4 medium

Onion – 1 1/2 big chopped

Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece chopped

Green chillie – 4 slit

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida/hing – a pinch

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

For the gram powder:

Roasted Gram – 1 1/2 tbsp

Aniseed/Saunf – 1 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Heat a pan. When it becomes hot, add the cinnamon and the aniseed and saute for a minute. Take it out and add it to a mixie/pulser and grind it alongwith the roasted gram, to a fine powder. You may store this powder in a small bottle, for use later.

Poriyal/Thoran:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and when it starts to splutter, add udad dal. Then, add the green chillies and curry leaves and saute again. Once it is well sauteed, add the asafoetida, ginger, turmeric and onions and stir fry for 2 minutes till it turns pink in colour.

Add the chopped beetroot and saute well. Sprinkle a little water and close with a lid. Reduce the flame to low and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir it in between so that it does not burn at the bottom.

Add 1 -1 1/2 tbsp of the powdered gram flour and grated coconut, mix well and serve with rice and curry.

Soya Kheema (Minced Soya Chunks)

Vegetarian

A perfect mixture of textures and flavours, this vegetarian version of minced meat or kheema, will woo all the vegetarians and meat lovers alike. Soya, being a rich source of protein makes a complete meal with rotis or chapathis.

Ingredients:

Soya chunks – 1/2 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tsp (optional)

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Chopped garlic – 3 tbsp

Ginger juliennes – 2 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp

Green chillies – 3 cut into rounds + 1 cut into rounds

Capsicum – 1/2 cup chopped

Tomatoes – 1/2 cup chopped

Onions chopped – 1 /2 cup chopped

Coriander leaf – 2 tbsp chopped + 1 tsp

Salt – as needed

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chillie powder – 1 tsp

Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Chat masala – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Paav bhaji masala – 1 1/4 tsp

Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – 1/2 tsp

Brown onion paste – 1 onion (see below )

Tomato puree/store bought tomato paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup and 3-4 cups for soaking the soya

Soya Chunks:

Soak soya chunks overnight in medium hot water with little salt. The next day, squeeze out all the water and chop it in a vegetable chopper or pulse it coarsely in a mixer.

For brown onion paste:

Chop 1 onion into slices. Deep fry them in hot oil and keep it aside in a tissue. After some time, pulse it in a mixer to a coarse paste.

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle, add the chopped garlic, 2 1/2 tbsp ginger juliennes, 3 green chillies and saute it for 2 minutes. Then, add the chopped onions and saute again. Next, goes in the capsicum and the 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and once again, saute for 2 minutes adding the 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Add salt and then the kashmiri red chillie powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and the turmeric powder. Saute once again adding the chat masala and the paav bhaji masala making sure that it doesn’t burn. U can sprinkle a little water at this point. Add the kasuri methi, brown onion paste and the tomato puree and combine well. Add 1/2 cup of water and let the masalas cook for some time.

Next, add the soya bean mixture, 1/2 tsp ginger juliennes, 1 green chillie cut into rounds and 1 tsp coriander leaves. Saute well and add 1/2 cup of water. Close and cook for 20 minutes on low flame.

Add 1 tsp butter and serve.

Capsicum/Bell Peppers Sesame Seeds Curry

Vegetarian

The addition of sesame seeds and peanuts to this curry gives it a nutty taste which is wonderful in flavour and texture. You can add green and red/yellow capsicums to this curry.

Can be served as a side dish for chapatis or plain rice or peas/jeera rice.

Ingredients:

Capsicum – 3

Tomatoes – 2 small

Onion – 1 medium

Green chiillies – 2 slit

Curry leaves – 1 1/2 sprig

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Red chillie powder – 2 tsp

Salt – as needed

White sesame seeds – 1 1/2 tbsp

Roasted Ground nuts – 1 1/2 tbsp

Grated Coconut – 1 1/2 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Shah jeera – 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Dice the capsicums into cubes and chop the tomatoes and onion fine. Slit the green chillies vertically.

Soak a very small ball of tamarind in 1/4 cup of water. After 10 minutes, squeeze the tamarind alongwith the water and keep the water separately.

Heat a pan and add the sesame seeds and dry roast it for 1 minute. Do not let the colour change. Take it off and keep aside.

In the same pan, (if you do not have roasted groundnuts in your pantry), add the groundnuts and saute for a minute and take it out. Keep it aside.

Next, in the pan, add the coconut and roast it till it becomes slightly golden in colour. Keep it aside.

Take a mixer/pulser and add the roasted coconut, sesame seeds and ground nuts together to a fine paste. Do not add water to grind. Keep the powder aside.

Heat oil in a pan. When it is hot, add the shah jeera, onion, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute it well for 3 minutes. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder and saute again for 2 -3 minutes. Next, add the diced capsicum and the red chillie powder and mix it well. In goes the tomatoes next and saute again. Add the tamarind water and the ground powder and mix well. Reduce the flame to low and close it with a lid. Let it boil for 3 minutes until the capsicum is cooked. Lastly, add 1/2 tsp garam masala powder and mix well and serve.

You can use any store bought garam masala powder.

Capsicum Roast

Vegetarian

This easy curry is a delightful one which lets you indulge in mildly spicy yet delicious curry, perfect to serve with rice and chappathis.

Ingredients:

Capsicums – 4 medium

Onions – 2 medium

Red chillie powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/ 2 tsp

Garlic – 3 -4 cloves

Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Fried Ground nuts – 2 tbsp

Roasted gram or pottukadala – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Powder the roasted gram, groundnuts and garlic coarsely in the mixer. Keep it aside.

Chop onions lengthwise and dice the capsicums.

Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera and when it starts to splutter, add curry leaves and onions and saute for 5 to 6 minutes until the onions turn golden brown. Next add the capsicum and saute. Add the red chillie powder and turmeric powder and saute. Close the lid and let it cook, stirring in between so that it does not burn. You may just sprinkle a liitle water in between, if it is too dry. When it is half cooked, add the gram dal and garlic powder and close and cook until the raw smell goes away. Keep stirring in between.

Serve with a sprinkle of coarsely ground peanuts/groundnuts.

Watermelon Rind Kootu/Lentils with Watermelon Rind

Vegetarian

There are many dishes which you can make with watermelon rind, ie, poriyals/thorans or yogurt based curry (morekozhumbu/kalans) but this one is my favourite. The ingredients in this dish marry well and work in harmony to make this dish a nutritious and a tasty one.

The same recipe can also be made with squash, ridge gourd, cabbage, snake gourd or white pumpkin.

Ingredients:

Moong Dal (small yellow lentils) OR Chana dal (bengal gram dal) – 1/2 cup

Watermelon Rinds chopped – 1 1/4 cups (see note below)

Water – 1 cup + 1 cup

Green chillies – 2

Onion – 1 small chopped

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp

Jeera/cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Saunf /aniseed – 1/4 tsp

Shredded or Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup + 1/2 tsp for garnishing

Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Note : Wash and cut the watermelon rind without the green outerpart, into small pieces. Remove all the red portions inside and the outer green skin and chop only the white portion inside.

Grind jeera, saunf, red chillies and 1/4 cup grated coconut coarsely, in a mixer and keep it aside.

Boil the watermelon rind in 1 cup of water alongwith 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, slit green chillies, chopped onions and salt. Close the lid and let it cook. Once cooked, keep it aside.

In another vessel, wash the yellow moong dal and cook it in a kadai or pan with salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Cook it with 1 cup of water and keep it aside. Once cooked, add the cooked watermelon rind and mix it well. Add the ground coconut and boil it once and put off the flame.

Season it with the ingredients mentioned under ‘seasoning’ and mix it well. Garnish with grated coconut and serve with rice or chapathis.

Cabbage and Peas Curry/Patha Gobi Mattar Subzi

Vegetarian

This simple dry vegetable curry can be served with rice or chapathis. The combination of cabbage with peas alongwith the crushed coriander seeds gives it a different flavour.

Ingredients :

Chopped Cabbage – 1 1/2 cups

Peas – 1 cup

Chopped Tomato – 1/2 cup

Ginger – 1/2 tsp chopped

Onions – 2

Bengal Gram dal/chana dal – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 1/4 cup

Chopped Green chillies – 1

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Crush the coriander seeds coarsely and keep it aside. Chop onions fine.

Heat oil in a pan. When it starts spluttering, add jeera and the crushed coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and onions. Saute them well. Then add the chopped ginger, green chillies, red chillie powder and the turmeric powder and saute them. You can add a tsp of water so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Next, add the tomatoes and saute it. When it is slightly mushy, add the peas and toss again. Lastly add the chopped cabbage, salt. Close with a lid and let it cook for 3- 4 minutes. You can sprinkle a little water if it is too dry. This is a dry vegetarian curry so you need not add more water to it. Just before you put off the flame, add the grated coconut and stir once. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Garlic curry/Poondu Kuzhambu

Vegetarian

A tangy and healthy recipe made of garlic and tamarind which can be served with rice. I have seasoned the curry using vadavam (vadouvan), french derivative for this masala. The spice blend is thought to have originated from the colonial influence of the French in the Pondicherry region of India. (Pictured below)

The spice blend contains pounded onion, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds which are sun dried, then crushed and mixed with castor oil, rolled into balls and dried for several more days.

If you do not have vadavam, you could use the items mentioned “under seasoning” which would be readily available in your pantry.

Ingredients:

Peeled garlic pods – a handful

Onion – 2 small chopped

Tomatoes – 4

Milk – 1/2 cup

Tamarind – a small ball

Chillie powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp (Gingeley oil preferred)

Water – 1 cup

Salt- as required

For seasoning:

Vadavam : 1 tsp optional (see picture below)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Udad dal – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Soak the tamarind ( lime sized ball) in water for 10 minutes and make it pulpy.

Take a wide bottomed pan or kadai. Heat it and add oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute it well until the onions becomes slightly brown. Next, add the tomatoes and saute again. Add milk and cook the tomatoes. Take it off the heat and keep it aside.

When it turns cool, grind it in a mixer and keep it aside.

Heat oil in another pan, add the vadavam or the items listed under “seasonings”. Now add the ground paste to this and add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and mix it well. Next, add the tamarind paste or juice, discarding the flesh. Add a cup of water and salt and let it boil for 5 minutes. When it thickens a bit, take it off the flame and serve it with rice.

Simple Tomato Dal with Tamarind

Vegetarian

Ingredients:

Tur dal – 1/2 cup

Medium onion – 1/2 chopped

Green chillies slit – 2

Tomatoes – 3 ripe

Garlic – 4 -5 pods

Tamarind – 1 small ball mixed in water

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – As needed

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Whole red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – a sprig

Crushed pepper – 1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Cook with tur dal, onion, slit green chillies, ripe tomatoes, garlic pods, turmeric powder. After it is cooked, mash tomatoes well. Add salt, tamarind juice (depending on your preference for sourness) and boil well for 5 mins.

Put off the fire and add the items listed under “seasoning” and chopped coriander. Cover the lid immediately so that the flavours are retained inside.

Paruppu Rasam/Dal Rasam

Vegetarian

This version of rasam as the name implies is prepared using dal. It can be eaten with rice or can be had as a soup.

Ingredients:

Chana dal – 2 tbsp

Tomatoes – 2 big

Coriander leaves chopped – 1 tsp

Garlic – 2 cloves

Water -2 cups

Tamarind – 2 tsp concentrated pulp

Rasam powder

Jaggery powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – as required

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Jeera – 3/4 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Rasam Powder :

Chana Dal – 2 tsps

Pepper – a little more than 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Jeera – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Mustard – 4 – 5 grains

Coriander leaves – 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

In a kadai, fry all the ingredients listed above for making ‘rasam powder’ to golden brown and take it off. Add coriander leaves, saute just once quickly and take off the pan. Pulse all the ingrredients in a blender.

Start by cooking the tur dal in cooker with 2 cups of water. Keep the flame on medium and after a whistle and keep it on flame for another 2 whistles. Once cooled, open the cooker and mash the dal and keep it aside.

In a kadai, add the water and dal from the cooker and add chopped tomatoes to it and cook it well. When it turns mushy, mash it and add tamarind paste and the jaggery powder. Boil it for 2 minutes and then add 2 tsps of rasam powder (home made or store bought) and stir and boil just once. Switch off the gas.

Heat kadai and add oil to it. When it turns hot, add the items listed under ‘seasonings’ to it. Pour over the seasonings on top of the rasam and mix well. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.