November 10, 2007

A VEGAN STIR-FRY AND A MICROWAVED SUBZI !


Suganya of "Tasty Palettes" has asked us to contribute to a one-time event "Vegan Ventures" to celebrate Vegan month of November by sending her any Vegan recipes.November 1st is declared as a "World Vegan Day" to make people aware of Veganism and it's health benefits.A delicious and simple Vegan vegetable stir-fry is my entry. Enjoy and thanks for hosting Suganya!:)


This is how "The British Vegan Society" defines Veganism:
"The word "veganism" denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals"
More info about Veganism is here and here.

The term "animal product" in a vegan context refers to any material derived from animals for human use.Notable animal products include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, honey, fur, leather, wool, and silk.This Info is from WIKIPEDIA.
(Silk is Vegan! More than half a Billion Indian people love and wear Silk Sarees and silk cloths in India, bad news for Veganism!!)

Personally, vegetarianism is easier for me to adapt than Veganism if have to. I don't think I can give up Yogurt and butter completely to become a vegan!:D
It needs a lot of will power to practice Veganism but it's not impossible to practice though. Good luck if you are willing.

Vegan Zucchini Bhaji:


To make Bhaji:
1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick pan, add 1/4 cup Chana dal, 1 tsp cumin seeds,2 red chillies, let it sizzle and become golden.
2. Add 4 cups cubed mixed veggies like Zucchinis, Potatoes, Eggplants or any quick cooking veggies you have, stir fry for a minute. Pour in 1/2 cup of water,2 tomatoes chopped, mix, cover and cook for 5-10 mins.
3. Uncover and add pinch of Turmeric, 2 tsp Coriander seeds powder, 1 tsp cumin seeds powder, 1 tsp Garam masala, salt, chilli pd, 1tsp Amchoor/Mango powder, 4 tbsp minced cilantro, 1 tbsp mint leaves or 1 tsp Kasoori methi (optional). Mix well.
4. Cook until almost all the water is evaporated and veggies,dal are cooked but almost dry. If you want some gravy left,add a bit more water and simmer gently.

Brussels Sprout Stir-fry:(Last minute addition!)
I made a quick Brussels Sprout (I call them "mini me" Cabbages!:D) south Indian style stir-fry yesterday for dinner, thought I will add this too since there are no animal products involved in this dish as well! Info about this vegetable is here.


To make Stir-fry:
1. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan, splutter 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp each of Chana dal and Urad dal, 2 red chillies, 1 green chilly sliced ,cook until reddish.
2. Add about 10-15 Brussels sprout, sliced into 2 to 4 pieces to the pan,stir-fry until they wilt,sprinkle some water,turn down the heat,cover and cook until soft but mashed, little crunch is okay too.
3. Take the cover off, add salt, pinch of Turmeric,1 tsp any Rasam pd or Curry pd (this is optional) you have, 1 tbsp grated coconut, mix well, heat thru' again. Squeeze some lemon juice and turn off the heat.

Note: Both of these dishes taste great with either rotis, Dosas , as side dishes with rice and Sambhar or even with crusty roll or bread.

Flaky Parathas:


Enjoy the Vegan dishes!:)

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Mixed vegetable Subzi cooked in the Microwave is my entry to "Easy cooking with Microwave" which is hosted by Srivalli of "Cooking 4 all seasons" with a theme of "Side dishes" this month. Thanks for hosting Sri!:))




Microwaved Eggplant and Potato side dish:

To make Subzi:
1. Take a big and deep enough glass bowl to fit about 4 cups of vegetables with gravy. Add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter (not Vegan anymore!), MW for 1 minute.
2. Take it out, and add 1 tbsp Chana dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds,a pinch of Hing or Asafoetida, few curry leaves, cover with a lid slightly open, MW again for 1 minute or until they splutter and dal turns slightly golden. Open, add 1 onion finely minced, MW again for a minute or so until onion gets slight color.
3. Add cubed veggies (1 large potato, 4-5 purple Eggplants), 1 cup water, cover and cook again for 3 minutes, until the veggies soften a bit.Toss in 2 tomatoes cubed and 1 tsp tamarind juice to it,stir. MW for a minute.
4. Add salt, chilli pd, 1 tbsp Coriander powder, (or you can add any Sambhar or curry pd you have), 2 tbsp grated coconut or coconut pd, 4 tbsp minced Cilantro, mix well. MW again for few more mins, uncovered this time until veggies are completely cooked but not mashed.
5. Adjust the spices and serve this delicious side dish with Dosas, Chapatis or rice.

Served with Rice and Urad dal Dosas:


Note: Since Microwaves are of different capacity of power, I cannot give you the exact time for cooking. Check often to see how many minutes you need to cook at each step.
Also use a deep and big enough bowl to hold all the veggies halfway and do not over fill it to avoid spilling and use the plate cover with a little gap on the side to prevent spluttering as well.
You do get a microwavable splatter guard in the stores with rectangle gaps in the plate to let the air out and minimize the splatters.

Have fun, see you all later!:))

49 comments:

Siri said...

Wow Ashaji, The vegan recipes are yum yummy..:DD Even I am thinking to participate in Suganya's Event.. Its fun. and the microwave subzi looks delish.. I always visit ur blog when I am hungry or when I just woke up from the bed.. That a real torture I am telling u.. (I must have told this umteen number of times.. but its true true..)
And last nite we went to see "Om Shanti Om".. It was fun, but expected lot more.. and as u know.. "Saawariya" is a flop.. I am so dissappointed..:(.. even then, I am determined to watch "Saawariya" today or tommorrow. Oh.. enuf of my talk.. how abt u?.. How was ur Diwali?.. Hope it went well..:))

Siri said...

and Yupee, I am the first to comment .. Hehehahahehaa..:DD

Rajitha said...

u got me on those dosas..all the sabjis look great..

Bindiya said...

Dearest Asha ,hope u had a rocking Diwali!, these vegan dishes look gorgeous!

Saju said...

everything looks so delicious, esp the subzi! I love how the dosa looks, my every attempt has led to disaster.

Seema Bhat said...

Ashakka, I loved your zucchini sabzi very much. Looks so colorful. Microwave curry looks delicious too. I have never tried tampering in microwave. Guess I should try it out now. How did you spend your diwali?

Suganya said...

Thank you so much for these beauties Asha. Yours is the first entry, and am happy abt it :). Come back and check the round up next month. Have a great weekend!

TBC said...

Nicely done! Your dosas look so perfect:-)

sra said...

You mean silk is non-vegetarian! Many, many pious and preachy veggies go through life wearing silk - would love to bring their attention to this fact and see what they have to say about it!

FH said...

Siri, yup. You got me first this time.I think most are sleeping off yesterday's Diwali feast! Haha!
Sawariya was flop? I am disappointed too, Leela Bansali's movie, expected more! Oh well..
I don't overacting SRK, so it's okay if "OSO" flops!;D
We had fun yesterday, ate, had some firecrackers lit and lit some candles in the porch etc. They showed Diwali at Trafalgar square in B4U, we watched for am hr. That's about it!:)
That MW palya ,you can do it stove top too, tastes great. Enjoy.
Just came back from shopping, got some more pretty things for kitchen!:D

Ralitha, Urad dal dosas are the best of all. You will get such uniform color but bit hassle fermenting and all that!:))

FH said...

Bindiya, yes we did. And there are plenty leftover for today as well!:D
Enjoy the weekend.

Saju, I make dosas in the electric griddle. It distributes the heat evenly and I set the temp to 275F. It will come perfect, griddle is great for masala dosa too. Get one if you can there.Hope your weekend is going well!:))

FH said...

Seema, stir fries are best with chapatis or rice. Zucchinis are great to cook quickly too. Usually, I don't cook palyas in the MW, I did just for this event!:)
Diwali was great, bit chilly here.Had to wear jackets outside for patakis!:D
Tushar wanted Masale Chitranna , so I made that too. It was great,now we have to leftovers!:)
Hope you had a good one too.

Suganya, it's a pleasure. Vegan dishes are easy for Indians to adapt. Can't wait for the round up. Enjoy your first event! :))

DK said...

ohh...Vegan! I cant cant stop having milk and yogurt..Its sooo hard!

Ur zucchini stir fry is a treat to the eyes also the brussels..also the microwaved subzi ..also the..Oh ok ok Everything is a treat! yum!

made me hungry..me off to lunch thanks to you :)

Anonymous said...

Very nice dishes, Asha. I liked that idea of Brussel sprouts and cooking completely one Sabji in the microwave. It is a neat idea especially if one is travelling and looking for a quick fix

Neelam said...

Hi Asha,I have a couple of zucchinis lying in my fridge and I was wondering what to try out next with them...Now I know what I'll make...Thanks!

FH said...

Thank you tbc. Regular Urad dal dosas are the best. Enjoy and have a great weekend!:)

Hahaha!! Sra, I remember as a child when I used visit my Mysore Thatha's farm. He used to buy these silk worms, put them in huge circular bamboo open baskets, feed them finely chopped greens everyday.
When they build their cocoons, they boil the whole thing, and separate the silk and the worms and then sell it. YUCK! It used stink so bad!:D
They have stopped that now and growing sugarcane as well these days, don't get profit for all the labor I guess!
Anyway, I don't think I can ever be Vegan though!:)

FH said...

Hi D, me too. It's too hard to leave the yogurt out forever, vegetarianism is easier!:)
Enjoy the recipes.

RC, it's true! We don't think about the MW except to reheat etc but you can cook a whole meal in this! Although I find seasoning is little hard to do in the MW.Have fun!:)

FH said...

Neelam, you are in luck tonight!:))
Zucchinis are quick to cook and delicious in any subzi. Try it. Enjoy the weekend!

Raks said...

That makes me mouthwatering...!!
Great entry for MEC Asha....:))

Latha Narasimhan said...

Nice music in your blog dear!:) Great entries for the events!! I was feeling bit lazy to type any recipe since two days!:D I better do it today!
I knew saawariya will be no good! I was not at all impressed by the new pair! I watched Sholay, may be 100th time:D and some telugu movie on lord Sreenivasa!
So what did you do for diwali(I am not asking about the cooking part)
For me the last 4 days were difficult without being able to talk properly to lax and sat! They were out of the reach most of the time!:( To make things worse my hubby kept asking after every hour, "shall we call them now"
Bye for now!:)

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

Loved your Brussels sprouts sabzi!!!! I was infact looking for a brussels sprout recipe.. thanx so much :)

Pooja V said...

Wow..wonderful spread !! Loved everything :).

Anh said...

I love the veg stir-dry. I think it will taste really good with rice! And what a fantastic array of dishes as always.

FH said...

Thank you Raks, easy dishes!:)

Latha, I thought Sonam looked good, that boy dances like Shashi Kapoor, like in 70s!:D
Atleast you watched some good movies. I watched Guru last night they showed in B4U as Diwali special! Liked it, different from the usual song and dance. Firday, we lit the porch (I will post later at FH) and lit some firecrackers and ate. That's it for us.We are the only Indian family here.
L and S are having fun there! Haha!! Don't call, let them call you. The more you try, the more you get frustrated!!I know we parents feel like that but kids want freedom!:D

FH said...

You are welcome Ramya, enjoy. Brussels sprout are like little cabbages without the strong smell, I like them!:)

Thank you pooja, quick side dishes to make on a busy day!:))

FH said...

Thank you Anh. Yes, we usually make dry veggie dishes as a side dish with rice. Tastes great, easy to make too!:))

Anonymous said...

all the dishes look good asha:)i have tried being vegan on & off & you are right, giving up yogurt& milk& milk products is the most difficult part of it! i tried replacing yogurt with kombucha( a probiotic drink)& other cultured soy drinks,dairy products with soy products etc but somehow it wasn't the same!! i really missed my cup of hot milky tea in the mornings & soy tea was not that great!:)
paati

Swati said...

I really like your write up about Vegans..got a lot of clarity...and I really like your dosa's...they are absolutely golden and look very tempting with the subzi.

FH said...

Paati, you are right! Nothing can substitute yogurt!! We can give up ghee, butter somehow!!:D
I don't think I can do it, vegetarianism is easier. Hope you had a great Deepavali there!:))

Swati, thank you. I never knew lot of facts about Veganism either, it was interesting to learn! Silk is not Vegan girl, how do we deal with that?! :D
Enjoy, hope you had a good Diwali there. It was bland for us but okay. Check out Foodies Hope for my Diwali post!:))

Linda said...

Asha, here I am playing catch-up. Now, you've got two veggies I don't love -- zucchini and brussels sprouts, and you manage to make them look soooo appetising. Not fair! :) Like you I don't think I could give up milk and cheese (maybe butter, if pressed) to be come vegan. But these dishes sure look yummy.

Eggplant and potato of course, would be great with or without the dairy! Have a great rest-of-the-weekend :)

Linda said...

PS Send dosa please! ;)

Sig said...

All dishes look yum Asha... If I ever have to go Vegan(Heaven help me!) there sure are a lot of nice Indian recipes out there :)

Sorry, I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts... It is a mix of laziness and vacation mood and work stuff :(

FH said...

Linda, to be a Vegan is tough! You will be constantly checking up on food, what to eat and what not to eat!:D
Dosa coming up, check your mail! Haha!!
Kids will be home tomorrow, that means more cheesy Burgers for lunch tomorrow!:)

Sig, you and Veganism!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!:D
Not a good pair girl, eat up your meat and be happy. Take it easy Sig. All these festivals making me drowsy too. Guess what I am cooking for Thanksgiving? YUP! T and all the trimmings!:))

Srivalli said...

Asha, thats a wonderful post...all the dishes look so lovely!...mw sabji looks so wonderful..and thanks again for taking pains to prepare this in mw specially!

Anonymous said...

knock, knock
who's there?
a tam wham
what for?
thayir sadam

ok, may be i am not funny, but seriously, what does one do for curd. the vegan lemon curd isnt anything like thayir.

FH said...

You are welcome Sri! Except Tadka, it's easy to cook in the MW. Seasoning is a little for me in the MW!:D
Enjoy, can't wait for the round up.

Lakshmiiii, you are back!! Good to see you girl!:)
Hope you called your parents! They were trying to get in touch with you guys, had some trouble I hear.
LOL! Great Knock Knock joke. I don't think nothing beats the taste of plain yogurt! I don't want to a Vegan just for that reason!;D
Happy Monday, hugs to you. Looks like you had a great Deepavali, hope you post some photos of Simla!:)

Laavanya said...

Such lovely entries Asha... Those dosas look so perfect.
I love all the bhajis and curries.. and those parathas look so flaky and golden.. Yum.

Seema said...

Asha - Great recipes! Vegan event -will works out something!! Every dish looks yum!

Kribha said...

I'm still not that familiar with the vegan world. I agree with you. Practicing vegetarianism is easier for me than veganism.
I've not cooked much with zucchini. But your sabzi looks delicious. Is that tomatoes only or red peppers that you have used in that subzi?
I'm having some brussel sprouts in my fridge. Will try this recipe tonight.
Eggplant potato side dish also looks yummy. I do it the same way too but on the stovetop. Thanks for sharing all these yummy recipes.

AnuSriram said...

Your vegan stir fry is looking gr8... Im becoming a gr8 fan of yours for your promptness in events and chef- speciality like recipes.... Hats off to u...

FH said...

Thank you laavanya. Vegan dishes are easy for Indians to make as long as we don't have to be Vegans everyday!:))

Vegan dishes are easy Seema, just remember not to use any butter or yogurt. Make a few dishes, it's fun to create:)

FH said...

Kribha, they are cherry tomatoes, I had few left from my plants!:D
I usually don't use MW to make any dish except rice and reheating. Specially made this for MW event. Glad you enjoyed your Diwali!:))

Thank you Anu, I try my best to participate in most events! They are all hosted bymy dear friends, so it's a pleasure. Glad you enjoy them!:))

Daily Meals said...

The vegan dishes look lovely...

FH said...

Thank you Vijaya, easy ones to make in a hurry!:))

Finla said...

Asha i can see that you love your veggies.
I love the zuchini. Well i love all the dishes actually. And the dosa looks so delicious and crispy.

FH said...

I do prefer Vegetarian meals most of the time F! Weekends are free for non-veg!:D
Dosas come out very well on a electric griddle, specially Masala dosas!:)

SeeC said...

Lot of events going and am missing all the fun.

I agree with you... its difficult w/o yoghurt.

Crispy dosas are tempting. Should definitely taste great with the subzi.

Sona - quick picks/pick quicks said...

delicious!!!!..

SeeC said...

Hi Asha,
I tried Brussels Sprout Stir-fry and turned out very well. This is the first time am using Brussels sprout. Very easy to prepare. Thanks much.