Gajar, Matar, Bhutte ki Bhaji | Mixed Vegetables Sabzi

I love the taste of peas and carrots together, or beans and corn together in a sabzi. In a Delhi winter, it is quite common to combine sweet green peas, beautiful red carrots, with tender beans to make a flavourful sabzi. We don't get the lovely red carrots in this part of the world, but to the remaining vegetables I add a handful of corn. A mixed vegetable sabzi can be made pretty much with any masala, but my favourite is with Goda Masala!!

Daring Cooks: Spicy Bean, Walnut, and Sun Dried Tomato Pate with Honey Wheat Bread

Pate and bread!! Perfect combination that always reminds me of Michaelmas in London. Brightly lit streets, exotic foods in creatively decorated containers, and loads of colour and warmth all around. Pate is in-season and and so are herbed crackers that go with it. Then again pates remind me of summer in England - they make a wonderful addition to any picnic basket - whether you plan to watch the boat races or head off to the Wimbledon Greens for a day out!!

Tari Wale Chole | Curried Chickpeas

Chole is a favourite dish in our home. While I make chole more suitable for chaat and tikkis, he makes them in  a typically North Indian style. Tari Wale Chole is typical of UP and Delhi where you will find this curry being sold early mornings at railway stations and small eateries near bus stops. It is also popular in the many temple towns there. The curry of this chole is very simple to make yet is very flavourful. Ideal for dunking freshly made pooris!!

Delicious Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Mac & Cheese is the ultimate comfort food! We adore mac and cheese round here. I generally use different ingredients each time I make mac and cheese and so have developed several versions of this lovely dish. A couple of weeks back it suddenly turned cool around here. There was even frost on the ground!! Craving something very comforting and warming, I decided decided to make a classically creamy baked version of mac and cheese.

Daring Cooks Challenge: Spicy Green Chile, Two Bean, and Zucchini Enchilada Bake

Spicy Enchiladas are always a welcome treat and home made ones do taste the best!! Barbara and Bunnee gave us a fabulous May 2010 Daring Cooks Challenge. My version of this recipe included the home made corn tortillas, a green chile sauce, two bean and zucchini filling mix, and grated basil-tomato cheese! For the Green Chile Sauce, I broiled the chiles and the tomatillos in the oven but added no onions or garlic in it. For the filling, I made a vegetarian mix of two beans, zucchini, tomato, and fresh corn, with loads of onion and garlic. The tortillas were easy to make and came out very soft and delicious. I did not fry before baking. I made the bake more like a baked lasagna dish, lining the baking pan with the tortillas rather than making individual stacks. It was easy to cut through the bake for individual sized portions. This is a great recipe and we really enjoyed it. I will definitely make this dish again!!

Tuscan Ribollita Or a Hearty Reboiled Soup from the Simple Kitchens of Tuscany

A staple of the simple Tuscan Kitchen is soup. And amongst soups, one of the most popular is a soup called the Ribollita. A peasant soup, the term literally means reboiled. With a tangy tomato base, this soup calls for any leftover vegetables lying in the pantry and a generous spoonful of basil pesto sauce. For the uninitiated, think Minestrone without pasta and with loads of beans. This was one of the soups that I made for supper last week. I served it with hunks of Kalamata and Olive Focaccia!!

Spicy Five Grain Spaghetti

Spaghetti is an all time favourite with so many families. While regular spaghetti has been around our stores as far back as we care to remember and is well loved; supermarkets are increasing stocking their pasta aisles with whole grain spaghetti, spaghetti with flax meal (read Omega 3), and multi-grain spaghetti. If you have been reluctant to try any of these out, don't be shy!! You are missing out on some great whole grain nutrition and significantly good taste!! Wholegrain pasta has a very wholesome and nutty taste, that enhances the entire flavour of the heartier pasta dishes, and takes on the thicker sauces very well.

Daring Cooks April 2010: Khutkhute - Goan Vegetable Stew

The Daring Cooks challenge for April was a tough one for a vegetarian. Though our host Wolf was kind enough to discuss a vegetarian possibility for the classic Brunswick Stew, anyone can see this is a meat lovers recipe!! I considered making a version by simply dropping out the meats, but then it would really be no different from some sort of a mixed vegetable soup. Somehow that idea was not gelling with me but I did want to make a stew for this challenge.

Home Made Refried Beans

A staple of Mexican food, refried beans are by any standard a delicious indulgence. We love Mexican food here and I am always interested in creating healthful vegetarian alternatives to world foods that we try in restaurants every now and then. This recipe of refried beans has the authentic Mexican taste that goes so well with tortillas, tacos, rice, and dips. I used this recipe to make the refried beans for the Festive Seven Layer Dip.

Festive Seven Layer Dip with Home Made Refried Beans

Super Bowl Sunday had always been celebrated with a ritualistic fervour by my friends from across the pond when I lived in England. Somehow I never quite understood the enthusiasm. Most probably because I had not been exposed to the game, did not know the teams, or anything else about this annual event for that matter. I guess it was also because the time difference meant that the game one had to be awake past mid-night to enjoy the festivities - something my schedules would never permit.

Flowers & Falafel for Valentine's Day

Food from the Middle-East is delicious, nutritious, and above all full of variety for both a vegetarian and a vegan diet. It is a cuisine that I have enjoyed and shared for many years now. In London, I would head out every so often to one of the many Maroush restaurants, Ranoush, Beruit Express, or the local falafel sandwich shop for my weekly fix of falafel, olives, pickled vegetables, vine leaves, salads, hummus, and fresh baked pita! Now I regularly prepare a variety of middle-east style foods at home.

So when Michele proposed a Mezze meal for February, I was delighted. Michele kindly provided us (the Daring Cooks!) with 5 lovely recipes!! I chose to make the pita, falafel, hummus from her selection. And I added olives and seasoned cheese, a walnut-yogurt dip, and as it was Valentine's Day a dessert that I adore - Basbousa (An Egyptian Syrup Cake)!!

MLLA 12: Warm Welcome to New Bloggers

This is the last in the roundup series for MLLA 12. Thanks for participating and making this event such success :) I hope that I have not forgotten anyone, but if you don't see your entry here, do alert me via email asap. I plan to announce the winner of MLLA 12 in the coming week!!

Shaista @ Mixcalculations is a new food blogger. Her entry is Arhar or Toor Dal. She says that she loves having variety of daals, with roti or rice or just as it is. Toor daal is one legume that which she cooks most often. It is super easy to make, nutritious and saves time if you are in a hurry.

Jaya @ Jayaspace is also a newbie to the blogging world. She writes: "I have grown up eating various beans -- moth, moong, black eyed peas... Love them for their taste and nutrition and cook them at least once a week in my house". Though this is a very simple and very common recipe, Jaya says Moth/Matki Usal can be adjusted for taste depending on the garnish and level of spice used.


Meeta @ What's For Lunch, Honey? has dished up Butter Beans and Leeks, which she has adapted from one from Jamie Oliver’s - Cook with Jamie! Meeta says: "These beans and leeks go with just about anything. Fish lovers will find it perfect to trout, wild salmon or tilapia. Delicately baked chicken is with just a simple seasoning of lemon juice, salt and pepper is a wonderful accompaniment. Or as Jamie serves the beans and leeks with steaks".

Location: Weimar, Germany




Jisha @ Kerala Recipes Long Bean Stir Fry (Achinga Mezhkkupuratti in Malayalam) sent in a wonderful recipe of tender long beans stir fried in oil! Jisha says these beans are a favourite with her husband and she prepared this simple yet tasty dish for him.

Location: Charlotte, USA

A wonderfully innovation rice dish comes to us from Siri @ Siri's Corner! Butter Bean Pulao is a quick and esy recipe, and it is needless to say rather tasty. Siri picked up this idea from a colleague at work, and tried it at home with great success.

Location: Washington DC, USA

Katie @ Eat This a lovely snacking idea - Roasted Chickpeas! Crunchy roasted chickpeas are a delicious snack filled with protein. Katie writes that the same can be done with black, kidney and pinto beans!!

Nivedita @ Nivedita's Kitchen has sent in a protein powerhouse for MLLA 12. She writes 14 Mixed Pulses Gravy "is a very healthy food for all ages, especially children. And can be used as main food with chapatis or side dish or an evening snack".

Location ; Hubli, Karnataka, India.

Ann @ Happy and Healthy Cooking send in a simple curry recipe - Satvic Tuesday. Ann notes that Dried peas are excellent source of protein and fiber. To maximise on their nutritive value, Ann tried best to keep this recipe healthy and simple. She cooked the legumes in a Satvic style to aid in good digestion!

Matt Huntley writes: "As summer quickly approaches, the idea of eating a warm and hearty soup seems to steer a lot of people away from utilizing beans in their everyday diet. Because they are so easy to add to any soup or stew, it is easy to forget that beans can adapt just as well to chilled dishes. This recipe features the “earthy” flavor of Blackeye Peas with fresh vegetables, and is tossed in a delicious tangy and spicy dressing". Cowboy Caviar can be found @ @ the Hurst Bean Blog.

Location- Indianapolis

Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook sends in her own recipe Pinto Beans Flameado! Susan writes that "the traditional recipe is known as Queso Flameado (Flaming Cheese) and is doused with brandy and torched before serving". Watch out for the smoke detector in your kitchen if you want to try this one.

Shri @ Tastytouch made delicious deep fried lentil dumplings or Dahi Vada! Shri says her Grandma made the best vadas she has ever tasted. The ideal Dahi Vada should be soft, and spongy, and soaked in seasoned yogurt.

Miri from Peppermill made a Chawli Amti for MLLA 12. Amti is a traditional recipe from the state of Maharashtra, India. "Amti" refers to a lentil curry and is one of the staples served with rice or rotis. Miri says: "This particular recipe uses legumes - I have used black eyed peas, one can also use black chickpeas - sprouted even!. The dried coconut and garlic adds some lovely flavours to this curry"!


All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

MLLA 12: Soups, Cookies, and Vegetarian Omelettes

I kick off the MLLA 12 Roundup this morning with 5 further entries from Sadhana & Muskaan of A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine! The first is Jain Chole Puri. Muskaan writes that while Chole Puri is everybodys favourite a Jain style Chole Puri is more 'Saatvik' as Potatoes, Onion, Garlic..etc... are not added to it during the cooking process. She notes that Jain chole tastes awesome, the food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. This meal is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein and Copper, and a very good source of Folate and Manganese.
The next entry
from Muskaan is a delightful vegetarian version of
an Omelette sandwich!! She uses none other than chickpea flour to make these delicious looking omelettes. Muskaan writes that ChickPea Flour (Besan) is also low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Magnesium Protein, Folate and Manganese, and Niacin. Tomato Cabbage Omelette Whole Grain Sandwich looks an absolote treat. Muskaan also made Dahi Vada (Lentil Dumplings In Sweet Yogurt Sauce for MLLA 12.


The following 2 are from from Sadhana is Oats Peanut butter cookie. On their blog, Sadhana notes that peanuts are not true nuts but a member of a family of legumes related to peas, lentils, chickpeas and other beans. They are in fact a very good source of monosaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy diet. Sadhana has also made a healthy Black Bean Veggie Burger. To know more about these delicious cookies and the burger, visit their blog A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine!

Divya Vikram @ Dil Se.. sends in a lovely third entry for MLLA 12. It is the yummy Moong Dal Payasam. Divya writes that this is a healthy dessert made with moong dal and jaggery. It is usually prepared on special occasions in South India.

Lubna's fourth entry is Capsicum Chana Dal Curry. Do take a peek at her blog Yummy Food for this recipe!

Sweatha @ TastyCurryLeaf blog shows us another way in which the tasty and nutritious chickpea can be used in cooking! Her entry Moroccan Spiced ChickPea Spinach Soup. Sweatha says: "I tried this soup as the original recipe included apricots in the soup which sure add a tanginess. A Hearty and filling and perfectly spicy soup. Chickpeas in soup and sauce form is very welcome and healthy".

Smitha @ Kannada Cuisine made a Batani Saagu for MLLA 12. This is a green peas stew traditionally paired with Idli, Dosa or even Chapati. Cooked potatoes gives body to the dish and tomatoes & green peas adds a sweet accent and of course colour. Lime juice, green chillies and fresh coriander adds flavour and freshness to the dish

Ramya @ Simple Vegetarian Recipes hs sent in Beans Paruppu usili /Beans with cooked Toor Dal This is a side dish and the main ingredient is the widely used legume which is toor dal mixed with beans.


Two more entries from Deepti @ Dipskitchen! The first is Rajma, and the second Urad Chana Dal



Bee and Jai @ Jugalbandi have sent in Papad Palakfor MLLA 12.They write: "This dish was inspired by the Gujarati Dal Dhokli, where wheat dumplings are added to a lentil base. This is easier with ready made lentil wafers (available at any south Asian grocery) added to greens as they wilt down. Lower in carbs and much quicker. Frozen, thawed spinach will work too".

Location: North Western U.S.

Stay linked for more MLLA 12:)

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

MLLA 12: Its Raining Chickpeas....

MLLA 12 must set a record of sorts with the number of delicious chickpea recipes it has received!! Here's to yet another helping of yummy legumes.

Pooja @ Experiments in my Kitchen loves cooking and has polished her cooking skills in the last few years. She chose Chana/Chickpeas Curry for the MLLA 12 as they are her favourite protein packed legume. This Chickpea Curry is prepared with a blend of spices and is sauteed. It is usually enjoyed with batura or poori - Indian style fried breads.

Poornima from Tasty Treats is enjoying relaxed July 4th weekend. As a treat she has also prepared a recipe that she got from a friend's mother. Do visit her blog for a delicious Chana Masala recipe.

Prasu has made a very different and unique dish for MLLA 12. Its a Brussels Sprouts Curry. She likes the high nutrient value of the Brussels Sprouts and has added chickpeas to the same to give you a power packed idea for lunch! Prasu writes that pulses, including chick peas, are increasingly being used in healthy diets in order to promote general well-being and to reduce the risk of illness. In fact, chick peas are an excellent source of protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Lubna's third contribution to MLLA 12 is Vada - A South Indian Lentil Doughnut. Lubna finds that cooking with family and friends is a definite stress buster and suggests you try it at your next free weekend. Visit her blog Yummy Food for more yummy treats.

Jessica @ the Fearless Kitchen made a refreshing Black-Eyed Pea Salad. Jessica says that this is a "pretty simple but tasty Greek dish that can work either as a side dish or as a main dish". She adapted the recipe from Susanna Hoffman's The Olive and the Caper to treat her open House guests one Sunday in June.


Bong Mom from USA @ Bong Mom's CookBook has sent in two recipes. The first is Mator Dal (Yellow Split Peas), and the second is Mator Dal with veggies (Yellow Split Peas with vegetables). She says that these are her two favourite recipes for dal made of Yellow Split Peas. They are like an Indian style soup and the original name is in Bengali.

Rupali @ Chakh...Le...Re! loves Mexican food, especially the salsas. She created a delicious Indian style salsas to go with an all time favourite Indian tea-time snack. Find the delicious recipes for these salsas on her blog post Potato Patties with Desi Salsas.



Deepti from Dipskitchen made a mouthwatering Lobhiya( Black-eyed beans) chaat. Deepti notes that this dish is basically a healthy snack as it contains lobhiya which is a source of calcium, folate and vitamin A.

Srivalli from Cooking 4 all Seasons rekindled fond childhood memories by preparing a Gujarati style Rajma Masala. Looks yummy and I am sure it will do justice to any rice dish or freshly prepared Indian style bread!!

Mia @ SWAADU made Snowpeas and Sprouted Green Gram Upperi. Mia writes that this is a dry curry which is made with sprouted green grams and snowpeas.What makes it special is its color and the nutritious value.This is simply a soothing and comforting dish which goes well with rice or chapathi or just like that as a salad.

More of the roundup to follow tomorrow!!

All text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

MLLA 12: The Roundup

June 2009 has come and gone and we are in the thick of summer out here. Hot sticky days are followed by thunderstorms and skin-drenching rain. My garden is in full bloom and my schedule has simply exploded. And June has been a special month for me as I have travelled a lot, and written a fair bit!! I have also been the host of one of the most delightful and creative events to grace the food-blogosphere - My Legume Love Affair. Created by Susan @ The Well-Seasoned Cook, the 12th helping of this event has been running from June 1-30, 2009 @ Annarasa !

Though the title of this post reads 'The Roundup', I'd like to share at the very outset that the response to the event has been super and it will take me more than this single post to get everyone's entry up. The prize winning entry will follow the completion of the entire roundup on this blog:) Let me begin with thanking everyone who has participated and sent in such delightful recipes, all of which I feel privileged to share with you via this roundup. I would also like to thank everyone for their patience and request that in the event that you do not see your entry in the completed roundup, just send me an email and I will make sure it is placed in its rightful spot. Do remember though that the recipe roundup reflects the entries date wise as they landed in my inbox.

The very first entry I received for MLLA 12 has come from Sailaja @ Sailaja's Kitchen. Sailaja loves good food and she has prepared a deliciously spicy Rajma Vada. Doesn't it look like a tasteful and healthy snack!

Lubna @ Yummy Food has been a delightfully busy cook this month. She has enthusiastically sent in several yummy recipes for MLLA 12 over the course of the last month! I will detail them as they came in. The very first from her is Dosa - A South Indian Crepe with Instant Tomato Chutney.

Two entries from Priyasuresh @ Priya's East N Tasty Recipes are next. The first is Red Bell Pepper and Peanut Chutney - just look at the colour! And the second is a distinct and interesting preparation called Sri Lankan Paruppu Kari.

Location: Paris, France

Laura @ The Spiced Life loves her legumes. She sent in this beautiful Sabzi Dhan Shak (Parsi Spicy Squash & Legume Stew). Laura writes "Dhan Shak is a A famous Bombay dish, made unique by its use of Parsi dhanajeera powder, this lentil, mung bean and split pea stew is thick with veggies and fragrant with spices".

Location: SW Ohio, USA

The second entry from Lubna @ Yummy Food arrived in my inbox a few days later. It is Idli - A South Indian Delight. Do visit her blog for some interesting information on this all-time favourite dish from the Southerns states of India!!

Lisa @ Lisa's Kitchen writes, "One of my favorite beans is the versatile oval-shaped whole green mung bean. Particularly easy to digest, especially when soaked overnight, cooked along with some spices and vegetables, this mildly sweet little legume can easily be transformed into an entree that will quell thoughts of a decadent dessert". Lisa sends in Mung Beans with Mixed Vegetables.

Location: London, Ontario, Canada

Sra @ When My Soup Came Alive has recently acquired a new Bengali cookbook!! From this cookbook comes a recipe Legumes, And a Bit of Cheese - which is quite simply a mildly spiced but heavy dal. Sra says she tried this recipe "because the combination of paneer, potatoes and moong dal is intriguing and piqued my curiosity".


Middle-Eastern cuisine has captured the hearts of Bird's Eye View and her family! Writing @ Food and Laughter Sra says she happily discovered delights of ME cooking when visiting friends in New york. Now ME fare is as much a part of her cooking as any other. Here she has prepared Hummus to share with us at MLLA 12.



A tasty, healthy, and filling snack is coming our way courtesy of Aparna @ My Diverse Kitchen. Aparna notes that a delicious combination of chickpea flour and fenugreek leaves is all it takes to prepare these yummy looking Methi Muthias - Steamed Fenugreek Leaves!


Priyanka of Asankhana blog prepared a breakfast treat with a platter of Moong Dal Chila, and served it with tangy home-made mango pickle!! A perfect and satisfying breakfast.

Join me at my next post for more from My Legume Love Affair: 12th Helping!!

All content, text, and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.

A Daring Bakers Venture: Lasagne Verdi al Forno

This month's challenge was to make lasagne from scratch!! Now though I have prepared home-made mushroom ravioli some years ago, I never really considered venturing into making my own lasagne sheets!!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I chose to make a vegetarian version - egg free with a vegetarian ragu filling!! The bechamel sauce was delicious. Well, here is the beautiful result. The photos are ready for sharing:)

The corner piece which I love!!!!

And one for a view of the layers:)

Yummy!! We all really enjoyed this meal. This recipe is a keeper.

All content, text and photographs in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright of © Annarasa 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.