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

Mixed Fruit Jam........With a Twist!

I had an assortment of fruit, sorely abandoned by the family! I hated to throw them away and they were overripe. Then I hit upon the tedious job of making Mixed Fruit Jam. There is a twist to this jam as it is not wholly sweet! but has a tang and a twinge that makes it interesting!


Here is what I used.....

MIXED FRUIT JAM Ingredients used:

A sandwich bag full of Red Grapes
12 Strawberries
2 large Peaches
2 medium Apples
1 big Banana
4 Cups Sugar
2" piece Ginger (grated and the juice squeezed into a cup)
5-6 Cloves( powdered well)
1 Packet Real Fruit pectin
1 tbsp bottled lemon juice

• Mash all the fruit in the food processor.
• In a large pot, mix the sugar and fruit and boil.
• Keep stirring often and continue boiling the mixture.
• When slightly thickened, add the lemon juice and ginger juice.
• Add the clove powder and continue boiling till thick.
• Once thickened check consistency by putting a little jam on a cold plate.
• After cooling, the jam should be set, not runny.
• Take off fire and put them while still hot into sterilized glass container

Healthy Delicious Thai noodles

I had Tofu which I had to use and some avocado and bits and pieces of other veg and decided
to make a dish. Here is the outcome. The measurements are not exact, Please use your discretion and
experience in measuring the ingredients.

Firm Tofu, I packet
Angel Hair Pasta (For 4 servings)
4 Carrots cut into sticks
Cabbage chopped long strips
1 avocado chopped to cubed
1 Green pepper cut to strips
Cherry tomatoes (10-15)
handful Mint leaves, chopped fine
Handful Cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped fine
Juice of 1 big lime
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
chilli powder
salt
Sesame oil 1 tablespoon.

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic pod
crushed red pepper or chilli powder
1" piece of ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt
Blend all this together with 1/3 cup of water. Taste it and add any of the above ingredients according
to taste. Sauce should be neither too thick nor too watery.

1. Boil the pasta al dente
2. Cut the tofu into slabs and grill on a ridged griddle with oil. Once browned, cut to pieces
(Remember to weight down the tofu to extract all water/liquid)
3. Heat the sesame oi.
4. Add sesame seeds.
5. Add the vegetables and saute on high flame till crunchily cooked.
6. Add all the other ingredients.
7. Add the pasta. Mix well
8. Add the salt, peanut sauce, lime juice, cilantro and mint and mix well.
ENJOY!