Inspired Recipes

Instant Whole Wheat Khasta Kachori

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 03:45:00 +0000

These instant Kachoris are best if you want to make something quick and easy for weekend brunch.

I call these kachoris instant as you don't have to soak dal at all. Just grind and make the filling.

They are so delicious that they will disappear in minutes!

Enjoy these kachoris with your favorite pickle, raita or curry.

Ingredients

For the dough

Atta(whole wheat flour) - 1 cup
Oil - 1/5th cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Water - to need the dough

Filling-

Dal (urad or dhuli masoor or dhuli moong) - 2 tbspoon
Saunf(fennel) - 2 tsp
Hing(asafetida) - 1/2 tsp
Red chili Powder - to taste
Coriander powder- 1tsp
Salt - to taste
Soda - A pinch
Amchur(mango powder) - 1/2 tsp
Water - as required

Instructions

Mix all the dry ingredients for the dough
Add water little by little to kned it into a dough
Cover and Keep aside
Grind all the dry ingredients for the filling in the grinder
Add water so that the filling becomes like a dough
Cover and keep the filling for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes the filling should be like a soft dough(add more water if needed)
Now take lemon sized ball of the dough and flatten it a little bit. Add small amount of filling into it and bring the edges together to seal. Gently flatten the kachoris a little more with rolling pin.
Deep fry the kachoris in hot oil untill brown
Serve hot and enjoy!

Air Fried Stuffed Bell Pepper(Capsicum)

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 16:21:00 +0000

I love Air frying as it saves a lot of time and reduces overall calorie intake. It is also easy to clean the air fryer!

This is a healthy version of stuffed capsicum(bharwan simla mirch) cooked in air fryer. It tastes great as a side dish with roti, paratha or you can even eat it as a snack if you like. I have used spicy potato masala as a filling but you can really use any filling of your choice.

enjoy!

Ingredients

Green Bell Pepper - 2 - 3
Boiled Potatoes - 2- 3 medium
Boiled Peas- 1 tbsp
Chickpea flour- 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chili Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Amchur - 1 tsp

Make the filling

Heat oil in a pan
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, stir
Add boiled potatoes and peas
Mix well
Add salt and amchur powder
Mix well and keep aside

Instructions-

Wash and cut the top stem section of the bell pepper off and deseed them
Add the potato filling inside the bell pepper
In a seperate bowl add chickpea flour with some water and salt to make a paste
Add a layer of this besan mixture on top of the bell peppers
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees
Brush some oil around each bell pepper
Place the bell peppers in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes or untill cooked.

Lauki ki Kheer (bottle gourd pudding)

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 16:26:00 +0000

Lauki ki Kheer(bottle gourd pudding) is a tasty dessert popular in North India. It is often made during navratri or festivals in India when people keep fast. Bottle gourd or Lauki also called dudhi is very low in calories, has very high water content and is fiber rich which makes it very good for our digestive system. If you want to make it vegan friendly, you can use almond milk instead of regular milk. Here is the recipe for this easy and healthy dessert pudding

Ingredients

Bottlegourd (Lauki) - 1 cup(grated)
Sugar - 3 tbsp -(adjust to taste)
Milk - 3 - 4 cups
Mixed dry fruits - 1 tbsp (chopped)
Ghee - 1 to 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Few saffron threads(kesar)

Instructions-

Heat ghee in a pan and add grated bottle gourd(lauki)
Stir for few seconds and add milk
Boil the mixture on medium low flame until it reduces to your desired thickness and blended well
Keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the bottom
Add Sugar, dry fruits, cardamom powder and kesar
Boil for another minute
Serve hot or cold

Fruit , Vegetable and Macaroni Pasta Salad

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:53:00 +0000

A healthy mix of fruits, vegetables and some macaroni pasta. This Salad is so refreshing and delicious that you will keep making it over and over again. You can have it as a side dish or even serve it as main dish.

Use the fruits of your choice and enjoy!

Ingredients

Macaroni - 1/4th cup (boiled and drained )
Papaya - 1/2 cup (diced)
Mango - I/2 cup (diced)
Chikoo (sapodilla) - 1/4 cup (sliced)
Apple - 1/4th cup (diced)
Cucumber - 1 (diced)
Carrot - 1 (diced)
Bell pepper - Mixed color ( 1/4th cup diced)
Pomegranate - 1/2 cup
Grapes - 1/2 cup (halved)
Lemon juice- 11/2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp or to taste
Salt - to taste
Mint leaves - to garnish

Instructions-

MIxed all the ingredients together
Add salt sugar and lemon juice and mix well
Garnish with mint leaves and serve

Tomato Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:08:00 +0000

A quick and tasty tomato chutney which can be a great accompaniment to any dish. It can be served hot or cold and goes well with paratha, poori, idli or dosa.

Ingredients

Tomatoes - 2 small
Sugar - 2 tsp (or to taste)
Crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Ghee(or oil) - 1 to 2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp
Salt - To taste

Instructions-

Put tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute, remove and put in icy water. Peel off the skin of tomatoes and chop
Heat ghee in a pan
Add cumin seeds, black pepper, cook for 30 seconds
Add tomatoes, mix well
Add 1 tbsp of water, cover and cook till properly cooked
Add ginger, salt and sugar
Mix well
Add chopped fresh coriander leaves(i didn't have it so didn't add)
Mix well and serve

Spicy Deviled Eggs with Onion Tomato Masala

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Sat, 27 Jan 2018 03:44:00 +0000

Deviled eggs are always a crowd pleaser and these spicy masala eggs are definitely going to be a hit in your next party or get together. They are easy to make and very delicious.

They can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for 2 days. If you want to make these ahead of time, its a good idea to keep the filling and egg whites in separate air tight containers and assemble at the time of serving.

Ingredients

Boiled Eggs - 2
Onion - 1 small (chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 small (chopped)
Freshly ground black pepper- 1/2 tsp(or to taste)
Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
Red chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp
Chopped Green Chili - 1/2 small(optional)
Salt - To taste

Instructions-

Heat oil in a pan
Add chopped onions and cook till golden brown
Add black pepper, salt red chili powder, coriander powder and cook for few seconds
Add tomatoes and green chilies (if using)
Cook until the tomatoes are blended and cooked.
Add coriander leaves, mix well.
Cut the boiled eggs into halves lengthwise
Remove the egg yolks into a bowl and mash with the fork
Add the masala mixture to the yolk
Mix well
Fill the egg whites with the prepared mixture
Garnish and serve.

Quick and Easy Sambhar

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 15:37:00 +0000

Sambhar or Sambar is a very versatile and tasty dish made with lentils and vegetables, It is like a spicy lentil and vegetable soup. Can be eaten with rice, idli, dosa, vadas, roti, uttapam or just like that.

There are various ways to prepare Sambhar. I am sharing a quick and easy way to make it, simply pressure cook everything together and add the tadka/chaunk in the end. You can use the vegetables of your choice. Adjust the spiciness to your taste and enjoy!

Ingredients

Toor dal(Pigeon Peas) - 1 cup
Onion - 1 small( roughly chopped )
Tomatoes - 1 small (chopped)
Carrot - 1 (chopped)
Eggplant- 1 tablespoon (chopped)
Bottle Guard- 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 1 tsp (roughly chopped)
Whole Red Chili - 3-4
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Sambhar Powder- 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp (optional)

For tadka

Curry leaves - 6-7
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Whole red chilies - 4 to 5
Oil - 1 tbsp

Instructions-

Wash the dal under running water until it runs clear
Add the dal in pressure cooker with all the vegetables and 2 cups of water
Add sambhar powder, coriander powder, salt to taste and turmeric powder
Close the lid and cook until done (about 3 whistles)
Open the cooker when all the steam has escaped
Stir and adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more water if desired
Heat oil in a pan for tadka
Add all the ingredients for tadka in hot oil, stir for few seconds until it splutters
Pour it over the Sambhar
Add tamarind paste if you like(I don't like so I don't add it)
Cook for one more minute on medium heat
Serve hot with Idli, Dosa or rice
Enjoy!

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Fresh Coriander

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 00:43:00 +0000

Warm yourself up on a cold winter day with this yummy heart healthy Lentil soup. The green gram(moong dal) is full of protein and dietary fiber, low in cholesterol and is almost like a vegetarian superfood. The combination of green gram, spinach leaves and fresh coriander makes this soup full of flavors and nutrition.

I pressure cook the dal so it is ready in few minutes. Just squeeze some fresh lemon juice and enjoy!

Ingredients

Moong dal(split green gram) - 1 cup
Spinach - 1 cup (chopped )
Fresh coriander leaves- 1/2 cup
Cloves- 5
Whole red chili - 3-4
Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Salt - to taste
Fresh lemon juice- to taste

Instructions-

Wash the dal under running water until it runs clear
Add the dal in pressure cooker with 4 cups of water (use less water if you like thicker soup, I prefer thin soup)
Add salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric powder
Close the lid and cook until 2 whistles
Open the cooker when all the steam has escaped
Add chopped spinach and coriander leaves, mix well
Cook on medium heat for few more minutes and switch off the heat
Heat 1tbsp of desi ghee in a pan
Add whole red chilies, cloves and asafoetida
Pour it over the dal soup
Squeeze fresh lemon juice and enjoy!

Vegetable Pulao(Pilaf)

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 01:44:00 +0000

This is one pot mixed vegetable pilaf made in pressure cooker. It is quick and easy to make and is super tasty.

It is also very convenient for lunch boxes. I had carrot and peas in hand so used those but you can use any vegetables you like.

The flavors come from the whole spices that we use that is Bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, big cardamom and cumin seeds.

Enjoy this pilaf(pulao) with yogurt and your favorite chutney!

Ingredients

Rice - 11/2 cup
Onions- 2 medium (chopped)
Green Peas- 1 cup
Carrot - I cup (chopped)
Cloves - 4
Whole black pepper corns - 10
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Big cardamom - 2
Salt - to taste

Instructions-

Soak rice in water for 2 hours
Heat oil in pressure cooker
Add all the whole spices and cook for few seconds till you start getting aroma
Add chopped onion and saute' till light brown.
Add turmeric powder, chopped vegetables and Salt
Add drained rice and saute' for a minute
Add 21/2 cup of water
Put the lid and cook till 1 whistle
Open the pressure cooker when all the steam has escaped.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Fresh and Juicy Veggie Salad

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 20:03:00 +0000

This quick and easy colorful salad is made with grated and chopped veggies like Radish, Carrot, Tomato and cabbage tossed together with some lemon juice and salt.

The leaves in the photo are green chili leaves and are used to for garnishing only!
Enjoy this fresh and tasty salad on the side of any dish or by itself and also get your daily dose of veggies.

Ingredients

Radish - 1 (grated)
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Tomatoes- 2 small (roughly chopped)
Cabbage 2 tbsp (chopped )
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Fresh lemon juice- 1 tbsp (or to taste)
Green chilies- (optional)
Salt - to taste

Instructions-

Toss everything together in a bowl
Adjust salt
Serve and enjoy!

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Spinach Lentil Fritters(Moong Dal Palak Vadas)

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 07:09:00 +0000

Tasty, Spicy and delicious moong dal vadas are great for a cold or rainy day with a hot cup of tea!

These moong dal vadas or pakoras are easy to make and taste great with coriander or mint chutney.
Chopped spinach make these fritters even healthier and crispier.

Ingredients

Moong dal(split green gram) - 1 cup
Onions- 2 small (chopped)
Green Peas- 1 tbsp
Spinach - I cup (chopped)
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Crushed fennel seeds - 1tsp
Crushed dry coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Green chili - 1 chopped
Salt - to taste

Instructions-

Soak moong dal in water for 4-5 hours
Strain and keep it in the strainer for 15 min
Grind the dal into semi coarse paste. Whisk it for 2 -3 minutes to make the batter a little lighter.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
Heat oil in a wok over medium flame
Drop a pinch of mixture in the oil, if it comes upwards immediately that means the oil is sufficiently hot for deep frying.
Take small portions in the hand, drop into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with Coriander chutney.
Enjoy!

Avocado Toast

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 17:37:00 +0000

Ingredients

Bread slices - 2
Avocado - 1(thinly sliced)
Onions- chopped (1 tbsp)
Tomatoes - chopped (1 tbsp)
Green chillies- finely chopped
Salt - to taste
Red chilli flakes
Chopped coriander leaves
Fresh lemon juice

Instructions-

Toast the slices in the toaster
Cut into halves
Arrange avocado slices evenly on toasted bread
Top with chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander leaves
Sprinkle salt and chili flakes to taste
Drizzle some lemon juice on top
Serve and Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Mutton Curry

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 03:39:00 +0000

Ingredients

Mutton - approx 1.5 lbs
Onions- 4 medium (thinly sliced)
Big cardamom- 1
Bay leaf- - 1 big
Garlic - 4- 5 cloves, peeled
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Whole Red Chilies - 8 - 10 (deseeded and soaked in warm water for atleast half hour)
Ginger powder- 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Yogurt- 1 tbsp
Tomatoes - 2, peeled and chopped
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves- to garnish

Instructions-

Make a paste of red chillies with garlic and ginger and keep aside
Heat oil and add bay leaf, cardamom and cloves and cook for 1/2 a minute
Add onions and saute till light brown
Add mutton pieces and the chili paste and salt. Mix well
Cook for about 5 minutes, keep stirring
Add rest of the powdered masalas and yogurt, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
Add Peeled and chopped tomatoes and mix everything well, cover and let cook for 10 minutes. keep checking and stirring in between.
Add some water( desired amount) and pressure cook untill done. I cooked it upto 4 whistles
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve

Air-Fried Bread Pakoras/Fritters

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:38:00 +0000

Bread slices with Potato filling dipped in gram flour batter and Air fried!
Air fryer uses hot air circulation to cook food and is very convenient to use. You get to eat your favorite food without any guilt with much less oil and calories.
Its almost as good as a deep fried bread pakora, just a lot healthier. We all loved it including kids.

Ingredients

Bread slices - 4
Aluminium foil

(Potato Filling)

Boiled Potatoes - 1 medium
Salt - to taste
Red chili powder - 1/4th tsp or to taste
Amchoor powder- 1/4th tsp
Garam masala- 1/8th teaspoon
Coriander leaves chopped - 1 tsp
lemon juice - 1/4th tsp
Coriander powder- 1/4th tsp

(Batter)

Gram flour (besan )- 3/4th cup
Salt - to taste
Red chili powder- 1/2 tsp or to taste
Amchoor powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1/4th tsp
Water - as required

Instructions-

Mash the potato in a bowl, add all the ingredients for potato filling, mix well and keep aside.
Take the bread slices and cut out the sides if you want
Spread the potato filing on one slice and top it with another slice
Cut it into four small squares
Now take a bowl and mix all the ingredients of the batter and make thick batter with the help of water
Take one square and spread this thick batter all around evenly with the help of spoon or brush.
Place these bread pakoras on lightly greased aluminium foil. If you wish you can sprinkle few drops of oil on top of these pakoras.
Preheat the air fryer for 2 -3 minutes(depends which air fryer you are using).
Place the foil with the pakoras in the air fryer and fry it for 10 - 15 minutes till done.
I did it at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes in preheated Air fryer.

Orange Peach Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 17:27:00 +0000

Healthy breakfast or as snack, smoothies are a delight anytime of the day. A homemade smoothie is always a healthier option as you control the ingredients and also the amount and kind of sweetener you want to use.

This orange and peach smoothie is loaded with vitamin C from fresh oranges and peach, If you want you can add chia seeds or flax seeds to make your smoothie even nutritious.

Ingredients

Plain Yogurt - 1 cup, about 240 ml.
Oranges - 1 big (peeled, I used only the pulp)
Honey - 1 teaspoon
Peach - 1 big (peeled and sliced)
Sugar- as desired
Water - as required

Instructions-

Combine all ingredients in a blender.
Add desired amount of water and blend till smooth
Adjust sugar as per your taste
Enjoy!

Zucchini Pizza Bites

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:39:00 +0000

Pizza can be healthy too. These zucchini pizza bites are a quick way to fix your cravings and

are absolutely delicious.

I got the idea for this recipe after tasting it at Trader Joe's. It has been a family favorite since, especially the kids.

You can use your favorite toppings like chopped mushrooms, onions etc and can make these in the oven.

I made simple cheese ones on stove top.

Now you can eat pizza without the guilt!

Ingredients

Two Zucchini - Cut into 1/4 inch rounds
Olive oil - 1/2 tablespoons(use as required)
Shredded Mozzarella cheese - 1/2 cup ( or as required)
Pizza sauce or tomato ketchup - 3 to 4 tbsp
Chopped basil leaves - to garnish (optional)
Red chili flakes - to garnish

Instructions-

Brush some olive oil on the zucchini rounds
Heat a pan and cook the zucchini from both sides until light brown.
Spread some sauce on each piece
Top each zucchini with sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese
Cover the pan and cook on medium low heat till the cheese is melted.(abt a minute)
Switch off the heat and leave covered for another minute
Garnish with chopped basil leaves and chili flakes

Quick and Simple No Egg Tiramisu Dessert Cups

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 05:10:00 +0000

Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert made with coffee dipped ladyfinger (crisp sugary
biscuits) layered with mascarpone cheese and flavored with cocoa powder. The classic Tiramisu recipes use raw eggs and alcohol but I like to make this simple version without using
eggs and alcohol. It still tastes pretty authentic and also is super easy to make.

Try to use crispy ladyfingers and not the soft ones as they tend to get soggy.
Also the ladyfingers turn soft very quickly so don't soak them into coffee mixture for long.

Prep time- 15-20 Minutes

Yield - 6 to 10 small dessert cups

Ingredients

Mascarpone cheese- 3/4th cup
Whipping heavy cream-1/2 cup
Instant coffee - 1 cup -
Sugar - 2 1/2 tbsp
Ladyfingers - 12
Unsweetened cocoa powder to sprinkle
Shredded chocolate- 2- 3 tbsp to garnish

Instructions-

In a bowl add heavy whipping cream, mascarpone cheese and sugar. mix together with the help of electric mixture (I used egg beater) until the peaks are formed.
Make a cup of strong coffee and let it cool to room temperature.
Now cut the lady finger into three parts, quickly dip in the coffee and arrange a layer at the bottom of the dessert cup.
Spread a layer of cheese, cream mixture on top and repeat till the top.
Sprinkle cocoa powder on top and garnish with shredded chocolate
Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours
Serve cold.

Homemade Raspberry Lemonade

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 05:44:00 +0000

There is nothing more refreshing than a glass of fresh lemonade on a hot summer day. This raspberry lemonade is made with freshly squeezed lemon and homemade raspberry syrup. A perfect healthy drink to stay cool and hydrated during summer days . Feel free to adjust sugar and lemon to your taste.

Prep time- 15-20 Minutes

Yield - about 10 cups

Ingredients

Sugar- 1 cup
Fresh lemon juice - 3/4th cup
Water- 10 cups
Frozen raspberries- 1 cup

Instructions-

In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar and a cup of raspberries for 10 minutes
Let it cool and blend it in a blender
Strain the syrup through a strainer to get rid of seeds.
Combine 9 cups of water, raspberry syrup and lemon juice in a large pitcher and stir well.
Garnish with lemon slices and serve over ice.

Crunchy Grilled Vegetable Salad

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 00:42:00 +0000

Colorful mix of vegetables grilled and charred to your liking and tossed with lemon pepper and honey mustard dressing. This salad is a bowl full of healthy you will be glad you tried.

The lemon pepper and honey mustard combination works very well in this salad.

The red cabbage and bell peppers add a crunch to this salad, top it with some potato chips for added crunchiness.

Prep time- 10 Minutes

Cook Time- 15 - 20 Minutes

Serves - 1 to 2

Ingredients

Purple Cabbage
Onion
Green Bell Pepper
Yellow Bell Pepper
Paneer (Cottage cheese)
Potato Chips (optional) -
Lemon Pepper seasoning salt- to taste
Honey Mustard- To taste
Fresh coriander leaves- to garnish

Instructions-

Wash and cut the vegetables into one inch rounds
Take 2 rounds of each vegetable and brush with very little oil
Slice paneer into one inch thick slice and brush a little oil.
Grill Vegetables and paneer till they are charred to your liking. I did it in my George foreman grill.
Cut the vegetables and Paneer into strips except onions and toss everything in a bowl.
Sprinkle some Lemon pepper seasoning.
Drizzle some Honey mustard dressing and top with potato chips and fresh coriander leaves.

Palak Paneer Bhurji (Spinach with Grated Cottage Cheese)

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 19:27:00 +0000

Palak paneer bhurji with grated paneer and chopped palak is a simple variation of traditional palak paneer and tastes deliciously different. It goes well with paranthas, chapatis and rice. Its quick and easy and can also be used as a filling for sandwiches and wraps. I hope you enjoy it.

Prep time- 10 minutes

Cook Time- 15 - 20 Minutes

Serves - 1 to 2

Ingredients

Chopped Spinach Leaves- 2 cups
1 Medium Onion- chopped
1/2 tomatoes- chopped
Garlic - 1 clove finely chopped
Coriander Powder- 1 tsp
Cumin Powder- 1/4th tsp
Chat masala- 1/2 tsp
Whole Red Chilies - 2
Kashmiri Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Grated Paneer- 100 gms
Ginger chopped- 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Instructions-

Heat oil in a wok/pan
Add garlic and whole red chilis and cook for few seconds
Add onion and cook till it turns translucent
Add all the dry spice powders, mix well and add tomatoes
Cook on medium heat till oil starts seperating
Add spinach, stir and cook for few minutes on medium high heat until the water from the spinach evaporates and spinach is soft.
Switch off the heat and add grated paneer and ginger
Mix well and serve with parantha and Chapatis.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 05:44:00 +0000

Roasted cauliflower is my favorite way of eating cauliflower these days .It is not only healthy but also delicious and totally addictive. Roasting converts this otherwise humble vegetable into crisp, sweet and spicy side dish.

I actually like it better than cauliflower fritters! Just toss the florets into some oil and your favorite seasoning and bake till crisp.

This is a must try recipe which will quickly become your favorite too.

Prep time- 10 Minutes

Cook Time- 25 to 30 Minutes

Serves - 1 to 2

Ingredients

Cauliflower Florets- 10 -12
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder- 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder- 1/4th tsp
Garlic Powder- 1/8th tsp (optional)
Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp
Red chilli flakes or powder - to taste
Salt - to taste

Instructions-

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
Mix all the spices with olive oil in a bowl
Toss Cauliflower florets with the above mixture to coat evenly
Bake the florets for 20 to 25 minutes till crispy done

Greek Yogurt and Vegetable Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 04:12:00 +0000

Everyone knows how healthy yogurt is as it contains calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals and the good bacteria that are important for the digestive system. Greek yogurt is in these days. It is thick, creamy, tasty and healthy. Most greek yogurts contain twice the amount of protein of regular yogurt and less sugar.

Because of its creamy and thick texture, Greek yogurt can replace sour cream, mayonnaise and cream cheese in many recipes.
One such recipe is this creamy veggie sandwich. It is so simple and so good, you can eat without any guilt and feel healthy.

Prep time- 10 Minutes

Assemble Time- 10 Minutes

Serves- 2

Ingredients

4 Slices of bread
4 tbsp low fat greek yogurt
1 tbsp grated cabbage
1 tbsp grated paneer(cottage cheese)
1 tbsp chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp finely chopped bell pepper
Few chopped mint leaves
Butter
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Instructions-

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except bread and butter
Spread some butter on one side of one bread.
Then spread the veggie mixture and top with the other bread.
Cut into 4 pieces and serve.

Quinoa Patties with Spinach, Chickpeas and Cottage Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 02:01:00 +0000

Although Quinoa has been around for centuries, it has recently become very popular and you will find quinoa recipes all over the internet and magazines.
Quinoa is pronounced as "KEEN-wah" and is treated like a grain while actually it is a seed of a plant. Its cooking method is just like rice, boil one part quinoa in 2 parts water for 15 to 20 minutes. Its also interesting to know that the year 2013 was declared as the international year of Quinoa by United Nations.

Quinoa is considered a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids and therefore is a very good alternative to eating meat. I really like quinoa, its tasty and super healthy and if your kids eat it - nothing like it! I made these patties with quinoa, potatoes, spinach and paneer and everyone including kids ate these happily.
This recipe can also be made gluten free by using 1 tbsp of corn flour instead of bread crumbs.

Remember to rinse quinoa very well before cooking to get rid of the bitter taste.
I hope you like these patties/tikkis too.

Prep time- 10 Minutes

Cook Time- 20 Minutes

Yield - makes about 8 to 10 patties

Ingredients

3/4th cup cooked quinoa
1 tbsp boiled/canned chickpeas -mashed
2 small potatoes - boiled and mashed
11/2 tbsp paneer/cottage cheese- grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 clove of garlic- grated
Salt to taste
Red chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
1 tbsp plain breadcrumbs
Oil to cook
Chopped green chilies- 1/2 tsp(optional)

Instructions-

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except oil
Form the mixture into patties
Heat the non stick pan to shallow fry the patties
Cook the patties from both sides handling gently till brown
Enjoy with sour cream or your favorite dip

sending this to hearth and soul hop

Instant Oats and Flaxseeds Pancakes - Vegan and Gluten Free

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 14:52:00 +0000

If you are anything like me, and don't like breakfast cereals and sweet oatmeal or if you have gotten bored of eating oatmeal for breakfast, you can turn your oats into these savory pancakes. These pancakes are super healthy, gluten free and vegan all at the same time. I am so much into crepes and pancakes these days that I have tried making all sorts of chillas(pancakes) using poha, wheat flour, quinoa, semolina, lentils etc.

You can make it even healthier by adding spinach and other veggies. I am sure you will feel healthy after eating these :)

Prep time- 10 Minutes

Cook Time- 15 Minutes

Serving - makes about 6 to 7 pancakes

Ingredients

Oats- 3/4th cup
Flaxseeds - 1 tbsp
Rice flour- 2 tbsp
Chickpea flour- 2 tbsp
Grated onion- 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp or to taste (you can use use chopped green chilis and skip red chilli powder if you like)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander leaves- chopped
Mango powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to cook
Water - as required

Instructions-

Grind flax seeds and oats together in a grinder
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except oil to get the consistency of pancake batter
Heat the non stick pan that you use to make dosas and pancakes and spread oil with the help of paper towel.
Add a ladle full of batter in the center and spread it around slowly
Sprinkle some oil on top and let it cook on medium heat
Flip it gently and cook from the other side.
Enjoy with you favorite sauce or chutney.

Aaloo Gobhi Masala (Spiced Cauliflower and Potato)

noreply@blogger.com (sneh) — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 18:45:00 +0000

While making Aloo Gobhi today I realized that I have not even covered(in my blog) the basic vegetables(sabzi) and lentils(dals) that make most part of our daily meals. I make this aloo gobhi almost every other week but still don't have a post about it yet. So I hope to at least cover these recipes that I make regularly in coming posts.
Although aloo gobhi is a very simple and basic dish to prepare, I have to accept that it took some time for me to really get my aloo gobhi right every time. The cauliflower I get where I live cooks very quickly and potatoes take some time to cook, so I cook the potatoes for 5 -6 minutes in microwave and then add to the pan to cook with the gobhi.

There is no one way to make aloo gobhi, I make it in three different ways,, but this one in onion tomato masala is the favorite. Vegan and gluten free. Enjoy!

Prep time- 10 Minutes

Cook Time- 25 Minutes

Serves- 3 to 4

Ingredients

Washed cauliflower florets- 1 1/2 cups
Two medium onions - finely chopped
1 Medium Tomato - chopped
2 pods of garlic - grated
1 Inch ginger- chopped
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Mango powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to cook
Some water

Instructions-

Peel and cut the potatoes in cubes, wash and microwave for 5 to 6 minutes in some water.
Heat oil in a pan or wok and add onions, cook till onions are light brown and start leaving oil.
Add garlic and cook for few seconds
Now add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and chill powder, mix well
Add Gobhi florets, ginger and potatoes mix well to coat all the pieces well.
Add tomatoes, mix well and reduce the heat to low, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Keep stirring in between
Sprinkle some water if its too dry and sticking to the bottom of the pan
Cook till done.
Add Garam masala powder and mango powder in the end and mix well
Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves ad serve.

Notes-

You may not need to boil the potatoes before. I do that because if I add potatoes and cauliflower at the same time in the masala, the gobhi gets mushy by the time potatoes are cooked.
Other alternative is to cook the potatoes in the masala for few minutes before adding cauliflower.