Chilli Tofu | Vegan Chilli Paneer

Chilli chicken and Chilli paneer are quite popular in India but my profound love for tofu made me change the main ingredient here.I am sure this dish will have you craving for more.It's perfect for a party or just as a snack. Serve it as a side dish with fried rice or noodles to make a meal complete.

I used :

Firm tofu - 1 block cut into squares
Capsicum- 1 , small, deseeded and cut into small strips
Soya sauce - 1 teaspoon
Spring onion whites - from 1 bunch, sliced
Ginger - 1" piece, minced
Garlic- 2 large cloves , minced
Chilli powder -1 teaspoon
Corn flour -  2 teaspoons mixed in a few teaspoons of water
Salt to taste
Oil for frying



For batter

Corn flour- 1/2 a cup
Maida / Refined flour - 1 tablespoon
Soya sauce - 1 teaspoon
Salt [ Skip this if the soya sauce is salty]

For seasoning

Spring onion greens , chopped [You can also use finely chopped coriander leaves]

1. Take the ingredients for batter in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add water little by little and make a smooth batter of coating consistency.
3. Heat oil for frying.When it is hot, simmer.
4. Dip the tofu pieces one by one in the prepared batter and deep fry till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.
5. In another pan, heat a little oil and saute spring onion whites, garlic and ginger.
6. After a minute add the capsicum and saute for another minute.
7. Put in soya sauce , chilli powder , fried tofu pieces, cornflour mixed in water and salt if required.
8. Mix well and simmer for a couple of minutes for the flavors to blend.Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is too dry. If it is watery cook uncovered for a few minutes till the mixture thickens.
9. Remove from heat and serve hot garnished with spring onion greens / Coriander leaves

Bon appetit...




Catch me cooking @ Seduce Your Tastebuds

Sugarcane Juice Sorbet

After a long gap, I am back with one of our favorite recipes. A cooler to quench the summer heat.Fresh juices are our saviors when its very hot outside.But sugarcane juice is not amongst Lil Angel's favorites list . She finds it too sweet. Her tolerable level is just a couple of sips and not more. We on the other hand love this so much that we don't mind gulping down a couple of cups at a time.

I wanted her to relish this juice too.Sugarcane juice has a number of health benefits apart from the fact that is very delicious.

•  It is an instant source of energy.
•  It has anti oxidant properties
• It promotes the clear flow of urine and helpful in avoiding kidney stones.
• Sugarcane juice is given in the treatment of jaundice

Apart from this it is really refreshing to have a cup of sugarcane juice when the summer heat is killing us.

Since she does not prefer the juice as it is,I wanted Lil one to enjoy it in a different form and thus was born this sorbet. In India, when the sugarcane juice is expressed, lime / lemon is kept between the sugarcane. The combo of lime and sugarcane is really refreshing. Here in China, sugarcane juice is expressed as such without any addition. I got this sugarcane juice [freshly expressed] ,came home and added ginger powder and lemon juice to taste. Then made it into sorbet. Lil Angel loved this!

I used :

Sugarcane juice - 300ml
Ginger powder- 1/2 a teaspoon
Lemon juice- 1 teaspoon

1. Mix all the ingredients together .
2. Put it into a freezer proof container and freeze till set. 
3. Around 10-15 minutes before serving, remove from freezer, scrape with a fork and serve in individual cups.

Note :

You can adjust the quantity of ginger powder and lemon juice to suit your taste.

Bon Appetit...



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Fragrant Chilled Soba Noodle Soup

Chilled Soba Noodle Soup
Fragrant Soy Milk Broth with Ground Sesame, Lemongrass, Ginger, Curry Leaf
Buckwheat Soba Noodle & Chick Pea
Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, Scallion, Cilantro, Red Jalapeño, Sesame Seed

Lemongrass, Ginger, Curry Leaf

Buckwheat Soba Noodle

As we Angelenos bask in a mid-winter heat wave with temperatures reaching the 80's...we're dining on a cool fragrant heart healthy soup here. Soy milk is infused with lemongrass, ginger, and curry leaf. Ground sesame seeds add a nutty component. The garnishes are bright and refreshing. My friends in the mid-west and north-east may want to remember this recipe for the hot months to come, and those in the Southern Hemisphere and Southern California (for the time being), can enjoy this chilled soup now!

Soup Recipe

Add bruised lemongrass stalks, pieces of peeled ginger, and a handful of fresh curry leaves to 1 qt. of unsweetened organic soy milk. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep another 45 minutes, then strain the liquid and discard the solids.

Add about 3 T. ground toasted sesame seed to the liquid. Let come to room temperature, add one can of rinsed and drained chick peas and salt to taste. Chill in refrigerator at least one hour. Meanwhile, cook buckwheat soba noodles according to package instructions. Chill noodles too.

Place soba in a bowl. Ladle cool broth and chick peas over and around the noodles.

Garnish with wedges of heirloom tomato, sliced scallion, cucumber, red jalapeño, and cilantro. Finish with a sprinkling of black and white sesame seeds.

Lori Lynn @

Taste With The Eyes

Microwave Greenpeas Dhokla

Dhokla,as we know, is the famous dish from the state of Gujarat made with chickpea flour/ besan.A batter is made and it is steamed.After which a seasoning of mustard,asafoetida is poured over.The dhokla is then sliced and then served garnished with grated coconut, coriander leaves.There are several varieties of Dhokla like khamman dhokla, Khatta dhokra, Rasia dhokra, cheese dhokra, etc.

I made dhokla with green peas and besan in the microwave.It was super quick and was very fluffy.The color was very appealing and it tasted great as well.

Here is what you have to do...

Puree 1 cup green peas, 4 green chillies and 1" piece ginger using very little water.

Transfer the puree[for 1 cup peas you will get 1/2 cup puree] into a bowl and add  1/2 a cup besan/ chickpea flour and salt to taste

 

 Mix well and add a little water to get a batter of dropping consistency.

 Add 5grams[1 small sachet] Eno fruit salt and add 1 teaspoon water over it.It will start bubbling.Mix gently.

 Immediately transfer into a greased microwave proof dish and swirl it around so that it spreads evenly. Microwave covered for 5 minutes on high powder.Let it stand for 1 minute inside the microwave.

 Do a tooth prick test.If it comes out out clean the dhokla is ready.Else cover and microwave for a few more minutes till done.

In another microwave proof dish, combine-1 teaspoon oil,1 teaspoon mustard,1 chopped green chilli and microwave for 1 minute.Pour over the dhokla and spread it out with a ladle/ spoon

 Let it cool.Mark squares with a knife.Remove carefully from the plate.

 Serve garnished with grated coconut and coriander leaves.

A mouth watering and nutritious snack ready in minutes...This comes in handy when you want something warm on a cold day but also want to refrain from indulging in fried snacks...

Serve dhokla as such or with a spicy chutney/ dip of your choice.

Note:

• Generally sugar is added when dhokla is prepared but I did not add it since the peas were slightly sweet.In case you have a sweet tooth ,you can add sugar while combining peas puree and besan.
• The cooking time will vary depending on the quantity and the MW oven brand used, voltage.So start checking from the third minute itself.If cooked for too long the taste will not be good and the dhokla will shrink and not be spongy.

Bon Appetit...

Tofu Soup With Moong Noodles

I can’t stop myself from buying a block of fresh tofu whenever I go veggie shopping. A couple of days ago when I got one, I planned to make a soup with it. A simple soup with earthly Asian flavors. You can add or leave out any ingredient and yet the soup will be nourishing and filling.

I used:

This click will show you what I used and the quantity is up to you. The quantity that you see above is sufficient for 2 servings.

1. Heat sesame oil in a wok and when it is smoky hot add ginger and garlic and sauté for a couple of seconds.
2. Add the mushroom and stir quickly on high heat.
3. Next in goes the water/ stock [I used around 500ml for 2 people] and bring to boil.
4. Add the soy sauce.
5. When the soup boils, add the moong noodles.The noodles should get cooked in 5 minutes Add the cubed tofu and mix gently.
6. When the noodles is done, use chopsticks [or fork or anything you are comfortable with] and divide the noodles into two bowls.
7. Ladle out the soup along with the veggies and tofu.
8. Garnish with moong bean sprouts and spring onion.
9. Drizzle Chilli oil and serve hot.

Bon Appetit...

Vegan Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells just the way everyone likes them...filled with Italian "Sausage," Spinach, "Ricotta," topped with a homemade Tomato Sauce and melting "Mozzarella"...vegan substitutes make terrific replacements in this classic dish!

Heart Healthy Vegan Substitutes

Italian Sausage - Smoked Style Veggie Protein Sausage

Ricotta - Tofu put through a potato ricer, Olive Oil, Yeast Flakes, Lemon & Sea Salt

Parmesan - Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Mozzarella - Shredded Pasteurized Process Cheese Alternative, Mozzarella Flavor

Stuffed Shells Recipe

Cut sausage into cubes, brown in a small amount of canola oil. Drain on paper towels, set aside.

Meanwhile make the tomato sauce: In a pot, sauté finely chopped onion and red pepper flakes in a good amount of olive oil. Add some minced garlic, dried oregano and basil. Then add a can of diced tomatoes with juice.

Simmer tomato sauce over low heat while preparing the shells. Finish with sea salt to taste.

At the same time, cook jumbo shells (whole grain if possible) in boiling water until al dente.
Drain the shells.

In a sauté pan, cook finely chopped onion and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Add defrosted and drained "frozen cut leaf spinach" to the pan. Cook until all the moisture has evaporated. Season with fresh grated nutmeg. Let cool.

To make the ricotta substitute, pass a block of firm tofu through a potato ricer.

Add 1 T. Nutritional Yeast Flakes, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1 T. olive oil and sea salt to taste.
Mix to combine.

The flakes make a great vegan substitute for Parmesan with an intense nutty roasted flavor.

Combine sausage, tofu ricotta, and spinach mixtures.

Ladle some of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the empty shells over the sauce. Spoon filling into the shells. Top shells with the remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F until the shells are heated through.

Remove foil, top with a sprinkling of yeast flakes and shredded mozzarella.
Cook uncovered until the cheese starts to melt.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

Chinese Saucy Bean-sprouts Stir-fry

I have developed a love for Chinese food- The real, authentic vegetarian ones. They have very less spices, quick to cook, minimal ingredients, nutritious and very flavorful.

Sometimes when I go shopping to the wholesale markets to get some crockery or other stuffs I linger on for longer than I want to because they have so many things to choose from and invariably I am there during the lunch time.So in these shops,they have their lunches packed in small containers,2-3 of them. One has a small cup of rice,the others are some green stir fries,some meat dishes etc. They are so kind that they offer to share their lunch with me which I gently refuse..

During those time I see that their meal is a complete one that would have taken them very less time to prepare.Many times I too would think of preparing such meals at home[minus the meat of course] but it rarely happens.

Last week I got some moong sprouts when I went to the farmers market because they were so fresh and almost called out to me.I got a bag of sprouts for RMB 1.I used it in many dishes yet had ½ a packet staring at me.

I thought why not make a Chinese meal and savor it.So what you see in these clicks was for me and me alone.I enjoyed every bit of it. The sesame oil gives the dish a very unique taste.The dish has to be crisp and not soft .

I used

Fresh moong sprouts / bean sprouts -250 grams
Soya sauce -2 tablespoons
Sesame oil-1 teaspoon

1. Rinse sprouts in running water and layout on a kitchen towel to dry.If it has moisture the dish will be very soggy.
2. Heat sesame oil on high flame.
3. When it just begins to smoke,put in the sprouts and stir continuously.
4. Add the soy sauce and mix well.
5. I did not add salt as the sauce was salty enough.Check and add salt if required.
6. Remove from heat and serve.

 

There will be some soya sauce remaining as such.Do not strain it,serve it along with the sprouts as seen in the clicks.

If you are wondering how I savored it,take a look-Typical Chinese style-a little rice and lots of sprouts....

Bon Appetit...



Catch me cooking @ Seduce Your Tastebuds

No Cook Fruit N Nut Squares

A couple of days ago Mister turned a year wiser.I made these simple and nutritious square for the occasion along  with Microwave Churma Ladoo[Wheat flour Ladoos].This is a very simple recipe and can be prepared in less than 5 minutes!!It has no added sweeteners / fats.!A quick energy boosting snack that little ones [and adults] will love.

So in the midst of B'day celebrations,this happened to be Lil angels favorite and I had a tough time stopping her from grabbing for more.

I am celebrating one more milestone.This happens to be my 300th vegan post on my blog!!

Now to the easy breezy recipe..

I used:

Pitted dates-1 cup
Almonds,roasted-1 cup
Raisins-1 cup
Sesame seeds-2 tablespoons

Pulse all the ingredients together till you get a consistency where the mixture holds itself when shaped.

Spread on a tray and mark squares,cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

If you want to serve immediately, shape into balls and enjoy!!!!

You can add any type of nuts and dried fruit.For an exotic touch you can even dust dessicated coconut over the squares and serve...

Bon Appetit...




Catch me cooking @ Seduce Your Tastebuds