Slowly cooking my way through this cookbook, and this recipe is, as always, loosely based on the recipes in that book. In this case very loosely. Why lazy-ass? Because the main ingredients (Brussels sprouts, big white beans, and quinoa), all came from the freezer. The Brussels sprouts bought frozen and, more importantly, trimmed, and the beans and quinoa already cooked and frozen in smaller batches.

400 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 tblsp oil or ghee

2 tsp mustard seeds

Half tsp asafoetida

Dried curry leaves

2 large-ich red onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tblsp ginger, chopped

2 green chilies, deseeded and chopped

1 tsp turmeric

Chopped coriander

3 tblsp chopped hazelnut

Sizzle the onions and the mustard seeds in the oil or ghee till the mustard seeds start to pop.

Add asafoetida and curry leaves, stir, and sizzle for a moment.

Add ginger, garlic green chili, and turmeric and mix well.

Add the Brussels sprouts and a pinch of salt and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add the big white beans, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat till the sprouts are tender. Sprinkle with water if needed.

Add the quinoa, chopped hazelnuts (and another two cloves of garlic, but that is just me – I love relatively fresh garlic and I do believe in the nutritional benefits) and sauté for another minute.

I also add nutritional yeast to a lot of dishes now, since I have been told to up my B12 levels but not via supplements.

Loosely based on recipes in Rohit Ghai: Tarkari: Vegetarian and Vegan Indian dishes with Heart and Soul.

Coconut chutney

2 tblsp fried gram

200 g coconut flakes

50 g coriander leaves

1 tblsp ginger

1 green chilli

Salt

Blend with water till the desired consistency. Can be frozen in small batches.

Chickpea (besan) flour pancakes

250 g besan

Half tsp ajwain

Half tsp turmeric

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp grated ginger

1 large-ish finely chopped tomato

1 large-ish finely chopped red onion

A handful of coriander leaves, chopped (in this case, I forgot to buy fresh coriander, and did not have much on the balcony yet, so I used mostly rucola, and a bit of young kale.

Totally unauthorized (except perhaps by my ayurvedic nutritionist friend) I also threw in some curry leaves and tukmaria seeds for added nutrition.

1 green chili, finely sliced

Mix besan, ajwain, turmeric, salt and pepper well.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Add water little by little to make a thick batter which can be ladled onto a pan.

Bake on an oiled pan for a couple of minutes on each side till cooked completely with golden spots.

These pancakes can be refridgerated, and even frozen, so I made extras in order to have something to take with me, along with some chutney) on walks in stead of being tempted to buy much unhealthier sandwiches on train stations.

Scrambled eggs

3 eggs 2 tblsp ghee or olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 knob ginger, chopped

Pinch of chili powder or flakes

Pinch turmeric

Pinch garam masala (I am still lazy and using storebought, but there is a recipe in the book mentioned above which I am definitely going to try one of these days)

Totally unauthorized (except perhaps by my ayurvedic nutritionist friend) I also threw in some methi leaves for added nutrition.

1 large-ish deseeded and finely chopped tomato (plus the seeded parts from the tomatoes above)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Beat the eggs at length till frothy.

Sizzle onions, garlic, ginger and chili for a while, then add the rest of the ingredients, and keep sizzling.

In the meantime, beat the eggs at length till frothy.

Add to the mixture in the pan and scramble till desired texture.