Vegetarian meat(Seitan)

Vegetarian meat is most parts gluten and some part (30 -40%) flour. We try to incorporate flours with protein content like chickpea flour, soaked and ground urad dal or lentils. Gluten is the vital part of this recipe to pripovide texture.

Urad dal is popular in Indian cuisine and is a significant part of the South Indian idli. Ground and fermented with rice gives the fluffiness for the idli.

Ingredients:

Gluten -2/3 cup
Flour   - 1/3 cup ( prefered are ground lentils or lentil flours)
Water as required
Salt as per taste
Spices of your choice
Food colouring (optional) - 3-4 drops*

Mix the flours, spices and salt  in a food processor and blend for a minute or two adding water as required. If you are using food colouring add it now and blend until it is a bread dough consistency.
Take dough out and knead on countertop for a couple of minutes. Use a little oil or flour while kneading. It may be a little sticky in consistency but it shoukd be ok.

Shape dough into desired shape and steam until well cooked.
Store in refrigerator for a week to 10 days. Slice into small cubes or thin slices in recipes. Saute or grill  them well with little oil when adding in recipes for good texture. This provides a goid source of protein for vegetarians.

*In this recipe we used red food coloring.

1. In this recipe we soaked equal portions yellow split peas and urad dal , ground into dough.
2. You can use fermented water from soaked beans/ wheat or cooked pasta water instead of plain water.
3.Spices like carraway, cumin , black or crushed red pepper are the ones we commonly use.
4. Small cubes of vegetarian jeat can be sauteed and used in stir-fries, pilaf, uppumas and pastas.
5. Thin slices can be grilled placed in sandwiches and thin slices can be placed as pizza toppings. Be creative!

Tomato lentil coconut milk soup (Thakkali pachadi)

This is a modified version of a recipe my mother used to make when we were kids. This goes well with salted cracked wheat porridge. The cracked wheat porridge is made by cooking cracked wheat in water with salt. A bowl of porridge was then served with a teaspoon of clarified butter and this gravy.
I added cooked lentils to the gravy to pack more nutrition into it.

Ingredients :

Red ripe tomatoes - 3-5
Green chillies        - 2-3 (chopped according to spice level)
Garlic                    - 3-4 cloves ( chopped)
salt                        - as per taste
Coconut milk        - 1/2 cup(thick)
Fresh dill              -  1 tsp (chopped fine)
Lentils                  - 1 cup (pressure cooked)
Water                    - as required

To season:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil                   - 1-2 tsps
cumin seeds    - 1 tsp


 Chop the tomatoes into small cubes. Heat a pan and add a tsp of oil. Once the oil is hot add the chopped garlic and green chillies. Saute for a couple of minutes and add the tomatoes. Let them cook for 5-10 minutes until they become a little thick in consistency. Now add the cooked lentils, salt and water and cook covered for another 5- 10 minutes. Now lower the heat and add the thick coconut milk. Switch off stove once the liquid form small bubbles and before it boils. Once it cools down a little add the chopped dill leaves.
Heat a small pan and add 1 tsp of oil. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the hot oil. Once the mustard seeds splutter add this to the soup.

The soup can be had as such or with rice/chapathi/bread/Porridge.

Tips:

1.To cook the lentils , add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils and pressure
   cook for 2 whistles.
2. To cook lentils on stove top, soak them for a couple of hours and cook on
    stove top for about 45-60 minutes.
3. You could use green tomatoes or tomatillos instead of red tomatoes.

Cauliflower Lentil salad

Fall is here and so is the cold weather. I tried this Mediterranean recipe with a twist to suit the cooler weather.

Ingredients:

Lentils                     - 1 cup
Cauliflower florets  - 1 cup
Cilantro(coriander) - 1/2 cup(chopped)
Tomato                    - 1 cup (chopped)
Green chilli             - 1 (chopped)
Lime                        - 1/2 to 1 as per taste
Salt                          - as per taste
Turmeric powder     - 1/2 tsp
Ginger powder         - 1 tsp
Oil                           - 1 tsp(optional)


Cook the lentils until soft but not mushy. I pressure cooked mine for 15-20 minutes. Break the cauliflower florets into small pieces and steam cook it with salt and turmeric powder. Take a bowl and add the cooked lentils, cauliflower,chopped tomatoes, green chilli, ginger powder, salt and oil. Add the juice from the lime and mix well.
Serve warm or cold.