Mixed Vegetable Fritters

I always wanted some kind of portable veggie bites to take with me when I have a back to back schedule in the morning and I need to eat lunch in between errands.  I found that need fulfilled by these delicious fritters, especially if they are baked since they are easier to handle and not that greasy.  The fried ones are of course more moist and has that added flavor from the coconut oil I used.

I obtained the recipe from the registration table during the International Women's Club meeting I attended this month.  The dish was called Mixed Vegetable Fritters and the author was Medhu Doshi.  Since I was late, the breakfast buffet table was almost empty and I am not sure if this dish was served that day.  I liked the list of ingredients featuring lots of vegetables and decided to try it.  I made modifications with the recipe based on what ingredients I had.  I also experimented with baking a batch of the fritters versus frying them.  I actually liked them prepared both ways. The fried ones were pillowy and moist but the baked ones, as expected was not oily and easier to handle when eaten by hand.

I would like to point out that the rice flour was an excellent binder.  It made the fritters moist and flavorful. You do not need eggs.  I highly recommend its use. The recipe also called for chickpea flour which I did not have and used instead all purpose flour. Instead of coriander in the original recipe, I used green onions.

I love these fritters and will be my go to food on the run.  It is delicious and healthy too! They could be one of your holiday appetizers.

Mixed Vegetable Fritters

• 1 onion, quartered
• 1/4 head of cabbage
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 inch daikon radish, peeled (you can substitute plain radish)
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup rice flour (I used Mochiko brand sweet rice flour)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup water or more

If baking:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a 13 x 9 cookie pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Place the 4 first ingredients in the Vita Mix blender or high power blender or food processor in the sequence given or you can chop them by hand.  

Transfer the chopped vegetables into a medium bowl and add the spinach, green onions, rice flour, all purpose flour, turmeric, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Add the water slowly to the mixture till it has the consistency of mashed potatoes.  You might need to add more water.

Take two tablespoon of the mixture and form into patties.  

If baking:

Place the patties in the sprayed pan and spray  the patties with cooking spray and bake for 30-35 minutes till brown. Flip halfway during the baking process.

If frying:

Heat 4 tablespoon coconut oil or other oil in a saute pan and shallow fry the patties till the fritters are slightly brown. Flip when one side is browned.
You can also deep fry in a 350 degree fryer.

Eat with catsup with or without Sriracha.

Slow Cooker Cauliflower with Curry Almond Sauce

I would admit to being addicted to vegan dishes with thick spicy sauces.  I have posted recipes of this nature in the past (here, here, here, here and here) using vegetable combinations and sauces.

I decided to try adapting a red curry paste almond chicken dish from this recipe and came up with a plant based version without the use of red curry paste that was in this original recipe.  It called for three tbsp of this spice mix and is the major flavoring component aside from the curry powder.  After looking up the homemade recipe of this paste, I incorporated some of the ingredients that were closed to them.  I added the juice and zest of one lemon for example to approximate the lemon grass component plus the spices cumin, cinnamon, coriander powder and cardamon. At the end when the taste was not quite there, I decided not to increase the salt but instead used Sriracha to intensify the flavor of the coconut almond combination.  Wow it worked.

For me success means I would want the dish morning, noon and night and I did.  The almond gives only a very subtle taste of itself to the dish but it does thicken the sauce. I like eating the dish with quinoa or rice with the suggested sides of fresh vegetables like grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber and fresh spinach.  I used the slow cooker method for convenience but the stove top one pot method will also work.


Slow Cooker Cauliflower with Curry Almond Sauce

(Adapted from this recipe)

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 2 tbsp ginger, minced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp coriander powder

• 1/4 tsp cardamon powder

• 2 tbsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 1/4 cup almond butter

• 2 cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 green pepper, sliced

• 1 yellow or red pepper, sliced

• 1 cup baby carrots

• 1 tbsp sriracha or to taste

• 1 tsp salt or to taste

• grape tomatoes, cucumber and fresh spinach as sides

1. Heat the coconut oil at medium heat in a saute pan or in the slow cooker bowl itself if the slow cooker has a saute mode.  Add the onion, ginger and garlic till they are cooked.  
2. Add the cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cardamon, curry powder and red pepper flakes and heat them through.  
3. Add the sauteed mixture if using a saute pan and the rest of the ingredients except the sides to the slow cooker. 
4. Cook for 3 hours at high setting or 6 hours a low setting.  I used Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker and cooked the dish for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.
5. Serve over rice with sides of grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and fresh spinach.  

Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala

This is adapted from the recipe of one of the dishes that Chef Wyatt Lash of the Commoner demonstrated when he stopped by Pittsburgh Today Live.  It has a surprising delightful ingredient, lime, which gives the dish a citrusy refreshing taste that I like. I decreased the amount of coconut milk and skipped the usually used ingredient in this dish, garam masala. Relax guys I added some of the components of this spice blend to this adapted recipe namely, cinnamon, turmeric, and coriander which were not in the original recipe.

This got two thumbs up from my vegan yoga teacher, Sally.  I love this so much I had this for breakfast with quinoa. So good.

Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala

Adapted from this recipe

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

• 1/2 Tsp ground cumin

• 1/4 Tsp ground cardamon

• 1/4 tsp ground coriander

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1/8 tsp turmeric 

• 1 tbsp curry powder

• 2 dry red chili peppers, crushed or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp coconut palm brown sugar

• 1 Zest Lime, Plus Juice

• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cube

• 2 cups baby carrots

• 1 -14.5 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 cup coconut milk or non dairy milk

• 1 tbsp cornstarch in 1/4 cup water

• 1-12 oz can diced tomatoes

• 1 tbsp Sriracha

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

• 2 cups spinach, (optional)

• 2 tbsp green onions for garnish  

1. In a skillet or in the slow cooker with saute mode, add  the coconut oil and heat at medium heat.  Add and sweat all onions, garlic, and ginger with dry spices. 
2. Add the rest of ingredients to the sauted mixture except spinach if using and green onions in the slow cooker bowl. 
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or at low for 6 hours.  I cooked mine in an Aroma Brand rice cooker/slow cooker for 2 hours at slow cooker setting.  
4.  Add the spinach if using at the last half hour of slow cooking. Garnish with green onions. 

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Indian Stew

I like the pairing of the two vegetables in this Indian flavored stew, the crispy cauliflower and the sweet potato.  The cauliflower pairs with the sweet potatoes as well as it does with potatoes in the popular Indian dish Aloo Gobi. And it being more nutritious than the potato is an added bonus.

I have posted a similar dish before using cauliflower with eggplant and green and red pepper.  I used coconut milk from a can and a ton of curry powder.

In this recipe I wanted also a sauce that is thick and spicy but this time I avoided using high fat canned coconut milk and just used non dairy milk and vegetable broth in its place.  I thickened the mixture with cornstarch and guess what else? Mashed previously cooked sweet potato. I used the usual spices found in most Indian dishes using less curry powder than before to round up the wonderful sauce that coated the cauliflower and sweet potato pieces.

It is a simple one pan dish to go to when you have a craving for something with the rich flavors of India. Was I happy eating this dish? Oh yes.  Did I eat it morning, noon and night? Yes. You would to. Addictive sauce.

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Indian Stew

Adapted from this past blog post.

• 2 tsp plant oil or 1 tbsp vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 dry red chilies or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 cup plant milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1 sweet cooked potato, mashed
• 1 tbsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cauliflower head, separated into florets
• 2 sweet potatoes, uncooked and cubed

Saute in the oil or vegetable broth the onion, minced ginger and minced garlic till they are cooked.  Then add the tomato paste and heat through.

Add the garlic powder, coriander, cumin, curry powder and turmeric and heat the mixture.  Add the red pepper flakes, salt, plant milk, vegetable broth, sugar, mashed sweet cooked potatoes and corn starch in water to the mixture and heat through.

Add the cauliflower and uncooked weet potatoes to the mixture and allow the mixture of the sauce and vegetables to boil gently till the sweet potatoes are cooked but still firm and the cauliflower still crisp.

Serve over rice of your choice or quinoa or with Naan bread.

Brown Rice Biryani

One of the bright spots in Monroeville PA is the Udipi Indian Restaurant. It is a strictly vegetarian place frequented by people from neighboring places in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

One of my favorite things to eat at this place (second to what I call pregnant bread) is shown below. It is their take on biryani rice. I have been buying prepackaged ones at the Patel grocery store which I sometimes finish in one seating. I felt it is time for me to make my own. 

Here is the recipe I came up with using ordinary brown rice instead of the traditional jasmine variety. I used my rice cooker to prepare the dish for convenience and also to satisfy my curiousity if it would work. I made this without oil to make it healthier and plant based. This is pretty close to what I have been eating straight from the package. 

Brown Rice Biryani

• 2 cups brown rice
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/8 tsp tumeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tsp dry garlic flakes
• 1/2 tbsp dry onion flakes
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in rice cooker bowl. Cook in rice cooker using brown rice setting. 

Indian Baingan Bharta Rice Salad Bowl

I want flavor in my rice bowl.  Sometimes I am in the mood for Italian and I reach for pesto. Sometimes I crave something Asian and I go for Hoisin sauce.  Lately I have been satisfying my yearning for spicy Indian flavors. Luckily. I found some packaged microwaveable vegetarian food at Patel Brothers Grocery Store.

One is Baingan Bharta, a spicy eggplant dish. I place a tablespoon of it in my rice salad bowl like you would pesto and that gives that punch into an ordinary bowl of same oh same rice veggie bowl.

Below are photos of the package giving this dish' ingredients and nutritional breakdown.

I resort to this packaged food to give my plant based eating some variety and excuse the pun, spice. Give it a try. It cost about two dollars but a package lasts for several servings and meals.

Indian Baingan Bharta 

• Brown rice, cooked
• Spinach leaves, fresh
• Grape tomatoes, sliced
• Cucumber, sliced
• Radishes, sliced
• Baingan Bharta, microwaved

Arrange the ingredients in a large serving bowl. The amounts and types of vegetable is flexible.  You need only a tablespoon of the Baingan Bharta so start with that amount. It is spicy and so good no need for a dressing in your salad.

Indian Quinoa or Super Grains Mix Pudding

I prepared Alton Brown's Indian Rice Pudding about two or three years ago and I never forgot how good it was.  I had a bag of Super Grains Mix which is a blend of buckwheat, millet, red quinoa and white quinoa.  I have about 4 cups cooked ones made which I have been eaten with my plant based food like Plant Based Filipino Sinigang etc. and I have plenty still left.

That rice pudding was haunting me with its goodness and I decided to resurrect it using the cooked Super Grains Mix.  I did tweak Alton Brown's recipe for the rice pudding skipping the cream.  I decided to add cinnamon to the mixture while cooking and sprinkled the cardamon on the cooked dish before eating.  The cardamon's taste is more intense this way rather than added to the mixture while cooking.

This delicious can be eaten without the garnish I used in the pictures like mint and berries which was used mainly for a dash of color.  The raisins and nuts (I used walnut but pistachio is more traditional) plus the sprinkling of cardamon will take you to Taj Mahal or bollywood.  Yes.

 

Indian Quinoa or Super Grains Mix Pudding

• 1 cup cooked quinoa or cooked super grains mix (buckwheat, millet, red and white quinoa) (Note 1)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup coconut milk full fat from can
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• cardamon (optional) (note 2)

Combine cooked quinoa or cooked super grain mix, almond milk, coconut milk, cinnamon and maple syrup in a saute pan. Mix with a whisk.  Allow to boil and then simmer till thick with constant stirring with a spatula or whisk. About 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat.  Add the raisins and nuts and mix. You can sprinkle cardamon on top before serving.

You can garnish with mint leaves and red berries if you wish.

Notes:

1.  Run water through the super grains mix and drain through a colander or sieve.  Do this till the grainy smell disappears.  Drain well through the colander or sieve and transfer to the rice cooker or pot and add water.  It is 1 part quinoa or super grains mix to 2 parts water.

2.  Alton Brown added the cardamon to the rest of the ingredients while cooking.  I prefer that it be sprinkled on the top of the cooked pudding.  The cardamon retains its flavor this way.

Cauliflower Vegetable Curry

I bought several boxes of ready to eat Indian vegetarian dishes in microwaveable packets during a shopping trip at the Patel Indian Store in Monroeville PA.  Since the past week had been very hectic due to babysitting chores these ready made Indian delicacies had been my go to food for lunch, dinner and even breakfast. The curry sauce in these dishes were really tantalizing and haunting. They just made me crave them.  However, a couple of the packets had green peas and/or beans as their ingredients and I noticed that the arthritis or gout in my finger joints flared up after I ate these dishes.  I have a sensitivity to these two vegetables.

I decided to make my own plant based curry dish using cauliflower, eggplant and peppers.  I opted for cauliflower as one of the ingredients to add that crunch factor into the dish.  I originally wanted to use red curry paste but I could not find it in my loaded freezer.  I decided to use mostly curry powder and the other spices to mimic that rich sauce in the store bought Indian vegetarian dishes.

This dish got the thumbs up from my daughter Wendy who had it for lunch when she visited me.  She also gladly took some home. As for me, I had this morning, noon and night. that day and the next.

This is a healthy, easy and delicious alternative to store bought Indian dishes or the ones you eat at Indian buffets.  Do try it and you will be hooked.

Cauliflower Vegetable Curry

• 1 tbsp olive oil or 2 tbsp water
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp salt or according to taste
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 yellow or green pepper, cut into strips
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips 
• 1 can coconut milk, full fat
• 1/2 cups vegetable broth (optional for thinning the sauce)
• Cilantro

Heat the olive oil or water (if you are strictly plant based) in a large saute pan at medium heat.   Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute these spices till the onion is translucent.  Add the curry powder, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, tomato paste and salt and continue to saute till the spices are heated through. Add the cauliflower, eggplant, peppers, coconut milk and vegetable broth (if using) and allow the mixture to simmer till the vegetables are cooked but still crispy.  Season with more salt if needed.  Garnish with cilantro. Serve with naan bread or rice.  

Tofu Vegetable Curry

The recipe is very similar to the Spinach in Coconut Milk with Indian Spices in this blogpost.  I added tofu and used a different mix of vegetables consisting of zucchini, carrots and spinach.  It is just as delicious as the inspiration but felt more substantial because of the tofu present and the crunchy presence of the carrots and zucchini.  My daughter gave this the thumbs up.  Just like the original recipe this does not last long since the curry sauce makes it utterly addictive. One of my favorites in my plant based approach to eating.  It has protein in the tofu and the texture of the vegetables and the creamy sauce make it very satisfying.

.

Tofu Vegetable Curry

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup water (Note 1)
• 2 red dry chilies, crumbled
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (Note 2)
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 bag spinach
• salt to taste
• 4 stalks cilantro, chopped

In a saute pan heated to medium high heat, add the garlic, ginger, onion and some of the water. Continue heating and adding the water till the three ingredients are cooked.  Then heat till only a little bit of the water is left then add the chilies, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and coconut milk.  Continue to heat at medium heat till the taste of the spices are blended.  Add the carrots and cook till tender.  Then add the spinach zucchini and continue to heat till the spinach is wilted. You want the zucchini to retain its crunch.  Garnish with cilantro.  Serve over rice or quinoa or with Naan bread. Enjoy.

Notes:

1.  I am observing the plant based approach so I skip oil in sauteing but you can use some oil in sauteing the garlic, ginger and onion.  If you are doing this, skip the water.  

2.  You can use coconut cream for a thicker sauce.  If you do not have it, you can place the coconut milk in the fridge overnight and decant the liquid leaving the cream which you can use in place of coconut cream.  

Spinach In Coconut Milk with Indian Spices

If you want a quick and easy dish with that Indian flavor then this is the dish for you.  The blending of the spices with the coconut milk will satisfy that Indian food craving you are having. It did for me.  I just woke up with this huge hankering for some kind of dish with a thick sauce with the characteristic Indian flavor.  I was thinking Spinach Palak Paneer but I did not feel like using any cheese, or cheese substitute or even tofu to mimic the sauce or texture (I am plant based).  I also read in one source they customarily blend the spinach to fine texture when cooking this dish.  I did not want to go through that.  I just want my Indian flavored sauce with my favorite vegetable spinach and over quinoa which I perfectly cooked, at last, yesterday.  I am happy to say this dish satisfies all the criteria I was looking to attain.  You will love this dish and do not be surprise you might eat the whole thing.  It was so good and addictive I ate it for breakfast and for my morning break.  

Spinach In Coconut Milk with Indian Spices

• 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup water
• 2 red dry chilies, crumbled
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 lb spinach (Note 2)
• salt to taste
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 2 stalks cilantro

In a saute pan heated to medium high heat, add the garlic, ginger, onion and some of the water (Note 1). Continue heating and adding the water till the three ingredients are cooked.  Then heat till only a little bit of the water is left then add the chilies, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and coconut milk.  Continue to heat at medium heat till the taste of the spices are blended.  Add the spinach and continue to heat till the spinach is wilted. Garnish with the tomato slices and cilantro.  Serve over rice or quinoa or with Naan bread.  Enjoy.

Notes:

1.  I am observing the plant based approach so I skip oil in sauteing but you can use some oil in sauteing the garlic, ginger and onion.  If you are doing this, skip the water.  

2.  You can increase the amount of spinach to 2 lbs but you will have relatively less sauce.  I prefer my spinach to swim in plenty of sauce.