Tag: Vegan Recipes

OneWholesomeMeal brings to you a range of best vegan recipes from India and the rest of the world. In some non-vegan recipes, we also share the vegan alternates. Bringing easy to make recipes at your doorstep for good health. Try for yourself today.

 

Impossible Burger

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Almond and Flaxseed Bliss Balls

Almond and Flaxseed Bliss Balls
Almond and Flaxseed Bliss Balls

Bliss balls or energy balls are not a novelty. There are all types and kinds, and yet there are so many new and variety of options possible.

Whenever I am rushed and want to fix a quick dessert which will keep well for a week, I make one or the other kind of energy balls. Some of our family favourites are coconut-dates, apricot-pistachio, and almond turmeric bliss balls. They are the perfect take-along quick snack and super filling and healthy too!

This time however I had some flaxseed meal at hand. Hard as it is to find it on the grocery aisle these days, I wanted to use them asap. The key ingredients that I used where:

  1. Almond Meal – I used the store-bought blanched almond meal but you can also make it at home in advance.
  2. Flaxseed Meal – Just blend a few cups of flaxseed in a blender to make this or just buy off the shelf.
  3. Pitted Medjool Dates- These are the soft variety of dates available easily in any supermarket. If for some reason you are unable to lay your hands on these, you can sue regular dates; soak the regular dates in some warm water for 20-30 minutes until they are soft. Then drain and blend.
  4. Pistachios – These again, I dry roasted them to bring out the nuttiness, then cooled and blended them to a powder.Almond-Pistachio-Flaxseed Bliss balls

I also added some freshly pounded black pepper and sea salt along with a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract for flavour.

Most bliss ball recipes involve throwing all the ingredients together into a high-speed blender and blending them all together. However, for this recipe, I blended each ingredient (apart from the already blended ones of course) separately and then brought them all together one last time before shaping them into desired sized balls.

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Almond-Flaxseed Bliss Balls

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: Makes 10-12 medium sized bliss balls

Ingredients

  • Almond Meal- 1 cup
  • Flaxseed Meal- 1/4 cup
  • Pistachios, toasted and powdered- 3/4 cup and some extra for coating the bliss balls
  • Pitted Medjool Dates, coarsely chopped- 12-15
  • Coarsely pounded black pepper- 1/2 tbsp
  • Sea salt- 1 tsp
  • Pure Vanilla Extract- 1tbsp
  • Coconut oil to grease hands

Instructions

  1. Dry roast the pistachios in a heavy bottomed pan on medium high flame for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously , then cool down and keep aside; blend to a fine powder once cool
  2. Blend the dates till they are smooth and clumpy
  3. To the above blender jar add almond, pistachio, flaxseed meals, black pepper, pure vanilla extract and blend one final time till combined; you would need to scrape the sides of the jar a few times
  4. Invert the contents into a bowl and using your clean hands give it one final mix , pressing the mixture between your fingers as you go
  5. Grease your hands with some coconut oil and form the mixture into desired sized balls
  6. Coat the balls with pistachio powder if desired
  7. Store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place and consume within a week
https://onewholesomemeal.com/almond-and-flaxseed-bliss-balls/
 Almond-Flaxseed Bliss Balls

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Breakfast | 8am Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Palak Missi Roti | Indian Bread Recipe

Missi Roti
Indian Bread with Spinach and Chickpea Flour

Not as popular as the naan or kulcha, the Palak Missi Roti, is an Indian bread that is easy to make at home.

Indian cuisine is incomplete without bread. Unlike their global cousin, Indians make their bread fresh, ready to be consumed. There are many different kinds. Each type of Indian bread complements a different kind of meal very well. You get to decide how heavy or healthy you want the bread to be!

All The Types Of Indian Bread

There are gluten-free flours like ragi (finger millet) and bajra (pearl millet) which have low GI Index. Therefore they help you feel full longer. They are great for people fighting diabetes and obesity. Then there are regular wholewheat flour rotis or chapatis which are the most common form of bread eaten across most Indian households. They are perfect accompaniments to almost any kind of meal. These breads are a great midway (read – the right balance of health, taste, and indulgence) between slightly drier millet rotis and a tad too indulgent but one of the most popular versions of Indian bread – naan. Naan is made with refined or bleached flour. While the health-conscious may not approve of it, the taste conscious more than compensate for their lack of approval. Maybe that is the reason you find naan most commonly in Indian restaurants. It is not an everyday bread in an Indian home.

What Goes Into Making A Missi Roti

Now, coming to the recipe I am going to be sharing today. Missi rotis are made with wholewheat and chickpea flour, flavoured with salt and spices. That is the basic version. I tend to add grated/finely chopped vegetables as well to mine to make them healthier and a complete meal. Enjoy it with a side of yogurt or raita. And if you have time on hand you can make a nice spicy curry to go with it too! Because of the chickpea flour, they are not as soft as chapatis but have more of a crispy texture. They are best enjoyed with a yogurt-based dish or curry. Eating them with a dry dish isn’t recommended but do go ahead if that is your cup of tea 🙂

Tips to Get Your Rotis Perfect!

Since we want nice and flaky rotis that are crisp but not too hard, the most important step is to add fat (ghee/oil) to the chickpea and wheat flour mix. To incorporate the fat into the flour, give it a nice rub between your palms (or your fingers.

Post that you can add all the remaining ingredients together and knead them, adding water gradually. One needs to be careful about not adding water liberally to avoid the dough getting soggy. I used a little less than one cup of water. Once the dough is soft and pliable I covered it with damp muslin and let it rest for 30 minutes. If you are running short of time, you could just leave it for 15 minutes.

Missi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flourMissi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flour

Next, I divided the dough into small balls and roll them out like you would a regular chapati. See here a video tutorial on how to roll a chapati. Don’t worry if the rotis do not turn out perfectly round as that is perfectly normal. Just make sure they are nice and even so they cook evenly. Then place the rolled out roti on a hot tawa on medium-high heat and cook gently pressing down the sides till tiny bubbles start to form on the surface of the roti. Then flip it over and follow the same procedure. Add ghee or oil and cook for another few seconds. Flip and repeat for both sides to cook well. You should see brown spots like in the image below.

Missi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flourMissi Roti- Rotis made with wholewheat and chickpea flour

Serve right away with a side of yogurt and chutney or a spicy curry. They even make a light and filling breakfast with a side of chutney or ketchup.

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Missi Roti | Chickpea-Wholewheat Flour Roti

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

  • Whole-wheat flour- 1 cup
  • Chickpea flour- 1 cup
  • Ajwain or carom seeds- 1 tsp
  • Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
  • Hing or asafoetida- 1.5 tsp
  • Finely grated ginger- 1.5 tsp
  • Onion, finely chopped- 1/4 cup
  • Spinach, finely chopped- 1/4 cup
  • Coriander, finely chopped- 1 tbsp
  • Ghee- 1 tbsp and some extra for frying the rotis
  • Salt- 1.5 tsp or to taste
  • Water, for kneading- Approximately 1 cup

Instructions

  1. In a wide and slightly deep bowl add wholewheat and chickpea flours with ghee
  2. Bring the mixture together by rubbing it between the palm of your hands
  3. Then add the remaining ingredients, add one tablespoon water and start to knead the dough; continue the process with very gradual additions of water until the dough is soft and pliable
  4. Cover with moist muslin and let it rest for 15-20 minutes
  5. After 30 minutes, form small balls and roll out the rotis
  6. Then place the rolled out roti on a hot tawa on medium-high heat and cook gently pressing down the sides till tiny bubbles start to form on the surface of the roti, then flip it over and follow the same procedure
  7. Add ghee or oil and cook for another few seconds and then flip and repeat till both sides are cooked well and you see brown spots like in the image above
  8. Serve right away with a side of yogurt and chutney or a spicy curry.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/palak-missi-roti-indian-bread-recipe/

Chickpea flour and Wholewheat rotis

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Raw Papaya Stir Fry | Rich in Vitamin C

Raw Papaya Stir Fry
Loaded with Vitamin C

How to eat raw papaya? Well, this recipe for a raw papaya stir fry is worth a try.

I was a very fussy eater growing up. I remember sitting at the table for hours together trying to finish my paneer or rajma or baingan (eggplant) or palak (spinach)! Apart from fish curry, eggs and potatoes I pretty much detested everything from the bottom of my heart. Meetha of all kinds (dessert) of course was an exception – I could eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A Father’s Tomato Tale

Anyhow, coming back to my tryst with the dining table. You might wonder why would I sit there for hours? Simply because I was not allowed to leave the table unless the plate was wiped clean. Every time I sat there nauseated at the sight of any vegetables, my father would relate his Tomato Tale. What Tomato Tale you would ask next? So, here it goes, in my father’s own words:

“Dekho beta (my dear child)! When I was your age I hated tomatoes and spinach. I just could not stand the sight of it, let alone their taste! However, I did not give up on them. I just told myself I am going to pretend I am eating a bitter medicine and swallow them without thinking too much about their taste. And you know what! Today I love tomatoes and spinach.”

I found the story as unpalatable as the veggies themselves. However, the strict disciplinarian my Dad was, he kind of lived by the rule – my way or highway! So, what choice did a six-year-old me have but to follow orders?  I tried hard to imagine I was gobbling down a bowlful of halwa while chewing a repulsive hodgepodge of palak paneer.

Life Comes A Full Circle

But turns out my father (like most parents) knew a thing or two about psychology and growing up. I in fact love paneer and rajma now and propagate the (non-existential) benefits of eating baingan (eggplant) like it is the one true love of my life! And what more, I relate the same story to my children where the protagonist tomato has been replaced with paneer (which ironically is my children’s favorite)!

If I have to be honest, I have a much easier job at hand. I was an abysmal eater compared to my kids who more or less eat everything that is served to them. But I do have days when I have to bribe them with dessert or just cajole them to get food polished off their plates. If I have to be very honest again, this papaya stir fry fell in the latter category. But to my defense, isn’t it an important life lesson? Not everything served on the plate called life will make you happy and when it doesn’t, you just need to suck it up and get on with it in hope of better and happier things!

Raw Papaya Stir Fry Loaded with Vitamin C

Well, raw papaya is loaded with nutrition and it was called “the fruit of the angels” by Christopher Columbus for a reason. Now and then I do not mind being the Mean Mom to get my kids to eat them. As for the adults, this recipe might convert the greatest Papaya haters! It is really quick and easy to put together and tickles your taste buds like no other ‘coz it is sweet, spicy, and sour all at the same time. Great with hot phulkas and some moong daal. Perfect weeknight dinner as it is so light on the tummy!

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Raw Papaya Stir Fry

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3-4 people

Ingredients

  • Raw Papaya, cubed-2 cups
  • Onion, chopped fine- 3/4 cup
  • Garlic, chopped fine- 1.5 tsp
  • Ginger, coarsely grated- 1 tsp
  • Black Mustard seeds-1 tsp
  • Saunf or Fennel seeds-1 tsp
  • Coriander powder-1.5 tsp
  • Amchoor or dry mango powder- 1.5 tsp
  • Hing or asafoetida- 1/4 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Red Chilli powder- 1 tsp or as per taste
  • Powdered jaggery- 1 tbsp
  • Sprouted Moong- 2 tbsp
  • Lime juice-1 tbsp
  • Rock salt or regular salt-1/2 tsp
  • Peanut Chutney Powder or crushed roasted peanuts- 1 tbsp or as per taste
  • Salt- As per taste
  • Green chilies, chopped fine- 2 or as per taste
  • Vegetable Oil- 2 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Par-boil the cubed raw papaya and keep aside
  2. Wash the moong sprouts well and in a bowl mix lime juice and rock salt with the sprouts and keep aside
  3. In a wok heat some oil, reduce the heat to medium-low and to it add turmeric powder, mustard and fennel seeds and sauté until they start to crackle
  4. Then add chopped onion and cook for a minute followed by garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or so till the onions are translucent
  5. Next add coriander powder, red chilli powder and sauté for another minute
  6. To above add the par boiled papaya and give it a nice mix , then add powdered jaggery, amchoor, green chilies and salt; keeping the flame low, cover and cook for a minute or two
  7. The papaya should have cooked through and absorbed the masalas by now; turn off the heat and add the moong sprouts prepared earlier along with the peanut chutney powder or crushed peanuts
  8. Serve right away with hot fulkas and daal
https://onewholesomemeal.com/raw-papaya-stir-fry-rich-in-vitamin-c/

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Aloo Posto | Traditional Odiya Recipe

Aloo Posto
Traditional Odiya Recipe

When times are tough, food can provide you a lot of comfort. More so when it is a specialty from home like this aloo posto recipe.

The other day I read this – If you swap the words “stuck” at home with “safe” at home, it suddenly changes everything. In a moment from feeling frustrated, one ends up feeling grateful and thankful. In one such moment of gratefulness and thankfulness, I penned the below lines:

 

It is not easy staying home he said

Life is boring, has lost its meaning

No parties to go to, no friends to meet

Staying within the confines of four walls

’Tis no fun at all!

 

It is not easy staying home

Kids yell, make demands 

So hard to be patient with all that noise

She wondered if he had met someone

Who did not have kids, at least not by choice

 

It is not staying home

Cooking & feeding is all there is to do

So hard to decide what’s on the menu

And he thought of those who did not eat a square meal today

Nor would they, tomorrow…..

 

It is not easy staying home

Days are long and nights quiet

So hard to kill time

Her heart sinks at the thought of those dreading the countdown 

Knowing well that much too soon it would be Time

 

What an irony it is

We whine and complain ‘bout things

Many would give anything to attain

Let us put an end to this chain of fret

And fill our hearts with gratitude 

There is so much to smile and be thankful for

And so little really, to regret!

 

I live these words every single day. Every time it feels like life is asking too much of me I remind myself of the gifts that it has given me – my two children the greatest of all. I do not have a perfect life by any means, far from it in fact but what has kept me going so far (and I hope it does in the future too) is my ability to not fret for too long after a crushing period of non-achievement, pull myself up and look to the future. I truly hope that I continue to do so.

Most of us are home now with limited ingredients to cook with. One such day when I was struggling with what to make, I got reminded of this aloo posto dish which I although did not grow up eating, has now become comfort food for me after I enjoyed it a few times at my in-laws.

It is an extremely forgiving recipe and requires just 5 ingredients – potatoes, posto (poppy seeds), kalonji (nigella seeds), green chilies, ghee/Oil, and salt of course. The simplicity of this dish is its strength and yet it does not compromise on flavours at all. I highly recommend it to people with low spice tolerance.

The only prep required is soaking the posto for an hour before you start cooking and make a smooth paste. Once that’s out of your way, the recipe is really really simple. You can make it more indulgent by adding a dollop of ghee to finish off and that does take it to next level and oh so good with some daal and rice. So here you go, another traditional Odiya recipe for you.

Potatoes cooked with poppy seeds

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Aaloo Posto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients

  • Potatoes- 3 medium-sized, cubed
  • Poppy seeds- 4.5 tbsp, soaked in half a cup water for a minimum of one hour
  • Nigella seeds- 1tbsp
  • Green chilies - 2-3 , chopped fine or as per taste
  • Oil- 2tbsp, preferably mustard oil for best results
  • Ghee- 1 tbsp
  • Salt- 2 tsp or to taste

Instructions

  1. Scrub the potatoes well if using with skin, else peel and cube and let them soak in water
  2. Using minimal water blend the poppy seeds into a smooth paste
  3. In a thick bottomed pan, heat mustard oil and once the oil is hot, reduce the flame and add nigella seeds and chopped green chilies. Adding chillies at this stage imparts more heat to the final dish, however if that is not what you want, feel free to add chilies with the poppy seed paste
  4. Keeping the flame low, stir until the nigella seeds start to crackle, approximately 5-10 secs
  5. Then add potatoes and mix well, followed by poppy seed paste
  6. Reduce heat to low and add 2 tbsp water, stir and cover ; slow cook on a low flame till potatoes are tender
  7. Finally, season with salt and a dollop of ghee to finish
  8. Enjoy hot with toor daal and rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/aloo-posto-traditional-odiya-recipe/

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Aloo Tikki Chaat

Aloo Tikki Chaat
Aloo Tikki Chaat for the festivities

I am ashamed it has taken me over two years to bring this aloo tikki chaat recipe to you considering it was such an integral part of all major festivals especially Holi and Diwali while growing up.

My mother made this delicious chaat when I was a kid. From the sidelines, I eagerly watched the different textures and colours come together to create this fantastic taste bomb. Eventually, she sensed my excitement and let me have a go. I still remember the Diwali when for the first time I was tasked with assembling chaat. Suddenly I felt so important and grown-up. In my tween head, it was no mean feat to bring together almost ten ingredients, eyeballing their amounts and presenting them enticingly on a platter for my parents’ friends. It was not a task I took lightly. In fact, I took immense joy and pride. Over time I would also ask the guests for their preference. “Zyaada ya Kum Teekha?” (would you like it hot or mild). Something my neighbourhood Chaatwala always asked.

The Three Parts To Your Aloo Tikki Chaat

If there is one dish that I can make in my sleep, I think it is this Aloo Tikki Chaat. With time as I have had my own family and started making my own family rituals and traditions, tikki chaat has become an integral part of my celebrations too. I continue to take pride in the way I make it. Speak of blowing your own trumpet 😀

Broadly speaking, this recipe has three major components to it:

  1. The aloo (potato) tikki – This is the bland and (preferably) deep-fried component. A common mistake made while making chaat at home is loading the tikki with too many spices. Remember that chaat is a dish widely (and wildly) popular because of the many unique textures and flavours coming together to offer a surprise in every bite. This my friend is no hyperbole. The anticipation when you spoon out a helping of chaat and the surprise that follows, not knowing which of those many flavours would land in your mouth tingling what part of your tongue is what makes chaat such a popular and special Indian Street Food. Hence it is extremely important that each component has its uniqueness so it complements the rest in the best possible manner! And the tikki’s job is to to offer blandness (so it absorbs the remaining flavours well) and oily crispiness. Did that make you drool a wee bit already?Aaloo Tikki for Tikki Chaat
  2. The matar (peas) sabzi – While the tikki is bland, the matar sabzi is mildly spiced and textured forming the next layer. Check my white matar sabzi recipe which you can make for this dish as well. Some people also like to use the green matar instead of white. The recipe for both would remain the same.
  3. The Stars – Well! At least that is what I like to call them. Once the base has been created by the tikki, the flavours come from these stars. Namely onions, fresh coriander, chaat masala, rock salt, roasted cumin, yogurt, red chili powder, imli (tamarind) chutney, mint-coriander chutney, sev, and green chilies. Add them as per your taste.

Together aloo tikki chaat is an orchestra of strikingly different components with polar opposite tastes which come when come together create the most delightful symphony of flavours leaving you wanting for more!

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Aaloo Tikki Chaat

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

    For Aaloo Tikki
  • Boiled and finely grated potatoes - 3 cups
  • Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Freshly roasted and finely pounded coriander seeds to make coriander powder-2 tsp
  • Finley chopped coriander- 1.5 tbsp
  • Freshly grated ginger- 1tsp
  • Corn flour- 2 tsp or a little more to make sure the tikki binds well
  • Salt- 1 tsp or as per taste
  • Oil for deep frying or shallow frying as desired
    • For White Matar Sabzi
  • See here
    • For Green Chutney
  • Coriander leaves- 2 cups
  • Mint leaves- 3/4 cup
  • Garlic- 6 cloves
  • Ginger- 4 inch
  • Green chili- 3 or as per taste
  • Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
  • Cumin powder- 3/4 tsp
  • Hing (asafoetida)- 2 small pinch
  • Sugar- 3/4 tsp
  • Salt-1 tsp or as per taste
  • Water- 1/2 cup and a little extra to make the right consistency of chutney
    • For Tikki Chaat
  • Yogurt (or curd)- Beaten and thinned out to a pouring consistency- As desired
  • Sweet Tamarind Chutney (store bought or see here for recipe- As desired
  • Green Chutney- As desired
  • Hot and Sweet Tomato Ketchup- As desired
  • Roasted Red chilli powder- As desired
  • Freshly chopped coriander- As desired
  • Finely chopped onion- As desired
  • Finely chopped green chilli- As desired
  • Sev- As desired
  • Chaat Masala- As desired
  • Kala Namak (Rock Salt)- As desired

Instructions

    For Aaloo Tikki
  1. In a deep wide bowl mix all the ingredients for the tikki, taste for salt and form into medium sized discs and shallow or deep fry
  2. Set aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil; the tikkis should be fried right before serving
    3. For Green Chutney
  3. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender, add water if chutney is too thick, taste for salt and set aside; this can be made ahead and even frozen. It keeps fresh in the refrigerator for a week
    4. For White Matar Sabzi
  4. See here
  5. Warm the sabzi right before serving
    6. Assembling the Aaloo Tikki Chaat
  6. In a medium sized bowl, place one (or two tikkis), followed by the matar sabzi and then the remaining ingredients- yogurt, green chutney, sweet imli chutney, tomato ketchup, roasted red chilli powder, chaat masala, onion, green chillies, coriander, black salt and sev; the quantities for each would be as per taste desired
  7. Serve right away
https://onewholesomemeal.com/aloo-tikki-chaat/

Aaloo Tikki Chaat

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Chutney Powder

Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Chutney Powder
Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Chutney Powder

My motto right now, stay calm and keep cooking. Happy to share this delish spinach and tofu with peanut chutney powder, despite all my worries.

Ideally, I like to start my posts with something positively philosophical or interestingly funny. Today’s post however is neither, because if I can be truly honest with you, after more than three sleepless nights in a row, I got out of bed feeling neither positive nor funny! On the contrary, I woke up puking my gut out (sincerest apologies if that is too much information)!

Accept and Flow in 2020

Why so much drama mama, you might wonder? Well! Last few days, my life here in Hong Kong has been nothing close to anything that I had ever remotely imagined. Yeah right! Who was I kidding! When has anyone’s life panned out as expected ever! Just a few weeks ago, as my husband and I sat enjoying (a very very rare) date night/anniversary dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, we made some promises to – learn from the year that had gone by, appreciate each other more, try and walk in each other’s shoes a bit before jumping to conclusions and be fully present during the precious time we were together as a family – in short, accept and flow! 2019 had been a tough year and we were all but ready to put that behind us and embrace the new year!

WuFLu Wrecks All Plans

Little did we know that destiny had mega plans to put our plans to test, a bit too soon, may I say. Just as I was gearing to dig into some juicy work projects and enjoy the beautiful Chinese New Year with the family, all hell broke loose. Out of nowhere the Wuhan Pneumonia or what most media folks are now terming as WuFlu started to spread like wildfire in China. While most Hong Kong folks do not consider themselves a part of China, geographically speaking we aren’t all that far! Ever since the news of this deadly, possible pandemic was out (coinciding perfectly with the CNY holidays), most people in Hong Kong (me included) got into panic mode! And could we be blamed? Some of us had lived through SARS and the rest had heard some horrific stories about it. But then none of us had expected to go through an equally testing phase yet again!

Not The Best Time To Catch The Common Flu!

We got to know of the outbreak sometime around Thursday last week, January the 23rd to be precise. We hoped all will be well, not knowing the extent of spread. Come Saturday morning and every newspaper and social media group was rife with discussions and news about this possible pandemic. Cooped up indoors, I spent every waking hour either talking or reading about this new strain of the virus. I was hoping for some positive piece of news. But there was none. By Sunday evening, cabin fever had got to me and I started to imagine every possible symptom in me. And almost as if I had willed it, by Tuesday evening both me and my kids started to show symptoms of the common cold.

As things are in such circumstances, I dreaded the worst and almost saturated them with home remedies and gallons of vitamin C. By the evening of 30th January my eldest started to get better, but the youngest not so much. Headache (one of the possible symptoms of the illness) seemed to have become my new best friend ( which could have been more because of anxiety and non-stop screen time) and littlest was taking a turn for the worst. He coughed all night. I could not sleep. I shed some tears and imagined all possible dreadful outcomes. While weighing my decisions to inform the family or not if something was to happen. In the morning I got out of bed, could not stand steady. I found my way to the bathroom and puked my innards out. I am not the coolest head to be around but this even for someone like me was unprecedented. Melodramatic as it may sound, it did help to clear my head and the husband helped to make a pediatrician appointment.

Stay Calm And Keep Cooking

Now, as I sit here typing this blog post, we are back home from the ped after being reassured it is not a scary infection. With some neurfen and panadol and plenty of TLC, it should wear off in a few days’ time. Trouble seems huge until a greater one strikes. Suddenly caring for a sick toddler or managing and entertaining two young children, cooped indoor 24/7 seems way easier than it did a few days back. I keep going back to the moment when the doctor said it was nothing to worry about. I could not have been more grateful at that moment. The scare of this dreadful epidemic is far from over and we still stand in the eye of the storm. However, I now understand that all the negative news needs to be taken with a pinch of salt and all my energy needs to be focussed on staying safe rather than imagining probable outcomes. And most importantly, keeping faith in the power of positive thinking!

And Now The Recipe For Spinach And Tofu With Peanut Chutney Powder

This was definitely not the best preamble to this easy-peasy and deliciously nutritious recipe. But given the uncertain times, we live in, I felt it was pertinent. Spinach and tofu flavoured with peanut chutney powder! Simple recipes are always the best! This one is my go-to during winters when we want something quick and flavourful. The peanut chutney is the bomb!

Peanut Chutney Powder

There are quite a few popular versions of this peanut podi or chutney that use coconut. The version I share here does not. I am a huge podi fan and I cannot choose between the two.

Peanut Chutney Powder

I have another saag-tofu recipe on the blog and this one is a spin-off on the same, except its much spicier thanks to the Peanut Chutney Powder, minus tomatoes. You can however control the spice level by reducing the number of red chilies in the powder. I do not recommend it as both spinach and tofu are great at balancing the spice. Please use the firmest variety of tofu available in the market for the best results. So, without further ado, here is the recipe.

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Spinach Tofu with Peanut Powder Chutney

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 95

Serving Size: 3-4

Ingredients

    For Peanut Chutney Powder
  • Peanuts with skin, shelled- 1 cup
  • Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
  • Vegetable Oil- 1/2 tsp
  • Dried red chilies- 12-15
  • Garlic,peeled- 1 head
    • For Spinach-Tofu stir fry
  • Spinach, finely chopped- 5 cups
  • Hard Tofu cut in desired size pieces-1.5 cups
  • Garlic, finely chopped- 2 teaspoons
  • Cumin- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
  • Green chilies-2 (optional)
  • Mustard oil-1.5 teaspoon
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or as per taste
  • Peanut Chutney Powder- 3 tbsp or as per taste
  • Toasted coconut slivers for garnish

Instructions

    For Peanut Chutney Powder
  1. Dry roast the peanuts lightly in a thick bottomed frying pan over medium heat, turn off the heat and peal off the skin by rubbing them between the palms of your hands
  2. Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat until light brown, turn off the heat and keep aside
  3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable oil to the same pan and roast the dried red chillies for a few minutes on medium heat till they turn a shade darker, add garlic and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes
  4. Bring all roasted ingredients to room temperature and grind in a high speed blender to a coarse powder so it retains its texture; over blending might "cook" the peanut and make the blend slightly sticky as fats release
    5. For Spinach-Tofu stir fry
  5. Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and stir fry tofu till light brown; drain excess oil from the tofu on a kitchen towel and keep aside
  6. To the same pan, add cumin seeds, garlic and turmeric and stir till the spices start to crackle. Be careful to not burn them or it would make the dish bitter
  7. Add spinach,cover and cook till almost done; Then uncover and let the excess water dry out on a low flame; stir intermittently
  8. Add tofu and salt ,mix well and simmer for another 2-3 minutes
  9. Turn off heat, add the peanut chutney powder and mix well; garnish with toasted coconut slivers and serve with hot phulkas or daal and rice
https://onewholesomemeal.com/spinach-and-tofu-with-peanut-chutney-powder/