vegan Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Homecooked Tales

28/02/202026/02/2020

BAGARE BAIGAN

Hyderabad is an epitome of India’s unity in diversity culture. Very few cities in India have the privilege of having a distinctive cuisine. The Nizams governed this city for over two hundred years until 1948 and one of their princely legacies was establishing a Hyderabadi cuisine. This is a famous Hyderabadi vegetarian dish, the combination of spices representative of both Northern and Southern regions of India.

INGREDIENTS

600g small round eggplants (brinjals)

75ml vegetable oil like sunflower oil

1 x 5cm piece of ginger

5-6 plump garlic cloves

¼ tsp turmeric powder

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19/02/202019/02/2020

BEAN & BEAN SALAD

This is a bean to the power of 2 or bean squared salad. Both names are a bit cheesy, hence bean and bean salad. This is a great working day lunch option and a power house of nutrients – my version is vegan and I love it this way but feel free to add a tin of tuna if you must.

INGREDIENTS

2 x 400 g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly

400 grams of French beans or round beans cut into 5 centimetre pieces (I used frozen)

200 grams of sweet corn kernels (I used frozen)

1 red pepper diced into 1 cm squares

1 red onion chopped finely

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03/02/202003/02/2020

RED CABBAGE, FENNEL AND SEEDS SALAD

The combination of red cabbage and fennel works really well. The seeds offer a nice crunch.

INGREDIENTS

250 grams red cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium sized fennel bulb, finely sliced

1 large carrot (125 grams), finely julienned

Handful of chopped parsley

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30/01/202030/01/2020

TWO WAYS WITH KALA CHANA

Kala chana or black chick peas are smaller than the white ones and readily available in any Indian store. The chick peas are actually dark brown and remain firm even after cooking that is to say they have a bite. Being rich in protein, they are a wonderful addition to any meal. Both recipes are great for snacking.

When soaking the chick peas, add a teaspoon of turmeric, that way they retain a rich golden brown colour. After soaking them in water for 8 hours or more, you need to cook them either on stove top (probably upwards of an hour) or pressure cook for 4 or 5 whistles. Make sure you add salt to the chana prior to cooking. A cup of dry black chana, would yield sufficient quantity for four adults.

SUNDAL

This is a very popular snack particularly in South India. Black chana are considered auspicious and sometimes it is made in temples as prasadam too. (Prasadam is vegetarian food that is a religious offering in both Hinduism and Sikhism.)

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22/01/202022/01/2020

RATATOUILLE

If ever I had to represent summer on a plate, this would be the dish I would create. This is a recipe that is a classic but evolved over time. Having said that it tastes different every time I make it, owing to seasonal changes.

I love the flavours and also what this dish stands for. For me, it is about summer vegetables, long evenings and barbecues. You can serve this with crusty bread for light dinner or serve it as a side dish with barbecued meats. Either way, it is super easy, delicious and vegan plus it adds to your vegetable intake for the day.

INGREDIENTS

400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 large red onion

3 zucchinis, chopped

2 peppers, 1 red and I yellow, cored, seeded and chopped

1 eggplant, diced

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31/12/201910/11/2019

CHOW MEIN

Chow means stir-fried and mein (shortened from meing) meaning noodles. It is served all over the world with variations in Westernized Chinese restaurants. Just as with any other dish, it has been noted that chow mein tends to be very different from what is served in China and is heavily modified to fit the taste preference of the local dominant population.

What most people don’t know about India, is that there are a number of Chinese that settled down in India in the late 18^th century and so there is a distinct Indo Chinese cuisine.

I have tasted many a time in India and my version is based on that memory.

INGREDIENTS

400 grams dried egg noodles

300 grams firm tofu

200 grams mushrooms, sliced

1 red pepper, cored and sliced

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20/12/201910/11/2019

KORMA FLAVOURED ROAST CAULIFLOWER

This makes an excellent accompaniment to slightly spiced roast meats or a fish meal or as part of a vegetarian / vegan spread. Choose compact small head with slightly tender outer leaves.

INGREDIENTS

1 cauliflower about (500 grams)

80 grams cashew pieces (soaked for half an hour in hot water)

5 centimetres ginger, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

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18/12/201910/11/2019

PAYASAM

Payasam is made using milk, sugar and either sago, rice or vermicelli. It is made all over the sub- continent with some variation and I think is one of the most commonly made “sweet” at home.

I have created this recipe with coconut milk and jaggery instead of milk and sugar. I have also spiced it up with star anise, black pepper and lots of cardamom.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup sago

1 plus ½ cup of water

100 grams dark jaggery or dark muscavado sugar

60 grams cashew pieces, soaked in warm water for an hour

400ml tin of coconut milk

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15/12/201910/11/2019

BUDDHA BOWL

A Buddha bowl is a vegetarian meal, served on a single bowl or high-rimmed plate, which consists of small portions of several foods, served cold. Buddha bowl is a wonderful concept and makes for a perfect meal on a hot day. In my Buddha bowl, I had brown rice, steamed cauliflower, zucchini ribbons seasoned with soy sauce and ginger, edamame beans, steamed bok choy. I seasoned with toasted black sesame seeds, togarashi, and my tahini, gochujang sauce. Recipe for the sauce is below. You can try any combinations of grains and vegetables and for protein element you can have tofu or tempeh. The sauce is versatile and you can use on sandwiches as well as with vegetables.

TAHINI – GOCHUJANG SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons tahini paste

2 tablespoons gochujang paste

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

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30/11/201911/08/2020

RAJMA – RED KIDNEY BEAN STEW

Rajma and rice is a very popular dish in India and each family would have their own version. Red kidney beans are little powerhouses of nutrition – they are low GI, high in fibre (the cholesterol lowering kind), complex carbohydrates and iron. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide high quality protein. So all the more reason to make rajma part of your repertoire.