Vegetable Jalfrezi - Smoky Tangy Veggie Stir fry. Vegan Glutenfree recipe

Huzzah! behold the PPk 100.. All things awesomely vegan and veganly awesome from 2012..
Find a ton of products, recipes, creations, restaurants, blogs and more that were amazing in 2012..
Zoom in at number 94!! 
Yes, that is me right there.. Leaving a mark on 2012.. :)) Thank you everyone at ThePPK!
Last year, my Savji Tempeh made it to the list. It is one of those long recipes which you have to try to believe in the complex flavors!

Lets celebrate with a Restaurant style Indian curry. This Jalfrezi is a spicy smoky vegetable preparation with crunchy veggies, tangy cumin spiced tomatoes. It is one of the simpler curries and should generally be vegan. A well prepared Jalfrezi should not have a creamy curry which you could end up with in restaurants where they use the same gravy for pretty much all dishes:)



Although, my veganized Indian food posts dont get as much traffic as the regular posts( burgers anyone!;). they are slowly getting popular.. People back home are slowly getting onto the healthy or plant based or just care more about own health wagon..
My mom diligently plugs my blog to anyone who mentions any word close to change/diet/health etc..  and sometimes whips her iphone out and shows them too ;) Looks like all that tech training hours I spend with Ma are working in my favor:)

Find lots more vegan-ized Restaurant style curries like Tikka masala, Do pyaaza, Kadhai, Mango curry and more here.  Next on the list is Vindaloo. Drop me any favorite curry you want veganized in the comments.

As with most of the other curries, you can add other veggies, greens, tempeh or Tofu(grilled or fried), lentil meatballs, or even grilled chickpea Tofu(soy-free Tofu) and more.
All of my Indian dishes can run slightly spicy, so taste and adjust.

Make it!

Steps:
Blanch the vegetables.



Cook the onions till brown.



Cook the bell peppers.



Add cumin, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, chili powder and salt.



Cook until tomatoes are tender and mash them.



Add blanched veggies, browned onions, peppers, peas.



Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.



Serve hot topped with chopped cilantro with Rice or Flat bread.




Vegetable Jalfrezi - Veggies in tangy smoky curry.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Egg, Soy, Corn, Yeast, Nut, Gluten free.
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Oil
1/2 medium Red onion sliced
1/2 Red bell pepper sliced
1/2 Green bell pepper sliced
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke or 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes
1/2 head of cauliflower chopped or broken into small florets
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup other veggies of choice like peas, green beans, broccoli or chopped steamed Tempeh, tofu, Soy free Chickpea tofu or lentil meatballs.

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon each of chopped ginger and garlic(optional)
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2+ teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or other deep red chili flakes or chili powder of choice.
3 medium tomatoes chopped(or you can use about a cup of crushed fire roasted tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or other vinegar of choice
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves - optional)

Method:
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Blanch the chunky vegetables- cauliflower, carrot, green beans in it for 3-4 minutes.
Strain and keep ready.
In a large pan, add 2 teaspoons oil.
Heat on high and add sliced onions.
Saute onions till the edges are brown. (5-7 minutes)
Add liquid smoke or chipotle flakes, mix well for a few seconds.
(Or you can cook the onions and peppers in a wok on high heat till lightly burnt for the smoky flavor)
Remove onions from the pan, add bell peppers and saute till the edges are brown.(5-7 minutes)
Remove bell peppers from pan.
Add a teaspoon of oil, and heat on medium.
Add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic and let cook for a minute
Add in the tomatoes, vinegar, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder, methi leaves if using, and mix well.
Cook the tomatoes until tender. 5-7 minutes, stir and mash once in between.
Add in the browned onions, peppers, blanched veggies, salt and mix well.
Add 1-2 Tablespoons water to help the sauce coat the veggies.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Take off heat and serve hot topped with chopped cilantro.
Serve with Rice dishes or Flat breads, bread rolls, Roti or Naan.



This curry is being shared at Allergy Free Wednesdays, Rickis wellness weekend., Slighlty indulgent Tuesdays

Chickpea Kabocha Fries. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe Fat-free option

Its time for some savory snacking. Chickpea flour fries. And that gorgeous color is because of some roasted Kabocha in them..

I baked up the whole Kabocha the other day.. just like this whole Roasted butternut Scrubbed it clean, wiped it, punched a few knife holes in it and put it in the oven at 330 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Sliced it in half. Scooped out the inards and we are good to go. Used some to make Kabocha rice and lentil crepes and some in these fries.. Though I think I need a squash break now.. :)

These Chickpea fries are awesome finger food. They can be frozen for weeks, baked or grilled with or without oil or pan fried. I added ranch seasoning to the batter itself, so u can eat the fries as is without a dip, or use any of your favorite dips or sauces. Let me know some of your favorite dips recipes and I will link some up on the post! My current fave is the Chipotle Ranch at veggiegrill.
Change up the seasoning, or skip the spices.. tons of variations..
Make them!



Short post again today.. crappy eye alert..

More Savory Snack and Breakfast options see the collection here.

Steps:

Squash all baked.



In a pan, add all the ingredients and start whisking on low-medium heat.



Whisk Whisk.



Cook until the batter feels quite stiff.



Pour the batter onto parchment or greased sheet.



Let it cool and set.
Cut it up. Bake, grill or pan fry.
Brushed will oil and being grilled on grill pan on stove top high heat below.



Serve hot!



Chickpea Kabocha Fries. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe
Allergy Information: Dairy, egg, corn, soy, yeast, nut, Gluten free. Oil free when baked without oil.
Makes 14-18 fries 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Chickpea flour(besan/garbanzo bean flour. You can also use garbanzo-fava bean flour)

1/3 to 1/2 cup well mashed roasted Kabocha squash(or any other squash or 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato)

3/4 cup water

1/3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ranch seasoning(Garlic, Onion, Dill, Parsley, Chives and a touch of Pepper). or other spices of choice)
black pepper to taste

Method:
In a bowl or directly in the pan, add all the ingredients and whisk.
Heat the pan on low-medium heat and keep whisking to combine all the ingredients.
Whisk whisk for 4-6 minutes until the batter starts get thick and stiff.
You will be able to feel the stiffness and the batter will not move easily at all.
Drop the gelatinous batter onto parchment or greased sheet.
Spread using an oiled(or wet with water) spatula keeping it 1/4-1/2 inch thick and let set. an hour in refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer. 
Cut the set batter into strips. (At this point, the strips can be frozen. Thaw and proceed to grill/bake.)
Then either bake or pan fry or grill. Brush a little oil on the fries or the pan.
Pan fry for 2-3 minutes each side on medium-high heat. Or Grill them.

For Baked: Broil on Low for 4-5 minutes then broil on High for half a minute to a minute(depends on how crisp you want the fries).
The fries can be baked or grilled without any oil too.
I sprinkled some cajun spice on them and served with sriracha:).

Notes:

You can also make these without the mashed squash. Use a scant 1 cup water with 1/2 cup chickpea flour. Or make these soy free tofu satays into fries.
Add some spices/herbs to the batter. The ranch spices masked the chickpea taste beautifully.

The fries on the side in the below picture are Baked without oil.

Cadrys post Vegan Food is just Food is such a well written post that I decided to mention it today.

Someone posted on my personal profile once that they hated vegan food as they had some at a restaurant and it was so bland and horrible..

Its like saying.. oh I dont like this green curry, so I hate thai food from now on.

or oh this burger is yuck, uncooked, stale sauce etc. so I wont eat any burgers anymore!

Seriously its just food. Its healthy, delicious, cruelty free food. Most of a food plate is vegan already.. the veggies, sauces, beans, lentils, breads.. As Andrea mentions in the comments, all that taste in a turkey.. comes from the plant based filling and spices.

You should see me when I figure out the vegan version of something I have been working on for a while.. or even something I just randomly put together and it comes out awesome..  Its an amazing feeling.. that this stuff is awesome! everyone should eat it. :)

No I dont salivate when I see a huge slice of butter and egg filled death by chocolate cake, coz I can make it cruelty free and enjoy it even more.(recipe coming soon). and sometimes also buy the plant based version! The alternate option availability is increasing day by day. 

I dont live to eat, but I love to enjoy food.. good food. interesting food..food that does not have a history of pain, fear, torture, death... and plant based is where you will find the best.  

These chickpea flour fries are being shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays., Ricki's Wellness weekend, Allergy Free wednesdays.

Chipotle Refried Beans, Pico De Gallo, Lime crema on Wheat Sorghum Crust. Mexican Pizza. Vegan Recipe

Its Pizza time! I whipped up this Mexican Pizza a few days back. I decided to top it with Easy home made Refried beans with a hint of chipotle pepper (Frijoles Refritos), topped them with fresh Pico de gallo(yes its a phase) and Lime crema. I think I love the beany pizza sauces more than the plain old marinara:) The Pizza did not need any cheese. Vegan Cheddar would go well on it if desired. 

I have a big Roasted Kabocha squash. Yes I roasted it whole, like the butternut for about 35 minutes at 330 degrees F .. Turned out beautifully.:) .I think I am going to whip up either some Spicy Kabocha Flautas/Taquitos or Kabocha Chickpea fries tomorrow.. vote in the comments below for which one:).

I made some Roasted Kabocha Crepes/Dosa, exactly as the Sweet Potato Crepes, and made a short video of me making the crepes. The video is uploaded at the end of the Sweet potato crepe post.



My eyes are being very ridiculous since the past week and I am ready to learn to walk blind folded.. I couldnt stand in the kitchen for more than 2 minutes for 2 full days last week..gaaah... finally I realized I can walk easier on the carpeted area, so we put a thick rug on the tiles and I made it to the 15 minute in the kitchen mark.. Plans to get a home with all hard wood has to be reconsidered for a once or twice a year randomness as these. Pfft.
Luckily I have a bunch of pictures I needed to edit and my eyes are holding up while working on the machine with breaks.. so here is a pizza for the weekend.

If you are looking for more Pizza ideas.. hell you better be..;) there are a bunch 2o odd which have been tried and tasted by many.. Find the Pizza Collection here. Many different pizza crusts..Glutenfree crust options too. 

Topped with some chopped lettuce.. 

Steps:

Make the refried beans.



Roll out the Pizza dough



Top with refried beans.



Yes, we top ours with Jalapenos..ssss



Bake at 410 degrees F for 17 minutes.
Take pizza out, top with Pico de gallo, Lime crema, and chopped lettuce(optional).
Slice and serve.



Chipotle Refried Beans, Pico De Gallo, Lime crema on Wheat Sorghum Crust
Allergy Information: Dairy, corn, soy, egg free.
Makes 14 inch pizza

Ingredients:
1 recipe Whole Wheat crust(I substituted 1/4 cup wheat with sorghum flour)
1 Recipe Refried beans. recipe below
Pico De Gallo
Lime crema as needed
Chopped Lettuce
Other toppings like corn, guacamole, tortilla strips.. get adventurous:)

Refried Beans:
2 teaspoons oil
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 medium tomato chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder or mexican chili powder(to taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon Chipotle pepper flakes(Omit this for regular refried beans)
1 can pinto beans, drained. or 1 cup cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup water

Lime Crema:
1-2 teaspoons Lime juice(to taste)
3 Tablespoons vegan sour cream or vegenaise or cashew cream
some Lime zest if using cashew cream

Method:
Refried Beans:
In a pan, add oil and heat on medium.
Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent.(4-5 minutes)
Add tomato and spices and mix well. Cook until tomatoes are tender.
Add the cooked or canned pinto beans, water and salt and mix well.
Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Mash the beans well.
Cook for another minute or so to get the desired consistency.

Blend all the ingredients of the Lime crema and keep ready.
For Pico De Gallo, mix chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt.

Meanwhile prep the pizza dough. Roll it out using a little flour. 
Spread the refried beans on the dough.
Top with other veggies if desired like bell peppers, or Jalapenos.
Bake at preheated 410 degrees F for 17-18 minutes.
Take the Pizza out and top generously with Pico De Gallo and Lime crema and chopped lettuce if desired.
Slice and serve.



This Pizza is being shared at Ricki's Wellness Weekend., Healthy Vegan Fridays , Susan's Yeastspotting

Kesar Burfi - Almond Semolina Fudge flavored with Saffron- Guest post for Dassana. Vegan Recipe

Dassana's Veg Recipes Of India is one of my favorite Indian food blogs and her recipes never fail! Dassana makes authentic Indian food very accessible. True to her blog title, her collection is full of authentic regional/state specific cuisine, tips and tricks that have been passed on from generations, some recipes you will never find anywhere else on the web and definitely in no Indian restaurants. And the beautiful photography is mesmerizing.
Her blog has a lot of vegan options, moving towards more and more so.. and almost all vegetarian recipes can be easily made vegan. I also know Dassana from our online chats and she is a wonderful and sweet person. Thank you for the opportunity to Guest post Dassana.

When Dassana asked me to do a guest post(which was some time back and I got sucked into the holiday season back then), I knew I had to make an Indian dessert/Mithai.

Most of the dairy intense Indian sweets are difficult to veganize to an exact taste and I keep working on them with every festival. The idea for this Kesar Burfi came along round Lohri. I finally made a version that I liked and my husband loved and here we are with a Almond Semolina Fudge with Saffron.

The soaked almonds give it the Khoya effect and the semolina keeps the burfi a fudgy crunch. You can adjust the quantity of sugar syrup, a few teaspoons less syrup for a dryer harder burfi and more syrup for a softer melt in your mouth version.



I dont whip up much authentic Indian food as I would like. I picked up a few recipes while cooking with my mom during undergrad summers, and i always wanted to try new versions or fusions back then too. Then I left to come to Urbana-Champaign for grad school. Most other methods, I have learnt over time by trial and error and working with the tastes and textures that i remember or like. I think that is one of the reasons that helps me think out of the box and vegan-ize  some of the indian sweets. Rasmalai(cheese balls in sweet saffron milk) and Rasgulla still evade me, but I am working on it and have a close alternative. Remind me to make some Mysore Pak(roasted chickpea flour fudge) and post that soon. All Vegan and you wont know it:). 
Some of the barfi/ladoos already on the blog are almost as I remember while some are altered results that we love. This burfi might not taste like the khoya version but it is delicious and a current favorite. 

As Vegans, me and my husband eat a plant-based diet, that excludes all animal and animal derived products such as dairy(including milk and all milk derived products, Ghee, Butter, Cheese, milk powder etc), eggs, honey and meat(chicken, beef, lamb, fish etc). All of these products lead to immense pain, suffering, torture and eventual death of a living being. The number for The Indian dairy industry is 8 million unwanted male calves killed every year. That is 1 every 11 seconds. These are extra calves left after all the other millions of calves which go back into the dairy or leather or bull industry. 
Some frequently asked questions about the diet and stats specific to India, are answered in this well written post by Harini.

There are several alternatives available here in the US to replace milk, meat, cheese, cakes, desserts and the lot. But not many options for Mithai/Indian Sweets. So here is another attempt at a delicious and cruelty free alternative.

For more Vegan-ized Indian sweets, Gulab Jamuns, Ladoos and more see here.
Dassana has a bunch of Vegan dessert recipes too.


Step by Step Pictures and the Recipe at Veg Recipes of India here. Or below.

Steps:


In a pan, mix all the ingredients of the sugar syrup and bring to a boil on low-medium heat. Continue boiling till 1 string consistency is achieved. Few minutes.
Meanwhile, in another pan, dry roast the semolina on low-medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until it starts changing color and is fragrant.



If your semolina grain is large, then pulse it a few times in a blender/processor before roasting.
Add ground almonds and oil to the roasting semolina.



Mix well to form crumbs. (half a minute)



Add the boiling sugar syrup and mix well.
Take off heat after a few seconds and pour on greased or parchment lined pan.



Use a knife or Pizza cutter to cut into squares. Let cool completely before breaking apart.



Kesar Burfi/Barfi - Almond Semolina Saffron Fudge.
Allergy Information: Dairy, Egg, Corn, Soy, Yeast free.
To make the fudge Gluten-free, use coarsely ground Oats or brown rice instead of Semolina.

Makes 1 8.5 by 4.5 inch pan. About 12, 2 inch squares.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Semolina flour or fine Semolina(fine Sooji, fine cream of wheat)
3/4 cup raw almonds soaked overnight
a pinch of sea salt or regular salt
2 Tablespoons Oil(I usually use 1 Tablespoon Coconut oil and 1 Tablespoon Earth balance butter or organic canola oil)

Sugar syrup:
1/2 cup ground raw sugar(or coconut sugar or other sugar of choice. Use 2 Tablespoons more for sweeter)
1/4 cup water
a pinch of cardamom powder
1/2-1 teaspoon Saffron strands(to taste)
a pinch of salt

Method:
Soak the almonds overnight. Peel and pulse into coarse crumbs. Add a pinch of sea salt and keep ready.
To peel almonds easily. Drain and soak them in boiling water for 2 minutes. The Skin will loosen up. Press the almonds and they will pop out.
In a pan, mix all the ingredients of the sugar syrup and bring to a boil on low-medium heat. Continue boiling till 1 string consistency is achieved. Few minutes.
Meanwhile, in another pan, dry roast the semolina on low-medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until it starts changing color and is fragrant.
If your semolina grain is large, then pulse it a few times in a blender/processor before roasting.
Add ground almonds, oil and mix well to form crumbs. (Mix continuously by pressing and breaking crumbs to evenly distribute the oil. half a minute)
Add the boiling sugar syrup and mix well. 
Take off heat after a few seconds and pour on greased/oiled or parchment lined pan.
Even it out, use knife to cut into square or diamond shape, and let cool for 15 minutes before breaking into pieces.

Notes: Use 3/4 of the syrup, mix well and add more if needed. Semolina from different wheat grains absorbs moisture differently. Once mixed, check if the mixture is already a lump and can be set into burfi. If too dry and crumbly, then add more syrup.




This post is being shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wenesdays

Red Lentil Stew with Cauliflower. Gobi Waali Sabut Masoor. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe

Whole brown Red lentils- Sabut Masoor or Massar are pinkish brown lentils that make a mean earthy stew. These lentils are Brown on the outside and pinkish orange on the inside. There are certain spices that work very well with them. Some flavor profiles I have grown up with and some discovered after I started cooking and experimenting. Hints of Cinnamon cardamom and bitter leaves(fenugreek and Curry leaves) take this daal to an amazing new level.

This version has fresh curry leaves. Fresh curry leaves can be bought at an indian store and kept in the freezer in an airtight container for a few months. They freeze well. You can also order fresh curry leaves or dried curry leaves or curry leaves powder on amazon.com. Curry leaves can be added to a variety of lentils. Dried curry leaves can be kept longer and can be a good yearly investment if you plan to make daals often :)



Curry Tree is a tropical tree. The leaves of the tree are called curry leaves or sweet neem or Kadi patta, and used in stews, dry vegetable preparations, chutneys and other ways. Fenugreek Leaves(Methi), fresh or dried have a very bitter but intriguing flavor profile especially when added to lentil/bean stews or other curries. Methi requires a post of its own. 

Other amazing whole Masoor recipes
Whole Masoor and Mung bean stew with shallots. One of my faves.
Missir Wot - Ethiopian Red lentil Stew.
Dassana's North Indian Style Sabut Masoor.
Lentil/Bean stews and curries Collection here.

Steps:

Soak them lentils.



Chop up the veggies. 



Grab some fresh curry leaves.



Make Tadka/tempering.



Add lentils, water, salt and spice and cook until tender. 



Serve hot as is, with a cashew cream drizzle with rolls or crackers as a stew or a daal with Flat breads. 





Red Lentil Stew with Cauliflower. Gobi Waali Sabut Masoor
Allergy Information: Dairy, egg, corn, soy, yeast, gluten free.
Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry whole red lentils(Masoor), soak for atleast 2 hours to overnight
2 cups water
2 teaspoons Oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
a generous pinch of asafetida(hing, optional)
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 Serano Chili pepper chopped or chili flakes to taste
4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 inch ginger minced
1-2 medium tomatoes chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3/4 cup chopped cauliflower

Variations: Use fennel seeds instead of mustard and cumin.
Add other veggies like celery, carrots, broccoli, or  greens.
Use other similar lentils like spanish pardina or green or puy.

Method:
Soak the lentils for atleast 2 hours to overnight. Drain the water and keep ready.

In a pressure cooker, add the oil and heat at medium.

When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin seeds and cover(the seeds will sputter out of the cooker).

Add in the curry leaves, asafetida(hing- optional), and chopped chili. Mix for a few seconds.

Add the ginger, garlic and onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add in the chopped tomato, garam masala and turmeric powder and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tomato is mushy. This is the Tadka.

Add the drained and washed lentils, cauliflower, water and salt and pressure cook on low-medium heat for 3 whistles then at low heat for another 10 minutes.

Let the pressure release by itself before opening. Serve hot topped with fresh cilantro.

To refresh the daal, add a fresh tadka/tempering. heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds and some red pepper flakes and pour over the daal.

If using a pan, Add the the soaked lentils or slow cooker cooked lentils to the onion mixture along with salt, water and cook on low-medium, partially covered until the lentils start to disintegrate. 45-55 minutes for soaked, 20 odd minutes for cooked lentils. Taste and adjust salt and spice, take off heat.

Serve hot topped with Cashew cream and or chopped cilantro, with bread rolls, crackers or  Indian flat breads like Roti, Naan, or Rice.


This Stew is being shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays., Allergy Free Wednesdays, rickis wellness weekend.