All posts filed under: Vegetarian

Baked Beans and Pasta Hot Pot

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I am always trying out new recipes that I fish out of the internet or my gazillion new cookbooks. I almost forgot how much I love the good ole recipes of yore. No, I’m not talking about the medieval times, just rewinding to school. One of my first cookbooks was one that I stole from mom. The free cookbook that came along with the Preett Pressure Cooker! It had a ‘how to use a pressure cooker guide’ as well as ‘101 recipes from India and Elsewhere’. (with pictures!!) I was hooked. J I came across it, while cleaning my bookshelf last week. Yellowing, tattered along the edges, a few pages coming loose of the thread binding – but there it was, waiting to exhale. I picked it up gingerly and spent an hour reading it cover to cover. (Yes, I read cookbooks.. . how many times do I have to say it?). I zeroed in on the Baked Beans Pasta recipe. It was considered very international in those days. I know… we were easily impressed! …

Sweet Cinnamon Rolls and Savory Dill Rolls

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Featured in Tastespotting.com – 14th Jan 2012 Now that I think I can bake bread, I have ventured further into this magical world of yeast. Yes, I know it sounds corny, but it’s becoming an addiction. Somehow knowing that this little growing organism holds the key to a perfectly turned out loaf, makes me feel completely ensnared by it. Like a little slave, I wait for the yeast to make its presence felt and grace my little loaf with the air and water it needs to grow. Amen. This week I made rolls. I used the basic bread roll recipe and decided to twist the dough around – literally. In the end I had these pretty looking swirls enclosing raisins and cinnamon for the sweet lovers and dill and onions for the savory tongues. If you are going to have someone over for tea, I suggest serving a couple of these. Very very fun and tasty. Or have them for a fantastic breakfast – beats the crap out of store cereal anyday! Cinnamon Rolls and …

Babaganoush

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So what exactly is Babaganoush? (Ba-ba-ga-nuj). Sounds exotic I know – Like a word that twirls around in your mouth and takes you to some strange colorful dream in the Arabian nights. Well, Babaganoush is a Lebanese dip, a cousin of my favorite dip – Hummus. The hero of this recipe is the lovely aubergine/eggplant. The eggplant is broiled/roasted over an open flame before peeling and mashing, so that the pulp has a nice smokey taste which is characteristic of this dip. The process is very similar to cooking our Baingan ka Barta in India. We mix it with tomatoes, garlic and onion paste and eat it with rotis or naan. The Lebanese mix it with Tahini and lemon juice and eat it with pita. It’s a small world! But the end result either way – is a glorious, smokey, silky pate that has everyone begging for more.   Babaganoush Prep time: 15 mins Resting time: 10 mins Makes: 8 servings What you need: 1 big Eggplant ¼ cup Tahini (roasted white sesame paste) ¾ tsp …

Penne with Bell Peppers Roman Style

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I had two lovely yellow bell peppers in my fridge. After four days of racking my brains to come up with a mind blowing recipe, I chickened out. I could not see them go to waste for my lack of creative genius. Thanks to the gazillion cook books I own, (yes, I am cookbook cuckoo!) finding a recipe was a breeze. I would like you to believe that I put in considerable amount of effort picking and choosing just the right recipe, but the truth is I like a good gamble. So I closed my eyes and put my finger on the peppers list in the index! I give you here – Pasta with Peppers Roman Style. The Roman bit is because I had a crush on Julius Caesar. Ok, am playing with you now! Traditionally, tiny black wrinkled olives grown in the Lazio region of Italy are used in this roman dish. But I used Spanish olives. Oops! Don’t declare a war till you’ve tried it. iBuen Apetito! Penne with Peppers Roman Style Prep …

Minted Pea Soup

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Is it a guy thing, to be repulsed by the idea of green food? No seriously, even before tasting my pea soup the co-resident faked fullness of the belly, courtesy a late lunch. The office mate nearly choked on his food before being forced to try it. The other colleague acted like he was part of a science experiment before gingerly licking the back of the spoon! Men I tell you… gutless, literally. That said, they all concluded that it was ‘not so bad – for pea soup’! And as an afterthought grudgingly added that it was actually (gasp gasp) tasty! I for one, love this version , cause the mint really uplifts it and its really easy peasy! Minted Pea Soup Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 25 mins Serves: 4-6 What you need: 2 Tbsp Butter 1 large Onion, coarsely chopped 1 Tbsp all-purpose Flour 500 gms frozen Peas 5 cups (1.25 lt) Vegetable/ Chicken Stock ½ tsp Sugar 2 large Mint Sprigs Salt and Black Pepper Shredded fresh Mint for garnish What …

Zesty Roasted Broccoli

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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 …

Ghee Rice Mummy Style

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My mum is a fantastic cook. So is my mom-in-law. Whatever I make falls two spots short of whatever they churn out, by just chucking random ingredients into the pan. Life’s not fair is it?! I always console myself thinking that they had 8 hours a day for the last 30 years to practice their art while I’ve just had weekends. Score settled. Anyway, they’ve always been more than willing to share their gems of wisdom with me, which I reverently jot down in a little notebook to ‘try’ replicating at home. Alas, it’s always a not quite. Am sure the wily women are not disclosing the magic ingredient! How else would they get me to come home often? So here is my mum’s Ghee Rice. It’s the most amazing accompaniment to any curry/ gravy. And don’t worry, even without her secret ingredient (shall we be soppy and say ‘love’) it still rocks my boat! Ghee Rice Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves: 4-6 What you need: 3 cups Jeera Rice (or …

Spirulina Spaghetti with Garlic Butter

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Spirulina is a blue-green algae which is being developed as the superfood of the future. Spirulina is 70% complete protein in comparison to beef which is only 22% – it has all amino acids in complete balance. That being said, you can imagine why I fell for the fancy all organic packing of the spirulina spaghetti. I thought I’d toss it with Garlic butter to serve as a simple sauce so that the flavor of the spirulina can shine through. And shine through it did… actually all I could taste was the spirulina! It was a completely new taste on my palate… sea like, veggie like, earth like…. I don’t like!!! The co-resident graciously took a small portion and insisted that he was really full. I on the other hand had to prove that I had an iron gut and frankly bit off more than I could chew! On the whole … what’s life without a little jolt to the palate once in a while?? Recommended for the earth mother loving organic farming people who …