Jeevkadgi Sukke ( Breadfruit cooked with coconut and spices); Meatless Monday

January is known as Meatless Monday Month. This could be due to the fact that most people make New Year's resolutions, weight loss, eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyly being a few of them. It is never hard for an Indian to go meatless. We are experts at cooking up a plethora of vegan and vegetarian dishes using mother nature's bounty. Breadfruit is one of them. I personally love them!

Jeevkadgi known as Breadfruit in English is tropical vegetable. Yes, it is not really a fruit. It never really ripens into anything. The inside becomes mushy and it rots once it ripens. It is usually used in cooking either when it growing or when it matures and the consistency of the fruit is just a little soft.

We, the people of South Canara ( Mangalore, Udupi & Kundapur regions) love to cook breadfruit. We curry it in different ways, we batter fry it using different kinds of batter. You can find one kind of fry/ fritter here. It makes for a great accompaniment with tea.

We curry it a couple of different ways: with gravy (which is usually saved for a mature breadfruit ) or like a dry subzi as I have today. This method can be used for both tender and mature breadfruits. I know the people in the Caribbean region roast it and eat it. I personally, love bread fruit any or all different ways. Growing up we had a breadfruit tree in our backyard which always gave us a bountiful crop year after year!

Today's dry method is pretty simple and easy to make. Let's check out the recipe.

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 10-15 mins
Cook time: 15-20 mins
Total time: 25-35 mins

Ingredients:

Breadfruit: 1, small
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Dried Red chillies: 4-6 (adjust depending on individual spice level)
Tamarind: 1/4 tsp if using pulp or marble sized if using dried.
Split matpe bean: 1 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1/4 +1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Water : 1+1+ 2cups ( may not need all)

For tempering:
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Coconut oil: 1 tsp

Method:

Using 1/4 tsp oil, roast the urad dal until it turns golden brown. Turn off the flame and keep aside to cool down.

Wash and cut the breadfruit into bite-sized pieces. Add 1-2 cups of water, little salt and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and cook until it reaches the desired tenderness. Turn off the flame. Keep aside.

While the breadfruit is cooking, get the masala ( sauce ) ready. Grind together freshly grated coconut, red chilies, tamarind to a coarse paste using water as needed. Just when you are almost done, add the roasted urad dal and grind for 20-30 seconds.

Add this Masala to the cooked breadfruit. Bring it to a boil. Turn off the flame.

Tempering:

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Turn off the flame. Add this to the pot.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Enjoy.

Cooking made easy:

This recipe can be used with other vegetables such as potato, cabbage, cooking bananas, yam and other such veggies.

Spaghetti with meatless Meatballs served with vegan scallopini & grilled asparagus ; a Meatless Monday Meal!!

At the outset I would like to inform you that this post is sponsored by Gardein and is a review of their vegan products. 

Most days in our home we eat vegetarian meals and enjoy them. On occasion I cook fish or chicken but that’s about it. I do not cook meat. Most people find it difficult to eat a meal that is devoid of meat. Quite often they have a hard time finding a wholesome meal that is vegetarian. Truthfully, most Indian meals are vegetarian and quite wholesome. Growing up, nonvegeterian fare was cooked only on Sundays. However I understand the situation people here in the US find themselves in. That’s why when Gardein approached some Meatless Monday bloggers, I was quite happy to participate in their campaign and promote their vegan fare. 

Gardein is committed to provide high quality vegan, plant based products that are kosher and do not contain any artificial flavor, color or preservatives in them. They have a wide range of products. Last week I received a nice cooler package of the following Gardein products to try: 

• 7 Grain Tenders 
• Classic Meatless Meatballs 
• Beefless Ground 
• Chick’n Scallopini 
• Crispy Chick’n Mandarin Orange 
• Crabless Cakes 

Previously I have tried the Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, the Veggie burger, the Ultimate Beefless Burger and the Crispy Chick’n Patty. All of them are quick and easy to prepare items, making them perfect for a weeknight dinner. You can check the review for them here.

The kids were in the mood for sphagetti. So this time around I decided to make a weeknight meal using the classic Meatless Meatballs and chick’n scallopini. Making it was easy and everyone polished it off their plates.  

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Chick’n Scallopini from Gardein: 1 

Classic Meatless Meatballs from Gardein: 1

Sphagetti: 1 package ( I used Barilla)

Pasta Sauce: 1 bottle ( I used Barilla)

Garlic: 3-4 cloves, finely diced

Chives: 2-3 

Olive oil: 1+ 2 tbsp+1 tbsp

Asparagus: 6-8, broken into bite sized pieces

Salt: to taste

Black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp, freshly ground

Method:

For the scallopini: 

Cook the scallopini as per the instructions on the package. Cooks within 5 mins. 

For the Sphagetti: 

Cook the sphagetti as per the instructions on the package.

For the sauce: 

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan. Add the diced and crushed garlic. Sauté for 2-3 seconds or until fragrant. Add the pasta sauce and let it come to a gentle boil. Now add the meatballs in and let it simmer as per the directions on the package. When done turn off the flame and keep aside.

For the asparagus:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the asparagus, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 mins. 

Plating:

Place a serving of spaghetti in the middle of the plate. Pour a ladle of pasta sauce with 1-3 meatballs on top of the pasta. Serve one slice of scallopini and a serving of asparagus.

Serve hot. I will bet that most won’t notice the difference. Gardein products are  that good!! 

Enjoy! 

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Pasta Primavera; Meatless Monday

Sometimes my children get bored of having rice for dinner on a daily basis and ask for something else.. While they are not much of a pasta fan, I think this particular time, they just felt like pasta and requested for pasta for dinner. I had a lonely pack of Rotelle pasta sitting in my pantry and decided to use it. I was going to make a basic white sauce, throw in some peas and carrots and call it a day. Coincidently, on the back of the pasta package I found the recipe for Rotelle Primavera. Usually I am wary about recipes on the box but this one was vegetarian and had green beans asparagus, green peas and bell peppers. When I looked in my freezer, I found that I had used up my peas and carrots but I had a handful of just peas. In my refrigerator I had fresh green beans and purple asparagus. I didn’t have any peppers on hand. I didn’t have half and half so I used whole milk instead, which also cuts the calories!  I decided to try the recipe. I am glad I did. It was quick and easy to make and the taste was delicious! The kids loved it and so did hubby!! I strongly recommend this wholesome pasta recipe, especially now that spring is here and there will be a plethora of fresh vegetables in the market. No, this post has not been sponsored by Ronzoni pasta!! 

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 15 minsTotal time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

8 ozRonzoni® Rotelle

1/2 lbfresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces 

1 lbasparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 Tbspbutter

1 Tbspolive oil

1 tspsalt

2 Tbspsall purpose flour

1 1/2 cupswhole milk or half and half. 

1 cupfrozen peas

1/3 cupgrated Parmesan cheese1 tsp 

 freshly ground black pepper

Method :

Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding green beans to pasta cooking water during last 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil; add asparagus. Season with salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetable are crisp-tender; reduce heat to medium. 

Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

 Add milk and peas. Cook, stirring frequently until mixture thickens slightly. 

Toss hot cooked pasta and green beans with sauce; serve with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. 

Serve hot!

Enjoy!!

Cooking made easy: 

You can use other vegetables that you may have on hand such as broccoli, peas and carrot, cauliflower etc. 

Quinoa Lima Beans Pulao/ Pilaf

My favorite way to include quinoa in my diet is by making a salad of some kind or mix it with rice in a Pulao. I usually make quinoa-Black bean salad or make methi pulao. When Camellia sent me a bag of Lima beans, I decided to make Quinoa Pulao without any rice in it using a very simple and basic recipe that doesn’t require too many ingredients or take too much time and yet is simply delicious. The end result was more like a warm salad that is nutritious what with both the main ingredients being protein-rich and quinoa we know is a superfood! 

Do give this recipe a try. It is naturally gluten free, low fat and great for diabetics. 

Servings: 2

Ingredients :

Cooked Quinoa: 2 cups

Cooked Lima beans: 1 cup
Coconut oil: 1  tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise.

Bell pepper: one medium, diced
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Salt : to taste

Cilantro/ coriander leaves: 1 tbsp, chopped

Method: 

Heat oil in a kadai/ sauté pan. Add chopped  onions and 1/2 tsp salt. Sauté until the onions turn transparent. Add the chopped bell peppers and sauté for 2 minutes.
Now add the turmeric powder and the drained lima beans and sauté for 2-4 minutes. Add quinoa. Mix well and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until it all comes together.
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

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Lima Beans Platter, a Slow Food USA Initiative supported by Camellia Beans

When Camellia Beans reached out to the Meatless Monday Bloggers with their Slow Food USA initiative I was quick to volunteer. inspire individuals and communities to change the world through food that is good, clean and fair for all. initiative encouraging vegetarian meals, Camellia Beans is a family owned and farmed business that has been providing consumers with high quality beans since 1923. Beans is a great source of protein, iron and folic acid. When coupled with a carbohydrate such as rice or bread, it makes for a complete meal. Beans form an integral part of the Indian diet as majority of the Indians are vegetarians. There exists a plethora of recipes in the Indian Cuisine that makes use of beans in some form or the other and is beautifully complimented with particular vegetables. I chose to use Lima Beans to be showcased for this special day today as it happens to be my favorite beans. I have created 3 recipes using them, all of them gluten free, diary free, nut free: Lima Beans Rice, Lima Beans in a curry and Quinoa Lima Beans Pilaf, each one competing with the other in taste and ease of making it.

It’s time to come to the table to celebrate Food for Change! Join me in supporting tasty solutions to climate change. On December 10, the global Slow Food network will celebrate Terra Madre Day. In the USA, we are taking to the kitchen to prepare plant-based meals with ingredients grown and produced in climate-friendly ways. I am sharing my food with my neighbors in my apartment building. Whom are you sharing yours with??

By acting together as a global network, we can pivot towards more sustainable food production and farming systems, and achieve a climate friendly future. Food is a cause and victim of climate change, but also a delicious solution. This year, @SlowFoodUSA has focused on the positive solutions of Slow Food to connect the dots between farmers and consumers as the everyday climate champions.

Choose climate-friendly foods, try this recipe at home, and tag your dish with #FoodforChange and #MeatlessMonday.

Click on the title for the recipe:

Lima Beans Rice:

Quinoa Lima Beans Pilaf

Lima Beans Song (Curried Lima Beans)

CAMELLIA BEANS

Camellia Beans has generously contributed many pounds of beans for our Food for Change meal participants to use, which you will/have received from Slow Food in anticipation of Dec. 10. Here is a little more about their delicious beans and some vegetarian recipes for inspiration!

Why Beans Are Nutritious | Camellia Beans

Adding Flavor to Vegetarian Beans | Camellia Beans

Vegetarian Recipes by Camellia Beans

MEATLESS MONDAY

Our Food for Change meal on December 10 is in support of Meatless Monday (because it’s a Monday!) and isdesigned to inspire our community to reduce their meat consumption. If you are in need of inspiration for plant-based recipes, Meatless Monday has a whole bunch of tasty-looking recipes on their website!

    Meatless Monday Vegetarian Recipes with BEANS!

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Lima beans Rice

I am Indian and therefore rice has a ubiquitous presence in my diet. My husband prefers pulao( pilaf), fried rice, Biryani or any kind of one pot rice dish as opposed to plain white rice served with some curry ( side-dish that has gravy). Lima Beans is one of my favorite beans and I decided to make a rice dish using the Lima beans sent by our friends at Camellia Beans. Many of you must have eaten the cilantro lime rice at Chipotle. Imagine that with Lima beans added to it. Believe me when I tell you that not only does it taste delicious but it makes for a complete meal what with the essential elements of protein, carbohydrate, fat and minerals. 

Do try it. It is quick and easy and you will fall in love with it. You won’t even need a side dish for it! It is a great way to make use of leftover rice!! 

Servings: 2-3

Prep time: 2 mins
Cook time: none
Total time: 3 mins 

Ingredients:

Cooked rice: 4 cups 

Cooked Lima beans: 1.5 cups
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Lime juice: from one small lime
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/8 tsp
Garlic powder: 1/8 tsp ( optional)

Method: 

Add 4 cups of warm/ hot rice to a bowl. Now add all the other ingredients and toss until the rice is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients. Be gentle while mixing so that the rice does not become mushy!

Serve hot with a side of your choice or eat it as is!

Enjoy!

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