Pumpkin Kidney Beans and Quinoa Salad ( Vegan Lunch Diaries )

In the gastronomic world dominated by upstarts and gorgeous vegetables like the zucchini, purple corn and red cabbage, the humble pumpkin hardly finds any takers. But if you have been following my blog for sometime now, my fascination with the rather out of shape member of the squash family won't come as a shocker to you. I love the vegetable to an extent that one would always find some stocked in my fridge. While it is a rather common ingredient in most of the curries/dal in Odisha, I love to cook the vegetable just by itself. A simple pumpkin fry would do on most days, the spicy Sri Lankan Pumpkin curry is a must-have when I am in a mood to indulge myself.

With kiddo following in my footsteps, our family's love for this vegetable is now widely recognized. Just to ensure that he does not get teased about it, I now have a mission to give this down-market vegetable a sexy new makeover. And this vegan salad recipe, a complete meal in itself, is the first thing that came to my mind. Filling to the core and bursting with fiber, this is something that one must give a try.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 20 mins


Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup boiled kidney beans ( or use canned ones )
• 1 cup pumpkin slices
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes or crushed pepper
• salt to taste
• a sprig of cilantro

Preparation - Take the vinegar, olive oil, sugar, chili flakes/pepper and salt in a bowl to prepare the dressing.

Chop the onion into thin slices and add to the dressing. Keep aside for 20 mins.

Cooking - Wash and cook the quinoa with 1 cup water and a tiny pinch of salt in a saucepan. Once the water is absorbed, fluff it up .

Sprinkle a few drops of oil on an iron skillet. Once it starts to smoke, throw in the pumpkin slices . Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt and cook them on high till brown spots begin to appear. Flip them over and cook on the other side as well. Once they are done ( not mushy ), remove and keep aside.

Add the boiled kidney beans, the pan-seared pumpkin and the dressing to the quinoa. Toss gently.

Garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve at room temperature.

Roasted Corn - Tofu Salad

By now most of you would be aware that I am into substituting at least 1 lunch per week for a salad. I usually prefer to do it when I have had a heavy dinner the previous day or even when I am feeling plain lazy. Along with the mandatory veggies, I also try to include some high protein stuff which helps me keep full for a long time. And one of the best vegan sources of protein is Tofu. Though I have ignored this ingredient for a long time now, I hope to gradually make it a part of my weekly menu.

This is a simple salad and I wanted the dressing to be something very light and tangy. The corn reminded me of the roadside vendors selling the roasted delicacy during the monsoons. They usually rub it with a mix of lemon juice, chili powder and black salt. I have used the same dressing along with a spot of mustard sauce and very little jaggery to add a hint of sweetness.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup firm tofu (diced)
• 1/2 cup roasted corn on the cob
• 1/2 cup cucumber slices
• 1 medium sized tomato
• shredded lettuce (optional)

For the dressing -

• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 pinch red chili powder
• 2 pinch black salt
• a dot of mustard sauce (optional)/a pinch of chat masala
• 1/4 tsp jaggery
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the tofu in hot water for 5 mins. Drain off the water. Allow the tofu to cool.

Using a sharp knife, slice the corn off the cob.

Add all the ingredients for the dressing into a mixing bowl. Whisk together till the jaggery is dissolved.

Soak the cucumber, tomato and lettuce in a bowl of ice cold water to retain their crunch.

Add the tofu, corn, cucumber, lettuce and tomato to the same bowl. Toss together till everything is coated with the dressing.

Serve immediately.