Vegetarian's Liver Fry - Meat Alternate Recipe!!!

Vegetarian's Liver Fry:

Vegan Liver Fry. Meat Alternate dish. Vegan Liver. Vegetarians liver. Vegetarian's Mutton fry. Vegan Meat Fry. Vegetarians Meat!!!

Now don't get me wrong I don't mind if many people turn to vegetarianism or veganism. Just more meat for me:) The day, I can't find a decent chicken/fish in the market...what I need as a carnivore, I will begin eating the herbivores, he he. They're always tempting me' how healthy they are on their 'meatless diets' ha ha...just kidding:)

Lentils turnd into LiverThis could be the best meat alternate food for vegans. I rarely eat meatless food, but would never appreciate them...as it demands heavy amount of spices to disguise it. But this vegan liver fry is of different league, they are totally tasteee. I virtually scanned this recipe...years before from my Mommy's Chettinad collections.

Ingredients:

For Liver:

Whole Green gram/ Mung dhall/ Pachai payaru/ Pesaru Pappu 1 cup
Green chilies/ dry red chilies 5-7
Ginger 1" grated
Garlic 2 cloves minced
Salt
Fennel seeds
Curry leaves few
Cilantro leaves few
Oil for shallow frying(optional)

For Masala or Gravy:

Onion 1 large grated
Ginger 2" grated
Garlic 2 cloves minced
Tomato 1 chopped
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Oil for stir-frying.

Spices to be Toasted & Powdered:

Coriander seeds 2 spoons
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Poppy seeds 1 spoon
Cumin 1 spoon
Pepper 1 spoon
Dry coconut 2 spoons.

Method:

Wet grind the ingredients mentioned for liver, except oil. Now steam cook this batter for about 10-12 minutes.

Cut them into bite size pieces.

Either shallow fry them or just skip this procedure...its up to you.

In a separate pan, heat oil and stir-fry the masala ingredients. Wet grind these.

In a wide wok, heat oil...bring this wet-ground masala and powdered spices together...fry real good. Now throw in the vegan liver pieces...fry over high heat, till you believe its done.

Enjoy with steam cooked rice:)

Vegetarian's Fish Curry - Arusuvai Arasu's Recipe

Saiva Meen Kuzhambu:(Chettinad Style)

Vegetarian's Fish. Vegetarian's Fish Gravy. Saiva Meen Kuzhambu. Dhall-Machchili ka Saalan. Pappu-Chappalu Pulusu.

Auntie told that she learnt this recipe from The Famous Chef 'Arusuvai Arasu'. When the crew cooked for the family function. And its a big hit.:) This curry was too good and the sentiment was shared by all (Vegetarians and Not so Vegetarians).

Did I ever tell you'll that many(80%) of my relatives are all hard core vegetarians!! One of my Auntie said that 'she never had a chance to see an egg' until the day she got married to my uncle:( Although its hard to believe, I have to respect her feelings. I generally don't talk about my food expeditions to her.

At the same time...I feel pretty bad, when people make faces at non-vegetarians! Come on, its just a food! Well...I am this person who doesn't mind what is cooked, but do care a lot 'how it is cooked, presented and eaten! Get the point? I expect hygiene at every level (right from procuring the produce, treating the stuff in the kitchen, the presentation and the table manners). I have a cousin who eats plain 'curd rice' in a very disgusting manner (with all her 5 fingers going in and out each time, yogurts running till her elbow and the slurping noise exceeding 1000 decibels). I don't mind whether it is a 'crab meat or quail feather or frog leg or bat tissue', all I expect is...it should be well done, neatly presented and if people enjoy it...wish everyone learns to respect them! Yeah, this will make me very happy.

Ingredients:

For Vegetarian's Fish Fillets:

Dry whole thuvar dal (cow peas, I guess), Muzhu thuvarai in Tamil.
Salt
Ginger 2"
Garlic 2 cloves
Dry red chilies
Fennel seeds
Curry leaves
Oil for shallow frying
Banana/plantain leaves
Skewer
Steam cooker.

For Curry:

Garlic 1 fistful, peeled & crushed
Red onions 2 finely chopped
Tomatoes 2 chopped
Salt
Turmeric
Chili powder
Tamarind paste 1 spoonful
Sesame oil few spoons
Vadagam (Tempering spices of Tamils)
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Fenugreek 1 pinch
Peppercorns 2
Asafoetida
Curry leaves
Dry red chilies.

Method:

Soak and wet-grind the lentils, along with spices to a thick batter.

Now clean the banana leaf, sprinkle water...place the skewer stick. Now mount a fistful of batter on the top, pat them into fish shape, you get it??

Now repeat the same for all the batter, oh yeah each time in different leaf with skewer placed, okay. Maybe you chop the leaves accordingly.

Now carefully place them in your steam cooker (idly cooker, if you have one), I used bamboo steamer here (yes Chinese one, very good indeed).

Once they are done, probably took 10 whole minutes for me. Then remove the skewers gently.

Then I also shallow fried them for brief time, to get that nice reddish tint up there, sounds cook, huh.

Again...should I even talk about making the curry...you'll know!

Once the curry is thickened, drop these fried vegetarian's fish and cook over medium heat for few minutes...never overdo here, they may tend to disintegrate.

Serve warm to go with your rice.

Tofu Steak:

Tofu Steak??? Ha ha......could never agree upon such names! I don't know why would all these vegan and vegetarians relate their special recipes to some speciality Non-Veg! Like I heard people saying 'hmmmm mushroom is much like mutton, u know', 'Paneer 65 is like Chicken Pakoda' , 'Plantain/yam fry is always compared to fish and now tofu is compared to steak! So.....whatever fits you.....imagine yourself.

Ingredients:

Tofu firm and water packed(slice them to your choice)
Honey 1 heavy tea spoon full
Ginger 1" grated and minced
Garlic 1 bead grated and minced
Soy sauce heavy 1 spoon
Hickory sauce 1 spoon
Japanese soy-sesame sauce 2 spoons
Sesame oil for pan frying
Sesame seeds to garnish
Green onions to garnish.

Method:

Bring all the above said ingredients (except oil, green onions and tofu) in a bowl. Mix well.

Now brush them over tofu slice. Better leave it for complete marination. About 3-4 hours.

Now either grill or pan fry them.

I pan-fried today. Do not often turn the slices. Leave to one side for a long time, over low heat. This is a key for firm and crispy tofu.

Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!

Soya Chunks Stew:

Ingredients:

Soya Chunks 100 grams
Green chilies 3 - slitted
Red Onion 1 large – sliced
Country Tomatoes 2 – chopped into chunks
Ginger 4” size – peeled and chopped into sticks
Garlic 7-9 cloves – peeled and chopped into sticks
Salt
Turmeric powder ½ + ½ spoon
Red Chili powder 2 spoons
Red food color 1 pinch (optional)
Thick/thin coconut milk 1 cup
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cardamom crushed 3
Bay leaves 1
Coconut Oil few spoons(kerala touch) sesmae oil (Tamizhar touch).
Cilantro leaves few for garnishing.

Method:

Wash and clean soya chunks. Boil with enough water + salt in microwave oven for about 10 minutes. Then wash with clean cold water. Now also squeeze them a little to remove excess water. Set this aside.

Heat oil in a wok…clove, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves to it. Wait until it pops and splutters well.

Add green chilies and onions to it. Fry till onions turn to golden color.

Add garlic and ginger sticks too. Fry them till its raw odor leaves.

Now add tomatoes and sauté for few minutes. Add salt, turmeric, chili and color powder to this.

Fry for few more seconds. Then add 2-3 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Add soya chunks now and cook over medium heat without covering it. Maybe it takes 5-7 minutes.

Now add coconut milk to this and allow it to boil once. Remove this from stove top.

Garnish this stew with chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve warm along with steam cooked rice.

Vermicilli Biriyani:

We can try 4 types/version of this 'Vermicilli Biriyani'.......just by altering the very first step.

Ingredients:

Meal maker/soya chunks 1 bowl full (version-1)
Chopped Vegetables(carrots,beans,potato,peas...)(version-2)
Chicken-boneless 1/4 kilo (version-3)
Mutton keema/minced meat-1/4 kilo (version-4)


Roasted vermicilli - 1 cup
Onion 1 chopped
Tomato 2-3 chopped
Mint/Pudina leaves 1 cup full
Ginger - garlic paste 2-3 spoons
Green chillies 6 slitted
Lime juice from 1 fruit
Clove 3
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cardamom 3
Star anise 1
Bay leaves 3
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Marathi mokku 2-3
Ghee/butter/refined oil 1 cup

Method: ( Choose any one of the 'step 1' alone at one time)

1. Soak soya chunks in warm water for 1 hour....or better boil soya chunks with little salt added to it. Boil for minimum 6-8 minutes. Then squeeze off the water held in a colander.

1. Chop vegetables and set aside.(carrot, beans, cauliflower, potato, peas, soya beans.....etc)

1. Wash and clean chicken....squeeze excess water from it.....set aside.

1. Wash and clean mutton keema....squeeze excess water from it ....set aside.

2. In a pressure cooker add oil/ghee and wait till its smoky hot.

3. Add the spices clove, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mokku, star anise, bay leaves and fry for a while.

4. Later add green chilies and onion....fry till onion is translucent and lost its raw smell.

5. Now add ginger - garlic paste to the above and fry till it looses its raw smell.

6. Add tomato plus mint leaves and fry till it looses its water content and oil shows up on top.

7. Now add chilly powder, lime juice and soyachunks/vegetables/chicken/mutton keema. Add enough water with salt now. Let it get cooked(each item needs it own time to get cooked.....use water accordingly....wait till the meat is done)

8. Then add vermicilli at this point......add enough water and salt. Cover and cook. Measure the water according the quantity of vermicilli you use.

9. Once it is done....add few spoons of ghee and cook over high heat, without lid for a while. Let it come to non-greesy appearance.

10. Serve them hot with onion or cucumber raita.

Soya chunks Biriyani:

Meal maker Biriyani/Soya Chunks Biriyani.

Ingredients:

Meal maker/soya chunks 1 bowl full
Small grained rice(seeraga samba) or long grained rice(basmathi)
Onion 1 chopped
Tomato 2-3 chopped
Mint/Pudina leaves 1 cup full
Ginger - garlic paste 2-3 spoons
Green chillies 6 slitted
Lime juice from 1 fruit
Clove 3
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cardamom 3
Star anise 1
Bay leaves 3
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Marathi mokku 2-3
Ghee/butter/refined oil 1 cup

Method:

1. Soak soya chunks in warm water for 1 hour....or better boil soya chunks with little salt added to it. Boil for minimum 6-8 minutes. Then squeeze off the water held in a colander.

2. In a pressure cooker add oil/ghee and wait till its smoky hot.

3. Add the spices clove, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mokku, star anise, bay leaves and fry for a while.

4. Later add green chilies and onion....fry till onion is translucent and lost its raw smell.

5. Now add ginger - garlic paste to the above and fry till it looses its raw smell.

6. Add tomato plus mint leaves and fry till it looses its water content and oil shows up on top.

7. Now add chilly powder, lime juice and soya chunks. Add water and rice with salt now.

8. Measure the water according to rice you use. For 1 cup of rice 1 and 1/2 cup of water. Salt this water and bring it to boil.

9. Cook till 2 whistle.

10. Serve them hot with onion or cucumber raita.

Soya Chunks Chettinad Style Curry

Meal maker/Soya bite Gravy / Soya Chunks Gravy(Chettinad Style)

Well....I never tasted this recipe in actual chettiand home! But I always liked their extra spicy, hot hot & super hot curry recipes. Since most of the restaurants only produce their curry in non-veg form! Most of my family and friends happens not to taste their great curry! So I tried to fix the same curry for my veggie lovers!

So this could be called my creation!:) And my mother likes meal maker so much! So here you go! Meal maker/soya chucks could be related to vegetarian's meat! Has it is rich in protein, tastes bit like meat, the texture is like meat....and even the color! So this make a perfect pick for chettinad Gravy.

Ingredients:

Soya bites/meal maker 1 large bowl full
onion 1
tomato 1
ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Green chilies 3
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Cashew nuts 2
Clove 2
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cardamom 2
Fennel seeds 1 spoon(som)
Cumin seeds 1 spoon(seeragam/jeera)
Black pepper 1 spoon
Cas cas/poppy seeds 1 spoon
Dhaniya/Coriander seeds 1 spoon
Dry coconut powder1 spoon
Star anise 1
Bay leaves 1-2
Marathi mokku 2
Oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Red chili powder 1 spoon

Method:

1. In a vessel add soya chunks and salt plus water. cook them on low flame for 5-10 minutes. And drain the water. squeeze soya chunks in a colander to drain all water out. Then set it aside.

2. In a large kadai/pan roast all spices together (clove, cinnamon, cardamom, dhaniya, cumin, fennel, pepper, cas cas, cashew nuts, dry coconut) roast them till good flavour and at the same time not too brown. powder them in a blender and store it in an air tight container.

3. In a large pan add oil. Add onions to it. Fry them till golden brown and add ginger-garlic paste. Fry them till its raw smell is gone. Then add tomato to it and fry for a while. Now grind them to a thick paste and set aside.

4. In a deep bottomed pan add oil. Add green chilies and curry leaves. Further add marathi mokku and bay leaves. Now add onion paste and fry for a while. Then add soya chunks. Now its time to add salt, turmeric and chili powder.

5. Once the soya bites are blend to the gravy well add the garam masala powder. let it be over high flame for at least few minutes....so that masala's raw smell is gone. this can be taken along with paratha, chappathi, poori or mild flavoured ghee rice, pulav...etc.