Christmas 2019: 3 tasty vegetarian dishes to try out – more lifestyle

Christmas celebrations have kick-started across the world. People already have a long list of plans and innovative ideas to make the festival all the more special. Food plays an important role in any festival and Christmas is no different.

From the Christmas goose to pork ribs, cookies, pies, cakes, and more, there are a number of delicacies, which people relish on. But in a world that is battling global warming, replacing meat with vegetarian sources of protein can reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, a vegetarian diet could be the perfect way to save the planet, and what better time to give a little, than Christmas.

If you are planning for a party at home or set to cook a complete vegetarian meal for your family this Christmas, here are 3 easy recipes that you can try.

1. Vegetable puffs

Ingredients:

• Carrot

• Green peas

• Onion

• Potatoes

• Oil

• Ginger-garlic paste

• Turmeric

• Red chilli powder

• Salt

• Coriander leaves

• Dough

Instructions:

• Wash, peel and chop 3 potatoes

• Wash, and finely chop a medium-sized carrot

• Take 1/2 a cup of chopped potatoes, 1/2 cup diced carrot, 1/3 cup green peas and put them together in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water

• Cook the veggies in a pressure cooker for 2 to 3 whistles or 7 to 8 minutes

• Open the lid of the cooker once the steam is out and check if vegetables are cooked

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Filling for vegetable puff

Take a frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of oil

Add a cup of sliced onion and saute it in low flame till it turns light brown

Add 1/2 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste and saute it

Add the steamed veggies in the pan and mix everything properly

Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, red chilli powder and salt as per taste

Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix everything nicely

Stuffing vegetable puff

• Pre-heat oven to 250 degree Celsius for at least 10 minutes

• Sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough and roll it to get a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick base

• Cut in rectangle shape and trim the edges to make the dish look more organised

• Fill the stuffing and neatly roll it and brush the edges with water. Then, gently press the edges of each puff

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Baking the puffs

• Place the vegetable puffs in a pre-heated oven and bake them for around 35 minutes

• Once baked, lift the puffs with spatula and place on a tray

• Serve it warm or in room temperature along with ketchup.

2. Eggless Christmas cake

Ingredients:

• Dry fruits– raisins, apricots, cranberries, glace cherries

• Citrus peels

• Cup of hot water

• Salt

• Vinegar or lemon juice

• Vanilla extract

• Sugar

• Oil or melted butter

• Orange or apple juice

• Chopped cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds

• Baking soda

• Wheat flour

Instruction:

• Finely chop all the dry fruits and nuts

• Add raisins, apricots, cranberries and citrus peels

• Boil water and pour it over dry fruits. Allow them to cool.

Method:

• Add sugar, melted butter, orange/apple juice, vanilla and vinegar to the mixture of dry fruits and mix it well

• Take another bowl and sieve flour, salt, soda together

• For around 15 minutes heat the oven

• Pour dry fruits mixture in the flour mixture and stir itgently with a spatula

• Pour the mixture to a cake pan and bake for around 40 minutes

• Add some powdered sugar over the eggless fruit cake

3. Apple tart

Ingredients:

• Butter

• Flour

• Salt

• Sugar

• Apples

• Lemon juice

• Ground cinnamon

Method:

• Take butter and place it in deep fridge for 15 minutes

• Take one-and-a-half cup of flour, salt, sugar and mix them together

• Mix butter and flour. Mix them well till it looks like wet sand

• Flour your workstation and place the dough on top. Lightly flour the dough before rolling it to about a 10-inch circle, sprinkling dough as necessary

• Drape the dough over a rolling pin and transfer it to a fluted tart pan, with a removable bottom

• Set the tart pan on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes for the tart shell to set

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

• Peel the apples before cutting them thinly

• Once done, toss them in a large bowl with lemon juice, cinnamon and a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt

• Remove the baking sheet with the tart shell from the refrigerator and add the apples in concentric circles, so that overlap, but slightly

• Brush the edges of the crust with melted butter and then bake till the edges have taken on a golden hue and apples are cooked

• Cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. You may top it with a bit of jam

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