Tag: indian vegan recipes

Posted on

Vegan Chicken PEAlau Rice

My Vegan Chicken PEAlau has been a mega hit at home. Even my mother-in-law wants the recipe…which is a first. All the depth and meatiness without the meat! As you’ve guessed by the name of the dish, I have replaced the chicken I usually use to make my pilau with the surprisingly meaty textured plant based Lazy Vegan Pulled Pea Chunks from Sainsbury’s. I cooked the pea chunks with caramelised onions, ginger, whole spices & basmati rice to create a super flavourful one pot dish. It will help turn Veganuary into Vegebruary!

Print Recipe

Vegan Chicken PEAlau Rice

Servings: 3 people

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cardamoms
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 “ ginger grated
  • 2 cloves garlic grated (I combined the ginger & garlic & blitzed in a processor)
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp tomato pasata
  • 2 green chillies very finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  • 3/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • handful fresh coriander
  • 2 handfuls peas I used frozen
  • 180 g Lazy Vegan Natural Chunky Pulled Peaz available in frozen section in Sainsburys
  • 1 cup/180g Basmati rice I used a measuring cup, washed well
  • 2 cups water Again using same measuring cup used for rice

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add the cumin, cloves, bay leaves and cardamoms. Once the spices sizzle and splatter, add the onions and 1 tsp salt.
  • Cook the onions for 3-5 minutes until translucent. Then add the ginger and garlic. Cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until everything is completely soft and golden brown.
  • Now add the tomato puree, pasata and chilli. Mix well then reduce the heat and add the remaining 1 tsp salt as well as all of the dry spice powders. Cook for 20 seconds on a medium heat.
  • Add the fresh coriander, frozen peas as well as the pulled pea chunks and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Taste for salt and chilli at this point and adjust accordingly.
  • Now add the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the washed rice. Bring to a boil once again.
  • Now reduce to a simmer and place a lid on top. Cook on a low/medium heat. Keep an eye on the pan and when you see that the water has completely evaporated, turn the heat off. (Place the wooden spoon into the rice and also check to make sure there is no water at the bottom of the pan).
  • Place the lid back on the pan and allow the rice to finish off cooking in its own heat for a further 25 minutes. (Don’t remove the lid before then!).
  • Fork and mix the rice and before serving. Garnish with fresh chillies and coriander. Serve with fresh lime and your favourite yoghurt raita! 

Notes

The wider the pan you use, the better! This will ensure the rice has enough space to cook, yielding perfectly cooked individual grains!

Posted on

Pyaaz Pakoras | Onion Bhajis

The Pakora… it’s as much of a favourite in restaurants, as it is at home. It’s so versatile – a great starter, a spicy canapé, a party nibble… but for me, as it is for most of my family, the pakora is the perfect comfort food. It belongs in the same class as the “onesie”, hot chocolate and mince pies! So it’s not a surprise that this recipe is such a favourite at my cookery classes.

You can make a pakora from basically anything – it’s an excellent way to recycle your left over veggies (and use up pesky things like broccoli stalks!). Crispy on the outside, steaming hot, spicy and fluffy on the inside – onion pakoras (or to be authentic… “pyaaz pakoras”) are my absolute favourite when I’m cold and in need of an internal hug.

So if you need an alternative for your mince pie this winter… try this – you will not regret it.

 

Pyaaz Pakoras | Onion Bhajis
Serves 4
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 onion, thinly sliced (paper thin long slices)
  2. 1 small potato, peeled and very finely diced
  3. 1 birds eye green chilli, finely chopped
  4. 1⁄2 tsp salt or according to taste
  5. 2 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed in a pestle & morta
  6. 1⁄2 tsp paprika
  7. 1⁄4 tsp turmeric
  8. Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  9. 1 measuring cup of gram flour
  10. Water to bind
  11. Sunflower/vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients apart from the gram flour, water and oil into a bowl. Mix well so everything is incorporated. Now add in the gram flour and mix well.
  2. Gradually add enough water to bind the vegetables with the gram flour. You should be able to form clumps of the mixture with your hand/a spoon. If you find the mixture is not clumping - add more gram flour. Taste the mixture and adjust salt/chilli accordingly.
  3. Heat the oil in a pan (a small wok works best for this & you will need about 3-4" oil). Once the oil is hot, carefully place clusters of the pakora mixture into the hot oil (if you're confident, you can use your hands to do this or to feel more comfortable, use a tablespoon).
  4. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry on medium heat until the pakoras are golden-brown all over. It should take about 3-5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the remainder of the pakora mixture.
Notes
  1. To test the temperature of the oil, place a little cluster of the batter into the oil. It should take about 5-6 seconds to rise to the top of the pan. If it comes straight up, it is too hot. Take the oil off he heat and allow to cool. If it stays at the bottom, continue to heat the oil.
  2. You may need to adjust the temperature of your pan as you begin to fry the pakoras as the temperature of the oil will drop. As a general rule it should take 3-5 minutes to ensure they are golden and cooked all the way through.
Monica's Spice Diary - Indian Food Blog https://spicediary.com/
 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on

Tadka Dal

The first week of August has come to an end and it has rained every single day since the beginning of the month. Why hello British summer, so nice of you to join us! (Said no one in the past 7 days). To be fair, I do like me some precipitation. Not only does it provide much needed moisture in my garden, it also proves to be an excellent topic of conversation when you are a) trying to break the ice with someone and b) need a filler for an awkward silence. Very handy indeed.

If it continues like this however, it does mean that my summer dreams of cooking up seekh kebabs, paneer tikka, afghani chicken, masala corn on the cobs & tandoori tiger prawns  (I have been compiling this list since January) on the BBQ, are well and truly over. 

It’s not all bad though, monsoon season in India results in comfort food galore (there is always a silver lining!). For me, comfort food stems from simple dishes done well. That brings me to today’s recipe of Tadka Dal. A buttery & spicy classic lentil dish that is super simple but oh so delicious. The word “tadka” refers to the tempering of spices in oil which is then added to the cooked lentils. My tadka calls for ghee, cumin, ginger & garlic which works wonders to add the perfect amount of richness, heat and flavour all at the same time…that is of course in my humble opinion!

When you make this recipe, I urge you to devour with rice or chapatis and eat with your hands. That’s right….stay away from the spoon people! The satisfaction shoots up to another level. Believe me. I hope you enjoy it – keep me posted on your thoughts!

 

Tadka Dal
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
To cook the lentils
  1. 1/2 cup masoor dal*
  2. 1/2 cup yellow split moong dal
  3. 3 ½ cups of water
  4. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  5. 1 tsp salt
To cook the tadka
  1. 2 tbsp oil
  2. 2 tbsp ghee (you can just use 4tbsp oil if you have no ghee)
  3. 1 tsp cumin seeds
  4. 1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing powder (optional)
  5. 1 small onion, finely diced
  6. 1/2 tsp salt
  7. 2 cloves garlic, grated
  8. 1″ ginger, grated
  9. 1 tsp garam masala
  10. 1/2 tsp paprika or chilli powder
  11. 1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)
  12. salt
  13. 4-5tbsp tomato passata (You can also use tinned plum/fresh tomatoes blitzed up)
  14. 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  15. Handful fresh chopped coriander
Instructions
  1. Wash lentils thoroughly. If you have a pressure cooker, add enough water so it is approximately 2” above the level of the lentils along with the turmeric and salt.
  2. Once the first whistle goes off, reduce heat to low and cook for 6 minutes. Then remove from heat, keep the lid on and allow steam to escape naturally.
  3. If you do not have a pressure cooker, place washed lentils in a pan along with salt and turmeric with 5 and cups of water. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to bring to a simmer and a place lid on the pan. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender. If the water reduces before the lentils are cooked, you can add more.
  4. Whilst the lentils are cooking, heat the ghee/oil in a separate pan. Add cumin seeds, and asafoetida. When they begin to sizzle, add the onions along with the salt.
  5. Cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent and then add the garlic and ginger. Allow to cook until golden in colour. Now add the passata along with the chilli and cook for a minute.
  6. Lower the heat slightly and add the garam masala, paprika and amchur. Mix well and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until you see the oil begins to separate from the masala at the edges. Remove from heat.
  7. Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the masala sauce along with the water they were boiled in.
  8. Mix well and bring to a boil. If you think the dal is too thick you can add a little more water.
  9. Garnish with the fresh coriander. Taste for salt/chilli and adjust accordingly. Amchur adds tangy-ness. If you feel the dal is lacking slightly when you try at the end, add a little more! Remove from heat.
Notes
  1. *Measuring cups have been used here
  2. I have mixed two lentils here but you can use just one if you prefer. The masoor and yellow split moong variety do not need to be soaked before hand and cook quickly!
Monica's Spice Diary - Indian Food Blog https://spicediary.com/