Everything You Wanted To Know About Vegetarian Chilli Recipes

On this page I present the best vegetarian chilli recipes that I have come across so far. Now, I'm not a believer in vegetarianism. I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "If we aren't meant to eat animals, why are they made of meat ?" and can't think of a better way to put it. On the flip-side, we certainly can't be healthy on meat alone so I look upon vegetarian dishes as the natural complement to a good serve of meat. Let's jump into the vegetarian chilli recipes then...


The Chilli Vegetarian Recipes - Pt. 2

Spicy, Lentil & Tomato Salad With Garlic Bread

makes 6 serves

• 1 tablsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 4 (25cm diameter) Lebanese bread

• 2 400g cans brown lentils
• 300g (about 3) vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh continental parsley
• 1 red onion, quartered, thinly sliced

Dressing

• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• 60ml (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teasp grated lemon rind
• ½ teasp ground cumin
• ½ teasp Tabasco sauce
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine the oil and garlic in a small bowl.

Cut the Lebanese bread into wedges and use a small pastry brush to brush all over with the oil mixture.

Place the bread wedges on 2 baking trays and bake in a preheated oven for 7 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, to make the lentil and tomato salad, place the lentils in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water.

Drain well and place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, parsley and onion to the lentils. Toss to combine.

To make the dressing, place the oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon rind and cumin in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the lentil salad and toss to combine.

Serve with wedges of garlic bread.

Mushroom and Cashew Pilaf

makes 4 serves

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
• 1 cup cashew nuts
• 2 tablsp olive oil
• 1 teasp sweet paprika
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced
• 300g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
• 125g feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cashews. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Add oil, onions, paprika and mushrooms to hot frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 2 minutes or until tender. Add currants, lemon rind and juice. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add rice, cashews and feta. Toss over low heat to combine. Stir in parsley, and salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Onion Pakoras (fritters)

I have to be careful making these - the whole family just does not stop eating them !

makes 3-4 serves

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 2 tablsp corn flour
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
• 8 curry leaves (grow yourself or any asian store)
• 1 teasp cumin powder
• 1 teasp (font color="red>red chilli powder
• 1 - 5 green chillies, de-seeded, thinly sliced
• a pinch of turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• vegetable oil for frying

Remember, the more chillies you add the hotter it will be, so adjust according to your taste.

Add a little water, mix it to a smooth consistency and let it rest for 10-15 minutes

Take a wok or deep pan, add enough oil to it for deep-frying, and heat to 170ºC (340ºF).

Using a spoon, take a spoonful of the batter and deep fry it in the oil.

When the pieces are golden brown in color, take them out and put them on some absorbent paper.

Serve hot with Indian chutney or hot chilli sauce!

Lemon and Spice Pilaf

Everyone should have a pilaf or two in their kitchen repoertoire - I think Stephanie Alexander said that.

I love this one with BBQ grilled veges.

makes 4 serves

• 750ml (25 fl oz) vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cardamom pods
• 1 tablsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 teasp dried chilli flakes
• 500g (17.5 oz) basmati or long-grained rice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 lemons, juiced
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablsp butter
• 3 tablsp light olive oil

Put stock, 2 cardamom pods and bay leaves in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the crushed seeds from the 2 remaining cardamom pods, mustard seeds, chilli flakes and rice.

Stir until the rice becomes translucent.

Add the stock and salt to taste, bring everything back to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low (use a simmer mat if cooking with gas), cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes.

Check that the rice is tender and all the liqud has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue to cook on low.

When the rice is cooked, remove from heat, discard the cardamom pods and bay leaves, and add the lemon juice.

Cover tightly and leave the hot rice to absorb the lemon juice for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the butter until it melts thoroughly, then fluff up the rice with 2 forks, scattering the lemon zest through the rice at the same time.

Panzanella Salad

makes 8 serves

• 4 large red capsicum
• 2 Serrano chillies, de-seeded, very finely diced
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 250g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 100g (3.5 oz) pitted kalamata olives, halved
• ½ cup (4 fl oz) torn basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tablsp balsamic vinegar
• 80ml (2¾ fl oz) good olive oil

Preheat a barbecue or char-grill over medium heat. Cook capsicum, turning, for 10-15 minutes or until skins blacken and blister. Set aside to cool in a plastic bag or small airtight container..

Brush bread with 1 tablsp oil, then cook for 30 seconds each side or until lightly charred.

All the bread to cool a little then rub it all over with the peeled garlic clove and then tear the bread into bite-sized pieces.

Place the bread in a large bowl.

Peel capsicum over a bowl to save juice. Discard skins then cut capsicum in half, discarding seeds.

Cut capsicum into 3cm (1 inch) pieces and add to bread pieces together with tomatoes, olives and basil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Whisk remaining oil, vinegar, serrano chillies and capsicum juice together.

Season to taste, then pour dressing over salad. Toss gently to combine.

Serve.

Hasselback Potatoes

makes 6 serves

• 6 desiree potatoes, peeled, halved lengthways
• ¼ teasp cayenne powder
• 1 tablsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).

Place 1 potato, cut-side down, on a board and make thin, evenly spaced cuts at 5mm (0.2 inch) intervals, about two-thirds of the way through to the base.

Place the finished potatoes in a bowl and when you have cut them all, add the oil, garlic and rosemary to potatoes.

Season with salt, pepper and cayenne and toss to combine and then place in a roasting pan.

Bake them in the oven, for 1 hour or until golden brown and crisp.

Transfer to a serving plate.

Indian Beetroot Salad

makes 4 serves

Unusual, tasty and very healthy !

• 2 medium beetroot - steamed
• 1 medium brown onion, finely diced
• 2 tomatoes - diced
• 2 small green chillies - deseeded, finely diced
• 1 cup (250ml/8.5 fl oz) coriander - chopped
• 4 teasp plain yoghurt
• 1 pinch yellow mustard powder
• 3 curry fresh leaves (or some spare, unchopped coriander leaves)

Peel the cooled, steamed beetroot and cut it into small pieces, roughly 1cm (½ inch) square.

Add the tomato and onion to the beetroot and mix gently.

Now, only add the onion and yoghurt when you are about to serve this dish, and mix well.

Garnish by sprinkling the mustard powder and dropping on the curry leaves.

Note: an interesting variation is to change the tomato for chopped lemon or orange flesh !