Tag Archives: ginger

Ginger Soy Glazed Edamame Recipe

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This ginger soy glazed edamame is the best healthy snack you can make in 10 minutes! Its quick, its easy, and its vegan too. Tossing steamed edamame in the ginger soy glaze makes it more interesting, and more tasty of course, than plain old steamed edamame.

I always have frozen edamame in its shell on hand. You can also use shelled edamame, but I think sucking the beans out of the shells is half the fun!

The ginger soy glaze is super easy to make and insanely delicious. You may want to make a big batch and store it in a glass jar for future use! Just remember to cook the sauce/glaze on medium to low heat so that the sugar doesn’t burn. And use a non stick pan to make washing up easier.

Ginger Soy Glazed Edamame Recipe

Serves 1 as a snack

Ingredients
1 cup frozen edamame with shell
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
a pinch of crushed red chili fakes, optional
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil (substitute with canola or vegetable oil)
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
¼ teaspoon fresh grated garlic

 
Method

  1. Cook the edamame according to package directions. Then pat it dry with a towel and set aside.
  2. Whisk the brown sugar, soy sauce and water in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Place the sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a medium non-stick sauce pan on medium heat. Let it sizzle for about 30 seconds.
  4. Then add the brown sugar, soy sauce, chili fakes and water mix. Let the sauce bubble gently on medium to medium-low heat. Cook till the sauce thickens and reduces to about 2 tablespoons. This will take about 4 minutes. Stir the sauce frequently while cooking. Remember, the sugar in the sauce will burn easily; if you find this is happening, reduce the heat.
  5. When the sauce has thickened, add the steamed edamame and toss well. The sauce should be thick enough that it coats and sticks to the edamame. If you find the sauce is too watery, cook on medium heat till the sauce thickens and coats the edamame.

Asparagus and Tempeh Stir Fry with Ginger Pearl Couscous Recipe

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Tempeh is a fermented soy bean cake from Indonesia. Tempeh has a nutty flavor, firm texture, and is very high in protein, making it a great meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan recipes. In this tempeh stir fry recipe, I use some fresh asparagus.

I like Light life tempehs, they have great texture and taste. For this stir fry recipe, I used Light life wild rice tempeh.

I like to serve the stir fry with a quick and simple ginger pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous or mograbiah). Regular couscous, quinoa, orzo or brown rice with ginger will also be great.

More tempeh stir fry recipes on the web..
Broccoli tempeh stir fry recipe on Iron Stef
Another broccoli and tempeh stir fry recipe on Cate’s world kitchen
Stir fried summer vegetables and tempeh in coconut curry sauce recipe on savvy vegetarian

Asparagus and Tempeh Stir Fry Recipe

serves 2-3

1 bunch asparagus (about 35 asparagus spears)
8 oz tempeh
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

For the sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
 1/2 cup cold water
1 teaspoon fermented black beans, mashed with a fork
2 cloves garlic, chopped, optional
2 tablespoon soy sauce

Trim away the thick bottom ends of the asparagus. Then cut the asparagus spears in half. Cut the tempeh into 1 inch cubes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the corn starch and water until there are no lump. Then add all other sauce ingredients.

Add the cubed tempeh to the bowl with the sauce. Toss well. Let it marinate for about half an hour. If you are in a hurry, you can skip the marinating.

Heat a large wok with the oil. Pull out the tempeh from the marinating liquid, and save the liquid. Add the tempeh to the wok, and sauté for 3 minutes or until the tempeh is lightly browned.

Add the asparagus spears, and stir 1 minute. Pour the reserved marinating liquid into the work, and let it boil for about a minute or till the asparagus is tender, but still a little crisp.

Serve with ginger pearl couscous.

Ginger Pearl Couscous or Israeli Couscous or Mograbiah recipe

1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
½ cup pearl couscous, also called Israeli couscous or mograbia
Salt

Heat sesame oil in a medium skillet. Add the ginger and let it sizzle for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the pearl couscous and stir for 3 minutes or until it is lightly brown. Add 1 ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or till the couscous is done. Sprinkle with salt.

You can substitute the Israeli couscous with regular couscous, quinoa, orzo or brown rice. Just sauté the ginger and then follow the package directions on the couscous, quinoa, orzo or brown rice.

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Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowl

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My dear friend Mahi loves my tofu recipes and recently requested a ginger tofu recipe. This is what I came up with. Mahi, this ginger teriyaki tofu noodle bowl recipe is for you ♥

Teriyaki sauce is really easy to make at home. Just whisk together sugar, mirin and sake (or vinegar), and let it boil to thicken. You can use this sauce as a marinade on vegetables, brush it over anything you are grilling, or toss it in some rice or noodles. My ginger teriyaki sauce recipe is sweet, you could ofcourse adjust the sugar according to taste.

I love using thin rice noodles for this recipe. All you have to do is soak them in hot water till they have softened. You can find rice noodles or rice vermicelli in the Asian section of the grocery store. For a larger selection of rice noodles, head to an Asian store. When buying rice noodles for this recipe make sure that rice and water are the only ingredients. Some brands use corn starch in their rice noodles, and thats ok too.

Teriyaki Tofu Noodle Bowl Recipe

Serves 1 as a main dish

For the Ginger Teriyaki Tofu
Half of a 15 oz package of tofu, pressed. Read this post on how to press tofu.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar (this will produce a sweet sauce, use less if you dont want it sweet& remember mirin is sweet too!)
2 tablespoons mirin (look for ‘mirin style seasoning’ in the asian section of the grocery store ot substitute with 1 tablespoon rice vinegar+a pinch of sugar)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Cut the tofu into 1 inch long pieces. Lay the tofu pieces on a non stick skillet and brown each side on medium heat (no oil needed).

Place all remaining ingredients in a non stick sauce pan, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes or till the sugar dissolves and sauce thickens slightly. Take care not to boil the sauce too much and burn the sugar. Taste the sauce, and adjust sugar or rice vinegar if needed.

When the tofu pieces are browned, pour half the teriyaki sauce over the tofu. Save the other half of the teriyaki sauce to serve for dipping.

Turn the tofu pieces so all sides are coated with sauce. On low heat, let the sauce bubble away and thicken (but be careful not to burn the sauce), about 1-2 minutes.

Serve ginger teriyaki tofu over rice noodles (recipe below) and the remaining teriyaki sauce on the side for dipping.

For the Rice Noodles
2 oz dry rice noodles or rice vermicelli
1/4 cup carrots peeled and cut into thin sticks
1/4 cup of cucumber cut into thin sticks
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes, optional
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped mint or cilantro

Soak rice noodles in very hot water for 10 minutes, or prepare according to package directions. Drain well.

Gently toss the noodles and all other ingredients together in a bowl. Top with ginger teriyaki tofu. Serve reserved teriyaki sauce on the side for dipping the noodles.

Tandoori Grilled Broccoli and Cauliflower Kebabs

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A tandoor is an Indian clay oven. Marinated meat, cottage cheese (paneer) or vegetables are skewered and cooked in the oven. The result is smoky, charred skewers of tandoori yumminess.

 

Make sure you soak the skewers before grilling, otherwise they will burn on the grill. If you dont have a grill, you can place the skewers in the oven and broil them till brown and slightly charred. Then flip the skewers and broil the other side.

The tandoori marinade recipe I give you is very versatile, you can use it for paneer, tofu, potatoes, even seitan.

I like to blanch the broccoli and cauliflower before marinating. This reduces grilling time and also makes it easier to thread the skewer into the broccoli and cauliflower.

We usually eat these grilled kebabs with either brown rice, rotis or pita bread and some raita. Here are some recipes on Veggie Belly that will make great accompaniments to these kebabs:

Walnut raisin rice

My grandmother’s multicolored raita

Tamarind Jelly

Tandoori Grilled Broccoli and Cauliflower Kebabs Recipe

serves about 2 as an entree

4 bamboo skewers (about 10 inches long)

1 small head of broccoli
1/2 small head of cauliflower
1 small red onion, cut into 4 wedges
1 large tomato, cut into 4 wedges

for marinade
3 tablespoons chickpea or garbanzo flour (besan)
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
Salt

Soak bamboo skewers in water for atleast 30 minutes, to prevent them from burning on the grill.

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into large florets. You should have 6 florets (about 2 cups) each of broccoli and cauliflower.

Bring water to boil in a medium pot. Add plenty of salt. Add the broccoli and cauliflower florets. Bring back to a boil. Cook for 20 seconds. Then turn off heat and drain the broccoli and cauliflower. Rinse under very cold water to stop the cooking. If the tap water is not cold enough, dunk the broccoli and cauliflower in a bowl filled with water and ice cubes, then drain. Pat dry with a towel. Make sure the vegetables arent wet, if they are they will dilute the marinade.

Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, tomato and onion pieces to the marinade. Mix gently so the marinade coats all the vegetables. Cover and refridgerate for about 30 minutes.

Heat an out door grill to 400f. Skewer the broccoli, cauliflower, onion and tomato pieces. Place on grill and cook till one side of the vegetables is slightly charred, about 1 minute. Then using tongs, flip the skewers and cook the other side. If you dont have a grill, broil the skewers in the oven.

Lentil Drop Curry or Moong Wadi/Mangodi Curry

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Whoever invented moong vadis is a genius. These little ‘drops’ or nuggets of dried lentils cooked in a curry, are filling and tasty. Also called Mangodi in parts of India, moong wadis are extremely versatile, you can use them in curries, soups or mashed up in chili. Because the lentils are ground up and dried, they have a great meaty texture when cooked. Moong wadis or mangodis are superb soy-free meat substitutes. 

How to use Moong Wadis

- Always shallow fry or deep fry wadis till golden before using
- Add to tomato based curries along with any vegetable you like (potato is traditional)
- Add fried moong wadis to yogurt based curries like kadhi or mor kulambu
- In the winter months I add extra water to this recipe and turn it into curried lentil drop soup. I serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt
- Use fried moong wadis in vegetarian and vegan chili recipes instead of immitation soy based ‘meats’

How moong wadis are made: Moong dal and spices are soaked and ground into a paste. Little drops of this lentil dough are then piped onto a baking sheet or other surface and sun-dried for 2-3 days or untill hard. You can store these in an airtight container for several months. See this post for a recipe. I dont bother making moong wadis, I just buy them at the Indian store.

Lentil Drop Curry or Moong Wadi/Moong Vadi/Mangodi Recipe

serves about 6

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups moong wadi from the Indian store

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 red or green chilli chopped, optional
1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
1 small onion, finely chooped
1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
1/4 cup tomato puree or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, optional
Juice of 1/2 a lime or according to taste, optional

Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a medium pot. Add the moong wadis to the oil. Fry on medium heat till the wadis are golden brown. Remove the wadis from the pot using a spoon and set aside. In the same pot, heat 1 tbsp oil.  Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle about 20 seconds or till fragrant. Then add chilli if using and cook another 15 seconds. Add asafoetida.

Immediately add chopped onion and cook till onions are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger pastes. Cook, stirring for another 2 minutes. Pour in the tomato puree, add coriander powder, turmeric and red chilli powder if using. Let the gravy simmer for about 2 minutes. Then add the fried moong wadi along with 5 cups of water.

Bring the curry to a boil. Then lower heat, place a lid on the pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or till the moong wadis have plumped up and dont taste raw anymore. Taste the curry and add lime juice according to taste. If the gravy is too thick, add more water.

Serve hot with rice, bread, rotis or tortillas.

Mor Kuzhambu or South Indian Yogurt Coconut Curry

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Mor kuzhambu or moor kulambu, however you spell it, is a satisfying south Indian dish made with yogurt and fresh coconut. Mor is buttermilk in Tamil and kulambu is gravy or curry. I use yogurt to make this dish (instead of buttermilk) because it makes the gravy thicker. Peppercorns are wonderful in this dish. You don’t actually eat them, but they impart great flavor. These peppercorns are from my dear friend and fellow food blogger, Nandini’s plantation in India.

Tips

- Use freshly grated coconut or fresh-frozen coconut. Please, none of the dried or dessicated stuff!
- For a lighter version of this dish, use buttermilk instead of yogurt
- Do not let the curry boil once you’ve added the yogurt. Use low heat and stir constantly to prevent boiling
- Remember to only gently re-heat this dish
- Serve mor kuzhambu with steamed rice or curry leaf rice. See this post for my curry leaf rice recipe

A note on what vegetables to use for Mor Kolambu
You can use any vegetable you like, here are some favorites and suggestions*

- Long squash(sorakkai or lauki). Peel the skin, scoop out the seeds and cut into cubes. (This is what I used in this recipe)
- Winter melon(ash gourd, neer poosanikkai or petha). Peel skin, scoop out seeds and membrane and cut into cubes
- Ripe mango. Peel skin, remove pit and cut into cubes
- Corn on the cob. My favorite. Remove husk and cut the whole corn into 1 inch rounds. Will need more water to cook
- Orka(vendakkai or bhindi). Cut into pieces. Make sure you saute okra in oil till it is no longer slimy

Mor Kuzhambu or South Indian Yogurt Coconut Curry Recipe

serves about 6

Grind to a paste
3/4 cup fresh grated coconut
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies (use more or less according to taste)
1/2 cup water

For the gravy
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
a pinch of asafoetida
a few curry leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 cups of cubed vegetable (see suggestions in the post above)*
water
salt
a 32 oz tub of plain yogurt
Cilantro for garnishing

Place the ingredients for grinding in a blender and grind into a smooth paste. Set aside.

In a deep pot, heat oil, and add mustard seeds and peppercorns. When the mustard starts to pop and splutter, add the asafoetida, curry leaves, turmeric, and cubed vegetable (see note in the post above for what vegetables to use). Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Then pour about 1 cup water, cover and simmer till the vegetable is cooked; about 7 minutes.

Add the ground coconut mixture, and cook on medium-high for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Beat the yogurt with a spoon or whisk and add it to the coconut-vegetable mixture. Stir gently and constantly on low heat for about 2 minutes. Do not let the gravy boil once you’ve added the yogurt. Add more water if the kuzhambu is too thick. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with white rice or curry leaf rice.

South African Bunny Chow – my vegetarian version with Chickpeas

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South African cuisine is a titillating mix of Indian, British, Malay, Portuguese and Indonesian food. Every group of settlers has left its own mark on the country’s cuisine. Bunny Chow, also called ‘bunny’ is one of the Indian community’s contributions to South African cuisine. Indian immigrant laborers are credited with inventing this dish nearly 200 years ago. They used hollowed out loaves of bread to put their curries in – an easy way to transport their curries while working in sugar cane plantations. The concept of bunny chow is not unlike India’s own pav bhaji – bread eaten with curried vegetables.

Camps Bay in Cape Town

When I first heard about Bunny Chow from a taxi driver in Cape Town, I was intrigued. But this African street food is usually made with meat, and I couldn’t find a vegetarian version while I was in South Africa (I should have searched harder because the original bunny chow was vegetarian!). I was disappointed to say the least. When Meeta announced South Africa as the theme for her monthly mingle, I jumped at the opportunity to make a vegetarian bunny chow.

I used chickpeas as the filling. I also decided to go with a more elegant presentation and used mini ciabatta rolls, instead of the traditional white bread loaf. The mini rolls worked well, they looked cute, were easy to eat and reminded me of panera style bread bowls! The bread ‘bowls’ soaked up all the curry and got finger licking good!

Intrigued? Want to read more?

Cook Sister’s bunny chow recipe
Afar blog’s bunny chow recipe
Bunny chow etiquette

If you dont want to bother hollowing out bread or dont want use as much bread, you could serve the chickpea filling on top of slices of crusty bread – tapas style! But ofcourse, it wont be bunny chow anymore ;)

South African Bunny Chow with Chickpeas Recipe

makes about 6 mini bunnies

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 carrot, diced (1/2 cups when diced)
1 small green pepper, diced (1/2 cup when diced)
1 large tomato, diced
1 tablespoon curry powder ( may need more or less depending on the brand)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
1/2 teaspoon paprika, optional
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1-2 cups water
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt
cilantro for garnish

6 mini ciabatta or other bread rolls (or 1-2 regular sized loaves of white or crusty bread)

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and cook on medium heat till the onions are brown. Then add ginger and garlic paste and saute 30 seconds. Add carrot, green pepper, and tomato and cook till the vegetables are soft. Now add salt, curry powder, turmeric and paprika if using, cook 1 minute on medium-high heat.  Add chickpeas, tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir to make sure tomato paste has dissolved. Boil for about 2 minutes. Add more water if the curry it too thick. Turn off heat. Taste,and add lemon juice according to taste.

Cut the tops off the mini bread rolls and gently scoop out the bread inside. Fill the bread ‘bowls’ with the chickpea filling. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve along with the scooped out bread for dipping.

If using larger sized loaves of bread, halve or quarter (depending on the size) the bread loaf. Scoop out the bread to form a bread bowl. Fill with chickpea filling. Be careful not to scoop out too much bread, your filling might leak out!

Buckwheat Soba Noodles in Leek Ginger Broth

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I was thinking of my August trip to England. On a chilly, rainy day much like today, I went to a Wagamama restaurant in Bristol, England. (It can be chilly and rainy in even in the summer; its England!). I had pan fried Soba noodles at Wagamama. Ever since then, Ive been wanting to make Soba noodles at home. Its getting colder here, so the cooking needs to get warmer. An added benefit to this recipe is that I get my soba fix and soup fix in one dish!

We had this for dinner and some store bought mochi for dessert. The mochi vanished in 12 seconds, so I don’t have a picture!

Soba noodles are made with buckwheat. In Japan, they are eaten cold with a dipping sauce in summer and in a warm broth in the winter. My broth is not traditional, but it does pair well with the soba. You can buy soba noodles in an Asian grocery store.

Ingredients
 
Soba Noodles – 3 bundles
Garlic – 3 cloves
Ginger – 2 inch piece
Leeks – 1
Green Onion – 1 stalk
Red Bell Pepper – 4 tbsp finely chopped
Broccoli – 8 florets
Pickled Ginger – 8 pieces
Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp
Mirin – 4 tbsp (substitute with rice wine or cooking wine and 1/2 tbsp sugar)
Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
Water – 5 cups
Salt
Oil – 1/2 tbsp

Peel the ginger and cut into large pieces. Trim the tough leaves of the leeks, chop into rings and wash them in cold water to remove the grit. Chop the red bell pepper finely. Chop the green onion stalks at an angle.

Heat oil in a stock pot or similar heavy bottomed pot. Turn the heat to high, when the oil is almost smoking, add the ginger, garlic and leeks. Saute on high for about a minute. Then reduce heat and saute another 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, reduce heat and simmer the broth for about 10 minutes. Strain the broth, reserving only the liquid.
Return broth to the stove. Add the soy sauce, mirin and lemon juice. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings and salt. Simmer another 4 minutes. In the last 1 minute of cooking, add the broccoli florets.

While the broth is simmering, work on your soba noodles. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Then add the soba noodles. Bring back to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer the noodles. They should be done in about 5 minutes.

Drain the noodles into a colander and wash them with plenty of cold water. Drain well before using.

To serve, place some noodles in a bowl and pour the stock over the noodles. Sprinkle chopped red pepper on top. Garnish with green onion and pickled ginger.

Some Tasty Variations
 
Add seaweed in the broth for a healthy ocean flavor
Try shelled edamame instead of broccoli
For a simpler broth just use vegetable stock and soy sauce
Add miso paste to the broth for miso-soba soup
Top your soba noodles with Flexitarian’s wonderfully unique Tofu Croutons

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