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!:))