As a kid, I was a fussy eater. I loved a few vegetables and my amma patiently prepared them for me. But things changed when I got into culinary school. I had to work with all sorts of vegetables and that changed my perspective regarding food. And now and then, I visit those childhood memories through simple vegetarian dishes.
My first tryst with food happened at a rather young age. While my first ‘dish’ was rice, I managed to make my mum, who had met with an accident then, very, very proud with my potato fry. And while you might shrug and think, ‘no big deal, it’s just potato,’ then let me put a stop to your thoughts. There is nothing simple about a simple vegetarian dish.
Tricky vegetables: I was brought up in a vegetarian household. And coming from South India, our meals were almost incomplete without rice, dal, a curry and a few vegetables. Having noticed amma cut vegetables and cook them, I realised that cooking vegetarian food is not that difficult, but unlike meat, the treatment of vegetables is far, far different and quite necessary to get the taste right.
The vegetable world is filled with these tricky vegetables, have you ever had the misfortune of eating uncooked colocasia leaves or the roots of the plant, taro, (arvi) also known as chamagadda down South? If you did, you must be familiar with an itchy throat. Both leaf and root need to be boiled and then fried well so that they don’t cause any itchiness. The root needs to be boiled in water with a little turmeric.
Absence makes the vegetable grow fonder: As a chef, my quest to taste different kinds of food has taken me to various countries. And the one thing common in all these places is the use of seasonal vegetables. Menus abroad never include vegetables that aren’t in season and no matter how much you crave for it, the rule remains. Sadly, that isn’t the case in India.
As told to Priyanka Praveen
The chef is the Cuisine Designer and Partner, Simply South
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Kaalan Melagu Perratt
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Ingredients:
- Button mushroom (cleaned): 300 gm; 2. Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp;
- Oil: 2tbsp;
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp;
- Onion (chopped): 1 medium size;
- Green chillies (chopped): 2;
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig;
- Chilli powder: ½ tsp;
- Black pepper powder (fresh): sprinkle;
- Salt: to taste
Preparation: Clean and wash mushrooms, cut the button mushrooms into quarters, keep aside. Blanch mushrooms in salt and turmeric water.
Method: Heat oil in a thick bottom pan, add mustard seeds, when mustard seeds crackle add chopped onions, sauté the onions till they turn translucent, now add chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Now add blanched mushrooms, sauté for a minute and add chilli powder, cook till the raw flavour goes. Finish with freshly ground black pepper powder. Adjust seasoning.
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Kakarkaya Vepudu
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Ingredients:
- Bitter gourd: 4 medium size
- Oil: 1 tbsp;
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp;
- Urad dal: ½ tsp;
- Dry red chillies: 2;
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig;
- Onion (sliced): 1 medium size;
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp;
- Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp;
- Peanuts crushed: 1 tbsp;
- Coconut shaving: 30 gm;
- Salt: to taste;
- Oil: for frying
Preparation: Cut bitter gourd into roundels, boil with turmeric and salt, strain and keep aside. Fry the bitter gourd roundels.
Method: Heat oil in a thick bottom pan, temper the oil with mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. When the tempering crackles, add onion slices and sauté till the onions turn translucent. Now add the fried bitter gourd roundels, chilli powder, crushed peanuts and coconut shavings. Toss well and adjust the seasoning.
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V G G I E T I P S
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- While washing vegetables, this is one rule I always follow. Wash them with water that has a bit of turmeric powder or boil them in water with a little turmeric.
- While using paneer in a dish make sure you fry the paneer first, then soak it in water and only then use it in the curry.
- Blanching food is a much better option in case one wants to save the nutrition value. Over-cooking can render vegetables nutrition-less. Add as much raw vegetables as you can to your diet.
