20 Healthy vegetarian recipes
20 Healthy vegetarian recipes
There
are many mixed opinions when one talks about vegetarian recipes and the
benefits of a healthy vegetarian diet. Some swear by it, while others
hate it completely.
Many of the staunch vegetarians believe in the fact that it is a better way to live a healthy life. In India, many households prepare vegetarian dishes but the old tradition of too many spices, oils and fats continue, making these vegetarian dishes unhealthy.
Some vegetarians are overweight, of course for reasons similar to those that cause obesity among meat-eaters. So beware of swapping out meat for nutritionally empty, calorie-dense foods. The healthiest vegetarian diet will have a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes.
So, today we give you 20 healthy vegetarian recipes, which will be easy on your waistline and kitchen time.
Antioxidant salad
Ingredients
1 medium head Broccoli
1 small zucchini
1 small purple cabbage
3 to 4 lettuce leaves
1 clove fresh garlic
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Method
- Wash all the raw ingredients well and keep in a colander to drain.
- Spin the salad leaves to remove the excess moisture and place them in a salad bowl.
- Break the broccoli florets into 2 inch sized pieces, place them in the pan of hot water (do not boil them just place them in a pan of just boiled water).
- Do not peel the zucchini. Cut it lengthwise, then into 2 inch sized pieces and place in the same pan as the broccoli.
- Cut the purple cabbage into 2 inch sized pieces.
- In a hot pan, lightly roast the flax seeds (unroasted are also great).
Dressing
Crush the garlic clove. Add the lemon juice into a small bowl, add the garlic, salt and pepper. Let it steep.
Assembling the salad
Drain the broccoli and zucchini and place on top of the salad leaves. Add the cabbage. Now pour the dressing over this and toss gently till all the ingredients are coated with the dressing. Add the flax and sunflower seeds and enjoy your healthy antioxidant salad!
Bajra aloo rotis:
Ingredients
2 cups fresh ground bajra or millet flour
1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
5 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
½ cup onions cut fine
2 green chillies ground fine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ginger freshly ground
½ teaspoon amchur
Salt to taste
Method:
- Knead the bajra flour into a pliable dough alongwith all the ingredients.
- Heat a non stick tawa.
- Roll out the dough into rotis, and cook on each side till done.
- Serve hot with non dairy yogurt.
Vegan ice cream
Ingredients:
2 medium size frozen ripe bananas
1 ½ tablespoon pure smooth peanut butter
¾ teaspoon cocoa powder
2 to 3 drops of pure vanilla essence
Some chopped mixed nuts
Method:
- In a blender, add the frozen banana, the peanut butter, the cocoa powder and the vanilla essence and blend till smooth and all the ingredients have mixed well.
- Take out into a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. Dig in!
Oats upma
Ingredients:
1 bowl of boiled and mashed oats
Chopped green chillies
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
½ tablespoon of ginger
8 to 10 curry leaves
1 tablespoon of oil
½ tablespoon of mustard seeds
½ tablespoon of cumin powder
1/4th tablespoon of hing (asafoetida)
Chopped coriander to garnish
Method:
- Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- Once they start sputtering, add chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir fry. - Now add chopped tomatoes, and cook thoroughly for 3-5 minutes.
- Now throw in the oats. Cook only for a minute or two as you wouldn't want the oats to turn very soft. Serve right away!
Banana, apple and oatmeal porridge
Ingredients
1/2 cup of oats
¼ cup of broken wheat
1 tsp low-fat butter
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk(99.7% fat-free)
1 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup chopped apples
1 cup sliced banana.
Method:
- Take a pressure cooker. Heat butter in it. Add oats to it and saute on medium flame for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add broken wheat to it and saute on medium flame for yet another 2 minutes. Add milk and 1 cup of water and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook it for 2 whistles.
- Now add the cinnamon powder and sugar to the mixture. Take it in a bowl and add apples and bananas. Serve immediately.
Oats rava dosa
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1/4th cup rava
3/4th cup whole wheat flour
1 onion
2 green chillies
2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Method
- Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan and throw finely chopped onions, green chillies, pepper and cumin seeds in. Saute for 2mins, keep aside.
- Now take a separate bowl and mix in all the ingredients. Add enough water to the mixture, and pour the dosa batter to the boiling hot pan. Keep on adding drops of oil to the dosa. Cook it on each side thoroughly until light brown in colour.
Palak chaman (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
500 gm spinach (palak) - chopped (5 cups)
4 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 cup chopped coriander
1 green chilli
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
250 gms paneer- cut into 1 inch pieces
½ stick cinnamon (dalchini)
2 green cardamoms (chhoti elaichi)
3-4 cloves (laung)
5 tbsp oil
2 onions - ground to a paste
½ cup cream or milk, approx.
Salt to taste
Tempering (tadka)
1 tbsp desi ghee
1 tbsp chopped ginger
½ tsp red chilli powder
Method:
- Boil spinach, kasoori methi, fresh coriander and green chilli in 1 cup water with sugar. - Cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes till spinach turns soft. Remove from fire. Strain the spinach and keep liquid aside. Cool the spinach and blend to a puree.
- Mix besan with the spinach liquid and keep aside.
- Crush dalchini, laung and seeds of chhoti elaichi to a rough powder. Keep aside.
- Heat 5 tbsp oil. Add onions and cook on low heat till oil separates and they turn light brown.
- Add the freshly ground masala. Cook for a few seconds.
- Add besan dissolved in liquid. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the palak puree. Bhuno for 5-7 minutes till dry and oil separates.
- Add enough cream or milk, to get the right consistency and colour. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
- Add paneer pieces.
- Add salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
- To serve, heat 1 tbsp desi ghee for the baghar. Add ginger. Remove from fire. When ginger turns golden, add red chilli powder to the hot oil. Remove from fire and mix lightly with the spinach. Serve hot.
Veggies in Hot Garlic Sauce (Serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
100 gm tofu or paneer - cut into ¼" thick triangular pieces - sprinkled with ¼ tsp salt & white pepper and 1 tbsp cornflour
4-5 florets of broccoli or cauliflower
4 tbsp oil
4-6 babycorns - cut into 2 pieces lengthwise
1 carrot - sliced very diagonally and then cut into 2 pieces
6-8 leaves of bokchoy or spinach
1 tbsp of dried black mushrooms or 3-4 fresh mushrooms - cut into 2 pieces
1 capsicum - cut into 1" pieces
Garlic Sauce:
20 flakes garlic and 2 dry, red chillies (soaked) - crushed to a rough paste
3 tbsp oil, ½ onion - cut into 4 pieces and separated, 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp red chilli sauce, 2 tsp soya sauce, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, a pinch sugar
2 tsp vinegar, 1½ cups water, 3 tbsp cornflour mixed with ½ cup water
Method:
- If using dried black mushrooms, put them in a pan. Cover with water. Boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from fire. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Wash several times to remove dirt.
- Break off any hard stem portion and discard. Cut into smaller pieces. If using bokchoy or spinach, trim the stem, remove any discoloured leaves. Tear into 2" pieces.
- Boil 4-5 cups water with 1 tsp salt. Remove from fire. Add broccoli or cauliflower, baby corns, carrots and bokchoy or spinach. Leave veggies in hot water for 1-2 minutes and strain. Refresh in cold water and keep aside till serving time.
- Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan. Shallow fry the tofu till golden. Remove tofu from pan.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil. Remove from fire. Add garlic and red chilli paste. Stir till garlic starts to change its colour. Add onion cubes, stir for a minute.
- Add tomato ketchup, red chilli sauce, soya sauce, pepper and salt. Cook for 1 minute on low heat. Add sugar and vinegar.
- Add soaked mushrooms, blanched vegetables and capsicum. Stir.
- Add water, give one boil. Add cornflour paste, stirring all the time. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat. Keep sauce aside. At serving time, add fried tofu to sauce & boil for 2 minutes. Serve with rice.
*Image and recipe courtesy: © Nita Mehta
Vegetable Chat Mix
Ingredients
1 cup american sweet corn
1 small cucumber
1 small red bell pepper
1 green chilli
Few mint leaves
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Black salt to taste
Preparation
Saute corn.
Roast cumin seeds mildly and grind them coarsely.
Chop cucumber and bell pepper.
Wash and chop mint and chilli very finely.
Method
- Toss together corn and chopped vegetables.
- Season corn with mint, chilli, olive oil, cumin powder and salt.
- Serve warm at home on holidays or pack in tiffin with lemon wedges.
Almond milk
Ingredients
35 almonds
200 ml purified water
Preparation
Soak almonds overnight
Next morning drain water and peel them
Method
- Put skinned almonds in the blender.
- Gradually add water and churn to make homogeneous milk.
- Blend until the consistency of milk is to your liking.
- Do not strain the grain.
Oakra stir fry
Highly recommended in cholesterol-fighting and weight-reduction diets, okra or bhindi as we know it in India, is a great side dish for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. A healthy serving of this popular Indian vegetable will give you less than 50 calories, along with healthy dietary fibre and essential nutrients like vitamins A, C and K, and folates. Add to that, this simple 10 minute recipe and you've got an efficient way to meet your daily vegetable intake as well as natural nutrients. This simple and healthy okra stir-fry recipe will hold you in good stead.
Ingredients:
1 kilo okra - washed, dried and chopped
1 onion - sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon mustard oil
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste
Method:
- Add oil, cumin seeds and mustard seeds to a non-stick cooking pan on high heat. Stir till seeds start crackling.
- Add sliced onions to the pan and stir till the onions become slightly transclucent.
- Now add all the spices and salt and mix well.
- After a minute, add the okra and stir well - incorporating all spices with the chopped vegetable. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, you will notice that the okra starts leaving a wet residue. This is the exact time to add the juice of lime - as it seals and deals with it. You will notice the okra's colour will darken and bind.
- Simmer the flame, after adding the lime juice, and cook (uncovered) for another 5-10 minutes. How much longer you cook it for, depends on how crunchy or soft you like your vegetables.
Mix and match: You can add some boiled potatoes with a pinch of dry mango powder to this mix, after the onion stage, to give it more bulk and flavour.
Mixed vegetable pasta
Ingredients
2tbs olive oil
2 minced cloves garlic
2 cups sliced spring onions
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped quick-cooking vegetables (capsicum, spinach, zucchini)
1 cup vegetable broth(with zero salt)
10oz fusilli
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Ssalt to taste
Method
- Add oil to a small bowl. Next, add onions and stir until golden brown.
- Add chopped vegetables, white wine, garlic and salt. Cook on high heat for 2-5 minutes.
- Gently add the vegetable broth. Cook until the broth is reduced to half. In a separate bowl, cook pasta in boiling water and salt. Drain the pasta and add the white wine mix.
Vegetable Pita Pizza
Ingredients
2 slices whole grain bread or whole wheat pita pocket
2tbs pizza sauce or homemade salsa sauce
1/3rd cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
Half cup chopped boiled vegetable of your choice
Method
- Take whole wheat pita pocket and spread pizza or salsa sauce evenly inside it. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and your own combination of in-season vegetables.
- Place it over a baking tray and microwave it for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
Banana blueberry bread
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 tbs canola oil
1 cup mashed ripe banana
3/4 cup blueberries
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Mix both kinds of flours, grits, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Gently make a well within the mixture and add oil, banana, blueberries, and eggs; add to flour mixture. Spoon the batter into a baking tray and place it in oven.
Red bean stew
Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
5-6 mushrooms
1 cup red beans
2 tbs tomato paste
75gms spinach
1 tbs vegetable oil
Pepper
Salt
2 tablespoon of flour
Chilli powder
Method
- Soak the beans overnight. The next day place them in a pot and cover with 3 cups water. - Cook for 1 hour or so, until beans are fully cooked.
- Add mushroom and cook for another 10 minutes. Now lightly saute onion in a different pan and add it to the mixture. Now add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and serve right away.
Summer Chickpea Soup
Ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 cup chickpeas, 1 ltr vegetable stock, 1 tbs lime juice, 3 tbs fresh parsley, 2 tbs fresh mint and 1 cup natural yogurt.
Method: Heat the oil in a pan and saute garlic and onion over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and vegetable stock and let it come to a boil. After a boil, let it simmer for 15 minutes. Now take half of the soup and blend it nice until a smooth mixture is formed. Now add the mixture to the pan. Your soup must have thickened by now. Check for its creamy consistency. Finish it by adding parsley, mint and lime juice. Your summer chickpea soup is ready!
Whole Wheat Mini Sandwich
Ingredients: 1 whole-wheat bread roll or plain whole wheat bread, 2 teaspoons pesto sauce, 2 thinly sliced turkey or chicken breast and 3 to 4 tablespoon of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Method: Take a small baking sheet, and spread your bread in two halves. Add 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce over it along with turkey or chicken breasts slices. Sprinkle cheese and microwave it for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Healthy Couscous Chickpea Salad
Ingredients: 1 tomato, 1 thinly sliced cucumber, 1 cup of Chickpeas, ½ cup of Lentils, ½ cup of Couscous, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and Salt (to taste)
Method: Take a bowl and add ½ cup of boiling water and couscous to it. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Now fluff the couscous with a fork and add a bit of olive oil to it. Throw in tomato, chickpeas, lentils and cucumber to the couscous bowl. Top it with lime juice, salt, the leftover oil and vinegar. Mix all the ingredients together. Your healthy couscous chickpea salad is ready.
Bran Muffins
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups wheat bran cereal, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup boiling water, 2 egg whites, 3/4 cup Soy Milk, 1/4 cup applesauce (can be substituted with Olive oil or unsalted butter), 1/4 cup honey, 2tbs Soy Oil, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup Soy Flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the cereal and raisins in a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Mix well, allow this to cool. Whisk together the egg whites, Soy Milk, applesauce, honey, and Soy Oil in a mixing bowl. Put together the flour, Soy Flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Stir the applesauce mixture into the cereal mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Divide the mixture among 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool them before serving.
Corn Salad with Beans
Ingredients: 1 cup soybeans, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup cooked fresh corn, 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped, 1 medium tomato, chopped , 1/2 cup sliced green onions , 1 /2 cup sliced red onion, 1 clove garlic, coriander for garnish.
Dressing: 3/4 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tbs fresh lemon or lime juice, 1 tbs chopped fresh coriander.
Method: In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except the coriander. Combine all the dressing ingredients and shake them to mix well. Pour dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Garnish with coriander before serving. Serve chilled!
Chilly Soy Nuggets
Ingredient: 1.5 cups Soy Nuggets, 1.5 medium onion, 2 green chili pepper, 1 cup capsicum , 4 cloves of garlic, 1.5 inch ginger, 4-6 dry red chilies, 1tbs sesame seeds, lightly toasted for garnish, 4tbs oil, 2-3tbs Soy Sauce, 3-4tbs hot sauce, 4tbs tomato, green onions for garnish, salt to taste.
Method: Cover and soak for about 15 minutes soy nuggets in boiling water with salt. Heat oil in a pan; add the red dry chilies and the sesame seeds. Add the onions, hot chili peppers, bell peppers ginger and garlic. Stir fry at medium heat till the onions are translucent. Add the Soy nuggets to the pan and toss them around for about 5-7 minutes. Combine the soy sauce, tomato puree, and hot sauce in 1/2 cup of water. Add this to the soy nuggets in the pan & cook till the nuggets are coated & the oil.
Garden Fresh Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
1 onion sliced
4 whole cloves
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Method:
In a stockpot over medium heat, combine 4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes, 1 onion sliced, 4 whole cloves and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20mins to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl or pan. Discard any stuff left over in the food mill. Now melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Stir in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour to make a roux. Cook the roux till medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt and adjust to taste.
Many of the staunch vegetarians believe in the fact that it is a better way to live a healthy life. In India, many households prepare vegetarian dishes but the old tradition of too many spices, oils and fats continue, making these vegetarian dishes unhealthy.
Some vegetarians are overweight, of course for reasons similar to those that cause obesity among meat-eaters. So beware of swapping out meat for nutritionally empty, calorie-dense foods. The healthiest vegetarian diet will have a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes.
So, today we give you 20 healthy vegetarian recipes, which will be easy on your waistline and kitchen time.
Antioxidant salad
Ingredients
1 medium head Broccoli
1 small zucchini
1 small purple cabbage
3 to 4 lettuce leaves
1 clove fresh garlic
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Method
- Wash all the raw ingredients well and keep in a colander to drain.
- Spin the salad leaves to remove the excess moisture and place them in a salad bowl.
- Break the broccoli florets into 2 inch sized pieces, place them in the pan of hot water (do not boil them just place them in a pan of just boiled water).
- Do not peel the zucchini. Cut it lengthwise, then into 2 inch sized pieces and place in the same pan as the broccoli.
- Cut the purple cabbage into 2 inch sized pieces.
- In a hot pan, lightly roast the flax seeds (unroasted are also great).
Dressing
Crush the garlic clove. Add the lemon juice into a small bowl, add the garlic, salt and pepper. Let it steep.
Assembling the salad
Drain the broccoli and zucchini and place on top of the salad leaves. Add the cabbage. Now pour the dressing over this and toss gently till all the ingredients are coated with the dressing. Add the flax and sunflower seeds and enjoy your healthy antioxidant salad!
Bajra aloo rotis:
Ingredients
2 cups fresh ground bajra or millet flour
1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
5 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
½ cup onions cut fine
2 green chillies ground fine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ginger freshly ground
½ teaspoon amchur
Salt to taste
Method:
- Knead the bajra flour into a pliable dough alongwith all the ingredients.
- Heat a non stick tawa.
- Roll out the dough into rotis, and cook on each side till done.
- Serve hot with non dairy yogurt.
Vegan ice cream
Ingredients:
2 medium size frozen ripe bananas
1 ½ tablespoon pure smooth peanut butter
¾ teaspoon cocoa powder
2 to 3 drops of pure vanilla essence
Some chopped mixed nuts
Method:
- In a blender, add the frozen banana, the peanut butter, the cocoa powder and the vanilla essence and blend till smooth and all the ingredients have mixed well.
- Take out into a serving dish and sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. Dig in!
Oats upma
Ingredients:
1 bowl of boiled and mashed oats
Chopped green chillies
1 chopped onion
1 chopped tomato
½ tablespoon of ginger
8 to 10 curry leaves
1 tablespoon of oil
½ tablespoon of mustard seeds
½ tablespoon of cumin powder
1/4th tablespoon of hing (asafoetida)
Chopped coriander to garnish
Method:
- Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- Once they start sputtering, add chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir fry. - Now add chopped tomatoes, and cook thoroughly for 3-5 minutes.
- Now throw in the oats. Cook only for a minute or two as you wouldn't want the oats to turn very soft. Serve right away!
Banana, apple and oatmeal porridge
Ingredients
1/2 cup of oats
¼ cup of broken wheat
1 tsp low-fat butter
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk(99.7% fat-free)
1 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup chopped apples
1 cup sliced banana.
Method:
- Take a pressure cooker. Heat butter in it. Add oats to it and saute on medium flame for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add broken wheat to it and saute on medium flame for yet another 2 minutes. Add milk and 1 cup of water and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook it for 2 whistles.
- Now add the cinnamon powder and sugar to the mixture. Take it in a bowl and add apples and bananas. Serve immediately.
Oats rava dosa
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1/4th cup rava
3/4th cup whole wheat flour
1 onion
2 green chillies
2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Method
- Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan and throw finely chopped onions, green chillies, pepper and cumin seeds in. Saute for 2mins, keep aside.
- Now take a separate bowl and mix in all the ingredients. Add enough water to the mixture, and pour the dosa batter to the boiling hot pan. Keep on adding drops of oil to the dosa. Cook it on each side thoroughly until light brown in colour.
Palak chaman (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
500 gm spinach (palak) - chopped (5 cups)
4 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
1 cup chopped coriander
1 green chilli
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
250 gms paneer- cut into 1 inch pieces
½ stick cinnamon (dalchini)
2 green cardamoms (chhoti elaichi)
3-4 cloves (laung)
5 tbsp oil
2 onions - ground to a paste
½ cup cream or milk, approx.
Salt to taste
Tempering (tadka)
1 tbsp desi ghee
1 tbsp chopped ginger
½ tsp red chilli powder
Method:
- Boil spinach, kasoori methi, fresh coriander and green chilli in 1 cup water with sugar. - Cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes till spinach turns soft. Remove from fire. Strain the spinach and keep liquid aside. Cool the spinach and blend to a puree.
- Mix besan with the spinach liquid and keep aside.
- Crush dalchini, laung and seeds of chhoti elaichi to a rough powder. Keep aside.
- Heat 5 tbsp oil. Add onions and cook on low heat till oil separates and they turn light brown.
- Add the freshly ground masala. Cook for a few seconds.
- Add besan dissolved in liquid. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the palak puree. Bhuno for 5-7 minutes till dry and oil separates.
- Add enough cream or milk, to get the right consistency and colour. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
- Add paneer pieces.
- Add salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
- To serve, heat 1 tbsp desi ghee for the baghar. Add ginger. Remove from fire. When ginger turns golden, add red chilli powder to the hot oil. Remove from fire and mix lightly with the spinach. Serve hot.
Veggies in Hot Garlic Sauce (Serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
100 gm tofu or paneer - cut into ¼" thick triangular pieces - sprinkled with ¼ tsp salt & white pepper and 1 tbsp cornflour
4-5 florets of broccoli or cauliflower
4 tbsp oil
4-6 babycorns - cut into 2 pieces lengthwise
1 carrot - sliced very diagonally and then cut into 2 pieces
6-8 leaves of bokchoy or spinach
1 tbsp of dried black mushrooms or 3-4 fresh mushrooms - cut into 2 pieces
1 capsicum - cut into 1" pieces
Garlic Sauce:
20 flakes garlic and 2 dry, red chillies (soaked) - crushed to a rough paste
3 tbsp oil, ½ onion - cut into 4 pieces and separated, 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tsp red chilli sauce, 2 tsp soya sauce, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, a pinch sugar
2 tsp vinegar, 1½ cups water, 3 tbsp cornflour mixed with ½ cup water
Method:
- If using dried black mushrooms, put them in a pan. Cover with water. Boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from fire. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Wash several times to remove dirt.
- Break off any hard stem portion and discard. Cut into smaller pieces. If using bokchoy or spinach, trim the stem, remove any discoloured leaves. Tear into 2" pieces.
- Boil 4-5 cups water with 1 tsp salt. Remove from fire. Add broccoli or cauliflower, baby corns, carrots and bokchoy or spinach. Leave veggies in hot water for 1-2 minutes and strain. Refresh in cold water and keep aside till serving time.
- Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan. Shallow fry the tofu till golden. Remove tofu from pan.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil. Remove from fire. Add garlic and red chilli paste. Stir till garlic starts to change its colour. Add onion cubes, stir for a minute.
- Add tomato ketchup, red chilli sauce, soya sauce, pepper and salt. Cook for 1 minute on low heat. Add sugar and vinegar.
- Add soaked mushrooms, blanched vegetables and capsicum. Stir.
- Add water, give one boil. Add cornflour paste, stirring all the time. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat. Keep sauce aside. At serving time, add fried tofu to sauce & boil for 2 minutes. Serve with rice.
*Image and recipe courtesy: © Nita Mehta
Vegetable Chat Mix
Ingredients
1 cup american sweet corn
1 small cucumber
1 small red bell pepper
1 green chilli
Few mint leaves
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Black salt to taste
Preparation
Saute corn.
Roast cumin seeds mildly and grind them coarsely.
Chop cucumber and bell pepper.
Wash and chop mint and chilli very finely.
Method
- Toss together corn and chopped vegetables.
- Season corn with mint, chilli, olive oil, cumin powder and salt.
- Serve warm at home on holidays or pack in tiffin with lemon wedges.
Almond milk
Ingredients
35 almonds
200 ml purified water
Preparation
Soak almonds overnight
Next morning drain water and peel them
Method
- Put skinned almonds in the blender.
- Gradually add water and churn to make homogeneous milk.
- Blend until the consistency of milk is to your liking.
- Do not strain the grain.
Oakra stir fry
Highly recommended in cholesterol-fighting and weight-reduction diets, okra or bhindi as we know it in India, is a great side dish for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. A healthy serving of this popular Indian vegetable will give you less than 50 calories, along with healthy dietary fibre and essential nutrients like vitamins A, C and K, and folates. Add to that, this simple 10 minute recipe and you've got an efficient way to meet your daily vegetable intake as well as natural nutrients. This simple and healthy okra stir-fry recipe will hold you in good stead.
Ingredients:
1 kilo okra - washed, dried and chopped
1 onion - sliced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon mustard oil
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste
Method:
- Add oil, cumin seeds and mustard seeds to a non-stick cooking pan on high heat. Stir till seeds start crackling.
- Add sliced onions to the pan and stir till the onions become slightly transclucent.
- Now add all the spices and salt and mix well.
- After a minute, add the okra and stir well - incorporating all spices with the chopped vegetable. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, you will notice that the okra starts leaving a wet residue. This is the exact time to add the juice of lime - as it seals and deals with it. You will notice the okra's colour will darken and bind.
- Simmer the flame, after adding the lime juice, and cook (uncovered) for another 5-10 minutes. How much longer you cook it for, depends on how crunchy or soft you like your vegetables.
Mix and match: You can add some boiled potatoes with a pinch of dry mango powder to this mix, after the onion stage, to give it more bulk and flavour.
Mixed vegetable pasta
Ingredients
2tbs olive oil
2 minced cloves garlic
2 cups sliced spring onions
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped quick-cooking vegetables (capsicum, spinach, zucchini)
1 cup vegetable broth(with zero salt)
10oz fusilli
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Ssalt to taste
Method
- Add oil to a small bowl. Next, add onions and stir until golden brown.
- Add chopped vegetables, white wine, garlic and salt. Cook on high heat for 2-5 minutes.
- Gently add the vegetable broth. Cook until the broth is reduced to half. In a separate bowl, cook pasta in boiling water and salt. Drain the pasta and add the white wine mix.
Vegetable Pita Pizza
Ingredients
2 slices whole grain bread or whole wheat pita pocket
2tbs pizza sauce or homemade salsa sauce
1/3rd cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
Half cup chopped boiled vegetable of your choice
Method
- Take whole wheat pita pocket and spread pizza or salsa sauce evenly inside it. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and your own combination of in-season vegetables.
- Place it over a baking tray and microwave it for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
Banana blueberry bread
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 tbs canola oil
1 cup mashed ripe banana
3/4 cup blueberries
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Mix both kinds of flours, grits, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
- Gently make a well within the mixture and add oil, banana, blueberries, and eggs; add to flour mixture. Spoon the batter into a baking tray and place it in oven.
Red bean stew
Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
5-6 mushrooms
1 cup red beans
2 tbs tomato paste
75gms spinach
1 tbs vegetable oil
Pepper
Salt
2 tablespoon of flour
Chilli powder
Method
- Soak the beans overnight. The next day place them in a pot and cover with 3 cups water. - Cook for 1 hour or so, until beans are fully cooked.
- Add mushroom and cook for another 10 minutes. Now lightly saute onion in a different pan and add it to the mixture. Now add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and serve right away.
Summer Chickpea Soup
Ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 cup chickpeas, 1 ltr vegetable stock, 1 tbs lime juice, 3 tbs fresh parsley, 2 tbs fresh mint and 1 cup natural yogurt.
Method: Heat the oil in a pan and saute garlic and onion over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and vegetable stock and let it come to a boil. After a boil, let it simmer for 15 minutes. Now take half of the soup and blend it nice until a smooth mixture is formed. Now add the mixture to the pan. Your soup must have thickened by now. Check for its creamy consistency. Finish it by adding parsley, mint and lime juice. Your summer chickpea soup is ready!
Whole Wheat Mini Sandwich
Ingredients: 1 whole-wheat bread roll or plain whole wheat bread, 2 teaspoons pesto sauce, 2 thinly sliced turkey or chicken breast and 3 to 4 tablespoon of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Method: Take a small baking sheet, and spread your bread in two halves. Add 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce over it along with turkey or chicken breasts slices. Sprinkle cheese and microwave it for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Healthy Couscous Chickpea Salad
Ingredients: 1 tomato, 1 thinly sliced cucumber, 1 cup of Chickpeas, ½ cup of Lentils, ½ cup of Couscous, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and Salt (to taste)
Method: Take a bowl and add ½ cup of boiling water and couscous to it. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Now fluff the couscous with a fork and add a bit of olive oil to it. Throw in tomato, chickpeas, lentils and cucumber to the couscous bowl. Top it with lime juice, salt, the leftover oil and vinegar. Mix all the ingredients together. Your healthy couscous chickpea salad is ready.
Bran Muffins
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups wheat bran cereal, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup boiling water, 2 egg whites, 3/4 cup Soy Milk, 1/4 cup applesauce (can be substituted with Olive oil or unsalted butter), 1/4 cup honey, 2tbs Soy Oil, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup Soy Flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the cereal and raisins in a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Mix well, allow this to cool. Whisk together the egg whites, Soy Milk, applesauce, honey, and Soy Oil in a mixing bowl. Put together the flour, Soy Flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Stir the applesauce mixture into the cereal mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Divide the mixture among 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool them before serving.
Corn Salad with Beans
Ingredients: 1 cup soybeans, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup cooked fresh corn, 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped, 1 medium tomato, chopped , 1/2 cup sliced green onions , 1 /2 cup sliced red onion, 1 clove garlic, coriander for garnish.
Dressing: 3/4 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tbs fresh lemon or lime juice, 1 tbs chopped fresh coriander.
Method: In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except the coriander. Combine all the dressing ingredients and shake them to mix well. Pour dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Garnish with coriander before serving. Serve chilled!
Chilly Soy Nuggets
Ingredient: 1.5 cups Soy Nuggets, 1.5 medium onion, 2 green chili pepper, 1 cup capsicum , 4 cloves of garlic, 1.5 inch ginger, 4-6 dry red chilies, 1tbs sesame seeds, lightly toasted for garnish, 4tbs oil, 2-3tbs Soy Sauce, 3-4tbs hot sauce, 4tbs tomato, green onions for garnish, salt to taste.
Method: Cover and soak for about 15 minutes soy nuggets in boiling water with salt. Heat oil in a pan; add the red dry chilies and the sesame seeds. Add the onions, hot chili peppers, bell peppers ginger and garlic. Stir fry at medium heat till the onions are translucent. Add the Soy nuggets to the pan and toss them around for about 5-7 minutes. Combine the soy sauce, tomato puree, and hot sauce in 1/2 cup of water. Add this to the soy nuggets in the pan & cook till the nuggets are coated & the oil.
Garden Fresh Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
1 onion sliced
4 whole cloves
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Method:
In a stockpot over medium heat, combine 4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes, 1 onion sliced, 4 whole cloves and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20mins to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill into a large bowl or pan. Discard any stuff left over in the food mill. Now melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Stir in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour to make a roux. Cook the roux till medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt and adjust to taste.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment