Jackfruit seed saar upkari.

Saar upkari refers to a stir-fry which is watery as it is served over rice rather than as an accompaniment. It can be made with lentils or fresh vegetables as well. The seasoning could vary depending on preference. Posting a saar upkari made with jackfruit seeds today..

Ingredients :

25 seeds of jackfruit peeled

1 tbsp coconut oil

3 Guntur red chillies broken into bits

A sprig of curry leaves

1 tsp mustard

A large pinch of Asafoetida

Salt

Water as required… Around 3 cups.

Method:

Slice the peeled jackfruit seeds lengthwise. Wash and tip them into the pressure cooker with three cups of water and salt. Pressure cook to two whistles. Allow the steam to escape naturally.  Adjust the consistency, adding water if required. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard. Once it crackles add the asafoetida and broken red chilly bits. Toss. Add the curry leaves. Toss and pour the seasoning into the cooked Jackfruit seed saar upkari. Allow to boil and switch off heat. Serve over rice.

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Ivygourd and potato subzi.

Every state in India has its own variation of preparing Ivygourd. Here is a Tindora batata shaak from the Gujarati cuisine which is served with Roti. It is a simple yet delicious dish though only basic masalas are added to it.

Ingredients:

250 gms Ivygourd

125 gms potato

2 tbsps coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 heaped tsp chilly powder

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

Salt

1 tsp cumin

3 tbsps oil

3 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

Wash the Ivygourd and potato. Snip the ends of the Ivygourd and slice it lengthwise. Peel the potato and slice it similarly. Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and after they splutter add the Ivygourd, potato, salt, turmeric, chilly, coriander and cumin powder. Mix well. Splash a bit of water, cover and cook over a low flame till done. Garnish with coriander leaves.

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Gajar/ Carrot Thoran.

Gajar,  as carrot is known in Hindi and other vernacular languages in India is used in a variety of savoury and sweet preparations. Posting a simple Thoran or stir fry which is served with rice and dal or with sambhar rice.

Ingredients:

250 gms carrot

1 large onion finely chopped

3 tbsps grated coconut

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp chilly powder

A pinch of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 dry red chilly broken into bits

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard

Salt.

Method:

Peel the carrots, wash and chop them fine. Heat oil in a pan. Add in the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the dry red chilly bits and curry leaves. Toss. Add the finely chopped onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped carrot, salt and sprinkle with water. Cover and allow to cook. Blend the grated coconut, chilly powder, turmeric powder, garlic and cumin seeds to a coarse paste. Tip it into the thoran and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with a little water if it’s too dry and roast it till the coarse paste is well infused. Serve hot.

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Ghia/ Bottle gourd stir fry.

Ghia or bottlegourd is commonly used all over  India. Though Halva made of bottle gourd is the most popular of preparations, a huge variety of other items like subzi, kofta, coconut based curries and stir fried are made from this humble vegetable.

Ingredients:

300 gms bottle gourd, peeled and chopped into fine bits

4 dry red chillies cut into bits

10 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tbsp coconut oil

Salt.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Drop in the crushed garlic and roast on a low flame to a rich golden brown. Add the  chilly bits and toss. Drop in the chopped bottle gourd, salt and half a glass of water. Mix and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook till done. Serve hot.

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Flat beans stir fry.

A simple, delicious and fragrant flat beans stir fry which is popular with the Konkani community. The flat beans are first strung, the pods opened and the mature seeds of any separated. The pods are then washed, chopped and stir fried in a teaspoon of oil with the bare minimum of seasoning..

The mature seeds are used along with potatoes in a coconut based gravy.

Ingredients:

250 gms flat beans strung, washed and chopped

2 dry red chillies

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard

A pinch of jaggery

Salt

2 tbsps grated coconut.

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard. After it splitters add the red chilly bits and toss. Drop in the beans, jaggery and salt. Add 1/4 glass of water and cook covered on a medium to high flame till it’s done. Garnish with coconut and serve as an accompaniment to dal rice.

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French beans and potato stir-fry.

A light, healthy and delicious stir fry, this French beans and potato stir fry is prepared in most Konkani speaking households as an accompaniment to rice and Dal. Minimum use of spices keeps the flavours of the vegetables intact.

Ingredients:

250 gms French beans

2 medium sized potatoes

3 green chillies chopped fine

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard

Salt

A pinch of Hing/ asafoetida

3 tbsps grated coconut.

Method:

Deskin the potatoes and chop them into tiny pieces. String the beans. Wash both the potatoes and the beans thoroughly and chop the beans fine. Heat the oil in a pan. Drop in the mustard and after it splutters drop in the finely chopped green chillies and asafoetida. Toss. Add the chopped beans and potato, salt and half a glass of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to minimum, cover and cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut and serve hot.

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Dondakaya Stir-fry

A number of preparations of Dondakaya or Ivygourd are prepared all over India. The recipes differ from region to region. The spices used as well as the oil too differs. That is what makes every dish in India unique. Posting a Dondakaya Stir-fry the way it is made in Andhra Pradesh today.

Ingredients:

250 gms Dondakaya

Two bsps oil of choice

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp chilly powder

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

2 sprigs curry leaves

4 tbsps of grated coconut

Salt

Method:

Wash the Dondakaya. Snip off the ends and slice into roundels. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and once they splutter add the curry leaves. Drop in the sliced Dondakaya, salt, turmeric and chilly powder and saute on a low flame for three minutes till the spices coat the vegetable. Add half a cup of boiling water, cover and cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut and roasted for a couple of minutes on an open flame. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

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Broccoli and Corn stir-fry.

A delicious Broccoli and Corn stir-fry which can be served as a side dish with rice or could be had as a meal by itself…


Ingredients:

One head of Broccoli blanched

1 cup sweet corn kernels boiled

1 tbsp olive oil

Pepper powder and chilly flakes as per requirement

Salt.

Method:

Heat the olive oil and drop in the blanched florets of Broccoli. Stir fry till cooked but crunchy. Add the sweet corn kernels, salt, chilly flakes and pepper powder. Mix well. Serve hot.

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Asparagus Stir-fry.

Asparagus can be used in soups, as a stir-fry or even air fried. My favourite is this stir fry seasoned with finely chopped garlic and sprinkled with chilly flakes.

The woody stems at the bottom should be discarded as they are chewy. A good way of knowing how much to discard is to snap rather than cut the lower end of the asparagus. String of necessary… Cut into two inch size pieces. Wash thoroughly and keep aside.

Ingredients:

A bunch of asparagus

1 tbsp butter

5 garlic cloves minced

A sprinkling of onion powder and chilly flakes

Salt.

Method:

Heat the butter in a pan. Add the minced garlic and toss on a high flame for a couple of minutes. Drop in the asparagus, and saute till they are cooked but retain their crunch. Sprinkle with onion powder and chilly flakes. Serve as a side dish with rice or soup.

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Veg stir-fry…2

A quick to make and extremely delicious stir fry which is not just filling but also a treat for weight watchers. I have kept it simple adding the minimum of spices and sauce.

Ingredients:

Equal quantities of the following veggies and Paneer:  I used 100 gms of each.

Peas

French beans

Sweet corn

Baby corn

Carrot

Onion

Paneer

1 heaped tbsp Soya sauce

1 tsp pepper powder

Salt

Butter ( as per choice)

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp finely grated ginger

Method:

Slice the paneer into cubes. Sprinkle some pepper powder, salt and corn flour and marinate for an hour. Roast it in a little butter till it turns a golden brown. Keep aside.

Cut the beans and carrots into jullienes. Slice the onions into petals. Boil the peas, corn and baby corn till tender.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the ginger and garlic and saute till it turns a golden brown. Drop in the onions and saute till translucent on a high flame. Keep tossing continuously to avoid burning… drop in the beans and carrot. Saute till they are cooked but crisp. Add the corn, peas, baby corn, salt, pepper and soya sauce . Mix thoroughly . Finally drop in the paneer, give a final stir and serve hot.

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Copyright © 2024 by Vinaya Prabhu. All rights reserved.