Blog - Page 2 of 7 - Plant Based Indian Living

Cabbage with Peas

What, Cabbage as an Entree and not in a Salad? Yes, and it is common in India. Not to forget the benefits of cabbage for your body with the benefits of spices. Make it an easy wrap using your leftover Pita bread.

Ingredients

1/2 cabbage head; finely chopped and washed
1 cup frozen peas; thawed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 asafoetida (Hing)
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 Garam Masala
1 tbsp of coriander powder
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

Preparation

1. Take a medium size saucepan and heat the saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and asafoetida. Stir them until they start spurting.
3. Add red chili powder, Garam Masala, coriander powder, and salt. Stir for few seconds.
4. Add chopped cabbage. Stir well along with the spices in the saucepan.
5. Add peas to the saucepan.
6. Mix cabbage and peas well. So cabbage and peas are covered with the spices.
7. Cover the lid of the saucepan.
8. Check cabbage and peas after every 3-4 mins.
9. Cook until cabbage is soft to eat.
10. Serve it hot and enjoy this green healthy entree with your favorite roti or brown rice. Make a wrap or fill in a pita or a sandwich.

Cabbage and Peas
Cabbage cooking with Peas
Almost Ready
Cabbage in a saucepan

Spinach with Corn

Why is this so special? It brings the nutritional benefits of spinach and corn together in a non-salad entree. How great is that! The pureed Spinach with the twist of Indian spices makes it very appealing even for kids. The corn attracts them and also add the color contrast to the entree. Kids and I love eating this with Indian roti and sometimes finish it off with brown rice or quinoa.

Ingredients

5 cups spinach; washed, blanched and pureed
1 1/2 cup cooked corn; thawed
1 medium onion; pureed
2 Roma tomatoes; pureed
2 garlic cloves; chopped
1 tbsp ginger; chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt (adjust according to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1/4 tsp of red chili powder
1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1/3 cup water
1/2 Serrano pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat a medium-size saucepan.
2. Add cumin seeds. Stir them to turn light brown in color.
3. In a blender add onion, ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Blend to make a puree.
4. Add onion puree to the saucepan. Stir puree for 5-7 mins.
5. In a blender, make tomato puree.
6. Add tomato puree to the onion puree in the saucepan. Mix well.
7. Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and coriander powder to the onions and tomatoes. Stir all the ingredients until the water from the onion and tomato puree is evaporated.
8. Add spinach puree to the onion and tomato paste. Stir for 2 mins.
9. Add corn to spinach in the saucepan. Mix well.
10. Add 1/3 cup of water to the corn spinach. Mix it well.
11. Cover the saucepan with the lid.
12. Stir after every 3-5 mins for 10 mins.
13. Enjoy this dish with naan, roti, brown rice and quinoa.

Add Corn
Add Spinach
Cooked Puree
Add Tomato Puree
Saute Onion
Spinach and Corn

Besan Shimla Mirch/Chickpea Flour Green Bell Pepper

What’s in the name!! This dish is a quick and easy to prepare something when you have nothing else in your fridge other than Green Bell Pepper aka ‘Shimla Mirch‘ in northern parts of India. Quick roast with Chickpea Flour aka Besan and also readily available at your local Indian store or Amazon. Enjoy as a side to other main course entrees or with roti or make a wrap

Ingredients

2 green bell peppers; chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp fennel seeds powder
1/2 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)
1/3 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup of waterRotis/Breads

Preparation
1. Heat a small saucepan with a low setting of the stove
2. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, fennel seeds powder, salt, and chickpea flour to the saucepan. Stir for 5-7 mins or as soon as it changes color to light brown.
3. Add bell pepper to chickpea flour with water. Mix well.
4. Cover the saucepan with the lid and cook the bell pepper.
5. Keep checking after every 2-3 mins until bell pepper is soft.
6. Enjoy besan shimla mirch with roti or make a wrap.

Besan Shimla Mirch
Besan Shimla Mirch
Almost there!!
Slightly Roasting Chickpea Flour
Roasting Chickpea Flour

Papdi Chaat/’Indian Style Loaded Crackers’

Last time I made Papdi Chaat, I prepared the ‘nachos’/’crackers’ from scratch as I could not find crackers in the market which were oil-free and prepared with acceptable ingredients. I was walking through the isles of my local grocery store and I came across ‘Mary’s Gone Crackers’.

I had so many ideas going through my head on how I could use them. I started with Papdi Chaat as this is not only favorite but my kids favorite too.

Ingredients

1 15oz can chickpeas; drained
20 Mary Crackers [no oil]
1 large potato; boiled, peeled and cubed
1 medium size red onion; finely chopped
1/2 cup non dairy yogurt; whisked
2-3 tbsp green chutney (adjust to taste)
2-3 tbsp date chutney (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 cayenne pepper; finely chopped (optional)
1 serrano pepper; finely chopped(optional)
3-4 tbsp cilantro leaves; finely chopped

Preparation

1. Take a flat serve ware of your choice and lay the Mary crackers.
2. In a bowl take yogurt and whisk it to make yogurt smooth and easy to drizzle on the crackers.
3. Drizzle yogurt on the crackers.
4. Spread half cubed potato and half the quantity of chickpeas on the crackers.
5. Drizzle 2-3 tbsp of yogurt on chickpeas and potatoes.
6. Now Drizzle green chutney and then date chutney.
7. Garnish with roasted cumin powder, onions, cilantro, and Serrano or cayenne pepper.

• you can always increase or decrease the quantity of yogurt and chutney’s depending on the taste buds of your family.

Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat
Final Garnish
Spread Onions
Sprinkle Spices
Drizzle Green Chutney
Drizzle Date Chutney
Spread Chickpeas
Spread potatoes
Drizzle whisked yogurt
Crackers on Plate
Mary Crackers
Ingredients

Pinto Bean Tostadas

It is time for Taco Tuesday in my family where I get to make something from the Mexican and Latin American kitchens. This time I wanted to adventure into Tostadas. The Mexican pallet is so close to the Indian pallet with the ingredients and spices. I am no expert in Mexican cooking but I manage my way through with the help of my peers on online. My family likes it.

Ingredients
– 1 Cup Pinto Beans; Soaked 7-8 hours or 1 can Pinto Beans
– 1/3 Cup Green Bell Pepper; Chopped
– 1 tbsp garlic; finely chopped
– 1 tbsp jalapeno; finely chopped
– 1 small white onion; finely chopped
– 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
– 2 tbsp Cholula Hot Sauce or Any preferred Mexican Hot Sauce
– Sea Salt (to taste)
– Yellow Corn Tortilla (Any number of pieces you prefer)

Garnish
– Finely Chopped (Raddish, Jalapeño, Red Cabbage, Cilantro, Red or White Onion)

Directions
– Boil the soaked beans with 2 cups of water or if you using pre-prepared beans, drain the water from the beans.
– Heat the small size saucepan on medium heat.
– Add onions and garlic together. Cook for 5-7 mins. Notice onions turning light brown in color. Add a few spoons of water if sticking to the saucepan.
– Add chopped green bell pepper to the saucepan and cook with onions.
– Add and mash the pinto beans with chopped jalapeño in the saucepan
– Add sea salt, apple cider vinegar, and Cholula sauce to the vegetables and beans. Mix all the ingredients.
– Cover the lid and cook for 3-4mins.
– (In the meanwhile) preheat oven to 350 F degrees and toast the yellow corn tortilla. Time may depend on brand and type of Tortilla. Please monitor to make sure it’s crisp.
– On the crisp tortilla, spread few spoons of retried beans and garnish with your choice of toppings.

Cauliflower Rice Poha/Pulav

Eat to live and not live to eat. The Indian kitchen has some comfort recipes and one of them is Poha aka. flattened rice with vegetables. A lot of diabetic friends would be scared of eating traditional Poha due to flattened white rice as the main ingredient. The other day, I came across Cauliflower Rice at my local grocery store and immediately I went into my adventure. I wanted to cook the most common rice recipes and serve to my family.

So, my first adventure was conquerring the traditional Poha and replace the rice with Cauliflower Rice. To my surprise, my family could not figure out difference. I want to share this reciepe to all my friends who maybe missing on this dish due to rice and now we have an option.

Ingredients
2 cups of cauliflower rice (follow the instructions on the packet)
1 potato; peeled and chopped
1 medium size onion; thinly sliced
1 cup peas; thawed
1 carrot; peeled and chopped
2-3 dried whole red pepper
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam Masala
1/2 tsp sea salt (adjust according to taste)
1 tsp lemon juice

Garnish
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves; washed and chopped
1 Serrano pepper;finely chopped

Preparation
1. Prepare the cauliflower rice according to the instructions on the packet. If steaming let the rice cool down.
2. Take a medium-size saucepan and place it on medium heat.
3. Once the pan is heated add mustard seeds, Curry leaves and dried whole pepper. Stir for 2-3 mins.
4. Add onions to the saucepan and stir onions until they turn light brown in color. Add 2-3 tbsp of water if onions are sticking to the saucepan.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, peas, and salt to the onions with 1/3 cup of water to cook vegetables. Cover the saucepan with the lid to cook vegetables.
6. Transfer the cauliflower rice in a mixing bowl and add turmeric powder, garam Masala,red chili powder.
7. Once the vegetables are cooked add the cauliflower rice in the saucepan. Mix vegetables and cauliflower rice together.
8. Add lemon juice and mix together.
9. Cover the saucepan with the lid for 5-7 minutes.Stir occasionally so the cauliflower rice doesn’t stick.
10. Garnish with cilantro and Serrano pepper.