Sprouted Green Moong Parantha (Sprouted Green Gram Flat Bread)

I was watching Turban Tadka on FoodFood Channel which showed Chef Harpal cooking this parantha.

However, I was not able to watch the entire show so missed out on half of the recipe.

That did not stop me from trying this recipe though.

Green Gram are a great source for healthy skin & protect us against many illnesses.
Many call it POWER FOOD!
Most legumes when sprouted become an excellent source of nutrients! 
Most of us prepare either curries or salads out of these however try them on a parantha like I did & they will taste divine & super healthy ;)

We will need:

Wheat Flour - 3 cups
Gram Flour/Besan - 1 cup
Green Gram Sprouts/Ankurit Hara Moong Dal - 1 cup
Green Chillies - 3 finely chopped
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Dry Mango Powder/Amchoor Powder - 1tsp (if required)
Curd - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Water  - as required for making the dough
Oil/Ghee/Butter - for cooking

Method:

Boil the sprouts for half a minute to remove the pungent taste. Due to the sprouting process you will find a smell & taste which is pungent.
Now, combine all the ingredients together to prepare the dough.
Keep aside for about 30 mts & then roll them out round.
Heat your griddle & put the paranthas/flat breads on it & cook till you see a few spots on them.
Drizzle some oil/ghee/butter over this cook till done.

They will really taste wonderful & you will want to cook them often.
Perfect for breakfast & kid's tiffin box :)


Note:
You may serve them with sauce/chutney/dips/pickles & even with gravied potatoes.
You can put the sprouts in a blender & coarsely grind it & prepare the dough
I served it with the Gujarati Choondu - Sweet Mango Pickle & it was a HIT! :)

Aloo Kaju Poha (Beaten Rice Stir Fry with Potato & Cashew)

Hi friends!

Back to blogging after a small break. My husband met with a car accident & so that kept me really occupied. He had to undergo a Maxillo-facial surgery to correct the facial fractures & with Lord Shiva's blessings he has recovered well.

Today morning I wanted to eat something light but healthy. So, I thought it is the right day to revisit my blog with yet another version of the Poha that I cook.

We need:

• Beaten Rice/Poha: 250 gms
• Potato - 1, chopped
• Peanuts - handful
• Cashews - handful
• Urad Dal/Split White lentil - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4th tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Whole Red Chillies - 2 borken into 4
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Lemon Extract - as per taste
• Green Chillies - 2, finely chopped
• Ginger - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped
• Curry Leaves - 5 to 6
• Salt - as per taste

Method:

Wash & drain the beaten rice. Add to the beaten rice - salt, finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped ginger & the lemon extract. Mix well & set aside till you cook the other ingredients.

In a pan, pour some oil & add the mustard seeds. Let it splutter & then add the urad dal. When it turns light golden add the whole red chillies. Add hing, turmeric powder & chopped potatoes & cook till it is crispy.

Add the peanuts now if you don't want to cook it separately along with some salt for the potatoes. When the potatoes are cooked then add the curry leaves & cashews. Saute just for a few seconds. The cashews will otherwise get burnt.

Now, add the beaten rice & mix in well with the potatoes. Cover with a lid for about a minute.

Our Aloo Poha is ready to be served!


Note:

• You may add onions too but I have a sudden aversion to it these days so I am avoiding it
• Instead of cooking the peanuts with the potatoes, you may roast them separately & do the same with the cashews
• Sometimes we add some mixture over this
• My father likes it with some sugar sprinkled over it & sometimes I follow him :)

Steamed Bananas (Nendran Pazham)

Yes! You can bake, steam, fry, grill & even boil your plantains/bananas.

Try them all! But what I am to share with you today makes for a great breakfast or snack.

It is very healthy too. Great carbohydrate source! Well, that is not all my Doctor brother says it is a storehouse of all kinds of essential nutrients like potassium, magnesium & dietary fiber.

Works best for people suffering with gastric ulcers & helps keep a healthy digestive tract. It is also known to prevent cancer.

So why not eat a banana everyday instead??? Might not be possible to eat everyday but what I am trying to say is that eating bananas will not make you fat but healthy.

This is a very South-Indian way of cooking your banana.

All you need is:

• Some South-Indian plantain which is better called Nendran or Nendran Pazham
• Water for steaming
• Steaming Pot

Method:

This is the fastest breakfast I guess!

 The Nendrans you use should be ripened well. The outer skin should change color to brownish black. So this helps you use up the extra ripe bananas so you don't need to dump it thinking its gone bad. Just some black spots are enough actually.

Now pour some water in your steaming pot. I used an Idli cooker. If you don't have one then you could use any cooker & fill water to some 2 inches.When the water starts to boil, place a grill or any other metal container/utensil which would fit in & place the bananas on it. Do not peel the skin off when steaming.

Cover the lid & let it steam for about 8 minutes & tada! your steamed healthy plantains are ready to be served. Cut it lengthwise, into halves or whichever way you wish to & serve with or without some fresh cream or butter. I prefer to eat it without any accompaniment.

Let me know if you try this.

Note:

• I have not tried it with any other variety of banana - If you do then let me know
• You could serve this with a dollop of vanilla ice cream

Oh So Yummy Stuffed Cheela Roll (Stuffed Gramflour Pancakes)

Hello Friends!

I am following a weight loss regime. No! I am not starving at all. I am just eating right & exercising at the gym. I have lost 3 kilos in 4 weeks which is not bad a start. What do you say? :)

I surely do get tempted when I have to cook for my husband but to gain compliments instead of that fat I am ready to sacrifice till I get fitter. Now, that does not mean I dont get to eat yummy food. All you have to do is think of the right ingredients & put them together for that yummy tummy filling food.

Friends! Here are some healthy tips which could help you lose that extra flab:

1. Do not starve

2. Include a good share of fruits & salads in every meal

3. Breakfast should have a fruit/milk/brown bread/oats/juice


4. Drink fresh juices & soups before you get hunger pangs


5. Drink lots of water but make sure you cut down on that oily food so that your body doesnt retain the water you just consumed (Oily snack will have salt which retains the water in your body)


6. If at all you crave to eat any of the following then have it during lunch only - curd/rice/paneer/1 poori/1 pakoda/1 fried papad/aerated beverage/1 sweet/1 portion of pizza/1 bite of that huge pastry/lassi etc. Having none of them or some of them only once in a blue moon is okay


7. Dont eat rice or roti for dinner. Instead have a bowl of any dal (lentil) with loads of salad. You may have 1 roti if you really want. Once in a while rice is okay which means twice a week at the max.


8. Try brown rice instead of white rice.


9.If you dont have a gym closeby then you just start skipping/running or climbing stairs




Some of my confessions:


1. I enjoy a portion of curd or raita during my lunch


2. I hate some fruits which I have to eat & love some fruits which I shouldnt eat


3. I enjoy aamras or a mango shake for breakfast on a Sunday (thatz just an excuse to enjoy mangoes)


4. I have not been able to develop taste for brown rice so once in a week, mostly on saturdays or sundays I eat a rice dish (My birthday yesterday served as an excuse to enjoy Rajma Rice...yummm)


5. After a few days your body feels much lighter & fresh


6. I also exercise at the gym & I am loving myself more & more each day


Cheela/Chilla is a very good option when you plan to lose your extra fat/flab. It is made with gramflour paste. Gramflour consists of dietary fiber & protein.


To enjoy this Oh So Yummy Cheela you need:


Besan (Gramflour) - 1 cup

Ajwain (Carom seeds) - 1/4th teaspoon

Asafoetida - tiny pinch

Red Chilli flakes - as per tolerance

Salt - As per taste

Oil - if reqd.

For the Stuffing:

French Beans  - 100 gms

Carrots - 100 gms

Pepper - for seasoning

Salt - as per taste

Olive Oil - a few drops

Method:

Wash & cut the tip & end of the french beans & keep aside. Scrape & wash the carrots & cut lengthwise.

Put them in a cooker with a cup of water & cook on medium flame till 1 whistle. Put off the flame now but do nto open the lid, let it now cook in the cooker steam. On medium flame, in a non stick pan add some drops of olive oil. Now, discard the water & add the vegetables to this. Saute, add crushed pepper & salt to it. Your stuffing is ready!

To make the cheela (pancakes), just add all the ingredients except oil. A dropping consistency is not too watery or very thick. You will know exactly what I mean when you make the first pancake. You can add more water or gramflour if the consistency isnt quite what you require. Take a ladle full of batter & sprad on the already hot pan. The pan should be on high flame & you should lower it as soon you have spread the batter. You may use a few drops of oil to turn it if required. Else turn it & cook till it is done.

On the cheela place some stuffing in the middle & roll it. Your Cheela Roll is all set! Ready to be Served & Savoured.

Note:

1. There are some variations to this cheela, like:

- You could add some shredded onions, tomatoes & capsicum to this cheela paste

- The stuffing can have more vegetables in it

- You could spread some honey on this cheela & then place the stuffing to roll & enjoy

2. It is best enjoyed with sweet or a tangy dip. I avoided it though.

Chilli Soya - Snack Healthy

When graduating from Delhi I lived in an all girls PG on rent.

As none of us could cook we, 'the already burdened half-dead freshers' looked out for all possibilities of feeding ourselves with some good food to stay alive.

We found out some numbers/visiting cards of the tiffin providers & zeroed-in on one of the most inviting visiting cards & called to place our very first mass order for dinner. We liked it. Though, the chapattis (flat breads) looked stale & half cooked, the dal was only coloured salty water, the curd had gone sour, the vegetable was covered with oil, yet we enjoyed it & decided to continue the service.

By the time we got back home for lunch the next day it was 3pm & we were famished. We found the tiffin boxes kept at the entrance & we happily picked it up & got ready to eat when I discovered that the vegetable had gone bad in that Delhi heat outside.

It was time to discontinue the tiffin service & engage a cook for fresh meals every day. She cooked good however took leaves without informing. But that did not put us off as those were the opportunities when we could demonstrate our culinary skills & experiment on each other & the food of course. 

On one such occasion a friend got this extremely dry scrubber like balls which she claimed to be edible & called it Soya. I could not believe it could be edible! But,  the vegetable pulao with the soya chunks just tasted fabulous. It was much softer, juicier & yummy. I then started developing the taste for Soya & have tried many dishes since then. One such dish is what I recommend to all those who like your food spicy yet healthy & that is Chilli Soya.

Ingredients required:

• Soya Chunks - 100 gms
• Shredded Onion - 3
• Thinly sliced Tomato - 1
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Green chillies - as per tolerance
• Soya sauce - as per taste
• Green chilli sauce - as per tolerance
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Oil - 3 tbsps

Method:

Take water in a pan to boil the soya & add salt to it. When done take it off the flame & drain it in a colander. Let it cool down & squeeze out all the extra water out of the chunks. Keep aside.

Now, take a wok & pour oil in it. Keep this on high flame & as soon as it gets smoking hot put the shredded onions in it. Saute & add the ginger garlic paste to it when the onions turn pink.

Leave it to cook for 2 mts on medium flame & then add salt & red chilli powder to it.

Continue to sauté for another 20 seconds & add the thinly sliced tomato to this. Let it cook till the tomatoes get pureed.

Add the soya chunks to this & cook for 5 mts.

Lastly add the sauces to it & cover it with a lid for a minute or two & take it off the flame.

Get ready to serve this healthy snack.

Note:

• You could add some diced capsicum too
• If you require some gravy add a spoonful of corn flour to a cup of water then pour & stir for a minute
• If you don’t have green chilli sauce you could use red chilli sauce or just add extra slit green chillies to the dish. All this only if you could tolerate the taste
• The  chilli soya (gravy) is best eaten with fried rice
• The chilli soya (dry) can be added to plain noodles or can be eaten dry as a starter or for snacks

Flour Laddoos - Makai & Wheat

It is healthy & very very easy to make. It is made of Corn Flour not Corn Starch. Please do not use the corn flour which actually is the starch of the maize grain used to bind food products. Corn Flour is the powdered form of Corn.

Ingredients:

• Makai Atta (Corn Flour) - 3 cups
• Wheat Flour - 1.5 cup
• Jaggery - 250 gms
• Ghee - 2 tbsps
• Chopped Cashew Nuts - 1/3rd cup
• Chopped Almonds - 1/3rd cup
• Raisins - 1/3rd cup
• Powdered Cardamom - 1 tsp
• Ginger Powder (Saunth) - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 8 

Method:
Take a pan & pour 2 tsps ghee & fry the cashews, almonds, raisins & cloves. Take out & keep aside. Now, put the jaggery with some water & let it dissolve. Now, Add the corn flour, wheat flour & ghee & stir till the ingredients are completely mixed & becomes smooth. Add the powdered cardamom, ginger powder & the fried dryfruits & cloves. Mix well. Put off the flame. Before it cools take small quantity & make round shaped laddoos with the help of your hand. If required you can grease your hand with some ghee to help you get perfect round shapes. Cool & keep in air tight containers. It can be stored for a few days.

Note:
1. You can increase or decrease the amount of dry fruits according to your liking
2. The same can be made with only wheat flour
3. It's a quick snack

Smoked Tandoori Veggies

You think you need a tandoor for this preparation? 
NO! Keep reading :)

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower Florets - 2 cups
• Onions - 2 Medium sized
• Capsicum - 2 Medium sized
• Baby Potatoes - 10
• Cottage Cheese (Paneer) - 250 gms
• Coriander - For Garnishing
• Lemon - 1
• Salt - As per taste
• Oil - 2 tablespoons
• Chaat Masala - As per taste

For Marination:

• Curd - 1/2 kg
• Gramflour (Besan) - 2 tsps
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsps
• Green Chilli Paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - As per taste
• Edible Red Color - 2 pinches

Special Ingredients:
Coal - 1 medium sized
Oil - 2 tsps

Method:
In a pressure cooker cook the baby potatoes on medium flame & put it off right after the first whistle. After the steam is out take out the baby potatoes & cool them. Peel off the skin carefully without breaking the potatoes. It should be intact. Poke holes carefully in the potatoes with the help of a fork or a toothpick. Next dice the cottage cheese. Parboil the cauliflower & takeout of the water to cool it.
Prepare the marination paste by mixing all the ingredients together. Now, put the baby potatoes & the cauliflower florets & the cottage cheese in the paste & cover them completely with the coating & leave for an hour.
Meanwhile heat a non-stick pan & add oil. When ready add the diced onions & after 2 minutes add the diced capsicum. Saute till they turn translucent. Now add the cauliflower florets & the baby potatoes with the marination. Saute for another 3 minutes. Now, add the cottage cheese. Cover & cook & continue to saute every second minute for another 10 minutes. When they are done put off the flame & turn them into a bowl & keep aside. Heat the coal on an open flame to ignite it & then transfer it into a bowl. Carefully lift the bowl with the help of tongs & place it on top of the vegetables. Be ready with a lid to cover the larger bowl containing the vegetables. Pour the oil on the coal & immediately cover it with the lid. Leave it for 5 minutes. Then take out the smaller bowl & throw the coal. This is called Smoking which helps us in getting the tandoori like taste. Garnish with coriander & serve hot with chutney. Add the lemon extract & sprinkle some chaat masala for a tang.

Note:
1. You can use ghee instead of oil when smoking
2. You can try making just a tandoori paneer, tandoori gobhi or a tandoori aaloo
3. Best to make for evening snack or as a starter

Wow Poha!

Quite a snack! A very healthy, tasty, easy & time saving snack. Once I got it to the office & all my colleagues loved it. Since then I have started bringing it for them at least once a month for breakfast. There are various variations made by Indians depending on their taste as well as the state they belong to. 

The recipe to make it the WOW way (my way) is...

Ingredients:
Poha (Beaten Rice) - 1/2 kg
Onions - 3 medium size (Thin sliced)
Tomatoes - 3 medium size (Thin sliced)
Potato - 1 medium size (Chopped)
Capsicum - 1 medium size (Chopped)
Green Peas - 1 cup
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Cashew Nuts - 1/4th cup (Chopped)
Green Chillies - 3 (chopped)
Whole Red Chillies - 2
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsps
Urad Dal - 3 tsps
Curry Leaves - 15 (Chopped)
Lemon - 1
Salt - As per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 2 tsps
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsps


Method:
Wash the poha & drain out the water. You could use a colander. Now add the lemon extract, chopped green chillies, curry leaves & some salt in it. Mix it & keep aside. It will help the poha absorb them.
Now take a pan & pour oil. When it is hot put the oeanuts & saute till it is done. Take them out & keep aside. Lower the flame & fry the cashew. Be careful as it will change color very fast. Take out & keep aside with the peanuts. Now, add mustard seeds to the oil & let it crackle. Then add the urad dal & saute. When it changes color to light brown add the whole red chillies to it & then put the chopped onions to it. When the onions turn pink & translucent add turmeric powder, red chilli powder & salt. Now, add the tomatoes & cover the pan. Let it cook till it becomes puree like. Keep checking as it might get burnt when covered. Now, add the Capsicum, Potatoes & the Green Peas. Cover & cook it is done. Keep checking & stirring the vegetables. When the vegetables are well cooked then put in all the poha & mix in the vegetables properly. Add the peanuts & cashews & mix them again. Now, cover the pan & leave for 2 minutes. Take off the cover & stir again. Check for salt & lemon. If required add & mix again. Your healthy & scrumptious breakfast is ready to be served.


Note:
1. Instead of frying you could even roast the nuts & add to your poha
2. You could add other nuts like almonds & pistas too
3. It will also taste good without vegetables
4. I sometimes make it with onions, tomatoes & nuts only & it tastes awesome!

Sweet & Tangy Carrot Salad

Winter is nearing. It's time to get fresh & colourful vegetables which is tasty & appealing to our palates. Now, this is a very very simple to make salad which is sweet & tangy & does not consume much time to preapre. The ones who do not like eating raw carrots are going to love this.


Ingredients:

• Carrots (Orange ones) - 4
• Lemon - 1
• Green Chilli - 1
• Whole Red Chilli - 1
• Curry Leaves - 6 to 8 leaves
• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - As per taste

Method:
Scrape the carrots & wash them thourougly. Now we need a shredder (kaddu kass) to shred the carrots. Be careful while shredding I often hurt myself so mostly I prefer letting my expert mother do this part.
Now, slit the green chilles mid way & chop them finely. Put the shredded carrots & the chilli together & put a dash of lemon over it. Now sprinkle salt as per taste. Separately heat oil in a ladle & heat it & when it is ready put the mustard seeds & let it splutter. Add the whole red chilli after breaking it in two. Put off the flame & put the curry leaves in the hot oil. Now, pour this on the carrot salad. Your Sweet & Tangy Carrot Salad is ready!


Note:
1. Freshly shredded carrots are to be used to retain their sweetness
2. For a variation you could use finely chopped tomatoes in the same recipe
3. No. of green chillies will vary depending on their freshness & taste required by individuals
4. This can be eaten with meals or can be separately eaten in the form of a healthy breakfast

Mom's Magic Kashayam (Magical Herbal Drink)

This one is my favorite. After a hectic schedule at work I come back home with fatigue & hunger pangs. This is the time when most of us treat ourselves to tea/coffee & so do I. However, at least twice a week I stick to my mom's kashayam. Kashayam is a Tamil word. In Hindi we call it Kaadha but I like to call it a magic drink as it relieves me of all the fatigue or any stomach & digestion related problems. It should be consumed by us every week at least 2 -3 times at any time of the day. Preferably in the morning hours.


Let me tell you how to prepare it.


Ingredients:

• Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - 2 teaspoons
• Peppercorns (Kali Mirch) - 5 pieces
• Bishop's Weed/Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1 teaspoon
• Black Salt (Kala Namak) - As per taste (optional)
• Water - 1 litre
• Basil Leaves (Tulsi) - 10 to 12

Method:
Take a deep vessel/pan & roast the cumin seeds, peppercorns & Bishop's Weed on low flame else they will get burnt. Once they have browned & the aroma spreads put the water in it & increase the flame to medium. Put black salt (recommended) or regular salt. Now do not cover the pan & let it boil. When it starts boiling put the cleaned basil leaves in it. Let it continue to boil uncovered for another 3 - 4 mts. Now reduce the flame to low & do all your other chores. You need not do anything more except waiting till it reduces to half its original quantity. After it reduces to approximately 2-3 cups put it off & let it cool. You will see that the colour of the water is brownish green. Strain & separate the spices & leaves & drink it warm.


Note:
1. The usage of Salt is optional. I drink it saltless as I enjoy the taste of the spices & fresh basil leaves.
2. In case all these spices are not readily available then you can try variations but do not make this drink with peppercorns alone.
3. If the salt version is disliked by your children then try putting some jaggery in it. Just separately dissolve jaggery on low heat & mix it with the strained drink. You can even boil it for some time.
4. It is best consumed to avoid or decrease - indisgestion, eating disorders, cold & cough, fatigue, weakness.
5. Make it a regular drink at home & try variations to develop the taste of the family members.
6. It improves immunity.