Be Vegetarian

A Chinese recipe, the fried rice cooked this way is tasty while it retains its nutritional value with addition of vegetables. You may, if you like, add more vegetables to the given recipe.

Ingredients

Cold cooked rice 4 cups
Frozen peas                                    ½ cup
Carrot (½ ” cubes)                           1
Eggs (beaten)                                 2
Light soy sauce                               ¼ cup
Dry sherry                                       3 tablespoons
Peanut oil                                       6 tablespoons
Garlic (chopped)                              1 clove
Red bell pepper (½ “ cubes)             1
Salt (to taste)

Method of Preparation

Take a frying pan and place it over medium heat. As it gets heated, add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in it. As it heats, add the 2 beaten eggs. Stir them until they are firm, but moist. Place the eggs in a bowl and break them into smaller pieces.

Take another skillet and put a quart of water and bring it to boil. Add the chopped carrot to it and allow it boil for a minute. Drain the water and place the carrot in a separate bowl after rinsing it.

Take a wok and place it on medium heat. As it heats up, add the remaining peanut oil and the chopped garlic. Stir it for a while until garlic turns golden brown. Add the carrot, peas, and red pepper and stir them for a minute. Add the previously cooked rice and stir the ingredients to mix well for a minute. Mix the sherry and soy sauce. Add the resultant sauce to the wok and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve hot. Serving size 6.

Potatoes are liked worldwide, although there is a stigma attached to them. Potatoes are accused of being fattening, which they are not. Baked potatoes are not at all fattening. Fried potatoes are, since they soak a lot of oil. Blame the excessive oil, if you wish; not the innocent potato.

Ingredients

3 large potatoes
2 eggs (separated)
1 onion (minced)
Grated cheese
Green pepper (minced)
Buttered breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Method of Preparation

Bake the three large potatoes until they turn tender. Next cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the middle portion forming a nice receptacle. The scooped out portion be mashed after adding the 2 egg yolks. Add the minced onion, grated cheese, and green pepper and whip the mixture into a smooth pulpy formation. Fold in the 2 egg whites beaten until stiff. 

Stuff the smooth mixture into the baked potato receptacles. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs atop the potatoes. Bake the potatoes in an oven at 350° until the topping turns golden-brown.

The baigan ka bharta is a favorite lip-smacking vegetable delight of the people from north India. It pairs well with the various cooked dals (pulses), and is savored with chappatis and rice alike. 

Ingredients
Eggplant (medium size)                     1
Onion (finely chopped)                      1
Tomatoes (finely chopped)                1
Green peas (cooked)                        ½ cup
Green chili (finely chopped)                1
Turmeric powder                              ¼ teaspoon
Red chili powder                               ½ teaspoon
Garam masala powder (hot spice)      ½ teaspoon
Vegetable oil                                    3 tablespoons 
Salt (to taste)
Green coriander leaves (chopped)      for garnishing

Method of Preparation
Wash the eggplant thoroughly and allow it to dry. Apply some oil over the dried eggplant and place it over the burner on medium heat to roast it. Keep turning the eggplant so that it is evenly roasted all over. Next, place the roasted eggplant under running water or in a bowl of water to cool it.

Peel off the blackened skin after it cools. Mash the fleshy portion into a fine pulp. Take a pan and heat the remaining oil in it. Set the heat to medium and add the chopped onion and green chili. When they turn golden brown, add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and salt, and stir the mixture. Next add the tomato and cook until tender.

Add the mashed eggplant to the pan and stir well. Allow the mixture to cook well over medium heat. Add the coriander leaves to garnish before serving hot.

Potatoes are a much-maligned vegetable for no fault of theirs. They are not at all fattening. It is only when they are fried that they soak a lot of oil. The oil is what causes all that extra blubber and not the good-natured potato. Here is an interesting recipe to whet your appetite.

Ingredients
6 potatoes (chopped)
3 onions (chopped)
3 tomatoes (chopped)
12 green onions (finely chopped)
12 mushrooms (thinly sliced)
½ cup oil
1½ spinach bunches (washed and drained)
1 cup guacamole
¾ qt cheddar cheese (grated)
Salt, paprika, and pepper

Method of Preparation
 Take the potatoes and steam them for about 10 minutes until tender. Add the onions and salt, paprika, and pepper (to taste) and mix them. Next, take a large pan and pour ¾ of the oil. Heat the oil until it reaches boiling point. Add the potato-onion mix and fry them over high heat until they turn golden brown. Keep turning them around to provide heat equally. Once done, turn heat low to keep the potatoes hot.

Take the remaining oil and heat it in a smaller frying pan. When bubbly add the green onions and mushrooms to deep fry until tender. Keep stirring. Next, add the potatoes and mix well. Add the tomatoes, spinach and cheese and cook on low heat as you cover the pan.

Serve hot, topping each portion with guacamole. Your potato delight is ready to serve 12.

Navratan Korma is a delicious dish comprising mixed vegetables, pineapple, and cottage cheese made in onion/cashew gravy.

Ingredients
Green beans, potato, cauliflower, carrot (all chopped)            3 cups
Shelled green peas                                                            1 cup
Pineapple cubes                                                                 1 cup
Cottage cheese cubes                                                        1 cup
Milk                                                                                  2 cups
Butter / cooking oil / ghee (clarified butter)                           3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds                                                                     1 teaspoon
Cloves                                                                              4
Cinnamon stick                                                                  1 inch length
Bay leaves                                                                        2
Cashew nut paste                                                              4 tablespoons
Cardamoms (green)                                                           2
Fresh Cream                                                                      2 tablespoons
Fresh Coriander (chopped)                                                  1 cup
Salt and sugar – to taste

To make a paste of the following ingredients:

Onions (chopped)                                                               3
Ginger (chopped)                                                               1 inch length
Green chilies                                                                       6
Garlic cloves (chopped)                                                        6
Turmeric powder                                                                 ½ teaspoon
Garam masala (mixed spices)                                               ½ teaspoon

Method of Preparation

Place a heavy bottom pan on medium heat and add the vegetables to it. Pour half the milk over the vegetables, add salt and sugar to taste, and allow them to boil. Cover the pan allowing the vegetables to cook for about 15 minutes. Check to see if the vegetables are softened or cooked.

In another pan, heat the butter / cooking oil / ghee and add cumin seeds until you hear a crackling sound. Add the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom, and allow them to fry a while. Next, add the ground paste and stir all the ingredients until fat is released. Add the cashew paste and sauté for a while.

Pour the remaining milk, and add the cooked vegetables and pineapple cubes. Mix all the ingredients well and bring them to boil. Add about half the coriander leaves  and cottage cheese cubes and allow the ingredients to simmer for about 4 – 5 minutes.

Remove pan from the heat and add the cream and stir it. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving hot. To serve 4.

Aloo matar is a popular vegetarian dish of north India. Come winters and you will find vegetable markets flowing with green pea abundance. But, with frozen peas available all year round, food aficionados do not have to wait for winters to arrive.

Ingredients

Shelled peas                                 1 cup
Potatoes (chopped into cubes)       4
Butter or cooking oil                      2 tablespoons
Ginger (finely chopped)                  2 tablespoons
Green chilies (finely chopped)         4
Asafetida powder                          ½ teaspoon
Turmeric powder                           ½ teaspoon
Cumin seeds                                 1 teaspoon
Hot water                                     ½ cup
Lemon juice                                  1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves (freshly chopped) for garnishing
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

Take a heavy bottom pan and pour butter or oil in it, as you place it over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and heat them until you hear crackling sounds. Next add the chopped ginger, asafetida powder and green chilies. Fry for while until light brown.

Add the green peas and chopped potatoes, and mix all the ingredients well. Next, add the hot water and salt to taste. When the ingredients come to a boil, lower the heat and cook for about 15 minutes. Allow the peas and potatoes to soften. Add the lemon juice. 

Garnish with coriander leaves before serving hot.

Rajma is a delightful delicacy of the people of Punjab in north India. It makes a tasteful combination with hot steamed rice with the combination popularly known as Rajma-chawal. Rajma, a mouth watering kidney bean curry dish,  is so soft and creamy that even children relish it.

Ingredients

Kidney beans (red)                                 2 cups
Tomatoes (finely chopped)                      2
Onions (finely chopped)                           2
Ginger (finely chopped)                           1 tablespoon
Garlic (finely chopped)                             1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds                                          1 teaspoon
Red chili powder                                      2 teaspoons
Asafetida                                               ½ teaspoon
Turmeric powder                                    ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder                                        1 teaspoon
Garam masala (spice)                              1 teaspoon
Coriander powder                                   2 tablespoons
Cooking oil                                             3 tablespoons
Water                                                    4 cups
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) for garnishing
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

Wash the red kidney beans well and soak them overnight for a minimum 8 hours. This is done to cut down on cooking time. Drain the water and place the kidney beans in a pressure cooker to save cooking time. Pour water inside the cooker and add some salt. Fit the lid tightly on the cooker and cook it on high heat. Lower the heat after the first whistle and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes. The beans should soften by then.

Take a heavy bottom pan and heat the oil in it over medium flame. Add the cumin seeds until you hear crackling sounds. Follow it up by adding chopped ginger, garlic and asafetida, and fry them for a little while. Next, add the chopped onions and let them fry until golden brown. Add the red chili, cumin, and turmeric powders, as also the chopped tomatoes and fry until the oil is separated.

Empty the ingredients from the cooker into the pan and mix all the ingredients well. Add salt to taste. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the garam masala, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves before serving hot with rice or chapatti.

Dal Makhani is a very popular north Indian dish. You will find every north Indian vegetarian restaurant serving Dal Makhani for the sheer brilliance of its taste. The dish is now relished all over the country.

Ingredients 

Black grams                            1 cup
Bengal grams                         ½ cup
Kidney beans                         ¼ cup
Butter                                    4 tablespoons
Cream                                    2 tablespoons
Green chili                               2
Ginger                                   ½ to 1“ piece
Garlic                                      7 cloves
Red chili powder                       2 teaspoon
Asafoetida                               1 pinch
Cumin seeds                           1 teaspoon
Tomatoes (chopped fine)          3
Onions (chopped fine)              2
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

Wash the black grams, bengal grams, and kidney beans thoroughly and soak them in water overnight (8 hours). This will help reduce cooking time. Discard the water. Pour 2 glasses of fresh water in the pressure cooker and add the above three ingredients. Add ginger and garlic too and pressure cook for about 10 – 12 minutes allowing about 3 whistles. Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. Separate the garlic and ginger, and make a paste.

Take 2 tablespoons of butter and heat it in a pan. Add cumin seeds and asafetida, and fry them. Finely slice the green chili and add it to the pan along with the ginger-garlic paste and chopped onions. Fry until the ingredients turn golden brown.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Cook for about 3 minutes until the ingredients turn into a sauce like product. Add the grams and kidney beans to the mixture and cook for about 5 minutes. Add some more water, if the dish is thick. It should neither be too watery nor too thick.

Before serving add some cream on the top.
 

It might seem to be a simple process, but cooking perfect rice is an art. You would need some practice before finding the right way to do it.

Method of Preparation
Take some rice and put it in a large pan containing boiling water. The heat should be just enough to have the rice dancing to the surface smoothly. Keep checking the rice for softness at the core. Once satisfied, pour off the water, and put the pan back on very low heat to cook the rice until it dries and becomes fluffy.

Brown rice may take longer to cook than white rice. People prefer cooking old rice than new for the reason that it cooks well and does not get sticky. Old rice absorbs more water, which when boils cooks the rice from within making it nice and fluffy.

It is always better to soak the rice first before cooking. It not only saves cooking time, but also makes your basmati grains expand keeping the grains from breaking when cooking. The water needed for cooking depends on your requirement. However, the general rule for one cup of rice is two cups-full of water. Rice with longer grain need more water than rice with shorter grain. The more water you use, the stickier does the rice get.

Equipment
Use a pan with a heavy base and lots of space for the steam. The lid should fit tight. Add a tad of butter or olive oil to keep the rice grains separate. While cooking do not lift the lid often. A quick peek to see whether the water has dried is sufficient.

This news is a godsend for mothers, who can be foreseen strengthening their resolve to wean their kids away from fast food addiction. Recent researches have pointed in the direction that vegetable eating keeps the brain younger and helps slowing the weakening of the brain associated with advanced age. Aged people eating two helpings of vegetables everyday over a period of six years appeared to be five years younger than people who did not eat vegetables, or even ate few vegetables.

The research does not conclusively prove that eating vegetables slowed the mental decline process, but it certainly leads in that direction. Green leafy vegetables have been seen to be more useful than other vegetables. Spinach, collards, and kale fall in the category of the most useful vegetables. The vitamin E content in these vegetables, which is a known antioxidant, might be responsible for finishing off the cell damaging chemicals that the body produces. Vegetables have more Vitamin E than fruits. Moreover, the oils that go into cooking vegetables help the body absorb Vitamin E and other oxidants better. However, Vitamin E has not been found to be linked to slowing the mental decline process.

The research was conducted on 1,946 people who were 65 years of age and above, 60% of who were black. A vegetable serving constituted half a cup of chopped or one cup of raw leafy green vegetable. The research that extended up to six years had three mental function tests. Among other tests, the volunteers were made to recall certain elements of the story that was just read to them. On the whole, the volunteers gradually showed a declining performance over these tests. But, those who ate the two servings of vegetables showed around 40% lesser mental decline. People who ate more vegetables were physically more active.