Cracked Wheat n Sprouts Upma

A Protien and Fibre packed breakfast!

Ingredients:
1 cup of cracked wheat
1/2 cup of mung sprouts
1 tbsp of boiled black chick peas
1 tsp of grated ginger
1/2 tsp of curry leaves
1 tbsp of Olive oil
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 green chilly finely chopped
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt to taste

Method:
Take a pan, add the olive oil and throw in the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add the cracked wheat, salt, chopped green chilly, grated ginger and saute for three to four minutes. Now add the mung sprouts n black chick peas and mix well. Set this in an electric rice cooker and add the water and set to cook.
Once done serve warm with a chutney of your choice.

Brown rice with veggies

Oct 1st...World Vegetarian Day
A great day for my veggielicious den n here is a healthy one pot meal
All are aware of the innumerable health benefits of "Brown Rice"

Ingredients:
1 cup of brown rice washed and soaked in water for three hours
2 cups of chopped veggies of your choice
1 tsp of ginger juliennes
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 cup of youghurt
3 cups of water
Salt to taste

Method:
Take a pan, add the olive oil and throw in the cumin seeds. Once the cumin starts to crackle add the chopped veggies, salt to taste, ginger juliennes and mix nicely n saute for three to four minutes. Drain the rice and add the sauteed veggies into an electric rice cooker dish and set the cooker. Once done serve hot with yoghurt.
A great dish on this special day...World Veg Day!!

Baked Mango Yoghurt

Have been wanting to bake a mango fruit since long and this dish tasted great  and the best part is, it did not take much time.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of mango puree

3 tbsp of low fat fresh cream

2 tbsp of low fat yoghurt

2 tbsp of fat free sweetened condensed milk

A few strands of saffron

Method:

Take a baking dish and all the ingredients and mix well.

Set the dish in a preheated oven at 150degC and bake for 20 minutes

Cool it to room temp and set it in the fridge for two hours.

Serve chilled. 

The saffron gave it a rich colour while enhancing it's taste.

Sauteed Spinach

"Spinach" is rich in iron and fibre! Thought of making a warm n healthy salad in a jiffy and it turned out yummy n had a nutty flavour ... thanx to my all time favourite sesame seeds. 

Ingredients:
2 cups of washed, blanched and finely chopped Spinach
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp of roasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp of sesame oil
salt to taste

Method:
Take a pan and add the sesame oil and once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and saute for a minute and immediately add the spinach and saute for three to four minutes.(we want to retain the color of the spinach) Add salt to taste and sprinkle the sesame seeds and toss the pan. Dish out the sauteed spinach...have it warm with brown rice or as a salad. I had it as a salad with a hot bowl of pea soup.

Baked Apple and Pomegranate Juice

Sep 29th World Heart Day.. a healthy breakfast!

"Stuffed Baked Apple"

Ingredients:

1 big red apple
1 tbsp of mixed nuts, seeds and black raisins
1 tbsp of quick cooking oats
1 tsp of raw brown sugar
1 cup of water
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tbsp of hot water

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180degC
Cut the top of the apple (about an inch or so) and remove the seeds with an apple corer gently..do not go to the bottom of the apple
Take a bowl and add the coarsely chopped walnuts and almonds, raisins, oats and sunflower seeds. cinnamon powder and add the hot water and set it aside for five minutes. Now the filling for the apple is ready.
Set the apple in a baking dish and fill it with the prepared filling and spread the remaining mix on top of the apple. Pour water in the dish so that the apple is covered with 3/4 of water. Set the apple to bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes depending on how soft you want it .
Have this warm...a hearty healthy breakfast is ready and yes the juice is on it's way...

"Pomegranate Juice"

Deseed two pomegranates and throw the seeds in a blender jar along with five fresh mint leaves, a tbsp of fresh lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of water. Blend to a nice juice and strain it.
Enjoy the warm stuffed baked apple with fresh pomegranate juice!!

Baked Veggies in Chickpea flour

I can never, ever get bored of baking and here I am again with yet another healthy onepot meal loaded with veggies baked in chickpea flour!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of chopped mixed veggies
1/2 cup of chickpea flour
1tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1/2 a cup of finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp of finely grated ginger
1tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of sesame seeds for garnishing
1/2 a tsp of finely chopped green chillies
A pinch of baking soda
1 tsp of oil for greasing the baking dish
Salt to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven at 180deg C.
Take a bowl and add all the above ingredients (excepting the baking soda n sesame seeds) and mix well. Add the baking soda and give a gentle mix and pour the batter into the greased baking dish and garnish with sesame seeds.
Set the dish to bake in the oven for 40 minutes or till the knife comes out clean from the centre.
Serve hot with cilantro dip/chutney
Note: you can add a tbsp of water if you feel the batter is too thick, I didn't add though!

Eggless Banana Cake

When I started putting in  all the ingredients together for this Banana Cake I never thought that the final outcome would be so good!   Yes, this is an eggless and butterless cake.

Ingredients: 
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 a cup of yoghurt
1/2 a cup of Olive oil
4 tbsp of raw brown sugar (you can adjust the sugar according  to your tastebuds)
Puree of 6 small ripe bananas (you could use 3 big ones)
1 tsp each of baking powder and baking soda
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of Vanilla essence
1 tbsp of quick cooking oats for the topping on the cake

Method:
Take a bowl and throw in all the ingredients (not the oats) and mix well to a thick batter. Preheat the oven to 180deg C. Take a greased baking dish and pour the batter and top it with the oats. Set the baking dish in the oven to bake for 35 minutes or till the knife comes out clean from the centre. Once done remove the cake and cool it on a wired rack. Cut the cake into thick slices and enjoy! I had mine with my all time favourite..."hot mug of green tea". The cake was moist and tasted so good.

Tempered Baby Shallots

Baby Shallots can be marinated in Vinegar or lemon juice. But tempering them enhanced their taste. These can be kept in the fridge and they stay good for a week.

Ingredients:
1 cup of peeled, washed and dried baby shallots
2 cups of water
3 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp of Panch Poran (a mix of mustard,onion seeds,fenugreek, cumin n fennel
                                      seeds)
1/2 a tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of Cayenne pepper
1/2 a tsp of Sugar
1 tbsp of Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Take a pot, add the water,salt, sugar and the vinegar and boil for five minutes and turn off the gas. Add the baby shallots  and leave them to soak overnight. Next day drain them and set aside.
Dry roast the Panch poran (1 tbsp) and coarsely grind it.
Take a glass dish and throw in the drained baby shallots,turmeric powder and the coarsely ground spice powder. Lastly add the mustard oil and give it a nice mix.
Store in the fridge if made in a slightly large quantity or else it is good to use the next day, so that we give enough time for the spice mix to blend with the shallots!

Nutty Humus

Humus is my all time favourite!! I love to make variations and make humus more tasty, healthy and yummy. Today I added Peanut butter and trust me, it came out sooo tasty!!

Ingredients:
1 cup of boiled chickpeas
2 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter (I used the readymade one)
Few sprigs of Cilantro
2 green chillies
2 tbsp of roasted sesame seeds
2 cloves peeled garlic
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Half a tsp of Cayenne pepper for garnishing

Method:
Take a blender jar and throw in all the above ingredients and grind it to a coarse consistency. Dish it out and garnish with Cayenne pepper.
 That is it...a yummy and nutty humus is ready!!

Papaya n Kiwi Relish

Papaya n Kiwi... both are healthy. This tangy chutney is great as a dip or a spread. The otherwise bland raw green papaya blended so well with the kiwi puree along with the other ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 kiwis, peeled and pureed
1 cup of grated raw papaya
1 tbsp of raw brown sugar
1 tsp of each...black pepper powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder n rock
                        salt (black salt/Kala namak)

1 tbsp mix  of Pumpkin seeds n sunflower seeds
1 tbsp of sesame seeds
1 green chilly finely chopped
1 tsp of finely grated ginger
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil

Method:
Take a pan, add the oil and throw in the sesame seeds, pumpkin n sunflower seeds and saute. Add the chopped green chilly, grated ginger and the grated papya. Saute for two minutes or so and add the brown sugar and the kiwi puree.
Now add all the remaining ingredients and mix well and keep the gas on sim for two to three minutes (keep stirring)
Once the chutney gets a glazed appearance, switch off the gas n dish it out. Enjoy this with a slice of bread, veg crudities or with the normal roties. It has a nice sweet n sour taste.

Eggless Carrot Cake

This Carrot Cake is butterless and  eggless , which makes it healthy. Carrots are loaded with Vitamin A, beta carotene and various antioxidants.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of grated carrot
3/4 cup of All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup of Whole wheat flour
1/3 cup of Olive oil
3/4 cup of Yoghurt
2tbsp of milk
1/2 cup of raw brown sugar (u can use white sugar)
1/2 tsp each of Baking Powder and Baking Soda
1 tsp of Vanilla essence
1 tsp of Cinnamon powder
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp of choppped walnuts (keep a few pieces for garnishing)
1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds

Method:
Take a big bowl and add all the above ingredients and mix well. See that no lumps are there and mix till the batter is really smooth.
Take a round baking tin and grease it and sprinkle little flour on the base of the tin.Preheat the oven at 180deg C.
Pour the batter into the baking tin and sprinkle the walnut pieces (which were kept aside for garnishing) and bake for 25 minutes or till a knife comes out clean from the centre of the cake. A soft and moist carrot cake is ready to serve!

Cuccumber Rolls

Hmm Cuccumbers are loaded with so much of goodness in them. They are loaded with about 96% of water , help in dissolving kidney stones, loaded with Vit A,B n C...and the list is endless. Cuccumber juice is my all time favourite. These cute little rolls are a healthy snack.

Ingredients:
1 large cuccumber
2 slices of fat free cheese slices (I used Vegan cheese)
1 tbsp of mint chutney
Toothpicks to hold the rolls
A few slices of Black Olives

Method:
Peel the cuccumber and using the peeler, slice them into thin n long slices. Set them aside. Take a slice of cheese and cut into broad strips.
Take a slice of cuccumber, place a strip of cheese on it and spread the mint chutney on it. Start rolling up gently and hold it with a toothpick to which a black olive is inserted. Yippee cute lill' cuccumber rolls are ready in a jiffy!!
Aren't they cute and tasty and healthy?

Wheaty Oat Salad Tarts

Veggies, Sprouts n  Cheese all in one healthy homemade tart? Yes, these homemade tarts are baked with whole wheat n oat flour. The best part of these homememade tarts is that they are baked in a jiffy!!

Ingredients for the Tarts:
1 cup whole wheat flour
Little less than half  a cup of oat flour
Water for kneading the flour
5tbsp of raw Kidney beans (to fill the tart mould while baking)

Ingredients for the filling:
1/2 a cup of slightly steamed  veggies of your choice
1 tbsp of mung sprouts
2 tsbp of paneer/cheese cubes (low fat)
1 tbsp of Olive oil
A few sprigs of fresh cilantro for garnishing

Dressing:
1 tbsp of Mustard oil
1/2 tbsp of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Mix well and keep it aside.

Method:
Make the tarts first....knead the wheat and oat flour to a medium soft dough. Preheat the oven to 180deg C. Take the tart moulds (preferably non stick) and grease them slightly. Roll out the dough into small roundels and carefully place each of them into the tart moulds. Take a fork and prick lightly on the base of the tart so that it does not fluff while baking. Fill each tart with a few kidney beans and set them in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the tarts cool down to room temperature. Remove the kidney beans and gently pull out the tart from the mould. Set them aside
Now let us the make the filling ready....take a pan, add a tbsp of Olive oil and throw in all the veggies and sprouts. Saute for five minutes and add the cheese/paneer cubes and salt and switch of the gas.
Por the dressing over the sauteed mix and mix well.
Take the tarts and fill each of them with the dressed filling, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately or else the tarts would become soggy!

Healthy Dhoklas

Yes, yet another healthy dish..Spinach dhoklas with the goodness of Oats in them apart from the other ingredients.These are healthy for many reasons..they are steamed, they have Oats n Spinach!! Let me be honest, though the procedure is a little time consuming, the result is really satisfying and I personally felt way too happy!!

Ingredients:
1/2 a cup of Semolina (suji)
1/2 a cup of quick cooking Oats
1/2 a cup of Chickpea flour (Besan)
1/2 a cup of blanched Spinach puree
1 cup of Yoghurt (dahi)
2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
2 tsp of ginger n green chilli paste
2 tsp of fruit salt/ENO
Salt to taste
1 tsp of Olive oil for greasing the plates

Seasoning:
1 tbsp of Olive oil
2 tsp of mustard seeds (rai)
1 tbsp of sesame seeds
5 Curry leaves roughly chopped
1 Dry red chilli

Method:
Set a steamer with required amount of water on the gas, while preparing for the Dhokla batter.
Take a bowl, pour the spinach puree, semolina, oats, half a cup of yoghurt, green chilli n one tsp of ginger paste, one tsp of lemon juice, salt to taste and mix well and set aside.
Take another bowl, add the Chickpea flour/ besan, half a cup of yoghurt, one tsp of green chilli n ginger paste, remaining lemon juice , salt to taste and mix well and set aside.
Now the water in the steamer must be boiling. Take a deep dish/thali  which can accomodate  the above batters and grease it well, Add a tsp of ENO to each of the batter and pour the Spinach batter first. Then gradually pour the Chickpea batter on top of it. Close the lid of the steamer and steam for 20 to 25 minutes.
Take a pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and throw in the mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves and the red chilli. The seasoning is ready.
Once the dhokla is  slightly cooled, remove the dish and pour the seasoning on it. Cut it into pieces and serve either warm or at room temperature.
The two tier colourful dhokla looks so tempting and yeah it is healthy as well!!

Baked Oaty Tomatoes

Oats n Oats..I can use oats in any dish , so here I am..baked tomatoes with  oats filling. Offlate, whenever I go to a supermarket I see more and more people buying Oats and people are becoming really health conscious. Oats are rich in dietary fibre and are said to reduce the level of bad cholestrol or LDL . Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene which are said to protect one against cardiovascular diseases.

Ingredients:
2 large firm red tomatoes
2 tbsp of quick cooking Oats soaked in warm water
1/2 finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tbsp of fresh Basil leaves finely chopped (u can use dry basil also)
1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp of low fat finely grated Cheddar/Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut the tomatoes into halves and scoop out the seeds.
Take a pan, add olive oil and throw the garlic and onions n saute till slightly cooked.Now add the soaked oats (drain water if any), salt, basil and saute for a minute. Off the gas and add the black pepper powder.
Preheat the oven at 180deg C. Set the tomato halves in a baking tray and fill them with the oat mix and sprinkle the grated cheese on the top.
Bake for 25 minutes or till the cheese starts melting. Serve warm!

Healthy Savoury Muffins

Was wanting to bake healthy savoury muffins for a long time and wanted to use cornmeal and barley flour for the muffins. I wanted them to be loaded with veggies, so that they could be a mini meal on their own. Yes, they did come out very well and were filling too!

Ingredients:
1 cup of cornmeal
1 cup of barley flour
1 cup of finely chopped Red Capsicum, corn nibblets n green peas
1 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tbsp flax seed powder dissolved in 3 tbsp of water (u can use 1 egg instead)
1/2 a tsp of finely chopped green chillies
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
1 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp of Olive oil
Water as needed

Method:
Take a bowl and add all the dry ingredients and mix well
Take a smaller bowl and add the flax seed mix (or a beaten egg if using) buttermilk, olive oil and mix nicely.
Now add the above mix to the dry ingredients and add little water. The batter should not be too runny.
Pour the batter into muffin moulds and set in a pre heated oven at 200 deg C and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Insert a knife at the centre of the muffin to check if it is done and if it comes out clean, remove the muffin tray and set to cool.
You can serve the rugged muffins warm with a hot cuppa soup.

Green Pea Dip

It was always Chilli Mayonnaise for my hubby n me as a dip  with veggie crudities, till we became a bit sensible about our eating habits! From then on  I have been experimenting on different kinds of dips to replace mayo.

Green Peas contain a unique assortment of health protective phytonutrients. They are low in fat as well. So I thought why not make a dip using the delicate green peas adding a couple of healthy nuts.. " Almonds".

Ingredients:

1 cup of frozen green peas. (u can use fresh ones as well)

6 Almonds soaked in hot water for half an hou

2 tbsp of fresh lime juice

1 tbsp of roasted sesame seeds

A fistful of finely chopped cilantro leaves 

1 tbsp of Olive oil

Salt to taste

Two green chillies

A tsp of Cayenne pepper for garnishing

Method:

Grind all the above ingredients (excepting the Cayenne pepper) 

I like to keep the dip slightly coarse. Garnish the dip with cayenne pepper. The almonds give the dip a a nice creamy texture and enhance the taste as well.

Serve it with veggie crudities.

Cheesy Wheat Potato Scones

I had a Potato Scone for the first time way back in 1999 in Nigeria! It was loaded with cheese, butter and plain flour. I thought why not try making a healthier version of the same? Trust me it was worth the try. 

Ingredients:

1 large boiled Potato

1 cup of wheat flour

A third cup of shredded low fat Cheddar or Cottage Cheese

2 tsp of baking powder

1 tbsp of low fat milk

2 tsp of Olive oil

1/2 a cup of finely chopped cilantro leaves (kothmeer)

Salt to taste

Method:

Take a bowl and grate the boiled potato. Add the shredded cheese, baking powder, milk, chopped cilantro, olive oil and salt and knead with light fingers. The dough should be soft. Set the dough aside for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 200 deg C.

 Roll out the dough into a slightly thick disk and with the help of a cookie cutter, cut into medium sized roundels. Take a baking tray and line it with parchment paper.Place the roundels on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or till light brown.

Serve warm with a dip of your choice and enjoy with a hot cuppa!!

Baked Sweet Potato

After a gap of one month, am back to my blog!
Baking is my weakness and here I am with another baked delight! Sweet Potatoes have been on my mind for a long time and they turned out great after baking.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with Vitamin C and A
The best part of this receipe is, that after baking they can be stored in the fridge upto a week. Just reheat them in the oven before use.

Ingredients:
1 big sweet potato washed and peeled
1 tbsp of Oilive oil
1/2 a tbsp of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 a tsp of Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven at 190 deg C.
Chop the sweet potato into big chunks
Spray the olive oil on the chunks and coat them evenly.  Now toss them up with the black pepper and Cayenne pepper and salt.
You can either place the pieces on  a parchement paper on the baking tray or wrap them in a foil.
Bake them at 190 deg C for 30 minutes or until soft. They should not be too mushy.
Have them warm  with a bowl of hot soup for dinner.

Cheesy Saffron Cake

Who doesn't like cheese? Saffron emits a lovely colour to this  cake and gives it a distinct taste as well.

Ingredients:

2 cups cottage cheese/Paneer (Low fat) 

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp of Semolina/Suji

A pinch of Sodium Bicarbonate

A pinch of salt

A few strands of saffron

Method:

Take a bowl and add all the above ingredients and knead well and give the dough a quick pulse in the blender. It all comes together and looks smooth.

Grease a baking dish and pour the smooth dough on it.

 Set the dish  in the oven at 175deg C for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes check with a knife, piercing the cake at the centre. If it comes out clean  you can remove and cool it on a rack or else let it bake for five more minutes.

Once it is cooled to the room temperature,  cut it into slices and serve  it immediately or  it can be kept in the fridge and served chilled. This stays good in the fridge for two to three days.

Oatilicious Wheat Cookies

  Homemade cookies are any day a better option to the market ones. Been    contemplating to bake these healthy cookies for sometime and finally took time off  for these this noon.

Ingredients:
One cup of Oats
One cup of wholewheat flour
3 tbsp of milk
Half a cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
Half a cup of castor sugar
1 tbsp of baking soda
1 tsp of Vanilla essence
1 tbsp of cinnamon powder

Method:
Take a bowl and mix all the dry ingredients
Take another bowl and add all the wet ingredients and mix nicely
Now  add the mixture of the dry ingredients into the second bowl and mix well  n see that no lumps are there.
Place a parchment paper on a baking tray and divide the mixture into roughly 15 equal parts and shape them into round balls. Press them slightly between your palms.
Set to bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 180 deg C. Check once after 15 minutes. Once done remove and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight glass jar.
Enjoy the crunchy wholesome cookies with a hot cuppa!!

Oaty Banana Muffins

Oats is a healthy grain which has been proven to lower Cholestrol levels and prevent heart disease. I try n incorporate oats in my daily cooking. So these cute lill' muffins came up!

Ingredients:
One cup of quick cooking Oats
3/4 cup of Whole wheat flour
3/4 cup of All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup of butter milk
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of extra virgin cocconut oil or Olvie oil
One n half cups of pureed banana
One tbsp of flax seed powder ( You can replace it with One egg)
2 tsp of Baking powder
3/4 tsp of Baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/10 tsp of Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp of Vanilla essence

Method:
Take a big bowl and add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
If you are using Flax seed powder....take a cup and add three tbsp of water n mix the flax powder and set it aside for five minutes. It will become thick n sticky.
Now add the pureed banana, oil,  vanilla essence,buttermilk and the egg/flax seed water and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased muffin tray(do not fill the muffin mould till the top...just fill a little more than half) and set it in a preheated oven at 200deg C and bake for 20 minutes. Check once after 15 minutes.
Once done remove from the oven and cool the muffins on a rack. They come out fluffy on the inner side...the pic says it all!!
Once these are baked your kitchen would be smelling so good...hmm cinnamon smell is so heavenly!!
U can have them for breakfast or tea time. I like my muffins warm with a cup of green tea.

Mustardy Green Chillies

Mustard seeds have been around for almost 5,000 years. It is a known fact that they are low in calories and high in nutritional value. I don't miss a chance of adding mustard to my cooking whenever it is possible. The sharp taste it gives to the food is really amazing. Mustard goes very well with green chillies!

Ingredients:
Two cups of chopped long fresh green chillies(washed and dried well)
Two n  a half tbsp of Lemon juice
Two tbsp of Mustard oil

Grind the following into a coarse powder
Two tbsp of Coriander seeds
A tbsp of Fennel/saunf seeds
A tsp of Fenugreek/methi seeds
A tsp of Mustard seeds
A tsp of Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of Asafoetida/Hing

Method:
Take a glass bowl and add the chopped green chillies
Take another bowl and add the coarsely ground powder
Heat the mustard oil to smoking hot and pour it over the coarse powder.
Add the lemon juice and mix well and lastly add the required salt.
Now add the above spice mix to the chopped chillies and mix well.Transfer the entire contents into a dry glassbottle. Set aside for two days and it is ready.
If kept in the fridge after two days, it will remain fresh for a week to ten days.
This can be had either with rice, bread  or roties.

Note: I have used the green chillies shown in the above pic..they do not have too              many seeds and are not very hot. So be careful in selecting the chillies!!!

Crunchy Steamed Capsicums

Who does not like a 'One Pot Meal"? I just dote on them! Coloured Capsicums are really attractive apart from being very healthy, they are rich in beta carotene, capsaicin, Vit A n C and also prevent a host of other diseases..the list is never ending.
So why not have these vibrant veggies as a one pot meal?

Ingredients:
Three coloured capsicums
Five tbsp of cracked wheat/dalia
Two tbsp of finely chopped mixed veggies
A tbsp of sesame seeds
A tbsp of Cumin seeds/Jeera
A tsp of Cayenne pepper
A tbsp of grated Cheese (i used parmesan)
Salt to taste
A tbsp of olive oil
A tbsp of Cilantro/hara dhaniya
Three cups of boiling water

Method:
Wash and dry the capsicums and carefully slice the heads and keep them intact.
Scoop out the seeds and set aside.
Pour boiling water over the broken wheat and set aside for 15 minutes.
Take a pan and add the olive oil and once it is hot add the Cumin seeds. Once they crackle add the chopped veggies and saute for a minute or so. Now drain the cracked wheat and add them to the veggies. Add salt, cayenne pepper and sesame seeds. Let the mixture cook on medium heat for four to five minutes. Lastly add the chopped cilantro.
Take an electric rice cooker (you can use your steamer) and add water to the pot and set to 'Cook'.
Take the capsicums and fill each of them with the cooked mixture and fill in just a little more than half because the cracked wheat swells up once it is cooked, Now carefully place the capsicums on the steamer dish and put it in the cooker. Steam for 35 minutes and check if the cracked wheat is cooked. Once done remove from the steamer and let them cool down for a while. Don't overcook the capsicums because you don't want a limp capsicum on your plate. It should be firm and a bit 'Crunchy'.  Garnish with grated Cheese and cover the capsicums with their heads and serve warm with seasoned yoghurt.
Your healthy meal is ready and if you have noticed, I have just used a tbsp of oil!!!

Pol Sambol

Please don't raise your eyebrows at the name of this recipe! Way back in 2009 when I had been to Gaya, this dish was served in the guest house. It is a Sri Lankan dish and I still remember how I had asked for a second serving(not bothering that my hubby was giving me dirty looks) and came back home and  made it myself. The only change I made to it was adding Cilantro/Hara Dhaniya.This requires no cooking and yes is made in a jiffy. Told ya I hate to spend long hours in the kitchen!!!

Ingredients:
Five tbsp of freshly grated cocconut
One medium sized onion finely chopped
A cup of finely chopped Cilantro/Hara dhaniya
A tbsp of Cayenne Pepper/or normal red  chilly powder
Salt to taste
One n a half tbsp of fresh lime juice

Method:
Take a big bowl and add all the ingredients (excepting for the lemon juice) and mix well.Lastly add the lemon juice n give it a nice mix again.
That is it...Pol Sambol is ready!! You can serve it with chips or top it on a slice of bread. This is so irresistible, if you have a spoon of it, you will go back to the bowl for more!!!

Eggless Mango Cake

It is said that 'Mango' is the king of fruits and it is so true. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A and Potassium. So I thought of using this healthy fruit in baking a cake and trust me the cake turned out so tasty.

Ingredients:
One cup of fresh mango puree
One cup of All Purpose Flour
A dash of salt
1/4 cup of Olive oil
1/2 cup of sugar
One n a half tbsp of Baking Powder
A tsp of mango essence (optional)
A tbsp of castor sugar for dusting the cake once it is baked

Method:
Peel the mangoes (i used two mangoes for one cup of mango puree) and puree the pulp to a smooth consistency.
Take a bowl and add the flour, baking powder, salt and mix well.
Add the mango puree, sugar and oil to the flour and mix gently. Do not over beat the batter.
Now pour the batter into a well greased cake dish and bake it in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the centre comes out clean.
Once it is done, cool it for sometime and dust the top with castor sugar.
You can serve the cake with a slice of fresh mango.

Healthy Ragi Muffins

Earlier it was said that millets were 'poor man's food'. But now the scenario has  changed and people are gradually including millets in their daily cooking due it's  health benefits.
Ragi or Finger millet is widely used in the state of Karnataka.
I thought of making healthy muffins using Ragi /finger millets

Ingredients:
One cup of whole wheat flour
Half a cup of Ragi/finger millet flour
One n half tbsp of Cocoa powder
3/4 th cups of Brown sugar/normal white sugar (i use brown sugar)
1 tbsp of coarsely ground walnuts
1/2 tsp of Baking Soda
1 tsp of Baking Powder
1 cup of hot water (not boiling)
1/4th cup of Oil (i always use Olive oil)
1/4 th cup of milk at room temperature
1/2 cup of yoghurt
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp of castor sugar

Method:
Add all the dry ingredients (excepting the castor sugar) in a large bowl and mix well.
In another bowl add the yoghurt, milk, water and sugar and mix till the sugar dissolves.
Now gradually add the above liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well and see that there are no lumps.
Pour the batter into muffin moulds and set the same into a preheated oven at 180 deg C and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven once done and cool the muffins on a rack.
Sprinkle the castor sugar on the muffins and serve with a hot cup of tea/coffee
I love the darkish lavender color of these ragi muffins.

Red Chilly Chutney

Looks can be deceptive....yes, this chutney/dip looks fiery, but it is not so. These fresh red chillies are not so hot. These are longish and do not have too many seeds in them. Red chillies contain a substance called 'Capsaicin', which gives the peppers the pungence. Capsaicin is being studied for effective treatment for nerve disorders.
My sister Ganges made this at my place at Qatar and it was an instant hit!

Ingredients:
15 red chillies
One n a half tbsp of Tamarind paste/Imli paste
Salt to taste
A tsp of mustard oil

Method:
Wash the red chillies and dry them nicely.
Chop the heads and cut them roughly and keep aside.
Take a blender jar and add the chopped red chilly pieces, the tamarind paste and salt to taste. Make it into a slightly coarse paste. Empty the chuntey into a glass jar and add the mustard oil and mix well. It stays good when kept in the fridge for about a week to ten days.
The mustard oil gives it a nice sharp flavour.
You can use this as a dip, a spread on a slice of bread or just have it with hot steamed rice.

Basilico Pasta

Who does not love Italian cuisine? I prefer Pasta to Pizza anyday. I had a very good Italian friend in Nigeria, who taught me the basics of the Pasta sauce. Later I started experimenting on my own and  always tried making a hassle free and healthy Pasta. I prefer making the sauce than the readymade one.
Pesto is my all time favourite. It is  full of flavour and refreshing.

One and half cups of boiled wheat Penne Pasta
15 to 20  fresh Basil leaves
Two tbsp of grated Parmesan Cheese
A tbsp of Walnuts
Three tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Take a pestle and throw in the Basil leaves, Walnuts and grated Parmesan Cheese and grind well. Gradually add in two tbsp of Olive oil while grinding.
Take a pan and add the remaining olive oil and throw in the boiled pasta along with the Pesto paste. Saute for  two minutes or so and add salt to taste.
Garnish with little grated parmesan cheese and a shredded leaf of Basil and serve hot.

Note: You can use white Pasta as well
         

Yummy Bread Rolls

I used to have white bread almost thrice a week till a couple of years back. But then gave up totally and switched on to Brown bread n now since I am into baking, I bake multi grain brown bread at home.
But this recipe did not come out very well with Brown bread. I tried them out with white bread n the result was too gud. So I said to myself, once in a while white bread is good!!

Ingredients:
Four White Bread Slices
A cup of crumbled home made paneer/cheese
A tbsp of finely chopped green chillies
Two tbsp of finely chopped Cilantro or Kothmeer
Salt to taste
A tsp of coarsely ground black pepper
A tsp of fresh lemon juice
A tbsp of Olive Oil

Method:
Trim the edges of the bread slices and set aside
Mix the chopped green chillies, cilantro, salt, pepper n lemon juice to the crumbled paneer/cheese.
Take a rolling pin and carefully roll out the bread slice (on your chopping board or a table top) till you see it absolutely flat. Ensure it does not break away. Do the same with all the bread slices.
Take each slice and spread the cheese filling on one half of the slice and slowly roll it up. Slightly wet the edge of the slice and seal it carefully. Once done it should resemble a spring roll, ofcourse the sides will be open here.
Do the same for the other slices. Now your bread rolls are ready.
Take a pan and once it is heated up, set it on medium heat and spray some Oilve oil on the surface.
Place the bread rolls side by side on the pan and again spray the olive oil using an Oil spray can. After a minute or so slowly turn the roll on to the other side.
Once you see both the sides are golden brown, off the gas.
Serve them hot with sauce or a dip of your choice. I served them with fresh mint chutney.

Aubergine n Potato curry in a jiffy

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I hate to spend long hours in the kitchen. I try to cook quickly using minimum ingredients and keep my food simple n healthy. I dont overcook my veggies, cause it kills the nutrients in them.
I had one aubergine/eggplant lying in the fridge, so I decided to make a quick fix for lunch adding two small potatoes with it.
I have an immense liking to Panchporan (a mix of equal quantity of Cumin seeds, Mustard, Fenugreek seeds, Nigella seeds and Fennel seeds) So i thought, why not temper this dish with panchporan? Trust me, it tasted so good and was ready in a jiffy!

Ingredients:
One medium sized  Aubergine/Eggplant (the purple one)
Two medium sized boiled Potatoes
One tbsp of Panchporan
One n a half tbsp of olive oil
Salt to taste
One tsp of turmeric powder

Method:
Cut the Aubergine into big chunks and place them in water.
Cut the boiled potatoes also into big chunks

Take a pan and on the burner. Add the oil and once it is hot, add the panchporan.
Once it starts spluttering, drop the chunks of Potatoes and saute for three to five minutes. Now remove the aubergine pieces from the water and add them to the pan.Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and keep the pan closed, stirring inbetween. Once you see that the aubergine is almost cooked, off the gas.
Serve hot with Indian bread or rice.

Note: Make sure whenever you buy an aubergine, it should be very light when you            hold it, which means it has very few seeds inside and it is fairly fresh.
                             

Baked Spicy Dinner Rolls

Offlate my hubby n me have stopped having full fledged dinner. We have a bowl of soup and some salad or a homemade dinner roll. I could not avoid the All Purpose Flour (maida or white flour) totally but have minimised it a lot in this recipe. I made spicy veggie dinner rolls and it was fun to have a hot one straight from the oven in the comfort of my home.

For the dinner rolls:

One n half cup of wheat flour

Half a cup of All Purpose Flour (maida)

Half a cup of lukewarm milk

One tbsp sugar

One tbsp rapid rising yeast
One tbsp of sesame seeds

Two tbsp Olive oil (u can use oil of your choice)

For the filling:

A cup of  mixed veggies...carrots, zucchini, capsicum and green peas 

Two tbsp of crumbled fresh cheese/paneer

Salt to taste

A tbsp of Cayenne pepper/ or red chilli powder

A tsp of Olive Oil 

Method:

Take a bowl and add the milk and sugar and to this add the Yeast 

Let it sit for ten minutes and it will start foaming gradually.

Take a dish and add the flours and the olive oil n mix  to a crumbly texture.

Now gradually add the foamed up Yeast solution and knead the flour well.

Keep it in a greased dish and cover it well and let it sit for two hours or till the dough doubles in size.

While the dough is resting, take a pan and place it on the burner and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, throw in the finely cut mixed veggies and the green peas. Saute well for five minutes and add the crumbled cheese/paneer.

Add salt to taste and lastly add the Cayenne pepper/red chilli powder.

Off the gas n set aside.

By now the dough must have risen well. Punch it with light fingers and make small roundels or shape them like dinner rolls.

Fill each of them with a tbsp of the cooked veggie n cheese filling and close them.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the rolls.

Arrange all the stuffed dinner rolls on the parchment paper of the baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 210 deg C for fifteen minutes or till they appear light brown on the top.

Once done, remove from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool down.

Enjoy with a hot bowl of homemade soup, your light meal is ready for the night!

Baked Potato

Never thought blogging would take so much quality time, but must say that I am enjoying every second. It gives me immense satisfaction to see my work on the blog.
Had a variety of Baked Potatoes at different places, but somehow was not too happy cause they were loaded with cheese.Who doesn't love cheese,but I am into healthy eating and healthy recipes now!!!
This version of baked potato came out really great.

One big Potato
One tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One tsp of fresh and coarsely ground pepper
One tsp coarsely ground Kosher salt or the normal salt
Wash the potato nicely and make slits with a knife almost till the bottom, but keeping the potato intact.
Place the potato on a parchment paper and drizzle the olive oil on it.
Sprinkle the salt n the pepper on the potato.
Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degC for about 35 minutes.
You can check by piercing a knife into the potato, if you feel it is still not done, u can bake it for another five minutes or so.
Once baked, serve warm with hummus or a dip of your choice.
Will be posting my version of Hummus soon.

Baked Garlic Pods

All are aware of the innumerable health benefits of Garlic.

The best part of baking garlic is, it loses it's strong smell and it tastes yummy. I had this in an Italian restaurant and couldn't wait to come home and try it out.

Three Pods of Garlic
A tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A tbsp of mixed Italian herbs
A tsp of rock salt
Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for ten minutes
Cut the heads of the garlic till the top of the cloves are exposed.
Place the garlic pods on an alluminium foil
Spray olive oil on the pods, sprinkle salt and the mixed herbs.
Fold the foil gently n once done it should resemble a chocolate with a wrapper.
Place this in the oven and bake for 35 minutes
Check if the pods have softened by pressing a tong on the foil.
If done remove and let it cool before opening the wrap, or else bake for another five minutes.
Serve warm with bread. The kitchen smells so good when the garlic is being baked.

Baked Plantain Cutlets

Ok after a gap of one year, thought I'd revive my Blog. So here i am back to some serious work. U will find healthy recipes on my blog which are easy to make n the least cumbersome.
Was thinking of trying a healthy baked alternative to Hash Browns and hit upon this idea. Trust me it  came out tasty and was made in a jiffy.

Two raw plantains boiled and grated
Coarsely ground paste of:
Three green chillies
A fistful of cilantro leaves
A tbsp of roasted Peanuts
Add the grated plantain to the above paste, salt to taste and a tbsp of fresh lemon juice. Set this aside for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven at 200 degree C for 10 minutes.
Place a parchment paper on a baking tray
Now shape the mixture into (slightly thin) cutlets/discs and place them on the parchment paper.
Spray a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on all the cutlets.
Bake at 200 deg C for 15 minutes or till crisp. Check once after 10 minutes.
Serve the hot n crisp cutlets with a dip of your choice.
I served  them with fresh red chilli dip...will be posting the recipe soon.