Around The World On Your Plate

Ingredients: 1 grated apple (optional) 1 onion finely chopped 1-2 teaspoon garlic minced 2 cups diced potatoes, bell pepper, sweet potato,  carrots etc Salt to taste Oil as needed Roux: 2 tablespoon vegan butter 2 tablespoon flour 1/4 cup water 1-2 teaspoon Japanese curry powder Red chilli powder and garam masala to taste Method: Heat a nonstick pan on low and melt butter, add flour and mix using a spatula or a whisk until well incorporated and cook until its light brown, next add water and mix well.  Add the curry powder and red chilli powder along with garam masala and mix well.  Keep stirring on low heat until aroma wafts from the pan.  Turn off, the roux is ready. In a separate pan, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until light golden in colour.  Next, add all the vegetables and saute.  Add the roux and desired amount of water and mix well.  If you find this spice blend to be spicy, a grated ap...

Ingredients: Vegetables: 4-6 baby potatoes peeled and halved 1 cup cauliflower florets 1 medium bell pepper cubed 1/2 cup carrot cubed Makhani (curry base): 1 cup onions chopped 1-1/2 cup tomatoes chopped 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste 2 green chillies, slit 2 red chillies 1-inch cinnamon stick 4-5 cloves 10 peppercorns 1 cardamom 2 bay leaf 10 cashew nuts 2-3 tablespoon oil/butter or as needed Others: Salt and sugar to taste 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) Cilantro to garnish Method: To prepare the curry base, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and saute onions and ginger garlic paste. Next, add all the whole spices along with green chillies and cashew nuts and saute. Add the tomatoes last and cook until tender.  Add salt and sugar as needed. Once the tomatoes are tender, turn off heat and let it cool in a separate bowl.  Puree once it has cooled. In the same pan, heat remaining oil and saute the mix vegetables ...

Ingredients: 1/2 of medium sized pumpkin peeled and cubed 1 onion finely chopped 1 teaspoon garlic minced 2 green chillies slit 1 sprig curry leaves 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 cup of coconut milk Salt to taste 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or coconut oil Spices: 1 teaspoon turmeric seeds 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or to taste 1 teaspoon dark roasted Srilankan curry powder Garnish: 1 teaspoon short grained rice and 2 teaspoons of desiccated coconut 1 sprig of cilantro Method: Heat oil in a pan on medium and add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and let them splutter. Next add curry leaves followed by onion, garlic and green chillies.  Saute until onions are translucent. Next add in the pumpkin along with all the spices and mix. Add the coconut milk and water if needed and stir and cook on low heat until pumpkins are tender. While this is cooking, dry roast rice and desiccated coconut and grind it. Once the ...

Ingredients: 1 cup dry green peas soaked for 4-5 hours 2 potatoes cubed 1 onion chopped 2 tomatoes chopped 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste Cilantro to garnish Salt to taste 1 cup coconut milk Seasoning: 1 tablespoon oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 sprig curry leaves Spices: 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1-1/2 teaspoon coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed powder 1 teaspoon pepper powder Method: Soak dry green peas in water for 4-5 hours and pressure cook it. Heat oil on medium and add mustard seeds and let them splutter.  Next add curry leaves, followed by onion and ginger garlic paste.  Saute the onions until translucent. Add the tomatoes and spices and mix and cook until tender.  Next, add in the cooked peas and potatoes and coconut milk.  Adjust salt to taste and cook until potatoes are done. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapati. Note: If using fresh coconut, grind it alon...

Ingredients: 1/2 cup kidney Beans soaked overnight 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 1 medium onions finely chopped 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 1/2 cup tomato puree or grated tomatoes Salt as needed Sugar as needed Cilantro to garnish Spices: 1-1/2 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or to taste 1 teaspoon garam masala Method Wash and soak kidney beans overnight.  Drain and add fresh water and cook until tender.  Drain or reserve the cooking water. Heat oil and sauté onions till translucent.  Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add tomato puree and mix.  Next add in all the spices and mix well and cook until oil separates from the mixture. Add kidney beans and reserved cooking water along with salt and sugar and mix and cook until the desired thickness is reached. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup Sabut masoor dal soaked for 5 hours and cooked 1 tablespoon oil 1 teaspoons mustard seeds 1 sprig curry leaves 2 red chillies slit 1 medium onion chopped 1 teaspoon garlic minced 1-2 tomatoes chopped 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon red chilli powder(optional) Cilantro to garnish Salt to taste Method : Wash and soak the dal for 5 hours or overnight.  Drain the water and pressure cook with fresh water. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves and saute for a minute. Next add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.  Add tomatoes and spices and cook until tender. Add the cooked dal with water as needed and salt to taste. Stir everything and cook on low heat until desired consistency is reached. Turn off and garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup Pigeon Pea (toor) dal cooked 1 tablepoon oil or ghee 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 sprig of curry leaves 2 red chillies slit 1 teaspoon turmeric powder Salt to taste Lemon juice as needed Cilantro to garnish Method: Heat oil/ghee on medium heat, add mustard seeds and let them splutter, next add red chillies, curry leaves and garlic and saute for a minute. Add the cooked dal and turmeric powder and salt and bring it to a boil. Turn off and garnish with cilantro. Add lemon juice to taste and serve hot.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup whole black grams soaked overnight 2 tablespoons red kidney beans soaked overnight 2 onions chopped 2 tomatoes chopped 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic minced 1 tablespoon ghee or oil 1/4 cup cream or almond milk Salt to taste Cilantro to garnish Water as needed Spices: 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 dry red chillies slit 1-2 bay leaf 1-1/2 teaspoon garam masala Method: Add soaked and drained black grams and kidney beans to cooker with salt and water as needed and pressure cook until done. Heat oil and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and dry red chillies.  Next add onion and minced ginger garlic and saute until translucent. Add in the tomatoes next with the cooked grams and beans and mix.  Add all the spices with reserved water from cooking the daal as needed. Adjust salt to taste.  Add fresh cream or almond milk and mix and cook for a minute and turn off. Garnish and serve hot. Note: The use of oil or ghee and al...

Ingredients: 1 cup whole urad daal 1/2 cup onion chopped 1 cup crushed tomatoes or 2-3 medium sized tomatoes chopped 2-3 green chillies and red chillies to taste 1 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds 2 bay leaf 1 teaspoon of coriander powder 1 teaspoon of cumin powder 1 teaspoon of sugar Salt to taste 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee cilantro to garnish  Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) to garnish Method: Soak whole urad daal overnight or for 8 hours. After 8 hours, pressure cook the daal with 1 cup water and bay leaf. In a separate pan, heat oil or ghee.  Add cumin seeds and green chillies and red chillies and saute for a minute. Next add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.  Add onion and saute until translucent. Next add the crushed tomatoes and mix well.  Add all the spices one by one and mix well. Add a little sugar to balance the taste.  Next take the bay leaf out from the pressure cooke...

Ingredients: 1/2 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas) 2 tomatoes quartered 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon of oil or ghee 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/8th of a teaspoon asafetida 1 sprig curry leaves 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or to taste 2-3 red chillies slit Water as needed Cilantro to garnish Salt to taste Method: Begin by pressure cooking toor dal along with tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt to taste with about 1-1/2 cup of water Cook the dal according to your cookers specifications and set aside. Next in a high sided pan, heat oil on medium and add mustard seeds and let them pop, add asafetida and curry leaves along with red chillies and saute for a minute. Next add the cooked dal along with more water as needed to adjust the consistency of the dal. Add tamarind paste to taste and adjust salt to taste, cover with a lid and bring it to a boil and turn off heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with some steamed rice.