Aloo Pakoda with Tamatar Pudina Chutney (Potato Fritter with Tomato Mint Chutney) - Vegan Indian Snack Recipe

Aloo is such a versatile vegetable which is so widely used in Indian cuisine in different forms. Aloo ke Pakode is one such dish which is easy to make whenever we feel like munching or it can serve as a great snack for tea time. Aloo Pakoda is a potato slice dipped in very mildly spiced gram flour batter and then deep fried. In this recipe, we are going to look into making aloo pakoda and tomato-mint chutney. Aloo pakoda is generally very plain and basic whose taste is enhanced by dipping it into a bowl of spicy and tangy chutney. This a great combination to have for balances of flavours. First, we will see how easy it is to make aloo pakode and then how easier it is to make a refreshing tangy chutney. Let's get started.

 

Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Cooking Time :  15 minutes

Serving : 3

ALOO PAKODA

INGREDIENTS

1 cup gram flour

2-3 medium sized potatoes

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon red chilly powder

Salt to taste 

Oil for deep frying

RECIPE

1. Take a sauce pan or any container with depth and add gram flour.

2. Now, slowly start adding water to the flour. Do not add all the water at once as it will form lumps which will be very difficult to dissolve later. Keep adding little water and then mixing the mixture properly. You will finally get a batter without lumps.

 

3. Now add turmeric, red chilly powder and salt to taste. Mix it well. Keep it aside.

 

 

4. Take the potatoes. Peel them and then using slicer, make thin slices. I use a multipurpose grater, slicer ! It has options for different sizes and thickness. You can find similar item here.

5. Put a wok on the gas on high flame and pour oil. Now, let the oil get hot. When oil gets hot and fumes start to appear, it is ready to fry some pakodas.

6. Dip a cut potato slice into the batter we previously prepared and coat it completely. Now, just put it carefully into the oil. Reduce the flame from high to medium.

Now, do this for all the potato slices and when they turn golden yellow and starts to look crisp, transfer them onto a plate covered with tissue paper. Tissue paper will help to absorb excess oil from the fritters.

TOMATO-MINT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS

 2 tomatoes

A handful of fresh mint leaves

1-2 teaspoon of lemon juice

2-3 green chillies

Roasted cumin powder

Salt to taste

Black salt to taste

 RECIPE

 1. Take tomatoes, mint leaves, green chillies and roughly chop them.

2. Put the cut pieces into the mixer grinder.

 

3. Add salt, black salt, cumin powder and lemon juice. If you do not have cumin powder, then just take 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and dry roast them on a pan and when they turn brown, transfer them into the above mixer grinder.

 4. Blend the above items and you can add water if you want thinner consistency. Transfer the chutney into a bowl. It is upto you. Your tomato-mint chutney is ready.

 

Plate aloo pakodas and chutney together and enjoy them while sitting in your balcony watching the raindrops hit the Earth. Heavenly ! These are vegan friendly snacks for tea time, general snacking and they are a go to snack for monsoon season. This recipe is really quick and easy to make even for the beginners but still so flavorful and tasty. I would love to know how this recipe turned out for you. Serve the aloo pakodas hot with chutney at room temperature. Enjoy!

Arhar Malka Dal Fry (Yellow Split Pigeon Peas and Pink Lentil Curry) - Vegan Indian Recipe

 

Dal fry is an Indian lentil recipe which can make even the most boring lentils so flavorful and tasty. It is made with Arhar Dal (Toor Dal ), also called yellow split pigeon peas and various variation also include the Malka dal. We are going to use both the lentils in this recipe because why not ?! This recipe is a home made style recipe which can be made as a soupy mix or as a thick gravy according to your preferred consistency. We like  to find a balance between them. It is a good option for lunch and dinner as well.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes 

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serving : 3-4

INGREDIENTS

 4 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

A pinch of asafoetida (hing) 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya)

1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2-3 whole red chillies

1.25 cups of Arhar and Malka dal (Split Pigeon Peas, Pink Lentil)

8-10 cloves of garlic

1/2 inch of ginger

1 medium sized onion

2 tomatoes

Salt to taste

3 cups of water

RECIPE

1. Wash Arhar and Malkan dal 3-4 times and prepare them by soaking in water for about 15 minutes. The dal will increase in size and will make it softer and easier to cook.

2. After soaking the dal, put it in a pressure cooker and pour 3 cups of water and let it cook for 1 whistle.

3. Take onion, tomato and finely chop them. Peel the outer cover of garlic cloves and ginger and finely grate them. You can find a grater here. Keep them aside.

4. Take a pan and add oil. When oil gets heated up, sprinkle cumin seeds and when it stars spluttering, add a pinch of asafoetida. Add some whole red chillies at this stage and let them fry. I forgot to add them so I lightly fried them separately and added it later in step 6.

 5. Now, add grated garlic and garlic. Saute it till it turns slight golden in color.

6. Now, add finely chopped onion and saute till it turns transparent and light brown in color. I added whole red chillies which I fried separately since I forgot to add them in step 4.

 

 

 

7. Now, add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute them for 30 seconds.

 

8. Add finely chopped tomato. Add salt to taste. This will also help the tomatoes to cook faster. Mix them well. Cook them for 5-6 minutes. You can add few drops of water if the mixture starts sticking to the base of the pan.

9. Now, add boiled mixture of arhar and malka dal to the pan along with the water. You can add more water at this stage if you want the consistency to be thinner. We like it between a thick gravy and soupy mix. You can sprinkle some more garam masala on top. Mix it well. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.

10. Your Arhar Malka Dal Fry is ready to serve ! Serve it hot with rice or chapatti.

 

This is a vegan friendly Indian recipe which is lightly spiced and make for a very good lunch or dinner option. It is best served hot with steamed rice, wheat chapatti or naan ! I would love to know yours thoughts about the recipe and how it turned out for you !

 

 

 

Rajma Dal Recipe(Red Kidney Bean Curry) - Indian Vegan Recipe

Rajma is one of the types of pulses which are called red kidney beans in English. Rajma is rich in protein, carbohydrates and various vitamins and minerals. The pulse and the dish both are called Rajma. Rajma is generally eaten with rice. This combination is famously called Rajma Chawal and is very common in kitchens of North India, especially the Punjab. Rajma can also be eaten with some wheat chapatti or naan. This dish is ideal for lunch as Rajma is quite heavy and not recommended for dinner. 

This recipe of Rajma dal is healthy and vegan friendly. It can be made into a soupy dal or a thick gravy according to your preference. We like it in between of them which is ideal for eating with rice.

Preparation Time : 8 hours

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Servings : 4

 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Rajma

1 onion

2 tomatoes

10 garlic cloves

1/2 inch ginger

4 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder

2 teaspoons of rock salt/1-1.5 teaspoon of table salt/salt to taste

3.5 glasses of water/ water according to desired consistency

RECIPE 

1. Take 2 cups of rajma and soak them overnight for about 8-9 hours and put the soaked beans in a pressure cooker. Add 3.5 glasses of water and salt to taste. Let it cook for 2 whistles or until properly cooked and soft. Do not throw the water because we will use the same water to make the gravy. 

 

2. Take onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and roughly chop them. Add them together in a mixer grinder. Blend them well to make a paste. Keep the paste aside.

                                                                                                                           

 

3. Now take a pan and add oil. When little fumes start to appear, add cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add a pinch of asafoetida.

 

  4. Now add the paste. Give it a good stir and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.

 

  5. Add all the spices. Add turmeric, red chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir them well.

 6. Now let the mixture cook for about 10-12 minutes. You can add some water if the mixture starts getting too dry or starts sticking to the base of the pan.

 

 7. When oil starts leaving the sides, this is your indication that it is done. Now add the beans along with the water. Mix them well. You can add more water or reduce the water according to your preferred consistency.

 8. We have already added salt while cooking the beans but you can add more at this stage according to your taste.

 

9. Now, cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

 

10. Your rajma dal is ready ! Sprinkle some fresh roughly chopped coriander leaves for garnish. Serve it hot with rice or chapatti !

 

 

 

This is a vegan friendly Indian recipe which is lightly spiced and make for a very healthy and fulfilling dish for lunch. Only the soaking period is long otherwise it is a quick lunch recipe if you already have soaked beans at hand. I would love to hear from you guys how this recipe turned out for you. Hope you and your family love it as much as we do here !