Meatless recipes that will blow your mind

“Chicken biryani” or tandoori kebabs, which one would you choose? If you are into non-vegetarian food, you would probably love both. But what if you have guests coming to your house for lunch or dinner, and they are vegetarians? Would you make the same old mattar paneer( peas and paneer curry) you have made for so long?

Plus, there are misconceptions regarding vegetarian food; one of the most prominent ones indicates that they are limited choices and can be quite bland. Therefore, we bring to you a few meatless dishes and recipes that will blow your mind.

Eggplant Lasagna

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat two rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on the two sheet pans—if some of your end-most eggplant slices are very curved, trim off the eggplant outermost curvy portion so that the pieces lay mostly flat. Brush 2 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over both sides of all of the slices. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper over the top.
3. Roast the eggplant until it is soft and golden, about 25 minutes, flipping the slices over and swapping the pans’ positions once halfway through. Remove the slices from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, next ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and oregano. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the marinara pasta sauce and stir to combine.
5. Add the ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well until the mixture is evenly combined. Stir in the spinach, using a fork to break it up and distribute it as evenly with the ricotta mixture as possible.
6. Spoon half of the mushroom marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Lay 4 eggplant slices on top, followed by all of the ricotta mixture. Layer on another four slices of eggplant and finish with the remaining mushroom marinara sauce. Top with the mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.

Veg Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft, 6 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add corn and zucchini and season with salt, chilli powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is turning golden and zucchini is tender. Add black beans, a 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce, and lime juice. Cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Pour half the remaining enchilada sauce into a 9″-x-13″ baking dish, and spread into a thin layer. Add a large scoop of the vegetable mixture into the centre of each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place rolled-up tortillas side by side in a baking dish, then top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake until cheese is melty, 15 to 18 minutes.
4. Finally, garnish with tomatoes, avocado, onion, and cilantro.

Pumpkin Ravioli

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Pour the flour mixture out onto a clean surface. Using your hands, make a well in the centre of the flour. Crack eggs into well and use a fork to whisk flour into eggs until a shaggy dough forms slowly. Use your hands to knead the dough until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Add flour to the surface as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make filling: drain the pumpkin by placing it in a fine mesh strainer set inside a large bowl. Cover the exposed pumpkin with plastic wrap, then place a small bowl on top to lightly press the pumpkin. Let drain for 15 minutes.
3. When the pumpkin has drained, transfer it to a medium bowl. Add Parmesan, egg yolk, sugar, and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. When ready to roll pasta, cut the dough into quarters. Wrap all but one back in plastic wrap and place it back in the refrigerator.
5. Roll uncovered dough into a long rectangle about 1/4″ thick on a lightly floured surface. Set the pasta maker to the widest setting and pass the rolled-out dough through 2 times. First, fold the short ends of the dough to meet in the centre of the rectangle, then fold in half so that the dough is in quarters. Roll out again so the dough is 1/4″ thick, then pass through the pasta maker two more times.
6. Reduce the setting by one degree. Repeat the rolling and folding process 2 to 3 times before going to the next setting. Repeat this process all the way to the thinnest setting. If your pasta sheet becomes too long to work with, cut it in half. Repeat with the remaining dough in the refrigerator. Keep the rolled-out dough covered with a clean kitchen towel.
7. Lay one piece of dough out on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about one tablespoon of filling every 1 inch. Using your finger, lightly wet between each pile of filling with water. Gently lay a second piece of dough on top and press between the filling to seal, making sure to press out as much air as possible. (Air trapped in the ravioli will force them to the surface when boiling.) Cut between each pocket to make individual ravioli using a biscuit cutter or knife. If desired, use fork tines to seal the ravioli shut. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
8. When ready to serve, melt butter in a medium skillet. Add pumpkin seeds and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until pumpkin seeds are toasted, butter is browned, and smells nutty for 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more, then remove the pan from heat.
9. In a large pot of boiling salted water, working in batches, add ravioli and cook until tender, about 1 ½ minutes. Use a spider to remove from water and place directly in brown butter. Gently toss to coat. Serve warm with Parmesan.

Gobi Manchurian

1. In a large pot filled with 1″ water, place cauliflower in a steamer basket and steam, covered, until knife-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to a plate, let cool, and pat dry.
2. Combine cauliflower with garlic, ginger, and cayenne; set aside until ready to use.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of oil. Add onion, bell pepper, chiles, scallions, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, granulated sugar, and white pepper and stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in MSG.
4. Into another large pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour oil to a depth of 2″. Heat over medium heat until the thermometer registers 350°. In a large bowl, stir cornstarch, water, and salt until a thick slurry forms. Working in batches and using clean hands, thoroughly coat cauliflower in slurry, then shake off excess before carefully lowering it into oil, one piece at a time. Fry, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to skillet with the sauce and repeat with remaining cauliflower.
5. Toss cauliflower to thoroughly coat in sauce. Sprinkle with more scallions before serving.

Vegan Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 425°, then line a medium baking sheet with aluminium foil and grease with cooking spray – drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Transfer chickpeas to a food processor and process until broken down.
2. Make chia egg: Mix chia seeds and water in a medium bowl and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes until the mixture gels and becomes thick.
3. Add chia egg, oats, tomato paste, basil, garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes into the food processor and blend until combined. If the mixture is too dry, add the liquid from the chickpea can one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Form mixture into 16 meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip meatballs, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more, until golden and crisp. Serve with your favourite pasta and sauce.

Curried Satay Noodles

1. Boil the noodles following pack instructions, then rinse well to ensure the strands are separate. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or sauté pan over high heat and stir-fry the pepper, carrot, ginger, garlic and chilli, if using, for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the cumin seeds and curry powder and cook for 30 seconds or so until aromatic.
2. Mix the peanut butter and tomato purée with the vegetable stock until smooth. Add the drained noodles to the wok along with the frozen peas, then pour in the peanut and tomato mixture and toss everything together. If it seems a bit claggy, stir in a drop of more water. Squeeze in the lemon juice, toss well and serve.