Vegetarian Curries (Sabjis)

Cauliflower/Yoghurt Sabji

1. Wash two medium caulifowers. Cut out core. Cut into flowerets.

Boil a little water in a pot and steam the cauliflower flowerets in that water for about 10mins.

Test to see if the cauliflower is tender with a knife (the flowerets shouldn’t be too soft otherwise it will turn into a mush). Drain in a colander.

2.  The Chaunce (masala/braise)

Heat 2 tablespoons (tbsp) ghee/oil in a frying-pan at medium-high heat. Add 1 heaped teaspoon (tsp) of mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, add 4 curry leaves, 3 medium cinnamon sticks and 1 tbsp grated ginger. Stir together. Then add 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 a tsp hing and 1/2 a tsp kalonji (nigella) seeds. Add two cups/500ml amasi or yoghurt. Add 1 heaped tsp turmeric/haldi powder and 1 tbsp of salt. Stir, again.

3.  Add steamed cauliflowers to the chaunce and cook on medium heat for 5mins (to draw the flavours out).

4.  Make an offering to Krishna.

 

Spinach And Soya Chicken Pie

Learnt this from my friend Gaura-sakti das. Modified a bit with the help of Madhumangala das

1. Wash 2 and 1/2 bunches of spinach, then add to boiling water. Add salt. In the meantime, turn oven to full heat, then down to 180C.

Defrost two puff pastries – for the base and the top of the pie.

2. The White Sauce.

Bring 500 ml milk to boil. Add 5 tablespoons (tbsp) butter to milk. Thicken with maizena (thickening agent), until it starts to thicken. Add tbsp crushed black pepper, a small punnet of sweet basil (my addition) and 1 teaspoon (tsp) hing/asofoetida. Allow sauce to simmer and get thick. Add tbsp salt at the end and five or six tbsps of eggless mayonnaise (“Knorr” makes a nice on in South Africa). Allow to cool.

3. Shallow fry soya chicken strips in oil, ghee or butter until crisp. Stir spinach into the sauteed soya chicken strips. Add white sauce to spinach and chicken.

4. Place one of the puff pastries on a smooth surface. Roll it out a little, so it can amply fill the baking tray. Place the pastry at the bottom of the baking tray (the large ones that we usually use to roast vegetables in) and bring the pastry up to the of the tray. Fill the pastry base with the spinach/soya chicken mix.

5. Cover the pie with the second rolled-out puff pastry. Seal the pie by joining the top pastry with the bottom one. Brush milk over the covered pastry (to give it a golden appearance and to make it less crispy) and puncture the top with a fork.

6. Place in the oven at 180C for about half-an-hour. Turn the top grill on for the last few minutes (be careful you don’t burn the top of the pie). Turn off the oven. Allow to cool a bit. Offer to Krishna.

7. Serving suggestion (from Madhumangala prabhu): serve with mash potato and baby carrots cooked in butter with a little cinnamon. It is also nice with date and tamarind chatni.

 

Pizza, Salad, Salad Dressing and Avocado Milkshake

PIZZA (Preparation time 40min, makes two trays of pizza, 6-8 people)

1. The Base

Ingredients: 3-4 cups cake flour, 3/4 packet instant yeast, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 cup hot water, 1tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup amasi/buttermilk/yoghurt, 2tbsp fennel seeds and 1tsp salt

Pre-heat oven at 230C while preparing the base.

(i) Mix flour, fennel seeds, salt and yeast.
(ii) Mix hot water, sugar and olive oil.
(iii) Add wet mix to dry mix, until consistent.
(iv) Knead pizza dough for about five minutes, adding more water or flour if necessary.
(v) Roll out into two bases. Place into greased trays, and place in oven until bases are light brown (about 20 mins).

2. Tomato Puree

Ingredients: 6-8 tomatoes (jam tomatoes are the best) or canned tomato puree, two cups finely chopped fresh basil, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1tbsp thyme, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1tsp salt, 1tbsp black pepper and 1tsp hing/asafoetida.

Method:

(i) Place pot with two cups of water on high heat. Place colander on top. Fill colander with tomatoes once water is boiling. Cover with a lid, and steam.
(ii) Remove tomatoes when skins burst (10 mins). Allow to cool.
(iii) When tomatoes are cooled, puree in blender or crush with potato masher.
(iv) Place pureed tomatoes in small pot and bring to boil on medium-heat.
(v) Add other ingredients. Cook for 15 minutes or until thick. Remove.

3. Toppings

Ingredients: 3 peppers, 2 medium brinjals, 3 tomatoes, 500g mozzarella cheeze and 1 cup olives.

Method:

(i) Cut peppers into cubes or thin strips.
(ii) Cut brinjal into thin slices and deep fry in oil on high heat.
(iii) Cut tomatoes into thin slices.
(iv) Cut olives in half.
(iv) Grate mozzarella (or combination of gouda and cheddar or gouda and tasser’s cheeze).

4. Final Preparation

(i) Brush tomato puree onto 3/4 baked bases.
(ii) Sprinkle cheeze over puree.
(iii) Place tomatoes, olives, green peppers and olives over cheeze.
(iv) Sprinkle salt and black pepper over toppings.
(v) Place in oven at 230C. Bake for 10 mins or until cheeze is fully melted.
(vi) Remove from oven (at this stage you can add avocado).
(vii) Allow to cool for five minutes and cut into slices.

GREEN SALAD AND SALAD DRESSING (Preparation time: 5 mins/serves 10)

1. Salad

Make a green salad out of the following ingredients: 1 lettuce, three tomatoes, 2 green peppers, 2 medium carrots, 1 cup finely cut fennel and 1/3 cucumber. Cut vegetables to your suiting, but leave lettuce and tomatoes aside (as they make the salad soggy otherwise).

2. Dressing

Ingredients: 1 avocado, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup amasi/yoghurt, 1 squeezed lemon, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 cup water 2tsp hing, 1tsp salt, 1/4 cup honey and 1tbs cumin and/or coriander powder.

Method:

Blend ingredients together in blender

AVOCADO SHAKE (Preparation time: 5min/ Serves 4)

Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados, 385g condensed milk (tin), 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.

Method:

(i) Boil water and sugar together until it makes a sticky syrup.
(ii) Add syrup to avocados and condensed milk, and blend.

 

Golden Khichari

This khichari recipe took me several years to develop.  I recently prepared this dish for a SATV cooking programme but was very nervous in front of the camera (so it might not be screened!).  Influences: Yamuna Mataji, Kurma prabhu and Gaura Sakti das (from South Africa).  To quote Prabhupada: ‘A pauper’s meal fit for a king.’  Nice if served with puris, bread-sticks, papadams, lemon, yoghurt and/or tomato chatni.  Please forgive sketchy presentation.  Your servant, MCD.

Serves 5 to 6 people.  Total preparation time 45 minutes.

8 cups/2 litres water.  Add 1 cup split yellow mung dal (washed),  1 tablespoon turmeric,  1 bay leaf,  1 cinnamon stick,  3 whole pepper corns. Bring water to boil.  Boil until the dal begins to split (about 25 mins).

Add cup of basmati rice (washed), 2 medium-sized potatoes cubed.  And 150g green beans.  Cook for about 10 mins at high heat.

Add several large zuccini bits, a couple of cauliflower heads and several large slices of green/yellow/red pepper (green or red are nice for colourful effect).  Cook at high heat for about 10 mins or until vegetables (including potatoes) are soft (the rice should also be soft).  The khichari should have a reasonably thick consistency.  (Note: It is better to remove excess ‘juice’ from the khichari than to add water.  We do not want to water down the natural flavour of the mixture.  It is ideal if you get your water quantity just right.  I like the khichari to be a little runny – consistency of a wet porridge).

Turn off flame.

Add one-and-half tablespoons salt and one-and-half tablespoons sugar (voluntary).

Chaunce: Heat ghee (oil if vegan) in separate frying pan.  When it is hot add one-and-a-quarter teaspoons mustard seeds.  When the mustard seeds pop, add same quantity cumin seeds.  When the cumin seeds go brown, add grated ginger and chilli (de-seeded).  Add 3/4 curry leaves.  And a pinch of cinnamon powder, a pinch of nutmeg powder and a teaspoon of hing/asafoetida powder.  Mix chaunce/masala into khichari.

Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped dhanya (coriander).

Add 2 tomatoes (cut into 4 or 8 bits).

Offer to Krishna with love and devotion.