Vinaya's Culinary Delights - Authentic Vegetarian Cuisine

Aloo Paratha Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Hot steaming aloo Parathas with a dollop of butter and homemade curd or raita are simply divine!!!

Ingredients :

6 potatoes pressure cooked and mashed
3 onions finely chopped
10 green chillies
2 inch piece ginger
Coriander leaves
Juice of half a lemon
500 gms wheat flour
2 tbsps oil for the dough
4 tbsps oil for seasoning
300ml water
Salt

Method :
Take 300ml water in a bowl. Add a tsp of salt. Add the wheat flour and make a dough. Add the oil and knead the dough well. Keep aside.
Crush the green chillies and ginger to a coarse paste. Heat 4 tbsps oil. Add a tsp of mustard. After it crackles add the chopped onions and the crushed ginger and green chillies. Add salt. Roast till the onions are transparent. Add the mashed potatoes, coriander leaves and lemon juice. Mix and heat well. Keep aside.When the potato mixture has cooled down make 24 balls from it. Make 24 balls of the wheat flour dough too. Take a ball. Roll it into a a small puri/disc and place the potato mixture over it. Cover from all sides. Dust with wheat flour and roll out into a paratha which is neither too thick nor thin. Heat a skillet. Drizzle with ghee or oil. Roast the paratha. Flip, drizzle with oil or ghee and roast on the other side too. Serve hot with onion raita and pickle.

Pineapple Raita Recipe

Posted on September 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Raita is a salad made either of fruits or vegetables to which curd is added. Chunks of fresh pineapple make this raita a real treat!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pineapple
300ml thick set curd
6tsps sugar
Salt
2 green chillies crushed
Coriander leaves

Method :
Slice the pineapple into bite sized pieces. Churn the curd. Add half a glass of water, salt, sugar and crushed green chillies. Drop in the pineapple pieces and garnish with coriander leaves.

Kashmiri Pulao Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Kashmir, the land of saffron and spices, apples and dried fruits. Posting a fragrant Kashmiri Biryani today.

Ingredients :

250gms Basmathi rice washed and soaked for 15 mnts
One large onion sliced and deep fried till crisp
A handful of dried fruits ( walnut, cashew and almonds) roasted in a little ghee till crisp.
1 tsp fennel
2 sticks cinnamon
1 Cardamom crushed
1 tej patha
A pinch of saffron
Salt

Method:
Heat 5 tbsps ghee. Add the tej patha, cloves, cinnamon, Cardamom and fennel. After they splutter add 500 ml of water and allow it to boil. Add the saffron and salt. Drop in the rice and allow to cook on a low fire till done. Garnish with the roasted dry fruits and fried onions. Serve with raita of your choice.

Pudina And Capsicum Rice Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017August 14, 2018 by vinaya

The aroma of pudina/mint and the crunch of bell peppers gives this rice a unique flavour.

Ingredients :

250 gms Basmathi rice cooked and ready.
1/2 of each red, green and yellow bell pepper sliced.

To be ground into a paste:

A bunch of coriander leaves
A small bunch of mint leaves
8 green chillies
1 inch piece of ginger
7 pieces of garlic
2 tomatoes chopped
2 large onions chopped roughly
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin/jeera
1 piece cinnamon/dalchini
5 cloves/lavang
2 cardamom/elaichi
5 pepper corns/kali mirch
Salt

Method :
Heat a mixture of 4tbs ghee and 4tbsps oil. Roast the paste till it gives out its aroma and leaves the sides of the vessel. Add the sliced bell peppers and salt. Toss for a few minutes and then add the cooked rice. Mix well. Heat till done. Serve with raita of your choice.

Vegetable Biryani Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017June 7, 2018 by vinaya

Biryani brings to one’s mind the aroma of fragrant Basmati rice, spices, ghee and of Hyderabad. Known for it’s Biryanis both veg and non veg, Hyderabad, the land of the Nawabs abounds with food trucks selling mouth watering Biryani.

Ingredients :

250 gms Basmati rice, cooked and ready
2 carrots chopped
2 potatoes cubed
Peas( equal to the proportion of the above chopped veggies)
100 gms paneer shallow roasted

To be ground to a paste

3 onions
11 cloves of garlic
2 inch piece of ginger
2 tbsps grated coconut
12 green chillies
A small bunch of coriander leaves
3 tomatoes
3 sprigs mint leaves
2 tbsps coriander seeds
6 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
2 Cardamom
1 tbsp fennel
1 tsp cumin

Method :
Grind the above to a fine paste. Cook the vegetables in salted water. Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and 5 tbsps oil. Add the ground masala and roast till it leaves the sides of the vessel. Add the cooked vegetables, salt and heat well. In a microwave safe container first arrange a layer of the Masala. Top it with a layer of Rice. Top it up with the remaining curry and garnish with coriander leaves. Microwave for ten minutes. Serve with raita or kachumber.

Methi Rice Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Methi or fenugreek leaves are rich in Iron and also a good digestive. They are also called as Kasuri methi when sun dried. Kasuri methi is used in most North Indian dishes to enhance their flavour, whereas fresh methi lea leaves are also used to make Parthas and in Bhajiya.

Ingredients :

250 gms Basmathi rice cooked and ready
2 potatoes chopped into bite size pieces
A small bunch of methi leaves chopped fine
Coriander leaves chopped fine
8 green chillies minced
2 onions chopped fine
Haldi
Salt
2 tbsps ghee
5 tbsp oil
1tsp jeera/Cumin seeds

Method :
Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and 5 tbsps oil. Add a spoon of jeera and after it splutters add the green chillies. Toss. Add the onions, the potatoes and methi leaves. When half cooked add salt. Cook till done. Add the haldi, rice and heat well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with papad and raita.

Vegetable Upma Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

The easiest to make when having unexpected guests, the humble upma has many avatars to it. Posting a mixed vegetable upma today.

Ingredients:

250 gms rava/semolina
8 green chillies finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger grated
3 sprigs curry leaves
One carrot finely chopped
One small bowl peas
Juice of one lemon
Coriander leaves
A few cashewnuts halved and roasted in ghee
600 ml boiling water
Salt

Other Ingredients

3 tbsps ghee
7tbsps oil
1tsp mustard
1tsp urad dal

Method:
Cook the carrot and peas in salted water.
Heat a mixture of 2 tbsps ghee and 5 tbsps oil. Add a spoon of mustard and after it splutters add a spoon of urad dal. After the urad dal turns golden add the chopped green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Toss. Add the Rava and roast for a couple of minutes. Add the cooked vegetables, roasted cashewnuts, lemon juice and half of the coriander leaves. Pour in the boiling water and salt. Mix. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with the remaining coriander leaves.

Undi/ Rice Dumplings Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017August 16, 2018 by vinaya

Undi or rice dumplings are a favourite breakfast item in South India. The name varies according to the region where they come from. Generally accompanied by a pickle, chutney and jaggery syrup, they can also be relished with Sambar or dal.

Ingredients :

250 gms Rice
1/2 of a small coconut
Salt

Seasoning

3 tbsps coconut oil
1 tsp mustard
1tsp urad dal/Black Gram Dal
1/4 tsp methi/Fenugreek seeds

Method :
Wash and soak the rice for about 3 hours. Grind the coconut to a fine paste and then add the rice n grind to a coarse rava/semolina like consistency. ( do not grind fine as the end product becomes sticky)
Heat the coconut oil and add the mustard. After it crackles add the urad dal. As it turns golden yellow add the methi n allow it to turn a golden brown. Pour three glasses or 750 ml water into the seasoning and add salt and the ground rice. Keep stirring on a low flame till it leaves the side of the pan . Allow to cool thoroughly. Wet your hands and make balls or undis. Steam undis for 10 minutes in a perforated vessel or in the steamer.

Ven Pongal Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017November 14, 2017 by vinaya

Two types of Pongal are prepared during Sankranthi. Posting a Ven pongal or spicy rice preparation which is a one pot meal. It is accompanied either by a chutney or with curd. I prefer mine with store bought Onion pakoda.

Ingredients :

200 gms rice
200 gms moong dal
1 tsp pepper corns
1 tbsp jeera
5tbsps ghee/clarified butter
3 sprigs curry leaves
A pinch of haldi /turmeric
Salt
2tbsps of ghee to drizzle when done.

Method :
Wash the moong dal and rice. Heat the ghee. Add the jeera and pepper corns. After they splutter add 3 sprigs of curry leaves. Toss. Add the washed moong dal, rice salt, haldi and water enough to cook it. Cook till done. Drizzle with more ghee and serve hot.

Bisibele Bhath Recipe

Posted on September 13, 2017June 27, 2018 by vinaya

Bisibele bhath a one pot meal of rice, Dal and vegetables is a Karnataka specialty. It is served along with potato wafer or spicy Boondi.

Ingredients:

125 gms rice
125 gms toor dal
A fistful of peanuts
One large carrot chopped
Peas and beans equal quantities as that of carrot
3 tbsps coriander seeds
1 tbsp chana dal
1 tbsp urad dal
2 inch piece of dalchini
5 Marat moggu
15 pepper corns
5 lavang
15 tbsps of coconut grated.
A pinch of haldi
Byadgi and Guntur chillies roasted(as per spice level)
2 tbsps tamarind paste
7 tbsps ghee
7 sprigs curry leaves

Method :
Pressure cook the Dal with the peanuts. Cook the rice and keep aside. Chop the vegetables and boil them with a little salt till done. Dry roast all the ingredients till you get a good aroma. Dry roast the coconut separately till it turns a rich brown. Grind the roasted ingredients, coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Add it to the cooked dal, peanuts and rice. Add salt, the cooked vegetables, ground masala and the curry leaves. Boil well. Add the ghee. Mix well and serve. ( you can add more ghee if required)