Vegetarian – Page 4

Palak Paneer

A spinach and cottage cheese curry which pairs well with naan, parathas, chappatis or rice. You can also substitute paneer with tofu, if one is allergic to diary products.

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak chopped- 2 bunches

Onion – 2 finely chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic -3 cloves

Tomato – 2 big

Green chillies chopped- 2

Jeera – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chillie power – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder – less than 1/4 tsp

Cottage cheese or paneer (cubed) – 250 gms

Cream – 2 tbsp (optional)

Oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Clean the palak, drain it in a colander and chop it. In a big vessel, add the chopped palak with tender stems and green chillies, just about 2 tbsp of water and close the lid and cook it. Take it off the fire when it is almost 3/4 cooked. Do not let the greens change its bright green colour. Cool it and grind it in a blender coarsely. Make sure it is not a very fine paste.

In another pan, melt the butter and saute the paneer until it starts to turn golden brown. Keep it aside.

In the same pan, add little oil. When hot, add jeera, finely chopped ginger and the finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onions and saute well. In goes the tomatoes next, followed by the red chillie powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and the turmeric powder.

Saute well for 2 minutes and then add the paneer to it, followed by the ground palak mixture. Add salt and let it boil for 10 minutes. You may add cream and mix it or skip it, if you do not want it.

Quick Tomato Rasam

Vegetarian

An ideal South Indian soup for cold, flu and weight loss. It is loaded with healthy ingredients like pepper, garlic , cumin seeds and turmeric. The mulligatawny soup originates from the south which means “milagu” – “pepper” and thanni – water.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes – 3 medium

Water – 2 cups

Garlic – 3 cloves

Tamarind – 2 tsp concentrated pulp

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds powder (jeera powder)- 1/4 tsp

Rasam powder – 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt – as required

Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Jeera – 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Asafoetida – a pinch

Whole red chillie – 1

Garlic chopped fine – 1/2 tsp optional

Rasam powder:

Chana dal – 2 tsps

Pepper – little more than 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Jeera – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Mustard – 4-5 grains

Note : This version of rasam powder does not have coriander seeds in it, which is usually added.

Saute all the ingredients in kadai without oil and powder it in a blender.

Preparation:

In a kadai, add chopped tomatoes and boil it with water. When the tomatoes turn mushy, mash it roughly with a masher. Add tamarind paste to it, pepper powder and jeera powder and boil it again for 2 minutes. Then add salt and the rasam powder (home made or store bought powders) and boil it just once.

Heat kadai and add oil to it. When it is hot, add the ingredients under seasoning to it. Put off the gas and pour over the seasonings on top of the rasam and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mathanga (Yellow Pumkin) Erissery

Uncategorized, Vegetarian

A traditional dish from the Kerala cuisine which is a part of the Onam feast. The roasted coconut and the coconut oil enhances the taste of this dish. You could also make this with Chena/Karnakizhangu (Elephant’s foot) or Kaya/Vazhakkai (raw banana).

Ingredients:

Yellow pumpkin – 600 gms

Small red cow peas (van payar) – 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

To grind:

Green chillies – 2

Grated coconut – 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Shallots – 1 or 2 optional

Seasoning:

Red chillies – 1

Mustard seeds – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Grated coconut – 1/4 cup (Roast it until it turns golden brown)

Preparation:

Soak the red beans overnight in water. Then, cook the soaked beans separately in a vessel with little water and salt.

In a separate vessel, add the diced red pumpkin, turmeric powder, salt, chillie powder and cook it well with very little water. After it is cooked well, mash it roughly and add it to the cooked beans.

Grind the ingredients in “to grind” coarsely and add it to the red beans and pumpkin mixture and heat well once and stir.

Heat coconut oil in a kadai and temper the seasonings. Pour the seasonings over, mix well and check the salt. You can drizzle a 1/4 tsp of coconut oil on top before serving.

Vazhakkai Varuval (Raw Banana Fry)

Vegetarian

Another recipe which can be made in a jiffy. It can be served as a starter or can be served a side dish for rasam or sambar rice.

Ingredients:

Raw Banana – 2

Salt – As needed

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Chillie powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chillie powder – 1/2 tsp for colour

Rice powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1-2 tbsp

Preparation:

Cut the raw banana into thick slices as shown in picture. Put it in a shallow pan and add salt and turmeric and cook it, closing it with a lid. Cook it until it is 3/4th cooked.

Drain off excess water, if any. Meanwhile, in a cup, make a paste of chillie powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and rice powder. Apply the paste on either side of the cooked green bananas.

Take a tawa and add 1 tbsp oil to it. Gently put the raw banana with the paste applied on it and shallow fry it. When it turns golden brown, flip it to the other side and fry it. Add a bit more oil, if u need and fry. Remove from tawa and serve.

Brinjal Chana Dal curry

Vegetarian

The unique combination of chana dal and brinjals adds to the flavour of this gravy. It goes well with chapathis and plain rice. You can also substitute brinjals with beans, knolkhol, chow-chow or cabbage.

Ingredients:

Bengal gram dal or Chana dal – 1/2 cup

Brinjals – 2 medium size

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Tomato – 2 small

Onions – 1 big

Bay leaf – 1

Ground coconut paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – a pinch

Garam masala powder:

Patta – 1 inch

Cloves – 4

Elaichi -2

Saunf – 1 tsp

In a kadai, saute all these without oil and pulse it in a blender to make the powder. Store this powder in a tighly sealed bottle.

Use only a pinch of this for this recipe.

Preparation:

Soak chana dal for 1/2 hr . Cook chana dal in a pressure cooker separately. Add the soaked chana dal to the cooker with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. After it cools, check if the dal has been cooked well.

Meanwhile, in a kadai, add oil and heat it. Add 1 bay leaf and the chopped onions to it. Saute it well and then add ginger-garlic and fry until the raw smell goes off. Then add tomatoes. When it becomes mushy, add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and mix well. Then in goes the brinjals and stir well. Cover and let it cook for some time. When the veggies r cooked, add the boiled chana dal and the ground coconut paste to the mixture and boil for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of the garam masala powder and stir well and put off the gas. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Keerai Masiyal

Vegetarian

This recipe does not include dal in it. Masiyal is usually eaten with rice and ghee. A healthy nutritious recipe full of goodness…..

Ingredients:

Red Palak – 1 bunch

Whole Red chillies – 2

Tomato – 1 small chopped

Tamarind – a small ball or piece

Onions – 1 big chopped

Garlic pods – 3 pieces chopped

Seasonings:

Mustard – 1 tsp

Udad dal – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Asafoetida – a pinch

Preparation:

Clean the palak leaves, wash them well and pass it through a colander and let the water drain. Chop the palak fine.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add the red chillies and garlic chopped and saute well. Add chopped onions and tomato. After it is sauteed, add the chopped palak and the tamarind. Saute it again and close it with a lid and let it cook. Add salt. Let it cool a bit.

Take a blender and grind all the above ingredients coarsely. Transfer it to a serving bowl and add the seasonings to it.

Vada Curry / Pakoda Kurma

Vegetarian

Made out of leftover paruppu vadas, it is a flavourful side dish, a perfect combination for idlis/dosas or idiyappams.

Ingredients:

To make Pakodas:

Bengal Gram Dal – 1 cup

Green chillies -2

Garlic cloves – 3

Ginger -1 inch piece

Fennel seeds or Saunf – 1/2 tsp

To Make Vada Curry:

Oil – 2 tbsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Pudina /Mint leaves – 1 sprig (optional)

Green chillies – 3

Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tsp (

Fennel seeds or Saunf – 1 tsp

Onions chopped – 2

Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Water – 1 1/2 cups

For Green Chillie paste

Heat oil. Add green chillies and saute it well. Then add ginger and garlic to it and saute well. Grind all together and keep it aside.

For Coconut paste:

Coconut – 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Seasonings:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Cardamom – 1

Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon stick – 1 small

Star anise – 1

Preparation:

Soak chana dal or bengal gram dal for one or two hours. Drained the water and keep it aside.
In a blender, grind dry fennel seeds, green chillies, garlic, ginger. Pulse for a few seconds.
To the same blender, add soaked channa dal.
Grind it coarsely and do not make it into a smooth paste.
Add salt to the mixture and shape them into a small vadas or any shapes and deep fry them.
Heat oil in a deep kadhai and fry them for 3 to 5 mins in medium flame.
Fry the vada’s to a nice golden brown and keep aside.
Heat up some oil in saute pan, add a sprig of curry leaves, fennel seeds, cinnamon and cardamom.
Add chopped onions, salt and saute for 2 to 3 mins.
Add ginger and garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears.
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped pudina and saute for 2 to 3 mins.
Then add the green chillie, garlic and ginger paste.
Add the chillie powder and turmeric powder saute for 2 mins until the raw smell disappears.
Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water
Cover and cook for 5mins. Bring to boil
In a blender, add coconut and fennels seeds
Add 1/2 cup of water and grind to a smooth paste
In goes the coconut mixture, stir and cook for 2 mins.
Now crumble the vada’s into 2 to 3 pieces.
Add the crumbled vada’s to the curry
Now cook for 5 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Adjust salt accordingly.
Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and serve