1/3 cup OIL
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup grated onions
15-20 cashew nuts-soaked for 1/2 hour and ground to a paste
2 tbsp poppy seeds-soaked 1/2 hour and ground to a paste
1/4 cup Natural Soya milk or any other non animal milk.
2 tbsp nariyal ka burada (desiccated coconut)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp powdered coriander seeds)
1 tbsp salt
2-3 green chillies-slit
1/4 cup Tofu-mashed into a paste with water
1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables of your choice-blanched ( not compulsory)
1/4 cup thick coco nut cream-to garnish
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves-for garnish
METHOD
Heat the oil in a heavy based pan, and add the cumin. When the seeds splutter, add onions and sauté till a light brown. Now add the ground paste and sauté till the fat separates.
Increase the heat, add the vegetables, and turn around to mix. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, dhania( corriander powder ), salt and the green chillies, and stir-fry to mix well.
Add 1 1/2 cups water and the meshed tofu, bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered for 3-4 minutes.
Serve hot garnished with the coconut cream and coriander leaves..
I have never had anything curry...and judging by how many vegan dishes are curry this and that I fear it may be grounds for dismissal from the vegan lifestyle LOL. Anywho, I want to give curry a try but I fear hating the first thing I ever eat of it and never giving it a second glance. So with that, I am requesting this:
Name your absolute favorite curry dish and include the recipe or link! Explaining why its your fav would be nice too =)
Massaman! If you like cumin this is a good one. Traditionally a beef curry with potato, I make it with pumpkin and celeriac and bit of cashew-cream (last minute or may curdle) instead of coconut milk.
Many of the massaman pastes on the shelf contain shrimp paste so here follows a recipe from cooks.com:
Ingredients:
3.00 Dried red chilies
3.00tbChopped shallots
2.00tbChopped garlic
1.00tsChopped galangal (sub. ginger)
1.25tbChopped lemon grass (sub. lemon zest)
2.00Cloves
1.00tbCoriander seeds
1.00tsCumin seeds
5.00Peppercorns
1.00tsSalt Instructions:
Soak dried chilies in hot water for 15 minutes and deseed.
In a wok over low heat put the shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry fry for about 5 minutes, then grind into a powder (with mortar and pestle).
Into a blender, put the rest of the ingredients and blend to mix well.
Add the shallot-garlic-galangal-lemon grass-clove-coriander seed-cumin seed mixture and blend again to obtain 1/2 cup of a fine-textured paste.
This can be stored in a glass jar topped with oil in the refrigerator for about 3-4 months.
----------------------------------------------
As with other pastes, about a Tbsp per person is fried up wth main curry ingredients 5min or so and liquid is stirred in, brought to simmer and cooked til tender. Yum yum
I don't have a recipe because I've never cooked it myself, but Chana Masala (chickpea curry) is my favourite curry of all time. I always order it at an Indian restaurant. Some places cook it in more of a thick, dry spice mixture. I prefer it in a rich, thick and spicy sauce though.
Ohhhh now I'm craving it again and I only just had it a week ago
for Indian Yellow Madras Curry powders each family or regional area has their own blend of spices
Thai Curry Pastes are like a chili pepper pesto
combining chilies with ginger, garlic, lemongrass and most ofter shrimp paste
maybe to start off you should just try a stew and add curry to taste, also add coconut milk, cilantro, you can add extra ginger , garlic, paprika to your liking as well
curried go good with noodles, rice, beans, vegetables, tofu, seitan, tempeh
I like seitan the best it kind of absorbs alot of the flavors you impart
Name your absolute favorite curry dish and include the recipe or link! Explaining why its your fav would be nice too =)
I used to eat a lot of vegan versions of Indian curry like Rogan Josh and Pathia. I guess I was a fan of tomato based curry, I did enjoy a Chickpea Dahl too though.
If you follow a recipe they are all quite easy to make.
Ok, I tried that recipe from Vegan Village last night - the flavour was delish, but it was so hot I couldn't eat it!! (I'm a bit of a wimp, but OH has a "cast iron" mouth and even he couldn't manage it.)
I didn't have a fresh chilli so I googled and apparently 1 tsp dried chilli flakes is the equivalent of 1 fresh chilli, so that's what I used. Was that too much?
The turmeric and garam masala are more for flavour I think, so the chilli flakes must be the culprit but I want to be sure before I try again...
1/2 tsp perhaps? Anyone?
EDIT: Cherry - your curry recipes sound fantastic! How hot do they come out? I like quite mild - should I adjust the spices downwards or are they already mild? Thankees
I didn't have a fresh chilli so I googled and apparently 1 tsp dried chilli flakes is the equivalent of 1 fresh chilli, so that's what I used. Was that too much?
Yeah, dried chilis can be more concentrated so you should use less
Just make it to your taste, but remember that curry often gets hotter after the first few mouth fulls so if it's very mild when you try it you are ok.
Hey ya'll. I went to my local vegetarian restaurant yesterday and got a curried burrito. Its contents were tofu, potatoes, cauliflower, and onions all curried. It was SO BAD! But it had the potential to be SO GOOD! Got any ideas of how I can improve on this concoction at home??
The vegetables were awesome - it's just that the curry part was so bad. I like curry but somehow they messed it up. I guess I just need to know how to make a good curry sauce.
i would suggest chilli, cumin, turmeric and garlic...just keep it simple. i'm quite lazy, and tend to make a curry 'paste' in the pan by heating some oil then adding the spices, then the ingredients.
perhaps you could add some tomatoes or sweetcorn or something? sounds a bit 'dry' otherwise?
Vegan With A Vengeance has a great Curried Split Pea soup recipe. Also, Creamy Curried Veggies in How It All Vegan by Sarah Kramer is delicious. I made vegan sour cream from Yellow Rose Recipes to put on top and it was sooo good. You can tell I love my vegan cookbook collection!
1 cup lentils
5 cups water
fresh ginger (to your taste)
tomato puree/concentrate
1/2 tsp tumeric
olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 dried red chillies (to your taste)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
nigella seeds
mustard seeds
spinach
put lentils, water, matchstick ginger & turmeric in a pan, bring to boil and simmer till soft. drain but not completely dry, leave a little water in to give a soupy texture. return to low heat and add as much spinach as you like, to wilt. stir frequently to avoid burning.
meanwhile in a small fry pan, heat some oil. when hot, add cumin seeds and garlic to start to brown then add all other spices, fry for a minute or 3 then add to the lentil pan and stir. cook for a minute and serve.
Balti Sauce
1/2cupwater or broth 3xserrano peppers (sm green)seeded and chopped 2lrgyellow onions sliced 1tspgarlic minced 1tspfresh ginger minced 1tspturmeric 1tspgaram masala 14 1/2ozcanned tomatoes chopped 1/2cupfresh cilantro leaves (opt.)
Simmer at least 20 min. 1 hour gently is better. Puree completely =3 cups.
Freezes well. Lasts in fridge 1 week.
To use: fry up your main ingredients (veg, fakemeat) with a bit of oil and any additional spices required. Douse with sauce and simmer to desired tenderness.
When baking I often throw in a few onions, skins and all, along side. The roastier and squishier the better the puree. Great to have on hand.
Last edited by pat sommer; Apr 19th, 2008 at 11:43 AM.
Reason: forgot the name
I just tried this simple and yummy daal recipe using whole moong beans. I love this dish! Aside from soaking the beans, it's extremely quick to make (only about half an hour) and doesn't require loads of fancy ingredients:
170g whole moong beans (can find in Holland & Barrett/Julian Graves/local asian supermarket);
60ml cooking oil (I reduced this amount to 30ml and couldn't taste the difference);
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp salt
4 tsp soy sauce
500ml (15 fl oz) water
Handfull of fresh, chopped coriander
The moong beans need to be covered with water (about 1200ml or 40 fl oz) and soaked overnight, or for around 10 hours. Then wash them throroughly, removing any inpurities, drain and put to one side.
Heat the oil in a large pan/wok and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Leave them to cook for a few seconds and then add the moong beans, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, tomato puree, salt and soy sauce. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring all the while. Then add the water and bring to the boil.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat, simmering gently for about 30 mins, stirring every 5 mins or so. Finally add the fresh coriander, serve and enjoy!
"Born on the same planet, Covered by the same skies..."
Kirin...thanks so much for posting all of these amazing recipes. i have recently discovered that i loooove indian dishes. cant wait to try some of these!
i did want to mention one thing. i saw that in your first post you stated that coconut oil should be avoided. it would seem to make sense that being coconut oil is saturated that it would be bad..but i have to tell you, its actually amazingly beneficial. i am in school right now for holistic nutrition and we learned a bit about why this particular type of fatty acid(medium chain) is so good for you. its really interesting stuff if you feel like taking a look.
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.~ Mahatma Ghandi
I just tried this simple and yummy daal recipe using whole moong beans. I love this dish! Aside from soaking the beans, it's extremely quick to make (only about half an hour) and doesn't require loads of fancy ingredients:
170g whole moong beans (can find in Holland & Barrett/Julian Graves/local asian supermarket);
60ml cooking oil (I reduced this amount to 30ml and couldn't taste the difference);
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp salt
4 tsp soy sauce
500ml (15 fl oz) water
Handfull of fresh, chopped coriander
The moong beans need to be covered with water (about 1200ml or 40 fl oz) and soaked overnight, or for around 10 hours. Then wash them throroughly, removing any inpurities, drain and put to one side.
Heat the oil in a large pan/wok and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Leave them to cook for a few seconds and then add the moong beans, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, tomato puree, salt and soy sauce. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring all the while. Then add the water and bring to the boil.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat, simmering gently for about 30 mins, stirring every 5 mins or so. Finally add the fresh coriander, serve and enjoy!
One can enjoy this recipe stuff with cooked brown rice or cooked wheat flakes. Awesome.
I just tried this simple and yummy daal recipe using whole moong beans. I love this dish! Aside from soaking the beans, it's extremely quick to make (only about half an hour) and doesn't require loads of fancy ingredients:
170g whole moong beans (can find in Holland & Barrett/Julian Graves/local asian supermarket);
60ml cooking oil (I reduced this amount to 30ml and couldn't taste the difference);
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp salt
4 tsp soy sauce
500ml (15 fl oz) water
Handfull of fresh, chopped coriander
The moong beans need to be covered with water (about 1200ml or 40 fl oz) and soaked overnight, or for around 10 hours. Then wash them throroughly, removing any inpurities, drain and put to one side.
Heat the oil in a large pan/wok and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Leave them to cook for a few seconds and then add the moong beans, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, tomato puree, salt and soy sauce. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring all the while. Then add the water and bring to the boil.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat, simmering gently for about 30 mins, stirring every 5 mins or so. Finally add the fresh coriander, serve and enjoy!
My beans are soaking and I'll be making this for dinner tomorrow night
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe Rachel June My partner loved it also. I made extra so we could have some leftovers to enjoy.
I've tried making this crazy man's recipe (link - wireless headphones are great for realtime video recipes) which makes a dosa that looks like it could have been served in a restaurant but is somewhat lacking in flavour. I didn't use any hing (which I now have) and will try next time.
I need like a giant slab of metal to put on the top of the cooker.
One can enjoy this recipe stuff with cooked brown rice or cooked wheat flakes. Awesome.
Glad you like the recipe I hadn't thought about cooked wheat flakes, think I'll try that next time!
Roxy
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe Rachel June My partner loved it also. I made extra so we could have some leftovers to enjoy.
Here's a pic:
Yay, happy you and your partner enjoyed it Roxy! And that picture looks so good, I want to make it again tonight
I reckon it makes enough for 4 people, so we always have plenty for the next night too.
"Born on the same planet, Covered by the same skies..."
Thanks Rachel I'd certainly recommend this recipe to everyone. It's quite inexpensive to make (I bought 250g of beans from the bulk section, and it only cost $1), plus it's a nice easy recipe. And tasty....very tasty!
It's quite inexpensive to make (I bought 250g of beans from the bulk section, and it only cost $1)
Yeah, it's a good "student" recipe Btw, if soaking the beans is too much of a hassle each time, you can always soak a few batches and then freeze until you need to use them.
Here's another recipe I make quite a lot - the main ingredient is frozen green beans, another cheap one! Takes about 15-20 mins, so quick too:
350 g frozen green beans (I find chopped are easier to use)
30 ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp tomato puree
120 ml (4 fl oz) water (this is approx, so add more water if required)
Handfull of fresh, chopped coriander Personally, I also like to add a pinch of brown sugar.
The green beans need to be thawed first.
Heat the oil in a large pan/wok and add the cumin and mustard seeds and the asafoetida. Leave this to cook for a few seconds and then add the turmeric, chilli, salt, coriander and cumin powder. Add the tomato puree and cook this for about a minute or so, stirring continuously.
Then add the green beans and stir it all up properly. Add the water, and cover once it starts to boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so.
Finally, garnish with the fresh coriander and serve
"Born on the same planet, Covered by the same skies..."
We can get fresh green beans at the moment. Do you think I could use those instead of frozen ones?
Also, the asafoetida...are you using a powdered version or something else? I've never seen it here, I might have to go to an Indian store to find it.
The asafoetida is in powdered form - looking at the container, it contains: gum arabic, wheat, rice flour, asafoetida and turmeric. It's also sometimes called "hing", I think. You should be able to find it in an asian store, although it's not always easy to spot - so you might want to ask.
As for the green beans, I guess you could use fresh ones and just increase the amount of water/cooking time, maybe? The recipe I use states frozen beans - I do as it says, because I'm lazy But I think fresh would probably taste nicer!
Hope you like it
"Born on the same planet, Covered by the same skies..."
Can onion powder be substituted in some way for asafoetida? My understanding of asafoetida is that it's added to give an oniony taste, without adding actual onions (which aren't allowed in some peoples' diets).
Most Indian cooking usually takes time to prepare. But it is worth it. I will be giving many simpler versions of Indian recipes, but will not compromise on the taste. Over the next few months, I plan to give recipes of over 200 dishes.
Watch this space.
This sounds very exciting! I have always loved Indian cuisine and recently actually I have been experimenting heavily with different recipes. I actually just finished reading through Flavors of India by Madhur Jaffrey, It's an awesome cookbook. It touches on different parts of India and their specialties. I can't wait to get home from work tonight so I can try out some recipes, I too will keep you all posted with favorites!
Can onion powder be substituted in some way for asafoetida? My understanding of asafoetida is that it's added to give an oniony taste, without adding actual onions (which aren't allowed in some peoples' diets).
I actually feel asafoetida has its own flavour - kind of...pooey. But nice pooey. And it apparently reduces the amount of gas you...erm..."Produce".
Thanks Rachel I hope I can find some nice fresh green beans and some asafoetida/hing on Saturday at the market.
If I can't find the asafoetida, I do have some onion powder I can try subsituting to see how it goes....if anyone can say weather or not it might be a decent replacement.
Asafoetida is poory when raw (the French name Merde du Diable translates as Devil's Shit), but I'm lead to believe shouldn't taste so when cooked! I've never been able to taste shit in things with it cooked
I've seen since looking yesterday various substitutions based around a mixture of garlic and onion powder. I doubt it's a 100% match, but if 80% then that's probably good enough.
I've seen plenty of recipes online of people saying to use ghee. Whilst it's great that in India it's not common, I wouldn't feel comfortable ordering one in the UK without checking first.
I've seen since looking yesterday various substitutions based around a mixture of garlic and onion powder. I doubt it's a 100% match, but if 80% then that's probably good enough.
Thanks Mr Flibble. I'll keep that in mind if I can't find the asafoetida
I found the asafoetida and made Rachel June's lovely green bean recipe for dinner tonight. Here's a pic (unfortunately though, I forgot to sprinkle on the fresh cilantro/corriander before I took the photo )
It was a lovely recipe, easy to make and inexpensive, as I had most of the spices already - except for the asafoetida which I found at the market for $2 for a little jar. And the green beans (I used fresh ones) only cost a couple of dollars as well.
i made the green beans with frozen french style beans... i dont know if they didnt turn out well bc i'm an awful cook or if I just prefer fresh beans. will have to try fresh next time as your pic looks delish roxy!
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But I think fresh would probably taste nicer!
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