Grated Carrot Salad / Carrot Koshimbir

This is a very tasty and healthy carrot salad ...low low fat, full of vitamin A and C from the lemon juice. If had with the Lemon Rice, it is a feast for the eyes as you fill your plate with the yellow lemon rice and orange carrot salad!

4-5 Carrots, grated
1 medium spice green chilli, slit
1 tsp oil (any, olive or corn)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1tsp Urad dal ( white colored lentils, available in Indian stores)
1 piece of red chilli, deseeded
Juice of 1/2 a green lime
Salt
Sugar 1/2tsp
Cilantro leaves for garnish
Raisins for garnish

Heat oil.
Add the mustard seeds, Urad dal, and red chilli
Soon as the dal turns reddish and mustard seeds splutter, add the green chilli and grated carrots. Mix and turn in pan till the seasoning is mixed with carrots well.
Take off fire. add the salt, sugar, lime juice and mix.
Garnish with cilantro and raisins.
Enjoy!

Methi Roti with Kala Chana Atta ( Fenugreek Roti with Black chick pea flour)

Kala Chana is  dark brown chick peas with a hard brown skin . It is full of nutrition as it can be
sprouted and when soaked has enough nutrition to grow into a plant! The hard skin is full of fibre, too.
This chana, that looks like a dark brown version of chick pea is made into flour and this is sold as
Kala chana atta in the Indian grocery stores. This flour has high amount of fibre and more protein than whole wheat

Methi is Fenugreek leaves has all the goodness of any greens besides being therapeutic in many ways. It is known to be a blood purifier , besides many other benefits.

Recipe:
1 bunch Fenugreek leaves.
2 tsps olive oil
Salt as required
Whole wheat flour ( Chapathi Atta) 2 cups
Black chick pea flour ( kala chana atta) 1/2 cup
Olive oil for the Roti

For the paste:
Yogurt 1/2 cup
1 green chilli
 1" piece of ginger
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
1 clove garlic(optional)

1.  Fenugreek leaves need to be cleaned thoroughly as they are picked from the roots and are muddy. Clean in plenty of running water until clear.
2. Chop the leaves finely.
3. Heat oil.
4. Add the chopped leaves and saute for a few minutes and keep aside.
5. In the blender, make a paste of the yogurt. green chilli, turmeric ginger and garlic.
6.  In a large bowl, combine the fenugreek leaves, paste, flours and salt.  Make a soft dough.
7. Heat a griddle.
8. Take out a portion of the dough and roll it into a disc.
9. Pat it on the griddle. Soon as bubbles appear on the surface, turn over
10. and apply a spoon of olive on it. Turn over and apply olive oil on the other side too. Cook on both sides till brown spots appear on the roti on both sides.
11. Enjoy with Cucumber Raitha or Pumpkin Raitha

Fettuccine Alfredo ... with a difference

I love pasta especially Fettuccine Alfredo but have always wished it had a little more kick to it than
the bland taste. Here is what I tried.....

1 Packet Fettuccine (I got the Garden Delight)
1 pack of Low fat Cream Cheese (8oz)
2 cups1% Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Chilli Powder 1/2 teaspoon
Grated Ginger 1 tablespoon
Mixed Vegetables  cut in long pieces(carrots, Green and Red Peppers, Onions)
2 Tablespoons snipped Parsley
1 Tablespoon snipped Dill
2-3 cloves Garlic

• Boil Water and boil the pasta aldente.
•  Steam the vegetables
• Blend the cream cheese and milk together.
• Heat the butter in a large pan.
• When melted, add the crushed garlic and cook for a minute.
• Add the cream cheese/milk mixture and stir till the cream cheese is melted.
• Once the sauce is thickened slightly, add the ginger, chilli powder, pepper, salt, dill and parsley.
• Finally stir in the pasta and the vegetables.
• Enjoy Warm with Garlic Bread or Salad

Peanut and Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

 This Chutney is full of goodness in every way...especially fibre.
Using the  peels/skin of the veg. gives a whole lot of fibre
The peanuts adds protein and fibre
Sesame seeds add calcium and fibre again
While Olive oil has all the goodness to reduce cholesterol

1 Ridge gourd (Turai, Dodka)
Handful Peanuts
4 green chillies
1 red chilli
1 tsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
Hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp Sesame seeds (Til)
handful Coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
small piece of tamarind
1 tsp Jaggery
1 tbsp Olive oil
salt to taste

Peel and throw away only the hard ridges of the gourd.
Now the gourd is ready for peeling.... peel the vegetable thoroughly and collect all the peels.
You can make dal, or curry with the vegetable.

Chop the  peels and keep ready.
Heat the oil in a pan and when heated, add mustard seeds, red chilli  and urad dal.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the peanuts and sesame seeds
Fry for a minute and add the curry leaves and hing.
Next add the green chillies and vegetable peels.
Cook till the peels are slightly softened. ( do not make it mushy)
Let this cool and grind in a food processor along with the coriander, jaggery,  tamarind and salt.
Grind it to a rough texture.

This can be had ....
With hot rice
Bread and chutney sandwich
Apply it over a hot chapathi
Mix with yoghurt/dahi and have after a meal