Yield: 5 servings
Koftas:
Try a simple, fruity California Sauvignon Blanc such as 1992 Corbett Canyon Vineyards or 1992 Geyser Peak
Food&Wine April 1994, by Jennifer Brennan
A large proportion of the Indian population is vegetarian. Through their thousands of years of preparing food, many wonderful recipes have been worked out. This one has been slightly modernized, but will go well with most dishes.
| 1 med. onion finely sliced | 1/2 teaspoon turmeric |
| 1/2 teaspoon cumin | 1/2 teaspoon red pepper |
| 1 teaspoon grated ginger | pinch of ground cloves and cinnamon |
| 1/2 cup boiling water | 3 med potatoes cooked and quartered |
| 1 1/2 cup half cooked peas | 1/2 cup yoghurt |
| 2 teaspoon tomato paste |
Fry onions until light brown. Add all spices and fry for 2/3 minutes. May need a dash of water here. Now add tomato paste and boiling water. Toss in potatoes, peas and salt. Simmer until peas are done. Add yoghurt and mix carefully. ...Now wasn't that was easy?
Serves 4
For the masala:
First make the masala. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens. Add the rest of the masala ingredients to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture becomes reddish. Add the potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 3 3/4 cups hot water, salt, and the turmeric to the pan and simmer until the potatoes are just cooked. Add the tomatoes, tamarind water, and sugar. Boil until the sugar dissolves. Serve with plain boiled rice. Note: To make tamarind water, soak a small lump of tamarind in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind with your fingers, then strain off the tamarind water.
from Ismail Merchant's Indian Cuisine
Bir Mala Beca teaches cooking classes at the Hare Krishna Community in Culver City. As a vegetarian cook, she focuses on how to enhance legume protein with nuts, grains or dairy products. In this recipe, she uses fried cashews, basmati rice and clarified butter.
Place mung beans and rice in strainer and rinse well. Heat ghee in non-stick Dutch oven. Add cashews and fry until golden. Remove and set aside.
In same oil, fry cumin, chile and ginger until lightly browned. Add turmeric and asafetida. Add cauliflower and stir until well mixed with spices. Cook gently 5 to 10 minutes. Add mung beans and rice. Add 5 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Mixture should be moist and creamy. If too dry, add remaining 1 cup water. When done, fold in salt, butter, peas, tomatoes and cashews. Serve topped with cilantro. Accompany with lemon wedges to squeeze over mixture and with yogurt. Makes 8 servings.
Move over Hoppin' John; blackeye peas is steppin' out Indian style. This dish is from Chef-owner Kuldip Chand of Chandni Vegetarian Cuisine of India in Culver City, CA. He is from the Punjab and the man knows his dals.
In pot soak beans overnight in water to cover generously. Next day, drain beans, cover with fresh water and bring to boil. Add salt, coriander, cumin and turmeric. Simmer until beans are just tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Heat oil in deep saucepan. Add onion, garlic, ginger and cumin. Fry 10 minutes and add tomato. Cook another 5 minutes and add beans and cooking liquid. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are soft but not completely dissolved. Mixture should be soupy. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
This recipe is taken from a book I am currently working on. The book will deal with "Tasty Vegetarian" cooking from all parts of the world. This particular recipe is of Indian origin. I would appreciate any feedback/suggestions/inquiries
Please e-mail them to me at: 73312,2417. Thank you. Nagesh Kuppuraju
Those ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) can be bought from Indian Grocery shops around the country.
Makes 4 servings. Start to finish - 30 min. to 1 hour. Preparation time - 10 min. to 1 hour.
Ingredients
Patties:
Sauce:
Method
Peel and grate zucchini squash. Squeeze out the water from it. In a mixing bowl, add the squash, flours, salt, chilli powder, garam masala and baking soda and mix well into a thick batter. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok. When hot, but not smoking, spoon the batter into the oil. Reduce flame and deep fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain over paper towels.
In a blender, grind 1 chopped onion with coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger into a fine paste.
In a separate vessel, heat 2 tbsp. of oil. When hot, fry the ground paste for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and water to make it into a thin paste. Cook for 5 minutes, add the peas, salt and turmeric powder.
Add the patties to the sauce and simmmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the sour cream until desired color and consistency have been achieved.
Serve with rice pilaf or Indian bread (Naan). Mix in grated mozzarella cheese with the batter for deep frying (Malai Kofta).
Ingredients:
Combine the flour, melted ghee, lemon juice, spices and salt in a bowl and mix together well. Add 5 tbs. of cold water slowly, beating it until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Slowly add another 3 tbs. water and continue to beat until well mixed. Check the consistency, it should resemble the consistency of heavy cream and easily coat a spoon. If it does not, add more water, till it does.
Cover the batter and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let it settle.
Beat again for a couple of minutes to lighten the batter. Stir in the baking powder at this point if you want a cake-like crust.
For pakoras, choose a selection of your favourite vegetables: Cauliflower florets, eggplant cut into 1/4-inch rounds, potatoes or yams cut into 1/8-inch rounds, bell peppers sliced 1/4-inch thick, zucchini cut on the diagonal, 1/4-inch thick asparagus tips blanched and dried.
Heat 3 inches of ghee in a wok or deep skillet till hot. Dip your vegetables in the batter and one by one slip them into the hot oil. Fry until the pakoras are golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately. Serves: 6.
Adapted from Yamuna Devi, "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking". Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.00
Ingredients:
Combine all ingredients except water, 1 tbs. corn oil and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Gradually add water while the machine is running. Process in short bursts till a thick ball is formed. Remove and knead for 5 minutes. Use flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm dark place for 15 to 20 minutes.
Prepare grill and cover to buld up an intense heat. Cut dough into 6 portions. roll each piece into a circle 8" in diameter and as thin as a flour tortilla. Brush each piece with glaze and place glaze side down on the grill. Cover and allow to bake for 5 minutes. Brush tops with 1 tbs. corn oil and 2 minced garlic cloves, flip and allow other side to brown.
Serves: 6.
From "Vegetarian Times" July, 1993
Ingredients:
Place the cauliflower, potatoes, fresh peas and green beans in the bottom of a pot and cover with water. Put the carrots, beets and celery in a steaming basket, cover and place over the pot. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Drain, saving the water. Add the frozen peas, defrosted first, to the steamed vegetables.
In a blender, while it is running, drop in the chilies. Add the chick peas, nuts and seeds and process until the peas are mashed. Some vegetable water may facilitate this. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, fresh peas, if using, and beans. Pulse on and off till they are coarsely mashed. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the steamed vegetables, salt, pepper, turmeric and garam masala. Mix well. Divide into portions.
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Flatten a portion into an almond shaped cutlet, 1/2 inch thick and place on the sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Whisk the soy milk, cornstarch & flour in a flat bowl until smooth. Dip each cutlet into the batter, roll in poppy seeds and set aside briefly to air dry.
Heat ghee to a depth of 3/4 inch. Without crowding, fry the cutlets in batches for 2 minutes each side. Drain and serve. Yield: 12 servings.
Adapted from Yamuna Devi, "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking". Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.00. New layout by Uwe Molzahn, 1994
Here is one of our favorite "vegetarian dish". We always include it to our menu for an indian dinner.
Soak chickpeas overnight, rince, cook in water until tender. Drain, KEEP THE COOKING LIQUID!
In a frying pan heat the oil, fry onion until golden. Add cinnamon and cloves, cook a few seconds. Add garlic, ginger, chili pepper, ground coriander and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes, with the juice and cook until all liquid has evaporated.
Add the chickpeas to the pan, mixe well, cook 5 minutes. Pour the cooking liquid of the chickpeas and simmer for 25 minutes, until all the liquid is gone.
Sprinkle with the garam massala and cilantro.
Can be served hot or cold.
Ingredients:
Heat ghee in large skillet and fry the garlic and spices for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Blanch eggplants in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and dice them.
Add all the vegetables, including the chili, to the pan. Fry gently for 7 minutes, stirring to mix thoroughly. Dissolve grated coconut in the boiling water and mix with vegetables. Add tomatoes, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in toasted cashews and serve over rice. Serves: 4.