Vegetarianism & Beyond

Sacred Vegetarian Recipes - Prasadam

World Vegetarian Day 1st October each year

World Vegetarian Awareness Month - October

http://www.hknet.org.nz/VegeWVD.html

see what's already happened last year http://www.hknet.org.nz/VegeWVD2004.html

see what we hear is to be happening this year

See our previous World Vegetarian Day issue of the newsletter for a wide range of Vegetarian issues
2005 World Vegetarian Day newsletter
Shaligram Tirtha Pradarshini newsletter October 2005 - Theme Prasadam

Vege update:
Social scientists and law enforcement officials have identified animal abuse as a symptom of emotional illness and a precursor to violent crimes against human beings. To allow individuals guilty of perpetrating such cruel acts to go unpunished or not sufficiently punished would be to sanction these horrific crimes and would permit them to go on to possibly commit violent crimes against humans.

The Animal Spirit Newsletter - Issue #2 -  4/21/03-4/27/03

The book "Living a Good Life" normally selling at $21.95 is now going at the $14.95 price, .http://vegsoc.wellington.net.nz/livingGd.htm

This list is about vegetarian kitchen crafts. This list is created for postings regarding back to basics vegetarian kitchen crafts. When we say vegetarian we mean no meat, fish or eggs. When we say back to basics, we mean tips on making yeast, bread, gluten, tofu, sprouts and so forth. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vkcrafts   Post a Message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vkcrafts/post

Kichari - The All Purpose - Totally Delicious - "Poor Man's Feast Fit For The King"

How to make kichari according to Ekendra das:

1.) get a big pot and fill it half way with water. put it on the stove and turn up the heat high
2.) open the fridge and see what veggies are about to go off.
3.) take them out of the fridge and put them on the counter.
4.) wash them off and chop them up.
5.) find some DAHL - nearly any kind will do but be aware of cooking times. toor takes forever. urid is a bit strange (IMHO) i think the best is whole mung dahl but split mung is good too.
5.) if you got split mung dahl or channa dahl put a few handfuls into a new dry pot with a thick bottom and turn the heat to medium while stirring. this way you can 'roast' the dahl a bit before washing and cooking. this makes it taste really good
6.) other dahl you can skip the last step
7.) wash off the dahl and remove any bits that look like rocks as you'll ruin your teeth if you crunch on them. they don't cook down.
8.) now chuck your dahl into your pot of hopefully boiling water. give it a good stir at first so it doesn't stick to the bottom. when it gets boiling again you can focus on the veggie chopping and let it do its thing. still check it occasionally so that nothing sticks to the bottom.
9.) chop up your veggies. potatoes are pretty stodgy in kichari but some people like them a lot. pumpkins bits are good but if they are too sweet i think it makes it taste wierd. most people like cauliflower (i dont) and pretty much whatever you find in the fridge can go in. the good thing about making kichari regularly is that you don't waste any veg. we buy organic a lot of times which means a lot of wasted cash which i can't live with so we love kichari :)
10.) don't put your veggies straight in. you gotta time this out according to what kinda veggie it is and what the cooking times are. if you put potatoes in that are cut in big pieces you'd obviously need a longer cooking time so put them in earlier. capsicums and spinach cooks quick so save it till the last minute. tomatoes are somewhere in between.
11.) speaking of tomatoes. if you have them around then chop them up too and keep aside. we will use this for the spicing. i take the skin off by blanching or quick boiling them in a seperate pot.
12.) now we will do the spicing. (says the great chef :P ) you need a bit of mustard seeds, lots of cumin, chopped ginger, chilies, asefetida (hing), and tumeric
13.) put a bit of ghee in a smaller pot on the stove on low heat.
14.) throw in the mustard seeds and put a lid on so they don't pop all over your stove.
15.) once the mustard seeds have slowed popping then move the pot to the side and off the direct flame.
16.) throw the ginger in which cools down the ghee a bit.
17.) stir it around and put the pot back on the heat when it seems to stop 'frying' the ginger.
18.) add the cumin. i use heaps
19.) let the cumin warm up a while . some folks like to roast the cumin seeds on high heat and then grind in a pistal and mortar which is an amazing taste but if powdered then you save it until last with the tumeric.
20.) add the chilies
21.) then add the asefitida powder while stirring
22.) then the tumeric and keep stirring so it doesn't burn. the whole spicing episode should only take a few minutes.
23.) immediately after stirring the turmeric a second then put all the chopped tomatoes in. if you don't have the tomatoes then skip the next step.
24.) stir the spice mixture in with the tomatoes and turn the heat right up to high. keep a close eye on this pot so it doesn't go black on the bottom. a little black around the edges and rim of the pot is ok but never on the bottom. after the tomatoes are cooked down (5 minutes or so) ....
25.) turn the heat off on the spice pot and let it wait until we need it (nearly the last thing we add to the big pot)
26.) hows the dahl going? is it broken up into a soupy broth? the whole mung takes forever to break up like this so as long as its soft i'd go ahead. other dahls are more cooperative but whole mung is supposed to be the healthiest i've heard.
27.) once the dahl is broken up then add as much rice as you'd like. you should at least add enough to absorb the rest of the water in the pot but add more water if you need to keeping in mind that rice expands and could overflow the pot if you put too much in. about equal portions of dahl and rice is normal but nothing is written in stone. i like basmati rice or jasmine but there are less expensive ones if you are on a tight budget. short grained rice is NOT the best for kichari.
28.) now you gotta pay attention or the whole thing will be ruined. once the rice is in then its all hands on deck. you can't space out at all or the rice will stick to the bottom of the pot and put an unusual burnt taste in your beautiful kichari. keep it constantly stirring on low/med heat.
29.) you can add your spices at any time now and whatever lighter veggies are left over (spinach and anything else that cooks quickly)
30.) stir in the spices and just make sure it doesn't start to get sticky on the bottom of the pot. if you feel it sticking then try to scrape it with your stirring utensil until the bottom is smooth again. if its gone past that point then quickly pour it into a new pot as you will not salvage the kichari if you continue to cook it once it sticks tough to the bottom. if you don't have another pot then put it into anything .. and ice cream tub whatever and then wash the pot thoroughly and try again.
31.) once the rice is a bit mushy and overcooked, turn off the heat, add a bit of salt and either keep stirring for a minute until there is no danger of sticking or tranfer to another container.
32.) put a bit of yoghurt in a bowl along side the kichari and offer the whole preparation to Bhagavan.
33.) once He/She's done then tuck in!

I've purposefully been vague here about the measurements and proportions as kichari need not follow an exact recipie to be good. if you don't have much experience cooking say even rice or something then mabye have a friend who cooks help you at first. you'll get the hang of it after a few tries and will naturally develop your own preferences how to cook it. its a very convenient and satisfying preparation that can be eaten all year round with whatever produce is in season. you can even make it without veggies.

what i do when i know my wife will be away for a while or is sick or something and i have to do the cooking.... i cook a big pot of kichari and put most of it into containers in the freezer . it keeps frozen for weeks. when i don't have time to cook or can't be bothered i just pull out an ice cream tub of kichari and heat it up in a pot. (not a microwave!!!! yuck!) of course its best fresh cooked but when you don't want to cook its sure beats junk food.

ahhh kichari .... ' a poor man's feast fit for a king'

let me know how you go here.

Dhokar Dalna
This is a very tasty recipe made of bengal gram (lentil). It is so tasty that you will be surprised and that is why the name. It is by itself a whole meal. Try it today.

No. Of Servings: 6 (yeah right)
Time To Prepare: 60 Minutes
Submitted By: Chitra Nag

Ingredients
- 2 Cups Bengal Gram
- 1 tsp, paste Ginger
- 2 Pinches Asafetida
- 1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 6 cups Water
- 3  Bay Leaf
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp, paste Ginger
- 2 medium, each cut into small 8 pc Potato
-  as reqd. Ghee
-  as reqd. Cooking Oil
-  to taste Salt

Instructions
1. To prepare the Dhokas (fried lentil chunks), use ingredients from Bengal Gram to water. Rest of the ingredients is for the dalna (curry).
2. STEPS TO MAKE THE DHOKA: Wash and soak Bengal gram in six cups of water for about 4 to 6 hours. Drain water and grind in a mixer to a paste.
3. Heat two tbsp each of oil and ghee. Add asafetida, one tsp ginger paste, one tsp red chili powder. Pour the ground dal, salt, sugar and cook till soft but not fully dried.
4. Smear ghee (or butter) in a dish. Pour the cooked dal and spread evenly on the dish. Press lightly. Cool and cut the dhoka into cubes of one inch.
5. Heat two tbsp oil and fry the dhokas to light brown. Remove and keep aside.
6. Add little more oil to fry the potatoes, mixed with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Fry till light brown. Keep aside.
7. STEPS TO MAKE THE DALNA: Heat two tbsp oil and one tbsp ghee. Add half tsp cumin seeds, bay leaf. Fry for a minute till it stops spluttering.
8. Add turmeric, red chili powder, and one tsp of grated ginger. Fry in medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes adding little water as required to prevent sticking.
9. Once the oil starts coming out, add two cups of water. Add the fried dhokas, and potatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
10. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice.

Pepper Rice: (Miryalu annam)

Ingredients:
1 cup washed and cooked rice
1 tsp. roasted black pepper
1 tsp. roasted black gram
1/2 tsp. roasted coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. roasted cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. roasted fenugreek seeds
1 roasted dry red chili
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
a pinch of asafetida
few curry leaves
a small lemon-sized tamarind, soaked in water
1 tbsp. oil
salt to taste
fried peanuts /cashew nuts (optional)

Method:
Grind all the roasted ingredients to fine powder.
Heat oil in a wok and add mustard seeds, a pinch of asafetida and curry leaves.
Squeeze the juice of tamarind and pour it in the seasoning. Add salt and let the tamarind juice boil for a while. Now add the powdered ingredients, stir well and cook till the consistency becomes thick and oil starts leaving on the sides of the wok.
Remove from the stove and mix it with rice spread in a broad-based vessel.
Serve hot with curd or saboodana fryums.

Posto Bata
Grounded Poppy seeds with spices. Eat with plain rice and pickle

No. Of Servings: 4
Time To Prepare: 10 min
Submitted By: Shantanu Nag

Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Poppy seeds (white poppy seeds - not black)
- 3  Green Chili
- 1 tbsp Mustard Oil
-  to taste Salt
- kittke hing

Instructions
1. Grind the poppy seeds, green chili, hing, and salt to a smooth paste. For proper paste keep the poppy seeds in a bowl of water for few hours before grinding.
2. Add the mustard oil and mix properly.

Offer and Eat with hot rice. Can use green chilies and extra mustard oil (or use any pickle oil) on the side.

Broccoli Salad with Yellow Peppers, Pine Nuts, and Cranberries

4 to 6 servings

A simple but dazzling salad that’s as nutritious as it is appetizing.

Ingredients:
2 large broccoli crowns, cut into bite-sized florets (about 4 heaping cups)
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted on a dry skillet
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Sesame-Ginger Dressing (see following), or equivalent store-bought dressing

Steam the broccoli florets until just bright green. Drain and rinse under cool water until at room temperature.

Combine with the remaining ingredients in a serving container, toss well, and serve.

Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
1/3 cup light olive oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon natural reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients in a tightly lidded bottle. Shake well before each use.

Rhubarb and Orange Fool

Rhubarb is still plentiful at the moment and this is a very tasty way of using up any excess you may have.

Serves 2 (..........fasting men)

Ingredients:
6 sticks rhubarb, cut into chunks
2 tbsp caster (refined granulated) sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp water
225ml (8fl oz) mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp icing (confectioners) sugar
4 oranges, juice only
60g (2oz) digestive biscuits or cookies

Method:
1. Place the rhubarb, caster sugar, ground ginger and water into a small saucepan, over a low-to-moderate heat. Simmer for 4-6 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened.
2. Place the mascarpone, icing sugar and orange juice into a bowl. Use a hand whisk, and mix until well combined.
3. Place a spoonful of the rhubarb mixture into the bottom of a large sundae glass.
4. Add a spoonful of the cream mix, then crumble over half of the biscuits or cookies.
5. Repeat to use up all of the rhubarb, mascarpone and biscuits/cookies, layering as you go.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

This incredibly rich ice cream, studded with toasted nuts, is ideal served with pecan pie, but tastes just as good by itself.

Makes 1½ Litres (2½ Pints)
Ingredients:
75g (3oz) pecan halves
200g (7oz) light brown sugar
125ml (4fl oz) water
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
250ml (9fl oz) milk (full fat)
250ml (9fl oz) double (heavy) cream
250ml (9fl oz) whipping cream
squeeze of lemon juice

Method:
1. Preheat the grill/broiler to medium.

2. Break the pecan nuts into small pieces and scatter across the grill/broiler pan in a single layer. Toast under the preheated grill/broiler for 1-2 minutes, turning frequently. Set aside.

3. Place the sugar, water and salt in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, and cook until the sugar dissolves and makes a syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

4. Transfer the syrup to an ovenproof bowl.

5. Place the ovenproof bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water and stir the syrup mixture until it coats the back of the spoon. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract, then leave to cool. Meanwhile, place a 2-litre (3½-pint) freezerproof container in the freezer to chill.

6. Add the milk and double cream to the cooled syrup mixture.

7. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream, then add the lemon juice and fold the cream into the mixture.

8. Pour the mixture into the chilled container, cover and freeze. When just beginning to freeze, remove from the freezer, stir thoroughly and return to the freezer. When the mixture is half frozen, remove from the freezer and stir in the toasted pecan pieces, then return to the freezer for 2-3 hours, until firm.

9. Serve the ice cream with pecan pie or just by itself.

The Animal Spirit Newsletter - Issue #2 -  4/21/03-4/27/03

"The beef industry has contributed to more deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of 'real food for real people', you'd better live real close to a good hospital."

- Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President, Physicians Comittee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.