Tag: vegetarian food
Pea Pesto with Rice
This is a delicious way to give your kids vegetables. I made a pesto with peas and then mixed it with cooked rice- it was absolutely delicious…
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas, blanched in boiling water for a minute and drained
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups basmati rice, cooked al dente
Place the blanched peas, garlic, cilantro, green onions, oil and salt in a food processor and process till smooth. Take out and check for seasonings. Add to warm, cooked rice. Mix well and serve.
Herbed Cauliflower
Here is another take on cauliflower.. this will join a long list of recipes I have on here.. I am always trying to come up with new versions of this delicious vegetable..I have used a combination of cilantro, dill and mint. This would be a great side dish or even a main dish with some delicious couscous…
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the green onions and ginger. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets, salt, cayenne pepper and ground coriander. Mix well and cook with the lid on for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Take the lid off once the florets are cooked through. Turn the heat up and stir constantly and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Check for seasonings. Garnish with cilantro, dill and mint. Serve warm.
Minted Masoor Dal
I love simple lentil dishes. It reminds me of home- comfort food. I like using the pink lentils the most as they cook really fast and are delicious. I served these lentils with the cauliflower in the past. This is a perfect complement to the veggies as the lentils provide a good amount of protein without cooking any meat- if you don’t want to. I recently decided to go vegan twice a week. Mondays and Tuesdays are my day to stay away from meat and all meat products. I certainly don’t want to give up any kind of food, but I think reducing the amount of meat we eat is a great idea. The good thing is that Indian food lends itself to a vegan lifestyle. If you are not eating vegan, by all means use butter or ghee to finish off the dish- it brings a whole lot of nutty flavor to the lentils and makes them delicious. The other important ingredient in this dish is dried mint. You must try this dish- it is one of my favorite…
- 1 cup masoor dal
- 3 cups water
- 3 garlic cloves, mashed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- 2 teaspoons oil, ghee or butter
Add the dal, water, garlic, turmeric and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or till the lentils are soft. Add the dried mint and oil/ghee. Cook till it reaches desired consistency. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.
Curd (Yogurt) Rice
I have never made curd rice before- but have eaten it in South Indian restaurants. I realized it was not very hard to make when I put it together the other night in 15 minutes- the key is to have all the ingredients on hand. I even happen to have frozen rice, which was ready in three minutes in the freezer. It is a great side dish or a quick snack…
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 8 to 9 curry leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon channa dal
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup yogurt
Heat a medium frying pan with coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, channa and urad dal. Saute on medium heat till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the coconut and cilantro. Saute for a minute. Add the rice and salt and mix well. Take off the heat and add the yogurt. Mix well and check for seasonings before serving at room temperature.
Shredded Cabbage with Peppers
I thought I would finish the week off with a vegetable dish. As I may have mentioned many time before, my husband loves cabbage. I am not a huge cabbage fan, so I don’t find myself picking it up very often at the grocery store. I have to admit, once I cook it, I do love it. I am not sure why I don’t cook it very often.
Anyway, this one is made with sweet peppers and spiced with cumin and mustard seeds. Curry leaves provide a great flavor to the dish as well. Best of all, it is very quick to make… enjoy!
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Mushroom Mattar (Mushrooms and Peas)
I feel I have not posted any Indian dishes in a while. I end up making Indian food at lease once a week but sometimes I skip it- the problem is, there are so many other dishes to make… and I forget about the basic stuff. My daughter reminds me if it has been a while.
I thought I would post this very easy and quick dish that can be served as the main entree or as a side with chicken or fish. I usually serve it with lentils on the side and freshly made rotis.
I start with Cremini mushrooms- one can use the white variety as well but I like these better. I saute some cumin seeds along with garlic and ginger. Typically this dish has onions as well but I decided to keep it onion free- no real reason.. just didn’t feel like cutting an onion. The rest is easy- the mushrooms are added along with some spices and frozen peas.
My daughter loves mushrooms and doesn’t like peas so much- but she eats this dish without a problem…. I sometimes need to remind her to finish the peas… enjoy!
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Green Chutney Potato Salad
I still continue to make burgers even though summer is officially over. It is great way to make a healthy meal, especially if one uses ground turkey or vegetables to create the burgers.
I love eating fries but have been very good at keeping away from them… well, maybe not in Dublin.. but otherwise I have been quite good. So, this recipe is really good.
The potatoes are boiled and marinated in a green chutney- which is similar to the one Indian restaurants serve as a condiment with appetizers. I made it fresh with cilantro, mint and lime juice. It is simple to make and gives it tons of flavor to the dish.
Try this one- you may never go back to the mayo laden potato salad…
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