Okie dhokla

I am going to go ahead and admit right off that this recipe is not 100% vegan. But, then again, neither am I...yet. I'm working up to it slowly. But while I can't say this item is vegan, I can say that this somewhat flying-saucerish food item still happens to be freaking delicious.

The semi unusual-looking item above is called Sooji dhokla. "Sooji" (SOO-jee) means semolina, which is the primary ingredient of this delicious savory cake. Dhokla (which I have only heard pronounced as if it rhymes with "okra") is a dish that hails from the Gujarat region of India. I was first introduced to it by a dear friend of mine from college. Her mother is a phenomenal cook, and we were often lucky to be treated to this wonderful spicy dish after my friend returned to school after a weekend at home. It does travel rather well, and it's really warm and satisfying.

Sooji dhokla is a steamed cake made primarily from semolina, yogurt, the black mustard seeds you see sprinkled liberally over the top in the picture, chilis, and a bit of cilantro. My friend's mom I think tends to measure by sight when she makes it, but I am not, alas, nearly as skilled as she is. So, to make this on my own, I needed a recipe. Luckily, I found one at a DELIGHTFUL website called showmethecurry.com. You can find the recipe I used here. What I absolutely love about this website (beyond the AWESOME name that is) are all of the video tutorials for how to make just about every recipe on the website. The 2 phenomenal women who run the site show you, in detail, how to prepare the recipes. It's like learning from friends. In fact, these women are so likable that you may find yourself watching the videos for recipes you don't even plan to make. Believe me, I know from experience :-)

But, to see my posting of the recipe, and to hear a bit about the slight trials and tribulations of preparing it, please continue reading below. I will warn you, it does require a bit of special equipment, and a bit of patience. It's definitely not a quick weeknight meal option. But it is delicious, and will keep for a week in the fridge. I made mine and ate it every night for a week (Sooooo good!)

Thanks all, and happy cooking!

Sooji Dhokla

I highly recommend watching the video at the link above before doing this. It will really give you some good tips and a better understanding of how this works.

For the cake

2 cups sooji, or semolina (I bought this at an Indian grocery store, but a supermarket with a good international foods section might have it too)

2 Tbsp oil

1/4 tsp carom seeds (also called Ajwain); If you can't find these at your local market, and you do not have an Indian food store in the area, I'd recommend substituting whole cumin seeds

1 tsp grated ginger (I skipped this and added a few shakes of ground ginger)

1 finely chopped green chili (or to taste); If you don't have one, I'd recommend trying some driedred chili flakes

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 cup water

1 cup well mixed plain yogurt

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ENO brand fruit salt (this powder is also best purchased at the Indian grocery or online; You likely won't use it up that quickly, so you probably won't need to order it often; It is made, from what I understand, of a combo of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid powder; it is often used in India as an antacid, and to prevent bloating, but it is involved in a chemical reaction that has to take place for the dhokla to come together properly; I am not 100% sure if substitutions would work as well)

Cooking oil (spray type if desired)

**A stock pot with lid (preferably one that comes with a removable tray with tiny holes that can be used as a steamer)

**A cheesecloth and some sort of steamer tray with a rigid structure and small holes; bamboo steamers could work

For the brush-on infused oil

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds (I used black mustard seeds)

2 tsp sesame seeds (I skipped this too; Didn't have them, and besides, I don't think I ever saw my friend's mom use them...)

Slit, seeded green chilis to taste (optional)

Finely chopped cilantro (the ladies at smtc.com recommended 10 sprigs; I'd recommend using 4-5 Tbsp of the fresh stuff; It's definitely better than the dried variety; Unfortunately though, I didn't have any fresh cilantro in the house when I made the version pictured above; The dried stuff will do, but it's not nearly as good; 2-3Tbsp of the dry stuff - or to taste- should work in a pinch).

Onion pickle, coriander chutney, or condiment of choice (optional but recommended strongly)

First, make the cake. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir the semolina, carom (or cumin) seeds, and the oil until smooth. You do not want to see any lumps left. In another bowl, mix the yogurt, chili if desired, the salt, the turmeric, and ginger. Next, pour the yogurt mixture into the semolina mixture and stir to incorporate. To this, add your water to make sort of a batter. Let this batter sit on your counter for 15-20 mins.

And now a note**: There is actually a certain contraption you can buy (definitely in India, and maybe online) that is made for the specific purpose of steaming dhokla. I, of course, do not possess such a contraption, though it will assuredly be on my list of required souvenirs if I ever visit India. I used a pasta pot (one of the ones with a built in steamer tray that fits inside) and cheesecloth. You might be able to get away with just the cheesecloth and a steamer basket (probably the bamboo kind), but the cheesecloth is definitely essential. I warn you, however, the cheesecloth will likely get horribly messed up when you make dhokla, so you may want to be conservative with how much you use.

Now, put an inch to an inch and a half of water in a stock pot, and bring it to a boil. Spray or brush your steamer basket (and maybe even your cheesecloth) with oil to prevent the semolina cake from sticking as it cooks. It will still taste as good if it sticks, but it won't be nearly as pretty, or solid.

Once the water is boiling, you must spring into action like a jungle cat. Things will move very quickly from here. Line your steamer basket carefully with a double layer of the prepared cheesecloth(making sure to cover both bottom and sides), and place the steamer (cover off) into the pot. You are making sort of a double boiler situation here, except that the top of the double boiler needs to have holes for the steam to get in. But, as with a double boiler, make sure your steamer is suspended at least a few inches above the boiling water. The bottom of the steamer must never be in direct contact with the water.

Now here's the tricky part. Mix the fruit salt into your prepared batter and stir fairly quickly and well. The batter will start to foam due to the chemical reaction of the fruit salt. Pour the batter carefully and quickly into your cheesecloth-lined steamer. This is why your steamer must have tiny holes, and not large ones. If your steamer has large holes, the batter will probably go right through.

Now, smooth the top of the batter gently with a spatula, cover the pot with its lid, and steam the dhokla at medium heat for 15 mins. Then turn off the heat, carefully remove the steamer from the pot, and let it cool, preferably on a wire rack to let air flow underneath.

While you wait, make the infused oil.

Heat your oil to medium heat in a sauté pan or nonstick skillet. Add the mustard seeds. They should start to pop open in a few minutes, so you may want to put a splatter screen over the pan as it cooks. At the very least, please be careful and do not watch the seeds too closely as you fry them. If you are using sesame seeds, add them next and cook for a few minutes. They will pop and jump a bit also. If you want to use green chilis here, do so at this point and let cook for 30 seconds to a minute, then switch off the stove.

Once the steamed dhokla is cool enough to handle, remove it from the steamer basket, unwrap slowly and carefully from the cheesecloth, and flip onto a plate to serve. Brush your infused oil (including the seeds) over the top. This is what gives the dhokla its spice. Chop and/or sprinkle your cilantro on top just before serving.

Now cut in slices and serve to your soon-to-be-devoted-fan club. Onion pickle or coriander (cilantro) chutney are excellent condiments to serve with dhokla. You can find these at the indian grocery, or at good health food stores or supermarkets. For extra credit, you could make your own.

Happy eating!

A tropical vacation...in your mouth.

I made these Coconut Mango Pancakes the other day, and I am in love. I would happily eat these every weekend. The recipe originally came from this website, and I hope the author doesn't mind me reprinting it here. The recipe came from the blog, "A Little Yumminess," which is a great food blog. Definitely not all vegetarian, but really fun to read, and very family oriented.

So I added a few little tweaks to the original recipe (noted with asterisks**), but it really is a fantastic recipe as originally written also.

Coconut Mango Pancakes

1 cup coconut milk

1.5 cups mango puree; You can get this at: 1) Indian grocery store, 2) International aisle of local supermarket, or 3) blend chopped ripe mangos in your blender or food processor

2 whole eggs (You can use Ener-G Egg Replacer or another egg substitute here too to veganize the recipe)**

1.5 cups white/all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

A neutral oil or Earth Balance for cooking the pancakes**

Beat (or prepare) the eggs, then whisk in the coconut milk, mango puree, and vanilla until a smooth mixture is formed. Carefully whisk in the flour and baking powder a little at a time, just until mixed. Do not overbeat.

Melt your Earth Balance or place your oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. I like to use a ladle to transfer about 1 pancake's worth of batter into the pan at a time. You can also use the back of the ladle to thin out the pancake batter in the pan, so you don't have an overly thick pancake that doesn't cook in the middle. When the pancake starts to look dry/stable in the middle, flip the pancake over and cook the other side. It is better to err on the low temperature side when cooking pancakes. They may take longer to cook, but at least you won't burn them.

Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, nuts, etc or with the syrup below.

**Also, I have tried freezing these pancakes, to very satisfactory results. If you cook all of your pancakes the day you make your batter, you can allow them to cool, and then store them in your freezer with wax paper in between each pancake layer. Then you should be good to go on a morning that you don't feel like cooking, but want to eat well just the same. You can either reheat the pancakes in the microwave, or on a fairly low temperature in a skillet (or in the oven) if you wish. I would consider making the below syrup from scratch to serve with them though. It's really fast, very easy to make, and I think it kicks things up a notch.

Coconut syrup**

I once had some amazing coconut/macadamia/tropical fruit french toast while on a family vacation, and what made the meal extraordinary was the coconut syrup. This is my imitation of that ultradelicious condiment.

1 Tbsp-1oz of agave syrup

3-4 tsp of the coconut milk leftover from making the pancakes; I had some leftover in the can that I wasn't sure what to do with, and this seemed a good choice...

Mix the ingredients simply with a spoon. The above will make about enough for one serving. Please multiply depending on your number of diners

I would also recommend melting some additional Earth Balance over the top of the pancakes as shown. The extra butteriness is delightful. I also crushed up a few walnuts to add over the top of the pancakes for crunch. Just about any toasted or untoasted nut would be excellent here if you don't like or can't eat walnuts. I would imagine roasted pecans would be amazing. Or macadamia nuts to keep with the tropical theme of course.

Anyway, please enjoy and happy eating!

Crazy Delicious Indian Red Lentil Dal and Parathas

I love Indian food like crazy. Anyone who has ever eaten anywhere near me most likely knows this to be true. And, the lovely thing is, I actually have choices to make when I go to restaurants where Indian food is served.

Many of you vegetarians out there (and I am sure ALL of the vegans out there) have experienced the moment while dining out with friends, when you realize that there is essentially one thing on the menu that you can eat. And it is not even particularly appetizing. Your food choice has already been made for you, and by someone who has no idea that vegetarian food can actually taste good. Sad.

BUT, there is hope guys. If you have never been to an Indian restaurant, and you even "kind-of" like spicy food, you are in for a treat. Even if you are not a major spice aficionado, chances are your local restaurant will tone down the burn factor for you if you ask. I highly recommend seeking out an Indian restaurant in your area, so that you may experience the joy of getting to pore over a menu for a few extra minutes.

I have tried many times to recreate the amazingness of Indian restaurant food on my own, with varying degrees of success. But, I am very happy to report that the following recipe is not only easy to prepare, it is totally delicious. It actually tastes like something I would order from a restaurant. And it's vegan!! Prepare yourselves for awesome guys.

Keep reading below to find the full recipes for Red Lentil Dal and Homemade Parathas. Thanks all!

Red Lentil Dal (or "Dhal") with homemade Parathas (bread)

from "The 30 Minute Vegan" by Reinfeld/Murray and "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman respectively

Start by making the paratha dough:

Parathas

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I used chapati flour from my favorite Indian food shop)

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt (give or take)

1/4 cup oil (I used canola, but "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" recommends grapeseed or corn oil, or 1/2 a stick of melted butter if you are not vegan)

Pulse flours and salt in a food processor to mix (about 30 seconds). I am sure you can do this by hand in a bowl, but it will be much more laborious. Turn the processor back on, and add 3/4 cup of water to flour mixture, until it forms a slightly sticky ball. (Mark Bittman recommends adding water a Tbsp at a time if mixture is too dry, flour a Tbsp at a time if the mixture is too sticky.) Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap. If you want to use it right away, leave it on the counter for 20 mins. Bittman also notes that you can leave the dough in the fridge for about 24 hours, or in the freezer for a week if you're planning your weekly meals ahead of time. This is one of the many reasons that I love Mark Bittman.

While you wait, start making your Dal. I adapted this recipe slightly from the original, due to my own tastes, and what was available in my house.

Red Lentil Dhal

1Tbsp oil (I used canola)

1 Tbsp cumin seeds (I bought them at an Indian food shop, but they are often available whole, not ground, in the supermarket. Hint: They are often on the international foods aisle if they are not on the spice aisle)

2 tsp mustard seeds (I also purchased these at my Indian food shop, but your supermarket or specialty food store will likely have these as well)

1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced (book recommends 1.5 Tbsp minced garlic)

1-2 tsp ground ginger (book recommends 1.5 Tbsp minced fresh ginger; I = too lazy for this)

2 small to medium sized onions, diced

1/2 to 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (book recommends 1 seeded/minced jalepeño here, but I didn't have that)

6 cups water or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock because, why not add more nutrition and rich flavor whenever you can? You're a conscientious eater and you deserve it)

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed (I got these in bulk at the local Wholefoods, but I would think the supermarket would have them, either next to the dried beans, or in the International foods aisle)

2 tsp curry powder (I like this because you don't have to look for a million spices to fill your cabinet; Though having those other spices can come in handy if you love Indian food)

Sea salt to taste (I am not a salt person, but I added at least a teaspoon to this recipe; add to suit yourself and your audience)

Ground black pepper to taste

Cilantro for garnish (book recommends fresh, minced cilantro, but I am sure some sprinkles of the dried stuff would be fine. Frankly, I forgot to add it at all)

I would recommend chopping and measuring everything before you start cooking. It will make your life easier.

Start heating the oil in a large pot (it must accommodate at least 7-8 cups of volume plus room for stirring). Use a medium high heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds to the oil and stir them around, coating the seeds in oil. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring consistently to make sure they do not burn. Some popping sounds may occur as the seeds cook. Please careful not to burn them, or to burn yourself by looking too closely at the cooking process. Sometimes these seeds jump as they pop open.

Add your onion, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes (or jalepeño), and cook down a bit, stirring often. I think you are aiming to get the onions translucent, but not caramelized.

Now add your veggie stock or water to the pot. Then add the lentils. This may look like a LOT of fluid for the lentils, but they will absorb most of it as they cook. If you want more of a refried bean consistency to the final product, you could probably leave out a half to a full cup of liquid, but I wouldn't recommend it. Cook the lentils, uncovered, for 20 mins or more, stirring periodically. I cooked them for about 30 mins total, to cook off a little more of the liquid. Add your curry powder and sea salt, cook for 5 mins, and turn off the heat. Add the cilantro right before serving.

And now back to the parathas. Try to prepare these while the lentils are cooking for 20-30 mins. If you like, you can also start cooking rice at this point too (see farther below).

Now that your dough has rested, divide it into 8 or so pieces. The recipe can make 8-12 parathas, but i like mine larger, so 8 was fine for me. I'd recommend covering the pieces you're not using with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap while you're not working on them. They do dry out rather quickly.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball, place on a floured surface, and roll into a 4 inch or larger circle with a rolling pin. Brush the top lightly with your oil of choice or butter (using Earth Balance will keep it vegan). Now roll the circle up "like a cigar" (according to Mr. Bittman). Then coil the cigar into a spiral like you were making a cinnamon bun. Place all of your coils onto a plate. I didn't really have any trouble with them sticking to each other, so go ahead and pack them closely to keep the coils tight.

When you are ready to cook your parathas, take one of your coiled dough pieces and flatten it. Roll it out into a thin pancake, as you did before. Brush a nonstick pan or griddle with oil or butter/margarine, and cook your parathas. About 3-5 mins per side will do it. Before you flip the paratha for the first time, make sure to brush the top with oil or margarine. Once browned on both sides, flip the paratha out onto a plate that has been covered with a napkin or paper toweling. Cook as many breads as you like, or as many as you anticipate eating with this meal. I left some of the coils covered on a plate in the fridge for a few days, and made them anew with my leftover dal every time I wanted fresh bread. It helps if you can let the coils come to room temperature again before flattening them, but it won't ruin them if you are starving like I was and you can't wait. Pre-made parathas reheat in the microwave also, but they taste much better if you make them to order with your meal.

Now, you can eat the dhal (or dal) alone with the bread, or serve with rice as I did here.

Rice: I made basmati rice (also from the Indian food shop) by boiling 2 cups of water (and a Tbsp of oil/butter/vegan margarine) for every cup of rice. I added the rice when the water and oil/butter came to a boil. Then I stirred the mixture, covered the rice, and cooked the rice for 20-25 minutes over low low heat. You can then fluff with a fork and serve.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please check out the books that the recipes came from too. The links are provided above. Now I am starving and must go eat. Thanks all!

The World is your oyster, even if you don't eat oysters...

I truly love when I find other people that share my interests. I mean, who doesn't, right?

Tonight I found out about a really cool website that gives you short lists of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants and food shops, not only in every one of the 50 U.S. states, but ALL OVER THE WORLD! The site is just a little over 10 years old, and has over 10,000 listings!

So everyone check out vegdining.com!

Now this site may not be the only one of its kind, but I can offer it a particular vote of confidence based on experience. I looked up the restaurants listed for my state, the great state of Rhode Island, and I have been to at least 6 of the 10 restaurants/food shops on the list. The good news is that I would absolutely recommend those places to veg(etari)ans who were here and wanted to eat well. I mean, the list is by no means comprehensive - how could it be? - but it's a fine start.

The potential drawback of this site is that all you can see for free is the name of the restaurant and its general location (city/town). In order to access the full information available on the site, such as full restaurant profiles, restaurant recipes, and customer reviews, you must purchase an account. An account costs a not unreasonable $4.95 per year. And if you do any traveling within the year, that $5 may beyond pay for itself in saved starvation/aggravation. Plus, it could be really fun making the vegetarian restaurant circuit part of your travels.

Additionally, vegdining.com offers the option of the Vegdining card, which one could purchase to get worldwide discounts at participating veggie-friendly restaurants from Russia to Costa Rica. And you can earn rewards points for using the card too. Not really sure what these points add up to, but vegdining.com suggests that we could contact the site directly for further information about these cards.

But the main point is get out there and get eating. And if you've had a good experience with a restaurant you've found on vegdining.com, please let us know here.

Happy eating everyone!

Chaaaaaarge! Meet the first members of the Hot Vegan Army

http://olivia-wilde-pictures.blogspot.com/2009/05/olivia-wilde-pics-part-2.html

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/bob+harper

I thought it only fitting that the first 2 members of the Hot Vegan Army here on Worldly Vegetarian should be the winners of PETA's yearly "Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" contest. And this year's winners would certainly make anyone want to swear off hamburgers for life :-)

Congratulations to House's Olivia Wilde and The Biggest Loser's Bob Harper!

Olivia Wilde: You may know this sweeping beauty from tv's House, in which she plays an opinionated (and of course gorgeous) doctor with Huntington's disease. And God bless her, this knockout is a no-joke vegan, and really vocal about it. Just check out her personal website, Wilde Things. Here, she shares vegan recipes and anecdotes, as well as book recommendations and reviews. To boot, Ms. Wilde is also an activist for humans. She belongs to the ACLU, she's a board member in Artists for Peace and Justice, and she promotes several smaller human rights efforts on other pages of her website. I also remember seeing an interview with her online once, in which she said that she wished she could go back and tell her childhood self to be more confident. It was not that there were lots of things she wasn't good at, but just things she hadn't learned yet. I think we could all stand to have that attitude, and not treat ourselves so harshly sometimes. So don't hate her because she's beautiful. Love her because she is caring and makes some darn good points.

Bob Harper: You know, I've been watching the Biggest Loser for years, and not until this whole Sexiest Vegetarian alive thing did I even know Bob was a vegan. And, judging by what I have seen on Biggest Loser, and by what you can see above, vegans sure are healthy, haha. No flies on this guy for sure. He's got energy to spare. I even have some of the Biggest Loser workout videos, and this guy puts you through your paces. Additionally, as far as reality tv goes, I'd much rather see people making positive decisions that take them to a happier, healthier place in their lives, than to watch a whole bunch of immature "pretty people" backstab and gossip about each other all day.

In addition to his work with homo sapiens, Bob is of course an animal lover. He is an advocate against puppy mills, and owns an adopted dog named Karl. Bob is also the national spokesperson for this year's fundraising walk for Farm Sanctuary, a wonderful organization that I am just starting to learn about. According to wikipedia.org:

Farm Sanctuary is an American animal protection organization, founded in 1986 as an advocate for farm animals. It promotes laws and policies that support animal welfare, animal protection, and vegetarianism/veganism by rescue, education and advocacy. Farm Sanctuary houses over 800 cows, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigs, sheep, rabbits, and goats at a 175-acre (0.71 km²⁾ animal sanctuary in Watkins Glenn, New York. They house over 400 farm animals at a 300-acre (1.2 km²) sanctuary in Orland, California which, unlike the New York shelter, also houses burros.

So Bob, I salute you for the inspiration you give to people, and the example you provide for the ethical treatment of animals. Cheers Mr. Harper.

And cheers to the first members of our Hot Vegan Army! And there will be many more to come :-)

The Hot Vegan Army: suit up.

Whenever I find out that a celebrity or other interesting public figure is a vegetarian or vegan, I get a total thrill out of it. I don't know why, but it sort of makes me feel more justified in my life choices. I start to sense a kind of kinship with this person who has made the same decision that I made about 13 years ago, to start considering just where my food comes from, and to be conscientious with the products I buy. I have actually started to add these people to a mental list I like to refer to as the "Hot Vegan Army." And the more of us there are in the ranks, the stronger impact we have on the variety of vegetarian and vegan foods on the market.

I know that globally, we of the plant-based diets may still be in the minority. However, I also know that there are much tastier and more user-friendly animal-free foods on my supermarket shelves than there used to be when I first started cutting animal products out of my diet. So really guys, we're putting our money where our mouth is, and it's having an impact.

So to help keep us motivated on the days when we feel our commitment faltering, I present to you the Hot Vegan Army. I will periodically post about a notable vegan or vegetarian figure, and add them to the special Hot Vegan Army page tabbed at the top of the blog homepage. All suggestions are welcome if you see that I have left someone out. Everyone can use someone to look up to right?

It's not ugly, it's my breakfast!

Have any of you ever tried an ugly fruit?

You may ask, "what on earth is an ugly fruit?" - but such is my point. As sad as it is to admit, PR matters a lot in the food world. I mean, if someone offers you a bite of food and says, "Here, try this. It's disgusting!" you're not exactly encouraged. Kombucha beverages seem to be selling pretty well these days, but I'm pretty sure it's because people are not saying "Try this fermented drink made from slimy mold!" but rather emphasizing the health benefits.

And yes, while the above misshapen blob does kind of look like a lumpy, semi-discolored orange, it is surprisingly refreshing. The Uglyfruit just needs a new publicist, that's all.

According to wikipedia, this homely but healthy fruit is a hybrid of grapefruit, tangerine, and orange, and it hails primarily from Jamaica. It tends to be sweeter than a grapefruit, and with fewer seeds. I myself found it to be very tasty. It was chock full of vitamin C-soaked sweetness. I think it would make a energizing change from a dull breakfast routine, especially as the weather heats up.

So God bless the company calling this fragrant side-show act of the citrus world "Unique" rather than "ugly" (Uniq fruit is one of the 2 big trade names for this hybrid). Maybe it will remind people in a subtle way that, just because you're not used to it, it doesn't mean that wonderful things don't come in imperfect-looking packages.

Any other ugli/uglyfruit fans out there? Please share your experience here.

Cheers all!