Cauliflower And Peas in Almond gravy (Vegan, WFPB)

My post today is a simple vegetable side. This was the first side I cooked after I decided to stop using processed food like oil. Almost all recipes I make start with heating oil in a pan. I have always wondered how much influence that step has on the final taste. I was going to find out.

Cashew or almond paste is routinely used to make the gravy think and creamy. Since I took out the fat content from the recipe when I dropped the oil I decided to replace it with almond butter or crushed almonds. Whole Foods has a little grinder in their bulk bins section where you can grind your own almonds and peanuts. I had bought almond butter for a different recipe and had some left over. I added almonds to the recipe, skipped the oil and left everything else the same. When it was almost done I asked my husband to do a taste test. His response was 'Bhadhiya' or awesome!

I have since made a wide variety of foods without oil. My family loves it.

You will need
1 cauliflower
1 handful peas (I used frozen)
2 tbsp almond butter
3 small tomatoes
1 tsp. cumin coriander powder
1 tsp. red chilli pepper powder
1 tsp. amchur or amboshi powder
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and break up the cauliflower into florets. Dice the tomatoes and defrost the peas.

Heat a 1/2 cup of water in pan. Add the tomatoes and let them cook until tender. Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Turn off the heat. Makes a perfect side with flatbread or poli.

Enjoy!

Roasted Winter Vegetables

I frequently bake a medley of vegetables as a snack or a side. Most combinations do not make it to the blog. This is a very rustic flavorful mix so I wanted to record it. I made it on a weekend when my daughter was visiting and we all enjoyed it a lot. Next time you see these vegetables at the grocery try roasted winter vegetables.

It is said you should try to eat five different colors everyday. This one vegetable mix will suffice to provide all the colorful foods for a day. I had leftovers so I used it in a winter warm salad with chickpeas. A little lime juice and paprika is all that it needed. That was my very filling lunch.

This combination tastes great on its own as a snack. You could add it to noodles as I have done here with a different set of vegetables. Except for the yellow squash which I added for color the other vegetables all take a while to cook. Make sure all the chunks are on the sheet in a single layer.

You will need
An assortment of vegetables. I used
Red and Purple mini potatoes
Orange Sweet Potato
A Fuji Apple
A bunch of Green Beans
A Yellow Squash
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Chop the vegetables into chunks. Combine with oil, salt and pepper and spread in a single year on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!

Kobi Wadi (Pressure cooked Cabbage cutlets)

Kobichi wadi is a Maharastrian preparation of cabbage. It is a very healthy dish with besan used as the binding agent. As is the norm with Maharastrian cooking this dish has a perfect combination of sweet, sour, spicy and savory. It is a nice alternative to cabbage bhaji. A few years back I made this recipe for the family. My daughter loved the flavors and announced this was her favorite cabbage preparation. I make it frequently and everyone loves it.

Two weeks back my daughter wanted to try coleslaw. So we added cabbage to our grocery list. The only cabbages available were large but we got one. When I did my weekly vegetable prep I shredded half  the cabbage and stored it in the refrigerator. She was supposed to make the coleslaw. Last week my daughter had a 12 hour shift on her very first summer job. She was exhausted and took it easy the rest of the week. This past Saturday morning I found the shredded cabbage was still waiting. I decided to use it up and make our favorite Kobi wadi.

You will need

For the cutlet
1 small cabbage, shredded
2 tsp. tamarind paste
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. ginger garlic paste
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 cups besan
salt to taste
water as needed

For the tempering
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. olive oil

Prep two pans that can be placed in the pressure cooker. Oil the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep aside.

Add all the ingredients for the cutlets in a bowl.

Mix it all together with about 1/4 cup of water. Add more water only if needed. It will be sticky.

Divide into two portions. Place one half in the first prepared pan and spread it evenly to cover the bottom of the pan. Repeat with the second half of the cabbage mixture in the second pan.

Pressure cook. 3 whistles if you have a pressure cooker that whistles. Mine does not so I leave it for 10 minutes on medium-high heat after placing the pressure on the cooker. Turn off heat and let the cooker depressurize. Remove the pans with the cooked cabbage and let them cool. Then cut the cutlets into cubes.

Heat oil in a flat bottom pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start to crackle add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Now add the cooked cabbage cubes.

Cook till the cubes brown at the edges. Serve hot as part of a traditional meal or as a snack.

Enjoy!

Green Beans and Coconut

Green beans is a regularly featured vegetable on my menu and I am always thinking of different ways to cook them. I have a few different preparations on this space already. But the urge to try something different is always there. While I was trying to come up with something, I remembered bookmarking this recipe from Sandhya's blog. She blogs at My Cooking Journey and has a lot of traditional recipes.

I bookmarked this recipe as it showcases a very different method of cooking beans from the one I normally use. I then forgot all about the bookmark until today. I followed the original recipe and the end result was great. The beans were tender and flavorful.

You will need
1 cup beans, diced finely
3 tbsp. mung dal
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal / split black gram
1 dried red chili pepper
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
3-4 curry leaves
1 tsp. sugar
4 tbsp. shredded coconut
salt to taste

Place the beans and mung dal in a pan. Fill the pan with water until the beans are submerged. Bring the water to a boil and then let it simmer on medium low heat until the beans are tender but do not lose their crunch. During the last couple minutes add salt. Turn off the heat and drain the water.

Heat oil on a pan and add the mustard, urad dal/black gram, red chili pepper, curry leaves (I omitted these as I did not have any) and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds crackle add the drained beans and mung dal. Mix well and let it cook. Add the sugar and continue to cook until the beans dry out. Add the coconut. Mix well and turn off the heat.

Enjoy as a side with either poli/chapati or rice and dal.

Potato Sarladaise

Potatoes are a huge favorite in my house. My daughter loves them in all shapes and form so I am always trying out new things to do with potatoes. This one is a French classic and popular as street food. It has three main ingredients, potatoes, garlic and fat. I used olive oil as the fat. The recipe I used as a guide is here.

I made these as a backup side when I was experimenting with another recipe. I knew my daughter would love these and she was visiting from college. Not only did she love it, she asked if there was more that she could take with her to her dorm. I actually made a second batch so she could have some to take with her.

You will need (for 2 servings)
2 medium potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 onion
2-3 springs cilantro (you could use parsley)
salt to taste

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into thin circles or semi-circles. Heat oil in a pan and add the sliced potatoes. Sprinkle salt to taste. Cook until tender. In the meantime, peel and crush the clove of garlic. Dice the onion. Wash and mince the cilantro. Add the onion, garlic and cilantro to the pan of potatoes. Saute until the onions are cooked through. Turn off heat.

Enjoy!

Shredded Sweet Potato Side / Ratalyacha Kis

Sweet potato is one of my favorite root vegetables and this recipe was my favorite growing up. The roasted peanuts and sweet potato go so well together it is magic.

There is a large variety of sweet potatoes available in the grocery store. I use the Japanese sweet potato. It has a dark colored skin and are white on the inside. They are firm and hold their shape a lot better than the rest of the varieties. They are also the closest in taste to the sweet potato my mother used.

When cooking root vegetables it is best to add salt before the vegetable is cooked through to keep it from turning to mush.

You will need
1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 serrano pepper, de-seeded (optional)
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
a handful roasted peanuts, ground

Peel the sweet potato and shred in a food processor or using a grater.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and chili pepper (if using). Cumin burns color quickly. As soon as it changes color and before it turn brown add the shredded sweet potato.

Add the salt and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix it all up, cover and let it cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Uncover and add the ground roasted peanuts. Combine well, cover and allow to cook until the potato is cooked through, another 5-10 minutes. Check frequently to prevent it from burning.

Enjoy!

French Bean Usili

Usili is a vegetable/lentil side very popular in South India. A mixture of lentils is soaked, ground to a paste with seasoning, steamed, crumbled and then cooked with a vegetable. Every time I see usili on a fellow bloggers space I think of trying it. Today it all came together.

I had fresh French beans in the refrigerator waiting to be used. I had bookmarked Rajani's post for usli from her blog My Kitchen Trials. And I read the recipe when I was wondering what I was going to cook for lunch.

I mostly followed the source recipe, tweaked it a little to suit our taste. I soaked the dals just before going to bed last night. The whole process takes some time which is usually at a premium in the morning. I had planned on making poli with this side but decided to cook rice instead. We had dal rice with this side. Awesome!

You will need (4 servings)
1/4 cup toor dal
1/4 cup channa dal
1 large handful of French beans
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. amboshi or amchur powder (optional)
salt to taste

Soak the channa dal and toor dal for at least 2-3 hours. I soaked it overnight and loved the results. When ready drain the water and put the dal in a blender. Add very little fresh water, paprika and asafoetida. Grind to a paste. Cook the paste in pressure cooker.I cooked it for 10 minutes after placing the pressure. Turn off the heat and let the pressure subside completely.

Meanwhile rinse the beans, cut off the ends and dice. Keep aside. When the cooked ground dal cools down, crumble it using a food processor or your fingers. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the turmeric powder followed by the diced beans, crumbled dal and the rest of the ingredients.

Combine and let cook over medium flame until the beans are cooked. Taste great with dal rice or poli.

Enjoy!

Batatyachya Kachrya / Sliced Potato Bhaji

Batatyachya kachrya is one of the most well known side dishes in Maharashtra. It is a simple potato recipe where the potato is cut in a thin large slices. You can either keep the potato slices soft or you can turn the heat up slightly so they turn crisp. I like the browned crispy version. This is my Mom's recipe and I realized I did not have a post for this. The pictures are not great as I had to click them on a rainy gloomy day.

You will need
2 medium potatoes
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. amchur powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt to taste

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into two halves. Slice each half into thirds. Turn 90 degrees and slice into thin slices.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add the potatoes. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Uncover and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and cover. Cook covered until tender. Check every few minutes to ensure it does not burn. Lower the heat if it starts to brown while still uncooked.

When the potatoes are down, uncover and turn up the heat a little. Cook for a few more minutes and turn off the heat..

Enjoy!

Red Potatoes Side / Bhaji

Grocery shopping is one of my chores every weekend. I like to plan my menu and get a week's worth of supplies. I find it hard to spare time to shop for groceries during the work week. Sometimes I miscalculate and at the end of the week I am left staring at an empty vegetable drawer. I try to compensate by soaking dry peas/beans but sometimes I forget. On one such Friday I realized that the only vegetables I had were potatoes and an onion. I had plenty of dried herbs so this was the result.

These potatoes are usually eaten for breakfast but I cooked them for lunch. They tasted great with poli.

You will need
4 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the red onion and saute for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and let them brown. Add the remaining ingredients and saute for a few more minutes.

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetables Take Two

Roasted vegetables and steamed vegetables are popular side dishes on buffet tables. They go well with a variety of main dishes and taste great by themselves. I have a roasted vegetable recipe here that I use to stuff sliders. For this recipe I wanted something that could be served on its own. I cut the vegetables into large pieces and roasted them until they were cooked but not mushy. They hold their shape well and seasoning with salt, pepper and a little oil.

There is really no recipe for these vegetables. I used zucchini, red bell pepper and onion. You could add other vegetables of your choice. Cut the bell pepper and onions in thick strips. Cut the zucchini in thick circles along the length. Add salt, pepper and drizzle a little oil.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 20-25 minutes. Turn the vegetables upside down and bake again for 15-20 minutes.

The vegetables should be cooked through but not turn mushy and limp. Take them out of the oven and serve them while hot.

Enjoy!

Brunede Kartofler (Caramelized Potatoes)

I first made these caramelized potatoes last September. The flavors in this dish were very new to me. Sweet caramelized potatoes take getting used to. My daughter who loves potatoes finished everything. She has asked for it several times since I first made it.

This is a very simple dish made with bite sized tiny potatoes. I got a bag of these potatoes from Whole Foods.

Recipe source here
You will need
20 tiny potatoes, any color
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Drain, peel and keep aside. Heat a pan and add the sugar. Watch closely to avoid burning the sugar. As soon as the sugar melts add the butter. The butter will bubble up so be careful. Add the potatoes. Mix well and serve warm.

Roasted Vegetables

If you like vegetables then this one is for you. In my house everyone loves vegetables and these are special favorites. I used red bell pepper, carrots, zucchini and yellow onion. You can use any other combination of vegetables. Broccoli, baby corn, bell pepper of all colors etc. would make good candidates.

My daughter loves these very much. In fact she likes all vegetables. When she was a toddler I had a grand vegetable garden in the backyard. When she asked for a snack she got a little basket. She took it outside and picked tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, green bean pretty much whatever caught her eye in the garden. I would wash them for her and that would be her snack with a cup of milk. She developed a taste for fresh vegetables with nothing added to them. Even today if you were to present her with a bowl of fresh broccoli and a separate bowl of potato chips she would reach for the broccoli. And not because it is healthy but because she loves it.

Needless to say roasted vegetables are loved in my house. Roasting vegetables with a hint of oil, salt and pepper really brings out their flavor. The vegetables can be used as pizza topping, inside sliders or eaten as a side.

You will need
2 carrots
2 small zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
basil and thyme

Wash and peel the carrots. Cut them into 1 inch pieces. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and then into semi circles. Cut the bell pepper in half. Remove the seeds, cut into strips and then into 1 inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut slices.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all the cut vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil. Add salt and pepper.

Mix together and spread it around the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and using a spatula mix them all up. Bake another 10 minutes. The vegetables are done.

Use with other recipes or enjoy as a side.

Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is classic street food from Mumbai. Mixed vegetables cooked in butter served with fresh butter roasted rolls. Pav bhaji is now available in restaurant menus. It is also very popular on the party or potluck menu. I make pav bhaji almost every weekend to finish all the weekly leftover vegetables before I go grocery shopping again.

Pav bhaji is very loved in my house. I bake the pav or buns fresh for the day and everyone loves the spicy bhaji with the hot pav. I usually cook the bhaji in oil and use butter very sparingly if at all. You could however, use butter instead of the oil. Since the pav is hot and fresh I do not roast it on the pan in butter. However, if you are using store bought pav or day old pav you might want to brown them in butter on a hot griddle.

You will need
For the bhaji
1 large russet potato
3 carrots
2 large handfuls of green beans
1 onion
3 tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil (vegetable oil)
1 tsp. ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp. pav bhaji masala
1 tsp. sugar
1 green chili pepper, minced
salt to taste
1 lemon

For the Pav Bhaji
Laadi pav
Bhaji from recipe above
garnish with raw onion and lemon juice

To make the bhaji
Wash, peel the carrot and cut into big chunks. Wash the green beans and cut the ends to remove the side strings. Cut in big pieces. Wash and clean the potato, Boil the vegetables in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes. You could also cook them in a steamer like I do.

Meanwhile dice the onion and tomatoes separately. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions. Saute on medium low heat until they are translucent and change color. Add the ginger garlic paste, pav bhaji masala, sugar and green chili pepper. Saute for another minute. Then add the tomatoes along with a cup of water. Cook the masala on medium heat until mushy and falling apart. Using a masher mash the masala. Do not grind in a blender. Continue to cook on low heat.

Peel the cooked potato and mash it. Mash the carrots and green beans.

Add the vegetables to the pan with the tomato masala.

Combine well so that the vegetables and masala are mixed together. Add salt to taste and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the top and mix together.

The bhaji is ready.

To put it together
Cut the pav in half and toast them on a heated pan. Heat the bhaji and garnish with lemon wedges and onion slices.

Alternately, if using oven fresh pav serve hot pav with hot bhaji.

Enjoy!

Upasachi Batatyachi Bhaji / Potato Peanuts Side

This bhaji is called upasachi or fasting but it is not necessarily made for fasting. In fact I do not remember fasting a lot while growing up. This simple potato and peanut side is one of my favorite and I make it often. The roasted peanut powder adds a lovely flavor that makes this dish special.

This is another of my mother's recipes and it is a very simple one. She used to give it to me as part of my packed lunch. Back then we used to share a part of our lunch with our friends. And the tastier your lunch was the better the bargaining power. My mother's chapati's were always sought after. And this was one bhaji that my friends loved. When I had this in my lunchbox I could exchange it for anything from anybody in my class.

I cooked the potato in a microwave. If you do not want to use the microwave you could cook it in a pressure cooker with the peel and a little bit of water. Once cooked peel while it is still warm and dice.

You will need

1 large russet potato
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 green chili pepper (I used Serrano)
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt to taste

Wash and scrub the potato to remove all the dirt from the surface. Prick all over with the tines of a fork. Place it in the microwave with a cup 3/4 full of water and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the potato upside down and cook again for 2 minutes. Repeat one more time. Cover in aluminium foil with the peel intact and leave it on the kitchen counter for at least 15 minutes or until needed.

In a grinder grind the roasted peanuts to a coarse powder. Keep aside. Take the potato out of the aluminium foil. Peel and dice it. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle break up the chili pepper into pieces and add them to the oil. Next add the diced potato. Cook covered for a minute.

Add the peanut powder, sugar and salt to taste. Mix everything together, cover and cook for a couple minutes.

You cannot miss the aroma of the roasting peanuts. When they change color turn off the heat.

Enjoy!