Spice Route

Medhu Wadas

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:08:00 +0000

I was in the mood for making medhu wadas. Make the batter; urad dal flour with rice flour, salt and adding some water and slowly mixing the contents. In Southern part of India, Medhu wadas are quite a popular snack, although these days it is enjoyed everywhere.

In a pan, pour vegetable oil till about 1/3rd full. Warm on medium heat and add the small balls of batter in the oil, fry for a minute or two till they turn to a golden brown.

Flip the dumplings with a slotted spoon, one by one, and fry on the other side for a couple of minutes.

When they are cooked on both sides remove them on to a plate. Serve crisp dumplings warm with your favorite chutney. Coconut chutney goes well with it. You can also cook sambhar, pour over the wadas to enjoy softer dumplings.

Wheat noodles with freshly roasted chestnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:57:00 +0000

Wheat noodles with spinach, tomatoes, green bell pepper, green shredded cabbage garlic, ginger and topped with freshly roasted chestnuts chopped coarsely.

Ingredients:

3 bundles of thick flat noodles
1 green pepper chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
8-10 leaves of spinach rinsed & chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage
5-6 cloves of garlic chopped fine
1/2 inch of ginger chopped fine
6-8 pieces of fried tofu
salt to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp vegetable oil
soy sauce to taste

Saute the cabbage, in a large12 inch pan, add the garlic, stir add the ginger and tomato, spinach stir, add spices sprinkle 1/2 cup water and cover to cook the vegetables until tender.

Boil water in a separate pan, add the noodles and once done toss them so that they do not stick to one another, keep them aside. Once the veggies are done mix the noodles well making sure they do not stick together add soy sauce and serve warm.

Roast a handful of fresh chestnuts and once done, peel them and slice a couple of them for garnishing.
The rest of the chestnuts can be shared with your kids or spouse as the flavor is best when eaten freshly roasted and warm. I served the noodles and kept the extra chestnuts in a plate for my family members who like extra crunch and texture in the main dish.

Enjoy!

Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:57:00 +0000

Okra masala, Cabbage and soy bun, Sour dough bread from Panera, Cubed pumpkin and peas vegetable, Yellow toor dal.

Enjoy!

Creamy, Chilled, Pumpkin Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:06:00 +0000

Smoothie with soy milk and organic, peeled, cubed pumpkin, blended with sugar, cardamom and saffron. Serve chilled. Celebrate the new year with friends, family and kids.

Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:25:00 +0000

An article that talks about the US vegan population has doubled since 2009, leading to 7.5 million citizens now on vegan diet.

A couple, Ujjla and Ashish Manchanda who were meat eaters just a few months ago have turned vegan and not only that, Ujjla now offers cooked vegan meals and they can be ordered a day in advance.

Enjoy!

A Diwali Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:08:00 +0000

Cauliflower with tofu and tomatoes, mango pickle, mathri, shakarpaaras, jeera puri savory, wheat naan, rice, onion & tofu dal, carrot juice, motichoor laddo for the sweet tooth, almonds and pomegranate.
This is a simple and a delectable meal, that I served for Diwali, a festival of lights.

Enjoy!

Vegan Potluck at IIT Alumni Club, Chennai

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:40:00 +0000

The first vegan potluck will be held at IIT Alumni Club in Chennai, India on October 2nd, 2011. October 2nd is also the day when Indians celebrate Gandhi Jayanti and it is a good day for celebrating non-violence in the form of animal killing and eating a meat free meal.

Carrots- Broccoli- Bell pepper salad with raw pumpkin seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:34:00 +0000

My husband and I went to a raw/live food meetup potluck a couple of days ago. I finalized to chop organic broccoli, some baby carrots topped with raw pumpkin seeds and red bell pepper. Salt and pepper optional.
If you want to try out something simple and uncooked try it for a light evening dinner.

Whole wheat chapatis

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:59:00 +0000

Whole wheat chapatis can be made at home or bought at a local Indian grocery store. It goes great with dal, soups and veggie stew.

Spinach (Palak)

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Mon, 30 May 2011 07:27:00 +0000

I was in the mood for making spinach and instead of adding sauteed tofu chunks, which I usually do in my recipe, I blended the spinach and tofu together.

Ingredients

1 bunch Spinach (washed many times)

2 tbsp ground chick peas diluted with a few tbsp water and blended with a spoon/ hand held blender

1 small onion chopped and sauteed with one tsp vegetable oil

1/4 inch ginger root chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped fine

1/2 block fresh silken tofu mashed coarsely

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

Optional for garnish 1/4 tsp cumin roasted in 1 tsp oil

Boil the spinach in one cup water. Add the chickpeas mixture and keep stirring over medium heat for about five minutes, add the tofu, ginger, onion, salt and spices. Blend in a blender for three to four cycles till the veggies and tofu turns into a smooth consistency. Remove in a 10 inch pan. Heat again for two to three minutes and serve with a garnish of cumin.

Spinach goes well with hand tossed corn chapatis or plain wheat flour chapatis.

Enjoy!

Sliced lotus root stew

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:15:00 +0000

Lotus root is edible when boiled in Indian Cuisine. It can be found in Asian stores in the US.

Chivda- presentation variation

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:34:00 +0000

I make Chivda at home often and the presentation style is a bit unusual this time. It is done like the vendors in Mumbai, India roll the paper sheet and used to sell peanuts at a beach.

Your guests would be nostalgic if you serve them Chivda in this manner. The tomatoes and the chillies are meant for added decor and can be left on the plate and individual serving portions can be taken by guests.

Cut a ziploc bag into a square to make this cone shape. Fill it with Chivda, you can make several of these depending upon the number of people attending the party.

Take a look at the pics.

Turnip-zucchini-beetroot spicy veggies

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 04:55:00 +0000

Today, let's make vegetables that are readily available in the winter as well as spring.

I have selected a variety of vegetables for this dish. Choose all or pick the

ones you like to make another variation.

3 cup carrots chopped

1 onion

5 cloves garlic

1 tbsp freshly chopped ginger

1 zucchini

1 turnip (medium)

1 tomato

1 small potato

1 small beetroot

4 tbsp oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed coarsely dried red chilli or (chilli flakes can be substituted)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp mango powder

5 basil leaves

1/2 cup water

Wash and chop veggies.

In a 12 inch pan, sautee the onions in oil on medium flame till they become translucent, add ginger, sautee again for a minute, add garlic.

Add the veggies and stir. After ten minutes of stirring and tossing add the spices; mix, then add water. Mix again. Cover with a lid. Cook on low to medium flame. Every five minutes or so stir and cover with a lid. The turnip takes the longest to soften. The color of orange carrots, green zucchini and red beet root looks very nice. In about 45 minutes remove from flame, garnish with basil leaves, and serve warm with your choice of bread.

Enjoy!

Vegan grocery selection

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:25:00 +0000

If you are a new vegan you can buddy with a long time vegan and go grocery-shopping together to learn more about vegan options. Enrolling in the free vegan buddy program enables you to make healthy choices by getting tips from a vegan mentor. This program started in Fall 2010 in Victoria.

Learn more about the Vegan Buddy program.

The Martha Stewart Show

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:35:00 +0000

The Martha Stewart Show is looking for vegans. If you are a vegan you might be interested in attending the show and become a part of the special audience.

Vegan Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 06:50:00 +0000

Baking Vegan Muffins was fun.

Vegan

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:48:00 +0000

Vegan Pizza was relatively new if you asked for one at a restaurant. It is gaining popularity since the last few years. Today is Annual Vegan Pizza Day!

Enjoy a slice or two with your family and friends!

World Peace Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 22:20:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

The World Peace Diet Facilitator Tele-Training Program starts on Jan 27th, 2011. Dr. Tuttle quotes,
"To be free, we must practice freeing others. To feel loved, we
must practice loving others. To have true self-respect, we must
respect others. The animals and other voiceless beings, the
starving humans and future generations, are pleading with us to
see: it's on our plate."

Vegan meal

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:38:00 +0000

Today's meal is rice pilav with okra on the side and stew.

A friend asked me how to cook okra delicious without making it too mushy.
Tip # 1 Cooking okra as a side dish without adding water is the key.
Tip # 2 Cover and cook okra in its own juices and spices. Add tomatoes to make it tangy.
Tip # 3 Do not add it to soup or stew as it becomes slimy.

To make your dish likable, first, make it appealing to the eye.
If it looks good to the eye chances are the other senses will also like it.
Taste and flavor are also crucial for a recipe to be successful.

Enjoy!

Tomato-Jeera rice pilav

Okra with onion and tomatoes side dish.

Bottlegourd with badiyaan carrots and tomatoes stew

Eggplant and paratha

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:00:00 +0000

Eggplant with dried red chillies and paratha.

Couscous with mushrooms-peas-carrots veggies

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:51:00 +0000

Enjoy a vegan meal. Bon Appetit!

Crepes, soup etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:15:00 +0000

Methi poodas (crepes) with dal soup and red, green and yellow bell pepper veggies.
Enjoy!

Say 'yes' to a meatfree Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:10:00 +0000

Start a new trend this year in your holiday menu. A meatless holiday with no killing of the bird.
A vegetarian Thanksgiving is easy to plan with all the choices. You can get Tofurky and tempeh products
and leave the bird alone. Your stomach will thank you because it is easy to digest veggies and you can eat guilt-free.

Thanksgiving Menu:
First Appetizer - Pakora (video of pakora recipe also available)
Second Appetizer- Falafel patties. Chutney or sauce to go with appetizer.
Soup and Stew
Main course
Side dish
Dessert

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:13:00 +0000

Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Stuti Garg) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:57:00 +0000

There are i-phone apps available for vegans. The app has a list of popular restaurants and connects it to the vegan substitutes available for example Taco Bell carries the Fresco bean burrito or the seven layer burrito can be made vegan without the cream and cheese.

Kailash a new vegetarian is opening in mid-2011 in Seattle.