Vegetarian Thukpa#Soupswappers

For this month event our host Karen  , asked us to make  noodle soup. 

Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup which has its origins in eastern part of Tibet . But this soup is mostly made with meat and is popular in Nepal, Bhutan, in Northeast India - states like Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

When I,  was in Sikkim for a holiday, had this vegetarian as well as the non vegetarian version, on different day's for my dinner, it's so delicious, filling soup , since it's loaded with vegetables.

Ingredients 
1 Packet Noodles
1 Small Onion - finely chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes - finely chopped
1 Carrot - cut into juliennes
½ Cup Shredded Cabbage

4 French Beans - chopped
10 Broccoli Florets or Cauliflower
½ Teaspoon Minced Ginger
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
½ Teaspoon Garam masala
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
750 Ml Vegetable Stock
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Oil
Salt to taste
Method

In a pan, heat oil , add the ginger garlic paste, saute  till it just starts of change color, add the onions saute until its turns translucent.  Add the tomatoes, cook  till they soften a little . Add the veggies -  carrots, broccoli florets, shredded cabbage , french beans and saute till for a minute. Add the vegetable stock and salt, bring this to a boil.  Now add garam masala, red chilly powder and soy sauce,  mix well and let it cook  till the veggies are done. 

Taste for salt and adjust the seasonings if required.

Meanwhile cook the noodles separately as per packet instructions.

For serving, place the noodles in a serving bowl and pour the soup on the top.

Serve hot a healthy and a delicious dinner or lunch is ready.

This is a vegan and gluten free soup.  To make it gluten free used rice noodles.

Labels : Soup, Broccoli, French Beans, Carrot, Cabbage, Noodles, Soup Swappers, Healthy, Main course, Vegan, Gluten Free

• Chicken Cordon Bleu Noodle Soup from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Curry Udon with Prawns from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Homemade Ravioli and Spinach Soup from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking 
• Leftover Beef Soup with Noodles from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Minestrone with Clams from Palatable Pastime 
• Pasta e Fagioli Soup from Making Miracles
• Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Vegetarian Thukpa from Sneha's Recipe

Colcannon#Foodieextravaganza

This traditional Irish food staple, Colcannon, an essential Irish St. Patrick's Day potato recipe it’s a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes with veggies.

Ingredients
1 Cup Shredded Cabbage
3 Medium Potatoes
1 Leek  - chopped

½ Cup  Green Peas - boiled 
A Pinch of Nutmeg powder
1 Tablespoon Heaped Butter

1 Tablespoon Level All Purpose Flour 

250 to 300 Ml Milk 
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder  to taste
3 Tablespoons Grated Cheddar cheese

Method

Boil the potatoes till they are  are fork tender. Peel them and then grate or use a ricer, keep them aside. 

In a heavy bottom pan add the butter, flour and roast till flour for 3 to 4 minutes  or till it releases an aroma.  Add the milk and make a thick smooth sauce.   Add the veggies and cook till they are  wilted  or for 3 -4 minutes. 

Keep stirring continuously  till the sauce thickens. Add the black pepper, nutmeg powder,  cheese.  Taste for salt and then add the mashed potatoes and stir it till thoroughly mixed.  

Serve it immediately garnished with chopped scallion greens, a dash of nutmeg and black pepper powder. 

 This is the ultimate comfort food, its creamy and delicious.

Labels: Irish, Ireland Vegetarian, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Cabbage, Potato, Green Peas, Leek, Butter, Cheddar Cheese, Savory, Side Dish, Salads,International Cuisine 

March 17 is National Irish Food Day, or National "Eat Like an Irishman" Day. My #FoodieExtravaganza friends and I are all sharing Irish themed recipes to celebrate! Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories, is our host. Check out this collection of recipes celebrating Irish food:
Beef and Smoked Sausage Cabbage Rolls from Food Lust People Love
Colcannon from Sneha's Recipe
Colcannon (Irish Potatoes and Cabbage) from Caroline's Cooking
Cold Irish Day Cocktail from Our Good Life
Dublin Coddle - Irish Bacon, Sausage, and Potato Stew from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Instant Pot Dublin Coddle from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Irish Cheese and Walnut Biscuits from Simply Inspired Meals
Irish Coffee from Tara's Multicultural Table
Mushy Peas from Pandemonium Noshery
Shepherd's Pie from Palatable Pastime
Traditional Shepherd's Pie from Cookaholic Wife

Cabbage Poriyal

Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C & K. It is also a very good source of fiber, manganese and vitamin B6. It has anti cancer properties. It is low in calories and high in nutritional value. 

Poriyal is a dry vegetable preparation flavored with generous amounts of fresh grated coconut. Cabbage Poriyal is a South Indian main course preparation . Poṟiyal serves as a side dish to a three-course meal of rice with sambhar or rasam and curd.

This is my entry for the BM #50, theme Bookmarked recipes.

Recipe source here
Ingredients

2 Cups  Cabbage - shredded
1 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Urad dal
1 Green chilly -  slit
2 Whole dry red chillies - broken
A sprig of Curry leaves
A pinch of Turmeric powder
1/4 Cup  Coconut - grated
3 Teaspoons Oil
Salt to taste

Method

Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and urad dal and let the seeds crackle. Add the green chilli, dry red chillies, curry leaves and turmeric powder and stir for few seconds.

Add the cabbage, salt, sprinkle water and cook over a medium flame till the cabbage is tender. Add the grated coconut, mix well and serve hot.

This vegetable is very tasty,  we enjoyed it, the aroma of curry leaves and crunchiness of the urad dal  gives a unique taste to this poriyal. 

Labels: Cabbage, Vegetarian, Main course, South Indian, Vegan, Gluten free

Baked Cabbage Paneer Koftas in Makhani Gravy

This is a healthy version of making koftas. I make this recipe very often and decided to post it since I again made this for Holi lunch. These koftas can be prepared a day or two before and the gravy can be prepared whenever you want. These keep fresh in the fridge for a week.

Ingredients
For Koftas 

2 Cups Cabbage shredded
1/2 Cup Paneer grated ( I used tofu)
3/4 Cup Besan ( Chick pea flour)
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
1 Green chilly finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Kacha Masala
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste

For the Gravy
1 Small onion finely chopped
3 Flakes garlic finely chopped
1 Inch piece ginger finely chopped
1 Green chilly finely chopped
1 Bay leafy finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil + 1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Cup Makhani Gravy

Method
To make Koftas 

In a bowl add Cabbage,paneer/tofu, ginger garlic paste,green chilly, kacha masala, coriander leaves,salt and besan. Mix this without adding any water ( the water content in the cabbage will be sufficient to bind).Now make small balls of cabbage mixture and place it an inch apart in a greased baking tray. Bake it at 180 degree for 15 to 20 mins or until slightly brown. These Koftas are crisp outside and soft inside.

To make the Gravy
Heat oil + butter in a kadai, add the bay leaf, onions, ginger, garlic green chilly and fry well. When the onions are light brown add the garam masala powder, salt, sugar and the the makhani gravy, fry well add water to adjust the consistency and let it boil till oil floats.

To serveArrange the koftas in a serving bowl pour the gravy garnish it with fresh cream and chopped coriander. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Labels: Vegetables, Basic Gravy, Main course, Paneer, Healthy, Cabbage, Baked, Vegan, Gluten free, Vegetarian, Tofu

Stuffed Cabbages (Dolmas)

March 3, 2014

The term dolma covers a variety of stuffed vegetable dishes, widespread in the Middle East and Mediterranean area. Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes common in the Mediterranean Basin and Middle East, as well surrounding regions including theBalkans, Armenia, Iran, and Central Asia. Common vegetables to stuff include tomato, pepper, onion, zucchini, eggplant, and garlic. Grape or cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling are called 'sarma', but are also often called 'dolma' or 'yaprak dolma' (Долма:Russian Translation) The stuffing may or may not include meat. Meat dolmas are generally served warm, often with egg-lemon or garlic yogurt sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold. The filling generally consists of rice, minced meat or grains. In either case, the filling includes onion, herbs like dill, mint or parsley and spices. Meatless fillings are cooked with olive oil and include raisins or currants, onion, nuts or pulses. Here I, am sharing with you Dolams made of leftover Nasi Goreng. I had prepared Nasi Goreng yestarday and had some leftover, so I prepared this Dolmas. H and I had it cold. Added cheese for him, for me cheeseless. But they tasted very lovely. Lets go to the recipe.

Ingredients
8 Nos Cabbage leaves
1 Cup Nasi Goreng
3 Tablespoons cheese grated

Cut the stem of the cabbage and separate the leaves. Put them in Boiling water for 2 minutes till the slightly soft. I put them in the cabbage leaves in a microwave. Take a proof bag and put the washed cabbage leave and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain the cabbage leaves and prepare to wrap everything up.
Mix the cheese and Nasi Goreng togather . Wrapping is very simple. Take a leaf and put two tablespoons of stuffing in the middle. Fold over the top of the leaf onto the stuffing, then fold over the two sides onto the middle, and then roll it all up. Tie the wraps with onion leaks and keep aside. The Dolmas are ready to serve. They are very tasty. If you want you can add more cheese to make it cheesey.

Labels: Vegetables, Salads, Healthy, Main course, Vegan, Continental Cuisine, Cabbage

Cabbage Sabzi

February 27,2014

Surprising Health Benefits of Cabbage

Types of cabbage

There are many different types of cabbages with different taste and uses.
They include: green cabbage, Nappa cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, bok choy and brussel sprouts.

Cabbage Nutrition

Cabbage is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre. It also has phytonutrients known to prevent cancer.

If you want beautiful glowing skin, and an immune system powerful enough to fight off just about anything, don’t forget this highly nutritious but common vegetable.

Cabbage is powerful. Ancient healers declared it contained moon power because it grew in the moonlight. Modern nutritional science understands its power comes from its high sulfur and vitamin C content. Either way – it’s worth adding this Powerfood to your weekly diet.

9 Healthy Benefits of Cabbage:
1. Ideal for weight loss!It has only 33 calories in a cup of cooked cabbage, is low in fat and high in fiber. It is definitely a smart carb.

2. It is a brain food!It is full of vitamin K and anthocyanins that help with mental function and concentration. These nutrients also prevent nerve damage, improving your defense against Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Red cabbage has the highest amount of these power nutrients.

3. High in sulfur, the beautifying mineral.
Cabbage helps dry up oily and acne skin. Internally sulfur is essential for keratin, a protein substance necessary for healthy hair, nails, and skin. Check out this Homemade Cabbage Face Mask

4. Helps detoxify the body.The high content of vitamin C and sulphur in cabbage removes toxins (free radicals and uric acid); which are the main causes of arthritis, skin diseases, rheumatism and gout.

5. Has well-known cancer preventative compounds lupeol, sinigrin and sulforaphane.They stimulate enzyme activity and inhibit the growth of cancer tumors. A Study on women showed a reduction in breast cancer when cruciferous vegetables like cabbage were added to their diet.

6. Helps keep blood pressure from getting high. The high potassium content helps by opening up blood vessels, easing the flow of blood.

7. Cabbage for headaches:A warm compress made with cabbage leaves can help relieve the pain of a headache. Crush cabbage leaves, place in a cloth, and apply on the forehead. Also, drink raw cabbage juice 1-2 oz. (25-50ml) daily for chronic headaches.

8. Hangovers from heavy drinking were reduced by using cabbage, since Roman times.
9. Anti-inflammatory and Blood Sugar Regulator. The natural red pigments of red cabbage (betalains) is said to lower blood sugar levels and boost insulin production. Of course it has no white sugars and very few simple sugars. Betalains have powerful anti-inflammatory properties just like beets.

I think this information is enough to get us to eat cabbage. This information I have taken from the net. Since many of us do not like cabbage, I, am sharing with you an easy as well as a tasty cabbage vegetable.

Ingredients

Cabbage 2 cups finely chopped

Onion 1 small finely chopped

Green chilly 2 nos finely chopped

Coriander 1 tablespoon finely chopped

Grated coconut 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder 1/4 teaspoon

Garam masala 1/4 teaspoon

Sugar 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Tempering
Oil 2 tablespoons

Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida a pinch

Curry leaves 1 sprig

Method

Take all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix them to gather with your hand till well combined. In a kadai heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds when they splutter at asafoetida and curry leaves. Then add the cabbage mix and stir. Cover and cook with water on the lid on slow flame till the sabji is cooked. Serve hot with rotis. This sabzi is tasty and gives a wonderful aroma when cooked. Do give this a try.

Labels: Vegetables, Healthy, Main course, Vegan, Cabbage