All posts filed under: Vegan

Onion Pakodas – For the Rains!

Published by

Monsoons! You either love it or hate it. I belong to the latter category. I know poems have been written about the rains and how it raises the spirits and blah blah blah. But clearly this is the work of someone sitting in the comfort of their homes and blabbing about the elements without experiencing its fury! For the ordinary man/woman who rides a bike to work or who needs to walk to a bus stop the monsoons are nothing but havoc to their plans and clothes and shoes might I add! I am always game for the occasional bout of rain, but five whole months of it??? Spare me the romanticism. Give me one person in Cherrapunji who’s waxed eloquently about it. Comon, think. No? There, I rest my case. Familiarity breeds contempt! It’s only freaking fantastic if you are a farmer looking for the rains for a good crop or someone in a really hot place who needs the spell of rain to cool the temperature down. Bangalore clearly does not need five …

Cucumber and Dill Salad

Published by

There is a dish in India called ‘Bheja Fry’ which literally means Brain fry and is also used to denote a situation when you’re head is all messed up! I’ve had Bheja Fry for the past few weeks. And no, its not what I ate! In an exact opposite to Bheja Fry is another synonym – Cool as a Cucumber. With the current state of affairs around me, I wouldn’t mind getting to the cucumber’s state. Coming to the point – Cucumber and Dill salad is as cool as you can get. Soothes the palate as well as the head. Hopefully my mind will unscramble itself soon! Cucumber and Dill Salad Prep time: 10 mins Marinating time: 3 hrs Serves: 4 What you need: 1-2 Cucumbers (regular will do) 1 Tbsp White Vinegar 2 Tbsp Sugar 4 Tbsp Water 1 Tbsp Olive Oil ½ a Handful of Dill Salt and Pepper to taste What to do: Trim and peel the cucumbers. (You can use regular cucumbers here as we marinate them to make them soft. …

Zesty Roasted Broccoli

Published by

I like broccoli. No, its not crazy. I just know how to appreciate something that’s gonna help me look svelte. Ooh… so NOW I have your attention. The last time I did broccoli, was with penne. (click here) It does taste fantastic but now I’m a convert and the only way to bring out all the awesome flavors is to roast it!! Maybe we should make that a commandment. ‘Thou shall roast your broccoli before thou savors it!’ And while we’re at it, let’s also add ‘Thou shall not obsess about thy weight!’ That will help when you reach the last line of the ingredients – I recommend generous shavings of Parmesan. Oh come on, isn’t the broccoli working overtime to burn calories?? Roasted Broccoli Cooking time: 25 mins Prep time: 5 mins Serves: 4 as side, 2 as main course What you need: 2 heads of Broccoli (cut into florets and dried thoroughly) 4 Tbsp Olive oil 1 ½ tsp Rock Salt ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper 8 Garlic cloves. sliced 1 Lemon (zest …

Lemon Rice (Chitranna)

Published by

This post is for ‘someone’ who asked me recently, whether I had locked my kitchen up as he dint see any new posts on the blog 😛 Considering that ‘someone’ is also a Vegetarian and South Indian … this recipe should appeal to him. Lemon Rice is something that mom made in a jiffy for breakfast IF – she was out of time or there was rice leftover from last night’s dinner. So as a teenager I used to ho and hum when I saw lemon rice on my plate. But now I completely understand the lemon rice logic – it’s a healthy, simple, no wastage dish. Not to mention for all the ho-ing and hum-ing it was and is delicious! Lemon Rice Prep time: 15 minsServes: 4 What you need:1 ½ cups Rice (uncooked) / 2 ½ cups cooked Rice1 Onion sliced1 Lemon (Juice of)3-4 green Chilies½ tsp Channa Dal½ tsp Urd Dal½ tsp Turmeric½ tsp Ginger paste½ tsp Mustard seeds4 tsps Oil6-7 Curry leavesSalt to tasteHandful of peanutsGrated coconut to Garnish What to …

Char Grilled Red Peppers with Balsamic Dressing

Published by

Summer times call for grilling. While most people can’t think of anything other than meat to toss onto a grill, I say give some veggies a chance – especially red peppers. Don’t worry if you don’t have an outdoor grill, I make mine on an indoor one (with the window open!) and it tastes just as fine. Its funny how the heat makes peppers change their nature – they go from pungent to sweet! Just peppers for dinner might not sound satisfying right now, but I assure you – serve it with some mashed potato, feta and green salad and you have the most refreshing summer meal! Char Grilled Red Peppers with Balsamic Dressing Prep time: 20 minsMarinating time: 1 hrServes: 4 What you need: 6 Red Peppers11/2 Tbsp Olive Oil3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar200 gms FetaGreen Salad What to do:Cut each pepper into quarters; remove seeds and stems. Place skin side up under a preheated grill. Cook until skin blisters and turns black (about 15 mins). Cover peppers with a clean damp tea-towel and allow to …