Search Results for: comfort food

Can switching to a vegan diet help tackle obesity?

Posted onAuthorMina JoshiLeave a comment

 

Cambridge has a really good choice of vegetarian and vegan restaurants.  The award winning vegan restaurant Stem and Glory in Cambridge is the one I really like to eat at for lots of reasons.  It has a great menu and i love it’s quaint location – tucked away but just minutes  from centre of Cambridge.

When I did Veganuary in 2019, I was interviewed by That’s TV Cambridge at  Stem & Glory.   Stem & Glory reopened in July after being closed for a few months due to Covid-19. The restaurant, with branches in London and Cambridge, is now open with a new menu, new seating (to allow for social distancing) and full range of measures in place to keep staff and customers safe.

The Cambridge restaurant has been made Covid safe, with ample space to service the manage the delivery, take away and ready meal side of the business and a new menu has been designed to give both eat in and take away customers a personalised experience.

Stem & Glory’s vegan menu is appealing to both – those seeking simple and delicious food or those wanting a more gastronomic dining experience.

Louise Palmer-Masterton is founder of Stem & Glory.  She feels that many people took the lockdown period as an opportunity to re-think their lifestyle and try new, healthier dishes and vegan eating has become popular post Covid era.  I found this article written by her very interesting and useful.

Can switching to a vegan diet help tackle obesity? 

The link to Covid-19 crisis and being a few pounds overweight, increasing your risk of complications due to the disease has brought the government to its senses on the matter of obesity.

But it’s hardly news that being overweight increases your vulnerability to ill health – diabetes to heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, kidney and liver disease to name but a few. The question now is how do we help people to lose weight and learn better eating habits?

How can a vegan diet help?

According to Peta, meat-eaters have three times the obesity rate of vegetarians and nine times the obesity rate of vegans. So it seems just cutting meat and dairy will immediately improve your chances of weight loss.

Indeed, recent research by Dr Katarina Kos, senior lecturer in diabetes and obesity at the University of Exeter, showed that vegan or plant-based diets are effective in providing more weight loss. The side product of which is an improvement in diabetes and in diabetes and weight-related complications.

This isn’t new information either, a Swedish study back in 2005 showed that self-identified semi-vegetarian, lactovegetarian, and vegan women have a lower risk of obesity than omnivorous women. The advice of that report 15 years ago when veganism was hardly known was to ‘consume more plant foods and less animal products to help control your weight’.

So, whether you go fully vegan, or remain flexitarian, eating fewer animal products and more plants will help you lose weight, and in turn improve your health outcomes.

What are the barriers to a predominantly vegan diet?

Many people report, when moving to a plant-based diet, that they are always hungry. That was certainly the case for me. Why is this?

Switching to a plant-based diet means a move from high fat, calorie dense foods such as meat and dairy, so the body takes a while to adjust. The solution is either 1. eat more calories, or 2. eat a greater proportion, and a wider variety of proteins. Number 2 being the better option in supporting weight loss. Legumes such as chickpeas, combined with tofu, quinoa and a sprinkling of nuts and seeds for example will combine to give a greater protein content than just eating chickpeas alone. As with any dietary change, the body does get used to it, but give yourself a month to adapt.

Meat and cheese replacements

I am a believer in sticking mainly to natural whole foods – fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains – and avoiding processed foods where possible. With the explosion in plant-based meat replacements currently it’s easy to lose sight of this. I do think meat replacements play a part in the conversion to eating more plant-based foods and less animal products, BUT I don’t believe they are a sustainable solution for health and weight loss.

Take the explosion in vegan junk food, known as ‘dirty vegan’. Dirty vegan is huge on the plant-based scene right now. Enormous stacked plant-based burgers, deep fried seitan (basically wheat gluten), chips, mayo, mac and cheese, all comfort foods and no doubt delicious BUT very high in calories and low in natural unprocessed ingredients.

And here lies the caution. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just eating plant-based food without attention to nutrition and calories will lead to better health and weight loss. The first vegan I ever met was very large and overweight. He lived on a diet mostly of potato chips!

The explosion in vegan cheese is also a red flag for me. A high fat and highly processed product which can never be healthy in my view. And if real dairy products are a problem for health and weight loss, then when we do eventually have an engineered cow milk product with all the same nutrients as real dairy, then unfortunately that will carry all the same health and weight loss risk as real dairy.

How do we make plant-based food delicious and interesting?

At Stem & Glory, we believe that gut friendly food, low in refined carbs, is the way to go. We focus on natural vegetables accompanied by nutrient dense components such as nuts and seeds. There is a big focus on layering umami flavours and flavour combining to get that explosion of deliciousness which overrides any need to eat huge portions to feel satisfied.

We use fermented and pickled foods too which are really good for your microbiome and overall health. In terms of the future of food, we believe this is where it lies. Fermented foods can play a huge part in strengthening the immune system, they are naturally probiotic, improving your digestive system and natural gut flora, which support all bodily functions and helps with weight loss.

Plant-based food can play a huge part in tackling obesity, and if you do just one thing to help with weight loss, then simply turning vegan is moving in the right direction. But moving away from vegan junk and meat replacements, towards natural unprocessed food is the right way to achieve optimum health and healthy weight.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Louise Palmer-Masterton is founder of multiple award-winning restaurants Stem & Glory; hip and trendy but accessible plant-based restaurants, serving delicious gourmet vegan food from locally sourced ingredients, 100% made on site. Stem & Glory also offers click-and-collect and local delivery in London and Cambridge.  www.stemandglory.uk  

Social Media:

Web: www.stemandglory.uk
Twitter: @stemandglory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stemandglory/
Instagram: @stemandglory
Linked in: /louisepalmer-masterton
Seedrs: https://www.seedrs.com/stemandglory

This article was written by Louise Palmer-Masterton and shared here with her permission.

You may find this article written by my son interesting.

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.

 

Recipes for a Rainy Day – Mac and Cheese and Vegan Caesar Salad

Posted onAuthorMina JoshiLeave a comment

Baked mac and cheese is one of the best comfort foods in the world

Is there anything better than cosying up on a rainy day and eating good food? I think not! When it comes to rainy day recipes, the UK has got it nailed. After all, it rains an awful lot here! Whether you prefer a warming bowl of pasta or a delicious take on the classic Caesar salad, there is a recipe out there for every kind of rainy-day mood. So, the next time you find yourself stuck at home while it rains, why not try one of these firm favourites to brighten your day?

Baked Mac and Cheese

Well-known as comfort food, mac and cheese is a staple of American and British cuisine. There are plenty of such recipes out there, but if there’s one that’s absolutely guaranteed to get smiles at the dinner table – it’s baked mac and cheese!

INGREDIENTS

  • 250g / 8oz of macaroni

Topping

  • 40g breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Sauce

  • 4 tbsp / 60g unsalted butter
  • 50g plain flour
  • 750ml milk
  • 200g grated cheddar cheese
  • 100g grated mozzarella
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp mustard powder

METHOD:

Pasta

  1. Put a large saucepan of water on the stove and bring to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
  2. Drain the pasta, put it back into the saucepan and set aside while you get on with making the topping.

Topping

  1. Combine the topping ingredients and mix well. Set aside while you make the sauce.

Sauce

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
  2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat on the stove.
  3. Add the flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until a thick paste appears.
  4. Add 250ml of milk, mixing it well until the paste is dissolved into the milk. Then add the remaining milk.
  5. Add in the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder.
  6. Stir for 5 minutes, until it reaches a cream-like consistency.
  7. Remove from the stove, add the cheese.
  8. Pour the sauce into the saucepan with the macaroni and mix well.

Assemble

  1. Put macaroni and sauce into a baking dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top.
  2. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown.
  3. Serve hot with a Caesar’s salad

Salads don’t have to be boring!

Vegan Caesar Salad

Caesar salad is a firm favourite, you can’t go wrong by serving this one up! It’s such a crowd-pleaser that it’s even served up by All American Dave’s food truck at World Series events, which goes to show just how popular it is. It also is a great way to show any Omni friends you have that vegan and vegetarian food doesn’t have to be boring!

INGREDIENTS

Croutons
  • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Dressing
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
  • 60ml water
  • 30ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 15ml lemon juice
  • 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp capers
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/3 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 15ml virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Lettuce
  • 5 cups chopped kale
  • 10 cups chopped romaine lettuce

METHOD

Croutons

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. Drain and rinse chickpeas then place into a clean tea towel and rub dry.
  2. Put the chickpeas onto a baking sheet. Drizzle on the olive oil, then add the garlic powder, salt, and cayenne and toss to coat.
  3. Roast for 20 minutes, then roll the chickpeas around on the baking sheet. Roast for another 10 minutes, until golden.

Dressing

  1. Put the cashews along with the other dressing ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. Set aside.

Parmesan cheese

  1. Finely chop cashews and garlic in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined.

Assemble

  1. Place chopped kale and lettuce into a bowl. Add the dressing and toss until fully coated. Sprinkle on the croutons and parmesan cheese and serve.

Other rainy day recipes you may wish to check out are as follows:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.  

World Vegan Day – Top 10 most vegan-friendly cities throughout the UK!

Posted onAuthorMina JoshiLeave a comment

My regular readers will remember me taking part in Veganuary.  The month taught me such a lot and I was able to substitute a lot of products. Read about them here.  The popularity of vegetarianism and veganism is rapidly growing, particularly in the UK, where vegetarians and vegans are set to make up a quarter of the total British population by 2025 according to Sainsbury’s Future of Food Report 2019. Long gone are the days of vegans only living on a diet of vegetables, chickpeas and lentils. Now, the supermarket shelves are stacked full with a variety of dairy-free and plant-based meat alternatives. Whilst maintaining a varied and balanced vegan diet at home is considerably easier than in the past, eating out is also an important factor to consider.

Since January, I have tried my best to remain vegan but often giving in to a vegetarian option if a vegan meal wasn’t available. World Vegan Day is on November 1st  and 2019 marks 75 years since the foundation of The Vegan Society. This event will be celebrated by people all over the world and as mentioned above, often when travelling to new places it’s  difficult to find vegan places to eat.  Holidu have put together a ranking of the top 10 most vegan-friendly cities throughout the UK.  They have used data from Happy Cow to find out which cities boast the greatest number of vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés in relation to the size of the population in each city.

The following cities made it into the top 10:

1. Brighton

Our 2019 champion award goes to the cultural and hipster hub that is Brighton. Veganism has found itself as one of the top trends of 2019, but this southern city has been home to vegan restaurants for over 30 years now. A deserving winner, Brighton is frequently appearing at the top of rankings and recommendations and is often thought of as a mecca for vegans all over the UK.

Restaurant tip: Purezza – Not the first time it has appeared as a recommendation, but for obvious reasons. This family-run pizzeria was the first of its kind to open in the UK back in 2015. Head there for delicious vegan pizza, pastas and desserts. With a classic margarita only costing £8.95, there is no excuse for not paying this place a visit. You can even take your dog along too! (12 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1RE).

2. Leicester

The second place crown goes to one of the oldest cities in the UK, Leicester. With a whopping 53 vegan and vegetarian restaurants available, there really is no shortage of options for non-meat eaters in this city. From Indian to American, Meditarian to Italian, you are seriously spoilt for choice here!

Restaurant tip: Healthy Lousia – Start your day right with a trip to this vegan deli where you can fuel up on fruity granola bowls, vegetable chicken shawarma and even a mouth watering chickpea curry. With every item on the menu under £10, this is the perfect spot for a tasty vegan refuel that won’t break the bank. (Unit 1, 63 Belgrave Gate, Leicester LE1 3HR).

3. Norwich

Known as the UK’s most well preserved medieval city, the historic nature of Norwich doesn’t stop it from being a top player in the modern vegan world. There is even a popular group in the city, Norwich Vegans, which was founded in 2014 and has contributed to the fast-growing popularity of veganism across the city.

Restaurant tip: The Tipsy Vegan – As if the name wasn’t enough to make you want to visit, this fabulous restaurant offers a wide range of vegan versions of your favourite dishes. From traditional Spanish tapas to the beet burger. Indulge in a full three-course dinner whilst making your way through the cocktail menu, what’s not to love? (68-70 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AR).

4. Newcastle

The northern city of Newcastle just misses out on a spot in the top 3 this year, but still has a lot to shout about by coming 4th in the overall UK ranking. This Geordie city is the home to many vegan groups and hosts a number of events year round. Newcastle Vegan Festival is being held on Sunday 27th October 2019 and this is the 7th consecutive year of its running.

Restaurant tip: Junk it Up – Following a plant-based diet used to mean having to miss out on being able to indulge in some comfort food. Fear not, this fast food bar answers all of your prayers. Kebabs, burgers, pizzas, nachos and sides – all of your favourite junk food to cure even the worst of hangovers. (Unit 41, STACK Newcastle, Pilgrim St, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, NE1 6QE)

5. Bristol

Long considered the vegan capital of the world, Bristol may not have come out on top in this study, but that does not take away from the credibility this city holds when looking at plant-based popularity. Bristol has a hugely popular vegan community, with the Vegan Bristol website listing over 300 vegan, vegetarian and vegan friendly cafés, restaurants and shops in and around the city.

Restaurant tip: Koocha Mezze Bar – This hip cocktail and mezze bar serves up a variety of Persian inspired cuisine. Treat yourself to a vibrant and colourful range of dishes and wash them down with a cocktail or two – their 2 for £10 deal makes it impossible to say no! (10 Zetland Rd, Bristol, England, BS6 7AD).

6. Cardiff

The only Welsh city to make the top 10, Cardiff offers a strong number of vegan-friendly options for its residents and tourists to enjoy. Many of these restaurants are located in the heart of the city, making hopping from one to another very easy. You can even enjoy vegan replicas of the traditional Welsh cakes at Cardiff indoor market!

Restaurant tip: Anna Loka – The first entirely vegan café to open in Cardiff, Anna Loka is the go-to location where you will find such a wide choice of vegan food. Visit at the end of the week for a traditional Sunday dinner (with a vegan twist, of course) and order the nut or seitan roast, complete with roasties, parsnips, carrots, seasonal vegetables and homemade gravy – yum! (114 Albany Rd, Cardiff, Wales).

7. Edinburgh

The first Scottish city to appear on the list, this capital boasts a vibrant student life due to its four international universities and in turn offers a wide range of vegan-friendly places to eat. Edinburgh is also a consistently popular tourist location due to its incredible architecture and rich history, and has an impressive number of vegan-friendly eateries and shops to suit the requirements of all types of visitors.

Restaurant tip: Black Rabbit – The national dish of Scotland is haggis, but thankfully this café offers a vegan alternative in the form of a ‘toasted haggis and cheese sandwich’ for £4.50 or ‘haggis and bakon roll’ for £3. Perfect for a true guilt-free Scottish experience! (33 Brougham St, Edinburgh EH3 9JT).

8. Glasgow

The second city flying the flag for Scotland is Glasgow, following very closely behind its capital counterpart in our ranking. Home of international football and the famous Glasgow patter, this is the largest city in Scotland. Again, being another student-focused city has resulted in the rise in ever-growing popularity of veganism.

Restaurant tip: Suissi Vegan Asian Kitchen – This absolute gem only opened its doors this year but has already been dubbed the best vegan Asian restaurant in Glasgow. The menu features a range of dishes from Chinese to Thai, including spring rolls, gyozas, noodle soups and pad thai – all entirely vegan! The salt and chilli tofu dish sounds particularly tasty and only costs £6.50. (494 Dumbarton Rd, Patrick, Glasgow, Scotland, G11 6SL).

9. Manchester

Well-known for its legendary music scene and world famous football teams, Manchester is also a good choice for vegans who wish to visit this city without the worry of being able to eat well. A quick Google search will provide you with an abundance of information about where you can satisfy your hunger with the tastiest of plant-based meals which will sort you out for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Restaurant tip: Ice Shack – This quirky dessert parlour is another first of its kind in its city, bringing the residents and tourists of Manchester mouth-watering vegan desserts. A menu with the likes of gin & elderflower sorbet and chocolate orange cake, there is something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. (1c, 160-164 Wellington Road, Withington, Manchester, M20 3FU).

10. Sheffield

Home to over 20 vegan-friendly restaurants and a supermarket with one of the most extensive stockings of 100% vegan products in the UK, Sheffield definitely deserves the last place in the top 10. Being one of the greenest cities in Europe, based on the number of trees per person, it is only fitting that Sheffield is also an up-and-coming hub for those following a vegan lifestyle.

Restaurant tip: Just Falafs – Who doesn’t love falafel? The tasty Middle Eastern delight paired with some hummus is a match made in heaven. This eatery offers falafel, shawarma and tofu options (and more) served in either a pita, on a plate or as part of a hummus bowl. The most expensive items on the menu are a mere £6, meaning you can certainly fill your belly here without having to budget your money. (87 Chesterfield Road, Sheffield, S8 0RN).

Methodology: The data used was collected in October 2019 from Happy Cow, a website that specialises in vegan nutrition. To form the ranking, the number of vegan restaurants and the number of vegetarian restaurants with vegan options were weighed against the population size in each city.

How do you plan to celebrate the World Vegan Day?

Disclaimer: This post and recipe is written in collaboration with Holidu.

Tortilla Soup or Cheats recipe for Dall Dhokli

Posted onAuthorMina JoshiLeave a comment

Ever since I  got the Instant Pot, I have been cooking more lentils and beans as they are so easy and quick to cook in the IP.  The  Instant  Pot(IP) is a pressure cooker but can also be used as a slow cooker. rice cooker, sauté/browning, yoghurt maker and steamer.  Dall Dhokli is an all time comfort food served with rice in most Gujarati homes as quick but healthy dish.

The dall is usually made runny, hot and spicy  with lemon or tamarind and jaggery added to it to give it the sweet and sour taste.   Nowadays I make dall dhokli using 3 types of lentils and make it more  like thick soup and use tortillas as the dhokli when I am in a hurry and my son calls it tortilla soup.

Ingredients (3-4 servings) :

• One cup mixture of mung dall, chana dall and Tuvar dall (split pigeon peas)
• Half a can of crushed tomatoes ( or Passata or 5-6 fresh ripe tomatoes)
• 1 tbs tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon oil ( I use rape seed oil)
• 3 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick (1 inch or less)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3-4 green chilies – sliced in the middle (or less –depending on taste)
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 1 dried chilli
• Small bunch of coriander
• A dozen fresh curry leaves (don’t worry if you can’t get these)
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice (bottled lemon juice is fine too)
• 1 tbs jaggery (gor) (you can use sugar if you can’t get jaggery)
• 1 heaped tablespoon dall masala (available ready mixed in Indian stores)(Optional)
• 3-4 corn tortillas

Method:

1. Wash the three dalls in warm water and allow to soak whilst  you get your ingredients ready.

2. Prepare the ingredients for tempering the dall. Blend the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, prick them and slightly boil them to remove the skin and blend them. Add the salt, turmeric, sliced green chilies, crushed ginger, sugar or jaggery, tomato puree to the crushed tomatoes. (Leave the lemon juice to add at the end of cooking).

3. Turn on the sauté mode of the Instant Pot and once it shows the hot sign, add the oil. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, dried chili and cinnamon stick to the oil. 4.  Allow the cumin seeds to go brown and add the crushed tomato mixture to the oil and stir it well. Now add three dall mixture to the tomato mixture. Add two cups of warm water and close the IP lid. 5. Turn off the sauté mode and use the manual mode to cook for 15 minutes.6.  Once the dall is cooked and the IP pressure has been released, carefully open the lid. If you can see any of the green chilies or cinnamon sticks, remove them if you can. Using a hand blender, blend the dall.

7. Add the fresh coriander and curry leaves to the mixture and turn the IP to sauté mode. Once this starts to simmer, add the dall masala if you have it. Also add the lemon juice.

8. Whilst you are waiting for the dall to start simmering, cut the tortillas into small diamond shapes using a knife or a pizza cutter. Once the dall starts to simmer add the diamond shapes tortillas to it.

9. The tortillas will rise to the top when ready. Simmer for 5-6 minutes and the dall dhokli is ready to serve.

10. Serve it hot with a dollop of butter.

How do you like my cheat recipe?

Here are a variety Dall (lentil) recipes for you to try out:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.  

 

Peas and New Potato curry in tomato sauce (mutter bateta nu shak)

Posted onAuthorMina Joshi15 Comments

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Everyone has a comfort food they like to have when they are unwell.  I had a really bad cold last week and didn’t want to eat anything too spicy so I made this  peas and potato curry using simple and minimum spices to have it with traditional khichdi.   This recipe is a regular in our home and I often make it with small variations in the spices or ingredients.

Ingredients to serve 4 people:

  • 10 small new  potatoes -washed and sliced
  • 1  cup of peas – frozen, fresh or tinned are fine.
  • 1 tbls oil
  • 1 tsp of cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chilly powder (or as required to your taste)
  • 1 tsp of turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp of ground cumin (jeera) powder.
  • One cup of fresh or tinned tomatoes (or passata)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon
  • 1 teaspoons of brown sugar or jaggery 
  • 5-6 curry leaves

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan.

2. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.  Once they brown, add the diced potatoes and peas to the saucepan.  Add the salt, turmeric, chilly powder, sugar or jaggery and stir well.

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3. Add a cup of water to this mixture, cover and  cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat.
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4. Check to see if the potatoes and peas have softened. If not allow a further 5 or 10 minutes.

5. Once the potatoes feel soft, add the tomatoes, cumin powder and lemon juice and let it cook for 5 minutes.

6. Serve hot with any Indian bread e.g. bhakhri and vaghareli khichedi or toor dall Khichedi. 

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Other curry recipes you may like from my blog are:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information

 

Vegetarian sausages and spicy super mash!

Posted onAuthorRajesh Joshi4 Comments

This recipe has been contributed by my eldest son to mark the launch of the new blog. It’s one of his favourite comfort foods on cold winter nights.

This simple recipe is one of my favourite comfort foods. It feeds one hungry person with a bit left over – feel free to experiment with portion sizes and so on. I know this is a dish that is fairly standard, but I make the mash in a particular way, which keeps it smooth but textured, herby and a little spicy too. Plus I just love it!

Vegetarian sausages and mash

Ingredients

Sausages (yes, this is a worthy cheat)

 

  • One pack vegetarian Cauldron Lincolnshire style sausages. You can also use Quorn bangers (from the chilled section), but Cauldron are tastier. You can also use Taifun tofu-based sausages which are suitable for vegans. These are available in Waitrose.

Mash

  • 2 good sized white potatoes.
  • 1 red onion, or a few shallots.
  • Some cloves of garlic (4), or garlic puree.
  • Grated cheese – any hard cheese should do, but mature cheddar is best.
  • Butter or spread.
  • Yellow English mustard.
  • Spices: rosemary, course ground black pepper, chilli flakes.
  • Marigold Vegetable bouillon, if you have it.
  • A little milk, or cream if feeling flush.

Optional – but recommended – a veggie gravy, of which Bisto Best vegetable gravy granules are recommended

You can also boil up some chopped carrots or microwave some frozen baby carrots to go in with the potatoes.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, if you going to oven cook the sausages (recommended). I use an oil spray on a baking tray and over the sausages as well, before placing them inside.
  2. Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop them roughly into pieces approx 3 cm on one side. Perfection isn’t essential as long as they’re roughly the same size. Place these into a metal saucepan (not non-stick unless you want to wreck it) and fill with cold water from the tap until they are covered, plus 1-2 cm then put on a high heat to boil. Throw in no more than a spoon of salt. It’s important you do this with cold water, rather than cover with boiling water and reboil. Boil for approximately 20 minutes.
  3. Chop the red onion finely. Peel the cloves of garlic and get ready to crush them later. If you fancy extra spice, chop a small red chilli too, finely. Don’t rub your eyes!
  4. Check occasionally on the potatoes with a knife to see how tender they are. They’re ready when the knife goes through very easily. Drain completely using a colander, then return the potatoes to the pan and place back on a medium heat for a few moments – you’re trying to drive as much moisture out as you can. Don’t let them stick to the bottom however. Remove from heat.
  5. Check on the sausages. You may wish to switch the sausages from cooking to warming mode, if your oven has one, else they’ll be overdone.
  6. To the now soft potatoes, add a good knob of butter or spread, grated cheese (to taste – I suggest 150g), the red onion; the garlic cloves (crushed); and the spices plus bouillon powder to taste. I find about two teaspoons of each works well. Add a 1.5 teaspoons of mustard.
  7. This is the difficult part: you’re now going to mash the mixture using only a fork. This is why the potatoes had to be soft and you have to use a metal saucepan!Using a decent size fork (or a masher, if you absolutely must), press down the mixture and move round the whole saucepan. There’s no set way to do this except you must mash up all the potato. After the first round, add the littlest drop of milk, perhaps a tablespoon, and continue. If you have a ceramic hob, you can keep it turned on at the lowest setting to assist with this process.Ingredients for the mash ready to go
  8. Repeat this, including stirring it from time to time, until it takes on a smoothish consistency. In my opinion, it needn’t be completely smooth but it should be soft for the most part. The onion will, of course, remain crunchy.
  9. If you added the bouillon, the mash will be an appealing golden colour (I hope). Serve the mashed potato as a bed in the middle of the plate, onto which you will place your Cauldron tofu sausages. Three is a good number for one hungry young man!
  10. Drizzle with the hot gravy… I like mine fairly thick, but moving and poured directly over each one of the sausages with a bit dripping down.
  11. Serve hot!

So a pretty simple recipe, but I really think using those particular herbs makes the mash an enjoyably spicy part of the meal, rather than just a bland accompaniment. Mashing with a fork, while taking a bit longer, means you keep the crunchy red onion and give it a texture you won’t get from a processor.

Veggies should love this Vegetarian sausages and spicy super mash! (it works on my little brother, without the chilli) and it’s great comfort food, as well.

Tried it? How did you find it? Comments welcome.

Rice bhajias (Rice fritters)

Posted onAuthorMina Joshi10 Comments

What are bhajias (often called bhajis and pakoras )?   Bhajias are generally vegetables sliced and  dipped in a spiced  chickpea batter and fried until crispy.  Sometimes,vegetables are grated or chopped and added to the spiced chickpea batter and little spoonfuls are dropped into hot oil to fry until crispy.

Bhajias in any form or shape are a great favorite in this country.  You just have to walk down any street food markets and will see that it has the biggest queue of people waiting to be served.  These are made by adding rice to the spiced chickpea batter.  These bhajias are my old time favourite comfort food as a weekend snack.  It’s perfect for using up left over cooked rice.  You can serve them as snacks with any dip.  They make a perfect starter too.

 

 

Ingredients for 20-25 fritters

  • 2 heaped cups of cooked rice
  • 250 grams of chick pea flour (also known as besan)
  • 1 grated onion
  • 2-3 chopped green chillies
  • 1 chopped red sweet chilly pepper
  • 1 tbls grated ginger
  • 2 tbls whole coriander
  • 2 tsps ajma (carom seeds)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
  • 2 pinches of soda bi carbonate
  • 1 pinch of turmeric
  • 350 cc warm water
  • 1 litre oil for deep frying

Method:

1.  Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl.

2.  Add the chopped onions and red peeper, chilies, ginger and garlic

 

3.  Add the spices – salt, pepper, whole coriander,ajma and turmeric.

 

4.  Add the chickpea flour and mix it using the warm water. Go easy on the water as you may not need to use all of it.   The mixture shouldn’t be too runny.

5.  Heat the oil and drop a small piece of mixture in the oil.  If it rises up -the oil is ready for frying the bhajias.  Add a couple of pinches of soda bicarbonate to the mixture with a tablespoon of the hot oil from the fryer.  Mix this and using a tablespoon, gently drop small bhajias in the oil.  As soon as they rise up, turn them and cook until golden brown.
5.  Serve them hot with any dip or chutney.
6.  When entertaining, you can make a variety of bhajias – spring onion bhajias; onion bhajias; lentil bhajia; bread bhajias; maru bhajia

Other pakora recipes you may like from my blog are:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.  

 

Vaghareli Khichedi (tempered spicy lentils and rice)

Posted onAuthorMina Joshi14 Comments

Khichedi is a popular comfort food for a lot of Gujaratis.  It’s light but filling too and can be eaten with a curry or yogurt.  In the village, my parents grew up – it was a poor man’s or farmer’s meal.  They would have a fairly good lunch and most evening meals would be khichedi and milk or khichedi and chass (lassi) with bajra na rotla or bhakhri – all made from freshly ground flours.  Leftover Khichedi would often be recooked with garlic chutney (lasan ni chuney)  in the morning and served as breakfast before my dad left to work.  Simple food but full of nutrition.  They didn’t eat the amount of fried food we eat these days.

My recipe for Khichedi is here.

I had some khichedi left over and I remembered how my mum used to temper this to make a new exciting dish. As it was a cold snowy day, I decided to  vagharela khichedi – just like my mum used to.   A perfect  dish to keep you warm in the cold snowy and wintery days.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Chop the onion, garlic and green chillies.

2.  Heat the oil and cook the onions, garlic and green chillies until they soften. Add the turmeric and salt. (If you have lasan ni chutney (homemade garlic chutney) you can add some to the mixture.

3. Add the leftover khichedi and cook until nice and piping hot.

4. Serve it hot.

More Rice recipes you may like from my blog are as follows:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.

Dall(dal) Dhokli (lentils with homemade flat pasta like dumplings)

Posted onAuthorMina Joshi10 Comments

Dall Dhokli is an all time comfort food served with rice in most Gujarati homes on cold days.  The dall is usually made hot and spicy but also with lemon or tamarind and jaggery added to it to give it the sweet and sour taste.  Then dhokli is added to it.  The dhokli is made with a mixture of wheat and chickpea flour.   The process is very similar to make fresh pasta.   Sometimes I make extra dall so that I can use the left over dall to make dall dhokli the next day.

Ingredients for the Dall (3-4 servings) :

  • One cup Tuvar dall – (split pigeon peas)
  • Half a can of crushed tomatoes ( or Passata or 5-6 fresh ripe tomatoes)
  • 1 tbs tomato puree
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 small cinnamon stick (1 inch or less)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 3-4 green chillies – sliced in the middle (or less –depending on taste)
  • 1 tsp crushed ginger
  • Small bunch of coriander
  • A dozen fresh curry leaves (don’t worry if you can’t get these)
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon juice  (bottled lemon juice is fine too)
  • 1 tbs jaggery (gor) (you can use sugar if you can’t get jaggery)
  • Handful of raw peanuts
  • 1 heaped tablespoon dall masala (Optional)

Ingredients for the dhokli (flat dumplings):

  • 1 cup of wheat flour (chapatti flour)
  • 1 cup of chick pea flour (besan flour)
  • 1 tsp carom seeds (ajma)
  • I tsp salt
  • ½ tsp chili powder (optional)
  • 2 tsps oil

Method:

This is what Toor Dall / Tuver Dal (split pigeon peas) looks like:

1.   Wash the Toor Dall / Tuver Dal (split pigeon peas)  in warm water set it to boil. If you are using a pressure cooker – add 6 cups of water.  Cook until the whistle sounds (usually 20-25 minutes), lower the heat and and allow the pressure cooker to cool. If cooking in a saucepan, add 6 cups of water and allow it to cook for 20 – 30 minutes or until the dall gets cooked. You may need top add more water if the dall doesn’t soften.
2.   Whilst the dall is cooking:
a)    prepare the tempering (vaghar or tadka) for the dall.  Blend the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, prick them and slightly boil them to remove the skin and blend them. Add the salt, turmeric, sliced green chillies, crushed ginger, sugar or jaggery, tomato puree, lemon, peanuts to the crushed tomatoes.
b)    Prepare the dhokli flour by sieving both the flours in a mixing bowl. Add the salt, carom seeds, chili powder and oil. Using some warm water, make a firm dough and allow this to rest until the dall is simmering.
4.  Once the dall is cooked, blend it well using a blender.  Tip:  If using a pressure cooker, make sure that the cooker has cooled down, slowly reduce the air pressure and then open the lid.
5.  In a fresh saucepan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick to the oil. Allow the cumin seeds to go brown and add the crushed tomato mixture to the oil and stir it well.
6.  Now add the blended dall to the mixture.  Each family has their own tastes and you can adjust this to suit yours. You can add some boiled water to the dall if you like your dall to be of a thinner consistency.
7.  Add the fresh coriander and curry leaves to the mixture. Once this starts to simmer, add the dall masala if you have it.
8.   Whilst the dall is simmering, time to prepare the dhoklis.
9.   Divide the dough into 6-7 balls.
10.   Roll out each ball like a chapatti.
11.  At this stage you can cut the rolled out chapatti into diamonds and add it to the simmering dall or…..

12.  OR you can roast the chapatti lightly on a griddle before cutting it into small diamonds and add them to the simmering dall.

13.  The important thing to remember is that the dall should be simmering and hot.

14.  The dhoklis will rise to the top when ready.  Simmer for 5-6 minutes and the dhoklis should be ready.
15. Serve it hot with a dollop of butter.

 

Sometimes, you may have lots of dall left over but don’t fancy making the dhoklis; in such situations follow my cheat dall dhokli recipe. 

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.  

 

Crispy Potato Bhajia often referred to as Maru’s Bhajia

Posted onAuthorMina Joshi25 Comments

What are bhajias (often called bhajis and pakoras )?   Bhajias are generally vegetables sliced and  dipped in a spiced  chickpea batter and fried until crispy.  Sometimes,vegetables are grated or chopped and added to the spiced chickpea batter and little spoonfuls are dropped into hot oil to fry until crispy.  For these ones we stuffed them with garlic and spices before frying them.

Bhajias in any form or shape are a great favorite in this country.  You just have to walk down any street food markets and will see that it has the biggest queue of people waiting to be served.

I never need an excuse for making bhajias or pakoras as all my family love them.  However, when it’s dull,rainy or cold – pakoras are a great comfort food with hot and tangy chutney and masala chai.

These crispy sliced bhajias (often called pakoras or fritters) are also called Maru na Bhajia (meaning Maru’s bhajia). Maru is the name of a restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya where they make these crispy potato bhajias and East African’s all over the World still talk about them. They do have a branch in Wembley where they serve these bhajias. My recipe makes bhajias similar to Maru’s Bhajia.

 

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Method:

1. Peel and slice the potatoes. My potato grater has 2 sizes and I chose the thicker slices.

2. Wash and soak the potato slices in salted water for 15 minutes.

3. Mix the salt, pepper, (chilly powder) ajwain and turmeric with the chick pea flour and the rice/corn flour.

4. Sprinkle this mixture thinly on a tray.

5. Sprinkle some coriander, chillies and ginger mixture thinly on the chick pea flour.

6. Drain the potatoes and layer them on top of the chickpea flour and spices.

6. Drain the potatoes and layer them on top of the chickpea flour and spices.

7. Sprinkle the chick pea flour mixture on top of the potato slices topped by the coriander, chilly and ginger.

8. Repeat this until all the potatoes have been used up.

9. Keep this mixture to marinate for 30 minutes.

10. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the mixture now and using your hands, mix the potatoes well until they all get thinly covered with the flour and spices mixture. Do not add any water to this mixture.  The salt and washed potatoes will create some moisture to enable you to cover all the potatoes with the spicy chickpea flour.

 

11. Heat some oil in a wok and fry these potatoes. At first, keep the heat high for the oil. To check the oil has reached the right temperature drop one of the potato mixture in the oil. If it rises quickly to the top, your oil is ready. Now lower the heat and fry some of the bhajias at medium heat in small batches to allow them to cook well and crispy. You may need to adjust the heat occasionally to ensure the bhajias cook well and crispy.

12. Enjoy Crispy Potato Bhajia  or Maru’s Bhajia with any chutney or dip.

Other pakora recipes you may like from my blog are:

If  you have a hunger for Authentic Vegetarian Food then subscribe to my blog and receive delectable recipes and new Innovative foodie updates! Hungry for more Vegetarian Tips ? LIKE us on facebook,  Follow us on Twitter,  Pinterest and Instagram.  All the recipes are with step by step instructions and photographs and all of them have been tried, tested, easy to cook and delicious.

If you are interested in one to one or group cookery lessons, or any corporate team building events  – email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com for more information.