Meatless Monday with Priya Khetan

I’m a vegetarian every day of the week (although I do eat eggs, as you’ll see) and I’m happy to share some of my favorite recipes for Meatless Monday. This trio of recipes includes two (the fritters and the sandwich) that my mum makes at home and I make for myself here in Baltimore, where I’m a graduate student in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the president of the BSPH Student Assembly.

One note: These recipes do not include exact proportions on some ingredients. Adjust proportions to your taste, or to what you have available. Cooking is all about experimentation and making use of what you have. Consider the recipes as flexible guides, not rigid instructions. Enjoy!

Guacamole Egg Toast with a Side of Chips

Ingredients

2 avocados
1 T. tomato, diced
1 T. onion, diced
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
1 lime
2 slices of bread
2 eggs
1 boiling potato
Canola or vegetable oil

Directions

1. Boil eggs in a pot for 15 minutes. (Note: this will produce hard-boiled eggs; adjust if you prefer another type.)
2. Cool and peel eggs under cold running water. Cut each egg in half, and season each half with salt and pepper.
3. While eggs are cooking, wash and peel the avocados. Remove the pits. Place the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash.
4. Add tomatoes and onion to avocado mash. Add, to taste, lime juice, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and add more lime and salt if needed. Mix well.
5. Slather guacamole on slices of bread. Top with egg halves.
6. Wash and peel the potato. Cut it into long cuboid pieces.
7. Heat a frying pan on low-medium heat until it is warm, then add oil to pan. (The amount of oil you use will depend on the size of your pan.) When oil sputters, it’s hot enough to cook the potato. Carefully add potato pieces.
8. Cook potatoes on both sides until golden brown and soft to cut. Remove from pan and add salt and chili powder to taste. Serve on the side of your toast.

Tofu Fritters with Green Chutney

Fritter Ingredients

1 egg*
Ginger chili paste (available in most grocery stores)
Turmeric powder
Red chili powder
Salt
Chaat masala (optional; available in most Indian grocery stores and online)
Garlic powder (optional)
Flour*
14 oz. (or 1 package) firm or extra firm tofu
Canola or vegetable oil
Sliced onions (optional)
Sliced boiling potatoes (optional)

Green Chutney Ingredients

Shelled peanuts
Salt
Green chilies or serrano peppers
Cumin
Coriander (aka cilantro) leaves
Lemon juice

*Substitution note: you can substitute gram (chickpea) flour in place of an egg and regular flour if you do not eat eggs.

Directions

1. Add peanuts, salt, chilies, and cumin to a blender or small food processor. Blend until peanuts are crushed.
2. Add coriander leaves and lemon juice to peanut mixture. Blend until smooth. Season according to taste, if needed. Set chutney aside to prepare fritters.
3. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Add chili paste, turmeric, red chili powder, salt, chaat masala, and garlic powder.
4. Add flour to seasoned egg until consistency is thick and semi-solid. Add a few drops of water and mix.
5. Warm a shallow frying pan, and carefully add enough oil to cook your fritters. (The exact amount of oil will vary depending on the size of your pan.) Allow the oil to heat up until it sputters.
6. Cut tofu into six cubes. Season squares with salt and chaat masala.
7. Dip seasoned tofu into batter and carefully place squares into oil. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Towards the end of the cooking time, press down on the top of the cubes to extract extra water and oil.
8. If using, dip onions and potatoes in batter, and then fry until browned in oil.
9. Served fried tofu and vegetables with green chutney.

Tempo Toast Sandwich with Green Chutney

Sandwich Ingredients

1 boiling potato
Onions, chopped
Onions, sliced
Canola or vegetable oil
Garlic ginger paste (available in Indian grocery stores and online)
Lime
Butter
2 slices of bread
Ketchup

Green Chutney Ingredients

Shelled peanuts
Salt
Green chilies or serrano peppers
Cumin
Coriander (aka cilantro) leaves
Lemon juice

Directions

1. Add peanuts, salt, chilies, and cumin to a blender or small food processor. Blend until peanuts are crushed.
2. Add coriander leaves and lemon juice to peanut mixture. Blend until smooth. Season according to taste, if needed. Set chutney aside to prepare sandwich.
3. Boil a whole potato.
4. Peel and mash the potato.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic ginger paste, chopped onions, and some of the green chutney. Fry until lightly browned.
6. Add garlic mixture to mashed potato. Add salt to taste, and a squeeze of lime juice.
7. Butter your slices of bread. To plain side of one slice of the bread, add chutney, mashed potato mixture, and slices of onion. Top with second slice.
8. Grill or toast the sandwich as you would a grilled cheese. Serve with ketchup.