Pure Veg Recipes from ManeThindi!

Veggie Tomato Cream Pasta - This pasta satiates an Indian palette to the T!! It has a pleasing colour [pink] and a great creamy texture making it favorite with both elders as well as kids. Veggies like coloured bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchinis, olives added to this yummy pasta makes it a complete and filling meal. I remember getting to know about this as a "new" dish in the early 2000 as a college student when it started making waves in India. My little sister who was a school girl and I were curious then and tried different ways to cook this versatile dish and came up with different stuff every time! Nostalgic for sure:) Today, though we get ready to eat pasta or different flavored pasta sauce off the shelf in any super market, I always prefer the home cooked simple yet tasty tried and tested sauce used in this recipe. One can be more creative by adding more ingredients to enhance the taste or the consistency of the pasta to suit tastes. Ingredients: To serv...

Coconut Chutney - as the name suggests is made of Coconut and lots of it! In regular South Indian kind of chutneys we use coconut as one of the ingredients along with other ingredients. Whereas in coconut chutney we use fresh coconut and subtly spice it and is eaten as an accompaniment for dosas/idlies/chapatis. Its also served as one of the first condiments on "BaaLe Yele Oota" i.e., the famous South Indian Plantain leaf meal. Goes very well with fried stuff like Medu Vada or  Bajjis / Bajiyas. Its generally left to the natural white colour and the use of turmeric or green chilli or red chilli is avoided to keep the taste n flavor of the coconut intact. [Handy Tip: This dish has to be consumed immediately or stored in refrigerator for longer usage. Stays good for 2 days under good refrigeration.] Ingredients: Coconut - 2 big cups  Green chillies - 3-4  Ginger - 1/2 " piece [peel and chop] Hing or Asofoetida - a generous pinch Tamarind - a marble sized...

Davangere Benne Masala Dosa - Is a "masala dosa' variant where the dosa, the potato curry and the chutney is white in color and use of turmeric or coriander is minimal to nil. Its distinct taste is because of this feature and of course because of generous use of butter while making and serving the dosa. Davangere is a place in Karnataka in the southern part of India and this dish had its beginning there and became very popular.. hence the name. In restaurants where this type of dosa is served, its generally made on firewood heated large tava/stone which carries the smoky flavor when served. When  eaten along with subtly flavored coconut chutney its just out of the world! In my place we eat this dish in a brunch on a lazy Sunday as its very sumptuous and filling! Kids especially like this as its not very spicy but at the same time its very yummy :) For this preparation 3 items are required. The Dosa batter [specifically for Davangere Benne Masala Dosa] ; The Aloo Cu...

Udupi Sambar - Sambar is a South Indian originated dish. Made of Toor Dal/Moong Dal along with a choice of vegetables is a great source of protein. Its consumed as a staple and is very filling. Sambar is tasty, tangy, flavorful, and a great accompaniment for rice and idlies. Ingredients [to serve 4]: Toor Dal - 1 cup [appx. 60gms] Vegetables - Drumstick, Shallots, Brinjal and Tomatoes [Big chunks] Tamarind pulp - a lemon sized Jaggery - as per requirement Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs Coriander leaves - for garnishing Salt to taste. Ingredients For the spice or masala-  Byadgi Chillies - Also called as Kashmiri Chilli is used for giving a bright red colour to the dish.. Its less pungent than the other chillies available like Guntur Chilli.A pic of Byadgi -  for this recipe we need about 6-7 [upto 10 for those who like the sambar spicy] turmeric - a pinch Dhaniya - 3 tbsp Jeera - 1 tsp Channa Dal - 3 tsp Urad Dal - 1 1/2 tsp Hing - a good pinch Poppy S...

Mallige [Rice] Idly -Rice Idly is a staple across India. Though a breakfast dish, it can be eaten anytime of the day. Mallige in Kannada Language means "Jasmine". This term has been given to the humble  idly as it turns out very soft and looks very white just like the flower. It originated from Mysore - a royal city in Karnataka known for its pioneering recipes and Mallige Idly is one of the very popular ones. Its light and easy to digest and tastes great with sambar or various chutneys like the tomato/coriander/pudina/coconut chutneys. Generally Mallige idly is made from Suji or Semolina but i have used rice and its got a unique aroma to it. INGREDIENTS [to make around 30 idlies] : Urad dal - 1 cup [appx. 200 gms] Dosa or Idly rice - 2 cups [appx. 400 gms] Freshly Cooked rice - 3/4th cup [appx. 150gms] - Key ingredient! This is the item which makes all the difference in this recipe! Salt - To taste. [ Handy Tip : its a good idea to keep the idlies lightly salted as...

Sweet Potatoes and Paneer Cutlets Sweet Potatoes are a healthy replacement for Potatoes which are considered high in carbs. Sweet potatoes have high potassium and is rich in fibre making it healthy. Paneer brings in protein and calcium content and the greens n chillies bring in the vitamins needed in our dietary supplements. Indian spices which is vital in this recipe helps in digesting and balancing. These crisp on the out n' soft n gooey on the inside makes it a great tea time snack! INGREDIENTS Sweet Potatoes - 3 medium boiled, peeled and mashed Paneer - 200gms .. scrambled and coarsely mashed Onions - 3 medium finely chopped Green Chillies - 4-5 or as per requirement very finely diced Coriander leaves - half bunch very finely diced. Bread slices - 3-4 slices quick dunk in water and drain out excess water and mash along with other ing. Black salt- half tsp Chat masala - 2 tsp Red chilli powder - 2 tsp Lime - 1 Salt - as per taste. HOW TO MAKE : Clean t...

Sabudana Vada Sabudana or Sago is a favorite tiffin/snack dish. It is considered ideal for fasting during festivals/poojas. Generally Sabudana is used to make popular dishes Kichdi, Vada, Thalipeet and Kheer. Predominantly a staple in Gujrat and Maharashtra, Sago is popular all over india. They come in different sizes used for different dishes. There are polished and unpolished versions.Unpolished is the healthier option which is used in the following Sabudana Vada recipe. INGREDIENTS : Sabudana - 300gms [soak for 3 hrs] Boiled potato - 2 medium [crushed] Dry roasted peanuts - 1 cup [clean and coarsely crush] Coriander  and curry leaves - a handful [finely chopped] Green chillies - [grind to paste] about 1 or 2 tsp Cumin - 1-2 tsp Black salt - a pinch [optional] Sugar - 1/2tsp Oil - for deep frying Salt - to taste HOW TO MAKE : Soak Sabudana for 3 hrs and check by pressing the sago if its fully soft and mashable. If not add a little more water and ...