Vegetarians...

[kellys_eye]

...

When I started making (and selling) curries I didn't contemplate any vegetarian dishes until, of course, the request came in. I now do a small range of such dishes as follows:

Bombay potatoes
Aloo Ghobi (potato and cauliflower)
Aloo Chatt (potatoe and chickpeas)
Tarka Dhal (lentils)
Mirch Aloo (potatoes in tomato/tamarind)

as well as a vegetable madras. Boring, innit?

But I'm struggling to find something with more 'appeal' - something with a bit of body

This morning I experimented with mushrooms. Made a Mushroom Balti (not bad) and a Mushroom Masaala/Pasanda (flippin' stonking!!! Can I patent it?? ) from my own recipes which I hope to trial with some of my more regular customers but are there any vegetarian curry fanatics out there that have knowledge of such and can recommend or suggest some other formats I can try?

Suggestions gratefully received

[boxedin]

I'd have a go at this
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/773 ... -chickpeas
https://www.lazycatkitchen.com/pumpkin-coconut-curry/

or maybe

Beetroot
https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/vie ... root-curry

[camallison]

Kur Kure Mushroom,

Coated with corn flour & tossed with green pepper, garlic & onion

Our local Indian restaurant does this and I add it any other dish I order.
The restaurant is listed as one of the best in the UK.

Colin

[kellys_eye]

The pumpkin ones look reasonable - I'd considered substituting butternut squash for the pumpkin though (only for ease of purchase) and can see how it would work, being relatively sweet as those types of curries go.

The beetroot one looks and sounds awful....... - I'll be giving that one a miss!

Curries you have actually 'had' would help. There are dozens of recipes online for veggy curries but not many people around who've actually eaten them though....

I'm one of those cooks that can sense what something will taste like just from the ingredients and many online recipes are either just bland or totally mismatched for taste.

[kellys_eye]

Cheers Colin - that's more like a recipe I can associate with but it looks like a 'side' rather than a meal.

I'll add that to my 'book' and experiment to make it more substantial

[wine~o]

What mushrooms did you use in your curries? Those portabella mushrooms have a really good meaty texture and flavour.

I'd also look at sweet potatoes...

[boxedin]

Ok so beetroots off the menu what about aubergine based curry
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/841/bain ... urry-.aspx
Don't roast them whole as they explode

[ayjay]

I love a bit of Saag Aloo, but that's another side dish.

What about Fish? Some Veggies will eat it.

[kellys_eye]

wine~o - I used chestnut and button, the chestnuts for the 'base' flavour and the button for the 'meat'. I can see how portabello would give a greater depth so will use them next time Sweet potato is a good one too but still doesn't really add to my range given the potato courses I already have.

Boxed-in - Aubergine is something I find cooks to slop - it might be ok for a meal you can turn out and eat but my meals are all frozen. As for exploding I once convinced a friend (working in an electrical shop when microwave ovens started to become popular) to demonstrate cooking a whole egg in it....... nearly took the bl00dy doors off!

Ayjay - Saag (spinach) is, as you say, a side but could be a good part of something with chick peas. Time for an experiment I think

As for fish, I have a fish recipe on my menu but it's a very poor seller. Not for the taste (great!) but far too few customers appreciate fish as a curry despite it being so common in India. Many think the spices are too strong for the delicate fish but they don't (yet) appreciate how clever I can use spices!!! They're slowly being converted though so I might add to the dishes I do with a few more tempting offers.

I'm also trying to keep the veggie meals vegan too by avoiding butter ghee (olive oil instead) and dairy where I can - no guarantees though!

Some great input coming - thanks guys

[kellys_eye]

Since the thread has been ressurected.....

I've added a carrot and squash curry to the veggie selection and it goes down a bomb! I also did a vegetable korma - sounds a bit peculiar but the taste is quite addictive.

Still need one (maybe two) more ideas though....

[Rorschach]

Have you done anything with Paneer? I love Paneer butter masala!

[ayjay]

Ayjay - Saag (spinach) is, as you say, a side but could be a good part of something with chick peas.

Saag Aloo is Spinach and Spuds, not just Spinach, still a side, but one of my favourites if done right. A bit like an Indian version of Bubble and Squeak.

Ayjay exits stage left, salivating, to check on the possibilities of Bubble & Squeak for breakfast tomorrow.

[Grendel]

Ok not a curry but perhaps another possibility. To be honest Chinese and Indian food does seem to be done to death , you'll find several of both in any small town and one friend of one has said the difference is quite often in the colour , plate of red , plate of yellow or plate of brown. Perhaps a bit of a sweeping comment but you get the idea.
To that end another friend has tried out a few other things. She did a vegatraian cumbo a while ago. The Cajun spices were refreshingly different. Mushrooms feature quite a bit and the cumbo also had the addition of chunks of quorn sausage. She has also done a sort of chilli with quorn and red kidney beans . Sorry it's not curry but maybe an idea.

[kellys_eye]

Quorn is in my freezer ready to experiment with but, so far, the use of plain old veggies (in various fashions) has proven quite popular - my carrot and squash one getting some rave reviews.

I'd like to try Cajun spices but that takes me into areas I haven't got the capacity to cater for. Other than Indian curries I do a sweet & sour chicken and Thai green chicken but I'd rather keep doing what I do 'well' rather than do a 'lot' of stuff just averagely....

I know what you mean about red, yellow, brown too - just tried a takeaway from Tesco; chicken masaala, chicken jalfrezi and bombay potatoes (Gad, they were particularly awful). The sauces were just thick goop, the only difference between them being red and yellow and the masaala had yoghurt added. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two meals otherwise. Meat content was as you'd expect i.e. minimal.

I try these supermarket takeaways every now and again to see what my competition is - I have no worries!

There is a motorbike 'fest here in a week or so and I'll be touting some specials (cheap'n'tasty) to generate some interest - and the local rag stopped by the other day wanting to do an article on us! Oh no!

[Grendel]

Last night is was decided we'd have a take away around my sister in lard's . She and my wife had some Chinese prawn thing and complained about the lack of prawns . I , on the other hand , having become utterly disappointed with the bland repetitive offering from our local Chinese and Indian restaurants had a pizza with my daughter , hmmm anchovies and black olives...
Funny thing is that my SIL is actually not a bad cook and can do a decent currry although she does insist on sprinkling it with coriander we which tend to pick off . She does sometimes do a Thai currry but I don't eat that. Not because she cooks it wrong , more that I just don't like it , I just don't get the whole coconut milk , lemongrass type of taste . Just tastes "wrong" and the green colour isn't very appealing either . I've tried hers , ready made , and served in a proper Thai restaurant and not liked any of them.
The Cajun thing is relatively easy , most things start with a base of the holy trinity , onions, peppers and celery but I can understand you not wanting to have too much on the go at once.