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Moong Dal Frittata/Lentil Egg Bake (gluten-free)

This moong dal egg bake is a hearty, protein-packed, savory breakfast that cooks up in a single pan! And is freezer friendly! The lentil “egg” batter is packed with herbs, veggies, sundried tomato and amazing flavor to make a fantastic satisfying frittata bake!

lentil omelet stacked on a plate

Moong dal, which is petite yellow lentils, or green moong beans with their skin removed and split, is a great substitute to make an egg-like batter. You can use these lentils to make omelettes, egg patties, frittatas, egg bakes, or even scrambles. This lentil omelet bake is versatile and delicious and a great option if you don’t want to make a chickpea flour omelette/frittata(which can taste bitter to some).

I have several savory breakfast options for you that use lentils, mung beans/moong dal, and chickpea flour as an egg substitute. You can try my moong bean omelette, chickpea flour omelette, chickpea flour frittata, and moong egg sandwich. 

close-up of moong dal frittata in the pan after cooking

If you don’t have moong dal, it is easily available online on Amazon or in Indian stores. Many stores ship as well. If you just can’t find it, you can use split red lentils instead, but the flavor will be slightly different. Many different lentils and chickpea flour can work here, but each of these has a slightly different flavor and texture. Play around with them, try my other recipes, and decide which batter you like best for which application.

These omelettes, frittatas, and egg patties type dishes made with these different lentils have been in Indian cuisine for a really long time. They’re just called different things and use slightly different spices. For a more egg-like flavor and texture, we add some kala namak, which is Indian sulfur salt. If you don’t have that, just omit it. If you can find some, it’s great for adding that extra eggy flavor to vegan egg dishes like this lentil frittata.

lentil omelette in the pan after cooking

This lentil frittata is also pretty high in protein. There is protein from the moong dal, protein from some crumbled tofu that we add to it, and protein from some cashews or hemp seeds that we use to make the batter, as well as some nutritional yeast. All of that protein makes it a hearty and satisfying breakfast!

If you want to make this soy-free, omit the tofu, or you can replace it with chickpea flour tofu or white beans instead. If you don’t want to add nutritional yeast, you can omit that as well.

Why You’ll Love this Moong egg bake

  • hearty, protein-packed, savory vegan breakfast
  • cooks in a single pan
  • very little active cooking time
  • great for meal prep, it’s freezer friendly!
  • super flavorful and easy to make
  • naturally gluten-free with easy soy-free and nut-free options
fork taking a bite of moong dal frittata

More Moong Dal Recipes

  • Tadka Mung Dal (Indian dal soup)
  • Sabut Moong Dal (Indian dal soup)
  • Moong Dal Chaat – Indian lentil salad
  • Mung Dal Pakora – fritters

Continue reading: Moong Dal Frittata/Lentil Egg Bake (gluten-free)

The post Moong Dal Frittata/Lentil Egg Bake (gluten-free) appeared first on Vegan Richa.

Vegan

Malvani Chicken Curry (Western Indian Coconut, Kashmiri Chili, Onion Curry) gluten-free, nut-free

Explore regional Indian cuisine with me and Try this fantastic Malvani Chikin curry! Western Indian spicy caramelized onion, toasted coconut and kashmiri chili sauce with crisp tofu! This sauce is flavor packed and has its own malvani masala spice blend! 1-pan meal meal that’s delicious served over rice or with flatbread or naan. 

malvani chicken curry in the pan after cooking

Malvani cuisine originates from the western coastal region in India. It has overlap with Maharashtrian(cuisine of state of maharashtra in India) as well as Goan cuisines and includes a lot of fish and local meat dishes. The flavors are very specific to the cuisine, with its own spice mixes (malvani masala or malvani garam masala) and cooking techniques. 

I’ve been exploring amazing regional flavors from various parts of India and brining you vegan versions, simplified or inspired dishes and today we are making vegan malvani chicken curry! For the sauce base, we use a blended roasted onion and coconut mixture, which is called vatan, making our own malvani spice blend with some spices, and using crisped up tofu in place of the meat. You can use other protein such as chickpea tofu, vegan chickin or beans as well. Traditionally, you don’t add any cream to this curry, but you can add some(it will also balance out the heat), add in some cashew cream or other non-dairy cream right at the end.

close-up of malvani chicken curry in the pan after cooking

The sauce and spice mix includes a lot of Kashmiri chili powder (I know right, you need some!) and black pepper, so it can get pretty hot. You can reduce these spices to suit your heat preferences, if needed.

Like I mentioned above, we make the flavorful Malvani masala spice blend from scratch. It is so delicious! If you have access to Malvani garam masala, I recommend using it in this recipe instead of the spice mix that I’m making below, to reduce active time. Just mix it with two teaspoons of Kashmiri chili powder and use. You can use this fragrant spicy blend over roasted veggies or with beans. It’s flavorful and can be used in many ways!

Key features of Malvani Curry

Malvani masala: this spice blend and the curry are known for the deep red color. It can be made with milder chilies with deeper color like byadagi chilies and Kashmiri chilies. I am using Kashmiri chili powder for a quicker version

Vatan: the sauce made with blended caramelized onion and toasted coconut makes the base of the curry. It adds a delicious sweet toasty flavor and some texture.

Slow long cooking: the longer cooking time helps the flavors meld and the colors to show up. The sauce when well cooked will get a glaze of the deep red color and a settled flavor. Before that state, the coconut might be a stronger flavor and the sauce might be lighter.

hand scooping up some malvani chicken curry using a piece of flatbread

Why You’ll Love Malvani Curry

  • amazing spice blend is delicious, even if you’re missing a spice or two
  • rich, flavorful blended sauce base with caramelized garlic, onion, and coconut
  • crispy, seasoned tofu in deeply seasoned curry sauce
  • option to crisp up the tofu or skip cooking it ahead to save time
  • gluten-free and nut-free with lots of easy soy-free options
malvani chicken curry in the pan with a piece of flatbread

🇮🇳 More Regional Indian Curries

  • Western Indian Goan Peri peri Chikin.
  • North indian Rara Chikin curry
  • South Indian Malabar Curry
  • South Indian Baked Eggplant Curry
  • East Indian Kosha Mangsho

Continue reading: Malvani Chicken Curry (Western Indian Coconut, Kashmiri Chili, Onion Curry) gluten-free, nut-free

The post Malvani Chicken Curry (Western Indian Coconut, Kashmiri Chili, Onion Curry) gluten-free, nut-free appeared first on Vegan Richa.

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