Category Archives: vegetarian

vegetarian

Falafel

Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Falafel are spicy Bean Patties

Makes 35 patties

Ingredients

  • 1/2              lb split broad/fava beans 
  • 1/2              lb split chick peas 
  • 2                 cloves garlic, crushed 
  • 1                 large brown onion 
  • 4                 large spring onions, finely chopped 
  • 1                 hot red or green pepper 
  • 4                 large spring onions, finely chopped 
  • 1                 level tbsp baking soda 
  • 3                 tbsp white flour 
  • 1                 cup finely chopped parsley 
  • 1                 tsp ground coriander 
  • 1                 tsp ground cumin 
  • 1                 tsp salt 
  • 1/2              tsp black pepper 
  • 6                 cups oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Soak split broad beans and split chick peas in cold water overnight. In the morning rinse it in cold water and drain it. Add the garlic, onion, chilly pepper, spring onion, parsley and grind it to a fine paste in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients as well and let it rest for at least an hour.
  2. Take a walnut-size lump of mixture and mould into round flat shapes 1 1/2″ in diameter and deep fry them in 350 degree hot oil for about 5 minutes, turning them over.
  3. You can use a falafel maker and fry them.

Hoummus

Dips, Chutneys, Preserves and Pickles, Gluten Free, vegetarian

Hoummus is a Chick Pea Dip served with Pita Bread.

 Hummous

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 1           can garbanzo beans 
  • 2           teaspoon salt 
  • 2           cloves garlic 
  • 3/4        cup tahini paste 
  • 1/2        cup lemon juice

For Garnish

  • 2                    tbsp chopped parsley  
  • pinch             cayenne pepper  
  •                       a few chick peas

Instructions

  1. Drain the chick peas and rinse it in cold water. 
  2. Puree the chick peas and garlic in a food processor or a blender. 
  3. Add the salt, tahini paste and lemon juice and mix well.
    If the mixture is too thick add some water, it should be a thick creamy consistency.
    Adjust salt and lemon to taste.
  4. Serve on a platter garnished with a pinch of cayenne pepper, parsley and the reserved chick peas.

Black Eye Beans, Eggplant and Potato Curry

Entrees, vegetarian

 You can buy dried beans from any grocery store, or you can buy canned from some grocery stores. You can buy fresh ones in some countries.  The dried beans have to be soak for a few hours or overnight.  I soak them overnight.

Ingredients

  • 1                 medium onion
  • 1                 medium tomato
  • 2                 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4              tsp cumin seeds
  • 1                 tsp dhanajeera
  • 1/4              tsp  haldi  (turmeric powder)
  • 1/2              tsp crushed garlic
  • 1/2              tsp crushed ginger
  • 1/2              tsp crushed jalepino(or to taste
  • 1                 level tsp salt
  • 1                 tsp tomato paste
  • 1                 cup water
  • 1                 cup boiled black eyed beans
  • 1                 medium egg plant
  • 1                 medium potato
  • 1                 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Peel and thinly slice the onions.
  2. Finely chop the tomato.
  3. In a medium saucepan heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and the onions.  Fry the onions till they are golden brown. 
  4. Add the tomato, dhana jeera, haldi, green masala, tomato paste and salt.  Cook on medium heat stirring a couple of times for about 5 minutes. 
  5. Add a cup of water.
  6. Add the black eye beans.
  7. Cut the eggplant into 1’” x 2” strips and add this to the saucepan.
  8. Peel and cube the potato into 1” cube and add this to the saucepan.
  9. Cover the saucepan and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes till the egg plant and potatoes are cooked.
  10. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Serve with chapatti and/or rice.

Blackeyed Beans

Batata Nu Sak

Entrees, vegetarian

 Ingredients

  • 4               med potatoes
  • 4               tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4            tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4            tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/4            tsp cumin seeds
  • 5               curry leaves
  • 1               tsp dhana jeera
  • 1/4            tsp turmeric powder
  • 1               tsp salt
  • 1               tsp green masala
  • 1               tbsp tomato paste
  • 1               tbsp lemon juice or
  • 1/4            tsp citric acid
  • 1               tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Peel and cube the potatoes to 1/2 inch cube.
  2. In a medium saucepan heat the oil, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and  cumin seeds.  When the seeds start to pop add the potatoes,  rest of the spices and tomato paste.  Mix well.
  3. Turn the heat to medium, cover the saucepan and let the potatoes cook for about 15 minutes or till the potatoes are soft.
  4. Decorate  with chopped cilantro before serving.
  5. Serve with chapatti.

Kari nu Shak(Mango Curry)

Entrees, vegetarian

 

Ingredients
  • 2                 ripe mangoes
  • 2                 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 5                 curry leaves
  • 1/2              tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2              tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1                 tbsp green masala
  • 1                 tsp dhana jeera (coriander & cumin) powder
  • 1                 tsp salt
  • 1/2              tsp red chili

Instruction

  1. Rinse and cut the mangoes into about 1-1/4 inch cubes.
  2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. 
  3. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds.
  4. Add the cubed mango with the pips, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 
  5. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 min.
  6. Serve with Chapatti.

Bharazi(Pigeon peas Curry) nu Shak

vegetarian

You can either use dried bharazi that you soak in water for 5 hours or overnight and boil it, or you can use frozen bharazi or canned bharazi.  You can buy the bharazi at an Indian grocery store or Iranian grocery store.

Ingredients

  • 2             medium onion
  • 1             medium tomato
  • 1/4          cup vegetable oil
  • 1             tsp dhana jeera(coriander & cumin powder)
  • 1/4          tsp haldi(turmeric powder)
  • 2             tsp green masala
  • 1             tsp tomato paste
  • 2             cups boiled bharazi(pigeon peas)
  • 2             cups water
  • 1             tsp salt
  • 1             tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Peel and slice the onions and chop the tomatoes.
  2. Heat the oil, add cumin and the onions and fry till the onions are golden brown.
  3. Add the tomatoes, dhana jeera, haldi, green masala and tomato paste, stir and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the water, salt and the bharazi and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle chopped cilantro before serving.

Serve it with rice or chapatti.

Gujarati Daal

Entrees, vegetarian

Gujarati food is very tasty and it has a lot of different spices.  It is sweet from sugar, hot from chili, bitter from fenugreek seeds, sour from lemon juice and nutty from peanuts.  I got this recipe from my mother who got it from our Gujarati neighbor in Uganda.

Serves 4

Gujarati Daal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1            cup toor daal(8oz)
  • 1/4         cup raw peanuts(optional)
  • 2            med tomato chopped(6oz)
  • 1            tsp dhana jeera
  • 1/4         tsp haldi (tumeric powder)
  • 1            tsp garlic paste
  • 1            tsp ginger paste
  • 1/2         tsp green chilli paste
  • 1/2         tsp salt
  • 1            tbsp sugar (optional)
  • 2            tbsp oil
  • 1/4         tsp jeera(cumin) seeds
  • 1/4         tsp rye (mustard seeds)
  • 1/4         tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
  • 5            curry leaves
  • 1            tbsp chopped cilantr0
  •               juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Rinse daal in cold water and soak it in 6 cups of water  for 5 hours or overnight. ( Daal will cook faster if it has been soaked).
  2. Boil the daal in 2 cups of water, when the daal starts to boil remove it from the heat, drain it and rinse it in cold water(this will remove the gas from the daal).
  3. Boil it in 4 cups of water, add the chopped tomato, dhana jeera, haldi and  green masala.  Boil it for about half an hour, the daal will be soft.  With a whisk mash the daal.
  4. Add salt, lemon juice, sugar and peanuts.
  5. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the rye, methi, jeera and curry leaves.  When the rye starts to pop, add this to the daal mix and boil for 15.
  6. Sprinkle the daal with cilantro before  serving.
  7. Serve the daal with rice, chapatti and  vegetable curry.

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Mattar Pilau

vegetarian

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2             cups basmati rice
  • 1             medium onion
  • 1             medium tomato
  • 2             potatoes(optional)
  • 4             tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4          tsp cumin
  • 1/4          tsp black pepper
  • 5             cloves
  • 1             inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 5             cardamom pods
  • 1             tsp dhanajeera(cumin and coriander powder)
  • 1/4          tsp haldi(turmeric powder) 
  • 2             tsp green masala
  • 1             cup frozen peas
  • 1/ 2         cup yoghurt
  • 2             tsp salt
  • 2-1/2       cups water
  • 1             tsp garam masala

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice in cold water and soak it in the water till you are ready to use.
  2. Peel and thinly slice the onions, dice the tomatoes and peel and quarter the potatoes.
  3. In a medium saucepan heat the oil.  Add cumin, black pepper cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and onions.  Fry the onions till light golden brown. 
  4. Add the tomatoes, dhana jeera, haldi, green masala, salt  yoghurt, and peas.   Mix and let it cook on medium- high  heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the water.  When the water starts to boil add the rice.  When this starts to boil, turn the meat to medium cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Most of the liquid  will be absorbed. 
  6. Sprinkle garam masala and put it in a pre heated 300 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Serve it with yoghurt and carrot pickle.  The rice can be served with chicken tikka or on its own.

Vada(Wada)Daal Bhajiya

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

Vada is a savoury fritter-type snack from south India.  Vada is made with mung daal which is soaked overnight and pureed in a food processor with the herbs and then deep fried.  You can use a soup spoon, your fingers or a falafel maker to shape the vada..  Although vadas are deep fried, the finished product should not be too oily if prepared correctly, since steam build-up within the vada pushes all oil away.

Vadas are a snack food served with Amli(tamarind chutney) and coconut chutney.  It can also be served with chana batata.  Vada  tastes  good eaten freshly fried, while still hot and crunchy.

At home vada and passion fruit juice was a Saturday morning snack at small cafes.

Ingredients

  • 2              cup mung daal with skin
  • 1              medium onion
  • 2              tsp green masala
  • 1/2           tsp salt
  • 6              cups vegetable oil  for frying

Directions

  1. Soak daal overnight in  6 cups of cold water.
  2. Remove husks by rubbing, and washing several times with several changes of water.  Drain.
  3. Blend drained daal in a food processor.
  4. Blend onion in a food processor and add to the daal mix.  Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
  5. Heat oil in a karia or a deep frying pan to medium hot.  The oil is ready when, if you put the handle of the wooden spoon in oil and bubbles start to form around  the spoon.  You can use a falafel maker,  or a spoon to slide the mixture into the oil.  You can use your damp hands to form a 1” ball and make round wadas or  flattened slightly into a patty.
  6. Fry on both sides  until golden brown.  The wada will puff up.  Drain on paper towel.
  7. Serve with coconut chutney and tamarind chutney.

Daal Bhajiya Mix

Daal Bhajiya Frying

Dhebra

Gluten Free, Snacks & Appetizers, vegetarian

This is iron and fibre-rich snack made with fenugreek leaves and bajro flour from Gujarat.  It is served as yoghurt plain or chutney as an afternoon snack.

If you are making it first time then you have to keep in mind that it is sticky dough and you have to be gentle with it.  Because of the bajro it will not be a perfect round, you will have rough edges.

This can be cooked over a tava or frying pan but then it is masala rotla, not dhebra.  Dhebra is best deep fried, so forget the healthy diet and enjoy it fried.

This is my grandmother’s recipe and I have used it for a long time.  You will find different version of this recipe.  This mixture has to rest overnight or at least 5 hrs.  If you make it instantly the texture will be different.  We had always used fresh methi in Africa, but it is not always available in the western countries so now I use the frozen methi.  Frozen Methi and bajro is found in an Indian grocery store.  You will also find different brands of bajri(millet flour), I use Jalpur.

Dhebra

 

 

Ingredients

  • 2             cups bajra no atta (millet flour)
  • 1             tbsp sugar
  • 1             tsp salt
  • ½            teaspoon haldi
  • ½            tsp crushed garlic
  • ½            tsp crushed green chillies
  • ½            tsp crushed ajma
  • ½            tsp crushed cumin
  • ½            tsp crushed black pepper
  • ½            tsp sesame seeds
  • 2             tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1             cube frozen methi(fenugreek leaves)optional
  • 3/4          cup  yoghurt
  • 2             tbsp oil
For Frying
  • 3             cups oil for frying

For Decoration

  • 1/4          cup sesame seeds for decoration

For Serving

  • 1              cup yoghurt

Directions

  1. Put everything in a bowl and make a stiff dough with yoghurt.
  2. Leave it overnight or at least 5 hours.
  3. Make small balls about an inch round, roll this in sesame seeds
  4. With your fingers and on a kitchen towel, flatten the ball into a patty about 2” round.
  5. Deep fry this in a medium- hot oil. You can fry about 6 – 8 at a time.
  6. Serve this with Yoghurt
  7. You know the oil is hot when you put the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and the oil bubbles around the handle.
  8. Use a coffee grinder to crush Ajma, Cumin and Black Pepper.
  9. You can make a chutney with garlic, Green Pepper and Cilantro.
  10. Use a little chutney in the yogourt and serve this with the dhebra

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