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Tricolour crispy tofu wrap

If you are a tofu lover or a beginner, you will actually start liking these wraps for a couple of reasons

  • They dont feel so tofuy so its fairly easy for you to adapt into them.
  • These wraps come together in under 20 minutes and don’t need any marination.
  • They pack in a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and veggies.

If these sound good to you, lets get you started.

With the approach of autumn,Β  the sunrise is slowly getting later and later, we have started to slowly wake up late. This means it is then a mad scramble to get things done and all of us out of the door on a weekday. So having something that will roll quickly into a nutritious meal is welcomed. There are a couple of wraps that I know my kids will surely grab as they run out of the door. These are also the ones that my teens never had a reason for missing out on the eating. These are

the Paneer khati rolls,

Black bean and salsa wrap

Pumpkin wraps

and this tricolour tofu wrap

There is another reason why these are sure to be taken without the excuse of β€œOh ! I forgot my lunchbox”. These are so much smaller when packed, so bags are less clumsy. Whatever the reason, these do get taken, eaten and are a fully balanced meal. So what is here not to love it.

Here are the details.

Ingredients to make this tricolour wrap

Before you start making wraps, you need to keep in mind that wraps are only as interesting as the flavor of the filling. So lets keep this one interesting.

Wrap:Based on the time you have you can make a roti like flat bread or use a store bought wrap. I use Helgas or Mission wraps as these are the closest to me.Β 

Tofu: You need firm tofu or extra firm tofu for this recipe. This ensure it will crisp up well and hold shape. If you have firm tofu and are planning your meal ahead, use a tofu press to ensure you get a perfect tofu. once this is sliced, salted and roasted these stay good for lunch. To make the tofu crispy, you needΒ  few ingredients cornflour, breadcrumbs and salt. These three ingrdients coat the tofu to make it crunchy.

Veggie: I have used shredded carrots and baby spinach to make this recipe as this is what I often have at hand ready to go. If you prefer, you can add shredded cabbage, colored capsicum, cherry tomato, celery or avocado. You can use a bagged salad or a coleslaw mix as well to make the wrap. This is a pretty good shredder to use for carrots and cabbage.

Sauce: This is probably the simplest sauce you would have made without any compromise on flavors. It takes only two ingredients – a good quality chilli oil and thickened cream. Once you adjust the salt levels, I will put this on anything from toast to pasta. The sauce is useful as it will not run by afternoon and not make your wrap go limp.Β 

Equipment to make wraps

Honestly, if you have a great frying pan, you are set to make this recipe. I have this frying pan and love it to fry tofu, it does not stick much as well. I use these pre-cut parchment to wrap the rolls for lunch.

Flour wrap| crispy tofy| salad veggies

Lets make lunch perfect tofu wrapΒ 

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Tricolour crispy tofu wrap

If you are a tofu lover or a beginner, you will actually start liking these wraps for a couple of reasons If these sound good to you, lets get you started.They dont feel so tofuy so its fairly easy for you to adapt into them.These wraps come together in under 20 minutes and don't need any marination.They pack in a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and veggies.
Course Main Course
Cuisine International
Keyword camp recipes, Lunch recipes, Tofu recipes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 medium wholewheat wraps

for the salad

  • 200 grams carrots shredded
  • 200 gram Spinach

for the tofu

  • 250 gram firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp Corn Flour
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • salt to taste

for the dressing

  • 1/4 cup thickened cream
  • 1 tbsp chilli oil

Instructions

  • Remove the tofu from the packaging.
  • Wash and pat dry and slice the tofu into thick long chunks.
  • Make a slurry with cornflour and salt.
  • Set your pan on medium heat, spary a bit of oil on it.
  • Dip each tofu block in the cornflour slurry, then roll in bread crumbs.
  • Place the tofu on the medium warm pan.
  • Don't move it much till the side is crisped and the tofu piece moves easily.
  • Then flip and cook another side.
  • Once all sides are crisped, tofu is ready, remoe and set aside.
  • Warm up the wrap on a flat pan.
  • Place the spinach and top it with shredded carrot.
  • Place a couple of pieces of the crispy tofu on it.
  • Whisk together cream and chilli oil.
  • Drizzle the dressing on the tofu.
  • Fold the sides of the wrap and roll tight.
  • Wrap is ready.

Stay connected

Hope you will like to make this wrap and the crispy tofu. We love taking this on our lunch, surprisingly this makes it to our camps too. When you make this recipe do share your thoughts and what you liked about it.This recipe was posted as a part of Sunday Funday’s theme cottage cheese, tofu and paneer hosted by Mayuri. Here are the other entries, each delightful in its own manner so don’t miss to check them outΒ 

Corn Paneer Parathas from Mayuri’s Jikoni

Cottage Cheese Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Cottage Cheese Wraps from Making Miracles

Cheese Paneer Tikka Open Sandwich in Air Fryer on Sourdough from Cook with Renu

Firecracker Tofu Broccolini Stir-Fry from Food Lust People Love

Homemade Paneer Recipe Ideas from Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking

Paneer Tomato Rice With Leftover Rice For One from Sneha’s Recipe

Pasta with Green Beans and Ricotta from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Potato, Cottage Cheese, & Caramelized Onion Pierogi from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Retro Cottage Cheese Jello Salad from A Messy Kitchen

We have added some links that we think will come useful for you. These are highlighted in blue. Please use your choice to click on these links as the lead to external sites.

Dont skip lunch, and always Γ©at for your body. Stay connected

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tricolour tofu wrap

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Vegan maple roasted Brussels sprout

Maple roasted Brussels sprout
Shed your dislike for Brussels sprouts and try this baked version with sweet maple syrup to take over your tastebuds. This roasted Brussels sprouts ensures that this underrated vegetable reaches your plate easily.
Once winter sets in roasted or baked vegetables are such a delightful addition to the meals. Lots of veggies, warmth from the oven and the kind of attention the kitchen gets and it feels like home. I guess this is the whole reason why these are the top-rated recipes for the holiday season and thanksgiving. Being on the opposite hemisphere, ( Australia), Brussels sprouts become more of a Christmas in July recipe than for Thanksgiving.
Lets explore this recipe today and get your oven going based on the season you like to make this for.Β Β 
Brussels sprouts

Fresh Brussels sprout from the farmers market

Brussels sprouts| what are they?

The edible buds of the Gemmifera cultivar belonging to the cabbage family are Brussels sprouts. The slightly green tight leafy buds, about the size of pingpong balls areΒ  obviously,Β  the name gives away where it was popularly grown.The look like mini cabbages when sliced and peel like the cabbage leaves in miniature sizes. It comes on a long stalk, but at the supermarket, you may just get the buds. ( source)
Towards late autumn, these buds are harvested in larger numbers and hence was introduced as a thanksgiving essential.They are served often as salads, pan roasted with balsamic, baked or boiled. We have added them to a baked pasta recipe with a creamy sauce
Being a part of the cabbage family, they are rich in sulphur compounds and therefore, carry a bad reputation for being bitter and unpleasant. Predominantly,Β  this comes from over boiling them or over cooking them, which releases the sulphurous compounds and the resultant unpleasant taste.Β 

How to prep some Brussels sprouts?

  • The loose outer leaves and excess stem are clipped away and these easily burn while roasted leaving an unpleasant taste.
  • Soak the sprouts in water for about 5 minutes, wash them and set them to drain.
  • Pat dry and the sprouts are ready for use.

How do these roasted Brussels sprout taste?

Brussels sprouts tend to become soft in the centre when roasted, yet the outer leaves are crisp. This combines with the sweetness from the maple and a few spicy hints from paprika take off any bitterness that you may expect from this vegetable. The end result is slightly smokey, slightly sweet complexity of flavour. If you are still on the fence, try it and don’t be scared of this lovely vegetable.Β 

Ingredients for this maple roasted Brussels sprout.

Brussels sprouts: Once the sprouts have been cleaned and prepped, it is just slicing them in half.if you havent read above, the cleaning tips are outlined.
Oil: Good quality neutral oi. I use olive oil or rice bran oil. However this need not be very specific. You can choose vegetable oil, coconut oil or any other that you are used to.Β 
Sea salt: I like flaky sea salt for this recipe as it has a depth of mineral content than table salt.
Maple syrup: The maple syrup fragrance while baking will remove any unpleasant odours while the sprouts cook. It will also take away the slight bitterness that these sprouts may have.
Spices: to spice it all up the faint hint of paprika that last hits the mouth make all the difference in flavour.
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Maple roasted Brussels sprout

A delightful roasted sprout recipe for the cooler weather days. Enjoy this vegan gluten-free recipe for maple roasted brussels sprout.
Course Appetizer, sidedish, Soups and salad
Cuisine Baking, Continental, Fusion, gluten free, International, One pot, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter
Keyword Roasted recipes, warm salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 71kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For roasting

  • 250 g Brussels sprouts
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • Sea salt

For flavour

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven at 180 for 10 minutes
  • Cut off the knobby ends of the Brussels sprouts and remove any discoloured leaves.
    Brussels sprouts
  • Wash pat dry and slice them in half.
  • Add the sliced sprouts into a mixing bowl and add oil and salt and gently rub till the sporuts are evenly coated.
  • Arrange this on the baking tray.
  • Mix together the maple syrup, lemon juice and paprika.
  • Remove the half roasted Brussels sprouts from the oven.
  • Brush the maple mix on the sprouts and place them back to bake.
  • Bake till the centre becomes a bit soft at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove the baking tray and scoop into a serving dish.
  • Enjoy the sprouts warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 50g | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

What more to add to these maple roasted Brussels sprout?

Nuts – walnuts or pecans chopped or broken bits of nuts after roasting the Brussels sprouts add so much crunch and nutrition. The subtle sweetness of maple works with the nuts really well.
Sweet potato – The soft roasted sweet potato is by far the best add on roots vegetable to this roast. I love the colours of the two together as it just screams autumn for me.

Furthermore, you can add carrots, parsnips, cauliflower too to make this a huge bowl of roast. If you pass the bowl to me, I will still pick out all the brussels sprouts before I choose the others.

Stay connected

We hope you will love to share with us your thoughts about our Brussels sprouts recipes and post. Do leave your comments for us to improve and also notes on the ones you love.Β  Take a moment to visit ourΒ youtube channel.Β Leaving you with ourΒ Facebook pageΒ  (click here)Β andΒ Instagram (click here ) so you can take a peek. Don’t forget to follow us as we update these to the best of our efforts. Subscribe, share, like and evermore come back.

Collaborations

Β Being a unique ingredient Brussels sprouts seemed the best fit to bring to my audience and I am re introducing it theough the Sunday funday group.. Though not so common in India, I am sure my global friends will like to try this recipe.

Stay safe and see you at the next post.

Maple roasted brussels sprouts

10+ Ultimate cabbage recipes you cannot afford to miss.

Learn 10 easy ways to feature the cabbage head in your home menu more widelyΒ  more often. These easy to achieve recipes will help you elevate the cabbage from just the basic coleslaw. Β 

The underrated cabbage seems to have shot into limelight. This probably is triggered by the article in Vogue promoting it to be the vegetable for 2026 and it is high time these leafy vegetables get some real use. It certainly is versatile and incredibly easy to use in most cuisines.

Familiarize yourself with the Cabbage varieties

The big head of cabbage does actually comes in a few different types, providing a bit of textural and pigment variation.

The common white cabbage: this is the most versatile of all cabbages. They are perfect for all sorts of recipes, mellow and crispy and sit well in salads too. Put these on the grill or tandoor to chargrill.

The red (or purple) cabbage: these are very similar to the white cabbage. It is the colour that attracts the eye. The red cabbage is usually seen in salads and as pickles. However they are equally good when stirfried or braised too.

Savoy (crinkled) cabbage: what is interesting about this variety is the crinkly texture of the leaves. These are great to filled and rolled to make skinny enchiladas!

Wombok: This slightly sweet Chinese cabbage or Wombok is perfect for Asian dressings and stirfries. They are super tasty as kimchi and pickled cabbages. For Indian recipes, I love using wombok for poriyal and kootus as it curls up well, providing a good textural feel.

Bokchoy:Though not typically considered a part of cabbage bokchoy falls under the cabbage family.Most Asian recipes do call for he green leafy bokchoy. They are more green and tender. The flavour is brilliant in Asian style soups and stirfry.

The love-hate relationship with cabbage

You certainly would have come across a bit of a love-hate relationship with cabbage.Some people love it and some are averse.Β Knowing the science behind it will ensure you know the reason for your dislike.

Cabbages are a part of the cruciferous vegetable family. They are naturally rich in sulfur compounds like glucosinolates.
When cabbages are cut or cooked they release these compounds as volatile sulfur gases. This is the weird fishy smell you may encounter. This may be the reason some people dislike the cabbage.Β 
There are ways of mitigating this as well when you are cooking. Scroll down to ensure you see the tips to ensure your cabbage experience is better.

Reasons to love the cabbage

Though there is dislike for cabbages among some, there are several more wonderful (and delicious) reasons to love it!

  • Cabbages are low calorie vegetable. It is also nutrient dense. That makes it perfect to add volume to your meals.
  • It carries high levels of fibre that ensure fullness and avoids constipation.
  • Cabbages are good source of vitamins C and K . Both fresh and cooked cabbage are rich in them!
  • Cabbages are diabetic-friendly as they are leafy vegetable, meaning they are low in sugar content.
  • It has a good amount of folate as well.
  • As for taste, they have a mild sweetness and are crisp to bite when fresh. When sauteed or grilled , they retain the sweetness.

Tips to cook the cabbage right

The sulfur smell that comes from cabbages can be reduced by following these.

  • Use lemon juice: when you add lemon or vinegar to the shredded cabbage it greatly reduces the smell that develops. You can also add an acidic agent to the cooking water instead.
  • Using an open pan: To saute or stirfry use an open pan and dong cover, and cook. This ensure the volatile compounds can escape.
  • Quick cooking: Instead of slow boiling, always resort to quick boiling methods when using in soups. Slow cooking any of the cruciferous vegetables releases the sulfur compound, causing the smell.

Lets get some cabbage on the fork!

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cabbage recipe collection

Cabbage recipe range from appetizers to mains. Apart from ease of cooking, cabbages are super versatile in absorbing the flavour and blending in with the flavours of the recipe. Here are some fabulous ones you should absolutely try.
Each of the recipe links are highlighted in blue. Clicking on them will lead you to the exact recipe. Lets start with some appetizers and dips

Cabbage pakoda: You cannot miss the crunch of this appetizer style recipe, perfect for entertaining. You can shred it or cut into cubes to make the pakoda. The chickpea batter with the spices makes it a delicious appetizer.

Tomato and cabbage salad: Now if you are on a summer plan or eating a bit healthier today, you have got to try this lean, fibre-rich recipe. The crunch of this salad with the acidity from tomatoes makes it a fantastic summer lunch.

Pickled red cabbage:This instant tangy pickled cabbage is a great addtion to home made burger, rolls or crunch wraps. We love to add a small bol of this to a meditteranean inspired grazing board as it pairs really well with the dips.

Now lets incorporate these into some mains that you can use much easier.Β 

Coconut cabbage soup: Carry the cabbage into winter with a comforting bowl of creamy coconut milk cabbage soup. This is a light soup that can be enriched by adding grains or cooked beans.

Paratha with cabbage: Bring in the comfort of cabbage in the form of a stuffed paratha. Made with maize flour, this is a brilliant flat bread recipe to serve with a simple dip or some Indian pickle.

Red cabbage pachadi: This low calorie red cabbage chutney pairs well with rice,flat breads and as a spread for a sandwich.Β 

Tandoori cabbage: This unique variation helps to ensure a good amount of flavour in the cabbage. It will definitely change any cabbage hater’s mind.

Shredded cabbage pasta: Ensure you have a hearty pasta with cabbage that lends itself well to Italian flavours. This shortcut pasta recipe does not use tomatoes.

Cabbage and spinach muthiyas: Muthiyas are steamed and stir fried snack from the Gujarathi cuisine. This variation ensures it is easy to adapt new variations.

Cabbage puli sadam: Put a twist on the classic puli saadam by adding shredded cabbage while stirfrying, giving it plenty of filling volume and fibre. Since cabbage takes up the spices and flavours well, this South Indian twist is a well-loved recipe.
Cabbage thoran: While going through cabbage recipes, you cannot ignore theΒ  sadhya style cabbage thoran! This Kerala classic stirfry is one of the best warm salads.

Though you have a predominately Indian recipe collection here with cabbages, there is so much more you can do with these cabbages. You can make cabbage rolls,Β  add them to your momo filling, make coleslaw, chargrill them and so forth.

Stay connected

There are a couple of different bloggers who haveΒ  put forth their best cabbage recipes for you to try, so do checkout the links and their blogs through the links above.
We have used affiliate links to help your cooking successful on this blog. This in turn helps us earn a small income to keep this blog going. Hope you will find these link useful, but use them at your discretion. While you are here, here re two products that I find very useful.

Hair growth serum

In shower moisturizer

Dream lengths hair mask

When you try out these recipe please do let us know which one you liked the best in the discussion below.
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cabbage recipe collection

Baked root vegetables

baked root vegetables
Why would you skip a platterful of colourful vegetables, that are a perfect side, salad or morning hash? Enjoy the starchy bites of roasted goodness.
It is a small respite from the numerous Indian festivals and the chill in the air is still hanging around. Therefore a perfect time to get that platter or baked root vegetables out. I like baked root vegetables a bit more than pan roasted ones for the following reasons
  • They are one pot so much less effort.
  • The starchier sweetness improves your baking adding a ton more cozy feeling.
  • When I bake my kitchen is warm at the same time.
  • It is a recipe that you can do as a big batch with minimal prep and have all week long in the fridge.
  • It pairs well with pasta, rice or any grains,can be rolled as wraps or made into a salad.

Ingredients for baked root vegetables.

The vegetables: the baked vegetable tray is one recipe that allows you so much flexibility in terms of what you can have. You can make it as colourful as you like or as monochrome as you prefer. Here is a list of vegetables I like to throw into the tray.

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Carrot
  • Turnip
  • Potato
  • Radish
  • Swedes
  • Beetroot

For roasting: Olive oil, salt and herbs are the ones that work. The herbs I have chosen is rosemary and oregano. You can use thyme or basil as well.Β 

Lets make baked root vegetables

The baked vegetables is the best use of a roasting tray.

Prep the vegetables: choose starchy tough vegetables to start with. Wash thoroughly. Cut them into big chunks or dices as you prefer. Keep the beets separately. The carrots, potato sweet potato, radish, parsnip, swedes, turnip can all go together.

Coat them in flavours. Since the vegetables are going to be soft and bland, it is best to coat them with flavours. Sprinkle salt, pepper abd drizzle oil and toss them well. For flavours I prefer to add fresh study herbs that just dont burn away. Rosemary, oregano and thyme are my first choice. Go with what feels natural to you. You can replace the pepper with chilli flakes if you like the heat. Lets the vegetable mix sit while you preheat the oven
Ensure that the beets are coated and kept separate.

Bake: preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Place the vegetables on a roasting tray. Spread them out evenly. Poke in pieces of beets into the gaps so they cook along. Roast the vegetables for 35 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius on heat both from up and down. Half way through the time, flip the vegetables over to ensure even roasting. After about 35 minutes the vegetables will be ready and fork tender. Remove from heat and direct to the table. Or cool and proceed for storage.

baked vegetables

Meal prep and storage

The baked root vegetables are wonderful to add bulk to any meal or in the lunch box.

Is this a vegan recipe?

Baked root vegetable is an excellent vegan platter. It is filling, a mix of good healthy fibre and carbs and perfect for any vegan meal.

How to make baked root vegetables into a salad?

Once you have the baked veggies in meal prep you can have a hearty salad with it. For the dressing I prepare a generous mix of lemon and lime juice with some pepper and salt. Then you need some freshness. Chop up some tomatoes, a cucumber and handful of oregano, mint and parsley. Add all this into the mixing bowl with double the quantity of baked vegetables. Pour the dressing over it. Toss well and serve immediately. They are great sides to meals and double up as salads. You can add a bunch to your breakfasts to as hash.

How do you ensure the beets don’t leech the colour all over?

There are a couple of ways you can achieve this. If you peel chop and place the beets separately, then place them on the tray to bake it will have zero leaching.
Another method is to ensure you add the beets right at the end, a quick toss in the oil and salt and straight into the oven.

Print

Baked root vegetables

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Baking, gluten free, Vegan
Keyword pot luck recipes, vegetarian barbecue, Winter warmers
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 medium sized carrots
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 turnip
  • 1 swedes
  • 1 large beetroot
  • 1 medium sized potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 5-7 leaves oregano

Instructions

  • Wash, peel and cut the vegetables into big chunks.
  • Add them to the baking tray.
  • Tuck in rosemary and oregano.
  • Spinkle salt and drizzle oilve oil and massage it in.
  • Preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
  • Place the tray in the oven to bake.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • About 15 minutes in turn the vegetables for even baking.
  • After 30 minutes, check if the vegetables are fork tender.
  • The vegetables are then ready to be served.

Other baked recipes from us that make a good mealprep

Baked whole cauliflower

Dried peas nuggets

Baked veggie sheek kebabs

Paneer puffs

Stay connected

Hope you enjoy making this batch of low effort baked root vegetables. When you make your batch using this recipe, do share your thoughts and improvements in the comments below.
Pin this for later.
Stay subscribed see you in the next post.Β 

baked root vegetables

Pumpkin and soft tofu broth

tofu pumpkin soup

Enjoy sipping this warm broth with pumpkin and soft tofu through winter months or as you recover.

Ever since her braces the tooth sensitivities are high and my daughter looks for something fillingΒ  yet soothing. That’s when we devised this soft tofu and pumpkin broth soup that has been a winner.
Served warm, the soup has a lot of liquid and soft cooked pumpkin pieces. The soft tofu can be added chunky or broken down to form more of an egg drop soup consistency. This is a bowl of pure comfort and nourishment at the same time. It is a beginner recipe that is needs a chopping board, knife and a cooking pot only. It is,

  • low calorie
  • gluten free
  • devoid of nuts
  • dairy free.

Ingredients for the pumpkin soft tofu soup

Pumpkin: the chunks of pumpkin give the body to this soup. Any variety is fine as long as they soften when cooked. I like the Japanese variety somehow as it has a smoother mouth feel. It is perfectly OK to swap this to butternut squash as well .

Soft tofu : this is the softness and the uniqueness of this soup. When cooked,the soft tofu assumes a soft jelly like texture. It cannot be swapped for firm tofu as it feels clunky. So no swaps please on the soft tofu.

Seasonings: Salt and pepper is plenty to right make this soup good. Yet I have a secret ingredient you should try.

Dried mushroom powder: This brings forth a soothing umami flavours to the dish. I choose the powder as at the moment my daughter finds it difficult to chew. If not you can add a few chopped pieces of shitake or brown Swiss. I would totally avoid enoki as it will make the soup a bit slimy and with the soft tofu it us not a great mouthfeel.

Broth : to be clear,Β  I cook the soup in water. However you will get a much more depth of flavour if you use a vegetable broth. If using the broth be mindful not to add salt till you have tested the salt levels.

Herbs: you can finish off this soup with herbs if you like. You can add chopped coriander leaves, chives or scallions.

pumpkin tofu broth

Let’s make pumpkin soft tofu soup

This will be one of the easiest ways you will make a soup.

Prep the pumpkin: this is probably the most time consuming process in this whole recipe. Peel and chop the pumpkin into chunks. You can dice smaller if you like. Frozen pumpkin cubes work well too.

Cook the pumpkin in broth: into a cooking pot add the broth (or water) and the pumpkin cubes. Cover and cook till the pumpkin is soft and mashable.

Add the soft tofu: remove the block of tofu from the packaging. Cut them into cubes. once the pumpkin is cooked add the tofu into the soup. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes till the tofu steams well. Instead of cubes you can crush the tofu and add. This soup will resemble the egg drop soup.

Season and serve: adjust the salt and sprinkle some pepper into the soup and remove from heat. The soup is ready to be served. Serve warm.

Variations to the soup.

At times we like to spice it up a bit with this soup, so a teaspoon of sambal chilli paste or Thai curry paste into the broth adds a ton of flavour and a variation from the regular.

Likewise, along with the pumpkin, you can add any vegetable you choose. This adds a bit more variety to this broth. You could try zucchini, broccoli, cabbage or winter melon will be good in the recipe.

Meal prep and lunch boxes

The soup broth definitely tastes the best when warm. However, it can be prepared ahead. It stays good for up to 3 days. I wont recommend freezing the soup as it is nit worth that effort.

Print

pumpkin tofu broth

Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine Asian
Keyword easy soup recipes, Lunch recipes, Tofu recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • deep pot

Ingredients

  • 3 cups broth vegetable
  • 1 cup pumpkin diced
  • 1 block tofu soft or silken tofu
  • 1 tsp dry mushroom powder
  • 2-3 slice fresh ginger root
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Add the broth to the pot, add pumpkin, ginger slices and place on medium heat.
  • When the mushroom is fork tender, sprinkle the mushroom powder.
  • Dice and add the soft tofu. Mix gently.
  • Let the soup simmer.
  • Taste test and adjust salt.
  • The soup is ready to be served.

Other soup recipes that are handy when having braces.

Broccoli and peas soup
Cherry tomato soup
Avocado cold soup
Carrot and celery soup

Stay connected

The pumpkin and soft tofu broth is a simple recipe. It is a perfect winter comfort or a bowl when you are just under the weather. Let me know if you like this version of a simple soup in the discussion below.
Pin this recipe for later.
Stay subscribed and see you in the next post.Β 

tofu pumpkin broth

Spicy Moringa bilimbi salad

The India trip is exciting in many ways. Not only do I love being with my parents,Β  the travel but also the foods that I hardly get to see in my daily run in Sydney. However, it was getting to a point where the cooked foods were constant and I missed the simplicity of forking some salad for lunch. Invading into the kitchen garden, the bilimbi tree was almost as if it was waiting for me. This was the first time my daughter saw me climb a tree. She really did not believe I had the monkey in me. Anyway, now that’s proven!Β  we made a sour spicy salad to accompany the meals (just because amma won’t allow the bilimbi salad as a meal).

What is bilimbi?

A close relative of the carambola tree the bilimbi, Averrhoa bilimbi is a small tree that grows well in the tropics and a native of South East Asia.Β  Flowering as deep red inflorescence these turn into soft-skinned green fruit. This is bilimbi fruit that has a lot of culinary interest. The whole fruit is edible. The fruit grows in clusters from the stem. The fruit in local Indian names is irumban puli(malayalam) bimbuli (kannada), kamias(Tagalog). (Share with us more regional names if you have any for this fruit please).

bilimbi tree
What does bilimbi taste like?

The crunchy and firm fruit is actually extremely juicy to bite into. The fruit is highly sour and acidic with a slight metallic after-taste. Unlike carambola, the fruit does not turn sweet upon ripening. If eaten raw, best tasted with a pinch of salt mixed with cayenne. Choose the younger fruit if you like a bit lesser intensity for the sourness, especially for salads. For curries, the ripe fleshy ones are more suited.

Ingredients for the salad

Apart from young bilimbi, you will need other ingredients. A small red onion that is finely sliced and a green chilli to add spiciness. You can either pound the chilli with salt to mix it in the salad or chop it in.Β  I have added a handful of fresh moringa leaves as the mesclun. If you don’t have access to them, use arugula or spinach in their place. Use fine salt to the season only at the end as it draws out a lot of juice from the bilimbi making the salad soggy.

The recipe card below gives the proportion of the ingredients. From this recipe card, you can directly save onto your pin board if you need to find some of the fruit too.

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Moringa Bilimbi Salad

Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine Fusion, gluten free, Indian
Keyword moringa recipes, Tree sorrel recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • mixing bowls and spoons.

Ingredients

  • 10 medium Tree sorrel fruit Adjust based on your sourness tolerance.
  • 1 small red onion hinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup moringa leaves cleaned and separated
  • 1 green chilli
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Wash and clean all the vegetables for the salad.
  • Cut the tree sorrel fruit into wedges or thinner slices.
  • Slice the onion and set it aside.
  • Thinly slice the chilli remove seeds and central core if you need lesser heat.
  • Clean the moringa leaves, remove small stalk bits and wash throughly. Drain and set it aside.
  • Into the mixing bowl add the prepared ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle salt and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  • Mix again and the salad is ready to be served.

Notes

It will be lovely to top this salad with a seed mix of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. Since we paired it with a south Indian thali meal, we did not use any.Β 

Pairing the moringa bilimbi salad.

Since the salad is sour and spicy, it will be a fabulous side to protein-rich preparations. Ideally, it will taste awesome with sheek kebabs, rajma cutlets,cheela or cutlets. If you chop the bilimbi fruit smaller, you can mix it with a basic bhel mix to make a tasty snack. We did not wait for all that but had it just as such with a classic South Indian thali.

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moringa Bilimbi Salad

Kothavarakkai poriyal | Cluster beans stirfry

Kothavarakkai poriyal | cluster beans stir fry

Kothavarakkai poriyal is a basic stir fry made with cluster beans. Valued for its medicinal properties this cluster beans stirfry is a gluten-free, vegan addition to your everyday Indian meals.

The visit to Bengaluru this time has seen so many changes. My mother-in-law is finally hooked on blogger world. She is now curious about the new idea. She was talking about bloggers, YouTubers and plenty more who have daily appearances on her devices. So, the suggestion to be videoed while she was making the daily food was welcomed instantly. So as a start, we have kothavarakkai poriyal from her kitchen.

Cluster beans

What is kothavarakkai?

The tender pods of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba are used as a vegetable known in regional languages as guar, gawarfali, the green seed pods that grow in clusters are the product of interest. Grown in crop rotation the guar plant notably provides the legume but also improves the soil by nitrogen fixation. The low-calorie pods are a good source of fibre and potassium.

Did you know?

The much-valued commercial flour improver guar gum is extracted from the endosperm of the mature dry seeds of this plant. This is used in breadmaking, the cheese industry and ice cream manufacture.

Cluster beans stirfry

Ingredients for this kothavarakkai poriyal

This kothavarakka proiyal is made by my mother-in-law. It is one of the simplest stirfries yet very very tasty. Here is the list of ingredients you need to prepare this
Cluster beans or kothavarakkai is the main ingredient in this recipe. Wash and clean the beans. Remove the beans from the thick stalk. Pinch off the tail as it tends to be a bit chewy. Now slice the beans as thin as you like.
Tempering: the classic south Indian tempering is of mustard seeds that crackle to flavour the coconut oil, a touch of dals (split lentils ) for the crunch, followed by curry leaves and red chillies that further flavour the oil.
Seasoning: the recipe is usually just seasoned with salt. However, if you like it spicy use about half teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder can be added.
Garnishes: the final addition of the freshly grated coconut adds a lot of difference to the dish. Honestly, it doesn’t feel the same with the desiccated coconut. However, grated frozen coconut still manages a good bit of flavour.
Additional adds:
Shallots: sliced shallots can be added along with the curry leaves. This gives a wonderful aroma to the poriyal. However, this is not common in Tambaram kitchens so my mother-in-law doesn’t use it.
Cumin: if you don’t have mustard seeds, use cumin. The cumin (jeera) gives a different flavour to the oil.

How to make the poriyal?

As a part of this new journey, we have made a short mature video of how the poriyal is prepared. My mother-in-law is the one who is making this so the measurements in the video are approximate. However, you can follow the recipe card below to get the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions. Hope you will like and share this video too.Β 

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Kothavarakkai poriyal

Course Side Dish, Traditional
Cuisine gluten free, South indian
Keyword bean salad, Indian vegetarian dinner, Lunch recipes, warm salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 peopl

Equipment

  • chopping board
  • Knife
  • Kadai
  • ladle

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cluster beans chopped

For tempering

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 tsp urad dal
  • 1/2 tsp Channa Dal
  • 1 small dry red chilli
  • curry leaves we did not have any.

seasonings

  • 1 pinch turmeric powder
  • salt to taste

To cook

  • 1/4 cup drinking water

Garnish

  • 1/4 cup grated coconut

Instructions

  • Wash and trim the cluster beans.
  • Chop the cluster beans into small bits. Set it aside till needed.
  • Into the khadai add coconut oil and set on medium high heat.
  • As the oil heats up add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal and red chillies. Add curry laves and stir fry till mustard seeds splutter.
  • Add the chopped cluster beans and stir fry for a minute.
  • Now add the turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
  • Add 1/4 cup of water and cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
  • Once cooked, add the grated coconut and stir fry for another minute or two till water is completely absorbed.
  • The kothavarakkai poriyal is now ready.
    Cluster beans stirfry

Serving suggestions

Kothavarakkai poriyal paired with steamed rice, quinoa or millets with a classic gravy like sundakkai thengaarachukozhambu or podipotta sambhar is a perfect South Indian meal.
To make an easy wrap use a spinach phulka as the base and fill up with this poriyal. If you have cooked potatoes mash add it up to give aΒ  filling wrap.

Meal prep and storage

The poriyal can be made and saved for about 3 days if refrigerated. If storing for a week, I avoid adding the coconut. Since the coconut added is fresh add it after thawing. The cluster beans stirfry is not the best to be frozen. It turns a bit rubbery if texture.

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As we are exploring new ideas this year, hope you stay with us by subscribing to our newsletter. When you try this recipe don’t forget to let us know in the comments how you like it and rate the recipe with a 5-star rating. We will love to stay connected with you. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to receive updates more often.

Cluster beans poriyal

Yellow tomato salad with cabbage and cucumbers

yellow tomato salad

Enjoy a delightful yellow tomato salad bursting with summer flavour. Make it a celebration of your homegrown produce with this salad with the best citrus dressing. Make some, share some and enjoy the sun.
It certainly feels so special when your garden provides you with a few good summer produce. Since it is a rainy summer this year, we have planted a few tomatoes. One of the varieties we have is the yellow pear tomato instead of the cherry tomato. These are smaller and sweeter and sunshine yellow in colour. To our surprise, this started fruiting as most as soon as the first rains started. So here are showcasing this beautiful produce with summer fresh cabbages and cucumbers.

Ingredients for the easy summer salad

Yellow tomatoes: these are a variety of cherry tomatoes. They are sweet with a burst of that tomato flavour. You really don’t have to go looking for these, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes will also do the job. If you have extra squishy ones, try our cherry tomato soup recipe.
Cabbage:Β  sweet and crunch cabbage forms the leafy base for this salad. It doesn’t matter if it is the red cabbage or the sweet white one. You can swap this for lettuce, arugula or mesclun.
Cucumber: Lebanese cucumbers are the plain complement to yellow tomatoes. Since they are water laden, there are lovely to have during summer, especially in a salad.
Seeds: mix the crunch part is the one that makes the salads more appetising. My go-to mix is flax, chia, sesame seeds and hemp. Depending on what you have at hand, just go with the flow. Popped quinoa tastes brilliant in this salad.

Herbs: Herbs add a good freshness to any salad. Since we are picking up some from the garden we have spring onions, gotugola ( Brahmi) and mint from the garden. So today’s batch pick-up goes right into the salad. You can add what you have at hand to brighten up the flavours.Β 

For the citrus vinaigrette.

Summer certainly is for those strong citrus flavours. This basic citrus vinaigrette has lemon zest, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, grated garlic and grated ginger along with salt. It has no oil added, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil if you like. Do you really need a dressing for this salad, maybe just lemon and salt will do, but it is far nicer with this basic lemon vinaigrette. Since we are using sweet tomatoes,Β  I have not added sugar or date syrup to them. If you are using this dressing for, say, coleslaw or basic garden salad mix, add a tsp of date syrup.

Putting together a meal

Option 1: The salad is actually a fantastic idea to serve at a BBQ or lunch. Make some crusty toast, and creamy cheese to add to a platter. Don’t forget to keep some chocolate crackles for desserts
Option 2: Pop some vegetable sheek kebabs on the barbecue. Toast up some flatbreads. Whip up some cacik sauce and roll up a kind of Greek gyros.
Option 3: Keep light to follow up with a cold drink, like berry kombucha and then serve some chocolate dessert brownies to make it up.

The recipe card below carries step-by-step guidance to make this easy summer salad. You can directly pin this onto your board to make during the tomato season. Share with us how you feel making this recipe in the comments below with a rating of upto 5 stars

yellow tomato salad.

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Yellow tomato salad

Enjoy a delightful yellow tomato salad bursting with summer flavour. Make it a celebration of your homegrown produce with this salad with the best citrus dressing. Make some, share some and enjoy the sun.
Course Salad
Cuisine gluten free, International, One pot, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword Lunch recipes, no cook recipes,, vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • mandolin slicer
  • mixing bowls and spoons.

Ingredients

  • 15 small cherry tomatoes yellow or red.
  • 1 cup cabbage shredded
  • 2 mdium cucumber sliced
  • 2-3 spring onions
  • 10 leaves indian pennywort brahmi ( optional)
  • 10 leaves mint leaves (optional)

seed mix

  • 1 tbsp flax seeds
  • 1 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp Hemp seeds

salad dressing

  • 2 tbsp citrus dressing

Instructions

  • Wash and slice the tomatoes.
  • Add it to the mixing bowl with shredded cabbage.
  • Slice the cucumber and add to the bowl.
  • Chop the herbs and add to the mixing bowl.
  • Add the citrus dressing and toss well.
  • Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the seed mix.
  • The salad is now ready to be served.
    yellow tomato salad.

Stay connected

As a home gardener, I get very excited when I see produce come up and the garden active with bees and butterflies. These have an emotional connection to the fruits kind of a sense of joy in their own way. Try your green thumb, you didn’t always have to get it right, but don’t give up.
When you make this yellow tomato salad, whatever type of tomato hope you enjoy the experience. Let us know in the comments how you feel about it and rate the recipe. Don’t forget the citrus dressing is perfect for kidney bean salad or edamame salad.
Stay with us for more, enjoy reading the blog and stay subscribed.Β 

Yellow tomato salad

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