Natural's style Tender Coconut Ice Cream (without ice cream maker)

Tender Coconut Ice Cream recipe with step by step video instructions. This Naturals style Tender Coconut Ice Cream is made with only 4 ingredients and WITHOUT an ice cream maker!!! Tender Coconut Ice Cream is glutenfree and fits a Jain diet.

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Heat Wave ALERT!! Bangalore is reeling under a heat wave right now and temperatures are soaring to mid thirty degrees C. Time to wallow in ice cream!

I have half the mind to move on to a chilled liquid diet until the heat wears off. But you know me, I wouldn't last a day without any food. So I'm doing the next best thing, well... not the next, but the BEST best thing, and that is loading up on ice cream. Chilled sweet perfection.

Everyone who's anyone in a town which has a Natural's Ice Cream Parlour has definitely tried their signature flavor - Tender Coconut. It's even in their logo. My family's favorite flavor. I personally die for their Custard Apple flavor but Gee and Raj love the Tender Coconut. You have to cook what the family will eat. Well, there is no cooking involved here, just like my last recipe of Bircher Muesli (Overnight Oats), which was also chilled, keeping in the spirit of Summer. 

Cut to last Saturday, while we were walking back home from one of our ridiculously long weekend walks, we picked up 4 tender coconuts from a local seller. Tender Coconut water is supposed to cool the body, and this heat definitely necessitates cooling. So the plan was to keep the coconut water in the fridge and drink it over the next few days so that we do not reach for any sugary sodas or drinks. 

I was then left with the meat or flesh of 4 coconuts. I don't mind eating it just like that or with a little jaggery, but 4 is a little too much for us to eat in a day. Light bulb moment!! Why don't I try making Tender Coconut Ice Cream! and the idea was born. I've made pop-sickles before, but never an ice cream. We usually just drive down to Natural's and buy a scoop of our favorite flavor. But Sunday was a first in my recipe book. I made Tender Coconut Ice Cream.... 

I don't own an ice cream maker and I don't know anyone who does, so this ice cream is something anyone can whip up. All you need is a whisk or a spatula. If you have a hand mixer, then you have all the power you need. This ice cream needs only 4 ingredients. Yup, that's it - FOUR!! Cream, Sugar, Coconut Meat and Coconut Water. Since there are only 4 ingredients, make sure you use fresh and the best quality you can find. 

I used fresh medium fat cream. Low fat cream may not work well. The cream needs to be chilled before use, else you may end up with butter instead of whipped cream.Whip the chilled cream until you have soft peaks. Blend a part of the coconut meat with 1/2 cup of coconut water. Fold in with the cream along with powdered sugar and chopped coconut meat. Pour in a freezer safe container and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Every 45-60 minutes for the first 3 hours, remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk once completely and refreeze. This will prevent it from getting icy in places.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

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Video Recipe

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Tender Coconut Ice Cream

Naturals inspired Tender Coconut Ice Cream made with only 4 ingredients without an ice cream maker.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     0 minutes
Total time:     6 Hours 30 Minutes
Yield:                Serves 7-8

Ingredients:

400ml medium-fat Cream (chilled)
4 Tender Coconuts Meat
0.5 cup Tender Coconut Water
400gms sweetened Condensed Milk or 6-7 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Method:

1. Blend the meat of 3 tender coconuts along with the tender coconut water to a smooth paste.
2. Chop the remaining tender coconut meat finely.
3. Whisk the chilled cream until you have soft peaks. Be careful not to over whisk, the cream will curdle into butter. If you feel the cream is getting warm, chill it for 10 minutes in the fridge and restart whisking.
4. Fold in the coconut paste, condensed milk or powdered sugar and the coconut pieces until combined.
5. Pour into a freezer safe box or baking pan. Cover with aluminium foil and place in the freezer.
6. After every hour for the first 3 hours, remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk it again with the handheld mixer or with a spatula to prevent formation of ice crystals.
7. Leave it in the freezer until completely frozen.
8. Scoop and serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Paan Kulfi

Coconut Laddoo

Blueberry Litchi Coconut Mocktail

Read more ...

Undhiyu | Gujarati Undhiyo Recipe | Gujarati Mix Vegetable Curry [Video]

Undhiyu Recipe with step by step video instructions. Undhiyu is a mix vegetable Winter curry from the western state of Gujarat. It is a lovely green curry made from fresh coconut, coriander leaves and other aromatics and spices. The choicest of the winter vegetables are added along with the quintessential Muthia or Muthiya. This winter special is best enjoyed with hot Puris.

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Food is how I celebrate and this mix vegetable Gujarati Undhiyu is just that. A celebration in your mouth. Full of seasonal winter vegetables and spices. A warming bowl of curry. I made this last week. Somehow it took me a week to get this published. I cooked some other amazing dishes like this Vegan Zucchini Kale Lasagna that I was really excited to post about, and somehow this celebratory bowl just took the backseat. Not that this is any less amazing, but I was super excited to have tried my hand at making vegan cheese that I had to bring it out to the world just as quickly as I could. 

Back to my all-time favorite Gujarati curry - Undhiyu. While one thinks of India as a predominantly vegetarian eating country, it happens we are all wrong. Apparently a lot of India actually caters to the non vegetarians, but there is one state that never lets down vegetarians - Gujarat. The western most state of India is full of flavorful vegetarian food. From Dhokla to Handvo and similar scary sounding dishes that actually explode with flavor in your mouth to this super delicious Undhiyu. Undhiyu in it's humblest form is actually just a simple mix vegetable curry that is made using seasonal winter vegetables and a masala paste made using coconut, fresh coriander leaves and a few spices.

I had forgotten how much I liked Undhiyu until recently my sis's sis in law got us some. I couldn't get enough of it. I could have eaten the entire pot full of curry, but hey, I'm not that rude, I had to leave some for the rest. I HAD to make some of my own that I need not share with anyone, except of course Raj. I can rarely sneak food without him knowing, after all, he does the dishes. I love that man.

Traditionally, Undhiyu uses the following vegetables:

• Potato
• Baby brinjal or eggplant
• Purple yam
• Yam
• Raw banana or plantain
• Fresh Toovar or Pigeon Peas (Togarikalu)
• Fresh Surti Papdi or Hyacinth Beans (Avarekai / Avarekalu)

A lot of this can be substituted if it is not the season or not available in your area. I could get most of it, except the purple yam. I'm yet to find it in Bangalore. I used Arbi. You can replace it with any variety of yam. The fresh toovar or pigeon peas can be replaced with fresh green beans. The surti papdi can be replaced with green beans and the surti beans can be replaced with Edamame. Don't worry about having the exact ingredients, just use what is available.

Apart from the vegetables, steamed balls made of gram flour or besan, spices and methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) called Muthia are also added for more flavor and texture. Methi leaves add a nice salty fragrance to the dish. But if you cannot find methi, feel free to replace with dill leaves, coriander or any fragrant greens. You can also buy ready made muthia in some places, like Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Undhiyu gets all its flavor from the green masala. The green masala is made by blending together fresh coriander leaves, fresh coconut, ginger, garlic, green chillies, sesame seeds, coriander powder, cumin powder, sugar, salt and lime juice. This masala is then stuffed into brinjal, and into baby potatoes if you use them. Then just heat oil in a pressure cooker and layer the vegetables and leftover masala and cook for 1-2 whistles until done. A pressure cooker drastically cuts down the cooking time making it a very quick cooking dish. However, if you don't own a pressure cooker, just use a covered flat bottomed saucepan or pot, preferably deep.

Undhiyu is generally eaten with either roti or puri.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

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Undhiyu | Gujarati Undhiyo Recipe | Gujarati Mix Vegetable Curry

Gujarati Undhiyu or Undhiyo is a vegan mix vegetable curry made with seasonal winter vegetables, methi muthia and a coriander based masala.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     75 minutes
Yield:                Serves 4 to 5

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

The Vegetables:

5-6 Baby Potatoes
5-6 small Brinjals
1 raw Banana
1 small Sweet Potato
0.5 cup fresh Toovar or Pigeon Peas or Green Peas
0.5 cup fresh Surti beans or Hyacinth Beans or Edamame
8-10 fresh Surti Papdi or Green Beans

For the green masala:

1 cup chopped Coriander
1 cup grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Ginger, chopped
2-3 Green Chilli
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Optional)
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Sugar
0.5 lime
Salt to taste

For the methi muthia:

1 cup Methi leaves, tightly packed
1 cup Whole wheat flour (atta)
0.5 cup fine Semolina (rava / sooji)
1 Tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Sugar
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp Red chilli powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric powder
3 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil to fry

For the tempering (tadka):

4-5 Tbsp Oil
0.5 tsp Carom seeds or Ajwain
1 tsp Cumin seeds or Jeera

1 cup Water

Method:

To make the methi muthia:

1. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, hing, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, sugar, salt and 2 Tbsp oil to the chopped methi leaves and mix well.
2. Add in gram flour (besan), whole wheat flour, semolina (rava / sooji) and 1 Tbsp of remaining oil and knead into a stiff dough with water.
3. Heat Oil in a deep pan for frying.
4. Shape the muthia into small logs and deep fry until done and browned.
5. Keep aside until required.

To make the green masala:

6. Grind together all the ingredients for the green masala. If the mixture is too dry and difficult to grind, add only 1 tsp of water to help grinding. Adding too much water will make the consistency of the masala too loose.

To make the Undhiyu:

7. Peel the raw banana and cut into large chunks.
8. Chop the sweet potato into chunks.
9. Chop the surti papdi or the beans into 1" pieces.
10. Make a criss cross lengthwise slit on the brinjal and the baby potato.
11. Stuff the brinjals and potatoes with the masala.
12. Heat 4-5 Tbsp oil in the pressure cooker.
13. Add carom seeds (ajwain) and cumin seeds.
14. Once they brown slightly, add the surti papdi, surti beans and the fresh toovar or their replacements.
15. Add one third of the leftover masala and mix well.
16. Now add the raw banana and sweet potato.
17. Sprinkle over one third of the green masala. Sprinkle over 2-3 pinches of salt and 1-2 Tbsp oil.
18. Now layer the stuffed vegetables on the top along with the muthia.
19. Add the remaining masala and sprinkle a pinch of salt.
20. Add 1 cup of water from the side. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or 8-10 minutes.
21. After the pressure settles, open the pressure cooker and gently mix the curry without breaking the stuffed vegetables.
22. Garnish with lots of fresh grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves before serving. Serve hot with roti or puris.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Vegetable Jalfrezi

Dalma

Handvo

Read more ...

Alsane Tonak | Goan Pao Bhaji

You know that feeling when you soooo want to eat something, you can already taste it before you have laid your hands on it, but it is so far away that you cannot reach it? Disappointed?

I miss Pao!!

Pao, sometimes called the lifeline of Goa, is a bread that was introduced to Goa by the Portuguese settlers and is by far the best bread I've ever had. Pao, sometimes called Pav, is available almost all through the country, but no one makes it the way it is made in Goa. It has a crusty outside and a chewy crumb; a texture that is just incomparable. Pao is such an integral part of Goan cuisine, that the Government actually subsidizes the cost of Pao.

I've pretty much eaten Pao every single day I lived in Goa. I've bought it for my grandparents when it cost as little as 25 Paise and today, when it costs 20 times more. I still wait for the Poder (local Pao seller) to come on his bicycle fixed with a cane basket in the back, honking his way through the meandering little streets bringing bread to every local man.

Look at this variety of wonderful Pao that I picked up on my recent vacation to Goa.

Just this week, I was in Goa. It was a short 5 day vacation where I met up with family and haunted all our favorite food joints across the state. While Bangalore is cosmopolitan and you pretty much get everything here, except probably the purple yam. I miss those certain somethings, that I took so much for granted when I stayed in Goa - a simple cheesy Mushroom Capsicum sandwich; Gobi Manchurian made exactly how it is supposed to be, fresh and with no food coloring; Chocolate cakes with chocolate cream that are to DIE for; that too sweet, yet perfectly enjoyable Badam Milk that you have to drink standing outside on the road; Samosa which has little pieces of beetroot in it along with the potato; that garlicky Batata Vada and lastly, loads and loads of Pao Bhaji. 

As much as I miss that wonderful Pao, I miss the coconut filled Bhaji too. It is pretty much my standard breakfast when I go to Goa. The Goan Pao Bhaji is very different from the Mumbai Pav Bhaji that is made with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. The Goan Pao Bhaji is usually made with some beans and coconut. Sometimes with Mushrooms too.

Goan bhaji is also called Tonak with Alsane Tonak being the popular one around. Alsane or Alsande are red cowpeas. To make Alsane Tonak, these red cowpeas are simmered in a spicy roasted coconut masala. 

To make Alsane Tonak, you need to coax the coconut gently to turn golden brown, before you grind it along with spices to make the Tonak gravy. This Alsane Tonak is not a recipe to be rushed, it encompasses the spirit of Goa - Relaxed, Sosegado... This is where you add all your love and patience into the otherwise simple gravy. The darker the color, the better the dish. However, don't burn it, trying to get it dark. 

When you go to a restaurant and ask for a "Mixed Bhaji", you will get the Tonak served with a helping of a simple Potato Bhaji on the side. So if the spice gets a bit much, let your next spoonful be the salty turmeric potatoes.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Mushroom Cafreal - Another famous Goan curry made by cooking mushrooms in a coriander sauce.
• Banana Blossom with White Peas - Dry Goan curry made with banana flower and dried white peas.
• Misal - Spicy gravy made with sprouts from the western coast of India.

Alsane Tonak | Goan Pao Bhaji

Alsane Tonak is a Goan Pao Bhaji curry made by simmering red cowpeas in a spicy roasted coconut gravy.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Goan
Prep Time:     8 hours
Cook time:     1 hour
Yield:                Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

1 cup Red Cowpeas, dried
2 cups fresh Coconut, grated
2 Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Coriander seeds
2-3 Cloves
5-6 Peppercorns
0.25" Cinnamon
1 Bay leaf, dried
2-3 dry Red Chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
4-5 Kokum Peels or Marble sized Tamarind
2-3 cloves Garlic
0.5" Ginger
4-5 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

Soak the cowpeas overnight or for 7-8 hours.
Drain the water and cook the cowpeas with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp Salt until done. The cowpeas should not be mushy, they should still have a bite. If using a pressure cooker to cook the peas, keep it for only 1-2 whistle and then release the pressure immediately, else they will overcook.
Drain the water and keep aside. Do not throw out the water, we use it later in the recipe.
Soak the kokum peels or tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and keep aside.
Heat 3 tsp Oil in a kadhai or pan and add half the onions.
Fry until the onions are translucent.
Now add the grated coconut and on low flame roast until the coconut turns golden brown. Stir occasionally to prevent the coconut from burning. This slow roasting takes time, almost half an hour.
When the coconut turns golden brown, add the cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf, peppercorns and dry red chillies and continue to roast for another 3-4 minutes.
Allow to cool, then add the turmeric powder and the water in which the Kokum or Tamarind was soaked and grind to a fine paste.
Crush the ginger and garlic into a coarse paste.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the onions.
Fry until translucent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the ground coconut masala and mix well.
Add the cooked cowpeas along with 0.75 cup water in which it was cooked.
Add salt if required.
Allow it to come to a boil, then cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Serve hot along with Goan Pao or bread.

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Coorg Pumpkin Curry

This Coorg style pumpkin curry is made with ripe pumpkin, coconut and spices. It is a spicy curry unlike most other pumpkin curries.

I don't usually crave pumpkins, at least not like I crave chocolate. But recently after eating a small bowl of pumpkin curry in office, I wanted more. And telepathically, my mother in law gave me a huge organic homegrown pumpkin. What's better than a pumpkin? A HOMEGROWN one.

The thing I hate most about pumpkins is actually peeling them. By the time I got through peeling this huge pumpkin, my palms were sore with the knife handle rubbing against them, my arms ached with all that effort. But the slightly sweet yet hot spicy coconut-ty curry made it totally worth it.

I usually make a simple dry pumpkin curry by boiling diced pumpkins with some fresh green chillies and garnishing it with freshly grated coconut. Simple and easy. It lets the sweetness of the pumpkin shine through. But this time I did not want a very sweet pumpkin curry. I wanted a change. I had something in mind but absolutely no idea how to make it.

Coorg is this beautiful place nestled among the Western Ghats of India. A bunch of friends went there several years ago and we stayed in this humble but beautiful homestay with a wonderfully warm family. The family cooked up all the traditional Coorgi delicacies and I remember one of them was this pumpkin curry with coconut, unlike I had ever eaten before. So I searched online for this curry and as usual Google spewed off many results, so I had to mix and match recipes to find the ONE. I tried this dish until I made something closer to the one in memory. 

Coorg Pumpkin Curry

Coorg style Pumpkin curry made with ripe pumpkin, coconut and spices.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 cups diced Pumpkin
3-4 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
6-8 Curry Leaves
1 Onion
2-3 Garlic cloves
2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 cup grated Coconut or 1 cup of Coconut milk
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
3-4 dry red Chillies or 1-2 tsp of red chilli powder
1-2 tsp of Jaggery powder or Sugar
1 cup Water
Salt
Fresh Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the curry leaves, finely chopped onion and garlic. Fry until the onion is translucent.
Add the pumpkin.
Add the turmeric and water and cover and cook until the pumpkin is done.
If using grated coconut, grind together the coconut, tamarind, dry red chillies or chilli powder, cumin powder and the coriander powder with a little bit of water to make a fine masala paste.
Add it to the pumpkin in the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes.
If using coconut milk, then add the coconut milk along with the coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and the tamarind paste to the pumpkin and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add salt and the jaggery powder or sugar and mix well.
Serve hot.

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Matar Dhokla

Dhokla is a steamed savory cake that is a favorite of western India. They are usually made of semolina and chickpea flour. They are light and fluffy and taste delicious with a tangy green chutney.

I never knew there was so much variety in something this simple.

I was browsing through cookery books in the library when I glanced upon Tarla Dalal’s Non-Fried Snacks. I’m a big fan of non-fried snacks. The book has some good recipes, majorly it has different types of dhoklas and muthias. And this Matar Dhokla or Green Peas Dhokla was a featured recipe.

It is still just as simple to make as the regular dhokla, but now has the added goodness of green peas. You can use either fresh or frozen peas, according to what you have available. 

The addition of peas gives it that lovely vibrant green colour and the slight sweetness of peas. 

Some people like to soak their dhoklas in a diluted syrup of sugar and lime juice, while some enjoy it with creamy yogurt. It tastes awesome with both.

Step-by-step Instructions:

1) Puree the green peas with a little water.

2) Mix together the chickpea flour, semolina, pea puree, salt, ginger- chilli paste, yogurt and salt into a smooth batter.

3) Now add the fruit salt or eno to  the batter. Pour the remaining water over it and mix well. It should start getting frothy.

4) Grease a shallow vessel that fits inside the steamer and add the batter to it.

5) Place the vessel in the steamer and steam on medium flame for 12-15 mins. Insert a knife in the middle and if it comes out clean, it is done.

6) Turn off the stove and allow it to rest for around 2-4 mins.

7) Then remove slowly and cut into desired shape.

8) Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.

9) Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and chilli and fry for 20-30 seconds.

10) Pour over this tempering on the dhoklas. 

11) Garnish with the fresh coconut and the coriander leaves. I also sprinkled a few pomegranate seeds to add some freshness.

Matar Dhokla

Steamed savory cake made with green peas and chickpea flour.

Recipe Type:  Snacks

Cuisine:          Indian / Gujarati

Prep Time:     15 minutes

Cook time:     30 minutes

Yield:              Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Dhokla

1 cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas

1.5 cups of Chickpea Flour / Besan

4 Tbsp Fine Semoline / Chiroti Rava

1 tsp of Ginger-Green Chilli Paste

2 Tbsp of Yogurt / Dahi

1/2 cup of Water

1.5 tsp Fruit Salt (Eno)

2 tsp of Oil for greasing

Salt to taste

Tempering

4 tsp of Oil

½ tsp of Mustard Seeds

10-15 Curry Leaves

1-2 Slit Green / Red Chillies

Garnish

2-3 Tbsp of grated Fresh Coconut
2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves

Method:

Puree the green peas with a little water.
Mix together the chickpea flour, semolina, pea puree, salt, ginger- chilli paste, yogurt and salt into a smooth batter.
Prepare the steamer. (see note)
Now add the fruit salt or eno to  the batter. Pour the remaining water over it and mix well. It should start getting frothy.
Grease a shallow vessel that fits inside the steamer and add the batter to it.
Place the vessel in the steamer and steam on medium flame for 12-15 mins. Insert a knife in the middle and if it comes out clean, it is done.
Turn off the stove and allow it to rest for around 2-4 mins.
Then remove slowly and cut into desired shape.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and chilli and fry for 20-30 seconds.
Pour over this tempering on the dhoklas. 
Garnish with the fresh coconut and the coriander leaves.

Notes:

STEAMER - I used an idli steamer. You can use a pressure cooker without the whistle or any deep saucepan with a lid. 

1) To prepare it, add around 2-3 cups of water to the steamer and cover and cook on high flame until the water boils. 

2) Next place a small flat bottomed vessel or bowl upside down in the steamer. The top of this bowl should be above the level of water.

3) Place the plate / vessel with the dhokla over this upturned bowl. The purpose of the bowl is that the dhokla plate / vessel does not touch the boiling water directly and is slightly higher than the water level.

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Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Sauce

This pumpkin sauce is AMAZING with not just pasta, but with lots of other  things too. Toss in some stir fried veggies and make it a delicious and vibrant orange CURRY to pair with rice. Or DRIZZLE it over some grilled vegetables to liven them up.

This creamy- silky smooth-delicious-orange sauce filled with the goodness of those freshly picked farm pumpkin is completely VEGAN. Yesss!!! I mean you can make your own non-vegan version by replacing the coconut milk with some cream, but according to me, the coconut milk adds a lovely taste to the regular pumpkin sauce.

Did I tell you how easy to make this was? Or how you could finish making this before your TV serial/sitcom reached its credits? Yup, it’s THAT simple!!!

What do you need, you ask? Just some olive oil, pumpkin, garlic, coconut milk, oregano and anything to add some heat to this baby. I used some dried red chillies, you can add hot sauce or green chillies or paprika or totally skip  it.  And of course, salt. 6 ingredients, including salt and oil. Nothing gets simpler than that.

After you assemble all your ingredients, it is just chop, saute and blend. 3 steps. So now 6 ingredients and 3 steps – no reason at all to not try this at all.

I added it over some cooked farfalle pasta and tossed in some stir fried vegetables like broccoli. I love broccoli. Feel free to add or not add anything at all. It doesn’t really demand anything, it is just as good being plain.

If you plan on drizzling this on veggies or using it as a dip, I suggest adding less of the coconut milk to keep it nice and thick. If it is curry you plan to make, you can add other spices – cumin and coriander go well with it.

Oh oh oh – This would make an interesting SALAD DRESSING too. Some zucchini ribbons, some julienne carrots and some fresh salad leaves with this slightly sweet pumpkin sauce – DELICIOUS and healthy!!!

Step by Step Instructions:

1) Heat oil in a pan and add the minced garlic. Saute for 1 min. 

2) Add the diced pumpkin and cover and cover and cook on low heat until the pumpkin is done. Cut into smaller pieces to get it cooked sooner. 

3) Add the oregano, chopped red chillies, coconut milk and salt.

4) Cook for around 2-3 mins on low heat.

5) Allow it to cool and then blend into a smooth sauce.

Pumpkin Sauce [Vegan]

Versatile vegan pumpkin sauce that can be used for pasta, as a dip or as a base for curry.

Recipe Type:  Sauce

Cuisine:          International

Prep Time:     10 minutes

Cook time:     20 minutes

Yield:              Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For Pumpkin Sauce:

2.5 cups or 125gms of diced Pumpkin

1 Tbsp of finely minced Garlic

3/4 tsp of dried Oregano

3/4 cup of Coconut Milk

1.5 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1 tsp of dried Red Chillies

Salt to taste

Pasta:

250gms of Pasta

1 cup of assorted stir fried Vegetables (Broccoli, Peppers/Capsicums etc.)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add the minced garlic. Saute for 1 min.

Add the diced pumpkin and cover and cover and cook on low heat until the pumpkin is done. Cut into smaller pieces to get it cooked sooner.

Add the oregano, chopped red chillies, coconut milk and salt.

Cook for around 2-3 mins on low heat.

Allow it to cool and then blend into a smooth sauce.

Boil the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Toss with the sauce and the vegetables and enjoy it hot.

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Vegetable Stew Recipe [Video]

Vegetable Stew recipe with video instructions. Vegetable Stew is a mildly spiced vegan stew made by cooking colorful peppers, cauliflower, carrots and beans in coconut milk. Vegetable Stew is a gluten free curry.

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The weather is confusing, on some days it feels like summer and on others it looks like the monsoons are already here. Today was one such a day. It started out sunny and ended up wet.

When it rains, I feel like having some warm comfort food. Don't you?

And a vegetable stew is just that. It is comfort food personified. I made it with rainbow veggies. You can make it with what you have available, but I find that colorful food cheers me up. I watched this food truck on Eat Street that seemed to have the same thinking. It was a healthy food truck where the chef served everything with a colorful salad. Oooh! today's newspaper is saying food trucks are in town. Yeah, baby! I hope I find myself in the neighborhood of one interesting truck. Let me know if you try one out. Until then our little bhel puri carts will have to do.

Anyway back to the stew. I will not call this a Kerala veg stew, but it is inspired from Kerala. I made this stew with coconut milk like a lot of Kerala curries. This is my sister's recipe. So its been tried and tested on other people before me :)

I made it with cauliflower, tri-colored peppers, carrot, and french beans. You can add green peas, potatoes, frankly, any vegetable you fancy in a curry. Anything tastes good with coconut milk, I swear. This curry is mildly spiced, so it does not take you away from the delicate taste of coconut milk and the vegetables.

It can be eaten with rice or bread. The choice is yours. We enjoyed the stew with rice and spicy jeegujje podi. Ummm... my mouth is watering just remembering my lunch.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

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Video Recipe

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Vegetable Stew

Mildly spiced vegetable stew made by cooking colourful peppers, cauliflower, carrots and beans in coconut milk 

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Capsicum ( red, yellow, orange, green)
0.5 cup Cauliflower florets
1 Carrot, diced
6-8 Beans, chopped
2 cups Coconut Milk
3 tsp Oil
2 Cloves
0.5 tsp Black Pepper
0.5" Cinnamon
1 sprig Curry leaves
1 Onion, sliced
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1-2 Green Chillies, sliced
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and curry leaves.
2. Once curry leaves splutter, add the sliced onion and fry until translucent.
3. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook like the cauliflower, carrot and beans.
5. Add half a cup of water and salt and cover and cook until the vegetables are partially cooked.
6. Then add the capsicum or bell peppers and cook until all the vegetables are cooked.
7. Add in the coconut milk and salt to taste.
8. Simmer the stew for 3-4 minutes.
9. Enjoy it hot/warm with rice/bread.

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