Vegetarian

My instant noodles with veggies

| Rekha Vengalil

The other day it was literally a fridge attack…  Cooked up this meal with all the left over veggies in the fridge.. and was a instant hit too 🙂

Instant noodles with veggies

You need –

  • Instant noodles – 2 packs
  • Carrot – Cut into small cubes ½ cup
  • Cabbage – thinly sliced ½ cup
  • Frozen corn and peas – ½ cup
  • Shallots – sliced, 2 tablespoon
  • Green chilli – 1, finely chopped
  • Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Soya sauce – 1 teaspoon
  • Salt and pepper – as per taste

How to –
  • Cook the noodles in boiling water. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onion, chilli and sauté till onion turn golden brown.
  • Add the carrot, peas, corn and sauté for 3 minutes
  • Add the cabbage, salt, pepper, soya sauce and combine well.
  • Now add the cooked noodles and toss well.
  • Turn off the heat. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Instant noodles with veggies

Please note – Don’t over cook the veggies. 

Grilled Quesadillas

| Rekha Vengalil
Fresh, fast and vibrant… They are so easy to make, its a perfect dinner for busy weekdays after-work. And feel free to play with the fillings as you wish!

Grilled Quesadillas
You will need –
  • Tortilla – 4
  • Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
For the filling –
  • Japanese cucumber – 1 thinly sliced with vegetable peeler
  • Red bell pepper – 1, thinly sliced length wise
  • Cherry tomatoes – 10, cut into ½
  • Grated mozzarella – 1 cup
  • Fresh coriander leaves – 4 tablespoon, chopped.
  • Salt and pepper – as per taste
How to –
  • Heat a griddle pan.
  • Mix all the above said filling ingredients except cheese together.
  • Place the filling on the tortillas over one half only. Sprinkle the cheese and coriander leaves.
  • Fold the tortilla wrap to a half moon shape. Bush with oil on both sides
  • Carefully place the tortillas over the hot griddle for 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Transfer the tortillas to cutting board and cut into half and serve hot.
Grilled Quesadillas

Please note – Be careful when transferring the tortillas, as you don’t want the filling to fall out. Use a wide spatula to lift them in and out of the pan.

Aloo Mutter

| Rekha Vengalil
Aloo Mutter
You need –
  • Potatoes – 2 large cut into cubes
  • Frozen peas – ½ cup
  • Onion – 1 large or 1 cup thinly sliced
  • Ginger – 1 small piece
  • Garlic – 2 large cloves
  • Tomatoes puree – 1 cup
  • Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Garam masala powder – ½ teaspoon
  • turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon or as required.
How to –
  • Grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.No adding water.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet, add cumin and onion paste. Saute till the onions turn golden brown.
  • Add the tomato puree, potatoes, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, salt and chilli powder and stir well. Add ½ cup water or as required. Cover and cook till the potatoes are cooked.
  • Add the peas and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add water if required.
  • Turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

Stir fried beets

| Rekha Vengalil
You can cook this with most veggies, like carrot, cabbage.. When I cook this for my daughter I avoid adding the green chili.

Stir fried beets
You need
  • Beetroots – 1 large grated
  • Mustard – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Curry leaves – 10
  • Dried chili – 2
  • Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Onion – thinly sliced ½ cup
  • Green chili – 1 slit
  • Dried fenugreek leave – 1 teaspoon
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon or as required
  • Salt to taste
How to –
  • Heat oil in skillet. Add the mustard seeds. Once it starts to crackle, tip in the dried chili and curry leaves.
  • Add onions, green chili. Saute till onions turn golden brown.
  • Add turmeric and fenugreek leaves, and fry for a minute.
  • Add beetroot, salt and mix well. Cover and cook for a 2 minutes.
  • Uncover and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and serve hot

Mushroom, peas and potato curry

| Rekha Vengalil
Mushroom, peas and potato curry


You need –
  • Mushroom – 500 grams sliced
  • Potatoes – 3-4 small potatoes (cut into half with the skin on. If large cut into ¼’s)
  • Frozen green peas – 1 cup
  • Onion – 1 large or 1 cup sliced
  • Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon
  • Grated garlic – 1 teaspoon
  • Fresh coriander leaves – 2 tablespoon
  • Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Hot water – ½ cup
  • Oil –1- 2 tablespoon
  • Salt – as per taste

How to –
  • Heat oil in a pan and fry onion till they turn golden brown.
  • Add ginger-garlic paste and coriander leaves. Continue to fry till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add turmeric and chili powder. Fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add mushroom, potatoes, hot water, salt and stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for 15 – 20 minutes.
  • Add peas, garam masala and mix well.
  • Cover and continue to cook for further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
  • Turn off the heat and serve hot with Roti or rice.

                                                                        Mushroom, peas and potato curry

Please note – if you are using fresh peas, add in along with potatoes and mushroom. I have garnished with spring onions which is optional.

Potato feta fritters

| Rekha Vengalil

Potato feta fritters
You need-
  • Potatoes – 245 grams
  • Feta cheese – 125 grams
  • Egg – 1
  • Spring onions – 3 chopped
  • Fresh dill – finely chopped 3 tablespoon
  • Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
  • Lemon zest – 1 teaspoon
  • Freshly ground black pepper – as per taste
  • Flour – 3-4 tablespoon or as required for dusting
  • Olive oil  – 5 tablespoon
How to
  • Boil and mash the potatoes. Crumble the feta cheese
  • In a bowl, mix together potatoes, feta cheese, egg, spring onions, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest and black pepper till well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or till firm.
  • Roll the mixtures into golf ball size fritters and flatten slightly. Dust slightly with flour  using a strainer/sieve .
  • Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fritters until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.

Vendakka Thayir Pachadi

| Rekha Vengalil
Its simple and easy to make. A quick fix meal. 

Vendakka Thayir Pachadi
You will need –

  • Thick Yogurt – 1 cups
  • Water – ¼ or as required
  • Grated coconut – 1/3 cup
  • Green Chili – 1
  • Okra – 3-4
  • Coconut oil – as required for frying the Okras

Tempering

  • Mustard – ½ teaspoon
  • Dried red chilli – 1
  • Curry leaves – 10
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon
How to
  • Grind the grated coconut and green chili into a fine paste. Adding a little water if required and set aside.
  • Chop the okra’s into slices (1/2 cms) and deep fry till they turn golden brown. Set aside on Kitchen towel to drain out excess oil.
  • Mix the coconut-chili paste with yogurt, add the fried okra, salt to taste and mix well. Add water or as required if the mixture is too thick.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let it start to splatter. Add the curry leaves and red chili.  Add this to the yogurt coconut mixture.
  • This goes best with rice.

Chana masala/Chickpeas curry

| Rekha Vengalil
I don’t make puris often but when I did the other day, I could think of nothing but this curry to go with it.

Chana masala/Chickpeas curry


You will need –
  • White chickpeas – 400 grams
  • Cardamom – 3
  • Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon
  • Cinnamon – I median stick
  • Onion – 1 medium finally chopped
  • Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Garlic paste– 1 teaspoon
  • Tinned tomatoes – 3/4 cup
  • Chili powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Chana masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
  • Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Ghee/oil – 2 tablespoon
  • Water – 1 cup or as required

How to –
  • Wash n soak the chickpeas with enough water overnight.
  • Drain the chickpeas and cook with water and salt in a saucepan until the chickpeas are soft.
  • Grind the cardamom, coriander seeds and cinnamon stick in a pestle and mortar to fine powder.
  • Heat oil in the saucepan and stir-fry the spice powder for about 10-15 seconds
  • Add the chopped onion and sauté until golden brown.
  • Add the garlic and ginger paste and cook till the raw smell is gone
  • Add the tomatoes, chili powder and salt and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chickpeas, water and the chana masala. Stir and cook for 20-30 minutes
  • Drizzle the lemon juice and add the garam masala and turn off the heat.
  • Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Puri, rice or roti