ABSOLUTELY.........."VEGELISIOUS"
IF YOU COOK THEM RIGHT.................THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!
Well. well, well..................I know I have disappointed some of my non- vegetarian friends and followers but this time I was very keen to write on vegetarian food as few of my friends and followers requested for some good vegetarian recipe. So, this time, the recipes I present to you all would be "STRICTLY VEGETARIAN" There is one another person for whom I would like to dedicate this blog to..... my sister karuna Chatterjee.........
She was not a born vegetarian..........she has turned herself into a vegetarian...though its been long now but the incident is still fresh in my mind. The day when my sister was evoked to turn into a vegetarian. My sister is a person who has a heart with immense love for animals.....be it any. She has done quite a lot of work as an animal activist without any personal greed for fame. She has selflessly dedicated herself to work for animals. Even at the time of that inicident that turned my sister into a complete vegetarian, she used to be very particular about being sensitive towards animals.
It was, one fine evening when me and my family went for dinner to celebrate my brother's good academic results. We went to a very famous seafood restaurant, and this restaurant is famous for fresh seafood......fresh seafood means, if you want they will present a whole live seafood of your choice in front of you just to show you and proove you that how fresh the seafood is in their restaurant. People do like this idea a lot, infact most of the people purposely visit that restaurant to expirience the same kind of "FRESH" demonstration. So, my sister happend to see that for the first time.......But...just to let you all know that the live seafood presentation was done for someone else's table that evening, not our's. Unfortunately, my sister got a shock of her life by seeing that redheartedness towards live animals. She just could not eat anything that night and left the restaurant as soon as possible. Since then, not only seafood but she left having all non vegetarian dishes.
That was a day and today is a day when she compells me to think about becoming a vegetarian. Well though it's been ages that I have left having chicken and red meat is something which I was never into. I am on seafood and eggs. Me being a foodie and my career revolves around food, so it can be difficult for me to totally turn into a vegetarian and honestly speaking..I find it difficult to fight my temptation towards seafood. Though unlike other non vegetarians its really not a compulsion for me to have seafood everyday. I would like to admit one truth that......vegetarian food gives a lot of calmness to my digestive system in comparision to a non veg diet.
I think its not that difficult to turn into a vegetarian because, IF YOU COOK THEM RIGHT......THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!
People give some lame excuses saying, its a "FOOD CHAIN" but food chain is meant for animals wondering in the forests and woods..because they dont have the availability of different choice of food like us. We humans use to hunt and eat but in the stone age. A period when people did not have choices of food........In that case my brother is a complete non vegetarian and he needs chicken everyday but the days when my mom cooks a good choice of vegetarian fare, my brother doesn't even bothers to ask that, why there ain't any chicken in his meal. he easily relishes the vegetarian platter.
My point is.............................there are so many choices in vegetarian food....so try and eat more and more of vegetarian choices and less of non vegetarian....who knows.......may be...may be one day anyone of you might turn into a vegetarian. If you go to search, most of the famous and great personalities are vegetarian. Vegetarian diet is also known as "SATVIK' diet which means pure. I have experienced it myself that non vegetarian food gives a lot of restlessness to your system and vegetarian food gives a lot of calmness. After all when we are eating a non vegetarian food its nothing but a dead body of an animal. Me, as a writer of this blog is a non vegetarian who eats only seafood and eggs. Left chicken long back. Never into eating any sort of red meat or pork. In a week I can only have non veg on monday, wednesday and sunday, rest of the days are strictly vegetarian for religious reason. The days I can eat something non veg even on those days I end up eating vegetarian food. So, I guess one fine day.....may be.......may be one fine day even I'll turn into a vegetarian just like my sister. For now......I agree that I give my sister a very lame excuse saying that "I AM INTO FOOD & BEVERAGE WORLD" so its going to be difficult for me to right away give up on certain food types. But that's exactly the reason why.
I know the essence and value of a beautiful vegetarian food because my maternal family is vegetarian and the food that they make is out of the world...totally SATVIK...and soul satisfying. Being a cook I can say that if someone turns into a vegetarian then there are much more varieties to choose. Its hard to believe but even cuisine like Lebanese also has a wide variety of vegetarian fare. I remember going to a restaurant in Melbourne named Veggie Bar. This restaurant is a live example of one of the most successfuly running business. I couldn't believe that vegetarian food can also be made so interesting. While dinning in this restaurant I just did not miss any of my seafood favourites.
So, without any further delay I should start introducing you all to food that are VEGELICIOUS.......
P.S : This is not a blog for veganism. Its just for vegetarian food which might comprise of dairy products as well.
FINGER FOOD:
While making finger food the quickest way to win hearts is to make different colourfull dips served with your choice of bread eg: walnut bread, turkish bread etc with some nice rice crackers and cheese crackers.
DIP 1: HUMMUS
1 can chick pea ( aprox 400gms)
3 tblsp lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic peeled
3 tblsp Tahini (sesame paste/ butter)
Put all of the above ingredients together and make a smooth paste (except lemon juice)
Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.
Top it with extra virgin olive oil.
DIP 2 RED BELL PEPPER DIP
Red bell pepper 1 bottle or 2-3 fresh ones
If using fresh then half and deseed it and put in hot oven and brush olive oil and grill it till its done.
Cream cheese
Mint leaves
Pesto sauce
Lime juice
Jalapeno (optional)
Mix all the above together into a smooth paste. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top.
DIP 3: SPICY GREEN PEAS
Green pea 1 can
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 clove garlic
Lemon juice
Hot pepper sauce
1 cup tomato cut into pieces
1 tblsp cilantro
Mix everything together and make a smooth paste.
DIP 4: BABA GANOUSH
3 medium sized eggplant
1/2 cup (130g) Tahini
1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
3 tblsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp chilli powder
1 tblsp olive oil
1/2 bunch flat parsley/cilantro
Preheat oven to 190 c
Grill the eggplants and later peel off.
Mix all the above ingredients with the grill eggplants.
Make a platter of all the above dips and serve with bread and crackers and see how colourful it looks.
VEG KOFTA BALLS
1 cup grated cabbage
1 cup grated cauliflower
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated or very very finallychopped green capsicum
salt as per taste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
3 big cloves of garlic finally chopped or grated
1 1/2 tsp of garam masala
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
1/8 cup kasoori methi (optional)
1/2 cup corn flour for binding the kofta balls
Instead of garam masala one can also use meat masala, it adds the extra kick to the dish. For all the veg lovers............meat masala does not have meat extracts in it, its just the different choices of spices used in making the masala. I have often been asked this question.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with just a tsp or two of water and make small balls out of it. Deep fry them until its golden brown. Serve with some salsa sauce or yoghurt dip with fresh garden salad on side.
CRISPY ARANCINI BALLS
500 gms leftover risotto, cooled
100 gms mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
optional: steamed peas and few tblsp of tomato sauce
200 gms all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour mix with little water to amake a smooth paste for binding the arancini balls.
250 gms breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 orange
salt & pepper as per taste
oil for deep frying
Place about 1/2 cup risotto in your palm with wet hands and enclose a piece of mozzarella and any other creative addition, pushing it into the center, then roll again to make sure the rice has surrounded it on all sides. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repaet until you have used all the risotto and mozzarella. Create your breading station by lining 3 dishes with flour, corn flour with water an salt and pepper and breadcrumbs. Working each ball at a time, dip and roll the balls in the all purpose flour first then in the cornflour paste, lift and allow any excess drip off, then roll in the breadcrumbs until completely combined. Shake off any excess and line it back in the parchment. Repeat the same for rest of the risotto balls. Place tray in the fridge for 30-60 mins. Line a large tray with paper towels. take out the arancini balls from the fridge and deep fry it until gorlden brown. Place the fried arancini balls on the paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve it hot or in room temperature, with chilled beer of your choice.
VEGETARIAN MAIN COURSE
NAVRATTAN KORMA
3 cups boiled vegetables ( 9 varieties: potato, carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, bottle gourd, cluster beans.
150 gms grated paneer (cottage cheese)
3 tomatoes/ readymade tomato puree
2 grated onions
3 tblsp ginger garlic paste
salt as per taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp corriander powder
2 tsp garam masala
2 tblsp cream
6 tblsp vegetable oil
1 tblsp ghee
1 cup milk/water
1/4 cup dry fruits ( cashew nuts, raisins)
corriander leaves for topping
If using fresh tomatoes, first finish making tomato puree. Slightly fry the dry fruits in the ghee. heat oil in a pan and fry onions and ginger garlic paste till golden brown. Add salt, tumeric powder an all the above masalas and fry for 2-3 mins. Add tomato puree and dry fruits, stir well and cook the mixture for 4 mins, ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. put milk/water and bring it to boil. reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick. Add paneer to the gravy and stir well. Finally add all the vegetables to the gravy and cook well for 5-7 mins, until vegetables are done. Serve it hot with naan, or paranthas or any indian bread of your choice. Do not forget to garnish it with cream n chopped corriander.
P.S : One can also put plain mawa while cooking the dish it makes it more rich.
MISSI ROTI WITH RAJASTHANI PANCHMEL DAAL
Missi Roti: a speciality indian bread from rajasthan, its an indian bread that is made with two different flour, one is plain wheat flour and another one is besan( bengal gram flour)
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup besan (bengal gram flour)
Salt as per taste
1 1/2 tblsp garam masala
1/4 cup kasoori methi
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1 tblsp chopped corriander leaves
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 1/2 tblsp oil
Mix all the above ingredients and knead them into a dough with little water. Make small balls and roll them in to flat parantha shape. Pan fry them with ghee or your choice of oil. serve with chunda ( an accompaniment made with raw mango, sygar and spices or with rajasthani daal.
RAJASTHANI PANCHMEL DAAL
1/4 cup chana daal
1/4 cup whole moong daal
1/4 cup urad daal
1/4 cup toor daal
1/4 cup masoor daal
salt as per taste
1 inch piece ginger
2 whole dry red chilly
asofoetida (hing) pinch
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp cummin powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
2 medium sized chopped tomatoes
3 tblsp oil
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
4-5 cloves
2 green chillies
chopped corriander leaves
Mix all the above daal (lentils) and soak then in water for 2-3 hours or best is over night. Cook them in a preasure cooker with salt and tumeric powder until done. Make a paste of ginger and green chillies. heat oil in a pan and add assofoetida, cummin seeds, cloves and dry chillies, when the cummin seeds starts changing colour then add the ginger and green cgilli paste and fry for few minutes. Now put all the above masalas with the chopped tomatoes and cook till it starts leaving oil on sides. Add the cooked daal (lentils) add water if required. Keep stirring until 10 mins and later flambe garam masala and ghee in a small container or a laddle and pour it over the daal and serve it hot with Missi roti or just plain steamed jasmine rice.
PANEER BUTTER MASALA
500 gms fresh paneer (cottage cheese) cut it in cubes
2 medium sized onion cut in cubes, boiled and then made a paste in a blender.
250 gms of small tetra pack tomato puree
salt as per taste
turmeric 1/2 tsp
1 1/2 tblsp red chilli powder
2 tblsp garam masala
1 small can of cream
150 gms butter (salted)
2 tblsp kasoori methi
1 tblsp chicken tandoori masala optional
oil for cooking
1 bay leaf
While some people like to shallow fry the paneer cubes, I personally like to dip those paneer cubes in hot water to soften them, so when you eat it with the gravy the paneer will melt in ur mouth leaving your taste buds with a divine experience.
Put the paneer cubes in hot water to soften. Heat oil in pan or kadai with little butter to start with. Put the bay leaf and then the onion paste, fry it for few minutes until the obion starts to leave oil on sides. add salt, and all of the above masalas and further cook it for 2-3 mins. Later add the tomato puree and keep stirring and cook it in slow flame for 5-6 mins and then add lil water to make a thick gravy, cook for another 4 mins. Add kasoori methi, remaining butter and in another 2 minutes add the cream ad stir well till its properly mixed. Now add the paneer, keep in slow flame and cook for 3-4 mins. Take it away from the flame and garnish it with some more cream. If you want you can put addisive red/orange edible colour. serve it hot with Butter Naan or Green Peas Pulao/Pilaff.
SOME MIXED SELECTION OF "SHAAM KA NASHTA" FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF INDIA:
DAHI BHALLE: Punjabi
1 1/2 cups split gram (dhuli urad daal)
Salt as per taste
1 tsp red chilli powder
15-16 raisins
Asafoetida a pinch
6-7 cups yoghurt
oil for deep frying
1tsp rock salt (sendha namak)
Mint chutney (garnish)
Sweet date and tamrind chutney (garnish)
2 tsp roasted cummin powder
2 tblsp fresh corriander leaves chopped
Ginger cut into thin strips
2 green chillies chopped
Wash and soak the daal in cups of water overnight. drain water and grind daal to a smooth paste. Whisk 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder, raisins and asafoetida into the batter. Heat oil in kadai, drop the batter in tablespoonfulls in it and deep fry until light golden. drain on an absorbent paper. out bhallas in sufficient quantity of hot water, leave for 2 minutes and squeeze between your palms to drain out excess water. Whisk yoghurt well with rock salt and salt to taste. Place bhallas on serving plate and cover it with yoghurt. Add mint and tamarind chutney. Sprinkle red chilli and roasted cummin powder. garnish with corriander leaves and ginger julienne and chopped green chilli and serve immidiately. repaet this each time you serve someone.
JHAAL MURI: Bengali
2 cups of muri/murmura/ puffed rice, mostly used for bhelpuri
4 tblsp chanachur
4 tblsp sev
3 tblsp roasted peanuts
2 tblsp thinly sliced fresh coconut
1 green chilli very finely chopped
1 small onion finally chopped
1 big sized boiled potato cut into small pieces
Mix all the above ingredients with little salt, rock salt, juice of lemon and few dashes of raw mustard oil. Serve immidiately before it gets soggy.
Jhaal Muri is a very famous begal's street food. It is almost like bhel in Mumbai. It goes very well with chai served in clay cups.
RAJ KACHORI: Rajasthani
1 cup semolina/suji/rawa
1 tblsp maida/refined flour
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
salt as per taste
Oil to deep fry
Filling:
2 medium size potato boiled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup moong sprouts
1/2 cup chickpeas/kabuli channa boiled
10-12 papdi used in chaat
1 cup thick yoghurt
4 dahi bhalle (same like above recipe in dahi bhalla) slightly mashed
1 tsp roasted cummin powder
1 red chilli powder
1/2 sendha namak/rock salt
tamrind chutney and green mint chutney
1/2 cup sev
1/2 bunch fresh corriander leaves chopped
Make a stiff dough of suji, maida, red chilli powder, salt and water. Divide into 4 -6 equal parts roll into rotis of around five inches diameter and deep fry on hot oil on medium heat till well puffed and crisp. After they cool down ensure that they are not soft. If they are then fry again and keep aside. Dip the papdi in dahi/yoghurt. Take one kachori in serving plate, make a big hole in the centre fill with potato cubes, sprout moong, boiled channa, papdi dipped in yoghurt and mashed dahi bhalle. Sprinkle roasted cummin powder, rock salt, red chilli powder, tamrind and green mint chutney and yoghurt, sev, corriander leaves. serve immidiately before it becomes soggy.
P.S : The above recipe is very time taking but it's worth the effort...........Give it a try!!!
I have put few of my favourites in this blog. If there is any other vegetarian recipes you want please write to me. Hope I could get you all interested in trying your hands on thse yummy vegetarian recipes. As, there is no end to the list of recipes I can present to you all but for this blog I will have to draw the curtain. Please write to me if ther is anything you want to know or any recipe that you would like to get. Till then..................................HAPPY COOKING.
THIS IS A STEP TOWARDS CHOOSING GREEN ........
That was a day and today is a day when she compells me to think about becoming a vegetarian. Well though it's been ages that I have left having chicken and red meat is something which I was never into. I am on seafood and eggs. Me being a foodie and my career revolves around food, so it can be difficult for me to totally turn into a vegetarian and honestly speaking..I find it difficult to fight my temptation towards seafood. Though unlike other non vegetarians its really not a compulsion for me to have seafood everyday. I would like to admit one truth that......vegetarian food gives a lot of calmness to my digestive system in comparision to a non veg diet.
I think its not that difficult to turn into a vegetarian because, IF YOU COOK THEM RIGHT......THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!
People give some lame excuses saying, its a "FOOD CHAIN" but food chain is meant for animals wondering in the forests and woods..because they dont have the availability of different choice of food like us. We humans use to hunt and eat but in the stone age. A period when people did not have choices of food........In that case my brother is a complete non vegetarian and he needs chicken everyday but the days when my mom cooks a good choice of vegetarian fare, my brother doesn't even bothers to ask that, why there ain't any chicken in his meal. he easily relishes the vegetarian platter.
My point is.............................there are so many choices in vegetarian food....so try and eat more and more of vegetarian choices and less of non vegetarian....who knows.......may be...may be one day anyone of you might turn into a vegetarian. If you go to search, most of the famous and great personalities are vegetarian. Vegetarian diet is also known as "SATVIK' diet which means pure. I have experienced it myself that non vegetarian food gives a lot of restlessness to your system and vegetarian food gives a lot of calmness. After all when we are eating a non vegetarian food its nothing but a dead body of an animal. Me, as a writer of this blog is a non vegetarian who eats only seafood and eggs. Left chicken long back. Never into eating any sort of red meat or pork. In a week I can only have non veg on monday, wednesday and sunday, rest of the days are strictly vegetarian for religious reason. The days I can eat something non veg even on those days I end up eating vegetarian food. So, I guess one fine day.....may be.......may be one fine day even I'll turn into a vegetarian just like my sister. For now......I agree that I give my sister a very lame excuse saying that "I AM INTO FOOD & BEVERAGE WORLD" so its going to be difficult for me to right away give up on certain food types. But that's exactly the reason why.
I know the essence and value of a beautiful vegetarian food because my maternal family is vegetarian and the food that they make is out of the world...totally SATVIK...and soul satisfying. Being a cook I can say that if someone turns into a vegetarian then there are much more varieties to choose. Its hard to believe but even cuisine like Lebanese also has a wide variety of vegetarian fare. I remember going to a restaurant in Melbourne named Veggie Bar. This restaurant is a live example of one of the most successfuly running business. I couldn't believe that vegetarian food can also be made so interesting. While dinning in this restaurant I just did not miss any of my seafood favourites.
So, without any further delay I should start introducing you all to food that are VEGELICIOUS.......
P.S : This is not a blog for veganism. Its just for vegetarian food which might comprise of dairy products as well.
FINGER FOOD:
While making finger food the quickest way to win hearts is to make different colourfull dips served with your choice of bread eg: walnut bread, turkish bread etc with some nice rice crackers and cheese crackers.
DIP 1: HUMMUS
1 can chick pea ( aprox 400gms)
3 tblsp lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic peeled
3 tblsp Tahini (sesame paste/ butter)
Put all of the above ingredients together and make a smooth paste (except lemon juice)
Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.
Top it with extra virgin olive oil.
DIP 2 RED BELL PEPPER DIP
Red bell pepper 1 bottle or 2-3 fresh ones
If using fresh then half and deseed it and put in hot oven and brush olive oil and grill it till its done.
Cream cheese
Mint leaves
Pesto sauce
Lime juice
Jalapeno (optional)
Mix all the above together into a smooth paste. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top.
DIP 3: SPICY GREEN PEAS
Green pea 1 can
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 clove garlic
Lemon juice
Hot pepper sauce
1 cup tomato cut into pieces
1 tblsp cilantro
Mix everything together and make a smooth paste.
DIP 4: BABA GANOUSH
3 medium sized eggplant
1/2 cup (130g) Tahini
1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
3 tblsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp chilli powder
1 tblsp olive oil
1/2 bunch flat parsley/cilantro
Preheat oven to 190 c
Grill the eggplants and later peel off.
Mix all the above ingredients with the grill eggplants.
Make a platter of all the above dips and serve with bread and crackers and see how colourful it looks.
VEG KOFTA BALLS
1 cup grated cabbage
1 cup grated cauliflower
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated or very very finallychopped green capsicum
salt as per taste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
3 big cloves of garlic finally chopped or grated
1 1/2 tsp of garam masala
1/2 cup grated cheese (optional)
1/8 cup kasoori methi (optional)
1/2 cup corn flour for binding the kofta balls
Instead of garam masala one can also use meat masala, it adds the extra kick to the dish. For all the veg lovers............meat masala does not have meat extracts in it, its just the different choices of spices used in making the masala. I have often been asked this question.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with just a tsp or two of water and make small balls out of it. Deep fry them until its golden brown. Serve with some salsa sauce or yoghurt dip with fresh garden salad on side.
CRISPY ARANCINI BALLS
500 gms leftover risotto, cooled
100 gms mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
optional: steamed peas and few tblsp of tomato sauce
200 gms all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour mix with little water to amake a smooth paste for binding the arancini balls.
250 gms breadcrumbs
grated zest of 1 orange
salt & pepper as per taste
oil for deep frying
Place about 1/2 cup risotto in your palm with wet hands and enclose a piece of mozzarella and any other creative addition, pushing it into the center, then roll again to make sure the rice has surrounded it on all sides. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repaet until you have used all the risotto and mozzarella. Create your breading station by lining 3 dishes with flour, corn flour with water an salt and pepper and breadcrumbs. Working each ball at a time, dip and roll the balls in the all purpose flour first then in the cornflour paste, lift and allow any excess drip off, then roll in the breadcrumbs until completely combined. Shake off any excess and line it back in the parchment. Repeat the same for rest of the risotto balls. Place tray in the fridge for 30-60 mins. Line a large tray with paper towels. take out the arancini balls from the fridge and deep fry it until gorlden brown. Place the fried arancini balls on the paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve it hot or in room temperature, with chilled beer of your choice.
VEGETARIAN MAIN COURSE
NAVRATTAN KORMA
3 cups boiled vegetables ( 9 varieties: potato, carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, bottle gourd, cluster beans.
150 gms grated paneer (cottage cheese)
3 tomatoes/ readymade tomato puree
2 grated onions
3 tblsp ginger garlic paste
salt as per taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp corriander powder
2 tsp garam masala
2 tblsp cream
6 tblsp vegetable oil
1 tblsp ghee
1 cup milk/water
1/4 cup dry fruits ( cashew nuts, raisins)
corriander leaves for topping
If using fresh tomatoes, first finish making tomato puree. Slightly fry the dry fruits in the ghee. heat oil in a pan and fry onions and ginger garlic paste till golden brown. Add salt, tumeric powder an all the above masalas and fry for 2-3 mins. Add tomato puree and dry fruits, stir well and cook the mixture for 4 mins, ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. put milk/water and bring it to boil. reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick. Add paneer to the gravy and stir well. Finally add all the vegetables to the gravy and cook well for 5-7 mins, until vegetables are done. Serve it hot with naan, or paranthas or any indian bread of your choice. Do not forget to garnish it with cream n chopped corriander.
P.S : One can also put plain mawa while cooking the dish it makes it more rich.
MISSI ROTI WITH RAJASTHANI PANCHMEL DAAL
Missi Roti: a speciality indian bread from rajasthan, its an indian bread that is made with two different flour, one is plain wheat flour and another one is besan( bengal gram flour)
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup besan (bengal gram flour)
Salt as per taste
1 1/2 tblsp garam masala
1/4 cup kasoori methi
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1 tblsp chopped corriander leaves
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 1/2 tblsp oil
Mix all the above ingredients and knead them into a dough with little water. Make small balls and roll them in to flat parantha shape. Pan fry them with ghee or your choice of oil. serve with chunda ( an accompaniment made with raw mango, sygar and spices or with rajasthani daal.
RAJASTHANI PANCHMEL DAAL
1/4 cup chana daal
1/4 cup whole moong daal
1/4 cup urad daal
1/4 cup toor daal
1/4 cup masoor daal
salt as per taste
1 inch piece ginger
2 whole dry red chilly
asofoetida (hing) pinch
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp cummin powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
2 medium sized chopped tomatoes
3 tblsp oil
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
4-5 cloves
2 green chillies
chopped corriander leaves
Mix all the above daal (lentils) and soak then in water for 2-3 hours or best is over night. Cook them in a preasure cooker with salt and tumeric powder until done. Make a paste of ginger and green chillies. heat oil in a pan and add assofoetida, cummin seeds, cloves and dry chillies, when the cummin seeds starts changing colour then add the ginger and green cgilli paste and fry for few minutes. Now put all the above masalas with the chopped tomatoes and cook till it starts leaving oil on sides. Add the cooked daal (lentils) add water if required. Keep stirring until 10 mins and later flambe garam masala and ghee in a small container or a laddle and pour it over the daal and serve it hot with Missi roti or just plain steamed jasmine rice.
PANEER BUTTER MASALA
500 gms fresh paneer (cottage cheese) cut it in cubes
2 medium sized onion cut in cubes, boiled and then made a paste in a blender.
250 gms of small tetra pack tomato puree
salt as per taste
turmeric 1/2 tsp
1 1/2 tblsp red chilli powder
2 tblsp garam masala
1 small can of cream
150 gms butter (salted)
2 tblsp kasoori methi
1 tblsp chicken tandoori masala optional
oil for cooking
1 bay leaf
While some people like to shallow fry the paneer cubes, I personally like to dip those paneer cubes in hot water to soften them, so when you eat it with the gravy the paneer will melt in ur mouth leaving your taste buds with a divine experience.
Put the paneer cubes in hot water to soften. Heat oil in pan or kadai with little butter to start with. Put the bay leaf and then the onion paste, fry it for few minutes until the obion starts to leave oil on sides. add salt, and all of the above masalas and further cook it for 2-3 mins. Later add the tomato puree and keep stirring and cook it in slow flame for 5-6 mins and then add lil water to make a thick gravy, cook for another 4 mins. Add kasoori methi, remaining butter and in another 2 minutes add the cream ad stir well till its properly mixed. Now add the paneer, keep in slow flame and cook for 3-4 mins. Take it away from the flame and garnish it with some more cream. If you want you can put addisive red/orange edible colour. serve it hot with Butter Naan or Green Peas Pulao/Pilaff.
SOME MIXED SELECTION OF "SHAAM KA NASHTA" FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF INDIA:
DAHI BHALLE: Punjabi
1 1/2 cups split gram (dhuli urad daal)
Salt as per taste
1 tsp red chilli powder
15-16 raisins
Asafoetida a pinch
6-7 cups yoghurt
oil for deep frying
1tsp rock salt (sendha namak)
Mint chutney (garnish)
Sweet date and tamrind chutney (garnish)
2 tsp roasted cummin powder
2 tblsp fresh corriander leaves chopped
Ginger cut into thin strips
2 green chillies chopped
Wash and soak the daal in cups of water overnight. drain water and grind daal to a smooth paste. Whisk 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder, raisins and asafoetida into the batter. Heat oil in kadai, drop the batter in tablespoonfulls in it and deep fry until light golden. drain on an absorbent paper. out bhallas in sufficient quantity of hot water, leave for 2 minutes and squeeze between your palms to drain out excess water. Whisk yoghurt well with rock salt and salt to taste. Place bhallas on serving plate and cover it with yoghurt. Add mint and tamarind chutney. Sprinkle red chilli and roasted cummin powder. garnish with corriander leaves and ginger julienne and chopped green chilli and serve immidiately. repaet this each time you serve someone.
JHAAL MURI: Bengali
2 cups of muri/murmura/ puffed rice, mostly used for bhelpuri
4 tblsp chanachur
4 tblsp sev
3 tblsp roasted peanuts
2 tblsp thinly sliced fresh coconut
1 green chilli very finely chopped
1 small onion finally chopped
1 big sized boiled potato cut into small pieces
Mix all the above ingredients with little salt, rock salt, juice of lemon and few dashes of raw mustard oil. Serve immidiately before it gets soggy.
Jhaal Muri is a very famous begal's street food. It is almost like bhel in Mumbai. It goes very well with chai served in clay cups.
RAJ KACHORI: Rajasthani
1 cup semolina/suji/rawa
1 tblsp maida/refined flour
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
salt as per taste
Oil to deep fry
Filling:
2 medium size potato boiled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup moong sprouts
1/2 cup chickpeas/kabuli channa boiled
10-12 papdi used in chaat
1 cup thick yoghurt
4 dahi bhalle (same like above recipe in dahi bhalla) slightly mashed
1 tsp roasted cummin powder
1 red chilli powder
1/2 sendha namak/rock salt
tamrind chutney and green mint chutney
1/2 cup sev
1/2 bunch fresh corriander leaves chopped
Make a stiff dough of suji, maida, red chilli powder, salt and water. Divide into 4 -6 equal parts roll into rotis of around five inches diameter and deep fry on hot oil on medium heat till well puffed and crisp. After they cool down ensure that they are not soft. If they are then fry again and keep aside. Dip the papdi in dahi/yoghurt. Take one kachori in serving plate, make a big hole in the centre fill with potato cubes, sprout moong, boiled channa, papdi dipped in yoghurt and mashed dahi bhalle. Sprinkle roasted cummin powder, rock salt, red chilli powder, tamrind and green mint chutney and yoghurt, sev, corriander leaves. serve immidiately before it becomes soggy.
P.S : The above recipe is very time taking but it's worth the effort...........Give it a try!!!
I have put few of my favourites in this blog. If there is any other vegetarian recipes you want please write to me. Hope I could get you all interested in trying your hands on thse yummy vegetarian recipes. As, there is no end to the list of recipes I can present to you all but for this blog I will have to draw the curtain. Please write to me if ther is anything you want to know or any recipe that you would like to get. Till then..................................HAPPY COOKING.
THIS IS A STEP TOWARDS CHOOSING GREEN ........
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