Rasheeda's Travel and Food Blog

Rasheeda's travel and food blog

Category: Vegetarian Recipes

Food Blog / Legumes Love Affair / Vegetarian Recipes

Legumes Love Affair

All About Lentils

Lentils

A large number of Indians are vegetarians, and legumes are a very important and staple part of their diet. But even the non-vegetarian, who are also in a large numbers, if not larger than vegetarians, include legumes of all kinds in their diet, and prepare them in an unfathomable variety of delicious recipes. Lentils are also known as pulses, and are part of the legume family. Under the umbrella of legume are the plants which produce edible seeds such as lentils, beans, chick peas, soy beans, peanuts, and more. All dried legumes also grow in pods, and are referred to, by a lot of Indians, as daals, or pulses, and they are mostly the split and skinned  versions of lentils. The image above indicates the type of daal which are most popular. Red lentil is one of the most popular because it cooks very fast, and it changes to yellow as it cooks and falls apart very quickly making  it easy to prepare. Most other lentils (daals ) are not super hard to cook either. If you have time constraints, pressure cooker is a handy tool in any kitchen.

The popularity of lentils in vegetarian diet stems from the fact that they replace the meat portion by successfully providing the required proteins, which are essential for a balanced diet.  Apart from being a source of proteins, they are excellent source of folate, manganese, B1, B6, potassium, and fibre, making them very desirable for a balanced diet and good health.

There are some special recipes for lentils (daals, pulses) in which whole seeds are used for a  unique taste and color. Dal Makhani, and Kali daal are made with whole Urad which is white in its split version (urad) but has black skin and is called black gram. Skin  contributes to the luxurious appearance and texture of these dishes. Lentils have always been very popular but have gained popularity because of the emerging trends on the  vegan and vegetarian front around the world. So much so that it has become a predominantly visible ingredient in many cuisines across the globe, most notably throughout the Middle east, and also in Mediterranean cuisine. They are so versatile that possibility of their use in all courses on daily menus are endless. 

 Red lentils are an go-to ingredient in general, may be for the ease of cooking to save time,  but may also be for its preferred taste in some of the daal preparation such as, kahatti daal, and dry pasty daal called Mitthi (sweet) dal. But for recipes such as Samber, toor (archer) daal is used traditionally and is recommended. But traditionally dalcha has always been made with chana daal, bone-in lamb, eggplant or gourd to serve with vegetable palau (pilaf). Therefore, there are traditional norms for using certain varieties of daals for certain preparation and most people follow it. In my future posts I will include my favorite legumes (lentils, beans, etc.) and how they are used in daily diets by scores of people.

Food Blog / Vegetarian Recipes

Mixed Vegetable Curry

Mixed Vegetable Curry

This is a very tasty and healty dish. Though the recipe is simple, It requires careful reading and having everything in place to ease the process. Any recipe is a cinch once you follow direction properly, at least, when you do it the very first time.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ medium cauliflower
  • ¼ Cup olive oil, oil of your choice
  • ½ medium white onion finely sliced or chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 medium potatoes quartered
  • 1 medium carrot Cut in discs
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon corinader powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 medium serrano chilies

    seeded and cut in strips

  • ½ red bell pepper

     cored, seeded, and julienned

  • ½ green bell pepper

     cored, seeded, and julienned

  • 1 fresh Zucchini

    ends removed and cut in 2×4 inch size diagonal pieces

  • 1 long, thin eggplant

    ends removed and cut in 2×4 inch size diagonal pieces

  • 1 tablespoon cilantro freshly chopped, divided
  • 1 tablespoon mint freshly chopped, divided

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet or any bigger size suacepan or even a wok will work

Method
 

  1. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet, and add onion, garlic, potatoes, and carrots. Cook stirring on medium heat making sure not to burn. Add cauliflower and continue to cooking. Stir frequently for even cooking .
  2. Add all the spices, chopped serrano chilies, and ½ tablespoon each of cilantro and mint reserving the other half for garnish. Cook stirring to fry the contents for 1 minute.
  3. Add ½ cup broth, lower heat, cover and cook to get the potatoes fork tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add julienned bell pepper, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
  6. Heat enough oil in a fryer or a deep saucepan and deep fry eggplant only about one or two minutes transfer to a well lined sieve to drain. 
  7. In the same oil, after adjusting heat, deep fry Zucchini. Zucchini takes slightly, but only very slightly, longer than eggplant. Alos transfer fried zucchini to another well lined sieve to drain. Season with both salt and pepper taking care not to over salt.
  8. Transfer cauliflower mixture to a serving bowl.
  9. Arrange peppers, zucchini, and eggplant on top for decorative effect.
  10. Serve with white rice, chapaties (Indian tortillas), as a accompaniment to a main meal. 
  11. It is so delicious that it can be enjoyed as is for a snack or as a light meal.

Notes

How to cut cauliflower
Begin by cutting cauliflower in half starting at the top and right through the core. All the florets are attached to the core with their own stems. Use  a pointed knife to remove the florets from the core by cutting them away. you can further cut the florets into desired sized pieces. The core can also be used by thinly slicing it for facilitate the cooking. Remember to add the stem pieces a little before the florets to adjust the cooking time. Also it is important to wash cauliflower core and floret to remove any grit it may have hidden in nooks and crannies before cooking. 

Vegetarian Recipes

Spicy Stir fried Corn

Spicy Stir-fried Corn

Vegetarian delicacy which can be a snack with panini or crackers. As a side dish it adds color, excitement and delight to the vegetarian or nonvegetarian palate. Though the recipe offers one way to create it, but creativity with on- hand ingredients can satisfy your personal taste.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • 1 medium jalapeño,seeded and finely chopped
  • ½ cup red bell peppers,finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder or hot sauce if you prefer
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala or Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese, or cheese of preference
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro and mint,finely chopped

Method
 

  1. Heat a cast iron skillet and add oil.
  2. Add finely chopped onion, garlic and saute until onion is soft and garlic starts to get some color. over cooking makes garlic bitter.
  3. Add chopped jalapeno and red pepper and stir to get them partly cooked.
  4. Remove the skillet from heat and add red chili powder, garam masala( Italian seasoning), salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir well to combine.
  5. Add the frozen corn, return the skillet to heat and stir fry the contents for 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add crumbled cheese, and chopped cilantro and mint and toss to combine
  7. Transfer to a serving bowl to serve as part of the main meal, or a snack.