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Most people want to introduce seasonal produce into their meal routines because it ensures you eat fresh vegetables. However, it can sometimes make meals seem monotonous because there are only so many ways to cook the same vegetable. But what if you used the same set of monsoon veggies but made something completely different? Like a caramelised vegetable bake tray, roasted wedges, or crispy, baked chips? All you need is a handful of pantry staples, a star vegetable, and a trustworthy, multipurpose piece of equipment like the Usha OTG.
A single Oven Toaster Griller can be used for baking, grilling, toasting, and roasting. That automatically increases the types of dishes you can make. Moreover, with a 20 L capacity, top and bottom heating elements, and a bouquet of accessories, you don’t have to spend time scrambling around for tools when cooking. The following OTG recipes use monsoon produce to produce gourmet dishes, the kind that can put any cafe or restaurant to shame!
Herb-Roasted Monsoon Vegetable Tray Bake
Image Credits: Canva
Monsoon is known for the gourds, and instead of cooking each of them separately in the same onion-tomato-masala, make a bake out of them and other monsoon veggies. For an Indian monsoon mix, go for pumpkin, bottle gourd, sweet potato, beans, baby potatoes, onion, and bell peppers (for colour). You can also add ash gourd to the mix, but avoid ridge gourd, sponge gourd, and pointed gourd because they become too watery when roasted. Slice the vegetables, toss with olive oil, herbs, and garlic and roast until caramelised. You can serve this with fresh, fluffy quinoa, herbed rice, or even a side of soup for the rainy evenings.
This tray bake demonstrates what an OTG does best—caramelisation. Vegetables like pumpkin and bottle gourd develop sweeter, deeper flavours in the oven as their natural sugars concentrate, something you don't quite achieve in a regular Indian sabzi.
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Crispy Masala Bhindi Fries
Image Credits: Canva
As the name suggests, this one’s a crispy, crunchy treat. Fresh okra is lightly coated with gram flour, rice flour, spices, and a drizzle of oil before being baked in the OTG until crisp. Unlike deep-fried bhindi, the OTG creates a crunchy exterior while keeping the inside tender, making it an ideal tea-time snack or side dish during the monsoon. Okra also works well in an OTG because roasting eliminates the sliminess and concentrates its flavour.
Stuffed Brinjal (Bharwan Baingan)
Image Credits: Canva
There are multiple variations of this dish, from stuffed capsicum (one of the most popular) to stuffed tomatoes (available year-round). However, baingan or brinjal is what monsoon is all about, and it deserves more than getting chopped and mashed into the same kind of vegetable mash every time. For this one, the key is, of course, the stuffing. This recipe uses a masala stuffing of ground coconut, sesame seeds, and roasted peanuts, mixed with spices, salt, and lemon juice. The crumbly, moist stuffing is stuffed into brijnals (make a crisscross slit at the bottom, keeping the stem intact, and gently pry to stuff). The stuffed brinjals are placed on a greased tray, lightly brushed with oil, and baked till they are golden brown and lightly charred.
Parmesan-Herb Roasted Arbi
If you like a bit of cheese, but don’t want things to get cheesy, then try this Parmesan-Herb Roasted Arbi. To make this, first boil arbi. Now, toss the boiled arbi with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper before roasting. It will turn crisp on the outside, while remaining creamy within. The nutty Parmesan and fragrant herbs transform this humble Indian vegetable into a café-style side dish that's perfect with dips or grilled mains.
