Ami's Vegetarian Delicacies

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Soy Tikka Masala served with Carrot Rice & Raita (Salad)

Chicken tikka and paneer tikka are some of the most popular Indian dishes served in restaurants. Tikka means pieces. Specialty of this dish is paneer is marinated in tadoori spices and yoghurt and baked or barbequed in skewers. Then it’s added to tangy creamy gravy which is the base of this dish. It can be served with rice, biryani or Indian breads like naan or chapatti.

I tried the same cooking style with textured soy protein chunks. I recommend using soy chunks because similar to paneer (cottage cheese) it’s bland in taste; also textured soy protein has soft spongy texture. Hence its texture helps to absorb maximum flavors when marinated and roasted in oven.

I chose to serve Soy tikka masala with carrot rice, again a rice recipe I picked up from my mom. My version has roasted peanuts and yellow split peas for protein and crunchiness. Whenever I make main meals like rice, pasta or noodles, I look for other ingredients to add volume so that I can serve a meal with less carbohydrate and more vegetables and nuts or legumes.

Carrot gives mild sweetness to this rice, served with spicy soy tikka masala, and raita (Indian Salad) is a perfect combination for a special occasion.

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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Salad

Whenever I make salads, I add legumes as a protein source. Nutty flavor of chick peas goes well combined with sour green apple and colored peppers.

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are a very good source of folic acid, fiber, and protein. They are also a good source of protein, as well as minerals such as iron, copper, zinc and magnesium. As a good source of fiber, garbanzo beans can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This makes them a great food especially for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals. When served with high quality grains, garbanzo beans are an extremely-low-fat, complete protein food.

Print recipe here
Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g boiled chickpeas

¼ of each red, yellow and green peppers, thinly sliced

1 green granny smith apple, diced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

½ of Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced

2 red chilies, halved and sliced

50g pitted black olives 50g cherry tomatoes, halved

For Dressing

2 tbsp low fat yogurt (optional)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic and ginger

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp dried parsley

Pinch of salt and pepper

Method

Mix all the dressing ingredients, set them aside.

Add all vegetables to a large salad bowl, drizzle dressing over the vegetables. Mix well with wooden spoon, serve immediately.

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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Malaysian Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles)

Making tasty noodles has evolved in my kitchen with age and places I’ve been living. My childhood memories of home cooked noodles is simple. Noodles slightly colored in yellow using turmeric powder, mixed with leeks and carrots served with fried fish curry. (yes I’m a converted vegetarian, for 18 years) After a while when my mom became vegetarian and chose to avoid garlic and onion, she’d make the noodles with french beans, cabbage and carrot and serve it with some curry. South Asians cannot live without curry. (Some of Hindus (Brahmins, Jains) and Chinese vegetarians do not consume garlic and onion)

As we moved to South East Asia I was introduced to variety of noodles, and different methods of cooking them. Noodles in curry bowl (Laksa), Bee Hoon (Rice Noodles), chow mein (Chinese style stir-fried noodles), char kway teow etc., While I tried most of them I also developed my style of making noodles incorporating Malaysian, Chinese, Thai as well as my mom’s style.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Tomato and Rice Stew

This is a satisfying meal made with savory blend of rice and tomato.

Ingredients
Serves 2-3

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
50g long grain white / red rice washed
200g can tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 potato diced
1 celery stalk sliced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 vegetable soup cube
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of roasted peanuts and coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a large pan sauté onion, garlic ginger for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, chili powder, stock cube, potatoes, celery and rice. Stir occasionally till liquid is absorbed by rice.

Add one bowl of water, close the lid, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes till rice is soft.

Turn off heat add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in soup bowls garnish with coriander and roasted peanuts.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

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Saturday, May 7, 2011

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Masala

Paneer is a special food item in North Indian cuisine. Paneer (cottage cheese) with its delicate milky flavor is used all over India to make delicious dishes. Available at most supermarkets in block form or even as curds, it readily takes on the flavor of the spices in which it is cooked.

Paneer is a good source of calcium, which in later years helps to prevent osteoporosis. Cheese provides 25% of the calcium in the food supply. Paneer in moderation, is associated with lower body weight as well as reduced risk of developing insulin resistance syndrome.

Please note Vegans can make similar dish with firm tofu.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

To make paste

2 large tomatoes

1 onion

4 dry red chilis

Handful of coriander leaves

Few curry leaves

4 garlic cloves

1 piece of ginger

(Add all of above ingredients in food processor and blend to a smooth paste)

To make the masala

200 ml soy bean oil

500g Paneer cut into cube sizes

1 tsp of each cummin and mustard seeds

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp chili powder

200g low fat yoghurt / 200ml full cream milk

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves. Can be bought in Indian grocery stores. It's sold in packets)

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, deep fry paneer cubes, till they are slightly golden. Drain them using slotted spoon, let them dry in kitchen towel.

Heat 2-3 tbsp of the remaining oil and stir in ground paste for 4-5 minutes till raw smell evaporates. When the paste starts to change color add fennel, mustard seeds stir for few more minutes.

Add curry powder, chili powder, tomato puree stir well. Mix yoghurt till it forms into a creamy gravy. When the gravy starts simmering add paneer, garam masala, kasuri methi and salt to taste.

If you like green peas you may add 100g thawed green peas with paneer. First photo I've added green peas.

Paneer Masala is best to serve with biryani and raita (Salad made with yoghurt, onion and green chili) or roti / naan/ paratha.

Stay tuned for future post on Paneer Tikka Masala....

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Square Beans Stir-Fry (Varai)

Square beans are a popular vegetable in Sri Lanka; we used to grow them in our backyard. I was surprised to see them in Malaysian pasar malam (Night street Market, that sells fresh fruits, vegetables and other Malaysian delicacies. Pasar Malam is similar to farmers market). There are many similarities in Malaysian and Sri Lankan cuisine. In Malaysia this vegetable is stir fried and served in a spicy chili sauce called sambal Oelek. Please note sambal oelek has shrimp paste in it. So check the ingredients before you buy them. They do have vegetarian sambal oelek.

Square beans are similar to green beans in terms of health benefits and texture. They are rich in fiber and prevents cardiovascular disease. Hench square beans can be substituted for all green beans recipes.

This is a quick stir fry dish, adopted from my mom’s recipe. She used to add potatoes to this stir fry dish. I try to make complete Sri Lankan lunch during weak ends, this stir fry is served as a part of rice and curry meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 dry red chili diced

1 onion diced

Few curry leaves

1 tbsp yellow gram

1 tsp mustard and cumin seeds

200g square beans halved length wise and diced (trim off edges and peel strings)

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of salt

Method

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, sauté onion, dry red chili, curry leaves and yellow gram for 2 minutes. Add mustard and fennel seeds and sauté till it splutters.

Add square beans, salt and turmeric, mix well, and cook covering the lid, for 4-5 minutes till square beans are soft.

Turn off heat, serve with red rice or your choice of main meal.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Black eyed peas & Green peas Salad

As part of our diet plan, at least once in a week we try to take salad for dinner. I try to make it a filling meal by adding plenty of legumes. This time it’s black eyed peas and green peas. This is a trick for dieting, since if our diet is based on protein and fiber rich beans and other complex carbohydrates we feel full sooner.

Black-eyed peas provide a number of nutrients. They are a rich source of fiber and can be used in a number of recipes. For vegetarians, such beans can provide a needed source of iron and protein. No matter how you choose to prepare them, black-eyed peas can be a wonderful supplement to your healthy eating plan.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g boiled black eyed peas

100g thawed frozen green peas

1 onion thinly sliced

1 green granny smith apple thinly sliced

Few olives

Few cherry tomatoes sliced half

¼ of red pepper thinly sliced

½ of cucumber diced

100g broccoli florets blanched LINK

Few lettuce leaves roughly torn

For Dressing

1 tsp of chili flakes

2 tbsp low fat yoghurt / soy yoghurt

½ lemon juice

3 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp of minced garlic and ginger

Salt and pepper

Method

Mix all ingredients under “Dressing” shake well, set them aside

In a large bowl add all vegetables and legumes, drizzle the salad dressing, mix well using a wooden spoon. Serve immediately.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Soy Meat Curry (Textured Soy Protein)

Textured soy protein is available as dry flakes or chunks. It will keep its structure when hydrated. Hydrated textured soy protein chunks have spongy texture similar to meat. It can be used as a meat replacement, its low in cost, high in protein, low in fat, and has a longer shelf life.

Soy meats spongy texture enables maximum absorption of flavors. It could be replaced like meat balls or minced meat to make Bolognese sauce or vegetarian cutlets.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

300g Soya meat

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

100ml sesame oil

1 onion diced

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

Few curry leaves

1 pandan (Rampe) leaf tied into a knot

1 tsp of each fenugreek, mustard and cumin seeds

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp chili powder

200g low fat yoghurt / 200ml reduced fat coconut cream

200 ml water

1 tsp garam masala

Method

Soak soy meat in water for 10-15 minutes, till they are soft. (Alternatively you can microwave for 4-5 minutes) Squeeze and drain all water.

Marinate with soy sauce and tomato puree, set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan, add soy meat stir for 5-10 minutes till they turn into slightly crispy texture. At this stage you may add more oil and sauté onion, garlic ginger, curry leaves, and pandan leaf. Stir till onions are translucent.

Add mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds, when it starts to splutter add curry powder and chili powder. Add yogurt and stir till soy meat is coated with all spices.

Add water and bring to boil closing the lid. When gravy starts simmering add garam masala and salt to taste.

Serve with rice/ roti/ bread/ pittu/ string hoppers.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

My Favorite Fried Eggplant Recipe

Fried eggplant is my all time favorite food. Recently it was featured in "My Grandma's Recipe"column in The Hindu, India.

It's a must try dish for all eggplant lovers, let me know how it came out in your kitchen.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Provencal Bean Stew

Cannellini beans, these traditional Italian beans are loaded with nutrients. Cannellini beans are low-fat, high in fiber and provide a high quality of magnesium, fiber, iron and folate. They have twice as much iron as beef. Maintaining high iron; ensures a stable supply of hemoglobin. This carries energizing oxygen to every cell in the body. This gives you energy to spare!

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

150g boiled cannellini beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

½ of both red & yellow pepper thinly sliced

200g can tomatoes chopped

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp of both minced thyme and basil

1 vegetable soup cube

1 bay leaf

50g pitted black olives

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic, and herbs for 2 minutes. When onion turns translucent, add peppers stir for 1 more minute.

Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and soup cube stir well. Add one soup bowl of water, cover lid and let it simmer.

When soup starts simmering season with salt and pepper, add cannellini beans and black olives.

If you prefer a thick stew, you may add corn starch (1 tbsp mixed in cold water) and stir well.

Ladle stew into bowls garnish with parsley.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Mycitycuisine.org - A Traveler's Guide to Local Cuisine

I was recently contacted by Mycitycuisine.org about their Wiki Project. They are looking for contributors. MyCityCuisine is a project to create a free, reliable and up-to-date guide to the most original and tasty traditional foods from different countries of the world. MyCityCuisine is an open project, so everyone can contribute to it. Please write about original and tasty traditional foods in different countries including your own country.

Here is their guidelines to submit a dish or dish list.

Stir Fried Black Night Shade Leaves (Manathakkali Keerai Varai)

Both leaves and berries are mainly used in South Indian cooking to make stir fry dish (varai) and gravy curries (vathal kulambu). Leaves are effective in the treatment of digestive disorders, mouth and stomach ulcers. The fruits or the berries of the plant is beneficial in treating asthma and also yields beneficial results in fevers. Juice of these leaves is good in healing chronic skin diseases such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.

I heard about these leaves medicinal properties, and was hoping to try them to make it as green curry for our typical Sri Lankan lunch. Surprisingly it was widely available in Indian grocery stores here. It took me awhile to research and decide on method of cooking. I got a plenty of results in which the berries were cooked in hot and sour gravies, leaves with pulses etc., I opted for simple stir fry (less cooking time) so I could preserve its nutrients and color.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

1 large bunch of Manathakkali, leaves with delicate stems cleaned & roughly chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp of each cumin & mustard seeds

1 onion diced

3 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tbsp yellow split peas

3 dry red chilies roughly chopped

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, add mustard, cummin seeds and yellow grams. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add onion, red chili, salt and shredded coconut. Sauté for 1-2 minutes till coconut turns into golden brown color.

Add roughly chopped greens, lower heat, and mix well for 2 minutes.

Turn off heat, serve with rice.

Note : You can apply the same method of cooking for any type of green leaf vegetable.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Ami's Vegetarian blog featured in The Star Malaysia

Click this link to read full article "Bounty for vegetarian"