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Chana with Kale 

10/17/2015

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A delicious twist on the popular chana masala dish - quite fast, easy, and nutritious! 
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped kale
1/4 an onion, chopped (optional), sliver of ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 tablespoons cooking oil
Pinch of turmeric and cinnamon
Salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste
Fresh herbs to garnish
1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional) 
Pinch of cinnamon 
Method:
This is the easy way to make a flavorful chana dish. Mix the onion, ginger, cumin seeds, sugar and tomatoes in a blender or magic bullet. Heat your oil in a skillet and once hot, pour the tomato mixture over the oil. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add chickpeas, turmeric and cinnamon. Let the mixture cook another 5-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, fold in kale and cook another few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Once you've turned off the heat, squeeze lemon juice and garnish with fresh herbs such as cilantro and/or mint. Serve with rice. 
NOTE: if no kale available, substitute spinach for an equally delicious experience!
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Vegetarian Plov (Вегетарианский плов) 

7/10/2015

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Plov! There is actually such a thing as vegetarian or vegan plov. This delicious rice dish comes from the Central Asian region of the world and is eaten widely in many of the places I've lived and traveled in the region, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. There are many regional varieties and secrets - but this version is my own vegetarian one, inspired by local friends. The ingredients are:

1 cup rice (rinsed then soaked for at least 15 minutes)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup carrots, sliced thinly and uniformly 
Handful of yellow raisins (could also add a few dried apricots!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of asafetida (this is widely used as a substitute for garlic and onion...however, if you prefer those, feel free to use them instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste if you want to use more or less) 
1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil

Once the plov is ready you can garnish with our cucumber tomato salad.  You might want to add some hot sauce (adjika, sriracha or chili paste) as well. Enjoy! And please do let me know if you try it!
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Vegan Cauliflower Bake - Almaty Favorite 

1/3/2015

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Here our are cauliflower bake's secrets revealed!  

Start by brushing a pan with olive oil. Add a layer of thinly cut potatoes to bottom of pan. Cover with cashew cheese (recipe under sauces). Next, add a layer of cauliflower. Finally, cover with our special sauce: a boiled carrot and boiled potato blended with half a can of coconut milk, salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Cook at 180 C (350 F) for 30-35 minutes. Try it and let us know what you think!

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Tofu With Tamarind Sauce And Tomatoes

11/29/2014

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Vegetaristan has recently discovered tamarind! Actually, I've tasted tamarind sauces before in Thai and Indian cooking, but never really knew how to use tamarind myself. So on a trip to the US in October I made a point of buying a block of tamarind to take back to Kazakhstan. I found an easy tamarind sauce recipe (link is below) and from there started experimenting. Here's the first recipe - try it and we hope you like it! 


Ingredients:


1 small block tofu
1 green or red pepper
1 carrot
6 tablespoons tamarind sauce 
(http://www.recipe.iskcondesiretree.info/13_-_Chutneys/Tamarind_Chutney.pdf)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pinch of salt to taste 

Method:

Cut the tofu into small blocks, chop the carrot and green pepper. In a frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the tofu for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until tofu starts to turn brown. Add the pepper and carrot, saute another 5-7 minutes. Optionally, add a pinch of salt here. Add the tamarind sauce gradually, letting it boil down and absorb into the tofu and vegetables. Optionally, add cilantro leaves for garnish. Serve with rice and tomato slices.

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Vegan Spanish Tortilla 

10/7/2014

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Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes sliced finely
1 small beet sliced finely 
1 red or green pepper, chopped
125 grams chickpea flour 
375 grams water
50 grams olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black salt (if you don't have it just use more regular salt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Small pinch of: cumin seeds, turmeric, red and/or black pepper
Chopped fresh herbs: dill and basil

Method:

Whisk the chickpea flour and water together, let stand for 30 minutes. Then add the olive oil, spices, and vegetables to the batter. Pour all of these into a pie pan, cook for 35 minutes at 180 C. Serve with Vegetaristan's tomato sauce for a delightful vegan (and gluten free) meal! 

Thank you so much to Daisy in Rishikesh for this recipe! It has quickly become one of our favorites! This amount makes about 4 large pieces of the tortilla, and can comfortably serve 4-6 guests for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 
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Vegan Vegetable and Chickpea Sabji 

8/30/2014

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While this looks like quite a few ingredients, it's actually a very easy dish to make. The key is to follow the steps involved. Feel free to experiment and add other vegetables as well. That said, this combination is a good hit!  

Ingredients:


1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 cup pumpkin
1.5 cups chickpeas (soak overnight then boil for 90 minutes before using in the recipe)
3-4 medium sized tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/2 cup of nuts - peanuts, almonds, cashews all work well (or any mix of them) 
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Pinch of asafetida
Salt to taste
Squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:

Chop the zucchini, red pepper and pumpkin into small chunks. Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the asafetida, cumin and coriander. Sauté for 30 seconds.  then add ginger and sauté another 30 seconds.  Add the zucchini, red pepper, and pumpkin, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the tomato paste and sauté another 3 minutes. 

Finally, blend the tomatoes, sugar and nuts in a blender. If the consistency is very thick, add a bit of water. Pour into the pan.  Add chickpeas and salt.  Stir occasionally. Once the tomato sauce is boiling, reduce to a low heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.   Before serving, squeeze a bit of lemon juice.  Optionally add fresh herbs to garnish. Enjoy! 

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Super Simple Pumpkin Potato Pie

8/2/2014

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The inspiration for this pie came from buying too much pumpkin at the bazaar and having a little extra dough left over from the previous evening. It takes very few ingredients and you can substitute in red or green peppers, squash, eggplant, or other vegetables for the bottom layer.  Many people think that it tastes like quiche, and can't believe that there are no eggs involved!  The great part about this pie is that it serves well for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy! Ingredients and method are all written in the slide show.  
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Vegetable Pie with Carrots, Pumpkin and Wild Rice 

7/20/2014

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Looking for a new and original dish to serve your dinner guests? Try making this delicious vegetable pie!  Ingredients as follows:

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 cup warm water mixed with kefir or yoghurt 
(1/2 water, 1/2 kefir)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix the dough ingredients together and knead by hand; put the dough in a plastic bag and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, knead again.  Split into two halves, roll out for the pie once your other ingredients are ready.

Filling:
1 cup wild rice, cooked 
1/2 cup favorite herbs - we used dill, basil and cilantro
3 tablespoons sour cream or yoghurt
2 cups chopped pumpkin
2 carrots, finely shredded
Salt, pepper to taste 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
Handful of pine nuts (optional) 

Method: 
To prepare the filling, cook the wild rice and mix in the fresh herbs and half of the sour cream or yoghurt.
In another pan, heat the olive oil and then sauté the carrots and pumpkin together, adding a bit of water if necessary.  Add a dash of salt and pepper, cover and let cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Set the filling ingredients in bowls to slightly cool. 

Now lightly brush your pie pan with olive oil. Roll out the dough and spread the first layer in your pie pan. Then, layer your pie ingredients as such:  1 layer of carrots/pumpkin, then the second layer of wild rice with herbs, and finally the third layer of carrots/pumpkin.  Top the inside of the pie ingredients with an optional thin layer of sour cream/yoghurt, and optional herbs or pine nuts. Roll out the second layer of dough and cover your pie, sealing the layers.  Brush the top of the pie lightly with olive oil.

Put your pie in the oven at 180 Celsius (350 F) for 40 minutes. Optionally, at 35 minutes put another teaspoon of olive oil or butter over the pie and let cook for 5 more minutes.  

Serve with tomato sauce or sour cream and enjoy! This makes an excellent 2nd dish for a dinner party.  

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