vegan – Page 23

Mavinakayi Chithranna/Raw Mango Rice:

March 28, 2017

Chithranna is one such dish,which can be relished for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is a tangy, seasoned rice dish. Usually tanginess comes from addition of lemon juice,bitter lime juice(citron) or Raw mango. Some times we use tamarind too.

Mangos are in season now. My daughters love to have raw mango rice in their tiffin box and this preparation of mine is one of their favourite rice items.

Ingredients:
To make rice: Rice – 2 cups, Salt – 1 tsp, Ghee – 1 tsp, Water – 4 cups.
Grated Raw Mango – 1 cup
Green chillies – 4
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp.
Salt
Capsicum – 1
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Chopped coriander leaves – little.
Seasoning : Oil – 2 tbl sp , mustard – 1 tsp ,urad dal – 1 tsp, chana dal – 1 tsp, jeera – ½ tsp ,asafoetida – ¼ tsp ,red chillies – 2 ,curry leaves – 2 springs .
Method:
– Take one cooker vessel, Wash rice and pour 4 cups of water, ghee and salt. Keep this vessel in a cooker. Cook for 1 whistle and keep it in a simmer for 4 min. You will get perfectly cooked rice. After cooker cools down, remove cooked rice and spread the rice in a bigger vessel to cool.
– Now take one kadai, prepare seasoning by putting oil . When it is hot add mustard. When it starts to splutter add urad and chana dal, red chillies .When dal becomes little red ,add jeera and asafoetida, curry leaves ,chopped green chillies and capsicum.
– After capsicum becomes soft, add turmeric, salt, grated coconut and fry for a while.
– Now add this seasoning, grated mango, chopped coriander to cooled rice.

– Check for the salt and mix this mixture by using your hand. Keep this for a while, so that rice will absorb all the seasoning.

– Serve this seasonal mango rice either with any fritters or as it is.

Basale chutney / Malabar Spinach chutney:

March 25, 2017

Malabar spinach is commonly known as Basale in our coastal area. It is a common creeping vein in the backyard of every household.

Its leaf is very rich in iron, fibre, antioxidants and vitamins and low in calorie. This chutney that I prepare is very delicious and finger licking good!! One can enjoy this as a side dish with hot rice or roti. Here I have used bird eye chilles which is commonly known as gandhari chillies. These are tiny, very hot chillies of our region.

Ingredients:

Basale leaves – 1 bowl (chopped)

Onion – 1 (chopped)

Garlic cloves – 4

Green chillies or bird eye chillies – 2 (as required)

Salt

Jaggery – 1tsp

Tamarind – ½ tsp

Oil – 1 tbl sp

Seasoning: Oil – 1 Tsp, mustard – ½ tsp, cumin – ¼ tsp and curry leaves.

Method:

Take little oil in a pan, add chillies, chopped onions,garlic and fry for a while.
When onion becomes light brown, add chopped basale leaves and fry until it wilts.

Add salt, jaggery, tamarind and cook for a while.
When it is done, switch off the gas.
Cool the mixture and grind this into smooth paste. If required add very little water.

Season with oil, mustard, cumin and curry leaves.

Millet and Oats porridge:

March 23, 2017

A low calorie Diet is very difficult to manage. You feel constantly hungry and can’t concentrate on your work. To attain fullness, we should think of adding millets in our diet as it is very nutritious, gives strength and increases immunity. It is low on starch, high on minerals and fibre.

This is a 3 spoon miracle filling diet. If you have this porridge in the morning, you will surely not feel hungry until your lunch.

Ingredients:

Mixed millet flour – 1 spoon

Finger millet flour – 1 spoon

Oats – 1 spoon

Water – 1 ½ cups

Salt- ¼ teaspoon

Cardamom powder – ¼ teaspoon

Sugar free natura – 1 teaspoon

Method:

Take one thick bottomed vessel, mix all the ingredients.
Boil this mix by stirring in-between.
While boiling, mixture becomes glossy, when it is done.
Switch off the gas and serve.
It is a very good breakfast option for weight loss or diabetic patients.
Adjust the consistency by adding extra water if you want a runny texture.

Tamarind Pickle:

February 25, 2017

Tamarind has a very important place in the Indian kitchen and it has loads of health benefits as well as it is a treasure of anti-oxidants and dietary fibres.

Indians love its tangy and sweetish taste and enjoy this in chutney, relish, digestive candies, pickles and more.

tamarind 1 tamarind 2

From childhood, I used to enjoy tamarind pickle and never knew about the recipe. Thanks to my brother-in-law who sourced the recipe and made it possible for me to enjoy this relish after so many years.

This is a family recipe of one of our friends from Mangalore and speciality of the local Jain community form coastal region.

Ingredients:

Tamarind- 100 grams

Dried red chillies – 200 grams (Byadagi variety)

Jaggery – 250 grams

Salt – 8 to 10 teaspoons

Water – 3 to 4 cups

Fenugreek /methi seeds – 1 tea spoon

Cumin – 2 tea spoon

Gingelly oil – 1 to 2 table spoon.

Mustard – 1 tea spoon

Garlic – 5 to 6 cloves (crushed)

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

Soak tamarind and grated jaggery in water for some time.
When it becomes soft, nicely squeeze out and sieve the liquid.

Discard all the roughage and fibres.
Dry roast methi and cumin.
Roast red chillies by putting very little oil.
Powder all the roasted items by using dry mixer jar.
Now keep one thick bottomed vessel on the gas stove, put oil and do seasoning.
When oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds, then add crushed garlic and curry leaves.

Pour tamarind and jaggery concentrate, salt, ground masala powder and boil.
After boiling it for some time, upper layer of the mixture will look glossy and it is the sign for its doneness.
Switch off the gas, cool this mixture completely and store it in dry glass bottles and keep outside for two days to set and afterwards keep it in the fridge.

It will stay up to one year if you store it in the fridge.

Mix Vegetable Cutlet:

February 9, 2017

Exam time and kids were craving for Mangalore style cutlets, like the ones you get in Pabba’s ice cream parlour in Mangalore. My daughter asked me to prepare that same chutney as well. Finally tried my hand in this combo and succeeded. Everyone at home liked and asked me to blog about this yummy snack from Mangalore.

cutlet11

Ingredients:

Potato – 3

Beans – 10

Carrot -1

Beetroot – 1 small

Green peas – ½ cup

Onion – 1 big

Green chillies -5 to 6

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Garlic – 5 to 6

Salt

Garam masala – 2 to 3 tsp (according to taste)

Bread slices – 2 to 3 (whole wheat is fine)

Coriander leaves – 2 table spoon (chopped)

Seasoning: Oil – 2 table Spoon, Mustard – 1 tsp, urad dal – ½ tsp, chana dal -1/2 tsp.

Slurry :– All purpose flour – 1 table spoon and little water

Bread crumbs- to coat

Oil –for deep fry the cutlet

Method:

Wash all the veggies, chop beans, carrot and beetroot into bits.
Make potato into 4 pieces and cook all these in pressure cooker with sufficient water by adding frozen green peas as well.

cutlet1

Cook this for one whistle and switch off the gas.
When pressure relieves, open the lid, drain the water and keep the veggies aside.
When it becomes cool peel the potato skin and mash.
Chop onions, garlic, chillies and curry leaves.

cutlet2

Take one kadai; add seasoning ingredients one by one from oil, when it is hot add mustard, then urad and chana dal.
When dal becomes red, add chopped curry leaves, garlic, chillies and onions and fry until onion becomes little brown.

collage 1

Now add cooked veggie, mashed potato, Garam masala, salt, powdered bread slices and mix nicely until it becomes like a mass.
Add chopped coriander leaves and mix nicely. Check for salt and adjust.
Now take one cookie cutter, fill the mix to give a shape or make round patty and arrange them in a plate and refrigerate for one hour OR you can keep this in a freezer for 10 minutes while preparing other patties and can proceed.(It will help the patty to firm up a bit)
Make maida (all-purpose flour) slurry to dip these patties. It should be little thinner than Dosa batter.

collage2

Remove patties from the fridge and dip one by one in the slurry and roll this in a bread crumbs and this is now ready to deep fry.
Heat oil in a kadai, when it is hot, drop these patties one by one and fry until it is brown. Remove from the oil, drain the excess oil and serve this with a mint – coconut chutney and tomato sauce.

cutlet15

Will post the chutney recipe in my next post 🙂

cutlet12

Note:

-You can use whole wheat bread as well.

-You can use the drained water in making curries, Rasam’s or soups.

– If you are using dried peas, please soak it and cook separately in cooker.

– I use Nayak’s brand Garam masala to give authentic taste and is available at all Mangalore stores in Bangalore.

Alasande- Hesaru kaalu Jeerige Bendi:

February 5, 2017

It is nothing but Yard long beans and whole green gram with cumin flavoured coconut gravy.

This is an age old combination and a traditional recipe from Mangalore. Jeerige Bendi is very mild, flavourful and not spicy. It can be enjoyed with hot rice, Whole wheat Roti’s, Dosa or Rice rotti.

main

Ingredients:

Yard long beans / Alasande – 250 grams

Green gram – 1 cup

Coconut – 1 bowl

Cumin – 1 teaspoon

Dried Red chilli – 2

Salt

Jaggery – ½ teaspoon

Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon

Tamarind – peanut size.

Seasoning: Coconut oil – 1tsp, mustard – 1 teaspoon, Red chilli -1, curry leaves – 1 spring.

Method:

Wash green gram and soak it overnight.
Next day, wash yard long beans and make one inch pieces.
Cook Soaked green gram with sufficient water, salt, jaggery and red chilli powder.
When it is half done, add chopped yard long beans and cook.

collage

Meanwhile, grind coconut, red chillies, cumin and tamarind into a smooth paste and add this paste to cooked vegetable and boil.
Check for the salt and add seasoning.
For seasoning, heat oil, add mustard, red chilli. When mustard starts spluttering, add curry leaves and pour this into boiled curry.

It can be enjoyed with hot rice, Whole wheat Roti’s, Dosa or Rice rotti.

Aloo Mungre Ki subzi / Potato and radish pods dry curry:

January 15, 2017

Radish pods are available only in winter and after coming to Bangalore, I tasted this almost ten years back and initially I felt it was very pungent and not for me kind of a flavour. But the foodie in me couldn’t keep quiet and I kept on trying it every season and now it is our favourite too.

I don’t promise that you will like it on your first bite. But when you start getting accustomed to it, you’ll start to like it. Radish pods are known as Mungre in Punjabi language and it is the staple food of Punjab. They usually pair it with potato and make a dry curry and which goes very well with whole wheat roti.

I love Radish pods for their distinct taste. If you pair it with potato, that is it. Pure bliss with hot phulka!!!!

Radish main 1_Fotor

Ingredients:

Potato – 4 to 5

Radish pods – ¼ kg

Mustard oil- 2 table spoon

Refined oil – 1 table spoon

Cumin – 1 teaspoon

Hing – ¼ teaspoon

Salt

Sugar – ½ tsp

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Red chilli powder – 1 to 2 teaspoon

Amchur powder – ½ teaspoon

Garam masala powder – ½ teaspoon

Method:

Wash potatoes and dice it. Don’t peel the outer skin.

Boil one cup of water with little salt and Par boil these potato pieces .Potato should cook but pieces should be firm.

Drain water and keep aside.

Wash radish pods and chop this according to your taste. I prefer around 1 inch pieces.

Ribbet collage

Take one tawa; put both the oils, when it is hot add cumin and hing.

Drop chopped radish pods; add all the powders like turmeric, red chilli powder, Garam masala, Amchur powder, salt and sugar.

Mix nicely, add in par boiled and drained potatoes and mix and keep it covered and cook for a while.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoon of water and mix it and keep it covered until all the masalas are absorbed and coated in really well.

Switch off the gas and enjoy with phulka or any roti’s.

Sarson Ka Saag/ Mustard greens curry:

January 8, 2017

Come January, my veggie vendor will bring mustard greens and Bathua greens. In Kannada, we call Bathua as chakotha and mustard as sasive soppu .Last week I got a bunch from him and I prepared this curry. I love to include seasonal veggies in my cooking and it is a yearly ritual to make Saag at least once in winter.

DSC06005_Fotor

How I make –

Sarson / Mustard greens – 2 bunches

Bathua / chakotha leaves – 2 bunches

Palak/spinach – 2 bunches

Onion – 1

Green chillies – 4

Garlic – 10

Ginger- 1 inch

Maize flour – 1 table spoon

Cumin – ½ teaspoon

Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

Hing- ¼ teaspoon

Butter – 1 table spoon

Salt

Method:

Clean all the greens remove stalks and discard.

sarso-1

Wash and chop the leaves into fine strips and cook this in a vessel by putting half cup of water, little salt, sugar for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take one mixer jar and put sliced onion, crushed ginger; chopped chillies and garlic, dry grind all this into rough paste.
When greens are cool, grind this as well. Don’t make smooth paste. Whip only once or twice, you will get required consistency.

sarso-2

I usually use earthen vessel to cook traditional items. If you have one, you can use it otherwise use normal kadai.
Take vessel, put butter, when it is hot add cumin and hing. Then onion and chilli paste. Fry for a while. Add turmeric and salt. Salt will help to ooze out water from the onion and will retain moisture while frying.

sarso-3

When it is light brown, add maize flour and fry for 2 minutes.
Add one cup of water and mix onion and maize flour mixture. This will look like a paste now.

sarso-4

Add Ground greens and boil, If you feel water is needed you can add water and cook until you get the right consistency, and when it is done , mixture becomes like a mass and surface becomes little glossy.

DSC06027_Fotor

Serve this with Makki Ki Roti or Phulka with little butter.

Buddha’s delight:

January 5, 2017

It is a vegetarian dish well known in Chinese and Buddhist Cuisine.We love Buddha’s delight at our favourite restaurant Chung wah. Their version has lemon grass flavour in the gravy, and we especially like this flavour. I wanted to try their version of veggie Buddha’s delight at home from so long. Finally I did try it this week for our dinner.

So I thought of making lemongrass infused water for preparing it and proceeded. I used the available veggies in my pantry. You can use them according to your choice. You can add couple of tofu pieces as well.

How I prepared:

Vegetables – 1 bowl (took Zucchini, lettuce, onion, carrot, mushroom, capsicum,snap peas)

Chilli vinegar – 1 tsp

Red chilli flakes – ½ tsp

Garlic – 5 cloves

Ginger – ½ “

Green chilli -1

Salt

Spring onion – 2 tbl sp

Corn flour – 1 to 2 tbl sp

Lemon grass – 4 sticks

Water – 2 cups

Method:

-Boil water with lemon grass bits until water becomes little yellowish and lemongrass is cooked.

-Sieve this water and discard lemon grass. This is our lemon grass water which is used for gravy. Keep it aside.

– Chop spring onion, ginger and garlic. Slit green chilli.

– Chop mushroom, carrot.

-Chop capsicum, onion, zucchini into I inch chunks.

– Tear lettuce by using hand and keep aside.

-Take one tawa, put either butter /olive oil .When it is hot, add ginger, garlic and green chilli and fry for a while.

– Add onion, fry for 2 minutes. Next you can add capsicum, carrot zucchini and mushroom. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes and sprinkle little salt and red chilli flakes.

– Next you can add corn flour and fry in this mixture for 1 minute and add lemon grass water.

-when it starts boiling add vinegar. When it becomes little thick and shiny add torn lettuce and garnish with chopped spring onion.

-Enjoy this either with fried rice, noodles or simple steamed rice. It is very filling, nutritionally very rich and taste wise – Pure bliss!!!!

Chana Saarupkari /Chickpea Rasam:

December 29, 2016

In last post we did chana and ivy gourd dry curry and I promised you to post the Rasam which utilizes the drained water of cooked chana or chick pea. This is very nutritious and tasty too.

What we need-

Ingredient:

Drained water of cooked chickpea – whatever you get.

Cooked tor dal – 1/4 cup

Green chillies -2

Salt

Jaggery – 1/2 tsp

Hing – ¼ tsp

Seasoning:

Coconut oil – 1 tbl sp

Mustard – 1tsp

Red chilli – 1

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Crushed garlic – 6

Method:

-Drain water from the cooked chana or chick pea while making any curries.

-Boil this drained water by adding 1 cup of water, cooked toor dal, salt (if needed) ,jaggery, hing, green chillies.

-Cook until green chillies are cooked and flavour is released to water.

-Add seasoning by heating coconut oil. When it is hot, add mustard. When it splutters add red chilli, curry leaves, crushed garlic.

-Fry till garlics are brown and add this seasoning to Rasam.

Enjoy this Rasam with hot rice and any side dishes, like chickpea dry curry and papad.