Deliciously quick & easy vegetarian/
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 Grilled Okra in Tomato Gravy served with Spinach Dhall  Again, this is one of my mother's recipes. It goes well with basmati rice and other slightly heavy curry.
Ingredients ( Serves 4) 25 Okras, washed and sliced into 1.5 inch pieces 1 small onion, sliced thinly 1 sprig curry leaves 1 tomato, cut into medium sized cubes 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1/4 tsp ground pepper 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cumin powder Salt to season Extract of 1 inch tamarind pulp Method Grill the Okras with minimal oil and drain on paper towel. Heat a pot of oil and fry the onion and curry leaves. Add in the spices, tomato sauce, salt tamarind and give it a stir. Let it cook for 2 mins. Then, stir in the tomato pieces and cook again for 2 mins. Lastly add in the grilled okra and let them absorb the tomato gravy.
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 Honestly, I was quite hesitant to post these spring rolls under Healthy Vegetarian Recipes. These rolls are fried which made me thinking is it really healthy? I decided to post it anyway for the benefit of those who needs a sinful treat now and then(Hmmm .....I guess that applies to ALL of us!! ) . I have seen so many variations of these Spring rolls in the Internet. Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian. Fried or Non Fried. There are even Indian versions of Spring Rolls using Garam Masala! That's new for me :)) Spring Rolls are very versatile in that you can put in any types of vegetables with whatever seasonings you fancy. I prefer the Chinese version because I grew up eating these spring rolls in my neighborhood in Singapore. These spring rolls can either be fried (which I don't fancy but it seems to taste better fried) or grilled in the oven with a little oil brushed on top @ 180 deg C or 350 deg F for 15-18 minutes. Ingredients ( 40 rolls) 40 Spring Roll wrappers avail in Asian Stores (See picture below) 120 gm Glass Noodles, soaked in water for 15 mins (available in Asian Stores - See picture below)) 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely 4 cloves garlic, pounded 3 cups cabbage, shredded finely 2 small carrots/ 1 medium carrot shredded finely ( 1 cup) 50 Snap peas, sliced into strips ( yields 1.5 cups) 2 tbsps vegetarian mushroom/oyster flavored sauce (avail in Asian Stores - See Picture Below) 3 tbsps light soy sauce 2tbsp oil for frying the filling and more oil for frying the rolls. Method Heat a big pot, add the oil and start frying the onion and then the garlic. Add in the sauces followed by the vegetables. On medium heat, give the vegetables a good stir and let it cook till fine around 5 mins. Meanwhile trim the glass noodles to 2 inch strips. Add in the glass noodles after 5mins and again stir well. Check for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Don't add chilli to these spring rolls because the accompanying dipping sauce has all the heat !! Switch off the fire when the glass noodles hv softened and all the vegs are cooked. Let it cool. Meanwhile, start stripping the wrappers from the main block of wrappers. Lay one on a plate, put in a tbsp of the veg glass noodle filling at one corner of the wrapper. Start rolling and simultaneously tuck in the sides and roll again. Use a bit of water at the end to seal the roll. Do the same for the rest. Once all the rolls are rolled up, heat a pot of oil and fry them in batches of 5-6. Its healthier grilled definitely. Serve warm with the awesome Cilantro Dipping Sauce     Mr Lee's sister, Mrs Monica Lee As I have mentioned in my latest post under My American Moments, our first PM and our founding father has passed away on 23 March. Ever since then, I have been hungry for any information about Mr Lee, his history and his family. While reading an excerpt from Mr Lee's sister Mrs Monica Lee, 85, she mentioned that Mr Lee, being of Peranakan (or Straits Chinese) origin, had loved Gado Gado, Rojak, Satay and Mee Siam. These are just some of our well loved local dishes in Singapore and that is just the tip of the iceberg! I made Gado Gado today as a special tribute to Mr Lee. Gado Gado is an Indonesian salad of blanched vegetables served with peanut sauce. It is eaten as a complete meal because the rice cakes (Lontong) and Potato cubes provide the carbs while the tofu, eggs and peanuts the protein. You can omit the eggs if you prefer a vegan Gado Gado. Can be devoured either cold or warm but I personally prefer warm. (Serves 2) Ingredients for Gado Gado Peanut Sauce 1 cup peanuts roasted 1 clove garlic 3 tbsp. brown sugar ( or to your discretion) 1 bird's eye chilli (Chilli Padi) ( More if you prefer spicier) 1 tbsp. tamarind extract (from 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp) 1 tbsp. lime juice 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce 1/2 cup water salt to taste per preference Method for Peanut Sauce Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend till smooth or a little crunchy, whichever style you prefer. I left mine a little crunchy for the bite. Ingredients for Gado Gado Salad 2 medium sized potatoes cut or 8 baby potatoes, boiled 2 eggs, boiled and cut half 2 cups Beansprouts, blanched in hot water for 1 minute 3 Long beans, cut into 2 inch long and boiled in water for 3 minutes. 2 small blocks of firm tofu, cut into cubes and pan grilled. 1/2 cup rice boiled very soft and pressed into square container and then cut into cubes. Final Assembly To serve Gado Gado, assemble all the boiled vegetables, eggs and grilled tofu on a plate. You can either pour the peanut sauce over or serve it nearby in a small bowl with the rice cubes. Note : Cabbage, Spinach or French Beans can be used instead of the above vegs too. Gado Gado is usually served with Vegetable or Melinjo Crackers too, which I didn't have at this moment.  Sweet, Sour and Spicy Peanut Sauce  Black Eyed Peas Curry with Basmati Rice and Green Peas The black eyed peas or the black eyed beans is a subspecies of the cowpea plant grown around the world. Like all beans, black eyed peas are very nutritious. They contain calcium, folate, protein, fiber, Vit A and other nutrients.
Interesting fact - Did you know that the Southern Americans believe that eating Black eyed peas in the first day of the New Year brings about prosperity ? I made this very delicious curry over the weekend at the request of my husband and my older daughter Ranya....it turned out well. Ingredients ( Serves 6) 2 cups Black Eyed Peas, soaked for 3 hrs 5-6 ginger pieces around 1 inch each 3 tbsp canola oil 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 large onion, cut big 1/2 tsp ginger, pounded 1/2 tsp garlic, pounded 1/2 green chilli, sliced 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 3/4 tsp chilli powder (adjust accordingly if you prefer more or less spicy) 2 tsp coriander powder 3 tomatoes, cubed big 3 stalks coriander leaves, chopped big 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1/2 cup water and then 1 cup water Salt to season Method Boil the black eyed peas with 1/2 tsp salt and ginger pieces till cooked. Ginger helps to reduce flatulence. The peas should be mushy when pressed. Drain and set aside. Heat a medium saucepot with the canola oil and start frying the cumin seeds, followed by the onion pieces. After a few minutes, add in the pounded ginger and garlic. After another 2 minutes, add in the green chilli and all the spice powders. Let the spices cook together with the ingredients for 3 minutes. Now add in the cubed tomatoes, coriander leaves and 1/2 cup water. Let the tomatoes cook till pulpy. Cool slightly and then blend this to get a creamy curry. Pour this curry back into the pot. Add 1 cup water to the blender to get the remaining curry stuck to the sides. Pour this back into the pot too. Add 1/2 cup tomato sauce and let the curry simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Then add in the boiled black eyed peas and simmer for another 10 mins. Serve garnished with coriander leaves with steaming rice or any wholewheat flatbreads.  This is a basic dipping sauce using cilantro and vinegar, among other ingredients and it leaves a sweet, sour spicy taste in your mouth... Great with any fried dishes like Vegetable Spring Rolls or Lentil Patties (Masala Vadais) and many more...
Ingredients (yields 2 cups of dipping sauce) 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar (only 1/2 cup!) 1/4 tbsp salt 3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar (yes, 1 cup!) 1/2 cup sambal oelek 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Method Dissolve the salt and the sugar in the vinegar using a whisk for 2-4 mins. Pour into a small pot and bring it to a rolling boil, stirring continuously. Remove from fire and let it cool. Pour half of this vinegar syrup into a blender and add in the sambal oelek and cilantro. Blend for 2 minutes and then pour this mixture back into the pot with the remaining half. Mix well and your Cilantro Dipping Sauce is ready. Cilantro can also be substituted with Chinese celery leaves. |
Hi guys! I'm Nilofar Iyer and I have shared my dishes here for you to cook for your own family and friends with love and most importantly with their long term good health in mind.
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