Turmeric Tofu

Turmeric tofu is as simple a dish as it sounds! It’s tofu cooked with a very simple turmeric and paprika marinade. It tastes great on it’s own as a warm savory snack and can also be chopped up and added to salads. With the anti-inflammatory effects and strong antioxidant properties of turmeric and the protein benefits of tofu, this winning combination makes a flavorful yet guilt-free snack!

Ingredients: (2-3 servings)

7 oz extra firm tofu

1 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp paprika or red chili powder (adjust to taste)

2-3 Tbsp water

Salt to taste

Ghee/oil for pan frying (optional)

Lemon juice (optional)

Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Prepare marinade by mixing turmeric, paprika and water.

Slice the tofu into ¼” thick slices. Using paper towels, gently squeeze out moisture from the tofu. Place the tofu slices in a microwave-safe container and spoon the marinade over them, spreading it to cover the slices completely. Flip the tofu slices over and add more marinade to cover the other side. Microwave on high for ~4 min, then flip the tofu over and microwave for another 3-4 min. This will help firm up the tofu.

Heat a couple drops of ghee/oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the tofu slices in a single layer and cook until browned on the bottom. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and flip the slices over. Cook until the other side is golden brown.

Remove from pan and serve hot with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

 

~Gayatri

Other tofu recipes you might like:

Coconut crusted tofu

Lemon pepper tofu

Baked tofu in soy sauce marinade

Cauliflower tofu gratin

Crispy tofu spinach bites

Crispy tofu in peanut-based marinade

Find us on Facebook
 

Cauliflower Jeera (Cumin) Rice

Cauliflower rice is a nice grain alternative to sop up delicious curries. This vegetable can be easily turned into fried rice with a bit of a crunch or a melt-in-your-mouth risotto. However, these preparations take some time and need several ingredients. On the other hand, plain cauliflower rice can be extremely bland. Jeera (cumin) fried cauliflower rice is a wonderful solution to these problems - it tastes good and can be whipped up in a few minutes without much prep! This flavorful “rice” is inspired by the traditional jeera fried rice recipe from India and goes very well with curries.

Ingredients: (3-4 servings)

1 medium-large head of cauliflower

2 tsp ghee (ghee or clarified butter gives it a beautiful aroma, but can use oil if you don’t have any ghee)

1.5 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Cilantro to garnish (optional)

 

“Rice” the cauliflower by using a coarse grater or pulsing florets in a food processor for a few seconds.

 

Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and fry them until they sizzle and turn slightly darker, releasing a lovely aroma. Add the riced cauliflower and sauté for 3-5 minutes until it’s cooked to your liking. I like to keep it somewhat raw.

 

Take off the heat and season with salt. It’s best not to add salt while cooking as the cauliflower would release water.

 

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with your favorite curry!

~Gayatri


Find us on Facebook
 

Healthy Gajar Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding)

Gajar halwa is one of my favorite Indian desserts. It’s a pudding made with grated carrots cooked in milk. While those two ingredients sound nutritious, it is important to note that a significant amount of processed sugar typically goes into this dish. However, there’s an easy way to make this dessert much healthier! The recipe below completely substitutes sugar with dates, which have a lower glycemic index than table sugar, thus avoiding blood glucose spikes. It also uses non-fat milk thickened with pureed cashews (in addition to pureed dates), which adds healthy fats and protein to the dish. The most awesome part is that the taste is almost unaltered with these healthy substitutions. If you’re feeling adventurous, you may even add some orange zest like I did to give this healthy dessert a delicious fruity flavor!

Ingredients: (Makes ~2.5 cups)

5-6 large carrots, finely grated

~10 dates, pitted

¼ cup raw cashews

½ tsp cardamom powder

2-3 cups milk (I used nonfat - use non-dairy milk for a vegan option)

Raisins, chopped cashews - optional

1 Tbsp orange zest - optional

1-2 tsp ghee (or coconut oil)

 

Soak the dates and cashews in about 1½ cups of milk for 3-4 hours. You can cut down the time considerably by heating the milk with the dates and cashews until it just starts boiling. Puree the dates and cashews with the milk. The dates are the only sweetener in this recipe (other than the natural sweetness of the cashews), so use more/less dates per your taste. The pureed cashews act as thickener, allowing the use of nonfat milk, while adding some protein to the dessert.

 

Heat ghee in a non-stick pan over medium heat. If using raisins, chopped cashews, use 2 tsp ghee, if not, 1 tsp is enough as long as you’re cooking in a non-stick pan. Once the ghee is warm, add the raisins and cashew, and stir until slightly toasted. Add the grated carrots and stir to mix well. Let it cook for ~5 min stirring occasionally. Add cardamom powder, orange zest and the date-cashew milk, stir, cover and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Keep stirring and adding more milk as needed until the carrots are soft. This halwa shouldn’t be too dry, but also not runny, so cook until most of the milk is absorbed. Let cool a bit and serve garnished with more raisins, cashews if desired.

 

~Gayatri

 

Find us on Facebook:

Buckwheat and Black Bean Veggie Patty

Happy New Year, readers!We’d like to start the new year by renewing the resolution to live well - that means working out more, sleeping better, and of course eating healthier! So, it’s only apt to start 2017 with a delicious and healthy recipe - something that you can make ahead and freeze, so you always have a nutritious option on hand whenever hungry. A veggie patty with buckwheat and black beans as a base has excellent texture and can be paired with any vegetables and seasoned with your favorite spices. I added most veggies that I had on hand - carrots, beets and mushrooms. I also added some boiled potatoes for extra binding instead of breadcrumbs/oats.

I’m sure you are aware of the amazing nutritional benefits of most of these ingredients, but in case you’re not into buckwheat yet, I’d strongly recommend trying it. The roasted buckwheat groats work best as they don’t get sticky when cooked (boiled, just like rice). They are hardy and have somewhat of a nutty flavor, they’re rich in minerals and a good source of fiber. More information can be found here.

Ingredients: (Makes ~20 patties)

1½ cups cooked buckwheat groats

2 Tbsp chopped pecans/walnuts

1½ cups cooked black beans (or one 15 oz can), mashed

2 medium red potatoes, boiled and chopped

2 medium beets, boiled/roasted, peeled and finely chopped

4 oz mushrooms (any variety), finely chopped

1-2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1” ginger, grated

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp paprika

Salt to taste

½ tsp coconut oil + more for pan frying the patties

Heat ½ tsp of coconut oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add mushrooms and carrots, add turmeric powder and season with salt. Cover and cook stirring occasionally until all the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated.

In a large bowl mix the cooked buckwheat, black beans, potatoes, beets, pecans and the carrot & mushroom mixture. Season with salt and paprika. Mix well until everything comes together. I find it best to mix by hand, mashing the ingredients as you go.

Make small patties about ½” thick by rolling the mixture between your palms, or roll out the mixture on a parchment covered cookie sheet and cut circles using a cookie cutter or a glass. Keep re-rolling the mixture and making patties until all of it is used.

The patties are now ready to be pan fried or frozen to be used later. To freeze the patties, arrange them in a single layer on a plate/cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Freeze them covered for an hour, and then transfer to an airtight container. The patties don’t need to be defrosted before cooking.

To cook the patties, add a couple drops of coconut oil to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Gently transfer a couple patties to the pan, cover and cook until browned on the bottom. Flip the patties (adding more oil if needed), and cook covered until the other side is browned. Although I haven't done this yet, if you're cooking a big batch, you could bake them on a greased baking pan at 375 F until browned, flipping them as necessary.

While these make excellent burgers, you can add them to any vegetarian dish such as pasta or salads as a delicious source of protein.

~Gayatri

Find us on Facebook:

Savory Dill Cakes (Shepu Vadi)

Leafy greens are a good source of iron & calcium among other nutrients. I’m a big fan of most leafy vegetables, but they may not be everyone’s favorite. However one can always find ways to sneak them into various dishes. One such nutrient packed delicious snack is dill cakes. Dill (which is known as “shepu” in Marathi language) is used in India not just as an herb for flavoring, but also as a main ingredient in a lot of dishes. The dill cakes (or shepu vadi) can be served several ways - steamed, pan fried or deep fried. Steaming and then deep frying is a very common version, but to reduce the fat content, I prefer steaming and then pan frying if I really want the crispiness. The basic ingredients are dill and chickpea flour. Beyond that, spices and add-ins such as sesame seeds, caraway seeds (ajwain) etc. can be added based on taste preference.

Ingredients:

1 cup packed chopped fresh dill

~1 cup chickpea flour (besan) - sifted

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

~1 inch grated ginger (or to taste) - could use ginger powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp toasted sesame - optional

Salt to taste

1 small green chili - optional

½ tsp jaggery - optional

Water

Oil (optional for pan frying)

In a bowl or large plate, mix all ingredients except water. Add water a couple teaspoons at a time to make a thick dough.

Roll the dough into a log. Bring water to boil, place the dill roll in a steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes, until completely cooked. You can check by inserting a knife or toothpick - once cooked, there should be hardly any crumbs sticking to the knife/toothpick. I also like to line the steamer with lettuce/cabbage leaves to prevent the dough from sticking to the steamer. Parchment paper could be used for the same, or you can grease the base of the steamer with some oil.

Once slightly cooled, slice the steamed roll ~¼“ thick. These steamed dill cakes are ready to serve as is if you’d like the healthiest option. To make them even more delicious and add a nice crisp, I like to pan fry the slices with a few drops of oil until golden brown on both sides. Whichever way you choose, the taste won’t disappoint you!

~Gayatri

Find us on Facebook:

Cabbage Soup

The unpredictability of midwestern weather is truly exemplified by the unexpected summer thunderstorms. It can pour down all morning making you walk through deep streams of water to get to work, and by the time you leave for home, the sun would have dried everything up so well, it’d make you wonder if the rain that had completely drenched you from head to toe, really happened - well, unless your feet are still frozen cold from wearing wet shoes all day! Oh well.. I really do like rain, so no complaints!

It’s those rainy days that make me crave a comforting bowl of soup. As much as I like indulging in creamy soups such as broccoli-cheddar or tomato basil bisque, nothing beats a delicious hot broth-based soup. I make cabbage soup often, adding whatever else I have on hand. Corn is one of my favorite things to add to this soup to get a burst of juicy sweetness every now and then. Sometimes I add broccoli to the same soup, even chunks of potato or some boiled chickpeas. The key to tying all these flavorful ingredients together is the broth that’s infused with ginger, garlic and bay leaves. You could also add peppercorns, or cloves if you prefer. I like to make my own vegetable stock*, but a readymade one or even water could be used in this soup.

Ingredients: (~4-5 servings)

½ medium cabbage - chopped

½ - ¾ cup chopped onion

½ red pepper - chopped
1 small carrot - thinly sliced
¼ cup corn kernels (~½ ear of corn)
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove - minced
½ inch piece of ginger - grated
Salt and/or soy sauce - to taste

~3 cups water/stock* (See note at the bottom for making homemade stock)

½ - 1 tsp oil

Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Heat a little bit of oil, add onions, pepper, ginger, garlic and bay leaves, and sauté over medium-high heat until onions are translucent. Add corn, pepper, cover and cook for a minute until veggies are slightly softened. Add cabbage, mix well and saute for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock or water, season with salt or soy sauce and ground black pepper. Soy sauce is especially a good choice if you’re using water instead of stock. Increase the heat, let the soup come to a boil and add more stock as necessary. Add chopped parsley if desired.

 

Serve hot alongside some hearty toasted bread or a light salad with fresh greens.

~Gayatri

*Note: An easy way to make vegetable stock at home is to save vegetable scraps in an airtight bag or container in the freezer. That way, when you need some stock, all you have to do is add them to water, let it boil and reduce for some time, strain and use in your recipe. I’ve even used ice cube trays to freeze extra stock. The good thing about this is that you can control what you put in it and can even flavor it as you like - I like to add ginger and/or some whole spices when I’m making the stock.

Find us on Facebook:

Coconut Crusted Tofu

Tofu is inherently not a very tasty ingredient on it’s own, so whether I like any tofu dish depends on the preparation. The ingredients that the tofu is cooked with as well as the method of cooking have the power to greatly alter the simple (fairly bland) tofu and convert it into a flavorful and texturally pleasing dish. I’m continuously exploring different ways to cook tofu with ingredients that complement each other and elevate this plant-based protein to new levels. Some of my favorite recipes are listed at the bottom of this post.

Today’s tofu preparation is not just crispy, tasty and healthy, it’s beautiful green color is also pleasing to the eye. This recipe uses a creamy cilantro and yogurt marinade that gives it a slight tang along with an earthy freshness from the cilantro much like an Indian chutney. The marinated tofu takes a quick dip in dessicated coconut before being pan roasted for additional flavor and a crispy exterior.

Ingredients: (Makes 16 pieces)

1 block (14 oz) of extra firm tofu

1 cup dessicated shredded coconut

For marinade:

½ cup packed fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp thick yogurt

2-3 Tbsp water

½ tsp turmeric powder (optional, but recommended for it’s anti-inflammatory properties)

Salt (to taste)

½ green chili pepper (optional)

½ tsp honey (optional)

Drain the tofu block and slice lengthwise about ½ inch thick. Cut it further into triangles or squares based on your preference. I got 16 triangular pieces from one block of tofu. Using paper towels gently squeeze out as much water as possible from the tofu slices.

Make the marinade by combining all ingredients and pureeing in a blender or food processor. Add water a tablespoon at a time until you get a thin paste. Coat the tofu pieces with the marinade and let them sit for at least half hour (preferably longer). Cook the tofu with the marinate in the microwave on high for 5-8 minutes until marinade is reduced but still not completely dry (alternatively you could bake it at 400 F for ~15 minutes). This step helps make the tofu firmer.

Spread the dessicated coconut on a plate. Press down a piece of the tofu in the coconut, flip it and coat the other side as well.

Cook the coated tofu in a nonstick pan over low heat until the coconut is golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. You could use some oil if desired, but the combination of low heat and non-stick pan could let you get by without any oil.

Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce, or thin out some marinade to make a sauce! This tofu can also be served over a bed of rice or salad drizzled with some marinade as a dressing. To add a sweet and sour component, serve it with this delicious mango relish!

~Gayatri

Other tofu recipes you might like:

Lemon pepper tofu

Baked tofu in soy sauce marinade

Cauliflower tofu gratin

Crispy tofu spinach bites

Crispy tofu in peanut-based marinade

Find us on Facebook: