Blogging Marathon# 31: Week 2/ Day 1
Theme: Meatless Dishes
Dish: Vegan Andhra 'Kodi' Kura
Today we start Week 2 of BM# 31 and my theme for this week is 'Meatless Dishes'. I'm a life long vegetarian, but I've a fascination towards non-veg dishes. I worked at a deli during my Masters and I use to loves the smell of meats cooking away in the kitchen, but luckily the smell was not strong enough to make me eat it 🙂
I'm not sure how many of you agree with me but in my opinion it is difficult to cook meat than vegetables and whoever does it well means they are really good at cooking. Here's my explanation: different meats have to be cooked differently and knowing the right technique is really important (knowledge entirely based on watching waaaaaaay too many cooking reality shows.. thank you). What I'm trying to say is cooking meat needs greater understanding of the ingredients. Veggies on the other hand need little thinking and even if you mess it up, oh well, it's still edible -- think of mushy peas or green beans--you can still eat them. right??
So for this week's BM, I'm taking 3 meat based dishes and making them meatless. I wanted to imitate as much of the original dishes in flavor as I can. For day 1, I made Kodi (chicken) kura without the kodi (chicken). I used Gardein chick'n scallopini or vegan chicken made with textured soy protein that looks almost like the real thing (to me at least). If anyone wants to know it is available in the freezer section of Whole Foods.
I marinated the 'chicken' in lime juice and spices for about 15-20 minutes and then proceeded with the curry. This made the pieces really moist and yumm!! My husband, who's been a vegetarian for almost 5 years now, thought it tasted almost like kodi kura he remembers eating way back when.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chicken Vegan - cubed (I used Gardein Chick'n Scallopini)
- 1 Onion - large, chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger garlic + paste
- ½ cup Tomato puree
- ½ cup Coconut Milk (I used 3tbsp Coconut Cream)
- 3 tbsps Cilantro leaves - finely chopped for garnish
- to taste Salt
For Marinade:
- 1 tsp Ginger+Garlic paste
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- ½ tsp chili powder Red
- ½ tsp Coriander Ground
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Salt
For the Masala Powder:
- 2 tbsp Peanuts
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 chilies Dry red
- 2 Cloves
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Combine all the ingredients listed under Marinade and add the cubed 'chicken'. Mix well, cover and set aside for at least 15 minutes.
- Make Masala Powder: Dry roast the ingredients under Masala powder until aromatic and peanuts turn lightly brown. Cool a little and grind to a powder.
- Make Curry: Heat 2tbsp oil in a saute pan, add onions and cook until lightly browned around the edges. Add ginger+garlic paste and cook for another minute.
- Next add the tomato puree and the ground powder. Cover and cook until oil starts to separate, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the marinated 'chicken' along with the leftover marinade. Cover and cook until 'chicken' is cooked through and tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and salt. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with steamed rice.
nayana
wow curry looks delicious.... Today's post : http://nayanas-kitchen-kreations.blogspot.in/2013/08/coffee-panna-cotta.html
Srivalli
Pavani, if you hadn't told, I would have thought it was chicken..very inviting dish and everything looks so good..
Gayathri's Cook Spot
Wow. It looks super inviting. Loved all the snaps...
Priya Suresh
Omg, those vegan chicken looks exactly like the real chicken pieces, wish i get this vegan chicken here, have to look for it.Andhra kodi kura as vegan version,thats mindblowing.
Vegaia
Clinical studies have found that casein, a protein in all dairy products, blocks the absorption of antioxidants and renders them useless to our body. http://nutritionfacts.org/video/nutrient-blocking-effects-of-dairy/Eggs vs. Cigarettes in Atherosclerosis - One egg a day (whether free-range or backyard) equals smoking 25,000 cigarettes.http://nutritionfacts.org/video/eggs-vs-cigarettes-in-atherosclerosis/Eggs Linked to Cancer Progressionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x3yp0oTd1YA#at=66Get healthier (and kinder) by going vegan!
Harini-Jaya Rupanagudi
Omg, This looks like the real deal, Pavani!!
Pallavi Purani
Vegan chicken. Really? getting hold of this to cook with is a dream for now. Looks so beautiful
Sapana Behl
Wow ! Vegan chicken curry looks like real chicken curry . I am pure vegetarian too and i have seen my FIIL and MIL always discussing how to cook there non veg dishes ,and I think you are right that its difficult to cook meat as compared to vegetables. But yours vegan curry must be delicious !!
Denny
The pics look like real chicken pieces. Can't believe its TVP. I have to make a trip to Whole foods now. What a great innovative idea to make kodi kura with TVP. Kudos to you Pavani.
Kalyani
I didnt know there was anything like vegan chicken ! I have been a no-egg-too vegetarian for all my years, but this curry looks inviting !
Preetha Soumyan
Looks like chicken curry itself..... Meat in disguise...
Sreevalli E
Vegan chick'n curry looks yumm...
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
Wow! Vegan chicken...Never tried them and I always thought as well that cooking meat is harder than vegetables. The temperature has to be perfect to get the dish right...Looks lovely pavani!
Apani Rasoi
Lovely dish.. all time favouriteIndian Vegetarian Recipes
Nicole Vatanavimlakul
Hi do you think homemade seitan from vital wheat gluten will work just as well??Thanks in advance,N
Pavani N
Hi Nicole, I didn't try this recipe with seitan, but I'm sure the same recipe will work out with seitan. Do try it and let me know how it turned out.
waheatha
perfect kind of recipe which i was looking for, much more interesting dishes log on to Indian dishes
Dayana
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe here. I have recently turned vegan and have been missing curry chicken so much, but not enough to want to eat meat again, and have been trying to figure out a delicious vegan alternative instead. I saw the gardein scallopini at the store and was wondering how I could prepare it to be tender for curry. I'm so excited I saw your recipe!! I'm going to give it a try. I hope I can make it as delicious as yours♡