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!

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is a very refreshing vegetarian staple and finds a mention in this blog due to ease of cooking and nutritious brown bag lunch to take to work. It is low in fat, full of vitamin C from the lemon, goodness of Turmeric and green chillies besides being yummy!

For two servings
11/2 cups Basmathi Rice
1 Green Lime
salt
2 1/2 cups water
Corn oil or Olive oil 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1/2 tsp
Cashew nuts a few
Red Chill 1
Slit Green chilli 1
ginger 1/2" piece
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Cilantro or coriander leaves fro garnishing

Wash the Rice and cook it with 21/2 cups water in a rice cooker.
( If using a microwave, please use 3 cups of water for 15 mins on high)
For Stovetop:
Add 21/4cups of water to a pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil.Make sure you cook it in a heavy pot and do not disturb the rice or take a peek while its in the middle of cooking.When it boils, lower the heat, simmer for 12 - 14 minutes before turning off the heat.Remove from heat and stand covered, for another 5-10 minutes.

Cool the rice and fluff with a fork.
While rice is cooling,
Heat the oil. when it is hot, add the mustard seed, urad dal, cashewnuts and red chilli.
When the mustard seeds pop and the urad dal and cashew turn reddish , add the slit green chili and ginger.
Next add the turmeric in the oil and immediately add the rice, salt curry leaves and switch off the heat source.
Squeeze the juice of the green lime  all over the rice and mix very well.
A lovely pale yellow Lemon rice is now ready for you.
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
This is great brown bag lunch and picnic food as it can be had cold, too.

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

Daliya/Buckwheat Pulao

Buck wheat, daliya, broken wheat...by whatever name you know this versatile, nutritious protein packed cereal, it is a tasty alternative to a Rice pulao!

A diet of daliya substituting rice is known to help diabetics reign in their sugar levels! In fact, while working at a doctor's office, I have known a patient who reversed her diabetes by a diet of daliya replacing rice. Of course, she also exercised and took long walks.

Daliya is also high in fibre and is a great source of protein for all vegeterians. Here is the recipe.
Cooking this pulao in a pressure cooker is faster.

Ingredients:
1 cup Daliya
3 cups water
1/2 to 3/4 cup of mixed diced vegetables (carrot, peas, unskinned red potatoes, beans, green peppers)
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic(optional)
2 tsps oil
1 tsp ghee( clarified butter)
1" cinnamon
4-5 cloves
3-4 cardamoms
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies
chilli powder to your taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
salt

• Dry roast the daliya in a pan for a few minutes.
• Cool and wash the daliya in cold water, drain and keep aside
• Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin and all the spices and red chillies and bay leaf.
  
• Add the onions and garlic and saute till transparent
• Add the mixed vegetables. salt, chilli powder and turmeric
• Saute vegetables for a few moments
• Add the washed daliya, the 3 cups of water and garam masala.
• Stir well and close the pressure cooker, with the weight on and cook.
• Serve hot with fresh made yoghurt.
  

Apple Curry/ Apple Sabji

Well, I don't know how but we landed up with a lot of apples in the house with no takers! My husband has raw apple allergy so he's excused and my daughter just decided not to eat them and that left poor me to finish all the apples. There was no way I could finish them; so then, I came up with this idea of an apple sabji!

Strangely my husband does not have the allergy for cooked apples! Anyhow, this curry is made with no onions and as such with slight variations can be adapted for eating during Fasting and Vrat.

This recipe qualifies for this blog as " An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away" and apples combined with all the good spices like cumin , turmeric, coriander and ginger!

Ingredients:

6 ripe apples
1 green chilli, slit
1/4 " piece of grated ginger
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 chilli powder
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon/lime
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

• Core and dice the apples. Peel them if you prefer. I peeled the apples.
• Heat oil in the pan.
• Once oil is heated, add the cumin seeds.
• As the seeds splutter, add the green chillies, ginger and apple pieces.
• When apples are half cooked, add all the spices.
• Cook till apples are soft. Add salt.
  
• Finally add the lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves

Apples absorb flavors very well, be careful when adding chillies or chilli powder.

Bottlegourd/ Ghia / Louki Raitha

Ghia otherwise known as bottlegourd is now being acclaimed as a curative for various ailments from urinary problems to a liver cure. It balances the Doshas and is an antiflatulant. Insomnia, baldness and juandice are other ailments that find a cure in this wonder vegetable.
In my adventure of trying out recipes, this is about the best I have picked up. Very healthy, balances the doshas and soothing to the stomach.
Besides this is a totally OIL-FREE dish.
And what's more it goes very well with any parathas or pulaos!

3 cups Grated Bottlegourd/ Louki
1 cup thick yoghurt/Dahi, beaten
1/4 tsp powdered mustard
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp sugar
salt
Cilantro/Coriander for garnishing

• Take the grated vegetable in a pan and add water only to the level of the grated vegetable and boil till tender.
• Cool completely and add the beaten yoghurt, spices and salt and sugar.
• Garnish with coriander/cilantro and enjoy with rice or chapathi
• Or you can eat it as it is instead of a sugar laden fruit yoghurt

Healthy Spinach Wada/ Keerai Vadai

Keerai vadai/Spinach wada and Healthy!? Is that possible? All I can say is...Try This!

You will need a APPAM PAN to make this.... This is a pan with depressions that looks like a muffin pan but can be kept on the stove top.

Recipe:
1 and 1/2 cup Urad dal, soaked for 2 hours
1 bunch Spinach, chopped
green chillies-2 or 3, chopped fine.
Jeera/cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
1" piece ginger
salt to taste
Pinch of baking soda

1. Grind the urad dal with salt and ginger to idli batter consistency.
2. Mix with it the chopped spinach, green chillies and jeera.
3. Add the baking soda and mix well.
4. Heat a greased appam pan and add a tablespoon of the batter into each depression.
5. Add some oil around the batter and close the pan with a domed lid.
6. After a few minutes, remove the lid and slowly turn over each wada
7. Make sure it is well browned on the underside
8. Once again drizzle some oil around the wada and do not close it this time.
9. Let it cook to a golden color on both sides and remove the wadas
10. Enjoy with chutney of your choice and No guilt about a waistline!

Chapathis with Kala Chana Atta

Kala chana is the black chana available at most Indian stores. Also available is the flour made out of this Kala chana or Black chickpeas. It is called kala chana atta and has the fibre content of the black chickpeas and also the protein content. Being both high in protein and fibre, it makes a very ideal diabetic diet.

1 cup Wheat flour
1/2 cup Black chickpea flour or kala chana atta
pinch salt

• Make a dough of the above with warm water. Cover the dough and set aside for a half hour.
• Divide the dough into rounds of required quantity, depending on the size of the chapathi you want to make.
• Roll out the rounds into flat discs with the help of a little wheat flour and put it on a heated griddle.
• When you see a few tiny bubbles on the chapathi, turn it over on the other side on the griddle.
• Once again when you see small bubbles on it, Take the chapathi off the griddle.
• Instantly put it on the open flame with tongs and watch it fluff up like a balloon
• Flip it onto the other side and when light brown spots appear onit, take off fire and have it hot with a curry of your choice.

Tasty and Healthy Mixed Peppers Curry

What an oxymoron that sounds! Tasty and healthy! Can anything healthy be tasty? I am sure a lot of us think that way....well! here's a surprise.
Research always recommends we eat colorful vegetables and fruits to stay protected from diseases, to stay healthy. My next post is a recipe for a colorful vegetable dish.

Mixed Peppers and vegetable Side Dish (Serves 6)

2 Green peppers
2 Red peppers
2 yellow peppers
2-3 carrots
1 medium red potato
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp oil
2 dried chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt as requires
1/2 to 1 tsp chilli powder
21/2 tsp coriander powder
One handful peanuts , roasted and coarsely powdered.

1. Chop all the vegetables into longish pieces.
2. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds and the 2 dried chillies.
3. Next add the chopped vegetables, salt and turmeric and cook till the vegetables are just soft. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables!
4. Add the coriander powder and chilli powder midway, while cooking the vegetables.'
5. Now add the coarsely pounded peanuts. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Have this with rotis /chapathis and a cup of curds/yoghurt for a complete meal. Chapathis made with KALA CHANNA ATTA makes this a high protein, high fibre and a low carb meal that is even good as a low fat diet

Very Simple Pumpkin Raitha

This is one very tasty , healthy nutritious dish that will have you smacking your lips and craving more. Gone will be those fruity sugary yoghurts and in is this mildly spicy yoghurt. And NO SUGAR too! Have this as a pure snack or as an accompaniment to chapathis or bhaths.
Here is how...
Serves 2
Finely chopped pumpkin about 2 cups.
green chillies 2
red chilli 1
mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
urad dal 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
asafoetida a sprinkle
salt
oil 2 teaspoons
coriander leaves or cilantro, as much as u like or 2 tablespoons
Finally Yoghurt or Dahi 1 1/2 cups

• Heat the oil. Add asafoetida, mustard, cumin urad and red chilli
• when urad turns a light brown, add the green chillies and pumpkin. Stir
  
• Cook till pumpkin is tender but not squishy. Add salt and allow to cool.
• When it is at room tepmperature, add the well beaten yoghurt, mix well
• Finally add cilantro and serve cold.
  

Low Fat PUMPKIN AMBAT BHAJI

Ambat bhaji meaning sour vegetable is a staple among deshastha marathi madhwas or smarthas. This dish is made with spinach, pumpkin, cabbage or any leafy vegetable and relished with curd chillies and a separate bowl of prepared seasoning of rai, urad dal and hing.

SERVES TWO:
Finely chopped Pumpkin 2 or 3 cups
Tur dal 3/4 cup
tamarind or Thai fruit..lime sized soaked in water.
Sambar powder-2-3 tsps
2 to 4 green chillies
sprig curry leaves
kothmir or coriander
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies broken
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp methi seeds
2-3 tsp oil
dash of asafoetida
salt
Boil the tur dal and keep ready
1. Heat oil.
2. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, urad dal and the red chillies.
3. When this splutters, add curry leaves and slit or cut green chillies
4. Add the pumpkin and cook till tender
5. Now add the tamarind juice and sambar powder and allow to boil
6. Add the tur dal, salt and let boil well
6. mixture should be thick. garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice or roti

PEACH GOJJU

Returned after a lovely 4 week vacation in India. Even as we were driving back from the airport decided to pick up some grocery staples..bread milk and you have it. Also picked up some lovely peaches, all golden with the lovely pink blush on them that I so love. But alas, they only looked good..they were so sour I almost got a toothache! And there was born my Peach Gojju on the very first week after my return accompanied by jet lag and all!

PEACH GOJJU

6-7 peaches, sour if they may be
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
2 red chillies
2 green chillies
1 sprig curry leaves
2 to 3 cups of water
2-3 tsp sambar powder
Lime sized piece of jaggery
1 tsp oil
salt to taste.

Chop these to 1 inch pieces. Heat the oil and add to it seasoning of mustard seeds, urad dal, 2 split red chillies and methi seeds(fenugreek).
When the mustard seeds spluter and the urad dal turns reddish, add 2 green chillies, curry leaves and the peach pieces.
Allow to cook, adding very little water if necessary.
Once the peaches are tender and assimilated, add 2 cups of water to it.
As it boils, add 2-3 tsp sambar powder, salt and a big piece of jaggery .
Let cook very well and Enjoy.

Cabbage Waran

Chopped Cabbage (qty. as needed)
3/4 or 1 cup mung dal
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp urad dal
2 red chiilies
dash of asafoetida
2 green chillies
sprig of pinched curry leaves
water to boil mung dal
salt as needed
Dessicated coconut for garnish
coriander leaves for garnish
1 tsp oil

• Wash mung dal and keep for boiling with 1 1/2 cups water ( a little above the mung dal) and turmeric
• Heat oil, add mustard seeds, udad dal and red chillies, broken in two and asafoetida
• When seeds splutter and urad dal turns golden, add the green chillies, curry leaves and cabbage
• Add salt and cook till half done. In the meanwhile, the mung dal will also be half done.
• Add mung dal to cabbage mixture , add some water, cover and cook till done
• garnish with dessicated coconut and coriander leaves

Have with cooked rice and yoghurt and or with chapathis.
This can also be cooked dry till all water has gone. Can also add any bhaji powder or sambar powder for additional spice.

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.

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.