We love applesauce in our house which is probably pretty evident to my regular readers who have already seen my 6 min Applesauce (using pressure cooker), Unsweetened Applesauce with Quince and Apple Butter. Now here I am once again with an another applesauce post, this time using Instant Pot. With all these methods and variations, one thing that’s most evident is the ease with which you can make your own applesauce. Next time your hand reaches out to the jar from the store, please stop! You can make something far superior (quality and flavor wise) one that’s also easy on your wallet.

I tend to make a huge batch and freeze some (and refrigerate rest) since we use it regularly. Ever since we started solids for the baby I have been on an applesauce making spree where I tend to also use other fruits and dried fruits to bump up the nutrition. The fact that the whole family loves it is an additional incentive.

Your applesauce is now ready. We use applesauce is so many ways in our house. We enjoy it as it is, as a topping for our pancakes, over our oatmeal/waffles, ..etc.  My toddler esp loves it over oatmeal along with peanut butter.

• 3 lbs (abt 8 large) Apples, see Tips
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 large Lemon

Optional Additions

• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• Naturally Sweetened Applesauce: 1/3-1/2 cup Dried Fruits like Raisins, Prunes, Dates etc
• Mixed Fruit Applesauce: Replace part of apples with 1 lbs of other fruits like peach, apricot, pear etc

1. Apples: Braeburn, Cortland, Crispin, McIntosh, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, Liberty, Jonamac, Ida Red, Rome and/or any soft variety are great for applesauce. These cook faster as well. If you like your applesauce sweet, then go for the sweeter varieties of apples to avoid adding any sugar. Personally, I like to combine few different types since they make the most flavorful applesauce in my book.

I do not believe in peeling the apples (organic recommended hence) since the skin has lots of nutrients as well. Wash the apples well and core them. If you do not have a corer, simply cut the apples in half and slice off the center section with the seeds.

Chop them roughly.

Add them to the Instant pot. If making mixed fruit applesauce, add the other fruits as well. I have used a mix of all the fruits mentioned since that way I “eat” more fruits in a day   we love our applesauce that way.

I prefer adding some dried fruits to enhance the nutritional aspect esp since these are consumed by my kids on a daily basis. I tend to use mix of dried fruits as well – more so on prunes and raisins since I feed this to the baby and we all know that prunes+baby=smooth….err..you know what I always eye ball the amount, but you can add as much or as little depending on the sweetness of your fruits and personal preference.

Next add 1/2 cup water.

Place the inner pot inside the Instant Pot. Add the lemon juice and (if using) cinnamon along with salt. Stir to combine.

Make sure to turn the Steam Release Knob to the “Sealing” position.

“Pressure Cook” it for  5 minutes.

Once done, I tend to do a controlled quick release to maintain the color of the fruits and avoid overcooking.  But you have two other options – either choose natural release for 10 minutes and then do quick release, or do natural release until the float valve  is down.

Open the lid. This is how it looks – see the color looks vibrant. You can choose to use an immersion blender or potato masher to make your applesauce.

Or transfer the contents to a blender and puree until smooth or as per your texture preference.

There was a time when I seemed to be on a perpetual diet. I have tried multiple fads and every one of them have worked. For few weeks! Then I have to start it all over again. After a point, with years and experience comes the epiphany that its got to be lifestyle and such “diets” were pretty transient in nature.  A lifetime of habit(s) is hard to break and hence the last decade has witnessed a gradual shift where I pick up different pieces of my routine to define my lifestyle. Its been a zig-zag-up-down journey and continues to be one. But I am sticking to this one cos irrespective of superficial changes, I am more content and happy with myself than ever before. There is this confidence that comes from doing the right thing and I am indifferent to judgements ‘cos at the end of the day we all have our own journey and destinations.

This self quest led to exploration of various options around me and I am always game to trying foods in various forms. You must be aware of the  crazy fad of Cauliflower Rice? Irrespective of whether you are on a diet or not, its an excellent option to adopt regularly. I can never say no to extra veggies and interestingly it works great as a rice replacement in many recipes.  White rice is not something I would advocate regularly for the sole reason that there is not significant nutrition that it has to offer.  Coming from southern parts of India, we consume rice like its going out of fashion. Instead of going cold turkey, I usually replace rice for few meals per week with other alternatives. 

Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated with RightRice and I was not paid/requested to talk for them. This is completely my own find and experience with this product and whatever I write here is based on my family’s feedback.

This post is one such alternative. Few months ago I came across this new “rice” that’s made using lentils, peas and a small amount of rice. On its own, it tasted bland, slightly salty and more like chickpea flour to us.  It has grainy texture and feels slightly heavier than rice and is far quicker to cook. I started using it as an accompaniment to spicy stews and in pilafs to favorable results. This pulao is one such dish we enjoy using this “rice”. There are multiple flavors available  but I am yet to try others except the “Original” version. While its not carb free, its definitely lesser carbs than white rice along with providing enhanced protein and fibre thanks to the lentils.  Here’s a simple recipe.

It’s filling and hearty. My family is pretty finicky and do not take well to letting anything/everything stand in for rice. But this RightRice got a green signal from everyone. It is a decent alternative to rice and we have been enjoying many recipes without missing rice.

• 1 tbsp Olive oil, or as needed
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste, see Tips
• 1 cup chopped Onion (1/2 large onion)
• 1 cup frozen Veggies, see Tips
• 1 cup cubed Paneer, see Tips
• 1 tsp Garam Masala,
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• 1 package (1-1/3 cup) RightRice Original
• 1-1/2 cups water/broth, see Tips
• Very little salt – to taste see Tips
• Few sprigs of Cilantro, to garnish
• Few Curry leaves (optional)

1. Ginger Garlic Paste: If you do not have the paste ready, you can simply mince some garlic and ginger. You can use either one of them or in amounts to suit your preference.

2. Frozen Veggies: You can use any vegetables of your choice. If using fresh, simply cook them a little bit longer until almost done before adding water.

3. Paneer: For a vegan version, use Tofu. You can also use any other protein of your choice. Some hardboiled eggs also work that you can add in towards the end.

4. Water/Broth: The package insists on using 1 cup water for every 1 cup of RightRice. Based on our preference, I use 1-1/2. You can use 1-1/3 cup of liquid.

5. Salt: We felt that the RightRice was already little salty when bland, hence I tend to add very little salt – just enough to season the vegetables and it works perfectly that way for us. I would suggest going low on salt when trying for the first time and then adjusting accordingly.

In a skillet, heat some oil. Once hot, add the cumin and when it splutters add the onion and ginger garlic paste.

When the onion gets soft, add in the vegetables, paneer and seasoning.  You can use any seasoning of your choice. I find it works great with variety of seasoning. Take care about the salt. Read my tip 5

Tips: If you have fresh paneer, add them towards the end. I use store bought paneer right out of fridge and it gets perfectly soft when the whole dish is done.

When the veggies are 90% done/soft, add in the “rice”. Though its not needed, I toast it a little bit for couple of minutes.

Next goes the broth/water. Use 1-1/3 cup to 1-1/2 cup. Check my tip 4

Bring it to a quick simmer. Switch off the flame and close it with a lid. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Fluff the “rice” with a fork. Garnish with herbs and serve warm with accompaniment of your choice.

I was never big on oatmeal until I found this way of eating it – topped with assortment of flavors and colors. Its amazing how a pretty tame oatmeal gets brilliantly delicious when few spoons of nut butter, applesauce/date paste along with juicy seasonal fruits are added on top. Suddenly this nutritious powerhouse went from “blah” to “blahddy good“! Since I don’t eat eggs, my options for breakfast are handicapped when it comes to protein.  While my family is busy stuffing their face with French Toast”,  Egg Bhurji Pav, Egg Dosa, Cheese Omelet, Quinoa Omelet, E…R$#%  (I am going to stop since gritting my teeth any longer will definitely have adverse consequences!) – I am stuck looking at a boring toast.

While I enjoyed oatmeal on and off, it was getting boring until this simple makeover of few assorted toppings made it enticing. Guess I am no better than my kids. The best part is it keeps me satiated until lunch. Ticking off major elements in the food group is a big plus – wholegrain (oats), nuts/seeds ( nut butter), dairy (milk) and fruits (seasonal fruits+ applesauce+ date paste). To me, that’s a great start to the day. Needless to say, its an nutritional powerhouse as well. I know I already blogged Oatmeal Porridge (with Dates puree) way back (2012!!) but this one is a makeover. While I cook that in milk, I simply use water to make this version along with added fiber and spices.

Also, another bonus in this version is the type of Oats used. The supermarket nowadays is a wonderland with myriad new products. Like a kid lost in a candy store, I just lose track of time when I am at the supermarket getting overexcited (and overzealous) to explore new products. We know consuming wholegrain is amazing – but you know what’s even better? Consuming spouted wholegrains. With time and energy playing hide and seek, such products make one’s life so much better.  If you can find it, I would totally recommend stocking up your pantry with the sprouted oats. They are so good, they are often used in high end eateries and fine dining restaurants . I usually make a big batch to see us through the week and store it in the fridge. When ready to serve, I heat some milk, add it to my portion and top it with whatever strikes my fancy.

Don’t skimp on the toppings. They enhance and make this hearty, nourishing and gourmet – oh definitely more tasty

• 2 cups Sprouted Rolled Oats (or just rolled oats)
• 3 cups Water, or as needed
• 1 cup Whole Milk/ Any plant/nut based milk, or as needed (optional)
• 2 med-large Banana, sliced ( very ripe recommended or use frozen banana)
• 1-1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 3 tbsp ground Flaxseed
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/8th tsp Salt

Toppings

• 1-2 tbsp Nut butters
• 1-2 tbsp Date Paste
• 1-2 tbsp Applesauce (see 6 minute Applesauce, Applesauce with Quince
• 1/2 cup Seasonal fruits
• Sprinkle of seeds like Sunflower, Chia, Hemp etc

To a saucepan on med-high heat, add the oats, one banana, cinnamon along with milk and water. I do not use milk and hence use additional water (4 cups). The proportion of milk and water is up to your personal preference.

Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 5-8 minutes until it thickens. Make sure to stir it occasionally since it tends to stick to the bottom otherwise. Now add in the flaxseed along with the remaining banana. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the oatmeal is completely cooked. If you find it too thick, add in some more milk/water. The first banana would now be cooked into the oatmeal while the second one would give it more body. Between them, it makes the oatmeal creamier and naturally sweeter.

Just before switching off, add in the vanilla and remove from heat. The oatmeal is done.

Usually at this point, I cool it down completely and refrigerate for the week. Like mentioned before, I remove the needed portion and mix it with hot milk along with the toppings of my choice.

I love making things from scratch (like my Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, French Bread, Apple Rosemary Pie, Ricotta Cheese…you get the idea!). If I had my way, I would love to make freshly prepared meals throughout the day. But life happens and it brings 100,000 things to do KIDS into the picture and suddenly you are chasing time, energy and sanity. Your best intentions remain just that and you get back to reality. Between other commitments, the last thing on you mind is making elaborate meals. And that’s precisely why I rely heavily on Under 15 minute meals. I stock some store bought basics (tortillas, breads, pasta etc)  and advance prepped ingredients like cooked beans in order to put together meals in jiffy.

This pita tostada comes under that category. Recently I ran out on tortillas and (no) thanks to the lockdown, there were none at the stores  3-4 times I visited. But I had lots of pita breads in my fridge and thought to use it to make these Mexican styled Tostadas. The classic version uses a toasted/fried (usually corn) tortilla that is topped with protein (meat) along with mainstays like beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and salsa. Here I have used refried beans along with cheese, some tomatoes and avocados with sour cream on top. But the toppings are totally up to you.

• 2  Pita Bread
• Abt 1/2 cup Vegetarian Refried Beans
• Abt 1/4 cup diced Tomato
• Abt 1/4 cup diced Avocados
• Abt 1/2 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
• Abt 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar and/or Queso Fresco
• Abt 1/4 cup Sour Cream

Optional

• Salt to taste (optional)
• Abt 1/4 cup of Salsa
• 1-2 tbsp pickled Jalapeños
• 1-2 tbsp chopped Cilantro

This tastes best when served hot – immediately as and when its made. Otherwise I find that the pita gets harder/tougher. These are a meal all by themselves but you can enjoy it as a quick pick-me-up snack as well.

Preheat oven to 350F. I have used Wheat Pita, Sprouted Pita and regular flour Pita for this recipe and they all work great. Use whatever you have on hand.

Place Pita on a baking sheet (or preheated stone) and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges start to crisp.

Remove the pita when crispy.

Top it with the refried beans, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and sour cream. Or use whatever topping you prefer – this is very easily adaptable.

If there was a Best Things Out of Indian Kitchen list, this chutney would definitely be among them. I have already posted Green Coriander (w/peanuts) Chutney and Green Mint Chutney  but you will find the subtle variations to chutney abound from family to family. Each one of them is absolutely delicious and worth enjoying. I take pride that Indian snacks rock, but what makes them even better are these chutneys. When combined with another basic Date Tamarind chutney, lip smacking foods like Khaman Dhokla, Nutty Samosas, Stuffed Bread Pakoras, Paneer Moong Kathi Roll (..and the list goes on) become additive.

But the most interesting fact is that these are ridiculously easy and quick to make. Its as easy as taking few ingredients and processing them together. No cook time and not much of prep time either. Now, how easy is that? And yes, before we see the recipe, lemme say that there are still few more variations apart from the one above.  Will post them as and when I make them

Store these for 7-10 days in the fridge or in the freezer for longer use.

• 2 cups tightly packed Cilantro (Coriander) Leaves, no stems
• 1 cup Mint Leaves
• 1-2 cloves Garlic (optional), or to taste
• 1-2 inch Ginger, skinned and chopped – or to taste
• 1/4 cup Roasted Gram/ Fried Gram Dal (Pottukadalai/Bhuna Hua Channa) – See Tips
• 1-2 Green Chillies, chopped, or to taste
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Chaat Masala
• 1 tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak) – see Tips
• 1 tsp Sugar, or to taste
• 2-3 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
• Salt to taste

1. Fried Gram: I have used whole roasted channa, the one with skin since it provides a little more nutrition than its skinned half split version. But you can either one as far as flavor goes. If you do not have fried gram, you can use bread, coconut or peanuts as well. It helps to provide body/texture to this chutney.

2. Black Salt: If you do not have it you can just use regular salt instead. But I personally would recommend adding this for that street side shop experience. It provides a depth in flavor that just plain salt lacks.

I would suggest using the above amounts more as a guideline as a strict rule. This chutney is personal to each individual and can be adapted very easily. If you like ginger, add a wee bit more. Want it hot, add more chillies. Want to use bread instead, go ahead. Play with the amount until you find your favorite.

I have used unprocessed sugar in this recipe (personal taste) – but you can use regular sugar. Take all the ingredients (except salt and lemon juice) in a blender jar.

and process until smooth. Now add the salt and lemon juice and process again until combined. These two are added last in order to retain the green color of the chutney.

While growing up,  I really did not care for soup(s). My mom tried making few times until she kinda gave up on me liking it. Then came a stage in my late teens when I started having it at restaurants since everyone else ordered it at the table and felt it was a polite thing to do. I tried few varieties before settling at Tomato soup since I found that I liked it the best – and that too only at restaurants.  I am not sure if it was the creaminess or the bread croutons on top that appealed to me.

Once the teen stage vanished, so did the constant itch to please everyone and the soup habit eventually disappeared until it came back full force many years later after I had my little baby. You find yourself obsessing over things that never mattered before when you have kids, don’t you think? I wanted to maximize my little one’s consumption of vegetables and suddenly soup seemed to be the perfect solution. It helped that he seemed to like it and my husband welcomed this new “soup making” me. I don’t know if it was the change in hormones from pregnancy or my own maturity in tastes, suddenly, I started liking soups.

From there started my journey into this delicious world of soup making. To me, soup is like an orchestra of flavors where each ingredient together create symphony in your palate. If cooked correctly (without overcooking/or watering down), you find it also provides cartload of nutrition and an intense depth of flavor with great piquancy. I can bet my cooking appliances (!) on the fact that you will fall in love with soup once more (or first time) when you make it using OPOS method. (What is OPOS?).

When you cook using this technique, you will find that there is hardly any need to add color, richness and/or thickness since the deep flavor of the ingredients shine by themselves and cooking them in their own juices provide all the texture you could possibly need. Of course, you can still add those, but you will find that you would need them way less than what you would normally add while cooking in regular method. Try it on your own and let me know what you think.

I personally do not feel the need to add any cream to this soup since its perfection just as it is. But go ahead with some cream. I have used about 2 tbsp cream just to decorate the soup for the 4 of us. Add as per your taste. Of course you can instead top it with Bread croutons. This soup works great as an appetizer or as a main meal along with grilled cheese. We enjoy it for lunch with Grilled Cheese Naanwich!

For the Base
• 1-1/2 tbsp oil
• 1-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium Onion, chopped into small chunks
• 1/3 cup Celery, chopped
• 4-5 cloves of Garlic
• 2.2 lbs (1 kilo/abt 10 medium sized) red ripe Tomatoes, chopped – see Tips
• 3-4 tbsp Cream or as needed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional Additions for Sweetness/Texture Can add any one, in combination or all
• 1 small-medium Carrot, chopped
• 1 small Red Bell Pepper
• 1/4 cup Beetroot, grated (or use 1-2 tbsp Beetroot Powder)
• 1/4 cup Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks

Traditional Restaurant thickeners/additions
• 1 tbsp Rice flour/Corn flour
• 1-2 tsp Sugar to balance sourness

1. Tomatoes: Needless to say, fresh ripe peak of season tomatoes provide the best flavor and color to this soup. But if that’s not the case, the sourness and color can be easily adjusted using additional few tbsp of tomato paste (to provide depth in flavor). You can use tomato powder instead. The amount for the paste/powder will depend on the quality of your tomatoes. Also, if not planning to use other vegetables that provide sweetness naturally, I would suggest adding some dried fruit paste (see my Date Paste {Natural Sweetener | Sugar Substitute} post ) for natural sweetness or simply sugar to balance the flavors.

In your 2L /3Litre standardized pressure cooker ( I use 3L), add 1.5 tbsp oil and 1.5 tbsp butter along with bay leaf.  I don’t add water, but if you fear burning, add 2-3 tbsp water as well.

Tips: Please refer How to standardize your pressure cooker for OPOS.

Next add onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper. I add the bell pepper for texture as well as color. The celery is peppery and compliments the sweet tomatoes. You can add green chillies if you like at this point.

Tips: You can use ginger-garlic paste instead of garlic.  See how to make quick OPOS Ginger Garlic Paste.

Next add in the tomatoes.  I did not have beetroot on hand, hence I used about 2 tbsp beetroot powder. You don’t taste beets at this quantity but it does help with adding depth in color. You can instead use about 2 tbsp- 1/4 cups (or as needed) grated or small size cubed beetroot. You don’t want to keep them big chunks since that will take longer to cook.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Close with the lid, place the weight and cook on high heat. If cooking over stove top, make sure the flames don’t come up the sides.

We are looking for 3 long whistles and for this quantity/cooker combo takes around 10-11 mins with the pressure building/pressure valve popping up at about 8 minutes.  The number of whistles, I find, mostly depends on how watery your tomatoes are. There are more whistles with more water content in tomatoes. So, in that case, aim for around 10 minutes cooking time.

Troubleshooting Notes: If you find that there is no whistle at even 10 minute mark – check your cooker. There might be steam seeping out. If you sense burning – switch off immediately and release pressure.  In 99% cases, the food is not yet burnt when you just start getting the smell and you can totally save the food.

Once done, switch off heat and manually release pressure. Use a spatula to avoid scalding.

This is how it looks upon opening.  You can use a hand blender at this point.

I transferred it to my food processor since I love how well it purees my soup. The color is dark maroon red when you start blending

and gradually (upon addition of air cos of blending) lightens up in color to deep orange. Add water or milk and/or cream to adjust the consistency as per your preference. I added just a little more water since we like it with a thick’ish(!) consistency.

Life with kids, needless to say, is hectic and at times most times exhausting! At the end of the day, I am too tired to spend some time on me (‘cos working on me takes effort as well! ) To keep my sanity, I look at food options that take minimal effort to make without skimping on quality. To balance nutritious food, effort, time and flavor is not tough – but requires a lot of planning.  Soup, I find a perfect candidate that allows me to pack a nutrition punch all in one – making it a complete meal by itself. And as a perfect accompaniment – to round up the meal, are these grilled cheesy naan sandwiches that I call as naanwich.

This is based of the classic grilled cheese sandwiches. So simple to put together when you have some prepared naan in your fridge. I like to stock some on hand for days when cooking is not high on the agenda. You can make an excellent chutney sandwich using these Naan making it a filling snack. At times, I use leftover veggies and/or some pre-prepped frozen beans as a stuffing to make it hearty.

I love to serve myself a large bowl of soup – especially Indian styled and small portion of this naan for lunch. My little dude hopes for vice versa! On this day we enjoyed a creamy (without much cream) tomato soup and these for our meal.  Perfection….burp!

These taste best while warm. Soft with a pillowy chewy texture aided by the cheese. You get the crispy bits here and there where the cheese might have touched the skillet. My family loves those even more.

• 1 Naan (thaw at room temp or in microwave if frozen)
• 2-3 Cheese slices (Cheddar/Mozzarella/Provolone etc)
• 1-2 tsp unsalted Butter/Oil

You can use any kind of naan for this – even whole wheat. Even flavored naan will work. I prefer using garlic naan for this.

The amount of cheese will depend on the size of your naan and/or your own preference.  I have used two slices – a mix of provolone and mozzarella. You can use any good melting cheese.

Tips: Also see: Is Cheese Vegetarian?

Fold it in half.

Butter the top very slightly

and place the butter side down on a medium heated skillet/pan/grill pan. You can likewise use some oil/butter on the skillet as well.

I like to press it down for an even color. I use a parchment paper and a cast iron mini melting pot to weigh it down. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes or until it turns reddish brown.

Remove the weight and spread some butter on top (optional)

before turning it to the other side. Cook for another couple of minutes until the cheese melts.

Once done, remove and let it sit for few seconds for the cheese to solidify before serving or slicing it in half.

The boy doesn’t really need summer to eat popsicles. I tend to make fruit based popsicles, Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles for ex, throughout the year. Frozen fruits along with greek yogurt make nourishing and protein rich fun treats for kids (and adults alike). But occasionally I like to indulge the boy. To him, that means chocolate! The husband and I don’t care for chocolate – in fact anything sweet. So, its kinda life’s joke on us that our boy loves chocolate like its going out of style  And its not surprising either that he loves Nutella. I am yet to come across anyone who doesn’t. I used to make this using Nutella until I switched to another brand for healthier reasons. Yes, its still loads of sugar – but I like to keep it at just that, thank you. Minimizing unnecessary additives from day to day lives is a full time job by itself, I think!

Anyway, so on days we want to splurge, I make these popsicles that takes hardly any effort and ingredients. Its just Nutella/or Chocolate Hazelnut spread and milk. Whip it up in your blender/processor, freeze it for few hours and tada – you have a treat on your hands. I personally never add anything else, but you can add in some fruit – like a banana if you like. 

Removing the popsicles from the mould is easy. Just run it under warm tap water for few seconds and it comes right out when you tug it gently. Enjoy!

• 2/3 cups Chocolate Hazelnut Spread – see Tips
• 2 cups Whole Milk

1. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: I use Rigoni di Asiago Nocciolata brand, but you can use any brand of your choosing.

This measurement is based on the brand and our taste preference. But you can easily adjust the proportions based on what you like. Add both the ingredients together in a blender.

Blend until well combined.

Pour it out into popsicle moulds.

Depending on the size of your moulds, you might get less or more popsicles.

Freeze for few hours or until set.

Right from my childhood I have had issues with eggs. I won’t say I am allergic (the cakes never hurt me! ), but I would always throw up the minute it touched my tongue. My mom gave up trying and it was not a big deal since no one really ate eggs in my family. Fast forward many years and “I eat eggs like its going out of fashion” husband happened.  He was gym-going-protein-loving-vegetarian who relied heavily on eggs to reach his daily quota.  I gave it a try once again but nope – nothing had changed. Fast forward few more years, my body has changed with age and kids. While I don’t throw up anymore, I get stomach ache EXACTLY ONE HOUR after eating anything eggy. I don’t seem to tolerate eggs unless its in very small quantity. So, I have officially given up.  While my family hogs on colorful scrambled eggs in the morning, I have to content myself with a boring toast. You know what hurts? They are still fully satiated until lunch time while I am sneaking into the kitchen to nibble something within an hour!!

Not to be outdone in the protein department, I started putting together other options that would make me happy as well.   These Tex Mex Breakfast Tofu Scrambled Eggs hit a home run (and how!) in that department. So easy to put together, delicious, pleasing to the eye and palate, this dish has all the ingredients needed to start my day King size.  If you are not up to chopping anything in the morning (and if using frozen/already chopped veggies is not an option), simply sautéing it with some salsa and garlic powder does the job equally well. Oh yes, I have those days especially now amidst this pandemic and cranky kids. The best part of this recipe is that its a good fit for lunch and dinner as well. 

Serve it warm. Its perfect on its own, but I would’t say no to some warm toasted bread or tortilla on the side. On this day, I served it with some bagel, salsa and some avocados.  If you ask me, this is totally my idea of a King’s breakfast.

• 16 oz Extra Firm Tofu
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 large red Onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped/minced
• 1 large Bell Pepper, diced
• 2 med-large Tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Chilli powder (or paprika), or as per taste
• 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional, but recommended)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Few sprigs of chopped Cilantro to garnish

I prefer to use the super firm tofu/extra firm tofu for this recipe, but you can use firm tofu. Press the tofu to remove some of the water by placing a paper towel on top and weighing it down with something heavy (like a jar of beans).

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the company nor am I paid to use/showcase it in the blog. I just wanted to share what I use.

Heat some oil in a saucepan and add the cumin. Once it splutters, add the onion along with garlic and salt until soft.

Next add the bell peppers,  tomato and crumbled tofu.

Stir in the turmeric and nutritional yeast. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently until the peppers are softened and you find the tomatoes letting out their juices.

If you find it dry, add in some milk/plant-based milk/broth/water. Garnish with cilantro.

While the regular (white) chickpeas is popular the world over, I grew up being more familiar with its darker cousin “Kala Channa” (Hindi term translates to “Black Chickpeas“) in India.  Back home these were the desi variety while the white chickpeas was called kabuli. Smaller and more robust, these are nuttier than their white counterpart. They do not get mushy when cooked but remain firm (yet soft) since they absorb way less liquid while cooking. They also take longer to cook than white chickpeas. They are “meatier” and more nutritious comparatively providing more fiber, vitamins and minerals with a lower glycemic index. Hence, its no wonder this is more prized back home in my mom’s kitchen who especially sprouted it to make sundal  and added it to her sambars/kootu etc

Few days back when I received a query from Nilima (in my Instant Pot Pinto Beans post) regarding cooking these in Instant pot, I was intrigued. I had yet to try them ( I have always used pressure cooker) since I could not find these in the stores (may cos of pandemic?).  But as luck would have it, I found some in my last visit to my local Indian store and experimented few times.  I had to adjust timing couple of times but I found that these cook perfectly well in 15 min (just pressure cooking time). Is it faster than regular pressure cooker timing? Nope. But as far as hands on time is concerned, Instant pot is better.

Like I have already mentioned in my other Instant Pot posts,  I am loving the fact that I can make a huge batch and freeze them for later use.  They come handy is so many ways – in soups, as filling for parathas, added to pulao/biryani, as a dip, in chaats – like bhel puri or just enjoy them, lightly seasoned, as a snack.

Perfectly cooked chickpeas all ready to be used in your recipe. Use it right away or freeze them for later use.

• 2 cups Brown/Black Chickpeas (Kala Channa)
• 1 tsp salt , or to taste

Instant pot enables one to forgo soaking and cook the legumes right away. But if you ask me, its always a better option to soak since it helps not only for better digestion but also enables superior absorption of nutrients. I have soaked this overnight, but 4-6 hours is also good enough.

Drain the water and rinse well.

Add it to your Instant Pot along with salt. You can use other seasonings as well like bay leaf, garlic etc.

Add water. I add enough to cover it. Since its already soaked, it doesn’t need much water.

If using unsoaked chickpeas: Use 5 cups water.

I think I used just under 3 cups water to my soaked chickpeas.

Close the Instant pot. Make sure to set  Venting Knob to the Sealing Position before starting.

Pressure cook it for 15 minutes.

Unsoaked Black Chickpeas: You would need to double the time – around 30 minutes. Soaking really helps to improve its texture and cooker faster.

Note: Older chickpeas will take longer to cook. Since its hard to find out the age by just looking at them, you would need to test it your batch in order to make adjustment (increase  10 minutes pressure cooking time) , if needed, for the next round.

It would take around 10 minutes for the pressure to build. Then once the cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally – another 15 minutes.

Release any remaining pressure, if any, and open the lid.

If you noticed, the cooked chickpeas have retained their shape ( very hard to get them mushy!). If you are able to press the chickpeas with your finger, then its cooked. If you feel its still hard, then cook it another 10 minutes.