The dipping sauce for this recipe is simple. If you want it spicier add some sriracha or wasabi. For a creamier dipping sauce add a spoon or two of peanut butter to the recipe below.

You can easily make the tofu mushroom filling ahead of time and re-heat it when you are ready to eat. Cut the tofu and the mushrooms the same size so it looks pretty!

Tips
- Make sure you get the freshest romaine lettuce hearts you can find. (A romaine heart is the entire lettuce, with the leaves attached to the core). Keep in mind, the inner leaves are usually more fresh and crisp compared to the outer ones. If your romaine heart is looking a little limp on the outside, peel away the outer leaves and chances are, you will find the inner leaves are still fresh.
- I like using dried, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms for this recipe. If you don’t have dried shiitakes, use button mushrooms instead. But they will tend to release liquid while cooking. If button mushrooms release liquid while cooking, increase heat to high and let the liquid evaporate.
- If you are using shiitakes, you can soak and squeeze them ahead of time and store the rehydrated mushrooms in the fridge.
- I like thin, light dipping sauces for lettuce wraps. But if you like yours thicker or richer, add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter to my dipping sauce recipe below.

8 Ingredient Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

serves 3-4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
8 dried Shiitake mushrooms. Substitute with 12 button mushrooms
1 lb drained extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha, or according to taste
zest of half a lime, optional
12 crisp Romaine leaves

For the dipping sauce
4 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Method
1. Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the tofu length wise into 4. Then carefully turn the block over on its side and cut into 4 again. You will now have 16 strips. Cut the strips into 1/4th inch cubes.

2. If using dried mushrooms, rehydrate them according to package directions. When the mushrooms are soft, drain them (save the liquid for soups!), squeeze the excess liquid, and chop them about the same size as the tofu cubes. If using button mushrooms, chop them the same size as the tofu cubes.

3. In a cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sriracha and lime juice or vinegar. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in a large wok or large skillet. Throw in the tofu cubes. Try to keep them in a single layer. If all the tofu doesn’t fit in a single layer, cook them in batches. If the tofu cubes are too crowded they will stew instead of browning.

4. Cook the tofu undisturbed on medium-high heat till the bottom side is golden brown. Carefully flip the tofu cubes over using a spatula, and cook undisturbed till the other side is golden brown.

5. When all the tofu is browned, add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet. Saute on high heat till the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. If you are using button mushrooms and they let out liquid, just keep cooking on high heat till all the liquid evaporates.

6. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cook till all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle lime zest, if using, on top.

8. To make the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients together till the sugar dissolves.

9. To serve, cut each romaine leaf into half. Place one half on top of the other to form a cup. Repeat with all lettuce leaves. Serve the tofu mushroom saute in a bowl, along with the dipping sauce.

Try this quinoa, egg and kale scramble if you want to start your mornings with a filling, protein packed, yummy breakfast. There is at least 11 grams of protein per serving in this dish, thanks to all the quinoa. And who says eggs are only for breakfast?! Make this scramble and put it between bread slices for a delicious lunch, or whip up this recipe for a fast dinner.

If you have cooked quinoa on had, this recipe takes just a few minutes to make. I like using red quinoa because it looks jeweled and beautiful against the scrambled eggs. But white quinoa will work just fine. I added dried oregano to the scramble, but feel free to add any kind of seasoning you like. Dried herbs, chipotle peppers, tabasco sauce, curry powder will all be great seasonings for this quinoa and egg scramble.

Quinoa, Egg and Kale Scramble Recipe

serves 3-4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 cups shredded kale
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Salt & Pepper

 Method
1.Heat the butter or oil in a skillet. Add kale and stir just until it turns bright green, about 30 seconds.
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and oregano and garlic powder together.
3. Pour the eggs over the kale, and stir. Let the eggs cook on medium heat till the bottom is starting to set.
4. Add the quinoa, and scramble the eggs till they set, but are still soft.
Serve with toast.

You can find rice noodles in the Asian aisle of the grocery store, or at Asian markets where there is usually more variety and brands. Make sure the only ingredient listed on the packet is rice or rice flour. Some brands will list water and salt, besides the rice as ingredients and thats ok.

 The seasoning for these lemon rice noodles is simple and easy. Its the standard Indian “tadka” – a tempering of whole spices in oil. I then add freshly squeezed lemon juice and turmeric to the tadka before throwing in the rice noodles.
 This is a crowd pleasing recipe, easy to make, and keeps well so you can take it for pot lucks and picnics. Kids will also love it. Serve it with a simple coconut chutney, pumpkin spinach curry, or my cashew nut curry. Make it a complete meal by throwing in some steamed broccoli or sautéed vegetables on top of the noodles.

Lemony Rice Noodles (Lemon Idiappam) Recipe

serves about 4

Ingredients
8 oz rice sticks
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds, optional
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoons chana dal, optional.
1 tablespoon cashewnuts
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 green chili slit. Use more if you like it hot.
6 curry leaves
a pinch of asafoetida, optional
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

 Method
1. Soak the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok with the oil. Add the mustard seeds if using. When they pop, add the cumin seeds, chana dal, cashew nuts, ginger, chili, curry leaves and asaf0etida. Stir on medium-low heat till fragrant and the chana dal and cashews are golden.

3. Add turmeric, lemon juice, salt and 1 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil.

4. Immediately dd the soaked rice noodles to the wok. Using tongs, gently toss till everything is well combined. Mix in the lemon zest if using. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with Sri Lankan Cashew curry, pumpkin curry or just on its own.

Everyday Mixed Vegetable Curry Recipe

serves about 4
Ingredients
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chili, slit, optional
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
1/8th teaspoon chili powder, or more according to taste
1/2 cup diced carrot (small cubes)*
1/2 cup chopped green beans*
1 cup chopped cauliflower florets*
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

*Chop all the vegetables small, and keep them the same size so they cook evenly

Method
1. Core the tomatoes and puree them in a blender, using as little water as possible. Blend into a very smooth puree and set aide.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the green chili and cook for 10 seconds. Turn the heat down to low.
3. Sprinkle the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder on the oil. Immediately pour in the pureed tomatoes plus 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat enough to maintain a lively simmer. Cook till the sauce thickens just a little, and gets glossy, about 7 minutes.
4. Now throw in the vegetables and salt and cook covered till vegetables are soft.
5. If the sauce is too thick, add up to one cup of water to thin it down and boil for another minute. This is not a thick curry, it should be a little thin.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rotis.

I’ve taken the classic South Indian upma – a breakfast dish made with semolina – and quinoa-fied it! The traditional upma uses semolina, onions, ginger and vegetables. I’ve pretty much kept everything the same, except the addition of quinoa. This is a quick, satisfying, one pot meal. Serve it along with my twice cooked tomato chutney.

I’m always thinking of new and different quinoa recipes and putting an Indian twist to this quinoa dish really works. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve already seen my hugely popular mango blueberry quinoa salad, a version of which I demoed on TV. I also have a spicy quinoa, black bean and asparagus bowl recipe and a more summery quinoa recipe with balsamic grilled vegetables. If you’ve tried lots of quinoa recipes and looking for something completely different, this quinoa upma is for you!

Quinoa Upma Recipe

 Serves about 6

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-3 green chili, slit
1 small onion, thinly sliced
one inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
a few curry leaves, optional
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup shelled green peas
2 cups quinoa
Salt
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat the butter or oil and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the green chili, onions, ginger and curry leaf. Stir on medium heat till the onion is soft and transcluscent.

2. Now add the turmeric, carrots, and peas. Cook stirring for about a minute.

3. Add the quinoa to the saucepan and stir gently for a few seconds. Then pour in 4 cups water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer covered till all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.

4. Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro. If desired, fish out and discard the ginger chunks before serving.

I’m very bad. I get midnight cravings for bread upma – a spiced, stir fried bread dish. Its very easy to make and there is always bread lying around that needs to be used up. So I can tip toe into the kitchen at midnight and quickly whip up this snack without waking up the husband (because I dont want to share my bread upma!).

Use white or brown bread. And if its slightly stale, thats fine too. This recipe is a great way to use up left over bread. If you find the upma is too dry (older breads will be drier), just sprinkle some water and toss to soften it.

Bread Upma Recipe

serves about 4 as a snack 

Ingredients
10 slices of bread, white or brown
4 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 cup minced onion (1 small onion)
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger, optional
1 green chili, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon, or according to taste red chili powder
1 tomato deseeded and chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Cut off the crust of the bread. Discard the crust or save for making bread crumbs. This is optional, you can leave the crust on if you like. Cut the bread into cubes.

2. Heat oil in a large wok. Add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onion, ginger and green chili. Saute on medium heat till the onion is translucent.

3. Then add the turmeric and red chili powders. Stir for a few seconds.

4. Add in the bread cubes, tomato, lime juice and salt.

5. Stir gently till everything is evenly combined and the bread has absorbed all the spices and turned yellow. About 4 minutes,

6. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

For me, Poha (or pohe or powa) is a childhood favorite. Although a breakfast dish in the Indian state of Maharashtra, we used to have poha as an evening snack after school. Whether you make this poha recipe for breakfast, as a main dish or as a snack, its quick, filling, and tasty.

Batata poha is made with potatoes. Kanda poha is made with onions. This recipe is sort of two-in-one. You can add the potatoes if you like, if not, just stick with the onions. You can also toss in some frozen peas, edamame or mixed frozen vegetables.

Quick Poha Recipe

serves 2-3

Ingredients
2 cups thick (mota) poha
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
3 tablespoons peanuts
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1 medium onion)
6 curry leaves
1 green chili, minced
1/2 cup boiled, peeled, cubed potato or frozen green peas. Both are optional.
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Place the poha in a colander and wash it under cold water. Set aside to drain. Do this just before cooking – the poha shouldn’t sit for more than 10 minutes (or it will get mushy).

2.Heat the oil in a wok and add black mustard seeds. When they pop, add the peanuts and cook on medium heat till the peanuts turn lightly golden.

3.Then add the onion, curry leaf and green chili. Sauté on medium heat till the onion is translucent.

4. Then add the cubed potatoes or green peas, if using. Stir well.

5. Sprinkle turmeric and salt. Stir and cook for a few seconds.

6. Add the drained poha and lime juice. Cook on low heat for about 3 minutes.

7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Can you cook pasta? Do you know how to chop garlic? Yes? Then you’re in business! This peanut noodles recipe is easy and fool proof! You can make it ahead of time and it will keep well in the fridge for up to two days. Plus, it tastes great warm or cold. This easy peanut noodles recipe is perfect for a quick dinner, packed lunch or picnic.

Broccoli is easy to chop, and cooks very quickly, so its perfect in this easy, fuss free recipe. But If you want to add other vegetables to this noodle dish, here are some suggestions. Just make sure the total amount of vegetables is about 3 cups.

- Shredded raw cabbage
- Shredded carrots
- Chopped cucumber
- Red peppers cut into strips
- Bean sprouts
- Wilted kale
- Baby corn
- Fried tofu cubes

Easy Peanut Noodles Recipe

serves about 3

Ingredients
2 cups broccoli florets
8 oz linguine or spaghetti

for the sauce
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sesame oil. Substitute with canola oil.
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Crushed red chili flakes, as much as you like

2 tablespoons chopped green onion or cilantro or parsley for garnish

Method
1. In a large pot, bring plenty of salted water to a boil.

2. While water is coming to a boil, work on the sauce. Place all sauce ingredients (peanut butter through red chili flakes) in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of water, and whisk everything together till a sauce forms. Set aside.

3. When the water boils, add the broccoli florets and continue boiling till the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the broccoli from the water and place in a wok.

4. Bring the same water back to a boil. Then add pasta to the water and cook according to package instructions. Make sure you dont over cook the pasta. Drain well.

5. Add the drained pasta to the wok with broccoli.

6. Pour the peanut sauce all over the pasta and toss well. Taste the pasta, if it needs more salt, add soy sauce half a tablespoon at a time, tossing and tasting as you go.

7. Garnish with chopped green onions, cilantro or parsley. Serve warm or cold.

Hello everyone! Sorry I’ve been missing for a while! Offline, non-blog stuff took over. But I’m back now and have  an irresistible line up of vegetarian recipes for you this year!

I’m in Kerala, India right now, on an Ayurvedic retreat. Its something I do once every two years or so, and there is no better place for this all natural detox, than the beautiful state of Kerala! My daily schedule here includes yoga twice a day, meditation, chanting, two Ayurvedic massages, and cooking class.

Above is the main building of Kalari Kovilakom, the Ayurvedic center I’m staying at. A beautiful, serene place with lotus ponds, a temple, and the nicest staff. The food here is fantastic and all vegetarian. Its all personalized and cooked according to each person’s Ayurvedic dosha (constitution). And the chef Nishant is ever so willing to share his simple, healthy recipes. 

The dining room..

Whem I’m not doing yoga, meditation, getting massaged or hanging out in the Ayurvedic kitchen, I sit outside my room and catch up on reading. There is no tea or coffee here. Instead everyone gets herbal tea. This one is kapha tea, made with boiling water and powdered cinnamon, cardamom and long pepper.

I love sitting by the pond in the evenings..

..and feeding the fish!

This is the center’s Ayurvedic kitchen. They use traditional cooking vessels made of brass, wood and stone. And im telling you, it makes a huge difference in the taste!

These are the ingredients for this easy tomato soup. (All the vegetables here come from an organic farm..)

Here is is how chef Nishant makes his simple, healthy, ayurvedic tomato soup. I was blown away by the simplicity of it! And there isn’t a drop of oil in it!

Chop tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, carrots and cilantro root. Yes, the root. Cilantro root has a great flavor, so dont throw it away when you buy a bunch! Its perfect in this soup. And the carrot adds some sweetness to the soup, which is a nice counter point to the tangy tomatoes

Throw all the vegetables and some water into a pot with salt.

Boil till the tomatoes are soft. Then blend the soup.

Strain the soup. Return it to the pot and bring to a boil. Adjust salt if needed. Thats it!

This delicious, super easy, no-oil tomato soup is ready to serve! Needless to say, garnish with cilantro!

Here are some healthy, equally tasty variations to this soup. Keep everything the same, and just switch out the carrots and tomatoes:

Carrot soup – 3 chopped medium carrots, plus half a tomato

Spinach soup – 3 cups fresh spinach

Beet soup – 3 small beets peeled and chopped, plus 1 tomato

Quick, Healthy Tomato Soup Recipe

serves about 2

Ingredients

3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup grated carrot

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger

4 cilantro roots, chopped. Substitute with leaves and stems.

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, along with salt and enough water to cover the vegetables, about 3 cups.

2. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil till the tomatoes are soft.

3. Let it cool a little, and blend into a liquid. Pass the soup through a strainer, pushing out all the liquid, using a wooden spoon.

4. Return the soup to the saucepan. If its too thick, add some water. Bring back to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn off heat, adjust salt if needed, and serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro.

This is more an idea than a recipe. Once you learn how to marinate and cook the curried tempeh, you can vary this grilled cheese sandwich however you like.  If you are in hurry, see the shortcut method in the recipe below. Serve with a salad and my Indian spiced potato chips, and this is an easy, tasty meal any time of the day!

You can marinate and saute the tempeh for extra flavor like on the left. Or if you are in a rush, just toss the tempeh in soy sauce and curry powder and make the sandwich like the picture on the right.

I like to marinate the tempeh in soy sauce and curry powder, so that the tempeh soaks up some of the flavors. I used Frontier Indian curry powder. It contains turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon peel, black pepper, lemon powder, cardamom, cinnamon, garlic and cayenne. Its mild, the lemon peel gives it a fresh pop, and it works well for the curried tempeh.

Remember, curry powders vary vastly in taste depending on the brand. So use my recipe as a guideline. Make a single grilled cheese sandwich, taste it, and adjust the curry powder accordingly.

A weight on top of the grilled cheese (panini style)- like a garden brick or cast iron skillet covered with foil – will ensure even cooking, and melt the cheese quickly. Use medium heat and a weight on top of the sandwich and you will have perfectly golden grilled cheeses every time! 

Love grilled cheese and paninis? Check out my friend Kathy’s fun panini blog!

Curried Tempeh Grilled Cheese with Mango Chutney Recipe

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients
For curried tempeh
Half an 8 oz package of tempeh
¼-½ teaspoon curry powder*
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon oil

For the sandwich
4 slices of sourdough bread
1 tablespoon or to taste sweet mango chutney. Substitute with apricot preserves
4 slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese
Handful of fresh arugula or baby spinach leaves or kale leaves, torn
1 teaspoon butter
*curry powders vary greatly in their poteny and spiciness. So I really cant give you an exact amount.

Method
For the curried tempeh
1.Slice the tempeh lengthwise into ¼ inch thin pieces. You will need 6-8 slices, about 4 oz
2.Whisk together the curry powder, soy sauce and water in a bowl. Add tempeh to the bowl and gently toss so the marinade is coated well on the tempeh.
3.Cover and marinate the tempeh in the fridge for 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
4. Heat oil in a medium skillet and add the marinated tempeh. Also add any remaining marinating liquid. Cook on medium heat, flipping the tempeh occasionally, till all the liquid has boiled away and the tempeh is brown on both sides.
Now proceed with making the grilled cheese.

Shortcut curried tempeh: If you are in a hurry, skip the marinating and cooking of the tempeh. Leave out the water and oil. Simply toss tempeh in soy sauce and curry powder and continue with the recipe below.

For the grilled cheese
1.Use a small cast iron skillet or a garden brick as the weight for the grilled cheese. Cover the cast iron skillet or bricks with aluminum foil
2. Take 2 slices of bread and slather about 1/2 teaspoon (or more) mango chutney on both the bread slices
3. Place one slice of cheese on top of the mango chutney. Top it with 3-4 slices of curried tempeh and 6-8 leaves of arugula or baby spinach or kale
4. Cover with another slice of cheese, and the other slice of bread, chutney side down
5. Heat ¼ teaspoon butter in a non stick skillet on medium heat. Place the sandwich on the skillet
6. Put the foil covered weight (cast iron skillet or brick) on top of the sandwich. Make sure it is balanced sitting on the sandwich. Let the sandwich with the weight on top cook on medium heat  till the bottom side is golden, about 2 minutes
7. Then remove the grilled cheese sandwich using a wide spatula, add 1/4^th teaspoon more butter to the pan. Flip the sandwich over and cook the other side, with the weight on top, till it is golden.

Serve immediately with a salad and Indian spiced potato chips.