Vegetarian Home Cooking

Eggplant Chutney # 2

2008-03-06T11:30:00.002-08:00

Ingredients:
Eggplant-1
Dried Red Chili-2
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Black Gram-2 tsp
Asafoetida- a pinch
Oil-2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Tamarind paste- 1/4 tsp

Method:
1. Cook Eggplant directly on the stove/flame until the skin blackens. Remove from flame. Wait until the eggplant cools and then scoop out the pulp.
2. Heat pan, add in oil, red chillies, mustard, asafoetida and the black gram. Fry until light brown in color. Remove from fire.
3. Grind all the ingredients from step 2 along with salt and a little water into a coarse paste. Now add in the ingredients from step 1 and grind well. Serve.

Carrot Chutney

2008-03-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Grated Carrots- 2 cups
Dried Red chili- 1
Black Gram- 2 tsp
Mustard- 1/4 tsp
Oil-3 tsp
Salt- to taste

Method:

1. Heat pan, add in 2 tsp oil and saute the carrots for 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat.

2. Heat pan, add in the remaining oil, the dried red chili, black gram and mustard. Saute for 5 minutes.

3. Grind all the ingredients together from step 1 and 2 along with salt and a little water into a fine or coarse paste, according to taste. Serve

Optional - You can temper the chutney with mustard, black gram and cilantro.

Mint Chutney

2008-03-06T11:25:00.003-08:00

Ingredients:
Mint- 1/2 cup
Cilantro- 1 cup
Dried Red chili-1
Black Gram- 2 tsp
Mustard-1/4 tsp
Tamarind paste- 1/8 tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil-3 tsp

Method:
1. Heat pan, add in 1 tsp oil, mustard, black gram and red chili. Remove from heat.
2. Heat pan, add in the remaining oil, add in mint and cilantro. Remove from heat.
3. Grind the ingredients from step 1 along with salt, a little water and the tamarind paste into a fine paste. Add the ingredients from step 2 and grind. Serve.

Lentil Chutney

2008-03-06T11:25:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
Green Gram- 1/2 cup
Dried Red Chili-1
Oil- 2 tsp
Coconut- 2 tbsp- optional
Salt- to taste

Method:
1. Heat pan, add oil and fry the Green Gram and Red Chili.
2. Grind all the ingredients (including the fried green gram and red chili) with a little water into a coarse paste. Serve.

Garbanzo (Chick peas) Chutney

2008-03-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Garbanzo beans- 1 cup (canned or soaked overnight if it is dried garbanzo beans)
Sesame seeds- 2 tsp
Garlic- 1/2 tsp; crushed
Lemon juice- juice of 2 lemons
Oil- 3 tbsp
Green Chili- 1
Salt- to taste
Black Pepper- to taste
Water-1/2 cup

Method:

1. Boil the chickpeas until tender if using the dried chick peas (after soaking them overnight).

2. Grind the sesame seeds with 1 tsp oil, 1/2 cup water and garlic.

3. Combine the chickpeas, the sesame paste from step 2, the remaining ingredients and blend them into a smooth paste. Add additional water if needed to maintain a smooth consistency. Serve.

Coconut Chutney # 2 :Toasted Coconut Chutney

2008-03-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here's another variation of the coconut chutney..

Ingredients:
Fresh Coconut- 2 cups
Dried Red Chili- 1
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Black Gram- 1/2 tsp
Tamarind-1/8 tsp
Oil-3 tsp

Method:
1. Heat pan and add in 2 tsp oil. Add in the coconut and saute it on medium heat until the coconut turns light brown. Remove from heat.
2. Heat pan, add in the remaining oil, mustard, black gram and dried red chili. Fry lightly and then remove from heat.
3. Grind all the ingredients- toasted coconut from step 1, dried red chili, mustard, black gram from step 2, salt and tamarind into a coarse paste. Serve.

Tip: If the dried red chili is too hot, remove the seeds from the chili and then add it. You can also temper the chutney with mustard, black gram and curry leaves.

Coconut Chutney

2008-03-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

There are many variations for this chutney- here's a basic recipe..

Ingredients:
Fresh Coconut- 2 cups
Green Chili- 1
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Black Gram- 1/2 tsp
Tamarind-1/8 tsp
Oil-2 tsp

Method:
1. Grind coconut, chillies, salt and tamarind with a little water to a coarse paste.
2. Heat pan, add oil, add in the mustard. After the mustard splutters, add in the black gram, the coarse paste from step 1. Serve.

Tip: If the chili is too hot, de-seed the chili and then add it. You can also temper the chutney with mustard, black gram and curry leaves.

Eggplant Chutney

2008-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Eggplant-1; medium sized
Lemon-1
Green Chillies-2; chopped
Sugar- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder-1 tsp
Cilantro leaves- a few

Method:
1. Cook Eggplant directly on the stove/flame until the skin blackens. Remove from flame. Wait until the eggplant cools and then scoop out the pulp.
2. Blend the pulp with all the other ingredients and a little water until the pulp reaches a thick consistency. Serve.

Chutney - FYI/Note

2008-03-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

Please note that the salt and chillies/chili powder can be adjusted to taste.

Onion Chutney

2008-03-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Onion-1; large sized (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
Dried Red Chillies-2
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Black Gram-3 tsp
Asafoetida- pinch
Salt- to taste
Tamarind- 1/4 tsp
oil-3 tsp

Method:
1. Heat pan, add in 1/2 tsp oil. Add in mustard, black gram, red chillies and asafoetida. Fry until brown. Transfer the ingredients to a small bowl .
2. In the same pan add in the remaining 2 teaspoon of oil. Add the onion pieces. Fry until light brown. Remove from the heat.
3. Grind fried chillies, mustard and black gram coarsely along with salt. Add in the fried onions and the tamarind . Grind well. Serve.

Tip: You can also temper the chutney with mustard, black gram and curry leaves.

Hot and Sweet Tomato - Raisin Chutney

2008-03-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 1/2 pound, Roma tomatoes would be a good option
Raisins- 1/2 cup
Light Brown Sugar- 3/4 cup
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Red chillies- 2
Garlic-1/2 large pod
Vinegar-1/4 cup
Red chili powder- 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tbsp
Salt- to taste

Method:

1. Boil the tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes and remove the skin. Chop the tomatoes and keep aside.

2. Soak the raisins in a bowl of water for an hour. Grind the chillies, cumin seeds and garlic to paste. Heat a pan, add oil and then add in this paste. Fry the paste for 5 minutes on low heat.

3. Add in the chopped tomatoes, the light brown and white sugar, raisins and the chili/cumin/garlic paste from step 2. Stir this on medium heat until it turns deep red. Add in the chili powder and salt to taste. Turn off the heat. Let it cool and then store in a dry/airtight container.

Green Chutney # 2

2008-03-05T02:45:00.000-08:00

Here's another variation of the Green Chutney...Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Green Chillies- 2
Cilantro Leaves- a small bunch
Tamarind -1/4 tsp
Garlic- 4 flakes
Cilantro (coriander) powder- 1/2 tsp; optional
Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients into a paste by adding a little water. Serve.

Green Chutney

2008-03-05T02:30:00.000-08:00

There are many different variations to the Green Chutney- here's a basic recipe. More to follow- stay tuned.

Ingredients:
Green Chillies-2
Mint Leaves- 1 bunch
Onion-1; small
Lime juice-2 tbsp
Cumin seeds- a pinch
Salt- to taste

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients and then grind them to a paste. Serve.

Split Pea Soup

2008-03-05T01:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Dried Yellow Split Peas- 1.5 cups
Onion- 1 medium; chopped
Sweet Potatoes/yams-2 medium sized; peeled and diced
Vegetable broth- 6 cups
Cumin- 2 tsp; powdered
Cilantro- 2 tsp; ground
Ginger- 1/2 tsp; ground
Turmeric-1/2 tsp
Pepper- 1/8 tsp; ground

Method:
1. Heat a pan, add/combine all the ingredients and bring it to a boil in the pan. Reduce heat to low. Let it simmer for an hour or until the split peas are soft and the soup thickens. Serve hot.

Corn Patty (Tikki or Cutlet)

2008-03-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Fresh Corn- 1 cup
Bread- 2 slices
Cheese- 1/2 cup; grated
Ginger- 1/2 tbsp
Green Chillies- 1/2 tbsp
Cilantro- a handful
Peppercorn powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste

Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients, except for the bread, thoroughly in a bowl. Wet the bread and squeeze the water out. Add to the corn mixture.
2. Shape this mixture into patties. Fry the patties until golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.

Cilantro (Coriander) Chutney

2008-03-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Cilantro (Coriander) leaves- 2 cups
Black Gram- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Red chillies- 2
Tamarind pulp- 2 tsp
Asafoetida- a pinch
Oil- 2 tsp
salt- to taste

Method:
1. Heat pan. Roast the black gram, chillies, salt and asafoetida without oil. Remove from heat and grind this dry mixture with cilantro leaves into a paste.
2. Heat pan, add oil, mustard, tamarind paste and the cilantro paste. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and serve.

Spinach Patty (Cutlet)

2008-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Beaten Rice (Poha or Avval)- 1 cup
Spinach- 3 cups; chopped finely
Cilantro - 1 cup; chopped
Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Green chili- 1.5 tsp; grind with a bit of water into a paste
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
oil- for frying
Salt and Pepper- to taste

Method:

1. Soak the beaten rice in water for 10 minutes. Then drain the water completely by squeezing the beaten rice.

2. Add the finely chopped spinach to the beaten rice from step 1. Then add all the other ingredients. Mash well together and shape into patties. Fry until they turn reddish brown.

3. Serve hot with chutney.

Tomato Rasam

2008-03-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Tomatoes- 6 medium
Black gram- 1 tsp
Cumin- 3/4 tsp
Peppercorn- 1/2 tsp; coarsely ground
Garlic- 2 pods; crushed
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 3 tsp
Green chillies- 2
Salt- 1 tsp
Cilantro- handful; chopped
Asafoetida- a pinch
Water- 2 cups

Method:
1. Boil water in a pan and cook the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the tomatoes, peel the skin and grind the tomatoes. Add the water to this.
2. Heat a pan, add in oil, cumin, blackgram, mustard, chillies, peppercorn, asafoetida and garlic. Pour in the tomato puree from step 1. Add salt and boil on medium heat. Season with cilantro.

Risotto Rice

2008-03-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Long Grained Rice- 1/2 Pound
Cottage Cheese- 2 cups
Mushrooms- 10; sliced
Boiled Peas- 1 cup
Beetroot- 1; grated
Onions- 2; chopped
Chopped Parsley- 1 tbsp
Chili powder- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Butter- 2 tbsp
Salt- To taste

Method:
1. Heat pan. Add butter and then the mushrooms. Saute' the mushrooms until soft.
2. Add the green peas and stir well. Add the cooked rice, onion, salt, pepper and chili powder. Mix well. Cover and cook over low heat.
3. Season with parsley and grated cottage cheese. Serve hot.

Fig and Raisin Chutney

2008-03-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Raisins - 1/2 cup
Chopped Figs- 1/4 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Water- 1/4 cup
Grated Carrots- 1/4 cup
Vinegar- 2 tbsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Black Peppercorn- 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder- a pinch
Dry Ginger powder- 1 tsp
Red Chili powder- 1/4 tsp

Method:
1. Heat a pan, add sugar and water. Once the sugar dissolves, add all the other ingredients except the vinegar.
2. Cook until it thickens. Add vinegar and turn off the heat. Serve hot.

Buttermilk Soup (Morekulambu)

2008-03-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

This is a buttermilk/yogurt based soup which can be taken with rice. The recipe below is one basic variation of the buttermilk soup. There are other variations of this soup for which I will be posting the recipes later on. Stay tuned...

Ingredients:
Buttermilk- 2.5 cups
Cumin- 1/4 tsp
Green chillies- 2
Ginger- 2" piece
Red Chili- 1
Oil - 4 tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Black Gram (lentil)- 1 tsp
Red Gram (lentil)- 1 tsp
Rice- 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut- 1/4 cup
Chopped Cilantro- handful
Salt- to taste
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Okra and/or Eggplant- 1 cup; chopped.

Method:
1. Soak the Red gram and rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain the water and grind the red gram and rice along with green chillies, cumin, ginger and coconut into a paste.
2. Heat a pan and add oil. Add in the mustard seeds, black gram, red chili, turmeric, vegetables and cilantro. After a few minutes, add in the buttermilk, salt and the paste from step 1. Bring this to a boil on medium heat. Turn off the heat and serve with rice.

Rasam

2008-03-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

Rasam is a kind of a light soup which can be taken in the form of an appetizer or taken with rice as the main dish. There are many different kinds of Rasam- Tomato Rasam, Lemon Rasam, Pepper Rasam etc. The recipe below is for the basic Rasam.

Ingredients:
Cumin - 2 tsp
Peppercorn- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
Garlic- 3 pods; crushed
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Black gram - 1 tsp
Tomato- 2 medium chopped
Tamarind Paste- 3/4 tsp
Butter and oil- 2 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro (coriander) powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida- 1/4 tsp
Salt- To taste
Curry Leaves- 2 tbsp chopped; optional
Cilantro- 2 tbsp chopped
Water: 4 cups

Method:

1. Grind the peppercorn and cumin into a coarse powder. Coffee grinders are a good tool for grinding them.

2. Add the tamarind paste to the water in a bowl and stir well. Add in turmeric, the peppercorn cumin powder from step 1; salt; cilantro powder, chopped tomatoes and stir well.

3. Heat a pan, add oil/butter, add in the mustard seeds on medium heat. After the mustard seeds splutter, add the black gram, asafoetida and curry leaves. After a few seconds, add in garlic, water with the tamarind paste, salt etc from step 2. Bring this to a boil and then turn off the heat. Season with cilantro leaves. Serve hot as an appetizer or serve it with rice for the main dish.

As an additional option, you can also add 1/2 cup of lentil broth in step 3 if available. You can make this mild by reducing the amount of peppercorn.

Welcome!

2008-03-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Vegetarian Home Cooking Blog where you will find a collection of simple and tasty vegetarian recipes along with some useful tips. Enjoy your stay..