7 Delicious Recipes To Celebrate World Vegetarian Day 

7 Delicious Recipes To Celebrate World Vegetarian Day 

Founded in 1977, October 1st kicks off the Vegetarian Awareness Month. Make a sustainable difference by eating right with these simple yet delicious vegetarian recipes.
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Did you know that approximately 10% of the world’s population is vegetarian and India has the lowest per capita meat consumption in the world? October 1st marks the annual kickoff of Vegetarian Awareness Month which celebrates the benefits of vegetarianism and shifting to a meatless lifestyle. Founded in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS), a vegetarian lifestyle is touted for its proven health benefits, welfare for animals, and contribution to helping preserve the Earth. In the bigger picture, vegetarians appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than meat eaters. They also have lower body mass index, lower overall cancer rates, and lower risk of chronic disease.  

If you’re looking to eat right but don’t know where to start, don’t jump into a vegetarian lifestyle headfirst. We suggest substituting a couple of meals in the week with pure-vegetarian ones and working your way upwards. Here are 7 easy vegetarian recipes to get you started. 

1. Matar Pulao  

matar-pulao-vegetarian-recipes

Ingredients:  

2 tablespoons oil  

½ teaspoon black peppercorns  

1 inch-cinnamon  

1 black cardamom pod  

1 tablespoon ginger juliennes  

½ cup fresh green peas   

1 cup rice, soaked for 1 hour  

Salt 

Method:  

  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add peppercorns, cinnamon and black cardamom.  
  1. When the spices begin to crackle, add ginger and sauté for a few seconds until aromatic.  
  1. Add matar and rice and sauté for a minute. Add 2 cups of water and salt to taste. Cook the rice stirring occasionally, until rice is 50% cooked.  
  1. Cover the pan and place it on a griddle over low heat. Cook until rice and peas are cooked. Fluff the pulao with a fork. Serve hot with kadhi.   

2. Kand Ki Tikki  

kand-ki-tikki-vegetarian-recipes

Ingredients:  

2 cups boiled and mashed kand (purple yam)  

3 teaspoons ginger-green chilli paste  

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder  

3 tablespoons coarse peanut powder  

2 teaspoons sugar  

1 teaspoon amchur  

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves  

Oil  

Salt  

Method:  

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs if required.  
  1. Take lime sized portions of the mixture and shape them into flat cutlets about 2 -inches wide.  
  1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Gently slide the tikkis in the oil and fry on both sides until golden in colour.  
  1. Serve the tikkis warm with coriander chutney.  

3. Mulligatawny  

mulligatawny-vegetarian-day-recipes-inside-image

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil  

1 carrot, peeled and diced 

1 whole red chilli, deseeded and chopped 

1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped 

1 apple, peeled and diced 

6 tomatoes, chopped 

1 tablespoon kitchen king masala 

1 teaspoon jeera powder 

½ teaspoon chili powder 

½ teaspoon cinnamon powder 

½ teaspoon turmeric powder 

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder 

¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, coarse 

8-10 curry leaves 

½ cup masoor dal 

4 cups vegetable stock  

¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk 

Salt  

2 tablespoons cooked rice 

Method: 

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots and red chillies. Sauté on low heat for 2-3 minutes. 
  1. Add ginger, apples and tomatoes. Mix well and sauté on low heat for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes have softened. 
  1. Add kitchen king masala, jeera powder, chili powder, cinnamon powder, turmeric powder, cardamom powder and pepper powder and curry leaves. Toss the mixture well. 
  1. Add masoor dal and vegetable stock; mix well. Let the soup mixture boil on low heat for 30 minutes until the dal is cooked. 
  1. Take the pan off the heat and blend it using a hand blender leaving some chunks as whole. 
  1. Heat the remaining butter in another saucepan over medium heat. Add the blended soup mixture to it and bring it to a boil. Remove any scum that forms at the top. 
  1. Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk; mix well. 
  1. Add salt to taste and mix well. 
  1. Serve the soup warm mixed with cooked rice and garnish it with fresh coriander sprigs. 

4. Paneer Paratha  

paneer-paratha-vegetarian-recipes

Ingredients: 

2 cups whole wheat flour 

¼ teaspoon oil 

½ cup grated paneer

¼ cup chopped capsicum 

1 teaspoon kasuri methi 

3 green chillies, finely chopped 

A pinch of amchur powder 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves 

Salt 

Ghee 

Method: 

  1. Combine wheat flour, oil, salt to taste and water as required in a mixing bowl and knead into a semi-stiff dough. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes. 
  1. In another bowl, combine the paneer, capsicum, kasuri methi, green chillies, amchur powder, coriander leaves and salt to taste. Mix well so all the ingredients combine well. 
  1. Divide the dough into lemon sized portions and roll each portion into a 3-inch-wide paratha. Place 1 tablespoon of the paneer filling in the centre.  
  1. Bring the edges of the paratha together and seal the dough to make a stuffed ball. Dust it with flour and gently roll it into a 6-inch-wide paratha.  
  1. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Place the paratha on it and cook evenly on both sides until golden brown spots appear.  
  1. Drizzle ghee on both sides. Serve the paneer paratha warm with pickle or curd. 

5. Methi Malai Matar  

methi-malai-mutter-vegetarian-recipes

Ingredients:  

2 cups chopped methi leaves  

2 tablespoons oil  

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds  

1 tablespoon ginger-green chilli paste  

2 tablespoons cashew-poppy seeds paste  

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder  

1 tablespoon garam masala  

1 cup boiled green peas  

1 cup milk  

½ tablespoon sugar  

2 tablespoons fresh cream  

Salt   

Method:  

  1. Wash the methi leaves and sprinkle a little salt over them. After 10-15 minutes, squeeze the methi leaves gently and discard the excess water.  
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle, add the chilli ginger paste and methi leaves. Sauté for 1-2 minutes over low heat. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.  
  1. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the cashew-poppy paste. Add a tablespoon of water and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.  
  1. Add cardamom powder and garam masala and mix well.  
  1. Add green peas, methi, milk, sugar, fresh cream, and salt to taste. Give the mixture a good stir and let it cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
  1. Serve methi malai matar warm with rotis. 

6. Sattu Chilla  

sattu-chilla-vegetarian-day-recipes-inside-image

Ingredients: 

2 cups sattu flour 

¼ cup rice flour 

1 carrot grated 

¼ cup cabbage, finely chopped 

2 green chillies, finely chopped 

A pinch of turmeric powder 

2 tablespoons curd 

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves 

Salt 

Method: 

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.  
  1. Add water as required to make a thick pouring consistency batter.  
  1. Heat a nonstick griddle and drizzle some oil over it. Pour a ladleful of batter on the pan and spread it gently.  
  1. Drizzle some more oil and cook the chilla on both sides until golden brown and crisp on the edges.  
  1. Serve immediately with chutney or ketchup. 

7. Sarson Ka Saag 

sarson-ka-saag-vegetarian-recipes

Ingredients:  

1 bunch fresh saag (mustard greens), cleaned and roughly chopped  

½ bunch bathua leaves (pigweed), cleaned and roughly chopped  

½ bunch palak (spinach) leaves  

2 green chillies  

2-inch ginger  

2 tablespoons chickpea flour  

2 tablespoons ghee  

2 teaspoons cumin seeds  

¼ teaspoon asafoetida  

3 tomatoes, chopped  

Salt   

1 tablespoon unsalted butter  

Method:  

  1. In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine the saag, bathua, palak, green chillies, ginger and salt to taste with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the stems of the mustard greens have cooked through.  
  1. Sprinkle the chickpea flour over the mixture and mix it in with a whisk. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes and remove from heat. Continue to whisk until the mixture is almost smooth, or blend in a blender once cool.  
  1. Heat the ghee in a frying pan over medium heat; add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the spices begin to sizzle, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring continuously, until the tomatoes are mushy, and the mixture darkens slightly. Add the mustard greens purée and mix thoroughly. Add more salt, if necessary, and cook for 5 minutes longer.  
  1. Top it with butter and serve hot with makki ki roti. 

Conclusion 

These easy-to-make and delicious recipes will make it convenient for you to prep for the week without stressing about what to make for dinner after a long day of work. 

Dr. Deepali Kampani is a digital content specialist who weaves health and food through her pen. 

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