Tag: vegetarian

Punjabi Matar Paneer

Punjabi Matar Paneer

Punjabi Matar Paneer

Punjabi Matar Paneer is a North Indian curry consisting of a tomato based curry gravy with green peas and homemade panner cheese. The best part of this dish is the paneer soaking up the curry gravy. This is relatively simple to make and requires minimal cooking time. It tastes even better the next day if you happen to have any leftover.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: indain, main course, vegan
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp cumin seed ground
  • 1 tsp coriander seed ground
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 lb tomatoes pureed
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
  • salt to taste
  • 8 oz paneer cubed

Instructions

  • Heat cooking oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.Cook the onions for 12 minutes, making sure that they are golden brown in color.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes. You might need to add a splash or two of water to keep the spices from burning.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the water, sugar, salt, and tomato puree. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Stir in the green peas and the garam masala. Cook for 2 more minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the panner and cook for 2 more minutes.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
  • Serve with steamed basmati rice.
    Indian, main course, vegetarian
General Tso’s Tofu

General Tso’s Tofu

General Tso’s Tofu

General Tso’s chicken is said to have originated in NYC in the early 1970s from Hunan style American Chinese cuisine, named after the Qing Dynasty military leader. When seen in American Chinese restaurants, you typically will get chunks of battered and fried chicken breast tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce.
In this particular recipe, I decided to go for a more healthier option and used tofu. This dish is really easy to make and tastes so much better than what you’d get at a Chinese take out. You can  easily control the spice level by adding more or less chili oil. This dish can even be made vegan if you replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese, main course, vegetarian
Servings: 2
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 1 brick firm tofu
  • 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

General Tso sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tsp sambal chili paste
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp chili oil with chili flakes
  • 6 dried thai chilis
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Use firm tofu.
    Chinese, Korean, Thai
  • Wrap in several layers of paper towel.
    Chinese, Thai, Korean
  • Weigh down with another plate plus something no more than 3 lbs for 20 minutes. I use my favorite cookbook, The Joy Of Cooking.
    Chinese, Korean, Thai
  • Cut tofu brick in half horizontally.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • Flip the cut side up and cut those horizontally.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • Cut these pieces into six.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • You should have 24 pieces when finished. Take another piece of paper towel and dab any extra moisture.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 3 tbsp of cooking oil. Add the tofu. Cook for 4-5 minutes a side, until brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • In the same skillet, drain the oil and wipe clean. Over medium heat, add the chili oil, dried Thai chilis, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • Mix together the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, sambal, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Add them to the skillet, reducing the heat to medium low. Cook for 2 minutes.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • Add in the fried tofu.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • Cook for 1 more minute, making sure that the tofu is evenly coated with the sauce.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
  • Serve with steamed rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
    Chinese, main course, vegetarian
Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice

This coconut rice is a very simple and sweet side dish. If you don’t have basmati rice, you can use a regular long grained white rice. 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Jamaican
Keyword: Jamaican, side dish, vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed at least 3 times
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Bring water, coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a boil. Add the washed and rinsed rice and toasted coconut. Give it a stir a few times. Turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
    Jamaican, side dish
  • Make sure to check and stir the rice every 5 minutes within the time it takes to cook it. You might need to add more water towards the end if the rice is still gummy..
    Jamaican, side dish