Yog Sadhan Ashram of Chicago » Recipes

Recipe: Vegetarian Biryani

YSA — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:56:22 +0000

Biryani is a nutritious and filling Indian dish loved by many! Vinodini, an excellent cook and student, was kind enough to share her personal recipe with us at last summer’s retreat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil or butter

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 of a red & green pepper (1/2 of each)

1 cup green beans

1/3 head cauliflower

1 potato

1 carrot

2 medium onions

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup raw almond powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garam masala (3 parts cinnamon, 1 part clove)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cardamom powder

2 tsp salt

1 inch piece of ginger (minced)

kesar (saffron) and orange color, plus chopped corriander for green color

Directions:

1. Cut the cauliflower and red and green pepper into pieces. Slice carrot, potatoes and onions. Save some green and red pepper aside for decoration.

2. Heat the oil and cook the onions until golden. Save some aside for decoration.

3. Soak saffron, pinch of orange color and chopped corriander in about 1 tbsp of hot water.

4. Add the vegetables along with salt, chili powder and tumeric powder. Let it cook until tender. Later add ginger, black pepper, garam masala and caramom powder. Mix well. Lastly add almond powder and milk. Mix well and let it cook for about 2-3 mins.

5. Take 12x9x2 (3 qt) pyrex glass pan. Spread some ghee or vegetable spray on it. Spread half the rice (see rice directions) and then sprinkle kesar/organge color water and some nuts.

6. Layer the cooked vegetables over rice and finish final layer with rest of rice. Then spread another layer of kesar water, nuts, onions, red & green peppers.

7. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and heat for 6 mins before serving.

RICE INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Basmati rice

1 tbsp ghee or butter

1 tsp salt

3-4 cardamom pods

Directions:

1. Put the dry rice in a colander and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear.

2. Soak the rice at least 2-3 hours. Put all the ingredients in a shallow saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

3. When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Cook until rice is tender.

4. Prepare the rice before preparing the vegetables. Let rice cool.

Recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho

YSA — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:03:59 +0000

Watermelon Gazpacho

This is truly “summer in a bowl”! Delightful! Adapted from a “Raw Food
Real World” recipe.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups watermelon, seeded and pureed in a high-speed blender
1 cup watermelon, diced small
1 cup seeded tomato, diced small (about 1 large or 2 small tomatoes)
l/2 cup peeled, seeded cucumber, diced small
l/2 cups peeled jicama, diced small
l/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
2 tablespoons lime juice
l/4 cup inced cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons minced mint leaves
1 teaspoon minced ginger
l/2 small red jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 scallion, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large glass bowl or container, combine the watermelon puree with the
remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Refrigerate to chill. This recipe
should keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Recipe: Raw Vegetable Soup

YSA — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:47:05 +0000

Please enjoy this recipe from Louella! It’s filled with nutritious raw vegetables and tasty spices. A great soup for the summer!

Ingredients:
Two Large Carrots, Cut into One to Two-Inch Pieces
Two Large Celery Stalks, Cut into One to Two-Inch Pieces
Two to Three-Inch Piece of a Medium-Size Zucchini
Two to Three-Inch Piece of a Medium-Size Yellow Squash
One-Third of a Sweet Red Pepper
One-Third of a Sweet Yellow or Orange Pepper
Approximately One-Half Cup of Fresh Tomatoes, Quartered with Skin On
One-Half Jalapeno, Seeded, Optional
Two Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
One-Quarter Cup of Olive Oil
Purified Water, Slightly Warmed – Do Not Boil!
Two to Three Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillons
Two Tablespoons of Fresh Parsley
Several Leaves of Fresh Basil
One-Half Teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
Organic Trocomare Spicy Herb Seasoning Salt by A. Vogel
Ground Pepper

Recipe:

You will need a high-speed commercial blender, such as a Vita-Mix to make this soup as a regular blender will not produce the desired consistency. Place all the ingredients into the blender except for the water and the olive oil. Fill the blender with the warm water until it is approximately two inches from the top. You do not want to use boiling water as you will cook the vegetables. Place the top on the blender along with the mixer. Blend for approximately one-half minute on a lower speed and then for a couple of minutes on high speed. Turn back to the lower speed and add the olive oil. Mix thoroughly on the low speed and it is ready to serve.

Recipe: Zucchini and Potato Sabji

YSA — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:50:01 +0000

This quick and easy recipe with tons of flavor comes from Bharti. It is very nutritious and takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:
1.5 tsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 cloves garlic
Salt to taste
Green pepper to taste
2 medium sized potatoes cubed
6 medium sized zucchini cubed
1/2 cup of water
2 medium sized tomatoes diced
Cilantro to taste

Directions:
1. Saute oil and spices in a small pan
2. Add potatoes and saute for 5 minutes
3. Add zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes
4. Add 1/2 cup of water
5. Add tomatoes and cilantro on top

Enjoy!

Recipe: Hearty Barley & Vegetable Soup

YSA — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:33:38 +0000

We’ve received many requests from recipes following the article on sattvic food posted last month. If you’ve ever been to the Ashram, you certainly know about the many talented chefs we have cooking sattvic and delicious food! So we’re very excited to begin sharing recipes from the Ashram community with the world!

Our first recipe is from Acharya Hersh Khetarpal. It is a simple yet hearty barley and vegetable soup. Enjoy!

Serving size: 6
Prep & cooking time: Less than 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 carrot
1/2 of a large onion
1 zuccini
1/4 cauliflower head
1 broccoli head
4 medium tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1/2 inch of ginger
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Chop all the vegetables into large chunky pieces.
1. In a large saucepan or stock pot, fry the onions and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and continue to saute for 5 minutes.
3. Wash the uncooked barley, and then add it to the saucepan.
4. Add the spices (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic) and salt to taste.
5. Add 6 cups of water, let it boil and then lower heat to simmer until vegetables are tender (30 minutes).

Serve hot with fresh black pepper on top (to taste). Each time Hersh makes it, she uses different vegetables. So this is just a basic recipe and you can alter it however you wish. If you try out this recipe, please drop a line in the comments section to let us know how it turns out!