North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota - Part 4 - Kaalu Palya Recipe | Cowpeas Curry | Lobia Masala [Video]

Jolada Rotti Oota is a North Karnataka Thali that has jowar roti, spicy curries and condiments along with salads and sweets. North Karnataka style kaalu palya is a vegan curry made with alsande kaalu (cowpeas / lobia/ black eyed peas). 

The last part of my "North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota" series is here. Today I am sharing the recipe for Kaalu Palya ( Cowpeas Curry or Lobia Masala).

"North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota" refers to the "thali" or plate meal presented in the photo above. It is a popular meal in the northern regions of the state of Karnataka. The Jowar Roti or Jolada Rotti, that I shared earlier, is the star of the meal. These gluten free, vegan and oil free flatbreads are made from jowar or sorghum millet and if made well, totally melt in your mouth. The bland rotti is always served with spicy sides like Yennegai, Soppina Palya and Kaalu Palya.

Kaalu can refer to the contents of any legume pod in Kannada. This curry is made from alsande kaalu or cowpeas or lobia. Dried peas are used for this recipe. The peas are soaked overnight and then cooked in salted water. These peas are then simmered in a simple masala made from onions, tomatoes and spices. The same curry can be made with Mung beans or dried Green Peas. They both taste equally good.

This Kaalu Palya is vegan, gluten free and super healthy. It can also be made to fit plant-based diet by sauteing the vegetables in water instead of oil. I have made it in the past with zero oil and not felt the difference in taste.

This Kaalu Palya tastes fabulous with wholewheat rotis or naans too. 

You might also like the other recipes in the North Karnataka Series - 

• Jolada Rotti or Jowar Roti
• Yennegai
• Soppina Palya

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! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Kaalu Palya Recipe | Cowpeas Curry | Lobia Masala

North Karnataka style kaalu palya is a curry made with alsande kaalu (cowpeas / lobia/ black eyed peas). It is traditionally served with Jolada Rotti or Jowar Roti.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     8 hours
Cook time:     40 minutes
Total time:     8 hours 40 minutes
Yield:               Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup dried Cowpeas
1 large Onion
1 large Tomato
1 tsp Garam Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
6-7 Curry leaves
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
3 tsp Oil
Water as required
Salt to taste
Handful of Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Soak the cowpeas overnight or for 8-10 hours.
2. Drain the water and cook them in mildly salted water until done. If pressure cooking, then only cook for 1 whistle, cowpeas cook very quickly.
3. Do not throw out the water in which the cowpeas were cooked. Reserve the water for use later.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
5. Once, they splutter, add curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Saute until fragrant.
6. Add finely chopped onion and saute until translucent.
7. Add finely chopped tomato and cook until soft.
8. Now add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and mix well.
9. Add the cooked cowpeas and 1 cup of the water it was cooked in. Cook on medium to high heat for 7-8 minutes.
10. If you want a thinner gravy, add more water.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves while serving. Serve hot with Jolada Rotti or roti.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Soppina Palya

Yennegai

Jolada Rotti

Read more ...

North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota - Part 3 - Soppina Palya | Mixed Greens Curry | Muddi Palya [Video]

Jolada Rotti Oota is a North Karnataka Thali that has jowar roti, spicy curries and condiments along with salads and sweets. North Karnataka style soppina palya or muddi palya is a curry made with a single variety or mixed green leafy vegetables like amaranthus, spinach, methi or dill (sabasige).

The third part of my "North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota" series is here. Today I am sharing the recipe for Soppina Palya or Muddi Palya. 

"North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota" refers to the "thali" or plate meal presented in the photo above. It is a popular meal in the northern regions of the state of Karnataka. The Jowar Roti or Jolada Rotti, that I shared on Tuesday, is the star of the meal. These gluten free, vegan and oil free flatbreads are made from jowar or sorghum millet and if made well, totally melt in your mouth. The bland rotti is always served with spicy sides like Yennegai, Soppina Palya and Kaalu Palya.

Soppu refers to any green leafy vegetable like spinach, amaranthus (harive soppu/ dantina soppu) , methi (fenugreek) or dill leaves (sabasige). This curry  can be made with either mixed greens or just a single type of greens. It is one of the simplest curries on the plate. To make the curry, you need to cook the greens until they are completely done, even overcooked works fine. You can pressure cook them too. It has minimal spices, just turmeric powder and red chilli powder. You can add garam masala or any other spice mix you want to enhance the taste.

There are different variations of the muddi palya, this recipe uses gram flour (besan) or chickpea flour in it. You can also use cooked toor dal (pigeon pea lentils) instead. The quantities in the recipe below are just guidelines, adjust them to your taste. Add more besan or dal if you want to increase the quantity of the curry or if you just enjoy the taste. Besan will make a thicker curry than dal. Add water as per your requirements.

My mom always added peanuts to the curry, so I continue to do so. If you are allergic or if you don't like peanuts, you can skip them. You can replace them with fresh tuvar also.

This Soppina Palya tastes fabulous with wholewheat rotis or naans too. 

Video Recipe

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! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Soppina Palya | Mixed Greens Curry | Muddi Palya Recipe

North Karnataka style soppina palya or muddi palya is a curry made with a single variety or mixed green leafy vegetables like amaranthus, spinach, methi or dill (sabasige). It is traditionally served with Jolada Rotti or Jowar Roti.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     15 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     45 minutes
Yield:               Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

5 cups of mixed Green leafy vegetables (amaranthus, spinach, methi, dill)
1 large Onion
0.25 cup Peanuts
5-6 Tbsp Gram Flour(Besan) or 2 cups boiled Toor Dal
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
3 tsp Oil
Water as required
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add finely chopped onions.
2. Once the onions have turned translucent, add the peanuts and saute for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the chopped green leafy vegetables and 0.5 cup of water. Cover and cook until the greens are completely done. You can either use just one variety of greens or a mixture of what is available.
4. Add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. For added taste, you can add garam masala too.
5. If using besan, mix the besan in 1 cup of cool water until there are no lumps and add to the curry. Stir immediately and add 1 cup more water as the besan will immediately thicken. Add more water if you want a thinner curry.
6. If using dal, add the dal and mix.
7. Adjust seasoning and spices as per taste.
8. Simmer on low heat until the raw taste of the besan is gone or for 5-8 minutes.
9. Serve hot with jolada rotti or wholewheat rotis.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Jhunka

Yennegai

Jolada Rotti

Read more ...

North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota - Part 2 - Yennegai Recipe | How to make Ennegai Badnekayi | Bharli Vangi Recipe [Video]

Jolada Rotti Oota is a North Karnataka Thali that has jowar roti, spicy curries and condiments along with salads and sweets. Yennegai is a spicy stuffed baby eggplant curry made by simmering eggplants in a peanut based gravy.

It's Fabulous Friday, and I have a fabulous recipe for you!!

Continuing with my "North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota" series, today I am sharing the recipe for the spicy baby eggplant curry - Yennegai or Ennegai Badnekayo or Bharli Vangi. Many names, one dish!

"North Karnataka Jolada Rotti Oota" refers to the "thali" or plate meal presented in the photo above. It is a popular meal in the northern regions of the state of Karnataka. The Jowar Roti or Jolada Rotti, that I shared on Tuesday, is the star of the meal. These gluten free, vegan and oil free flatbreads are made from jowar or sorghum millet and if made well, totally melt in your mouth. The bland rotti is always served with spicy sides like this Yennegai.

Yennegai is a curry that is made by stuffing eggplants with a spicy peanut mixture and slow cooking them until done in the peanut masala.

If you are lucky, you will find these baby eggplants or brinjals and you can stuff them directly. While using brinjals, always check for worms and discard those that have them. If you can't find baby eggplants, you can make the recipe by just dicing a big eggplant into bite sized chunks. In that case, you can skip the step of stuffing the eggplants with the spicy peanut mixture.

It tastes fabulous with wholewheat rotis or naans too. If you want to eat it with rice, you can make a thinner gravy.

Video Recipe

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! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Yennegai Recipe | How to make Ennegai Badnekayi | Bharli Vangi Recipe

Yennegai is a spicy stuffed baby eggplant curry made by simmering eggplants in a peanut based gravy.

Recipe Type:  Curry
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     45 minutes
Yield:               Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

16-18 baby Eggplants
1 cup roasted Peanuts
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Red Chilli Powder
0.25 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Jaggery or Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Tamarind Pulp
1 large Onion
1 sprig Curry leaves
4 tsp Oil
1 cup Water
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Make two slits lengthwise on the eggplant. Do not cut all the way through.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and saute the eggplants for 7-8 minutes until they are slightly soft.
3. Powder the peanuts and add garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, tamarind pulp and jaggery and mix well. Taste and adjust spices and seasoning as required.
4. Stuff the sauteed eggplants with the peanut mixture. Keep the excess peanut mixture aside.
5. Add the remaining oil to the same pan and add in finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry until the onions turn golden brown.
6. Place the eggplants in the pan and add the remaining peanut mixture.
7. Add water and mix well. To get a thick gravy, add 1 cup of water. To get a thinner gravy, add more.
8. Simmer on low heat until the eggplants are done, stirring occasionally.
9. Dust your kitchen counter with dry flour and dip the ball of dough in it.
10. Adjust seasoning as per taste.
11. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
12. Serve hot with jolada rotti or wholewheat rotis.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Jhunka

Eggplant Coconut Curry

Jolada Rotti

Read more ...

Soya Biryani Recipe [Video]

Soya Biryani is a spicy vegan layered rice dish made with nutritious soya chunks, mixed vegetables and fragrant long grained Basmati Rice.

If you love Biryani, you have arrived at the right place. This Soya Biryani is meaty, spicy and fragrant and perfect when you crave carbs and something spicy. 

To be honest, I am not a Biryani fanatic like a lot of my friends. While a lot of my friends can eat biryani for every meal, I'm usually the one who refuses to accompany them and I'd rather settle for a simple meal of roti and a dry sabzi with lots of fresh coconut. But I enjoy the spicy indulgence occasionally, especially on a real bad work day or on Sundays, when I have all the time in the world to give to the Biryani.

This Biryani recipe is my go-to recipe. I've made it with raw jackfruit, with mixed vegetables and with mushrooms, changing it ever so slightly at times. When I have ghee at home, I use that instead of the oil. When in mood, I use sour yogurt instead of tomatoes. But I keep the spicy masala the same, for the simple reason, because it works!!

While there are good instant biryani recipes, to make the best Biryani, you need to give it love and time. You need to coax out the flavor of the spices by gently cooking them in oil. The tomatoes need to soften and come together with the spices. The birista or the fried brown onions needs their own time to crisp up and develop the flavor. While you may not miss much if you leave these steps out, but you will love it when you make it with patience.

This Biryani uses mini soy chunks as the main ingredient. Since soya chunks are porous and meaty, they absorb the flavors of the spices perfectly. Cook the soya nuggets or chunks as described on the packet or just soak them in hot water and squeeze out the water to use them. 

This Soya Biryani can be prepped in advance - the birista can be made much in advance and store it in a air tight jar until you need to use it, the vegetables can be parboiled the previous day, the rice can be washed and cooked the previous night as well. And if you know you are going to be stretched for time the day you want to make Biryani, make the masala - until you cook the tomatoes, in advance and store it in the fridge. The oil and salt will preserve the masala well. Add the vegetables and soya chunks on the day you want to make the biryani.

Biryani is best served with raita and if you like more spice, then salan.

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! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Soya Biryani Recipe

Soya Biryani is a vegan layered spicy rice dish made with nutritious soya chunks and mixed vegetables cooked in a spicy tomato masala and fragrant basmati rice.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     90 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 cup raw Basmati Rice
0.75 cup mini Soya Chunks
1 small Carrot
5 green Beans
1 medium Potato
1 large Onion
2 medium Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
3 Tbsp fried Onions (Birista)
3.5 Tbsp Oil
0.5 cup Mint leaves (Pudina)
0.5 cup Coriander leaves (Dhania Patta)
1 tsp Caraway seeds (shah jeera)
2 Green Cardamom
3 Cloves
0.5" Cinnamon
0.5 tsp Stone Flower (Dagad phool)
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 Bay leaf
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Coriander Powder
0.5 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Biryani Powder or 1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice 5-6 times until the water runs clear. Soak for 20-30 minutes.
2. In the mean while, chop the carrot, beans and potato into chunks and parboil them with a little salt.
3. Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 15 minutes and squeeze out the water once soft. Or cook the soya chunks as instructed on the packet.
4. Boil 1.5 cups of water in a pan and add a pinch of salt to it.
5. Drain the basmati rice and add to water. Cover and cook on low to medium heat until the rice is almost done. Remove from heat and fluff the rice when slightly cool.
6. Roughly crush the green cardamom, cloves, stone flower, fennel seeds and cinnamon.
7. Heat 3 Tbsp oil and add the caraway seeds.
8. Add the roughly crushed spices and bay leaf and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
9. Add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute until the onions are browned.
10. Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.
11. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, biryani masala or garam masala powder and salt and mix well.
12. Cook on low heat until the tomatoes are soft. Adjust salt or spices as required.
13. Add the soya chunks, parboiled carrots, beans and potato. Mix well and cook for 5-6 minutes.
14. In a clean non stick kadhai, spread out half the cooked masala.
15. Layer half the basmati rice on the masala.
16. Top with half of the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and the fried onions (birista).
17. Sprinkle a little salt and add 0.5 tsp of oil.
18. Layer the remaning soya masala.
19. Layer the remaining rice.
20. Top with the remaining chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, and fried onions.
21. Sprinkle a little salt and add the remaining oil.
22. Cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes.
23. Mix while serving. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Jackfruit Biryani

Mushroom Biryani

Methi Rice

Read more ...

Bisi Bele Millet Recipe [Video]

Spicy South Indian one pot main made by simmering millet with lentils (dal), mix vegetables and spice blends. Vegan and healthy.

So, here I am with another Millet recipe. As I mentioned in my last week's post, I'm all on the millet wagon. I'm enjoying discovering these grains and creating recipes with them. I made a Pulao last week with Millet that tasted awesome. Leave me a comment if you want me to post that recipe.

Apart from that, I had a super tiring Saturday and a totally relaxing Sunday, just as I had planned, or not. So the whole saturday was spent gardening. If you are new here, I should let you know I have a small balcony garden where I try to grow vegetables organically. More recently, I've acquired a few flowers and fruit too, but majorly focusing on herbs and vegetables. My okra and chilli plant from last month have germinated and are coming along fine. This Saturday, I've been ambitious and planted daikon radish, beets, french beans, and brinjals. And I'm so excited!!

Sunday was the day I turned a year wiser. I spent it doing absolutely nothing. Breakfast was at Gee's place and lunch at my in law's. Dinner was take out. So all I did was lie around and watch reruns of sitcoms all day long. My dream day, almost. It would be perfect if the day was 48 hours long.

What would be your dream birthday celebration?

So back to my millet wagon, this Bisi Bele Millet is a take on the Bangalore classic, Bisi Bele Bhaat. Bisi Bele Bhaat is a simple one pot main dish made by making a sambar - a curry with lentils and vegetables and adding rice to it and simmering the two together. In today's recipe, I have replaced the rice with millet. I used little millet or samai. Navane or Foxtail Millet can be used too. You can also use Quinoa.

Bisi Bele Millet is a spicy one pot comfort dish that is perfect for those lazy evening when all you are all worked up but cannot be bothered to get a take out. This dish is even easier when you have done all the prep work in advance. The lentils/dal can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator and so can the millet. The vegetables can be diced and stored in the fridge too. So on the night you want to eat the Bisi Bele Millet, just put one pot on the stove and get it going.

Bisi Bele Millet tastes delicious with the traditional topping of spicy boondi. If you aren't vegan, then I highly recommend stirring a teaspoon of ghee or serving it with a side of raita.

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! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Bisi Bele Millet Recipe

Spicy South Indian one pot main dish made with cooked lentils, millet, mix vegetables and spice blends. Vegan and healthy meal.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            South Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Little Millet or Samai
2 cups cooked Pigeon Pea lentils or Toor Dal
2 cups mixed chopped Vegetables (Carrots, French Beans, Potato, Kohlrabi)
2 tsp Bisi Bele Bhaat Powder or Sambar Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
Salt to taste
Water as required
2 tsp Oil
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
10-12 Curry leaves

Method:

1. Boil the diced vegetables until done. You can salt the water if you want.
2. Cook the vegetables until they are done, but not mushy.
3. Add salt, bisi bele bhaat powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida. Mix well.
4. Add boiled lentils and mix well. Allow it to come to a rolling boil. Add a little water if it is too thick.
5. Add boiled millet and mix well. Allow it to cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds.
7. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and immediately pour on the bisi bele millet.
8. Mix well.
9. Serve hot with raita.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Millet Lemon Rice

Raw Mango Rice

Healthy Millet Salad

Read more ...

10 Vegan Indian Curries [Ready in 75 minutes or less!!]

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!!

1) Lahsuni Methi Mushroom [50 minutes]

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.

2) Mushroom Palak [60 minutes]

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.

3) Lauki Kofta [75 minutes]

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.

4) South Indian Chana Masala [75 minutes]

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.

5) Punjabi Dum Aloo [75 minutes]

Punjabi Dum Aloo is rich, creamy yet vegan curry in which baby potatoes are simmered in a delicately spiced tomato based gravy.

6) Babycorn Masala [60 minutes]

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.

7) Bom Chount Wangan [55 minutes]

A unique Kashmiri curry made with green apples and brinjal or eggplant. Sweet and spicy, this curry is unique in it's flavors.

8) Coorg Pumpkin Curry [70 minutes]

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.

9) Vegetable Stew [55 minutes]

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

10) Vegetable Jalfrezi [60 minutes]

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! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

If you liked this, you may also like:

Read more ...

Eggplant Coconut Curry [Video]

Vegan Eggplant Curry made by simmering sauteed eggplant in a spicy coconut gravy.

It was today, 12 years ago that I stepped foot into the Corporate jungle. My first day at my first job. A job I had waited 1.5 years to join, a long wait. A special day in the life of a young Engineer. 

It was also special for another reason. It was the day I met Raj. We've known each other for 12 years, starting from that day. 12 years is a long time to know someone. You tend to learn every annoying little detail there is, every story has been told, there are no skeletons left in the cupboard. When I predict he will do something to the "T", he thinks I'm guessing, but I know him so well that I don't need to guess anymore. There is comfort in knowing someone so well, there is warmth in trusting a person so much.

These two feelings of comfort and warmth are echoed in today's curry. A good curry is like a warm hug from inside. It is supposed to make you feel at home, it is supposed to make you smile for no reason at all. It is supposed to make you feel like you are in your pajamas even when you are dressed to impress.  It is supposed to be something you cannot resist taking another helping of. This Eggplant Coconut Curry is all that, and more!

This Eggplant Coconut Curry is made by first sauteing roughly diced eggplant in coconut oil until they are brown and soft. Then a gravy is made by adding coconut milk to sauteed onion and tomato puree. Spices, a lot of them are added to flavor the curry. The curry is finished off in true Indian style with a tempering or "tadka" of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Garnish with sliced almonds and the quintessential coriander leaves. You can use pine nuts or cashew nuts too. This is just an indulgent step and skipping it will not affect the flavor of your dish.

This curry is simple if you know your way around in the kitchen. If not, I have a quick video to help you out. This Eggplant Curry is vegan. It can be made gluten free by skipping the asafoetida. It can also be easily doubled or tripled and is perfect for a large family gathering. It requires barely any prep too.

The Eggplant Curry uses a mix of different spices like fennel powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. If you don't have all of them, just use what you have, or use your favorite Indian spice blend or curry powder.

Serve the curry with roti, naan or jeera rice like I did.

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Video Recipe

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Eggplant Coconut Curry

Flavorful curry made by simmering sauteed eggplant in a vegan gravy made with coconut milk and flavored with a mix of spices.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant (bharta baingan)
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 large Onion
2 medium Tomato
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Fennel Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
A pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
0.5 tsp Mustard seeds
8-10 Curry leaves
Salt to taste
0.5 cup Water
Sliced almonds to garnish (Optional)
Handful of Coriander leaves

Method:

1. Dice the eggplant into small pieces.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan and add the diced eggplant.
3. Add salt to taste and saute the eggplant until it is cooked. Remove and keep aside.
4. Puree the onion and tomato separately.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan and add the pureed onion.
6. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the onion browns slightly.
7. Add the pureed tomato and cook until the liquid evaporates.
8. Add all the spice powders and mix well.
9. Add 0.5 cup of water and simmer on low heat until for 4-5 minutes.
10. Add the coconut milk, salt to taste and the sauteed eggplant. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
11. Heat the remaining oil in a different pan. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
12. Once the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and remove from heat.
13. Add this tempering to the curry.
14. Garnish the curry with sliced almonds and chopped coriander leaves.
15. Serve hot with roti or rice.

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