Vinaya's Culinary Delights - Authentic Vegetarian Cuisine

Food Art-2

Posted on August 11, 2018August 14, 2018 by vinaya

Indian Independence Day through the eyes of a child.

As I was trying to make a variety of dishes in Tricolour to celebrate our Independence Day, the sweet memories of childhood came flooding back! In school we drew pictures of children holding the Tricolour and releasing Balloons in the sky. Thought, why not present this in the form of food art, just to keep the child in me alive!

Spring onions, Carrot, spring Onion greens, Radish and mustard went into making children celebrating the Indian Independence Day. 🇮🇳

Thali Meal – 19

Posted on August 11, 2018 by vinaya

A mixed Thali with Methi Parathas Bhavnagari Green chillies, Rice, Dal, Farmyard Beans, Carrot and Potato stir fry, Garlic Chutney, Raw Mango Thokku and Buttermilk.

Farm Yard Beans, Carrot and Potato Stir Fry Recipe

Raw Mango Thokku – 2

Dali Recipe

Methi Paratha and Boondi Raita Recipe

Bhavnagari Chilly Pickle Recipe

Garlic Chutney Recipe

Farm Yard Beans, Carrot and Potato Stir Fry Recipe

Posted on August 11, 2018 by vinaya

As children we named this particular Stir Fry as Flag Upkari because it has the hues of the Indian Tricolour. Most of the Stir fries or Upkari as we call it use minimal oil and spices, thus keeping the flavours of the vegetables intact. There have been times when I made a meal of it as its not only healthy but filling too!

Ingredients :

150 gms Farm Yard Beans
150 gms Carrot
1 very large potato
1 tbsp Coconut oil (Or oil of choice)
1 tsp mustard
2 dry red chillies broken into bits
Salt

Method :

String the Farm Yard Beans. Deskin the carrot and potato. Wash all the vegetables thoroughly and chop them lengthwise. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and after it splutters add the broken red chilly bits. Toss. Add the chopped vegetables, salt and half a glass (125) ml of water. Cover and cook till done. Serve hot with Rice, Roti or as a meal by itself.

Fried Yam Kismuri – 2

Posted on August 10, 2018 by vinaya

This is yet another type of fried Yam Kismuri that is made, the difference being that the coconut is ground here along with other condiments. It goes well with Rice or Rotis. Easy to prepare as the Yam can be fried and kept ready before hand!

Ingredients :

250 gms Yam
1/4 of a large coconut grated
9 roasted red chillies
2 tbsps coriander seeds
1tsp Tamarind paste
1 inch piece of ginger
1 large onion chopped fine
1 green chilly
Salt
2 tsps Coconut oil
Oil for frying the Yam.

Method :

Deskin and wash the Yam well. Chop into extremely small pieces as shown in the picture above. Apply salt and keep aside for ten minutes so that it releases water. . Heat the oil in a pan. Squeeze out all the water from the Yam. Fry it in batches till crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside. Chop onions, fine. Grate the ginger. Chop the chilly fine and crush with a little salt. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies, coriander seeds, tamarind and ginger to a semi coarse paste with a little water. Tip it into a bowl. Add the chopped onions, crushed green chilly, coconut oil and the fried Yam pieces. Mix well. Allow the Kismuri to stand for half an hour before serving in order to allow the Yam to absorb moisture from the Masala.

Fried Yam Kismuri – 1

Posted on August 10, 2018September 5, 2018 by vinaya

Fried Yam, Bitter gourd and Okra are three of the items that are a must have when having live in guests. They come in handy in making a variety of dishes. One can use fried Yam in making Koota, two varieties of Kismuri and a pickle too. Posting a simple Yam Kismuri today which goes well with Rice and Dal.

Ingredients :

250 gms Yam
Onions
Coconut
2 tsps Coconut oil
3 green chillies
Salt
Oil for frying the Yam.

Method :

Deskin the Yam and wash it thoroughly. Chop it into extremely tiny pieces as shown in the above picture. Apply some salt and keep aside for ten minutes. You will notice that it releases water. Heat oil in a pan. Squeeze out the Yam and fry it in batches till crisp. Remove and drain on a kitchen towel. Chop onions the same quantity as the fried Yam. So also the grated coconut. Mince the green chillies. Crush them with a little salt. Mix the grated coconut, chopped onions, crushed green chillies, fried Yam and coconut oil. Mix thoroughly. Serve after half an hour as the Yam pieces require awhile to absorb the moisture of the onions and coconut. Goes well with hot rice or even with Roti.

Thali Meal – 18

Posted on August 10, 2018 by vinaya

Fresh French Beans which I just could not resist buying and which turned into a stir fry, Teasel Gourd which is in season and made into a tongue tickling subzi, Farm fresh Radish sent over by a friend went into a Sambhar and all ended up together in my Thali today. Fried some Papad and served Tender Mango Pickle along with Curds and Rice.

French Beans, Potato, Garlic Stir Fry Recipe

Teasel gourd/Kantola Subzi Recipe

Radish Sambhar Recipe

Tender Mango Pickle Recipe

French Beans, Potato, Garlic Stir Fry Recipe

Posted on August 10, 2018August 10, 2018 by vinaya

This is one dish which one can have as a meal. The aroma of roasted garlic, the crunch of French Beans and the sweetness of potato are simply amazing!

Ingredients :

200 gms French Beans
1 large potato
4 dry red chillies broken into bits
25 cloves of Garlic crushed gently
1 tbsp oil
Salt

Method :

Wash and string the French Beans. Deskin the potato and after washing it slice it thinly lengthwise and place it in a bowl of water. Slit the Beans lengthwise and chop them into one inch size pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and roast it to a rich golden brown. Drop in the bits of broken red chilly and toss. Add the French Beans and potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Add salt and half a glass of water(125ml) cover and cook till done.

Teasel gourd/Kantola Subzi Recipe

Posted on August 10, 2018August 10, 2018 by vinaya

Teasel gourd is a seasonal vegetable and a variety of dishes are made from it when it is in season. Fritters, stir fries, Kismuri, and also coconut based preparations are made and relished with hot rice or Phulkas. Posting a tangy recipe today which is absolutely delicious!

Ingredients :

300 gms Teasel Gourd
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilly powder
1 tbsp Tamarind paste
2 tbsps jaggery syrup
Salt

Method :

Wash and slice the Teasel gourd. Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the Teasel gourd, salt and chilly powder. Toss well for a couple of minutes. Add the tamarind paste and jaggery syrup. Mix well. Pour half a glass (125ml) of water, cover and cook till done.

Raw Mango Thokku – 2

Posted on August 9, 2018 by vinaya

This is the second of the Raw Mango Thokku. The first was a sun basked one, where the spices were added after it had had been sun basked for a week. This one is without addition of sugar or jaggery. Needs refrigeration as it is usually made of the Totapuri variety of Mango when it is slightly ripe.

Ingredients :

500 gms Totapuri Mango
2 tbsps Chilly powder
1 tsp Methi /Fenugreek seeds powdered
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt
A kidney bean piece of Hing/asafoetida
5 tbsps oil
3 sprigs Curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
Salt

Method :

Wash and wipe the tender Mango. Deskin and grate or chop it fine. Dry roast the Methi seeds till they give their aroma and turn to a rich golden brown. Powder them and keep aside. Powder the Hing. Heat oil. Add the mustard seeds and after they splutter add the curry leaves. Toss. Drop in the Chilly, Turmeric, Asafoetida and Fenugreek powders. Immediately add the grated Mango. Add salt and cook the mixture till it turns semi solid. Switch off and store when cool.

Pinwheel Sandwiches Recipe

Posted on August 9, 2018 by vinaya

Pinwheel Sandwiches are a hit with children. Serve them at a get together or in their school lunch box, and, they will be gone in no time! Easy to make and they stay well. Here I have not used any shredded vegetables, but you may add thinly sliced cabbage and carrot.

Ingredients :

3 slices of Bread
Butter
Green chutney
Tomato ketchup
Slice of cheese

Method :

Cut the edges of the bread slices and e dry them to make bread crumbs. Gently roll out each slice with a rolling pin. Take care to see that you use a gentle hand while rolling out the slices. Apply butter and chutney on the first slice, place the second slice over it and top it with the slice of cheese. Place the, third slice over the cheese slice and apply ketchup on it. Roll the slices together to form a log. Cut slices of the log and serve either with ketchup or as is.