Very Tasty Soy Bean Salad/Sundal

Soy bean is very high in protein, therefore good for children,for seniors and for weightloss diets.It is very good for women's health. Soy bean also helps in reduction of menopause symptoms.
Well, Before I made this, I had no clue, this would be this tasty.Perhaps, like most of you I would have baulked at the idea of soy bean sundal!
Anyhow, it was by sheer accident that I came to discover this! My mother was visiting from India and we had been invited for navaratri haldi kumkum. I soaked what looked like dried peas (vatana) and left. We came back about 4 hours later to find that the soaked peas (!) had turned into elongated beans.We were shocked, I had invited 24 ladies in the evening, planning to make this and what was this! It was then that I checked the package, which clearly said "Soya Beans"! Hmmm, it is to my mother's presence of mind and her ingenuity that I owe this recipe that turned out so good, all my guests took some home!
Another coincidence was that soy bean is very good for women's health and it was so suited to this ladies' get together! Unlike vatana, this was very light on the stomach and best of all no bloating or gas forming which is so common with vatana!

1 cup dried soy beans (soaked overnight or for 4-5 hours)
1tbsp canola oil
3 red chillies
1/2tsp mustard seeds
1tsp urad dal
5-6 tbsp fresh coconut or dessicated coconut
2 or 3 green chillies chopped
curry leaves
salt
juice of 1 small lime
coriander leaves

1.Pressure cook the soy bean, drain and rub the beans so the skin comes off. (do remove the skin ..it is very bitter)
2. Heat oil in a wok or karahi, add mustard seeds and urad dal.
3. Break the 3 red chillies into it.
4. When urad dal is reddish brown, add curry leaves and green chillies
5. Next add the soy beans, salt and coconut and mix well.
6. Add the lime juice and Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm or cold.
Can add more chillies if liked.

This also makes excellent cold snack, picnic food and a healthy lunch addition.

Diabetic- friendly Cabbage Stuffed Parathas

Time is a major reason why we sacrifice our health. The canned foods that come in handy, that tomato sauce and that luscious looking chickpeas, the Buy Your Lunch Today and oh yes, the frozen processed foods is nothing but Health sacrificed at the altar of Time. High sodium, high cholesterol, Less nutrition.

Here is a recipe with quick method of cooking for school/office lunches and healthy too.



Why cabbage? Why not alu/potato parathas , which is so universally popular? Well. Because potato translates to sugar! The high carbohydrate/starch content of potatoes converts to sugar in the body thus elevating sugar levels in the body.Cabbage does not translate to sugar as much as potato.

For the dough:
1 cup atta or whole wheat flour
¼ cup jowar flour(BOTH ARE TYPES OF MILLETS)(if unavailable substitute with whole wheat flour)
¼ cup bajra flour (AVAILABLE AT ALL INDIAN STORES)(if unavailable substitute with whole wheat flour)
pinch salt
mix the above flours into a dough with hot water. Keep aside.
For the stuffing:
Chop cabbage finely. Mix with 4 teaspoons of water and microwave for 5 mins.
Mix with pinch of salt, chilli powder, cilantro leaves(kothmir).

Take A little bit of dough and roll into a disc .Place some stuffing in the center, bring round the edges to close and make a packet.
Dust with flour and roll lightly again. Bake on a hot griddle on both sides.. Touch with smearing of oil.
This is very quick to make. Chop the cabbage and nuke them in the microwave, and while the cabbage is cooking, make the dough. The whole grain millet flours used make this very nutritious and the hot water to knead makes it easy to digest

Variation: can add low fat paneer to this cabbage mixture and add diced green chillies.

Winter Warmer Soup

Who does not like a hot soup on those cold, snowy wintry days!? Here's a recipe for some soup to warm your hearts. Keep warm and have some soup!

2 potatoes, cubed
2 onions, chopped into quarters
2 carrots,chopped to 1/2" peices
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2" peice of ginger
cracked pepper
salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
A few sprigs of dill or parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups water

Heat oil, add the garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes and ginger.Saute for a while
and close the lid and cook on moderate heat for 5 minutes.Open, add 3-4 cups of water and boil till vegetables are tender.Take off fire and cool.
Blend the above to a thick puree, adding rest of the water water.
Bring to a boil again, add salt, chilli powder and cracked pepper. Serve garnished with dill or parsley along with warm bread and butter.

Home Remedy for Colds and Coughs

Winter brings with it the usual seasonal colds,coughs and sore throats. I have found some relief by taking ginger juice mixed with honey, with powdered clove and pepper added on. Not only does my cold and cough get better, I find myself getting better faster. THIS RECIPE IS FOR ONLY THOSE WHO CAN HANDLE SPICY FOOD. PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU ARE NOT USED TO SPICY HOT FOOD!
Grate a peice of ginger and squeeze the juice into a cup
Add a teaspoon of honey to this.
Powder 2 cloves and add
Powder 2 peppercorns and add
Mix well and take a spoonful about 3-4 times a day.

THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ANTIBIOTICS OR IF YOU HAVE FEVER.
WARNING: VERY VERY HOT AND SPICY.If you cannot handle spicy hot, omit adding the pepper and clove.It still works!

Celery, carrot and pineapple juice for Hypertension

Here's something to perk up your mornings and at the same time keep your blood pressure behaving. Yes, celery is known to normalise raised blood pressure, so if you or your near and dear ones have hypertension, this works to lower blood pressure.
At the same time, maintains good cholesterol levels. Carrots and pineapple add to elevate the goodness of this morning drink to rev you up for the day.

4 stalks of celery, cut into 1" peices
2 carrots, cut to fit in your juicer
Few bite size peices of pineapple
(If you dont have pineapples, can add oranges, or apples)
1" peice ginger
1tbsp honey
1 tsp raw sugar
few crushed peppercorns
Blend all in your juicer and enjoy.

Hello Again.

Hi folks,

Here I am again. I had a long line of visitors from India and had a great time showing them around and generally having a good time but here I am again with my TIP OF THE DAY and my Healthy Option recipe of the day.

ORGANIZING TIP OF THE DAY:: Never throw out shoe boxes; they come in handy to organize anything from CDs to DVDs to video cassettes, sewing things, small boxes and other paraphernalia.

Low Sodium or No Sodium Banana Chips

For people with High Blood Pressure , who cannot eat the store bought highly salted potato chips, I came up with this idea.

For this you require, green plaintains. the long sturdy looking ones available at most supermarkets. Buy the ones that are fully green and not by any degree ripening.
Chop both ends of the plaintain. Now with a sharp knife make 1cm vertical slits all along the plaintain. With a deft sleight of the knife get an edge on the peel and take out the thick peel. Get all the plaintains ready this way and keep them soaked in cold water.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or fry pan and you can slice the plaintains straight into the heated oil.with a chip slicer or make slices first and put them in the oil. Make sure you wipe the banana completely before doing so . Fry till they are golden yellow and cooked crisp.
Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. And drain on paper towels.

Eat them as they are with no salt added or can sprinkle light salt on them. Either way they taste worthy of your effort and no sodium too.

DO PEEL THE BANANA WITH OILED HAND.

Hello Everbody

Welcome to my blog. Good Health, Easy Way, Less Effort, No Time, No Tension, Effective. If we could combine them to make sense..well, here's my attempt to do so.
Over the years, I have made healthy effective changes in cooking to evolve everyday healthy cooking without too much effort. I am a vegetarian so my recipes will be vegan only.
I would also like to share my tips on keeping an organised home.
Here's to our future blog-relationship