Vegan Indian food: The curry thread

[herbwormwood]

Is tofu really the same in taste as paneer? I can see how drained silken tofu could be similar in texture and properties to paneer, but from what I remember the taste isn't exactly the same. Similarly soya milk (what tofu is made from) is different in taste to cows milk (what paneer is made from).

I would not use silken tofu as it is too soft and would turn to mush. I would use normal raw tofu and cube and fry it lightly until it got a little crispy and golden round the edges. Its a while since I used it. No, I don't think the taste of tofu would be the same as paneer, but if you get the right kind of tofu the texture is almost identical. You can add flavours to make it taste like cheese if you want. I only really started getting heavily into making curries since I went vegan, I never cooked with "real" paneer. Someone suggested marinating the cubed tofu in lemon juice, so that's how we did it.

[herbwormwood]

Today's curry had some funny stuff in as I am getting low on stores.
I fried an onion in some toasted sesame oil (usually use sunflower or olive). I then added salt, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, some cooked aduki beans and chick peas and some raw red split lentils. Lots of water went in at this point. I then added some frozen chestnuts and brussels sprouts and spinach. I added two cherry tomatoes which were starting to go very soft.
Then I went off and left it for a couple of hours. I ate it with some cooked leftover brown rice I had in the freezer and a big spoonful of tomato chutney.
I always cook a few servings of curry at a time as it keeps and reheats well.

[RockyRaccoon]

I made myself a lovely easy lentil curry for tea tonight. I didn't actually measure when I made it so the amounts are approximate.

1 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup cooked chick peas
1/4 cup raisins
2 courgettes, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
3/4 pt vegetable stock

Gently fry the garlic and spices for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serves 2, with couscous.

Enjoy

[GoodbyeGirl]

out of interest, does anybody know is there any way to cool a curry down a bit if you go overboard on the spices? (cos i'm a bit of a wimp.)

i don't know if you still need the information, but the best way to battle heat is with sweet. you could serve your curry with a side of chutney or fresh fruit or with a glass of juice.

[GoodbyeGirl]

CREAMY BLACK LENTILS
3/4c whole black lentils, soaked
1/4c split red lentils
1/2c soy cream
1/2c plain soy yogurt
1t cornstarch
3T vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2in piece fresh ginger, crushed
4 fresh green chilies, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2t chili powder
1/2t ground turmeric
1/2t ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, sliced
salt
cilantro sprigs & sliced red chili to garnish
drain the black lentils and place in a large pan with the red lentils. cover with water and bring to boil. reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer until tender. mash with a spoon and cool.
in a bowl mix together the soy cream, yogurt & cornstarch and stir into the lentils in the pan.
heat 1T of the oil in a large pan and fry the onion, ginger, two green chilies and tomato until the onion is soft. add the ground spices and salt and fry for a further 2 minutes. stir into the lentil mixture and mix well. reheat, transfer to a heatproof serving dish and keep warm.
heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the garlic slices and remaining chilies until the garlic slices are golden brown. pour over the lentils and fold the garlic and chili into the lentils just before serving.

[GoodbyeGirl]

chana dhal, also known as bengal gram, is a very small type of chickpea grown in india. it has a nutty taste and gives fabulous earthy flavout to the food. chana dhal is available from good indian stores. yellow split peas make a good substitute in terms of appearance and require the same cooking time, but the flavour is not quite the same.

CHANA DHAL AND COURGETTE CURRY
2/3c chana dhal or yellow split peas, washed
2c water
4T vegetable oil
2 fresh green chilies, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2in piece fresh ginger, grated
6-8 curry leaves
1t chili powder
1t ground turmeric
1lb zucchini (courgette), or pumpkin, peeled & sliced
4T tamarind juice
2 tomatoes, chopped
salt
a handful fresh cilantro, chopped
in a large pan, cook the chana dhal in the water, seasoned with salt, for about 30 minutes until the chana dhal grains are tender but not mushy. put aside without draining away any excess water.
heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chilies, onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, chili powder, turmeric, and salt until the onions have softened. (if using pumpkin add at this stage)
add the chana dhal and water and bring to the boil. add the zucchini, tamarind juice, tomatoes and coriander. simmer until the squash is cooked.

[GoodbyeGirl]

tarka is a hot oil seasoning that is folded into a dish before serving. tarka dhal is commonly found in bengal, assam, and bangladesh and it is the combination of spices that gives away its origin.

TARKA DHAL
1/2c red lentils, washed
1/4c chana dhal or yellow split peas, washed
2 1/2c water
1t grated fresh ginger
1t crushed garlic
1/4t ground turmeric
2 fresh green chilies, chopped
1 1/2t salt

for the tarka
2T vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
1/4t mixed mustard & onion seeds
4 dried red chilies
1 tomato, sliced

1T chopped fresh cilantro, 1-2 seeded & sliced green chilies, 1T chopped mint for garnish
place washed lentils in a large pan and boil in the water with the ginger, garlic, turmeric and chopped green chilies for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. mash the lentils with the back of a spoon until they are a soupy texture. if the mixture looks too dry, add a little more water.
to prepare the tarka heat the oil in another pan and fry the onion with the mustard and onion seeds, dried red chilies, and sliced tomato for 2 minutes. pour the tarka over the dhal in the frying pan and top with garnishes. serve.

[redpepper]

Hi all,
Was wondering if you guys will be interested in some fast and easy rice recipes...

Lime Rice

2cups- basmati rice
4 - Green chilli
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup carrot
1- onion finely chopped
6 - curry leaves
1/4 tsp - turmeric powder.
1/2 lime or lemon
salt to taste

seasoning

1tbsp -oil
1tsp - musturd seeds
1tsp - urad dal / black gram beans( split)
1tsp - channa dal/yellow split beans
2tbsp - peanut


method

cook the basmati rice with a water ratio of 1:11/2( rice : water). Before starting the cooking process make sure to add turmeric, salt to the water. Then add about a tsp of lime.(this ensures that the rice is not broken and remains long).

In a pot, add oil, once the oil is heated add mustard seeds, once it starts spluttering, add peanuts, once the peanuts are golden brown, add channa dal, once that is golden brown, add urad dal, once that is golden brown, add the green chillies( which are split into halfs), add onions. Fry until they are colourless or brown, now add carrot, peas( i generally use the frozen ones) they cook really fast. Once that is done switch off the gas/stove. Once your rice is done, add the mixture from the pot and mix it well, then squeeze the remaining lemon/lime( please keep checking for your taste.. it shouldnot be very sour... it should just give a hint of lemon) decorate it with freshly chopped coriander/ cilantro.

Serve it with chips or pickle. I like to eat it just like that....

Warning: The amount of chillies used depends on you. These are what i use. You can decrease or increase according to your taste. It is the same case with salt and lime.

Please let me know what you think.... i will start posting other recipe....

well this is my first recipe.. if i have some spelling mistakes plz forgive me.... if you need any clarifications let me know....

cheers
Redpepper

[rantipole]

This seems like it would be really good.

Cheers,
rant

[Tiggerwoo]

Sounds yummy, will definitely give that one a try, thanks!

[tabitha]

That sounds delicious Redpepper. I have written it down (I write all the good ones down)

[maya]

Yum I love Indian food!

[Tigerlily]

Oh sounds yummy, too bad I'm sensitive to limes and lemons.

[redpepper]

dont worry tigerlily i would post other rice items which dont need lime or lemon... hope that helps
thank you all for your encouraging words

[redpepper]

Hi all,
I am back with a new rice recipe... we call it pongal...We have a festival of harvest during january.... we make pongal at that time... generally its a breakfast dish... but i eat it any time of the day....
The pongal is especially for Tigerlilly since she is sensitive to lemon or lime...

Pongal

Ingredients
1 cup – rice( please don’t use basmati or long grain)
1 cup – moog dal/Yellow mung beans
2 tbsp – cumin(whole)
1 tbsp – Black peppercorn(whole)
2 tbsp – curry leaves
To taste- salt
1 tsp – grated ginger root
1 tbsp – margarine or oil
2 green chilies
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp cashew nut (optional if u don’t mind the fat)

Method
Put the rice and moog dal together with the water ratio of (1:2 ½ rice mixture to water). I generally pressure cook it… if you are using any other method to cook the cook them separately until they are overdone. The main point of adding more water is to cook the rice and dal so that u can make paste of it by mixing (real mushy) them together.
I generally grind the cumin coarsely, and put the peppers as whole (you could always grind this coarsely too). Now in a pot add margarine, once heated , add mustard, once spluttered, add curry leaves, then add the ginger, fry it for about couple of minutes or until u get the aroma of ginger, then add the cumin and pepper and fry it for 2-3 minutes.
Then add this thing to the rice and dal mixture along with some salt. It is really healthy generally eaten with coconut chutney. When I used to be vegetarian I used to eat it with yogurt. (which of course now is not possible) . You could eat it as it is or if anyone is interested in a tomato stew kind of thing that goes with it… let me know…

Optional: Now if you want to add cashews all you have to do is, take another tsp of oil in a pot, roast them in the oil and garnish the rice with it. I generally don’t do it as it is too much fat..

Please forgive me for my spelling mistakes

Warning: the amount of pepper cumin and salt depends on ur taste… if u powder the pepper it will be hard on u… its always better to leave it whole…. So that just the flavor is infused not the heat…

If you don’t know what the dal is let me know I can post a picture or look for moong dal in google images you can see the pic... there...
Any questions feel free to ask me
Cheers
Redpepper

Success is never final and failure never fatal. It's courage that counts

[DancingWillow]

Thanks for the recipes RedPepper! I recently tried lime rice for the first time and it was delicious, so I'm glad that you posted a recipe...I can make it myself now

[redpepper]

u r welcome... anytime...

[Korn]

Hi,
here are some interesting links with Indian vegan recipes:

http://www.recipezaar.com/r/122/168
http://www.pakupaku.info/indian/cookbook.shtml
http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/indian.html
http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/sea...?q=india+vegan

[Barry]

There are only three indian restaurants where i live but they all only use vegtable oil in their dishes unless stated on the menu, one even has vegan friendly naan bread, yum!

[herbwormwood]

Hi there curry lovers,
I had a lot of carrots on Monday.
I fried some onions and garlic in the pot, in sunflower oil. I added some ginger, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric, salt and chilli. I then added the carrots, chopped roughly, some water and red lentils.

I cooked it on a low heat for a couple of hours and served it with brown rice and chutney.

I also did something similar with potato and cauliflower.
I did the onion, garlic and spices as above, then I added some chopped potato and a whole cauliflower I had par cooked beforehand, plus a quantity of water. Potato and cauliflower curry is best served without rice as there is too much starchy food if you use both.
I love Indian Food!!!

[maya]

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 container plain soy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 piece fresh ginger root, grated
• 4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can chick peas, rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS:

• Rinse lentils and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Drain.
• In a bowl, stir together tomato puree and yogurt. Season with garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and chile powder. Stir until creamy.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger; cook until onion begins to brown. Stir in spinach; cook until dark green and wilted. Gradually stir in yogurt mixture. Then mix in tomatoes and cilantro.
• Stir lentils and mixed beans into mixture until well combined. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

[DancingWillow]

For you curry lovers...I just found this website with various curry recipes (most of which are vegan and labeled as such).

http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/indian/

Bon apetit!

(sorry if someone has already posted it earlier)

[cedarblue]

the tofu i eat in a proper thai green curry is not mushy and soggy its chewy and nice - soooo heres how to get a chewy texture tofu for your curry or anything saucey.

squeeze as much moisture out of the slab of tofu as poss. i cut my slab in half horizontally across the middle then into 8 triangles. i then fry it up in some oil (ok i know its not healthy but needs must) till it goes light brown and looks crunchy. if i leave it to drain off for a bit then add it towards the end of the curry making, its nice and chewy and mmmmmm

[rantipole]

Thanks for the tip. I've often wondered how to get tofu crunchy/chewy on the outside.

Cheers,
rant

[Mr Flibble]

You need to ensure that you don't leave hot deep fried tofu in sauce too long (especially very watery sauces) as it can go 'squeaky'.

[eve]

Someone asked me for tofu recipes, and in 'researching' I came across http://www.kingintl.com.au/recipes.htm which has some interesting ones. This is the first time I've come to this particular thread, and the green curry tofu sounds good too, so thanks cedarblue.

[Corum]

I don't know if Hemlock's mentioned the sprout curry I made last year, with our home grown sprouts?

If anyone's interested, I can get the recipe over the next couple of days - I'll have to go to Brighton to retrieve it as my stepson's nicked it!

[harpy]

Yes, please, Corum - I liked the sound of that when Hemlock mentioned it, but she wasn't too forthcoming with the secret formula

[vegcurry]

Did someone mention curry?

[Pob]

Did someone mention sprouts?

Sounds lovely. Bring it on.

[vegcurry]

yeah, me and Pob are salivating.

[auntierozzi]

I'm up for sprout curry I'm getting fed up with disguising them in salads for my anti-sprout gang!

[harpy]

I think we're talking Brussels sprouts, as opposed to bean sprouts, aren't we?

While we're waiting for the curry recipe I have a (rather alcoholic) method of using B sprouts which I like, but others may not. I'm sorry I don't have quantities.

Brussels sprouts and chestnuts in cider

Ingredients

Sprouts (probably about 500g or slightly less)
Chestnuts (I use a jar but freshly peeled would doubtless be nicer)
Apples (two, any old apples will do, even golden delicious)
Onion (one medium)
Mushrooms (250g)
Cider
Olive oil

Fry the chopped onion gently in a tbsp of oil until softening. Then add the roughly chopped apples and sliced mushrooms and stir-fry for a bit longer until they are starting to soften.

Add the sprouts and chestnuts and pour over enough cider (or cider+water) to cover. (Also add any herbs that you fancy - I like thyme.)

Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, until the sprouts are sufficiently cooked, probably about 5-10 minutes according to taste. The sauce should thicken a bit while you're doing this.

You can add other ingredients of course. Last time I added some tofu that needed using up and it was fine (although I admit the combination sounds a bit strange).

[aubergine]

Can someone open a window

[Gorilla]

haha, i actually like brussells sprouts so bring on the curry recipe Corum

i like the sound of your recipe too harpy, i'm the only one in my house who'd eat it though, all the more for me

[Pob]

Can you still get sprouts at this time of year?

[aubergine]

I saw some in my local Sainsbury's last week. I have no idea where they were from though.

[snaffler]

WOW the curry has cider in it WINNER can you imagine the aftermath of Sprouts, Spices and Scrumpy hmmm

[Risker]

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 container plain soy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 piece fresh ginger root, grated
• 4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can chick peas, rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS:

• Rinse lentils and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Drain.
• In a bowl, stir together tomato puree and yogurt. Season with garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and chile powder. Stir until creamy.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger; cook until onion begins to brown. Stir in spinach; cook until dark green and wilted. Gradually stir in yogurt mixture. Then mix in tomatoes and cilantro.
• Stir lentils and mixed beans into mixture until well combined. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

I made this last night as I had some left over yoghurt, you didn't say what size yoghurt container, I used half a 500ml one and it seemed to work well.

The sauce (Yoghurt, puree and spices) would make a really good dip, it just needs thickening up a bit somehow.

[Jjt]

If you don't like tofu, keep eating it until you like it. Unless you plan on buying fake meat substitutes all the time, you should really try because it's the most diverse meat substite you can get. It can go in so many different dishes and unless you like to cook wheat gluten often or pay lots of money for store bought tempeh and "seitan" or tvp (which can be hard to digest) then tofu is also your best bet. Also don't remember the beans and legumes. These can be used in a lot of dishes. While using a meat substitute as a ceterpiece in your dish can be easy because that's what you're used to, it's really not a good habit and it's something you should not do all the time. Meat "substitutes" arn't meat, they don't taste like meat, but you can make a dish taste like a meat dish if you have the right skills and recipes. Also, if you cook your tofu a little while, then some of the tofu flavor gets cooked out of it, and the juices and spices from the rest of the meal become absorbed adn it's really tasty.

Also remember protein is in other things you eat like bread and you odn't have to eat meat substitutes for every meal.

(as a side note, did you know most people in other countries don't call wheat gluten seitan? We only call it that because the name was brought from Japan by macrobiotics. Most people don't even call it that in Japan or elsewhere. I think it China they call it fu. That's what I call it, or else wheat gluten). I don't really like calling it seitan.

[Kiran]

The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star. - Brillat Savarin

Over the next few months I will be updating this thread frequently with lots of recipes which I will be cooking on a daily basis. It will be more like a blog of everyday cooking and will include successfully tested mouth-watering recipes. Obviously, this means that I'll have to be letting out some of my secrets, but south Indian cooking is too precious not to be shared. Hopefully many members will benefit this thread. I hope the international audience will be encouraged to try Indian cooking at home. Nothing tastes like authentic cooking. No more hybrid oily take-away curries, or unhealthy bottled curry pastes.

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.

Just a couple of points before I proceed : The use of saturated fats like coconut oils and vegetable ghee must be avoided as much as possible.

Indian/Asian cooking requires salt (Yes Salt!!! ) unlike most European recipes. Too much of salt is bad. I have included very minimal portion of salt which is required to unlock the taste.

Watch this space.

[auntierozzi]

Yay Kiran!!!! This sounds great. Thinking about it is making me feel really hungry.

[Kiran]

I'll start with a Rice based item. Its called Tomato Bhath. The following recipe will serve 2-3 people (Obviously it depends on how hungry they are)

You'll need

1 cup rice (as big as a medium/small coffee mug)
3 cloves
8 pepper corns
1 tea-spoon garam masala powder
3 table spoon of coriander leaves
3 teaspoons margarine
half-tea-spoon salt
3 medium onions
3 large tomatoes
8 garlic flakes
1 inch ginger
2 green chillies (1 if you don't want it too hot)


Wash rice and let the water drain. Make a fine powder of the cloves and pepper. Cut onions into long pieces. Chop the tomatoes and coriander leaves. Chop the ginger and chillies finely.

Heat margarine in a pan. Once the margarine is hot, fry the garlic first followed by chopped ginger and onions. Add the rice and fry the mixture a little. Add the chillies and coriander leaves. Add the finely powdered cloves and pepper, salt and 2 cups of water.

Allow the whole thing to boil. When it is boiling, keep mixing well and reduce the flame to medium. Cover the pan and allow it to cook on low heat. Keep mixing properly. If required add a little water. Remove from the flame when rice is cooked.

[Poison Ivy]

Oh, that sounds good Kiran....I shall look forward to you updating this thread often

[cedarblue]

mmmmm me too!!

[yenny]

thank you kiran! cant wait to try some of your amazing south indian recipes... that tomato bhath sounds lovely

xx

[coconut]

Great idea Kiran I'm going to try making that tomato bhath.

[absentmindedfan]

Kiran, we love you. You have just made mine and Sam's day

[Kiran]

This one is called mushroom special (for the lack of a better name). Easy to prepare in a short time.

You'll need

75-100 gms mushrooms
1 pepper (capsicum)
2 medium carrots
10-15 trimmed fine beans
1 large onion
1 medium potato
three-fourths tea spoon salt
3 tomatoes
3 table-spoons oil
10 garlic cloves
1 tea-spoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 tea spoon vinegar
half tea-spoon pepper

Chop up mushrooms, fry them in 2 tea-spoons of oil. Grate the carrots. Chop up the beans, capsicum, onions and tomatoes. Finely chop the garlic. Cut the potato into thin longish pieces. Boil the potatoes till they cook (Make sure they don't get mushy. If they do get mushy, it would be a better idea to use them for mashed potatoes ). Cut the cinnamon into very small pieces or roughly grind them.

Heat 3 table-spoons of oil in a frying pan. When it is moderately hot, put cumin seeds, cinnamon, garlic and fry them a little. Then add chopped onions and tomatoes and fry them for a few minutes while mixing them well. Then add fried mushrooms, carrots, beans and stir well for 5 minutes. Finally add salt, vinegar and pepper powder. Mix well.

Its done.

[Kiran]

The simple pakora is an easy to prepare deep-fried snack. The following makes pakoras for 2-3 people.

You need ..

Vegetables like onions, potatoes and cauliflower
Half-cup chick pea flour (use half-coffee mug chick pea flour)
Quarter cup water
half-tea spoon chilli powder
1 and half-tea spoon cumin powder
1 table spoon of ginger and garlic paste (can be ommited if you don't have this. But recommended)
Chopped coriander (optional, but recommended for great taste)
Enough oil for deep-frying


Mix the chick-pea flour and water. This mix must not be too watery. You can add more chick-pea flour if needed to change the consistency of the mix. The chick pea flour is likely to form lumps when mixed with water. Make sure you remove these lumps. Make sure that this batter mix is smooth.

Add chilli powder, salt, cumin powder, ginger/garlic paste, coriander to the above batter. Mix properly. Leave it aside for 5 mins.

Cut the vegetables according to the size of the pakoras needed. Onions and potatoes can be cut in a circular fashion. Before deep-frying ensure that there is no water content on the washed vegetables.

Heat the oil for deep-frying. The oil must be tested for suitability for deep-frying. To do this, add a small drop of the batter to the oil. If the oil is ready the batter will start to fry quickly. This means it is ready and the pakoras can be cooked.

Dip the vegetable slices in batter and coat them fully. Gently drop them in the oil and fry them till they are golden brown (usually takes about 3-4 mins). Remove the pakoras.

The oil does not have to be on high flame. As a guide, gas mark 4 out of 6 should be fine.