Recipes
Welcome to a variety of vegetarian recipes from all over the world. Choose a recipe from below. These recipes have all been menu items for our vegetarian cooking classes. Gathered from years of cooking experience. Bon Appetit!!!
Soups
Rajma, Curried Red Kidney Beans
Simple Mung Dal Soup
Thick Split Pea Soup
Rice Dishes
Simple Sautéed Rice
Vegetable Dishes
Simple Gujarati Squash
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Coconut
Cauliflower and Potatoes in Yogurt Sauce
Breads
Chapati or Griddle-Baked Bread
Sweets & Desserts
Halavah Fluffy sweet cereal
Organic Muffins
Accompaniments
Chickpea and Sesame Dip
Dynamite Dressing
Rajma, Curried Red Kidney Beans
Soaking time: 8 hours
Preparation and cooking time: 3 hours
Serves 6 to 8
For the Beans:
• 2 ¼ cup dried red kidney beans
• 6 cups of water
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp tumeric
• ¼ tsp cayenne or paprika
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
Remaining Ingredients:
• 2 ½ tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1/3 tsp ajwain seeds
• 2–3 tablespoons scraped, finely shredded ginger root
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 pkg extra firm tofu (optional)
• 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
• ¼ cup chopped coriander or parsley
Soak the kidney beans in 4 cups of water for at least 8 hours or overnight at room temperature. After soaking, drain the beans. Put the beans in a pot with 6 cups of water along with the rest of the ingredients for the beans. Bring to a boil, cover and gently simmer over a low heat for 1 ½ to 3 hours, or until the beans are soft and tender but not broken down.
Mash ¾ cup of the cooked beans to a puree.
Combine the coriander, cumin, fennel, ajwain, garam masala, turmeric, salt, lemon or lime juice with the ginger root and ½ cup of water (if possible, blend the ginger root and water on high speed first until smooth, then add spices). The mixture should have the consistency of thin cream.
Put the 5 tablespoons of cooking oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. When it is hot, add the tofu (drained and cubed) and stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully turn the cubes with a spatula or spoon allowing all sides to brown, then transfer to a dish.
Pour the spice mixture into the oil and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for about 8 minutes more or until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick paste.
Add the whole cooked beans, mashed beans, fried tofu cubes and 1 ½ cups of the cooking liquid (from the beans). Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Before serving, stir in the chopped fresh coriander or parsley.
* Recipe adapted from “The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking”, by Yamuna Devi
Simple Mung Dal Soup
Preparation and cooking time: about 1 ½ hours
• 2/3 cup split mung dal
• 6 ½ cups water
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 ½ tsp shredded ginger root
• 1 tsp minced seeded hot green chili
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander
Wash and drain the split mung beans. Combine the mung beans, water, turmeric, coriander, ginger root and green chili in a heavy 3-quart/liter pot or saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low, cover and boil gently for 1 hour or until the dal is soft and fully cooked.
Turn off the heat, uncover and add the salt.
Heat the ghee or oil in a small saucepan over moderate to moderately high heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds. Fry until the seeds turn brown. Pour into the dal soup, immediately cover and allow the seasonings to soak into the hot dal for 2 minutes. Add the chopped coriander, stir and serve.
* Recipe taken from “The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking”, by Yamuna Devi
Simple Sautéed Rice
Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes
½ cup basmati rice
1 tsp ghee or favorite cooking oil
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
7/8 cup of water
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Heat the ghee or oil in your pot. Add red bell peppers to the hot oil. Roast the peppers until the color starts to come into the oil. Add the rice and stir constantly over medium heat until the grains take on a translucent appearance — this take a couple of minutes. Add salt.
Add water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to minimum. Simmer for 15 minutes. Let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff and serve!
Simple Gujarati Squash
Preparation and cooking time: about 1 hour
• 2 tbsp ghee, or favorite cooking oil
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• ½ tsp yellow asafetida powder
• 1 kg winter squash, cut into ¾ inch cubes
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Heat a wok or deep pan over moderate heat. Add the oil or ghee, and when slightly hot, add the fenugreek seeds. Fry briefly until they turn one or two shades darker. Be careful not to darken them too much, or they will turn bitter. Add the yellow asafetida powder, sauté momentarily, add the squash, water, salt, turmeric, chili, and coriander powder. Stir, then cover, raise the heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15–20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender, preferably with a little liquid left in the pan.
Add the sweetener and lemon juice, heat through, then remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.
* Recipe taken from “More Great Vegetarian Dishes”, by Kurma Dasa
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Coconut
Preparation and cooking time: about 1 hour
Serves 4
• 1 ½ pounds small Brussels sprouts
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp split urad dal, if available
• 8 curry leaves, preferably fresh
• ¼ tsp cayenne or paprika
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut, preferably fresh
Cut off the stem of the Brussels sprouts, along with any wilted, yellow or lose outer leaves. If the sprouts are large, remove the tough, outer leaves and use only the compact center. Cut a small cross in the base of each and soak in salted water for 15 minutes.
Drop the sprouts into a large pot of salted boiling water and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain well. (These first two steps can be done ahead of time.)
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over moderately high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, drop in the black mustard seed and split urad dal and fry until the mustard seeds pop and turn gray. Add the curry leaves, Brussels sprouts, cayenne or paprika, garam masala and nutmeg. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes longer if the sprouts are young, up to 10 minutes if they are old. When they are just tender, add the salt and coconut and gently toss.
* Recipe taken from “The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking”, by Yamuna Devi
Cauliflower and Potatoes in Yogurt Sauce
Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes
• 1 medium-sized cauliflower
• 5 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 or 2 dried chilies, crushed
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp asafetida
• 4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• ¾ tsp garam masala
• 2 firm ripe tomatoes, washed and sliced
• 1 lemon or lime
Trim the cauliflower and cut it into flowerets 1 ½ inches long by 1 inch thick. Rinse them in a colander and let drain.
Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Drop in the cumin seeds and crushed chilies and fry them for 30 to 45 seconds, until the cumin seeds turn golden-brown. Add the powdered spices, fry a few seconds longer, then immediately add the cubed potatoes. Turn the potatoes for 2 or 3 minutes, letting them brown in spots. Now stir in the cauliflower and stir-fry for another 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the water and salt and put the lid on the pan to trap the steam. Cook over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still firm.
Finally, stir in the yogurt and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is thick. Sprinkle with garam masala and stir gently to mix. Garnish each serving with slices of tomato and a twist of lemon or lime.
* Recipe taken from “The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking”, by Adiraja Dasa
Chapati or Griddle-Baked Bread
• 2 ¼ cups chapati flour
• ½ tsp salt (be sure to add before water)
• 2/3 cup warm water
• chapati flour for dusting
• olive oil with your favorite herbed spices
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add the water and stir in with a wooden spoon (the amount of water may vary depending on the flour). After the flour has absorbed the water, knead the dough on clean work surface adding flour if necessary. When the dough is soft but does not stick, roll into a ball and cover with an inverted bowl or moist towel. For best results, let the dough rest for at least ½ hour. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, but let it come down to room temperature before you start to roll out the breads.
Set a griddle or frying pan over moderately low heat to preheat for 3 to 5 minutes. Flatten a ball of dough into a 2 inch patty and dip both sides in the dusting flour. Roll it out as evenly as you can into a thin round about 6 inches in diameter, dipping it in the dusting flour from time to time, just enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface (too much flour will make the chapati brittle). Roll with even, gentle pressure, easing the dough into a round rather than stretching it.
When the griddle is hot, pick up the chapati and slap it back and forth between your palms to shake off excess flour. Half-slap, half-slip the bread onto the griddle. It should lie flat, without any wrinkles. If there are wrinkles, do not try to press them out, as the bread would stick and burn. Wait until the bottom firms up, then shake the griddle to try to ease out the wrinkles. Cook for about 1 minute on the first side. (If you are using electric heat to balloon the bread, preheat a back burner on high.) When the top of the chapati lightens in color, small bubbles begin to form, and the bottom has small brownish spots, turn the chapati over with your fingertips or a spatula and cook on the second side for about half a minute. Take the griddle off the heat to keep it from overheating. Place the chapati over the high heat burner with a small cake rack, unserrated tongs, or a homemade coat hanger rack. In seconds the chapati will swell, fill with steam and puff into a balloon. Continue to cook, tuning it once, until it has charcoal-black flecks. Ballooning the bread takes only 10 to 15 seconds. (If you hold the bread over the heat too long, its surface tends to burn or become brittle.)
Slip the finished bread into a basket and cover. Set the griddle back over moderately low heat and repeat the process. Brush one side with herbed olive oil before serving.
Your first few batches of chapattis may be unevenly rolled out, and only a few may balloon, but with practice you will master the procedure. Do not lose heart; your chapattis will be delicious no matter what their shape.
* Recipe taken from “The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking”, by Yamuna Devi
Halavah Fluffy sweet cereal
250 ml (1 cup) salted butter (for vegan, substitute with coconut oil)
500 ml (2 cups) cream of wheat
1 liter (4 1/2 cups) water
500 ml (2 cups) brown sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) golden raisins
1. Melt butter in a thick-bottomed pot, being careful not to burn. If using coconut oil, heat the oil but not so much that it begins to smoke. Slowly add the cream of wheat, stirring rapidly until the butter or oil has been absorbed by the grains. After the grains have fully absorbed the butter or coconut oil, allow the grains to toast, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Having the heat turned too high will also cause burning. Cook this mixture on medium heat until it has the texture of wet sand. As the grains begin to brown, stir more frequently.
2. When grains have been lightly toasted, bring water to a boil in a separate pot. When the water boils, add it to the grains along with the raisins. Cook until it becomes fluffy and turns away from the edge of the pot as you stir. Add sugar and continue to stir. The sugar will turn everything to liquid again. As before, cook until the grains become fluffy and turn away from the edge of the pot as you stir. Remove from heat and cover to steam for 10 minutes.
Chickpea and Sesame Dip
Chickpea cooking time: 1 to 2 hours
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: enough for 6 persons
• 1 ½ cups chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
• juice of 2 large lemons
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp asafetida powder
• 2/3 cup tahini
• 2 tbsp olive oil for garnish
• ¼ tsp paprika for garnish
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a saucepan with lots of water. Boil for 1 to 2 hours or until the chickpeas are soft.
Drain the cooked chickpeas, reserving the water. Place the cooked and drained chickpeas, the lemon juice, salt, asafetida, and tahini in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, adding a little reserved cooking water if required to reach a puree consistency.
Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with olive oil, paprika, and parsley. Serve at room temperature.
* Recipe taken from “Great Vegetarian Dishes”, by Kurma Dasa
Dynamite Dressing
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp bragg soy sauce
Blend everything together
Organic Muffins
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Yield: 24
• 6 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2–1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 cups milk
Mix together first 3 ingredients in bowl. Mix oil and sugar in another bowl. Add first 3 ingredients to oil and sugar. Add milk in center and stir as little as possible. Oil muffin containers and bake 10 min at 400 and then another 10 min at 350.
Thick Split Pea Soup
Preparation time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 people
• 12 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups split mong dhal
• 1/2 cup yellow split peas
• 3 bay leaves
• pinch tumeric
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Chaunce (2 T ghee, 3/4 T mustard, 1 T cumin + 1 T fennel, pinch hing, 1/2 T kalonji + 1/2 T fenugreek, 1 inch ginger, 1/2 cup grated coconut)
Add together water, dhal, bay leaves, salt and sugar. Make chaunce by adding ingredients to frying pan in order listed above. When dhal has broken down and thickened add chaunce and turn off heat.
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