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Buckwheat Kati Rolls

July 11, 2016 By Alana 1 Comment

Buckwheat Kati Roll

I could have called these Indian buckwheat crepes, Indian buckwheat tacos, or Indian burritos. Depending on how large, thick, or thin you make the buckwheat wrappers, and the way you choose to roll/fold them, they could be the base for all manner of delicious meals! But the filling screamed kati roll to me. And I loved the idea of a nutty, protein-packed buckwheat wrapper in place of the traditional paratha. So kati rolls they are.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, a kati roll is comprised of some deliciously spiced filling (either meat-based or vegetarian) wrapped in a buttery Indian flatbread (the aforementioned paratha). Kati rolls are sometimes made with other types of flatbread – hence my justification for making buckwheat ones!  If you live in the New York area, I recommend checking out Desi Galli – they have some really yummy filling choices and make a very nice chickpea flour wrap.

So enough about other kati rolls, let’s get to this one. Golden fried paneer, spicy chickpeas, and a bright carrot slaw that will knock your socks off all rolled up in a delicious nutty buckwheat wrapper. Highly recommended with my Mint Chutney or a nice raita. And if you don’t feel like making a batter, you can always turn this into a bowl and serve the fillings over your favorite grain. You can also make the wrappers in advance and store them wrapped in foil in the fridge or the freezer – just reheat them in a lightly oiled cast iron pan like you would a tortilla. (They are arguably even better this way because the outside will crisp up slightly when you reheat them, but they’ll still remain tender on the inside and flexible for rolling/folding.)

So what are you waiting for? Let’s make some kati rolls!

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Buckwheat Flour, Carrots, Chickpeas, Indian Spices, Lime, Paneer, Seltzer Filed Under: Entrees, Indian, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Twists on the Classics

Superfood Bowl for the Super Bowl

February 5, 2016 By Alana 1 Comment

Superfood Bowl

Unbeknownst to me (until this morning), Super Bowl Sunday is in just two days. As a 100 percent non-sports person,  I always feel a tiny bit of dread when this particular event rolls around. Try as I might, I cannot get excited about football, even when the rules are explained to me for the 20th time. (I have severe short-term memory issues with regards to the rules of any sport.)  But, since I appreciate any and all holidays…er…excuses to eat and drink, I still like to acknowledge it in some way: usually a food-related one. (By the way, can you even call the Super Bowl a holiday?? This is how little I know about sports.)

Super Bowl recipes are all over social media right now, but pretzels and wings aren’t really my thing. Instead, I decided to create a Super Bowl of my own…or rather a Superfood Bowl, since it’s packed with delicious and nutritious ingredients like beets, millet, and garbanzo beans. It’s also topped with an amazing Creamy Basil-Hemp Sauce  that you can use on just about anything — including those more traditional Super Bowl standards like pretzels and potato chips.  (By the way, hemp seeds are utterly ridiculous — in a good way —when it comes to nutrient-packed foods. Can you say perfect balance of Omega 3s and 6s? 10 grams of protein in 3 tablespoons? I’m telling you…they are LOADED with good stuff!)

The bowl is super easy and can be customized to your liking: just choose the ingredients you feel like eating! Not a fan of millet? Use rice or quinoa. Beets aren’t your thing? Try purple cabbage. As long as you have a nice variety of colors and textures, your bowl is sure to be SUPER! (Provided you top it with my basil-hemp sauce, of course :p)

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Tagged With: Basil, Beets, Carrots, Chickpeas, Hemp Seeds, Millet, Super Bowl Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, New American, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Simple and Easy, Vegan

Spicy Harissa-Chickpea Burgers

October 26, 2015 By Alana Leave a Comment

Harissa-Chickpea Burger

Harissa is one of my kitchen staples, since I love its intensity of flavor and incredible vibrancy.  Add in some crunchy dill-infused carrots and some nutty chickpeas, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination. This is a burger that packs some heat – in a delightfully zesty way. It’s delicious with the optional yogurt dressing featured here, but an aioli made with vegan mayo would work just fine too. Or you can just eat these babies straight out of the oven – no accoutrements necessary, provided you like it hot!

These burgers are a wee bit similar (in method, not flavor) to my Indian Chickpea Cakes, since I’m a huge fan of using millet in my burgers and cakes. This awesome grain is moist, nutty, and really gives you something nice and meaty to sink your teeth into. Plus it’s totally under-appreciated and really good for you! If you’ve never enjoyed millet before, this is a great introduction to it – its flavor and texture in this recipe is similar to rice, and it doesn’t taste at all like “health food.”

Finally, I should mention that if you keep reading, you’ll actually find not one, but three recipes included in this post! Woohoo! Exciting! (Consider it my Halloween present to everyone :p)

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Arrowroot Starch, Carrots, Chickpeas, Harissa, Millet, Yogurt Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, New American, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Sides, Twists on the Classics, Vegan

Indian Cauliflower Steaks with Spiced Chickpeas and Spinach

September 20, 2015 By Alana Leave a Comment

Indian Chickpea Cakes

When I think of vegetables that are naturally beautiful, cauliflower definitely isn’t the first one to come to mind.  It’s oddly shaped, lumpy, blandly colored (although colorful cauliflower does exist, but not in most grocery stores), and just downright unglamorous. I mean, if asked to choose a vegetable based on beauty alone, most of us would go for the bright red, perfectly round and lusciously smooth-skinned cherry tomato, or the beautifully-tiny purple and white striped fairy tale eggplant, or possibly one of endless gorgeous varieties of microgreens. Certainly not lumpy old cauliflower.  Yet cut a cauliflower in the right way, and suddenly you have something that definitely starts to compete – maybe even outright beat – those perky, perfectly shaped, and vibrantly colored veggies in the beauty department.

The cauliflower steak, ladies and gentlemen, is the pinnacle of unexpected elegance – it’s the point in your favorite (or least favorite) teen movie when the nerdy girl lets her hair down at the homecoming dance or house party or wherever else the super original plot sets the pivotal scene, and Freddie Prinze, Jr (or whoever is playing the Freddie Prinze, Jr role) suddenly realizes what he’s been failing to see.  I mean, who would have thought cauliflower could be so elegant? And so visually striking?

And that’s where the She’s All That comparisons can end (phew!) Because while – if memory serves correctly – Freddie Prinze, Jr’s character had to work quite hard to win Laney’s heart, cauliflower steaks are super easy to prepare. They are also incredibly versatile, really fun to eat, and naturally gluten-free (grain-free too!) 

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Coconut Milk, Indian Spices, Spinach Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, Grain-Free, Indian, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Twists on the Classics, Vegan

Indian Chickpea Cakes

April 17, 2015 By Alana Leave a Comment

Indian Chickpeas Cakes

Do you have specific foods that always stick out to you on a restaurant menu? The ones that immediately catch your eye and say “pick me, pick me!”? For me, it’s fritters, cakes, patties…anything that comes in the form of a nice, elegant, flavor-packed crispy round of goodness. I can’t say no! Sadly, since most restaurants use flour to bind those lovely little rounds, I often have to. And even the ones marked gluten-free often contain rice or rice flour, which is a no-no for me. Luckily, flour really isn’t necessary. My secret for making flourless cakes and patties that still hold together perfectly? Millet!

[Read more…]

Tagged With: Arrowroot Starch, Chickpeas, Cilantro, Indian Spices, Millet, Raisins Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Entrees, Indian, Peanut & Tree Nut-Free, Vegan

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Hi, I’m Alana!

Thanks for checking out my collection of gluten-free and vegetarian recipes (with many grain-free, vegan, and dairy-free options) inspired by the cuisines I like most :-)

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