A compilation of ten vegan Indian curries that are ready in 75 minutes or less.
Hey I'm back with my compilation of 10. And this time it is Curry!!
It is obvious that being Indian, I love my curry. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of curry on a cold night. Curry can be made with poultry, seafood and meat or it can be made with simple vegetarian and vegan ingredients. Today I am listing down 10 of my favorite vegan Indian curries from the blog. Hope you enjoy it!!
A vegan curry made by simmering mushrooms in a fragrant garlic and fenugreek flavored masala gravy. This curry is unique in fragrance and flavor because of the slightly bitter methi leaves.
There had to be one curry in the list that was made purely of Spinach. While the Palak Paneer is the most popular spinach curry out there, this one uses Mushrooms instead of Paneer, making it vegan friendly and popular among mushroom lovers. The mushroom also adds loads of flavor to the curry.
Koftas are generally balls made of meat that are added to curries. However, here the koftas are made of bottle gourd. If you don't have bottle gourd, replace it with Zucchini which is the closest to it in texture.
My most pinned recipe - South Indian Chana Masala. There are 2 versions of the popular Chana Masala made with boiled chickpeas - the North Indian one that is made with tomatoes and is more easily available in restaurants all over the world and the South Indian one that is made with coconut and is only available in South India.
Baby Corn Masala is a semi dry curry made by tossing stir fried Baby Corn in a North Indian style tomato masala gravy. Easy and very quick to make, this will be ready in less than an hour.
This curry from the beautiful region of Coorg in South India. And like all South Indian curries, this one has a coconut base. This curry is a mix of sweet, salty and spicy flavors.
Jalfrezi is a popular curry made with tomatoes and a mix of vegetables. You can add Paneer to the curry if you are making a non-vegan version. For vegans, add some fried tofu to take it to another level.
If you tried these recipes, 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. If you like these recipes, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Oven roasted potatoes flavored with crushed garlic, oregano, rosemary, paprika and salt.
Who doesn't love potatoes? Did you just say "Yes"? Then I suggest you pack your bags and head over to Bangalore so that I can serve you a plate of this delicious Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes that I cannot get enough of.
That humble little golden tuber tastes so great irrespective of how it is cooked - boiled, roasted or fried. Especially fried! I see no reason to not like it. It is also one of those vegetables that has gained such a bad reputation among dieters. But hey, a little potato never killed anybody, so dieting or no, I wasn't going to miss out on cooking or eating these luxurious purple potatoes. If you are counting calories, I'd suggest eat just a little bowl, but don't miss it!
Gee went to Malaysia a while ago and she picked these purple beauties there. I know right, how foodie of her. Well, when you have a food blogger for a sister, you walk in super market aisles even when on vacation. My brother in law claims he wasn't too claims he wasn't too happy about it, but hten he is a big potato person, so I don't think he has too many complaints now. Our daily calls when she was there focused more on what she ate rather than what she saw. "Ooh you saw Petronas, greattt! now, what did you eat for lunch? Tell me all about it". She got my mouth all watering, that we went out for some 100% vegetarian Malay food as soon as she was back - Mamak Mee Goreng and Nasi Goreng at Nasi and Mee. If you like Malay food (and are in Bangalore), you should check out this place.
Back to potatoes, while Indians love their potatoes, the only variety we get here is a regular white-yellow potato. The only other variety we do get is the Sweet Potato which isn't orange as most one abroad are. This is white too, with a pink skin. So Gee got really excited when she found the purple ones and immediately called me up to ask what I could make of them. What better way to celebrate a potato, than to make a Roast Potato Salad. Why you will love it:
So easy to make
Flavorful
Colorful
Pairs well with anything
Salty
Potatoes - yes, just because they are potatoes
Potatoes are a winter or cool-season crop. So they are the freshest in winter. Most of the potatoes we get in summer are actually from cold storage. And with winter almost on its way out, this recipe is right on time. May be you still have time to go pick up this seasons potatoes. And while you are at it, pick a nice mix of them - purple, red, fingerling, gold, sweet. I added some local white potato and sweet potatoes to the make the dish a little more interesting with different colors and flavors. But if you cannot find the various varieties, just go with what you have cause there is no reason one should miss out on some serious potato action.
While the plain salted roasted potatoes taste good, make it better with added flavors. I added crushed garlic, dried oregano, fresh rosemary, smoked paprika and salt. I rubbed the potatoes with all the herbs and garlic along with some good quality extra virgin olive oil and baked them until they crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The trick to getting them crisp is to allow them to touch the pan, so don't overcrowd them if you want a crispy exterior on all your potatoes.
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. If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
The Sun dried Potato Chips are the BEST, seriously guys!!!
Who doesn't love potato chips? I'm sure even the Victoria Secrets models who are eternally on a diet wouldn't mind sneaking one in, once in a while. There are so many varieties of potato chips or crisps or whatever else you might want to call them, but I assure you, this is the best. Cause of course, you will make them yourself. And tell me if I'm wrong, but anything homemade tastes so much better than the preservative loaded air filled packet stuff.
Recently, I was reading this really old article on Reddit about what surprised non Americans when they visited the USA, I was definitely surprised with the vastness of the country and the enormous food portions. But something that definitely got me crazy was the size of the Potato Chips packets. I think they are as tall as toddlers. Why are they so big? Are they meant to be family packs? If yes, how large is this family? Don't people get bored of the flavor after going through quarter of the packet? Or is it meant to last a month? I did not get that at all. I went a little nuts over the number of flavors though, you get every flavor under the sun.
Back to the Sun, that's really the focal point today. Did I tell you how the Sun cheated us this year?We had the shortest summer ever, just ONE month. Just April. Summer came and went in the blink of an eye. Summer gets replaced by Monsoons in this part of the world and then everyday is just a dull cloudy day dotted with spells of rain. Usually, I'm a big fan of the rains, I simply love how everything turns bright green, and that fragrance when the rain hits the earth is simply divine. And rains, means deep fried deliciousness and loads of hot cups of chai. But this year I was a little disappointed. I had so many things planned for Summer, and I could barely scramble them in, in a month. But what I did manage to do , was sun dry some potatoes.
You may have only heard of sun dried tomatoes, but believe me sun dried potatoes are even better!! And people have been doing it for ages, just not me though. This was my first and definitely not my last attempt. Potatoes barely take 3-4 days to dry and the drying makes them intense and all the more potatoey (if that were a word).
So...
STEP 1 - Wash, peel, and slice the potatoes.
STEP 2 - Soak the slices in salted boiling water until they are just about done.
STEP 3 - Lay them out on a cloth to dry in the sun.
STEP 4 - Deep fry them and toss them in salt and chilli powder.
Step 4 can be done months later. The chips can be stored for 3-4 months easily if stored in a clean dry air tight container. The good thing here is, you can decide how much to fry, you don't need to fry the entire batch at once and worry about them going soft, however, I assure you, that is not a problem, coz like all potato chips, these are irresistible.
Some tips to make sure your potato sun drying turns out to be the best...
1) Do not slice the potatoes very thin like you would for regular chips. These need to be around 2mm.
2) As you slice the chips, put them in water so they don't darken due to oxidization.
3) The chips are soaked in boiling water until they are just about done. If you take them out too quickly, the chips will darken while drying. If you leave them in there too long, they will be completely cooked. So you need to drain them out in 5-8 minutes. Squeeze a chip in between your thumb and index finger and the chip should give when you apply a little pressure. If it does not, it still needs to be cooked, if it gives too soon, it is overcooked.
4) Dry on a cloth, not a tray or plate or paper. The chips will stick to whatever you have placed under it, and removing them from a tray or paper can be difficult. Preferably, use a white cloth or a light colored one as you don't want color running onto the chips.
5) If the chips turn black on the edges or in small spots, you can still use them, just make sure these are the ones you fry first.
6) If you don't have enough sun, place them in the shade, they will dry there as well, but will take much longer.
And last, you can flavor these chips with whatever flavor you like - curry, mint, oregano etc. Just do it immediately after frying while the chips are still hot so the flavor sticks to them. Or you can just salt them and enjoy the potato flavor to its maximum.
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.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
3-4 medium sized Potatoes Salt to taste Red Chilli powder to taste Water as required Oil for deep frying
Method:
Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes to about 2mm thickness and immerse in water to prevent them from browning. Boil water in a large pot, add salt. Once it comes to a rolling boil, lower heat and add the potato slices to it. Boil for 2-3 minutes then turn off the heat. Let the potato slices soak for 5-8 minutes. Squeeze a slice between your thumb and index finger and it should give slightly after you apply a little pressure. If it does not, allow it to soak longer. If it gives too quickly, it has overcooked, remove from water immediately. Drain the potato chips and lay them out on a white cloth in the sun. Cover with a light muslin cloth to prevent dust from settling on to the chips. You can dry them in shade as well. Leave it in the sun for 3-4 days or until completely dried. Store in a clean dry air tight container. It can be stored for 3-4 months. When you want to eat the chips, deep fry them and toss with salt and chilli powder immediately.
Pani Puri recipe with step by step Video instructions. The KING of Indian Street food - Pani Puri or Golgappa or Puchka. Crispy fried dough balls stuffed with a potato pea mash, sweet tamarind chutney and a chilled spicy coriander-mint water.
What kind of a place would the world be if there was no street food? Boring???
I think Street Food talks a lot more than Restaurant food. Street food is like the soul of the place. You learn so much more about the culture and people just by looking at the street food being sold. While restaurant food is usually mellowed down and modified to suit the palate of the customers it serves, street food is bold and original. If you haven't eaten street food, you probably haven't tasted the city yet.
India wouldn't be India if it were not for its "Chaat". Chaat refers to a variety of savory sweet tangy food sold on the roadsides from either small stalls or little food carts. And according to me, the most popular Chaat has always been - Pani Puri, also known as Golgappa in the North and Puchka towards the East. Names may vary, but the love for this dish does not. You can find Pani Puri being sold in every nook and corner of any city in India. But each one has their own favorite stall that they are extremely loyal to. Our favorite, is the Bihari guy outside a supermarket in Jayanagar 4th Block. He makes the crispest puri there is. I have never made my own Puris, that is an experiment for some other day. Buying is a lot easier.
Puris are crispy hollow balls made of deep fried dough. These balls are gently tapped with fingers to make a hole on one side. Then comes the stuffing, the stuffing varies according to the region you are in. It can be a potato mash, potato-green pea mash, sprouts, black chana, chickpeas etc. A little bit of this stuffed is stuffed into the puri. Then comes the celebration - the Pani or water. The Pani awakens every teeny weeny taste bud in your mouth. It is sour, it is spicy, it is salty. Made of mint, coriander, tamarind, chillies and spices, it is a flavor bomb. One of the essential ingredients for making the perfect pani is Black Salt or Kala Namak. A funky smelling salt that has its origin in the Himalayas. The pani is stirred before dipping the puri in it to fill up the puri with this wonderful Pani. Now if you want, you can add jaggery or sugar to the Pani to make it slightly sweet, or you can make the Date Tamarind Chutney like it is traditionally done and spoon in a little of it along with the Pani to get a slightly sweet Pani Puri. Keeping the sweet chutney separate from the Pani allows you to adjust the sweetness according to each individual's taste.
Once the puri is filled with the pani, it has to be eaten immediately. Eating a Pani Puri can be tricky if you have never had it. You have to eat the puri in one go. It is like a filled water balloon, you try to cut it in half and all the water will be out and you will be left with a soggy puri.
My love for Pani Puri comes from my Dad. He never missed a chance to eat a plate of pani puri, neither does Raj. When I am shopping for weekly groceries at the super market, he's outside sneaking a plate of pani puri. In this one matter, we are definitely made for each other. We are 2 bottomless holes when it comes to pani puris. We can just keep on going!!
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.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Pani Puri | Golgappa | Puchka is an Indian Street food or Chaat item in which crispy fried dough balls are stuffed with mashed potatoes, spicy coriander-mint water and a sweet tamarind chutney.
Recipe Type:Snacks Cuisine:Indian Prep Time:8 hours (includes soaking time for peas) Cook time:45 minutes Yield:Makes 100
Author:Anupama
Ingredients:
To make the Pani:
0.75 -1 cup chopped Coriander leaves 0.75 -1 cup chopped Mint leaves 1 litre cold Water Lemon sized piece of Tamarind 2-3 green Chillies 1 tsp Cumin Powder 2 tsp Chaat Masala Black Salt to taste
To make the Potato-Pea Stuffing:
5-6 Potatoes 3/4 cup dried Green Peas 1 tsp Chaat Masala Salt to taste Water as required
1. Soak the dried green peas overnight or for 6-8 hours. 2. Drain and boil them until done. I usually pressure cook them for 2-3 whistles. 3. Boil and peel the potatoes. 4. Mash together the potatoes and the green peas. 5. Add in salt and chaat masala and mix well. Keep it slightly under seasoned as the pani is already salty.
To make the Pani:
6. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water for 15 minutes and squeeze out the liquid. Remove the pulp and keep the tamarind juice aside. 7. Blend together the coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilli with a little water into a smooth puree. 8. Add the puree to 1 litre of water , preferably cold. 9. Add the cumin powder, tamarind juice, black salt and chaat masala to taste.
Chill the green pani in the fridge until serving. Alternately, you can add ice to the pani to serve immediately. 10. Strain the water before serving.
To Assemble the Pani Puri:
11. Gently tap a hole in the puri using your finger. 12. Spoon in the potato stuffing into the puri. 13. Now pour in the date tamarind chutney if you like the pani puri to be slightly sweet. 14. Spoon in the green pani and eat immediately.
Fresh tender Cashew Nuts!!! This Konkani new year dish lets you enjoy the creamy tender nuts in a mild fry with ivy gourds and potatoes.
Fresh Cashew Nuts!! I cannot believe I was oblivious to their existence. Being Goan, my love for cashew nuts is obvious. But until today, all I had was dried cashew nuts, sometimes salted, mostly plain, sometimes flavored and once or twice, I have mustered courage to eat the fruit that causes throats to itch. Somehow, I totally missed getting on the fresh tender cashew nuts wagon, until now, of course. My friend Vindhya of A Million Morsels, introduced me to this tender creamy crunchy delicacy.
So when Raj went to Karkala for an extended vacation for Ugadi (Hindu New Year), he got me these tender cashew nuts or bibbo/ bibbe. They are sold in packets of 50 or 100 and are very seasonal. They are usually sold around Ugadi as this Tendle Bibbe Upkari is a specialty for Ugadi in a Konkani household. If you cannot find tender cashew nuts, you can replace them with dried cashew nuts that have been soaked in water overnight or for 4-5 hours until they are nice and soft.
Upkari is a simple palya or a dry vegetable curry. It is also super healthy, low on oil, high on seasonal ingredients, barely any spices. It is a refreshing fresh dish fit for Summer.
Tendle or Tendli / Tondekayee or Ivy gourds is the fruit of a creeper. Tastes best when harvested when they are raw and tender and green. As they ripen, they become red and soft. Ripe tendle can be used to make Tondekayee Chutney. My luck shined when Raj got me home grown fresh tendle from Karkala. I am a big fan of anything home grown and organic. The tendle he got me were so tender and cooked so quickly. They were delicate and crisp, just the way I love them.
Potatoes, you can add them or you can leave them. Sometimes, if one cannot find tender cashews or not enough of them, the quantity of the upkari is increased by adding more potato. I put them in as everyone loves potatoes.
Coconut, another homegrown ingredient in my cooking. I feel so lucky to get homegrown coconut. I don't grow them in Bangalore, but every time someone comes from Karkala, my mother in law makes it a point to send me coconuts grown at home. They are huge, sweet and juicy.. YUM!! The coconut here is much more than just a garnish, it is almost the heart of the dish that brings everything together.
This Tendle Bibbe Upkari has very little in the way of spices, just mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies with a sprig of curry leaves. It uses very little oil, it is mostly cooked in water. As I said, it is very healthy. Tendle Bibbe Upkari is eaten as a side along with rice and dal or with chapati.
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.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
20-25 Tendle (Tondekayee or Ivy Gourd) 1 cup Bibbe or tender Cashew Nuts 1-2 Potatoes 3 tsp Oil 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp Urad Dal 3-4 dry Red Chillies 2 Tbsp grated fresh Coconut 8-10 Curry leaves Water as required Salt to taste
Method:
Boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat once it comes to a rolling boil. Soak the cashew nuts (bibbe) in the hot water for 1 hour. This will help loosen the skin. Peel the thin brown skin of the tender cashew nuts. Wash the cashew nuts thoroughly and split them into halves. Cut the tips of the tendle and slice it into thin slices. Peel the potato and slice them to the same size as the tendle Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the urad dal, curry leaves and the dry red chillies. Fry until the urad dal changes colour. Add the sliced tendle and 0.5 cup of water. Cover and cook until the tendle are half done. Add the sliced potato and the tender cashew nuts. Cover and cook until the potato and tendle are done. Add salt and mix well. Garnish with grated coconut. Serve hot with chapati.
