Vegetarian Food Blog, Fresh Vegetarian Recipes-From-Scratch

Schezwan paneer is an Indo-Chinese dish where crispy paneer is tossed in a sauce made with schewzan chutney/sauce. It’s tangy, spicy with a hint of sweetness. Serve it as an appetizer or with hakka noodles or fried rice for a complete meal.

Paneer based Indo-Chinese dishes are very popular. If you are a vegetarian, they are your go to when eating out Indo-Chinese. While Chilli Paneer is the most popular, another crowd favorite is the Schezwan paneer.

This dish uses schezwan sauce/chutney for that depth of flavor in the sauce. Schezwan sauce is a condiment made with Kashmiri red chili chilies and the sauce is spicy, tangy and sweet. In the past I have shared recipes using my homemade schezwan sauce like Schezwan Noodles and Schezwan Paneer Momos.

For this recipe paneer is coated in cornstarch slurry first and then deep fried to make it crispy. It’s then tossed in a flavorful sauce along with onions, bell peppers. I have also included directions to air fry the paneer in case you don’t want to deep fry and are looking for a healthier version of this dish.

Ingredients Paneer (Indian cottage cheese): for this recipe, I have used store-bought paneer. Since the paneer that we get here isn’t as nice as the paneer we get in India, I always recommend soaking it in warm water for 20 minutes and then using it...

Sabudana Vada Recipe

5 pieces of sabudana vada arranged in a plate with a small bowl of cilantro chutney on the side

May 24, 2023

Sabudana Vada is a popular Indian tea time snack made with sabudana (sago), potatoes and peanuts. They are crunchy and crispy and are best enjoyed with a side of cilantro chutney and chai. The vadas are traditionally deep fried but you can also air fry them for a healthier option. These are also popular during fasting and Navratri and are also vegan and gluten free.

In India whenever we would invite someone over for chai, mom would always make...

Upma Recipe (How to Make Upma)

bowl of upma with glass of chai on one side, blue color kitchen towel on another side and curry leaves in the background

May 5, 2023

One of the most common Indian breakfast, Rava Upma or simply Upma is a savory porridge made with semolina and veggies. It makes a filling and satisfying meal, especially with a side of chai or filter coffee! This is one of my go to breakfast recipes, you can easily make it vegan by skipping the ghee at the end.

Breakfast blues! I am sure I am not the only one who faces it. On most working days, my breakfast is a simple avocado toast or my favorite banana oatmeal. They are...

Refreshing Cucumber Mocktail

cucumber mocktail served in a glass which has salt flakes on the rim and garnished with mint leaves

April 27, 2023

This Cucumber Mocktail is seriously refreshing for hot summer days. Made with fresh cucumber juice, coconut water and garnished with fresh mint leaves, this is the drink that you will love to serve your guests at summer and pool parties!

Creating delicious mocktails is something that I enjoy a lot. I feel like everyone should have an option to have fancy drinks, irrespective on their drinking preference. Mocktails are always on my menu whenever we host during...

Chole Recipe (Punjabi Chole Masala)

chole served in a copper kadai and garnished with cilantro

April 24, 2023

Punjabi Chole Masala is one of the most popular vegetarian curry dishes in India. It is a chickpea curry cooked with onions, tomatoes and lots of spices. Chole is one of those core curries in northern India without which no party or wedding festivities is complete. I remember whenever we would call someone over for lunch or dinner, mom would almost always make chole (or rajma or dal makhani).

Chole is often enjoyed with bhatura (a deep fried bread). Chole bhature and chole chawal aka chole...

Ginger Garlic Paste Recipe

ginger garlic paste placed in a wide mouth glass bottle and the neck of the bottle is tied with a jute string.

April 4, 2023

Ginger Garlic Paste is a staple in Indian cooking. While I often use freshly chopped ginger and garlic in my recipes, having homemade ginger garlic paste in the refrigerator works like a charm on busy days. You can easily find this paste at Indian grocery stores but once you make a batch at home, you will realize that homemade tastes so much better (and fresher) and imparts a much better flavor to your dish. With this easy recipe, you can make ginger garlic paste within minutes and store it for months. Use it while making chole, rajma and...

Quinoa Upma (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Quinoa upma served in a plate topped with curry leaves, lemon wedge and a copper spoon placed on the side

March 28, 2023

This one-pot Quinoa Upma is a simple vegan, wholesome meal that packs more protein than the traditional Rava Upma. It makes a filling breakfast or lunch and can be enjoyed as such or with a side of cilantro coconut chutney or peanut chutney. You can make it either in the Instant pot or stove top.

I grew up eating a lot of lentils and beans and they are an integral part of my everyday diet. Quinoa wasn’t something I grew up eating but over the years it has become a part of my diet and I like...

Easy Aloo Palak

March 23, 2023

Aloo Palak (Spinach & Potato Curry) is one of the most popular Indian dishes where spinach and potatoes are cooked together with spices. Naturally vegetarian and vegan, my easy homemade version of aloo palak uses minimal spices which makes it so comforting. Tastes best with flatbread like roti or paratha!

Potatoes are added to a lot of Indian curries and gravies. I think we have this habit of adding potatoes to anything and...

Moong Dal Recipe (Moong Dal Tadka)

moong dal tadka in a copper kadai with a garnish of cilantro and cumin

March 20, 2023

This simple and comforting Moong Dal is one of the simplest Indian dals made with split petite yellow lentils. This wholesome dal has a tadka (tempering) of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and curry leaves making it flavorful. This dal is vegan, easy to digest and light on your stomach and pairs well with rice, roti or any grain of your choice. You can make this moong dal recipe in 30 minutes using a traditional pressure cooker or Instant Pot.

Of all the dals that I grew up eating at home on a regular basis like...

Namak Para Recipe

namak para served in a bronze plate with glass of chai on the side

March 14, 2023

Namak Para is crispy fried savory Indian snack made with flour, spices and ghee (or oil). These are best enjoyed with a cup of masala chai. My mom would often make a batch of these crunchy namak para during festivals like Holi & Diwali. But if you ask me. you don’t need an occasion to munch on them. They are highly addictive! They are traditionally deep fried but you can also air fry or bake them for a healthier option.

When mom used to prepare for Indian festivals back home, I used to...

Eggless Brownies

6 large pieces of brownies arranged on a parchment paper

March 10, 2023

Fudgy, chocolaty, and dense, these are one of the best Eggless Brownies ever! These eggless brownies are made with basic pantry staples like butter, cocoa powder and will leave you craving for more. I like serving mine with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat.

My eggless baking recipes are super popular around here, like these eggless chocolate cupcakes or eggless vanilla cupcakes or the eggless cumin cookies and so many more. And every...

Paan Gujiya

March 2, 2023

These Paan Gujiya are stuffed with a paan flavored filling made with mawa, real paan leaves, paan masala gulkand, fennel seeds, coconut powder and more! This is a fun take on the traditional Mawa Gujiya, the paan filling makes them really refreshing. These sweet gujiyas are a perfect treat for festivals like Holi, Diwali.

All my memories of holi start with me making gujiya with mom. It’s such a core memory that I can’t think of anything else when it comes to Holi....