Vegetarianism & Beyond

Sacred Vegetarian Recipes - Prasadam

World Vegetarian Day 1st October each year

World Vegetarian Awareness Month - October

http://www.hknet.org.nz/VegeWVD.html

see what's already happened last year http://www.hknet.org.nz/VegeWVD2004.html

see what we hear is to be happening this year

See our previous World Vegetarian Day issue of the newsletter for a wide range of Vegetarian issues
2005 World Vegetarian Day newsletter
Shaligram Tirtha Pradarshini newsletter October 2005 - Theme Prasadam

Vege update:
Social scientists and law enforcement officials have identified animal abuse as a symptom of emotional illness and a precursor to violent crimes against human beings. To allow individuals guilty of perpetrating such cruel acts to go unpunished or not sufficiently punished would be to sanction these horrific crimes and would permit them to go on to possibly commit violent crimes against humans.

The Animal Spirit Newsletter - Issue #2 -  4/21/03-4/27/03

This list is about vegetarian kitchen crafts. This list is created for postings regarding back to basics vegetarian kitchen crafts. When we say vegetarian we mean no meat, fish or eggs. When we say back to basics, we mean tips on making yeast, bread, gluten, tofu, sprouts and so forth. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vkcrafts   Post a Message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vkcrafts/post
 

Rajma Cheese Paratha
These spicy kidney bean, cheese stuffed parathas have now become a favourite with my family and friends. On several occasions, we've used this rajma filling to make delicious grilled sandwiches! Take my word for it - this paratha meal tastes terrific!

Cooking Time :  40 mins.
Preparation Time :  15 mins.
Serves/Makes :  Makes 4 Paratha.

Ingredients:
For the dough
1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
For the rajma filling
1/4 cup red kidney beans (rajma), soaked overnight
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tsp hing
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 small firm head of cabbage chopped finely
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons coriander (dhania) powder
¼ cup curds
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Other ingredients
4 tablespoons grated cheese
oil for cooking

For serving
tomato corn chutney

For the dough
1. Combine all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough using enough water.
2. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
3. Roll out each portion into a 200 mm. (8") diameter circle.
4. Cook each chapati lightly on both sides on a hot tava (griddle) and keep aside.

For the rajma filling
1. Drain the kidney beans, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles till the rajma is overcooked.
2. Drain any excess liquid and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a pan, add the hing, ginger and saute till the finely chopped cabbage until it is light brown in colour.
4. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and cook till the oil separates.
5. Add the cooked beans and mix well.
6. Add the curds and continue cooking till the mixture is dry.
7. Add the coriander and mix well. Keep aside to cool slightly. Divide into 4 equal portions.

How to proceed
1. Place one chapati on a dry surface and spread one portion of the rajma filling in the centre of the chapati.
2. Sprinkle some spring onions and 1 tablespoon of cheese.
3. Bring in all sides of the chapati towards the centre to enclose the filling and make a square paratha.  4. Seal the edges with a little water.
5. Repeat to make 3 more parathas.
6. Cook on both sides, using a little oil till the parathas are golden brown.
7. Serve hot with tomato corn chutney.

Recipe Source TV Meals by Tarla Dalal (with onion and garlic removed)

Tomato Corn Chutney

Cooking Time :  10 mins.
Preparation Time :  5 mins.
Serves/Makes :  Makes1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients
Main Recipe
1 cup finely chopped tomato
1/ 2 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji - mangaral seeds)
4 to 5 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 green chilli, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Main Procedure
1. Heat the oil and add the nigella seeds.
2. Add the curry leaves, ginger, green chilli and the corn and saute for sometime till the corn is almost cooked.
3. Add the tomato, sugar and salt and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Cool and serve.

Recipe Source TV Meals by Tarla Dalal

Quick Vegetable Korma
This is a time saving version of the traditional Navratna curry.

Cooking Time :  20 mins.
Preparation Time :  10 mins.
Serves/Makes :  Serves 4.

Ingredients
Main Recipe
1/4 cup cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/4 cup french beans, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 cup green peas
1 medium capsicum, diced
1/4 cup baby corn, cut into slices
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 cardamom
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon green chilli paste
1 cup milk
1/4 cup paneer (cottage cheese), cut into small pieces
1/4 cup pineapple slices (canned), cut the small pieces
3 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ghee
salt to taste

For the garnish
1 pineapple slices (canned)
1 tablespoon chopped coriander

Main Procedure
1. Heat the ghee in a kadhai and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger paste, green chilli paste and saute for 5 to 7 minutes while stirring continuously.
2. Add the cauliflower, french beans, carrot, green peas, capsicum, baby corn, salt, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook over a slow flame till the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the remaining milk, paneer, pineapple, cream and garam masala and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Serve hot.

Recipe Source TV Meals by Tarla Dalal

KHAKHADA
Ingredients:
250 gms. white flour  (maida)
1 tblsp. coarsely pounded cumin seeds
1 tblsp. coarsely pounded peppercorns
salt to taste

Method:
 - Mix together all ingredients, add enough water to make a stiff dough.
 - Roll dough into small balls, roll each ball into a chapati using a little dry flour.
 - Bake each chapati lightly on both sides.
 - Liberally apply ghee on both sides.
 - Stack them up and set aside for a few hours.
 - Re-roast the chapatis over a griddle until crisp and biscuit coloured.
 - Cool and store in airtight bins.

Khasta Kachori

Cooking Time  : 45 mins.
Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Makes 12 kachoris.

Ingredients:
For the dough
2 cups plain flour (maida)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted ghee or vanaspati

For the filling
1/2 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram), soaked for 4 hours
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 teaspoon green chilli-ginger paste
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon amchur (dry mango powder)
2 tablespoons Bengal gram flour (besan)
3 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Other ingredients
oil for deep frying
For serving
2 cups beraten curds
green chutney
khajur imli ki chutney
chilli powder
roasted cumin seed (jeera) powder
chopped coriander
sev or nylon sev

For the dough
1. Combine all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough using a little water. Knead very well for 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and keep covered under a wet muslin cloth.

For the filling
1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
2. When the seeds crackle, add the soaked and drained moong dal and sauté for a few seconds.
3. Add the green chilli-ginger paste, chilli powder, garam masala, amchur, gram flour and salt and stir for 5 to 7 minutes till the masalas are cooked.
4. Cool and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and keep aside.

How to proceed
1. Roll out each portion of the dough into a circle of 50 mm. (2") diameter.
2. Place one portion of the filling mixture in the centre of the rolled dough circle.
3. Surround the filling mixture with the dough by slowly stretching it over the filling mixture.
4. Seal the ends tightly and remove any excess dough if necessary.
5. Roll each filled portion into a circle of  62 mm. (2½") diameter taking care to ensure that the filling does not spill out.
6. Gently press the centre of the kachori with your thumb.
7. Deep fry on low heat in hot oil till golden brown on both sides. The kachoris should puff up like puris. These take a long time to fry as the crust is thick and need to be cooked on the inside also.
8. Cool and keep aside.

How To Proceed
To serve
1. Place one kachori on a serving plate and make a hole in the centre.
2. Fill it with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the beaten curds.
3. Top with green chutney, khajur imli ki chutney, chilli powder, cumin seed powder, salt and coriander.
4. Sprinkle sev on top and serve immediately.

Handy tip(s) :
1. The kachoris can also be eaten without the curd topping. Just serve them with khajur imli ki chutney.
2. VARIATION : MINI KHASTA KACHORIS
3. You can make 24 small kachoris using the above recipe.

Kathal Curry - Curried green jackfruit.

Serves : Six
Time required : 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 kg green jackfruit (kathal) (or three cans jackfruit)
4 tbsp (60 ml) oil
4 medium-sized (250 g) potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm cubes
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) sugar
salt to taste
1 tsp (5 g) garam masala powder

Grind together with a little water:
3 dry red chillies
1 tbsp (15 g) cummin seeds
1 tbsp (6 g) coriander seeds
1/2 tsp (2 g) turmeric powder

For the tempering:
1 tbsp (15 g) ghee
2-3 bay leaves (tej patta)
1/4 tsp (1 g) cummin seeds

Method
Peel the outer skin of jackfruit. Remove seeds, if any. Discard the fibrous portion, retaining only the ‘meaty’ portion. There is a layer of skin between the seed and the fruit. Ensure that this is also removed and discarded. Cut jackfruit into bite-sized pieces. Place in a pan with water and boil for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain well.

Heat oil in a kadai (wok) or deep frying pan. Fry potatoes until lightly browned. Remove from pan, drain and set aside.

Add jackfruit and saute for a few minutes. Remove from pan, drain and set aside. Add ground paste, sugar and salt to pan. Stir well and fry for several minutes, sprinkling water when necessary. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water and add jackfruit and potatoes. Simmer gently until both are cooked and there is gravy in the pan.

Heat ghee for tempering in a separate pan or kadai. Add bay leaves and cummin. Stir-fry until they stop spluttering. Pour on to the vegetables and sprinkle in the garam masala powder. Stir well and cook for a minute longer. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Put into an oven preheated to 200oC (400oF) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with a salad.

Green Chutney

Ingredients:
Green coriander leaves 1 cup
Green chilli  2
Ginger 1/4 inch
Lemon juice  2 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Grind coriander leaves, ginger and green chilli together.
2. If the paste is too thick, add little water.
3. Then add lemon juice and salt. Mix well.

Crispy Fried Okra

Ingredients:
500 gms okra (bhindi - lady finger)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp Hing
50 gms gram flour (besan)
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
2 tbsp ginger, julienned
5 green chilies, sliced

Method:
Snip off both the ends of the okra and slit lengthwise. Spread the okra in a flat dish and sprinkle evenly with salt, lemon juice, chili powder, turmeric powder, chaat masala, ajwain, amchur powder and ginger paste and Hing.
Mix gently to coat the okra evenly. Sprinkle gram flour over the okra and mix it to coat the okra evenly. Divide into four portions.
Heat oil in a kadai pan until it is smoking. Add one portion of the coated okra slices, gently separating them with a fork, so they do not stick to each other. Fry till crisp and brown.
Repeat the process for the remaining okra slices. Garnish with ginger juliennes and green chilies. Serve hot with chapaties.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cabbage Rice

Ingredients
Cabbage finely chopped
2 cups Rice cooked
1 cup Coconut
1/4 cup Pottu kadalai (split peas dahl)
1/4 cup Urad dhall
1 t.spoon Channa dhall
1 t.spoon Green Chillies
4 Ginger small piece
Mustard
Curry
leaves
Salt
Oil

Method
Cook rice with less water as you would cook for pulauv. Wet grind coconut, pottu kadalai, green chilles, ginger and salt. Fry mustard, channa dhall, urad dhall, curry leaves and cabbage, and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the ground masala to the above and keep cooking until the flavour comes out. Mix this with rice.

Vegetable Makhanwala

 Vegetables simmered in a rich tomato gravy.

This is one for those who microwave - nuke cook.

Cooking Time :  14 min.
Preparation Time :  10 min.
Serves/Makes :  Serves 4.

Ingredients
For the garnish
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
1 teaspoon butter

Main Recipe
1/2 cup french beans, cut into 25 mm. (1") pieces
1/2 cup carrots, cut into 25 mm. (1") pieces
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1 t spoon hing
1/4 cup baby corn, sliced
12 mm. (1") piece ginger
3  large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter
salt to taste

Method 1.

Combine the ginger, hing, tomatoes, turmeric powder and chilli powder in a glass bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. 2.

Blend this mixture in a liquidiser to get a smooth puree. Keep aside. 3.

Put 2 tablespoons of butter and the cumin seeds in  another glass bowl and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. 4.

Add the french beans, carrots, green peas, baby corn and cauliflower, cover with a lid and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Keep aside. 5.

In another glass bowl, add the remaining butter, cooked puree, vegetables, garam masala, cream, kasuri methi, sugar and salt and mix well. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. 6.

Serve hot, garnished with the chopped coriander and butter.

SWEET POTATOES KHEER

Ingredients:
1 cup grated sweet potatoes (ratali)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh coconut scraped
5 cardamoms, ground
4 cups full cream milk

What you do:
Wash, peel and grate sweet potatoes. Cook in milk till it turns soft and the mixture thickens. Then add sugar, cardamom powder and coconut and cook for a few minutes. Serve hot or cold. This kheer looks like vermicelli kheer and tastes excellent.

http://www.lifepositive.com/body/holistic-recipes/recipes/food-fast.asp

SWEET POTATOES KAP

Ingredients:
1 kg sweet potatoes
250 gm sugar
ghee for frying
cardamom powder

What you do:
Wash and remove skin of sweet potatoes. Cut into round thin slices and fry in ghee. Take sugar (1/4 in equivalent volume of the slices) and make sugar syrup of one thread consistency. Add cardamom powder to it. Place fried sweet potato slices in syrup and stir lightly. Keep for some time and then remove. They will turn crisp.

http://www.lifepositive.com/body/holistic-recipes/recipes/food-fast.asp

SACHAMOTI SAGO MILKCAKE

Ingredients:
Sachamoti Sago : 1 Cup
Sugar : 1  Cup
Milkmaid : 1/4 Tin
Milk : 1 Cup
Water : 1 Cup
Ghee : 2 tablespoon
May be add: Pista (Pistachio), Badam (Almond),
Cashewnut, and Saffron as per taste.

Method:
Mix  1-Cup Water and milk and boil them on a stove. Add the Sachamoti Sago and mix till boiled. Add sugar to the boiled Sago and mix well. Add Milkmaid and Ghee and mix them till it becomes a Semi-solid Mass. Transfer the content to a plate, which is already given a thin coating of Ghee. Allow the contents to cool and then cut to required shapes. Other nuts and additives may be placed on the ready cake and it is ready to serve.

http://www.sabuindia.com/rec1.htm

Sev Biranj
Vermicelli cooked in milk and sugar and flavoured with cardamom and saffron.
Cooking Time :   15 mins.
Preparation Time :   5 mins.
Serves/Makes :  Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 cup crushed vermicelli (sevian)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 to 3 strands saffron
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
3 tablespoons ghee

For the garnish
2 tablespoons slivered pistachios

Method
1. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, add the vermicelli and cook on a slow flame for 5 to 7 minutes until the vermicelli is golden brown in colour.
2. Add the milk and 1 cup of water and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, saffron, cardamom powder and cook till the sugar has completely dissolved.
4. Garnish with slivered pistachios.
5. Serve hot.

Recipe Source Roz ka Khana by Tarla Dalal

Vegetable Smoothie

For a deliciously zingy and refreshing start to your day try something a little different with this fruit and vegetable smoothie.

Serves 1
Ingredients:
3 carrots
1/2 apple
1/2 orange, peeled
1/2 boiled beetroot (beets)
1 celery stick
2 large kale (cabbage) leaves

Method:
1. Using a juicer, juice the carrots, apple, orange, beetroot, celery and kale.
2. Serve at once.

DISCLAIMER: (it's Kali yuga, there has to be a disclaimer on most everything eh)
I do not claim that the recipes are mine. If they are, I will tell you. I have gathered many recipes over the years and I have adapted more than a few to suit my personal taste and requirements. Please feel free to pass them on to friends. They are for the Lord's pleasure and sharing with His devotees.  JTCd  =>:-))
 
 

The book "Living a Good Life" normally selling at $21.95 is now going at the $14.95 price, .http://vegsoc.wellington.net.nz/livingGd.htm

The Animal Spirit Newsletter - Issue #2 -  4/21/03-4/27/03

"The beef industry has contributed to more deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of 'real food for real people', you'd better live real close to a good hospital."

- Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President, Physicians Comittee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.