Square Beans Stir-Fry (Varai)

Square beans are a popular vegetable in Sri Lanka; we used to grow them in our backyard. I was surprised to see them in Malaysian pasar malam (Night street Market, that sells fresh fruits, vegetables and other Malaysian delicacies. Pasar Malam is similar to farmers market). There are many similarities in Malaysian and Sri Lankan cuisine. In Malaysia this vegetable is stir fried and served in a spicy chili sauce called sambal Oelek. Please note sambal oelek has shrimp paste in it. So check the ingredients before you buy them. They do have vegetarian sambal oelek.

Square beans are similar to green beans in terms of health benefits and texture. They are rich in fiber and prevents cardiovascular disease. Hench square beans can be substituted for all green beans recipes.

This is a quick stir fry dish, adopted from my mom’s recipe. She used to add potatoes to this stir fry dish. I try to make complete Sri Lankan lunch during weak ends, this stir fry is served as a part of rice and curry meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 dry red chili diced

1 onion diced

Few curry leaves

1 tbsp yellow gram

1 tsp mustard and cumin seeds

200g square beans halved length wise and diced  (trim off edges and peel strings)

Pinch of turmeric powder

Pinch of salt

Method

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, sauté onion, dry red chili, curry leaves and yellow gram for 2 minutes. Add mustard and fennel seeds and sauté till it splutters.

Add square beans, salt and turmeric, mix well, and cook covering the lid, for 4-5 minutes till square beans are soft.

Turn off heat, serve with red rice or your choice of main meal.

Black eyed peas & Green peas Salad

As part of our diet plan, at least once in a week we try to take salad for dinner. I try to make it a filling meal by adding plenty of legumes. This time it’s black eyed peas and green peas. This is a trick for dieting, since if our diet is based on protein and fiber rich beans and other complex carbohydrates we feel full sooner.

Black-eyed peas provide a number of nutrients. They are a rich source of fiber and can be used in a number of recipes. For vegetarians, such beans can provide a needed source of iron and protein. No matter how you choose to prepare them, black-eyed peas can be a wonderful supplement to your healthy eating plan.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

100g boiled black eyed peas 

100g thawed frozen green peas

1 onion thinly sliced

1 green granny smith apple thinly sliced

Few olives

Few cherry tomatoes sliced half

¼ of red pepper thinly sliced

½ of cucumber diced

100g broccoli florets blanched LINK

Few lettuce leaves roughly torn

For Dressing

1 tsp of chili flakes

2 tbsp low fat yoghurt / soy yoghurt

½ lemon juice

3 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp of minced garlic and ginger

Salt and pepper

Method

Mix all ingredients under “Dressing” shake well, set them aside

In a large bowl add all vegetables and legumes, drizzle the salad dressing, mix well using a wooden spoon. Serve immediately.

Soy Meat Curry (Textured Soy Protein)

Textured soy protein is available as dry flakes or chunks. It will keep its structure when hydrated. Hydrated textured soy protein chunks have spongy texture similar to meat. It can be used as a meat replacement, its low in cost, high in protein, low in fat, and has a longer shelf life.

Soy meats spongy texture enables maximum absorption of flavors. It could be replaced like meat balls or minced meat to make Bolognese sauce or vegetarian cutlets.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

300g Soya meat

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

100ml sesame oil

1 onion diced

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

Few curry leaves

1 pandan (Rampe) leaf tied into a knot

1 tsp of each fenugreek, mustard and cumin seeds

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp chili powder

200g low fat yoghurt / 200ml reduced fat coconut cream

200 ml water

1 tsp garam masala

Method

Soak soy meat in water for 10-15 minutes, till they are soft. (Alternatively you can microwave for 4-5 minutes) Squeeze and drain all water.

Marinate with soy sauce and tomato puree, set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan, add soy meat stir for 5-10 minutes till they turn into slightly crispy texture. At this stage you may add more oil and sauté onion, garlic ginger, curry leaves, and pandan leaf. Stir till onions are translucent.

Add mustard, fennel and fenugreek seeds, when it starts to splutter add curry powder and chili powder. Add yogurt and stir till soy meat is coated with all spices.

Add water and bring to boil closing the lid. When gravy starts simmering add garam masala and salt to taste.

Serve with rice/ roti/ bread/ pittu/ string hoppers.

My Favorite Fried Eggplant Recipe

Fried eggplant is my all time favorite food. Recently it was featured in "My Grandma's Recipe"column in The Hindu, India.

It's a must try dish for all eggplant lovers, let me know how it came out in your kitchen.

Provencal Bean Stew

Cannellini beans, these traditional Italian beans are loaded with nutrients. Cannellini beans are low-fat, high in fiber and provide a high quality of magnesium, fiber, iron and folate. They have twice as much iron as beef. Maintaining high iron; ensures a stable supply of hemoglobin. This carries energizing oxygen to every cell in the body. This gives you energy to spare!

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

150g boiled cannellini beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

½ of both red & yellow pepper thinly sliced

200g can tomatoes chopped

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp of both minced thyme and basil

1 vegetable soup cube

1 bay leaf

50g pitted black olives

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, sauté onion, garlic, and herbs for 2 minutes. When onion turns translucent, add peppers stir for 1 more minute.

Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and soup cube stir well. Add one soup bowl of water, cover lid and let it simmer.

When soup starts simmering season with salt and pepper, add cannellini beans and black olives.

If you prefer a thick stew, you may add corn starch (1 tbsp mixed in cold water) and stir well.

Ladle stew into bowls garnish with parsley.

Mycitycuisine.org - A Traveler's Guide to Local Cuisine

I was recently contacted by Mycitycuisine.org about their Wiki Project. They are looking for contributors. MyCityCuisine is a project to create a free, reliable and up-to-date guide to the most original and tasty traditional foods from different countries of the world. MyCityCuisine is an open project, so everyone can contribute to it. Please write about original and tasty traditional foods in different countries including your own country. 

Here is their guidelines to submit a dish or dish list. 

Stir Fried Black Night Shade Leaves (Manathakkali Keerai Varai)

Both leaves and berries are mainly used in South Indian cooking to make stir fry dish (varai) and gravy curries (vathal kulambu). Leaves are effective in the treatment of digestive disorders, mouth and stomach ulcers. The fruits or the berries of the plant is beneficial in treating asthma and also yields beneficial results in fevers. Juice of these leaves is good in healing chronic skin diseases such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.

I heard about these leaves medicinal properties, and was hoping to try them to make it as green curry for our typical Sri Lankan lunch. Surprisingly it was widely available in Indian grocery stores here. It took me awhile to research and decide on method of cooking. I got a plenty of results in which the berries were cooked in hot and sour gravies, leaves with pulses etc., I opted for simple stir fry (less cooking time) so I could preserve its nutrients and color.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

1 large bunch of Manathakkali, leaves with delicate stems cleaned & roughly chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp of each cumin & mustard seeds

1 onion diced

3 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tbsp yellow split peas

3 dry red chilies roughly chopped

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, add mustard, cummin seeds and yellow grams. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add onion, red chili, salt and shredded coconut. Sauté for 1-2 minutes till coconut turns into golden brown color.

Add roughly chopped greens, lower heat, and mix well for 2 minutes.

Turn off heat, serve with rice.


Note : You can apply the same method of cooking for any type of green leaf vegetable.

Ami's Vegetarian blog featured in The Star Malaysia

Click this link to read full article "Bounty for vegetarian"

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli, to my knowledge is the most nutritious vegetable. It is rich in vitamin C, which aids iron absorption in our body. The folic acid in broccoli helps to sustain normal tissue growth and prevents hair loss. The potassium in broccoli aids those battling high blood pressure. The vegetable is also fiber-rich, which enhances the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as aims to reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Indole-3-carbinol a component found in broccoli, promotes "good" hormones, while working against destructive ones, hence prevents hormone-related cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer.

Best way to cook broccoli is blanching, spices like garlic, ginger, lemon and chili flakes goes well with this vegetable. I try to take it as salad along with other vegetables and legumes, soups, stir fry (Broccoli with 3 color peppers is a good combination), add to noodles or vegetable fried rice.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

200g Broccoli Florets – Blanched

50g pitted black olives sliced

100g sweet corn thawed and blanched

1 Onion thinly sliced

100g boiled black eyed peas

1 celery stick diced

100g cherry tomato

For Dressing

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp chili flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic and ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

(Mix them all and set aside)

Method

Add all grains and vegetables, drizzle dressing over vegetables. Mix them well, serve immediately.

Stir-fried Tofu with Peppers

My prayers and good wishes to all affected people in Japan ! God.....please give strength to cope with this situation. Stop worrying, it won't help those who are suffering.

Tofu is not my favorite food, but I still try to take it due to its health benefits.. I make stir fried dishes, or add tofu to noodles or fried rice or soups.

Tofu is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians, also is a great source of calcium and iron. Regular intake of tofu helps to reduce serum cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride concentrations. Tofu is an essential ingredient in oriental cuisine, but increasingly becoming popular among western vegetarians.

This is a mildly spicy stir fried dish with three colored peppers, good to serve with rice or noodles. It takes only few minutes to prepare this wholesome dish.

Ingredients
Serves 2-3


100g firm tofu – cut into cube size
¼ of each green, red and yellow peppers – thinly sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
50g shitake mushrooms thinly sliced
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste


Method


Heat oil in a pan, sauté garlic ginger for a minute. Add tofu, mushrooms stir fry for 5 minutes. When they turn into golden brown color, add soy sauce and tomato puree stir well.

Add chili flakes, salt to taste. Remove from heat and serve with your choice of main meal.

Lemon Rice with Vegetables

If you’re bored of regular rice and curry meal, this variation is a must try. Lemon is a staple in my kitchen. Lemon flavored rice with vegetables is a good way of taking less carb’s and more healthy vegetables. Just this rice and your choice of pickles or chutney is a complete meal. I usually have this with Ruchi South Indian pickle and low fat yogurt.


Ingredients
Serves 2-3
100g Ponni / Basmati/ Samba Rice washed
100g Frozen mix vegetables, thawed
1 lemon juice
1 tsp of each mustard and fennel seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 dry red chili chopped
1 large potato diced
1 tbsp yellow split peas
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 onion diced
Few curry leaves
Salt to taste


Method


Wash rice and add to rice cooker with water. Water has to be 2  times of  rice amount(Example 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, for Basmati it has to be 1 ½ times)

Heat oil in a large pan, add mustard, fennel seeds, yellow split peas, curry leaves and dry red chilies. Sauté for 2 minutes.


Add onion, diced potatoes, turmeric powder and salt stir well, close the lid, cook in low heat till potatoes are soft.


Separately place thawed frozen vegetables in hot water for a minute, drain them and set aside.


When rice is cooked, sprinkle lime juice, mix well using wooden spoon and let it dry.


Add rice and  mix vegetables to large pan, mix well. Serve with pickle or chutney.

Dhall (Red Lentil) Curry

Lentils are an excellent of source of protein for vegetarians and vegans of the world. Lentils are very rich in protein, folic acid, Vitamin C , B and contain eight of the essential amino acids. Although lentils are high in protein, they’re not a complete protein source since they lack two essential amino acids – lysine and isoleucine. For this reason, it’s important to eat lentils with another complimentary plant protein such as brown rice or a protein-rich whole grain to supply the missing amino acids needed to make a complete protein source.


Ingredients
Serves 4-5


100g red lentils washed
1 tsp of each mustard, fenugreek and fennel seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp curry powder
2 green/red chilies chopped
Pinch of asafetida powder (optional)
1 small onion diced
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
Few curry leaves and 1 pandan (Rampe) leaf
200ml low fat milk / 100 ml reduced fat coconut cream
1 tbsp ghee (optional)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice


Method


In a pan add washed red lentils, onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, pandan leaf, turmeric, mustard, fennel, fenugreek seeds, asafetida powder and 200ml water. Mix well, close the lid. Boil for 5-10 minutes until lentils are soft.


Add curry powder, milk and salt to taste. Stir well boil for few more minutes.
Turn off heat add ghee and lemon juice.


Serve with rice or bread or roti.


PsN - Thanks Zen of RAWk Me! for awarding this blog.

Lemon Grass and Vegetable Soup

The Lemon grass is a good cleanser that helps to detoxify the Liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and the digestive tract. It cuts down uric acid, cholesterol, excess fats and other toxins in the body while stimulating digestion, blood circulation, and lactation; it also alleviates indigestion and gastroenteritis. Also, it can reduce blood pressure. Lemon grass, when boiled contains high amounts of beta-carotene; the powerful anti-oxidant that helps to prevent cancer.

Ingredients
Serves 2-3
1 vegetable soup cube
1 bowl of vegetables, like celery, cabbage, carrot, tofu, green and red chili, mushroom - diced
Lemon Juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
Salt to taste
2 lemon grass sticks cut into 4 inches length
1 tsp corn flour mixed in cold water
For garnishing
Few spring onion diced
Coriander leaves finely chopped

Method


Heat oil in a pan, sauté garlic and ginger for a minute. Add vegetables, stock cube and lemon grass, stir for 2-3 minutes.


Add one bowl of water, cover the pan with lid and boil the soup for 5-10 minutes till vegetables are tender.


When soup is simmering add corn flour mixture, and salt to taste stir for 2 minutes. Turn off heat add lemon juice and salt to taste.


Ladle soup into bowls garnish with coriander and spring onion.

Kidney Bean Risotto

Kidney beans are known for their high folate, protein and mineral content. High levels of magnesium found in the kidney beans provide added cardiovascular health benefits. Since these are high in proteins, they make good meat substitutes for vegetarians. These can be cooked with pastas, brown rice or added to salads; one can enjoy eating these rich protein sources without worrying about the calories.

Ingredients
Serves 2-3


2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
2 tbsp tomato puree
100g rice washed
200 g boiled / canned kidney beans
1 vegetable soup cube
Salt and pepper
 2 red chilies diced
1 celery stalk diced
5-6 chestnut mushrooms thinly sliced
Minced parsley for garnish
50g grated cheese / soy cheese


Method
Heat oil in a large pan. Add onion, garlic and ginger cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, mushroom, rice and stir for 2 minutes till grains are coated with oil.


Add stock cube, 200 ml water, salt and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.


Add kidney beans, red chili’s. Season with salt and pepper, stir well. Serve them in bowl and garnish with grated cheese and minced parsley.

Oyster Mushroom Spicy Stir-fry

Oyster mushrooms are packed with protein, vitamin B and C. These mushrooms are also rich in mineral salts that our body needs. The iron, phosphorous and calcium in these mushrooms is double that of chicken, pork and beef. It is also believed that vitamin B3 in these mushrooms is five to ten times higher as in any other vegetable.


Ingredients
Serves 3-4
500g Oyster Mushroom (wash them in water, squeeze water, then tear them into thin strips including stems. Cut off edges of the stems)
1 Large onion thinly sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Few curry leaves
2 tbsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
½ lemon juice

Method
Heat oil in a large pan, add onion, curry leaves, garlic ginger, and oyster mushrooms. Sauté for few minutes.


When mushrooms starts to wilt, add turmeric powder, salt, pepper. Cook stirring occasionally for 10 more minutes.


Once mushrooms are cooked and turns to crispy golden brown colour, add soy sauce, curry powder and mix well. Turn off heat sprinkle some lemon juice.


Serve with rice / noodles / choice of main meal.