Mixed Vegetables Southern Indian Style

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

The Union ~ Obsession 
Rob Thomas ~ Lonely No More
Nelly & Tim McGraw ~ Over and Over
VAST ~ I'm Dying (Live in Seattle)
The Union ~ Fading Out of Love
The Union ~ Burning Daylight
The Animals ~ Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Tanita Tikaram ~ Valentine Heart
Black Stone Cherry ~ Blame It On The Boom Boom
The Fratellis ~ Mistress Mabel
Xtina ~ Can't Hold Us Down
Shakira ~ The One Thing
Rudimental ~ Hell Could Freeze Over
Connie Francis ~ Who's Sorry Now

What a weekend...I'm sore and exhausted..lol..and for the very best of reasons. We are officially putting R & R HQ on the market this week. Yep, finally the sign will be hung and we can start making real plans for the move to the city. But keeping our expectations realistic as so many of our loved ones have felt the need to caution us...we made the decision to move nearly two years ago...and this is not my first time at the rodeo...so I think we are aware what a slow process it can be. lol. I know I will feel a sense of great relief when they come to put that beautiful sign up...a step closer to escaping Helltown.

It's been a holiday weekend here in England which means most people got Monday off of work. Ours started off with our good friend Ann coming over to stay for the weekend and we all worked to getting the house set out as suggested by our estate agent and we only stopped on Saturday night to attend my cousins 18th Birthday party. When we finally stopped Sunday evening to sit and eat dinner together the three of us slumped onto our dining chairs and almost finished our meals with our heads on the table. We were so tired. Yesterday was a different reason to be that tired...yesterday was a day out with ML, Ann, Caz, Dev and Bev with the four legged pooches. It was recently Bev's birthday so it was a belated birthday treat. We road-tripped to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park which is set over the rolling hills of Yorkshire. Sculptures are set against the landscape and the lake and you can take in the many suggested walks or just please yourself and pootle around. I was enchanted by the whole day as Sculpture is one of my passions. I was a trooper even if I do say so myself and made it around almost everything on the lower lake side... I think?  Next time I will attempt the upper...but that would've killed me yesterday. My favourite sculpture I saw on the walk yesterday would have to be Barbara Hepworths Family of Man.

After the walk we sat and enjoyed tea and coffee outside and then we took it in turns to visit the Ursula Von Rydinsvard's 2014 Exhibition..pooches not permitted..lol. I had the pleasure of taking my tour around with Dev and we got completely lost in the exhibit as we discussed each piece. I was captivated by UVR's work and my emotional response to some of her pieces will stay with me forever. However vegans beware some of her works include animal products which left me cold but her work with Cedar was just something else. If you get the opportunity to see her exhibition you should..in my humble opinion.

This morning I am sore all over but I really don't care. I know Ann is having muscle issues after making a 100 trips up and down our stairs with boxes and ML is starting the working week on empty and in need of hours of sleep. Even with all of this physical fallout I wouldn't have changed a thing. The knowledge, that the house that hasn't been our home for such a long time, is finally going on the market...the eventual escape to the city..time spent with family...and the day with our friend/family yesterday amongst such a beautiful setting, soaking in the sculpture and stunning landscapes...seeing Bev and hearing about their recent trip to London...Ann's amazing photo memories of the day...all things that make my mind feel peace. A sense that something big is about to change...relief and terror...lol. Worth every bruised, sore, jarred and exhausted joint and muscle in my body. Completely worth it and thanks to every one I shared this weekend with. And I'm sure ML would agree with me..a very special Thank you to Ann...you rock woman!

As you can imagine with all of these things going on there really wasn't a lot of time for kitchen duties but I was determined on Sunday evening I would serve up myself and Ann a good home cooked meal. ML not being able to partake kept to the usual white rice, white fish and cabbage. I had made a salad dressing on the Saturday that needed a couple of tbsp's of coconut milk so had the remains of the milk waiting to be used up. I decided to try out a recipe that was incredibly simple and quick to make, by one of my favourite foodie authors, Mridula Baljekar from her much used The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. I made it in between packing boxes and sorting so it really is very simple to make. I purposely made it in the morning so it would have the day to develop the delicate flavours. I served Ann's with chapatis as she's not the biggest rice fan and I served mine with brown rice. Alongside these I also served freshly steamed broccoli. This dish is comforting and luxurious with the coconut milk sauce and the mix of veggies. The delicately spiced sauce is a delight with a little chilli kick. I had the leftovers last night when I got home from the day out and the chillies had heated up some more and it was almost a different dish..still delicious but just in a slightly hotter way. I could almost kick myself for not trying this one before now...

Mixed Vegetables Southern Indian Style

Mixed Vegetables Southern Indian Style   Serves 4 
(Recipe from The Low-Fat Vegetarian Cookbook/Baljekar)

225g/8oz/1 1/2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into 5cm/2" cubes
125g/40z/1 cup cut green beans 
150g/5oz/1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 5cm/2" cubes
225g/8oz aubergine ( I used courgette cut into thick half moons)
400ml/14 fl oz/ 1 1/4 cup reduced fat coconut milk
2 tsp chick pea flour
1 tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp sunflower or plain olive oil (I used 1 tbsp sunflower)
6-7 shallots, finely chopped
6-8 fresh or 10-12 dried curry leaves
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground coriander 
1/2 tsp ground turmeric 

Put all the vegetables, except the aubergine ( or courgette), in a large pan and add 300ml/10 fl oz/1 1/3 cup hot water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, peel and quarter the aubergine length ways and cut into 5cm/2" pieces. Rinse and add the the vegetables in the pan. (If using courgettes as I did, they go in at this stage)

Add two tbsps of the coconut milk to the chickpea flour, beat until smooth and blend with the remaining coconut milk. Pour into the saucepan and add the salt. Bring to a slow simmer (reduced fat coconut milk will split if exposed to a high heat), cover the pan and cook for 6-7 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook the shallots for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the curry leaves, chilli flakes, coriander and turmeric. Stir for 15-20 seconds and pour the entire contents over the vegetables. Stir to distribute then remove from the heat and serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend was good and your week has started well...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Mridula Baljekar and hers alone. I thank her for creating another fantastic recipe. ~R~ 



   

Brunch: Indian Carrot and Spinach Pancakes

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

BBC Radio 2 Desert Island Discs Podcast ~ Paul Weller 

Do you believe cookbooks have magic? I do. I am a self confessed cookbook junkie and my collection is vast. When in receipt of a new cookbook..be it shiny and new, gifted or a second hand bargain..I make time to sit with it quietly. Dare anyone disturb me...lol. I read them from cover to cover including all the recipes, ingredients and instructions. I smile and often recoil in horror at some of the ingredients..lol. I have my favourite cookbook authors but I am honest..so I don't believe there is a completely perfect cookbook with all great recipes. Some recipes just don't work as the author had hoped. My mind is filled with the recipes on the pages of these books...and I don't think i'll ever live long enough to cook them all...but I will give it a damn good try! lol. And I love it when cruising an old faithful cookbook and suddenly...as if put there by magic because magic knows, you know!..there is the perfect recipe for what I was needing in that moment. But I frown with confusion..was it always there? Nope..its that cooking magic at work again...yep. lol.

I was in search of a breakfast recipe and I as I am trying to keep things simple, full of flavour and as savoury as possible..well lets just say it's been interesting. lol. There have been some disasters...lol. When this recipe suddenly appeared before me I knew it would be perfect. A chickpea pancake stuffed with carrots and spinach. Now it is the work of one of my favourite cookbook authors Mridula Baljekar. Her cookbook The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook is one of my treasured items and lately I've been using it a lot. Now the original recipe serves six so I halved the recipe for myself and I had three 7" pancakes..so three breakfasts to go..Woo! lol. Below is the original recipe...

The hardest part of making these pancakes is grating the carrots at the beginning. Once you have prepped the veggies, you mix in the dry ingredients and then the wet and before you know it pancakes are sizzling in your skillet. Mridula instructions ask for them to be shallow fried in the pan but I didn't do this. I want to keep the oils to a minimum so I simply wiped oil over the base of the skillet and then almost dry fried my pancakes. I measured out my half mix by 1/2 cup measures and then flattened them out over the base of the skillet. The smell of the spices and fennel as they cooked was sublime. The results were great. The pancakes are slightly dense and the spices and fennel mix beautifully with the veggies. You get a hit of heat from the chilli and the slight sweetness from the blend of carrot and fennel. A delight to get your day started...

Indian Carrot & Spinach Pancakes

Indian Carrot & Spinach Pancakes   Makes six 7" pancakes
(Recipe from The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook/Baljekar)

125g/4oz/2 cups chopped spinach 
125g/40z/ 3/4 cups grated carrot 
125g/4oz/ 1 cup finely chopped onion
2 green chilli pepper, seeded and chopped (I used red)
1 tsp aniseed or fennel seeds 
1 tbsp ground coriander 
1/2 tsp chilli powder 
1 tsp ground turmeric 
3/4 tsp salt or to taste (I omitted this)
125g/4oz/1 cup chickpea flour (besan), sieved
50g/2oz/1/3 cup semolina or fine polenta (I used polenta) 
1 tsp baking powder 
Oil for shallow frying 

In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients, up to and including the salt. 

Mix together the chickpea flour, semolina or polenta and baking powder and add to the above mixture. Gradually add 300ml/10 fl oz/1 1/3 cups cold water while you stir and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix until you have a thick batter of spreading consistency. 

Heat a tablespoon of oil over a medium heat in an iron griddle or skillet. Add 2 tbsp of the pancake mixture. Spread it so that a thin pancake is approx 7" in diameter. cover with a lid and cook for a minute or two or until the pancake is set and the underside is lightly browned. Brush the uncooked side with oil and turn it over. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned. 

Fold the pancake into a triangular shape and serve garnished with a little salad and a chutney. (Or as they are for breakfast lol) 

To keep the pancakes warm whilst you cook the others Mridula suggests you heat the oven and place them onto a large baking sheet. But don't pile them on top of each other as they will go soggy. Her words...lol. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Sunday has been a great one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit for its creation. That is the hard work and talent of Mridula Baljekar. And I thank her for the great cookbook.   

Indian Stir-Fried Mung Beans

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Rudimental ~ Home
Chris Cornell ~ Moonchild
Rudimental ~ More Than Everything
Bowes & Morley ~ Powertripping
The Cranberries ~ Zombie
Jacqueline du Pre ~ Carnival Of The Animals
Mott The Hoople ~ All The Young Dudes
Deap Vally ~ Six Feet Under
Tina Dico ~ Lost In Art
Slash's Snakepit ~ Good To Be Alive
Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ Cold Shot
Sandi Thom ~ Runaway Train
Auf Der Maur ~ Would If I Could
Rudimental ~ Hide

When my nephew Myles was a little tot and just starting on solid foods, he couldn't get enough of my mung bean casserole. He would devour it and get upset when you showed him the empty bowl..lol. And out of all of my nephews and nieces he is by far the most adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. Although to be fair his sisters aren't far behind him. It was important to my sister that her children grow up enjoying vegetarian and vegan foods although her home isn't either of those. Saturdays are always a opportunity for me to try out something new with the little ones and I was a very proud Auntie a couple of weeks ago when I had Noo eating raw broccoli as a side salad to her pasta. And this last weekend I had them taste testing nuts and seeds...the outcome...loved pumpkin seeds and cashews. Not so keen on brazil nuts and they were undecided on almonds. lol. Oh! I nearly forgot the littlest niece Layla who happily chomped her way through a tray of raw veggie crudities and tried my homemade Spicy Roasted Red Pepper hummus and liked it so much she wanted to keep the pot all the herself! lol. She can be forgiven...she's two!

Anyway today's recipe is a great dish from one of my favourite cookbooks Mridula Baljekar's The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. As with many of the recipes in Mridula's cookbook, it is easy to make and I made mine whilst prepping other dishes at the same time. Yep..that easy. lol. I happen to love the humble little green bean that is the Mung. Horrible name...agreed but this bean is so versatile. I have lost count of the ways I've used it and then recently found out the generic bags of beansprouts are almost always sprouted mung. Who knew? Not me apparently. lol. I was a little intrigued at this recipe because it had never occurred to me to stir fry them. I often throw Aducki beans in a veggie fry and they are great. 

I sat down with my bowl of stir fry and enjoyed every mouthful. Once again Mridula provided a meal that was packed full of flavours from the somewhat delicate spice base through to the tender crisp cauliflower florets and holding it together was the wholesome (I know I use this word a lot but wholesome is important to me!) mung bean. I'm really pleased I made this dish...and I had stacks of leftovers which got safely stashed in my freezer...didn't I mention this is a stir fry you can freeze too? lol My bad...

Indian Stir Fried Mung Beans

Indian Stir Fried Mung Beans    Serves 4
(Recipe from The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook/Baljekar)

150g/5oz/ 1/4 cup dried mung beans
300ml/ 1/2 pint/1 1/2 cups of water
2 tbsp of sunflower or olive oil (I used 1 tsp sun)
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2.5cm/1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 green chilli peppers, finely chopped (seeds if you wish)
50g/2oz/1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into 2.5cm/1" dice
1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), finely chopped 
125g/4oz/1 cup carrots, halved length ways and thinly sliced
125g/4oz/ cauliflower, divided into 5mm/ 1/2" florets
1 tsp salt or to taste 
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves 

Pick over the mung beans, wash and soak in plenty of cold water overnight. Drain and rinse several times. 

Put the beans and water in a saucepan and place over a high heat. Bring to the boil, partially over the pan and cook over a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until it stops being frothy. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the beans are tender (realistically 15-20 mins ~R~) and the liquid reduces to about 2-3 tablespoons.

In a wok or non stick saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds followed by the cumin seeds. As soon as the seeds pop, add the ginger, red pepper and spring onion. Stir fry for 1 minute. 

Add the carrots and cauliflower, stir fry for a further minute, then add the salt. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the cooked beans, along with the cooking liquid left in the pan. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the beans and vegetables are well blended. 

Stir in the coriander leaves, remove from the heat and serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday has been a good one for you. I'll be back on Saturday as tomorrow I am looking after the Littlest one and having a new hob fitted (Woo! Four rings baby..it's been a while..lol). Hope your Friday is smashing....

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creative talent of Mridula Baljekar and hers alone. Thanks to her for writing a great cookbook...~R~ 


  

Indian Spinach and Potatoes with Garlic & Fennel

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Kyung Wha Chung: Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Calvin Harris ft Ellie Goulding ~ I Need Your Love 
Norah Jones ~ Creepin' In
Calvin Harris ft Florence Welch ~ Sweet Nothing 
Court Yard Hounds ~ I Miss You 
Norah Jones ~ The Long Day Is Over 
Jennifer Lopez ~ I'm Gonna Be Alright 
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band ~ (Long) Gone
KT Tunstall ~ Another Place To Fall
Bob Marley ~ Brand New Second 
Stone Temple Pilots ~ Vasoline
JET ~ She's A Genius
Jack Johnson ~ Banana Pancakes 
Jewel ~ Jupiter

There is something special about cold winter days...well for me anyway..and a pan of something warm and spicy bubbling away on your stove top. Yesterday I had the pleasure of the company of my friend Ann for a few hours and she was dropping off the four legged fella for me. She was also staying for lunch and I decided to make something from one of my favourite cookbooks, Mridula Baljekar's The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. Ann is a big fan of the Indian cuisine so I knew she would enjoy it. The recipes are easily veganised and most are naturally vegan anyway so it's all good.

I decided to go with an old favourite which I have made many times over the years. It has simple ingredients and big flavours...it's also quite light for a potato based dish and perfect for lunch. I served Ann's with a side of Chapati's as Mridula suggests, however, I didn't partake as they aren't GF, eh?

I'm not the biggest fan of cooked spinach and I usually prefer to get my spinach quota in by having it raw in salads or in smoothies. Oh and blitzed in soups like Lentil & Spinach Soup. And if I do have it cooked it has to be chopped to small pieces..if there is a hint of stringiness...I'm outta there. lol. I struggle with frozen spinach for this very reason. And if anyone mentions creamed spinach to me...well..nope..let's just not go there! However this recipe is cooked spinach and I love it. Hey, I am contrary...I own it. lol. Mridula instructs you to finely chop the fresh spinach and that is just fine with me as I find the chopping relaxing and I can be reassured there will be no strings of nasty after I have finished the spinach massacre. lol. And the cooking of this recipe is not hard work..and the results are a intensely comforting. The spinach sauce is silky and packed with spice and melts in your mouth. The potatoes are perfectly cooked and give you the extra level of comfort without filling you up too much. Scooped up into hot chapatis it makes for one seriously enjoyable taste of India. 

Even with my spinach issues I love this dish so if you are on the fence over the green stuff...try this recipe...it may make the difference...

Indian Spinach & Potatoes with Garlic & Fennel

Indian Spinach & Potatoes with Garlic & Fennel        Serves 4
(Recipe from The Low Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook/Baljekar)

370g/13oz/2 2/3 cups old potatoes, peeled, cut into 5cm/2" cubes
3 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil ( I used 1 tbsp)
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 
1/2 tsp fennel seeds 
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed chilli seeds 
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 
1 onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp ground fennel 
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric   
275g/10oz/5 cups of spinach, finely chopped
1 tsp salt or to taste
150g/5oz/ 2/3 cup canned chopped tomatoes, including juice
1/2 tsp garam masala 
1 tbsp tomato paste

Boil/Steam the potatoes until tender but still firm. Then set aside. 

Meanwhile heat the oil in a saute pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, add the fennel seeds, crushed chilli seeds and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds. 

Add the onion and stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until soft and just beginning to colour. 

Add the ground fennel , cumin and turmeric, and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the spinach and salt, and stir fry for 3 minutes, until the spinach has shrunk to half of the original size. 

Add the tomatoes, potatoes, garam masala and tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat and serve with chapatis. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Wednesday has been very good for you...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore I take no credit whatsoever for it's creation. It is the hard work and creative talent of Mridula Baljekar and I thank her for creating such a great cookbook. ~R~ 

Indian Lentils with Courgettes, Orange Rice and R&R Orange Slaw

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Rizzle Kicks ~ Mama Do The Hump
Dan Balan ~ Chica Bomb
Mary.J.Blige ~ Family Affair
Sophie Ellis-Bextor ~ Bittersweet
Riva ft Danni Minogue ~ Who Do You Love Now? 
Rogue Traders ~ Voodoo Child
Ciara ~ Love, Sex, Magic 
Kylie Minogue ~ 2 Hearts 
David Guetta ~ Sexy Chick
Kelly Clarkson ~ What Doesn't Kill You
Usher ~ OMG
Eve ft Gwen ~ Let Me Blow Ya Mind
Katy B ~ Lights On 
Baha Men ~ Move It Like This

As you can see from my play list my energy levels where lacking today so the Dance Around Like A Fool play list happened. lol. It always works...before I know it I'm chopping in tune and stirring with wiggles. Although I am a dyed in the vegan wool rock chick I can appreciate the dance music genre..sometimes ;-) Today it worked and that is good enough for me. 

Over the holidays I made an old favourite cabbage dish as a filling for my breakfast omelette and it reminded me of all the great recipes I had yet to try from the cookbook I used. The book being Mridula Baljekar's The Low-Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. I made a decision to try out a new recipe from her book one day a week until..well...I've run out..lol. Seriously all the recipes I've tried so far have been fantastic. 

In all honesty I chose the Lentils with Courgette recipe because I really wanted to try the Orange Rice recipe and Mridula recommends pairing the two. I also found a bag of Moong Dhal lentils in my stocks cupboard so it seemed meant to be. lol. I was really curious about them once I found them...they are tiny little yellow and oval in shape lentils. I must have bought the bag when shopping in the cities Indian and Continental Store..aka...heaven store. 

I liked this pairing because it looks like a typical curry and rice but when you take your first bite you get a zing of orange from the rice...heat from the chilli in the lentils...and holding it all together is the wholesome lentils and succulent courgettes. That all being said...I would make an effort to remove the cloves next time as they can become overwhelming which is a shame. And I really enjoyed my Orange Slaw I served on the side...it gave the meal a freshness. For days when you want some a little different...then give this meal a try...

From the left..R&R Orange Slaw..Orange Rice..Lentils with Courgettes

Lentils with Courgettes                         Serves 4
(Recipe from The Low-Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook)

225g/8oz/1 cup yellow split lentils/moong dahl
2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 green cardamon pods
1 tsp Royal cumin
4 whole cloves
1 red onion, finely sliced
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1" cube fresh ginger, grated
1-2 fresh red chilli peppers, seeded if wished
1 tsp ground turmeric 
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt or to taste 
225g/8oz/2 cups courgettes, cut bite size pieces
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 fresh tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped 

Wash the lentils thoroughly and leave to drain in a colander. Heat the oil over a medium heat. Peel back each cardamon pod very slightly and add to the oil along with the Royal cumin and cloves. Let them sizzle for 15-20 seconds. 

Add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli peppers. Stir fry until the onions are caramel brown 7-8 minutes. Add the lentils, turmeric, cumin and stir fry for 2 minutes then pour in the 570ml/1 pint/2.5 cups of hot water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir once or twice. 

Add the salt, courgettes and garam masala. Stir and recover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coriander leaves and tomatoes. Serve...

Mridula's Lentils with Courgettes

Orange Rice       Serves 4
(Recipe from The Low-Fat Vegetarian Cookbook)

275g/10oz/ 1.5 cups brown basmati rice
1 large orange 
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 2" piece of cinnamon stick, halved
4 green cardamon pods, bruised 
1 tsp salt or to taste 
450ml/16fl oz/2 cups of hot water 
1 tbsp seedless raisins (I omitted this ingredients)
25g/10z/ 1/4 cup flaked almonds

Wash the rice until the water runs clear and then soak it in water for 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly. 

Grate the orange rind finely and squeeze out the juice. You will need about 60ml/2 fl oz/ 1/4 cup of juice. 

In a heavy based saucepan heat the oil gently over a low heat and add the cinnamon and cardamon. Let them sizzle until the cardamon pods have puffed up. 

Add the rice and salt and saute for 2-3 minutes then add the hot water, raisins, orange juice and zest. Bring to the boil and allow to boil steadily for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan tightly and cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep the pan undisturbed for 5-6 minutes. 

Meanwhile, grill or broil or roast the almonds until browned. Fluff up the rice with a fork and transfer it to a serving dish. Gently mix in half the toasted almonds and scatter the remainder on top. Serve immediately. 

Mridula's Orange Rice

Rocket & Roses Orange Slaw
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

4 Brussels sprouts, finely sliced 
1/2 small carrot, peeled and stripped
1 small lump of red cabbage, finely stripped 
4 tbsp fresh orange juice 

Place all prepared veggies into a bowl and pour over the orange juice. Leave to sit in the juice for an hour. Then serve. 

Rocket & Roses Orange Slaw

  
Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week has started well...

~Red~ 

NB: The Lentil & Courgette and Orange Rice recipes are not mine and therefore I take no credit for them whatsoever. They are the creation and hard work of Mridula Baljekar and hers alone. 
And I thank her for a truly excellent cook book. ~R~  

 
  






 

 

Brunch: Tofu Omelette with Dry Spiced Cabbage Filling

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Tina Dico ~ Back Where We Started
Meredith Brooks ~ Cosmic Woo Woo
Bing Crosby ~ Swinging On A Star
Pearl Jam ~ Future Days
The Thompson Twins ~ Lies
The Gossip ~ Love And Let Love
Lenny Kravitz ~ Come On And Love Me
Kid Rock ~ U Don't Know Me
Melissa Etheridge ~ When You Find The One
Gin Blossoms ~ 29
Airbourne ~ Loaded Gun
Faith No More ~ Underwater Love
KORN ~ Reclaim My Place
The Cranberries ~ Not Sorry

I love Brunch...and I really love Susan V's omelette for one recipe. It's the only one I use..it's creamy and tasty. I enjoy experimenting with different fillings although my favourite is the broccoli and vegan chorizo mix created by ML. But a firm favourite has always been this cabbage dish from the kitchen of  Mridula Baljekar ~ The Low-Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. My copy is hanging together by strands as its so well used...and loved. lol. I haven't had a bad result from this cookbook yet.

For my breakfasts over the festive period I wanted something a little different from the norm. It wasn't a leap that I ended up with the tofu omelette but I was surprised to find myself deciding on this spicy filling. Maybe with all the potentially rich foods to come I was looking for something cleansing. You know what? It worked! lol.

I made up a double batch of the omelette mix and stashed it away in the fridge so it minimised the effort on the days. I also made this cabbage dish in advance too as it keeps really well in the fridge..and it makes enough for four breakfasts. Woo!

Hastily taken photo of Omelette for One with Dry Spiced Cabbage lol

Dry Spiced Cabbage   Serves 4
(Recipe from The Low-Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook)

2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1 red onion, finely sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced 
1 green chilli, seeded and cut into julienne 
1/4 tsp ground turmeric 
565g/1 1/4 lbs/9 cups green cabbage, finely shredded 
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 

In a wok, heat the oil over a medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for 15 seconds. 

Add the onion, garlic and chilli. Stir fry for 4 minutes then add the turmeric. Stir fry for 30 seconds. 

Look at my beautiful January King cabbage...tasted better than it looked!

 
Add the cabbage and salt, stir fry for 2 minutes then reduce the heat to low. Cover the wok with a piece of foil or lid, and cook the cabbage in it's own juices for 10-12 minutes. If you like the cabbage really soft, cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the coriander, remove from the heat and serve. Or leave to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that your Sunday has been a peaceful one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it's creation. It is the hard work and talent of Mridula Baljekar. 

Fantasy Friday: Dinner with D

R & R HQ Play List:

Tom Jone & Jools Holland ~ Mess of the Blues
Sub Sub ~ Ain't No Love, Ain't No Use
Meshell Ndegeocello ~ Who Is He and What Is He To You?
Luke Morley ~ Sacred Cow
Melissa Etheridge ~ Kiss Me
Shania Twain ~ I'm Jealous
Roy Orbison ~ Claudette
Dire Straits ~ Romeo & Juliet
Count Basie ~ After Supper
Stevie Wonder ~ Light My Fire
The Pretenders ~ Middle of the Road
David Bowie ~ China Girl
Yahiya Emerick ~ In The Kasbar
Dani Wilde ~ Some Kinda Crazy

It quickly became Fantasy Friday again, huh? Where did the week go? lol. So this week I have decided to invite my lovely pal D for dinner...as B & ML have gone in search of a Fish Restaurant. As D is the other lovely vegan in the gang, it will be a pure pleasure cooking for us both. I get to use spices and nuts and flavours galore..(sorry ML but it is a truly exciting thought..lol) So I would leave D to choose the tunes for the evening whilst I go in the kitchen and put the final touches to the starter which would be....

Indian Loaf

This loaf is the perfect starter and cuts really easily so there are no collapsed offerings..lol. It also is great the next day as a sandwich/wrap filling. In fact it's one of those loaves that gets better the longer it is sat..and it's really tasty the day it's made..lol. I served mine with two Raitas and a Chutney. For the recipes for those click here

So onto the main course...

Nine-Jewelled Vegetables with Wholemeal Chapatis

I'm sorry for this photo..it really isn't good at all and really doesn't do this beautifully tasting dish any justice whatsoever. The mix of veggies used are sublime...the almost creamy sauce they are cooked in, is heady with flavour and texture. To serve this with rice or grain of any kind is just plain wrong...and we have tried it..it doesn't work. So a simple chapati used to scoop and soak up the sauces is just perfect. I would go as far as saying this is probably my most favourite Indian dish. And it's low fat too guys..without losing any of the flavour etc.

Now if you had any room for dessert after those two offerings...lol..not sure I would but I'm fairly certain D would..I guess I would go for something like this....

Plum Sorbet

I chose this dessert because for me, after a quite rich two first courses, I would appreciate the lightness of a sorbet plus it would be quite palate cleansing. The sorbet is a little powerhouse of flavour and although presenting it in little espresso cups looks stingy...believe me..a little of this sorbet goes a long way. lol.

Now the drinks for this dinner...for my lovely pal D..it would probably be some form of Indian Beer for her..and myself I would stick to my ever boring water..but would secretly covet her beer..lol.

By this point I think ML & B would be back from their fishy adventures..(strange folks but we love em anyway..lol)..and we would all settle in for coffee and tea..and some great friend time.

So there you have it..my Fantasy Meal for this Friday..a lovely meal with my lovely pal D...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday is being excellent to you...

~R~

Nine-Jewelled Vegetables with Wholemeal Chapatis

Kitchen Play List:  Enrique Igleslas ~ Somebody's Me
                                     Martina McBride ~ Some Say I'm Running
                                     The Quireboys ~ You Shook Me All Night Long
                                     Don Williams ~ I'll Be There
                                     Madeleine Peyroux ~ The Summer Wind
                                     Freemasons ~ Uninvited
                                     Bowes & Morley ~ Better Times

This wonderful dish has been enjoyed in our home many times and I have served it to many guests. All have enjoyed it and I have been asked for the recipe a lot. The recipe comes from The Low-Fat Indian Vegetarian Cookbook 

Don't let the long list of ingredients put you off! It's just a matter of getting organised with four bowls. Put on some good music and enjoy a glass of wine or a bottle of beer and get chopping, although the music alone does it for me. lol. Bowl one, chop and toss in the shallots, chilli and ginger...bowl two, chop and toss in the potatoes, carrots and green beans....bowl three, chop and toss in the aubergine/eggplant, butternut squash and turnips...bowl four, chop and toss in the cauliflower and mushrooms...and have the spinach chopped and ready on your chopping board. Then the recipe doesn't take that much effort after that. I also mix up my spices in a tiny glass bowl so they can just be tossed in too! But that's only for this recipe...I'm not that organised usually. lol. 

This was the first recipe I made after buying this book. I cooked it up and served it with a rice dish and chapatis but we both agreed that it really didn't need the rice. As there are a lot of starches in this dish we felt bloated and heavy afterwards. The next time we tried it I served it with just the chapatis and it was a totally different experience. We found it to be a light and very tasty meal and since then that is how we have it...

May just look like a pile of veggies and a chapati but it tastes like heaven! 

Nine-Jewelled Vegetables
(Recipe from The Low-Fat Indian Cookbook)

1 tbsp unsalted cashews
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
200ml/7fl oz/ 3/4 cup warm water

2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 green cardamons, bruised
1 2" piece of cinnamon stick

5-6 shallots, finely chopped
2 green chillies, chopped (de-seeded if that's your pref)
1" piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp tumeric

450ml/16fl oz/ 2 cups of luke warm water

175g/6oz/1 cup potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" cubes
125g/4oz/ 2/3 cup fresh green beans, chopped into 2 inch pieces
90g/3oz carrots, cut into chunks

150g/4oz/1 cup aubergine cut into 2" pieces
150g/5oz/1 cup butternut squash cut into 2" pieces
125g/4oz/1 turnip cut into 1" cubes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar


125g/4oz/1 cup cauliflower florets, divided into bite sized pieces
90g/3oz/1 cup of button mushrooms, halved


125g/5fl oz/2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped down


140ml/5fl oz/ 2/3 cup soya cream
50g/2oz/ 1/4 cup soya yoghurt


1 tbsp lemon juice


In a large skillet, dry roast the cashews and sunflower seeds until lightly browned. Remove, cool and then puree in a blender with the warm water and set side. (Mine never 'purees' but is more liquid..and does separate but just give it a quick stir when needed! It's fine!)

In the skillet, heat the oil gently and add the cinnamon stick and the cardamon. Let them sizzle in the oil for 30-40 seconds. 

Add the shallots, ginger and chilli pepper. Increase the heat to medium and fry until the shallots are soft and translucent. (3-4 minutes)

Add the spices and stir, then add the potatoes, carrots and beans. Pour in the lukewarm water, stir to combine and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cover with the lid and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the aubergine, pumpkin, turnips, salt and sugar. Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the cauliflower and mushrooms and stir. Pile the spinach leaves on top of the vegetables and cover the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the (stirred) cashew/sunflower puree, cream and yoghurt. Cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes. (I sometimes find that the potatoes and turnips need a little longer cooking time..but no more than an extra 4 minutes..) 

Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Spoon into bowls and serve with chapatis or naan. 

Enjoy!