Healthy Cooking Recipes: Diabetic delights

Showing posts with label Diabetic delights. Show all posts

I cannot be a self respecting food blogger and not post a pumpkin recipe for that time of the year when pumpkins are omnipresent on the internet. Actually, I didn't even realise this when I made this stew for dinner. Indians don't need a time of the year to use pumpkin. It is cooked round the year in several dishes - curries, sambars, a kootu with dals and lots more. In fact, pumpkin is such an everyday thing, that most Indian families love to hate it (familiarity breeds contempt and so on) and cannot understand what the hype & hoopla over pumpkin is all about, during this time of the year in other countries. Using pumpkin in desserts like cakes, cookies, muffins, pies etc. is not a very Indian thing, because none of the above dishes are primarily of Indian origin. There is of course a delicious Pumpkin Halwa (fudge) served in wedding feasts and other such auspicious occasions.

This stew is a healthy way to eat pumpkin and a perfect one pot dish for a chilly evening. Very little chopping and the fact that it simmers itself into a dish without much of supervision, makes it an easy post-work dinner too. This recipe serves two but you could easily double the quantities for a larger families. It's not something I'd call a glamourous dish, but something that's surely hearty, comforting and super healthy.

Lentils, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Stew
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/3rd cup dry whole masoor dal, soaked in warm water for 2 hours
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup diced yellow pumpkin ~200 grams
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced, 1 cm thick slices
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste* or 3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp ground cumin or ground fennel
1 tsp of ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of hungarian paprika or 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder

Directions
In a medium sized saucepan, heat the olive oil.
Add the garlic and saute for few seconds (do not brown), add the diced pumpkin and sweet potato slices. Saute on high flame for 30 seconds.
Reduce the flame. Drain the soaked (rehydrated) whole masoor and add to the pan. Stir for a minute or so.
Add all the spices & herbs, stir well for few seconds, add 3 cups of boiling water to this and bring to a simmer.
Cover and let this simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft but holding their shape. Towards the end, add the tomato paste dissolved in 2 tbsp of hot water, to the stew, bring to a simmer and then remove into a bowl to serve.
Serve hot with a slice of crusty bread or crackers or as it is.

Lentils, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato stew : One pot dinner

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Idli and dosai are two dishes which can be easily experimented with, with a variety of whole grains. If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you'll know that my whole-grain find of this year is Foxtail Millet- you'll find a couple of recipes featuring them already. It's thanks to our online grocery store that stocks a lot of these ancient grains and greens that you won't find in supermarkets that they end up finding their way in many new dishes I experiment with. While I've been using the millet grain in salads, patties, upma etc, this time I bought the foxtail millet idli rava to try making idlis. It turned out reasonably soft, definitely denser than white rice idlis- but that's the whole grain effect- the end products always turn out denser. The advantage of this being you can't eat as many idlis as you can of the regular ones. Initially you could try substituting 50% of the rice / idli rava with this millet rava and then go to a 100%.

In India: Tinai, chamai, kavalai, kambankorai are some of the names for millet in Tamil. Nuvanam is millet flour. The gruel made from millet, the staple of Ancient Tamils, is called kali, moddak kali, kuul, and sangati. Korralu (Telugu), Navane (Kannada) [Source: Wikipedia]

An idli is a healthy dish as it is, being a combination of a rice and lentil (udad dal), makes a complete set of amino acids, resulting in a good quality protein. So you can alternate between regular idlis and those made using millets, to get more fiber and a variety of nutrients.

A healthier version of Idli

Foxtail Millet Idli
Makes roughly 32 or more idlis, depending on the size, you could use this batter over 3-4 days for a variety of dishes such as dosai, uthapam, kuzhi paniyaram etc.

1 cup whole or split udad dal (without skin)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
2 cups foxtail millet rava (or use 1 cup millet rava and 1 cup rice)
2 tsp salt
Optional
finely chopped veggies to add to idlis
1/2 tsp Grated ginger, mustard seeds, chana dal, red chillies tempered in oil to add to batter before steaming

Soak the udad dal + fenugreek seeds in plenty of water. In another bowl, soak the rava in water that covers it completely.
After 3 hours- drain water from udad dal and grind to a fine paste in the mixer or wet grinder. Remove in a big bowl.
Squeeze all the water from the millet rava and grind this to a fine paste too. Add to the udad dal paste and mix well, adding salt. Add upto 1/2 cup water if batter is very thick.
Place in a large container with a fitting lid. This will expand to nearly double volume over 8-10 hours, so keep accordingly in a sizable container.
Once fermented, you can either use this immediately to make idlis / dosa or place in refrigerator immediately and use when required (within next 3-4days).

Remove the required quantity of batter
To make idlis, lightly grease the idli moulds with oil, pour batter into each mould (not more than half capacity), top with any chopped veggies if required, close the pressure cooker lid but remove the weight so that this steams and doesn't pressure cook. If you have a special idli maker, then use that. Keep the flame on high and then reduce to medium once the steam is in full flow. Steam for around 12 minutes on medium flame. Open the cooker after 10 minutes or so, removing the idli stand. Sprinkle some cold water on top of each mould and with a sharp edged steel spatula or a knife, unmould each idli cleanly.

Serve with any chutney or your choice, or molagapodi or ketchup for the kids.

Other recipes using Foxtail Millet
Salad with nutrition facts included
Millet-Basil Patties

Making a healthier Idli using Foxtail Millet

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In India: Tinai, chamai, kavalai, kambankorai are some of the names for millet in Tamil. Nuvanam is millet flour. The gruel made from millet, the staple of Ancient Tamils, is called kali, moddak kali, kuul, and sangati. Korralu (Telugu), Navane (Kannada) [Source: Wikipedia]

A healthier version of Idli

Foxtail Millet is clearly my best food discovery of 2013 so far. I've eaten it in place of rice, added it to salads, made tiffin items like upma, tomato 'baath' and it has never disappointed me. The best thing with this grain is that by controlling the extent of the cooking, you can get it mushier (to eat with the accompaniments you would eat rice with) or al dente enough with each grain separate (for salads). By cooking it to a mushier texture, you can also make these superbly textured and flavorsome patties. They don't have much of a taste by themselves so you'll have to add strongly flavoured ingredients to make these delicious patties - which is why I've chosen basil, garlic, onions and cheese. But go ahead and try your own flavour combinations.

A few nutritional pointers about Foxtail Millets
It's naturally gluten free, so those who cannot eat wheat and wheat based products and don't want to eat rice for all your meals, this is a very nutritious alternative to providing the necessary carbohydrates in whole grain form.
It contains twice the iron of wholewheat and very rich in magnesium. Magnesium is known to reduce migraine attacks, reduces severity of asthma and keeps blood pressure under control.*
It also contains a good amount of silicon. "It contains 4 times the amount of silicon in whole wheat (160mg/100g) which is required for hair growth, blood circulation, protection from mental fatigue, arthritis and infection.*
[*Source: Laugh With Health: Your Complete Guide to Health, Diet, Nutrition & Natural Foods, Manfred Urs Koch]
The high fiber and protein content make sure that you stay full for a long time after eating millets.
This grain is extremely diabetic friendly, so if you are cooking for diabetics in your family, make sure you stock up on this grain at home. I will go ahead and say that is the best alternative to quinoa available in India, locally grown and wont cost you an arm and leg and a huge carbon footprint that it takes to import the grain from the other end of the world.

Do read my story Superfoods in your Backyard published in Mint this week!

Recipe for Foxtail Millet & Basil Patties

Ingredients
3/4 cup foxtail millets
1/2 cup roughly chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup coarsely grated cheddar or any other hard cheese
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper (or more as per taste)
1 tsp salt
2 green chillies, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil or any other cooking oil

Directions

Rinse the millets in water, place it in a container that will fit in the pressure cooker and add 1 3/4 cup of water to it. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and on sim for 5-7 minutes. Once the cooker is cool enough to open, remove the millets, mash with a spoon and keep aside.
To the mashed millets, add all other ingredients and mix well with fingertips.
If you want to make this gluten free, omit breadcrumbs and use 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed instead.
Divide this into 6-8 balls and flatten on your palm to make patties as shown in the photos and keep in one layer on a plate.
At this stage you could cover the plate with cling film and refrigerate for few hours until you need to make them.
Grease a non stick tava, once moderately hot, place the patties in one layer. Once the bottom side turns golden brown, turn to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes until crisp and golden.
Serve immediately with ketchup, chutney or marinara sauce.
Omit the chillies if you are sharing this with young kids :)

Foxtail Millet & Basil Patties - Another recipe using this wonder grain

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Do read my story Superfoods in your Backyard published in Mint this week!

Recipe for Foxtail Millet & Basil Patties

Rinse the millets in water, place it in a container that will fit in the pressure cooker and add 1 3/4 cup of water to it. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and on sim for 5-7 minutes. Once the cooker is cool enough to open, remove the millets, mash with a spoon and keep aside.
To the mashed millets, add all other ingredients and mix well with fingertips.
If you want to make this gluten free, omit breadcrumbs and use 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed instead.
Divide this into 6-8 balls and flatten on your palm to make patties as shown in the photos and keep in one layer on a plate.
At this stage you could cover the plate with cling film and refrigerate for few hours until you need to make them.
Grease a non stick tava, once moderately hot, place the patties in one layer. Once the bottom side turns golden brown, turn to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes until crisp and golden.
Serve immediately with ketchup, chutney or marinara sauce.
Omit the chillies if you are sharing this with young kids :)

Paneer Bhurji is one dish that is good to have in your repertoire of easy, quick dishes that can be made in minutes if you stock store bought paneer. Also, a great vegetarian side to serve your guests, if you cook predominantly non-vegetarian dishes and you find it tough to handle vegetables.

Making paneer at home- you need

1 litre regular fat milk (3%)

You could also use a day old milk that you can't use in coffee / tea

2- 3 tbsp of white vinegar

A fine mesh sieve or a muslin cloth

Bring the milk to a boil.
As soon as it boils, lower the heat to minimum.

Add 2 tbsp of vinegar and stir it around. In 2-3 minutes, the milk will separate into solids and liquid (whey)- if the whey is not totally clear- then use the remaining tbsp of vinegar and stir for 2 more minutes.

Carefully hold the vessel with a pair of tongs or a thick tea towel and pour the contents through a sieve-collecting the whey in a large vessel.

Lightly press with the back of a ladle to remove excess whey from the solids.

What remains is the paneer.

For any other dish in which you need cubed paneer, you need to use a muslin cloth / clean cotton tea towel. Place the paneer in the middle, cover it on all sides, using the sides of the cloth as flaps.

Place this on a dish and place a heavy weight like a mortar pestle on top of this to flatten it out.

After 15 minutes, cube it and place it in the whey or warm water until you need to use it.

Paneer bhurji is a scramble made using paneer cheese, midly spiced with green chillies and the added texture of finely chopped onions and bell pepper.

For Paneer Bhurji, you don't need to do any of the earlier processes to get cubes. You don't even have to press out too much of the excess whey. This keeps the bhurji moist.

Recipe for Paneer Bhurji
Time taken: 15 minutes or so
Serves 3 people

Paneer from 1 L of milk

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of asafoetida (optional)

2 green chillies, finely sliced (or 1 if you want it mildly spicy)

1 medium onion - finely diced

1 medium green bell pepper- finely diced

Tiny pinch of turmeric powder

Directions

Heat the oil in a large steel or non stick wok.
Add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the asafoetida, chillies, onion and bell pepper, with a pinch of salt.
Saute on medium flame till onions are soft-roughly 7-8 minutes.
Add the freshly made paneer. If you are using store bought paneer, crumble 200 grams and use it now.
Sprinkle tiny pinch of turmeric powder over this and mix well.
Add 1/2 tsp salt and saute well till all spices are mixed.
Remove from flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with rotis or parathas or with toasted slices of bread.

Notes:

Use a mix of red, yellow and green bell peppers to make this dish super colourful.

You could also use crumbled tofu instead of paneer, although you need to use more chillies to make tofu taste as flavoursome as paneer.

Some people like to add boiled peas to the dish to make it more substantial and colourful.

If you are in Bombay, try the Punjab Dairy paneer or the Darshan dairy paneer. Though it has a whole lot of fat, it is one of the softest paneer I've tasted. In Bangalore, Nandini paneer is decent.

How to make paneer and the easiest dish with paneer : Paneer Bhurji

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Making paneer at home- you need

1 litre regular fat milk (3%)

You could also use a day old milk that you can't use in coffee / tea

2- 3 tbsp of white vinegar

A fine mesh sieve or a muslin cloth

Bring the milk to a boil.
As soon as it boils, lower the heat to minimum.

Carefully hold the vessel with a pair of tongs or a thick tea towel and pour the contents through a sieve-collecting the whey in a large vessel.

Lightly press with the back of a ladle to remove excess whey from the solids.

What remains is the paneer.

Place this on a dish and place a heavy weight like a mortar pestle on top of this to flatten it out.

After 15 minutes, cube it and place it in the whey or warm water until you need to use it.

Paneer bhurji is a scramble made using paneer cheese, midly spiced with green chillies and the added texture of finely chopped onions and bell pepper.

For Paneer Bhurji, you don't need to do any of the earlier processes to get cubes. You don't even have to press out too much of the excess whey. This keeps the bhurji moist.

Recipe for Paneer Bhurji
Time taken: 15 minutes or so
Serves 3 people

Paneer from 1 L of milk

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of asafoetida (optional)

2 green chillies, finely sliced (or 1 if you want it mildly spicy)

1 medium onion - finely diced

1 medium green bell pepper- finely diced

Tiny pinch of turmeric powder

Directions

Heat the oil in a large steel or non stick wok.
Add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the asafoetida, chillies, onion and bell pepper, with a pinch of salt.
Saute on medium flame till onions are soft-roughly 7-8 minutes.
Add the freshly made paneer. If you are using store bought paneer, crumble 200 grams and use it now.
Sprinkle tiny pinch of turmeric powder over this and mix well.
Add 1/2 tsp salt and saute well till all spices are mixed.
Remove from flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with rotis or parathas or with toasted slices of bread.

Notes:

Use a mix of red, yellow and green bell peppers to make this dish super colourful.

You could also use crumbled tofu instead of paneer, although you need to use more chillies to make tofu taste as flavoursome as paneer.

Ingredients inspire dishes. My sudden love for Mexican cuisine is totally inspired by the tins of Chipotle Chillies in Adobo sauce that Nupur (One Hot Stove) was so sweet enough to gift me when she was visiting us in Mumbai last year, among many other gifts including a handmade Eggplant cap for Atri :)

Having never cooked Mexican food before, they were just lying at the back of my kitchen shelf for many many months. The day I opened the can and took a teeny taste of the contents, I was sold on this. One tin goes a long way and the large chillies soaked in adobo sauce are bursting with heat and smoky flavours, giving any Mexican recipe an authentic touch.

This Chili dish is something you can serve as a stew to eat with soft tortillas, top slices of bread or make it thinner and have it as a hearty soup on a cold evening. Whichever way, this is guaranteed to be a sureshot crowd pleaser and the spicy flavours will easily agree with the Indian palate.

Vegetarian Chili with black eyed peas

serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5-6 mushrooms

1 green capsicum

1 red capsicum

1 onion

6 medium tomatoes

2 cups boiled black eyed peas (Pressure cooked with enough water until very soft and mushy)

2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce (or use regular green / red chillies finely chopped)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder or more as per preference

1 tsp dried ground oregano

1 tsp freshly ground cumin

Preparation

Finely chop the garlic, onion, mushrooms and capsicums.

Fill a large pot with 2 L water. Score the tomatoes with a cross at the smooth end. Allow to come to a boil and drop the tomatoes. Once this comes to a simmer, turn off flame and cover for 2 minutes.

Fish out the tomatoes and place them in tap/cold water, until cool enough to handle. Peel off skins and chop to a medium dice, seeds included.

Directions

Heat the oil in a large wok. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds, before adding the onions, capsicums and mushrooms. On a medium flame, let these cook for 7-10 minutes with a pinch of salt added towards the end.
Once the vegetables are nearly done, add the chopped blanched tomatoes, cooked black eyed peas, chopped chipotle / chillies and spice powders along with a tsp (or as per taste) of salt. Add 1/2-1 cup of water, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Check for spiciness and salt, adjust the taste according to your preference and remove into a serving bowl. This chilli should be quite dried out if using as a pizza topping or else the base will get soggy. If serving with tortillas or rice, you can leave some amount of liquid in the chili.

You can use black beans, kidney beans or any other beans instead of black eyed peas.

For Pizza

Ready pizza bases - 6

Black eyed peas chilli

Grated cheddar cheese - 1 cup

Dried oregano

Dried chilli flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 200C

Spread the chilli over the base. Top with grated cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes, till cheese melts.

Sprinkle oregano and if you like it really hot, then chilli flakes too.

Keep a chilled beer or iced water handy!

We started the Mexican dinner with a bowl of guacamole and baked corn chips (Italia brand). It was the most fun dinner we had in a long time. Thank you Nupur!

If you happen to spot tinned chipotle chillies in a supermarket near you, please leave a comment and I shall include it in a note here, to help the readers.

Vegetarian chili made with black eyed peas and a Mexican Pizza

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Vegetarian Chili with black eyed peas

serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5-6 mushrooms

1 green capsicum

1 red capsicum

1 onion

6 medium tomatoes

2 cups boiled black eyed peas (Pressure cooked with enough water until very soft and mushy)

2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce (or use regular green / red chillies finely chopped)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder or more as per preference

1 tsp dried ground oregano

1 tsp freshly ground cumin

Preparation

Finely chop the garlic, onion, mushrooms and capsicums.

Fill a large pot with 2 L water. Score the tomatoes with a cross at the smooth end. Allow to come to a boil and drop the tomatoes. Once this comes to a simmer, turn off flame and cover for 2 minutes.

Fish out the tomatoes and place them in tap/cold water, until cool enough to handle. Peel off skins and chop to a medium dice, seeds included.

Directions

Heat the oil in a large wok. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds, before adding the onions, capsicums and mushrooms. On a medium flame, let these cook for 7-10 minutes with a pinch of salt added towards the end.
Once the vegetables are nearly done, add the chopped blanched tomatoes, cooked black eyed peas, chopped chipotle / chillies and spice powders along with a tsp (or as per taste) of salt. Add 1/2-1 cup of water, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Check for spiciness and salt, adjust the taste according to your preference and remove into a serving bowl. This chilli should be quite dried out if using as a pizza topping or else the base will get soggy. If serving with tortillas or rice, you can leave some amount of liquid in the chili.

You can use black beans, kidney beans or any other beans instead of black eyed peas.

For Pizza

Ready pizza bases - 6

Black eyed peas chilli

Grated cheddar cheese - 1 cup

Dried oregano

Dried chilli flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 200C

Spread the chilli over the base. Top with grated cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes, till cheese melts.

Sprinkle oregano and if you like it really hot, then chilli flakes too.

Keep a chilled beer or iced water handy!

We started the Mexican dinner with a bowl of guacamole and baked corn chips (Italia brand). It was the most fun dinner we had in a long time. Thank you Nupur!

If you happen to spot tinned chipotle chillies in a supermarket near you, please leave a comment and I shall include it in a note here, to help the readers.

Whoever said TV dinners cannot be healthy? These burgers are perfect TV food to pile on a plate and curl up on the couch watching your favourite soap or movie. This recipe is another discovery in my quest for high protein vegetarian recipes. The food and dining section of NYTimes, Guardian, WashingtonPost is my regular haunt not only to see the food trends around the world, but invariably I stumble upon some interesting stuff. The recipe of Spinach and Chickpea burgers from The Washington Post is what inspired me to come up with this version.

We all love burgers, at least most of us. This one is way easier than the mixed vegetable burgers, where you have to clean, cut and prepare an assortment of veggies. This one has just two main ingredients - chickpeas and potatoes. Add to this your favourite greens and spices and you have some really filling burgers ready. Eat them as it is, or as an open sandwich or inside a burger bun. Choice is yours. Pair it with slices of fresh cucumber and tomatoes, lettuce if fresh ones are available - to make up for the lack of vegetables in the burger. I like it with a kick of sharp mustard like Coleman's but ketchup, barbeque sauce, pepper sauce, anything is fine.

Chickpeas are vegetarians' best friends to catch up with protein requirements. Not to mention how loaded in fibre and folic acid they are. Two of these patties provide 25% of your daily fibre requirement and 35% of your folic acid requirement. Combine chickpeas with rice or bread and you get a high quality protein from the meal from a combination of various amino acids. The fibre content not only keeps your full for longer but also helps lower bad cholesterol. Fibre also makes sure your sugar levels go up gradually and this is of special benefit for diabetics.

Ingredients
1/2-3/4 Cup dried chickpeas - soaked in lots of water overnight
1/2 cup mashed potato
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves or any other herbs / greens
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Besan / gram flour if required

2 tsp olive oil or vegetable oil

To assemble
Bread of your choice (6 burger buns or 12 slices of bread)
Sliced tomatoes, cucumber, washed and dried lettuce leaves
6 cheese slices (optional)
Ketchup, mustard

Directions

Pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups water for 8 minutes or so. (After 3 whistles, lower the flame and keep on sim for 7-8 minutes)
Drain and mash with a heavy mortar or till coarsely mashed in a food processor.
In a large bowl, mix mashed chickpeas, potatoes, chopped basil, pepper, salt, red chilli powder.
Sprinkle gram flour or bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet.
Divide this into six balls, flatten into thick patties and place on a lightly greased non-stick tava / skillet on a medium flame. Grill each side for 5-7 minutes, till golden brown using little olive oil.
Remove and keep aside.

Lightly toast the bread for the burger on the same hot skillet. Apply mustard on both slices. Place the cucumber and tomato slices, cheese slice and place the hot burger on the top. Cover with more salad if you like and a slice of bread or the other half of burger bun.

Eat / serve immediately.

Note
If you mash the chickpeas in the food processor, make sure you use the 'pulse' function so it does not turn into a paste, after which it will be tough to shape them into burgers.
You can prepare these upto the 'shaping into patties' stage and freeze them keeping a layer of cling film / butter paper in between and directly grill them on the pan for a weekday dinner.

Sunday night dinner - Chickpea Basil burgers

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Pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups water for 8 minutes or so. (After 3 whistles, lower the flame and keep on sim for 7-8 minutes)
Drain and mash with a heavy mortar or till coarsely mashed in a food processor.
In a large bowl, mix mashed chickpeas, potatoes, chopped basil, pepper, salt, red chilli powder.
Sprinkle gram flour or bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet.
Divide this into six balls, flatten into thick patties and place on a lightly greased non-stick tava / skillet on a medium flame. Grill each side for 5-7 minutes, till golden brown using little olive oil.
Remove and keep aside.

As a child, I didn't have the choice to avoid any foods. Whatever was made at home, I had to eat - and while at that time I hated the rules, I now realise that thanks to this, I appreciate all kinds of foods today.

Bitter gourd was one exception though at that time, where I would have the option to eat something else instead. My grandmother didn't have the heart to force a kid to eat this bitter vegetable. So when I started cooking myself, I would not be interested in buying it in the first place. However in the last few years, this one, like eggplant has gotten added to my weekly shopping list. Whether it's Pavakkai pitlah, Bitter gourd and ripe mango Ayurvedic curry or a dry spice-rich curry like the one below, it's really not that bad, especially when made with all kinds of spices. I usually don't like to drown a vegetable's original taste in spices, but something like bitter gourd really needs that kind of treatment - as the only bitter thing i like to eat as it is, is dark chocolate.

Bitter gourd is very very good for you. Especially if you want to control your blood sugar levels or you are after that flat belly. Here's what longevity expert Dr.Maoshing Ni has to say about bitter gourd -

A melon for natural weight loss
A traditional remedy for losing weight and helping treat diabetes is bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or balsam pear. Looking a bit like a zucchini with a bumpy surface, its cleansing and mildly laxative properties flush the system of toxins and promote weight loss. Bitter melon contains vitamins A, B1, B3, and C as well as several phytonutrients—including antioxidants like lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. It is a good source of dietary fiber, plus it has two times the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and double the potassium of bananas!

Surprisingly, only Indians and some other Asians are familiar with this melon / gourd. Indians do have a fascination for all kinds of gourds it looks like :)

For those of you who need an intro with this super vegetable - read about Bitter melon / gourd on Wiki
A more authentic source of info on the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center about it's anti cancer properties.

This is one recipe guaranteed to make you scratch karela from your hate list :) After all who doesn't like kachories, so any vegetable prepared this way will remind you of the beloved snack.

Kachori-masalewala Karela
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
3 medium sized bittergourds (bitter melon / karela / pavakkai)
1/4 cup moong dal soaked in hot water
1 - 2 tsp rice bran or any light cooking oil
Whole spices for tempering
1/2 tsp each of
Mustard seeds (rai)
Cumin seeds (jeera)
Fennel seeds (saunf)
Carom seeds (ajwain)
1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds

Spice powders
Pinch of pure asafoetida
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp or more of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 heaping teaspoon of dried mango powder (amchur) or 1 tsp of tamarind paste or 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Others
1 tsp of sesame seeds (optional)
1 tbsp of crushed jaggery
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander to garnish
Freshly scraped coconut for garnish (optional)
Directions

Scrub and wash bitter gourds well. Top and tail them. Cut them open vertically. Scoop out all seeds and membranes inside. Slice them under a cm thin. If necessary, cut once more vertically to give smaller sized slices. I like to pressure cook them in a vessel without extra water for 7 minutes under pressure for fast, nutrient-loss free cooking. You can either microwave or boil the pieces in salted water. Once the cooker has cooled, remove and keep aside.
In a non stick kadhai, heat oil and add asafoetida first. Immediately, throw in all the whole spices for tempering. Stir just until they start spluttering and changing colour, don't brown / burn any spices. Add the sesame seeds last if using, stir for a minute, until it starts spluttering.
Add the moong dal soaked for about 15 minutes in hot water as it is, or coarsely ground. Stir along with the spices on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup water to this along with all remaining spice powders/ pastes. Stir around for a minute. Cover and less the dal cook for around 5 minutes. We don't want it to turn mushy, just soft.
Next add the cooked slices of bitter gourd, salt and jaggery. Stir well to coat with spices. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust salt and red chilli powder after tasting.
Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with dal & rice or with chapatis / parathas and a bowl of yogurt or kadi (that's what I had for lunch).

Options
You could substitute the moong dal with 1/2 cup of dry roasted gram flour (besan / kadalaimaavu) to make it faster. In that case, just add it when you add the karela slices.
Same method works superbly with snake gourd (pudalankai)- will convert all gourd haters in one bite!
Another method to prepare this is to fill the cavity of one inch sized pieces of either gourd and shallow fry in oil. I don't have the luxury of the time nor the excess oil that the above method uses, so I stick to the low-oil sliced up one.

How to make bitter gourd less bitter

There are a variety of methods here. While I use none of this, as I believe draining the gourd of its bitter jucies reduces its healthful properties, you could use this, especially if you are a first timer with karela.

Slice the gourd as described above the previous night and soak overnight in buttermilk or thinned yogurt with a pinch of salt. Cook next morning after draining well. Take care while you add the salt while cooking as the vegetable would have retained some amount of salt in the soaking process.
Salt the slices with a tsp of salt and leave in a colander for half to one hour. Wash lightly before cooking to remove excess salt.
There's another theory that says soaking in the water in which rice has been washed (starchy water) for a few hours will also remove the bitterness. I haven't tried this one though.

Karela with kachori masala - Bitter gourd made better

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A melon for natural weight loss
A traditional remedy for losing weight and helping treat diabetes is bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or balsam pear. Looking a bit like a zucchini with a bumpy surface, its cleansing and mildly laxative properties flush the system of toxins and promote weight loss. Bitter melon contains vitamins A, B1, B3, and C as well as several phytonutrients—including antioxidants like lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. It is a good source of dietary fiber, plus it has two times the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and double the potassium of bananas!

Scrub and wash bitter gourds well. Top and tail them. Cut them open vertically. Scoop out all seeds and membranes inside. Slice them under a cm thin. If necessary, cut once more vertically to give smaller sized slices. I like to pressure cook them in a vessel without extra water for 7 minutes under pressure for fast, nutrient-loss free cooking. You can either microwave or boil the pieces in salted water. Once the cooker has cooled, remove and keep aside.
In a non stick kadhai, heat oil and add asafoetida first. Immediately, throw in all the whole spices for tempering. Stir just until they start spluttering and changing colour, don't brown / burn any spices. Add the sesame seeds last if using, stir for a minute, until it starts spluttering.
Add the moong dal soaked for about 15 minutes in hot water as it is, or coarsely ground. Stir along with the spices on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup water to this along with all remaining spice powders/ pastes. Stir around for a minute. Cover and less the dal cook for around 5 minutes. We don't want it to turn mushy, just soft.
Next add the cooked slices of bitter gourd, salt and jaggery. Stir well to coat with spices. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust salt and red chilli powder after tasting.
Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with dal & rice or with chapatis / parathas and a bowl of yogurt or kadi (that's what I had for lunch).

Slice the gourd as described above the previous night and soak overnight in buttermilk or thinned yogurt with a pinch of salt. Cook next morning after draining well. Take care while you add the salt while cooking as the vegetable would have retained some amount of salt in the soaking process.
Salt the slices with a tsp of salt and leave in a colander for half to one hour. Wash lightly before cooking to remove excess salt.
There's another theory that says soaking in the water in which rice has been washed (starchy water) for a few hours will also remove the bitterness. I haven't tried this one though.

Sorry, sorry, sorry - for this long absence from the blog. Each time I thought it was time to get back here, something would come up and I would think that deserved more priority. Now I realize, that with a baby on hands, baby will always be priority, but I've got to assign some degree of priority to other things in life as well, blog included.

Today was a nearly perfect day - with things going as planned, rains generously hitting the city, water crisis in the house somewhat better, chores getting done before schedule and one dirty window sill cleared of pigeon droppings, and me managing to catch 2 episodes of Jeeves and Wooster in the afternoon while Atri was sleeping. And hey, the little boy entertained himself with a kitchen towel, a tomato and a cooker-vessel. Was that a sign??

If so many nice things in one day could not propel me to start posting on this beloved food blog, then probably nothing could. Besides, what I cooked this evening for supper turned out so colourful and camera friendly, especially to a person behind the camera who off late has been clicking just her baby.

It's a simple couscous and veggies, one plate dish - very high on the health quotient and surprisingly high on taste factor too....in short it is a speedy way to make ourselves happy at dinner time. You can choose any variety of squash on hand as an addition along with any number of fresh herbs as a garnish. I used what I had on hand and the result has turned out superb. Next time I will also consider throwing in some eggplant wedges to roast along with the other veggies. I have added Nutrela granules to up the protein content, but it is optional.

Couscous with roasted vegetables
Makes one generous plate
Time taken - Under 30 minutes, but under 5-7 minutes of active time

Ingredients
1/2 cup couscous
2 tbsp Nutrela granules
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups boiling hot water

1 tbsp olive oil
4-5 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 medium carrot - peeled, cut into diagonal slices
1/2 medium beet - peeled, cut into diagonal slices
1 medium green bell pepper - cut into strips
1 small onion - peeled, cut into thick slices
1/4 cup shredded cabbage
Handful of frozen peas
2-3 green chillies, whole
1 tsp dried oregano (I used one sachet of oregano seasoning that comes in with pizza delivery)
Fresh basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper to garnish

Directions
Place the couscous, Nutrela granules and salt in a large bowl and pour a cup and a half of boiling water on the top. Mix with a fork, cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. If it gets too dry, add some more water, cover and wait a few more minutes, before fluffing up with a fork. Keep aside.

In a large skillet, heat a tbsp or more of olive oil. Throw in smashed garlic cloves, let them turn light brown on a medium flame. Next add all veggies except frozen peas (if using fresh shelled peas, then add that in along with the rest). Turn them around on a medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes. The veggies must not overcrowd the skillet - let them be spread out in a layer as they get roasted on a low to medium flame for 7-10 minutes.

Season with salt, pepper and oregano. You can add some chilli flakes for extra spice.

Spread the couscous on a large plate and transfer the roasted veggies over it. Flavour with some extra virgin olive oil on top, fresh basil leaves and more freshly cracked pepper.

Dig in.

Couscous with roasted vegetables - Happiness in minutes

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While one is a traditional recipe, the other is not. Both were had with rice, but I'm sure it will taste good with rotis too.

Menu
Peerkangai (Ridge gourd) thuvaiyal
Red Chauli beans
Served with rice, yogurt, sweet Kesar mango slices, Lime pickle

Thuvaiyal is a kind of Indian pesto, consisting of a vegetable and a mix of sauteed spices best served with rice. This also works great as an unusual sandwich spread with some cheese / cream cheese.

Recipe for Peerkangai Thuvaiyal
Earlier version
This time I adapted from the Meenakshi Ammal Cook and See

Ingredients
3 medium ridge gourds
1 tsp oil
fat pinch asafoetida powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp udad dal
4-5 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
small ball of tamarind, soaked in water (marble sized)
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
1 tsp or more salt

Directions
1. Wash the ridge gourd, light peel the ridges (optional) and dice.
2. In a wok, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, red chillies, udad dal and fry till the dal turns golden. Remove from heat and keep aside.
3. In the same wok, throw in the diced ridge gourd with a pinch of salt and turmeric, saute for 2 min, add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook till soft.
4. Grind the cooled spice mix (mustard, red chillies, udad dal) with the coconut and softened tamarind to a coarse powder. Remove from mixer and keep aside.
5. Grind the cooled cooked ridge gourd to a coarse paste, in the final pulse, add the earlier ground masala to this, with enough salt to taste and blend.

Remove in a bowl and serve with steaming rice. Rice and thuvaiyal are mixed with some gingelly oil for the perfect combination. Ghee also works fine.

Red Chauli
These dried lentils are the red version of black eyed peas, which make an appearance off and on in the supermarket. This time, I brought a pack of these red chauli beans home. The recipe is for a kootu kind of preparation that can be mixed with rice, or had with rotis or even soft dosais.

Ingredients
1 cup dried chauli beans, soaked overnight or for at least 4-6 hours
2 tsp oil
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt or to taste
Lemon juice, coriander leaves

Directions
1. Pressure cook the soaked beans with 2 cups of fresh water for two whistles. Switch off cooker and cool until the masala is prepared.
2. Heat the oil in a wok. Start with asafoetida, splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. Add curry leaves, saute till they crackle.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and all the spice powders & salt. Stir for 4-5 minutes on a low flame till the tomatoes are mushy.
4. Open the cooled cooker and add the cooked beans to the tomato paste. Stir in up to one cup of water to adjust consistency. If you want more gravy, add extra water and a slurry of rice flour / gram flour in water in the final stage and bring to a simmer.
5. Adjust the salt. Add lemon juice or tamarind juice for tanginess and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

[Pictures shall be uploaded later]

Day 1 - Vengaya Sambar, Vendakkai Curry, Potato Roast
Day 2 - Peerkangai Thuvaiyal, Red Chauli

Traditional Lunch Series - Day 2 (Peerkangai thuvaiyal and Red chauli in gravy)

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This dish is modeled after the excellent Vegetable Baath that my mom makes. Baath is nothing to do with bathing, but this is a rice dish, that has loads of vegetables that are finely chopped, sauteed with whole spices and spice powders. The cooked rice is then cooled and delicately hand-mixed with the spiced vegetables. My favourite accompaniment to this is a ripe banana pachchadi (raita), the recipe for which I must share with you once I manage to capture a picture of this. This darn thing is so delicious that waiting to take a pic is an ultimate test of resolve.

Here, I have not bothered to cook the veggies and wheat separately but cooked the wheat in a sort of stock where the vegetables have been half cooked. Next time, I intend to do it the way mom does it for the 'baath' and will update the results here.

The result of the dish below is a cross between an upma and a pulao, which could have been due to some confusion in my head. The dals, ginger and curry leaves are the seasoning that are done in case of upmas and the whole spices are from the pulao end of the spectrum. You could use either one or both of them.

Ingredients
3/4 cup cracked wheat, medium sized
1/2 tsp ghee / butter

5-6 cups of finely chopped vegetables
I used-
Fresh green peas
Green beans
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Spinach
Fenugreek greens
Capsicum

2 tsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
4-5 cloves
1-2 sticks of cinnamon
2 green cardamoms
1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
1-2 dried red chillies, broken

1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp sambhar powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

In a large wok, heat the ghee / butter and saute the cracked wheat for 3-4 minutes on medium flame till fragrant. Remove in a bowl. Cover with 3 cups of boiling hot water, cover and keep aside.

In the same wok, heat the olive oil and add the whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cumin, cardamom). After 30 seconds, add the mustard seeds. Let them crackle, and follow it with the udad dal and chana dal. These need to be sauteed for 1 minute on low to medium flame to turn them golden brown.

Next, add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, red chillies. Stir them around for a minute or so, and transfer all the chopped veggies and greens into the wok. Add half the salt, sprinkle with water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Give it a stir every 2 minutes with more sprinkles of water. OR Place a thali (a dish with a rim) with one cup water in it to cover the wok and let the veggies cook for 6-8 minutes till almost tender.

At this point, tip the bowl with the cracked wheat in hot water, into the wok. Add the spice powders (turmeric powder, sambhar powder), remaining salt, stir well and cover until the cracked wheat is cooked till tender. This will take around 6-8 minutes depending on size of the grains. Adjust salt and spiciness. Fluff with a fork and remove into a serving bowl.

Serve hot with a bowl of chilled raita.

This is perfect when I don't want to fuss over making dinner. This one pot dish is nutritious, filling and tasty as well, and it is just right to send over to Meeta's Monthly Mingle : One dish dinners.

Latest on The Feel Good Blog: Gift yourself a 10 minute facial

Cracked wheat with tons of veggies

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Latest on The Feel Good Blog: Gift yourself a 10 minute facial

As a vegetarian, I'm always looking for ways to include quality proteins in our diet. Since we are not too keen on dairy products or eggs - beans, lentils, sprouts and soy are our main options. I love oats porridge or wheat flakes as an easy breakfast as they are rich in fibre, but being low in proteins, I'm hungry again in a couple of hours. The gnawing feeling in the stomach can be a major distraction especially while trying to get some brain work done.

As regards sprouting - I forget about it for a stretch and then on a whim, I soak all the beans in my pantry in separate containers - atleast 4-5 of them, so that they are all sprouting over the next two days and I store away the sprouts in a refrigerator. These are used in soups, salads, pulaos, curries and even sandwiches over the next couple of days. And when I feel that they are getting over two days old, not to lose out on the vitamin C and other nutrients that starts depleting even in the fridge, I grind all remaining sprouts in the blender to a fine puree with some chillies and ginger. After seasoning with salt, this batter makes wonderful dosas. This is something like the pesarattu [savoury pancakes] that is a favourite Andhra breakfast made from soaked and ground green mung beans.

There are people who can eat raw sprouts with some salt, pepper and lime juice. Not me. I prefer them cooked, easier on the teeth and digestion too. The sprouts used here are the smaller variety of black eyed peas / cowpeas - called chowli (hindi) beans. I wonder if this is the same as what we call thattai payiru in tamil.

Here, there are soaked overnight, drained and sprouted by tying in a muslin cloth for 1-2 days, with a sprinkle of water now and then. These can be boiled in water, steamed in microwave or pressure cooked. I prefer the last option as it is the quickest. In a small 2 L pressure cooker, it takes less than 5 minutes to cook till soft.

Breakfast bowl of sprouts
Category - Protein rich, breakfast
Time to table - Under 20 minutes
Serves-2

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried chowli beans cooked as above in 2-3 cups water
1/4 cup chopped spring onions / scallions with the white parts
1 tomato finely chopped
1 tsp oil
1 dried red chilli
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp spice mix of choice [garam masala / dhania jeera / pav bhaji masala / rajma masala]

Directions

1. In a wok, heat the oil. Splutter the mustard seeds, fry the dried red chilli for a few seconds.

2. Saute the spring onions till bright green and wilted. Next, put in the tomatoes and saute for a minute.

3. Add the cooked chowli sprouts with the water in which it was cooked along with the rolled oats.

4. At this time, put in the spice powders, salt and let it come to a simmer. The oats will absorb all the excess water as they cook. Remove into two serving bowls and eat it hot.

This breakfast will keep you filled for a good 4-5 hours and will satisfy all those who like something savoury / spicy first thing in the morning. It also provides you a good percentage of the daily required 25-30 grams of dietary fibre, almost 4.5 g per bowl coming from the cowpeas itself.

Suganya at Tasty Palettes was the host of Weekend Breakfast Blogging for Feb, the theme being Healthy Eats.
This was prepared in mind keeping the event, but I'm late in posting! Hope to see lots of healthy breakfast eats in the round up.
Catch you there

Sprouts for breakfast - Healthy eats WBB

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Breakfast bowl of sprouts
Category - Protein rich, breakfast
Time to table - Under 20 minutes
Serves-2

Ingredients

Heartfelt thanks to your warm, kind and soothing words. I do feel glad I shared my feelings with my blog sisters - you are a wonderful bunch of people. And now I keep my promise of sharing with you my positivity blog - I've called it The Feel Good Blog. Every little thing that makes me feel good, everything I'm grateful for will go in here. It's just two posts old, so you haven't missed too much. Please bookmark this site and I would love you to share with me all things that make you smile. It's my little endeavor to share happiness and the feel-good feeling that we can all do with.

So much for my health conscious cooking, I wonder why I was so step-motherly to soups until now. It's just like when you never get down to doing something, it's so out of your mind anyway. My soup reminder came when I was at my mom's place for a while. My mom gave me the gossip that Aunt G has been making soup each evening at 6 - and each day it's a new soup, something like Soup of the Day in those nice little cafes. This was enough to spike my interest. And when she said yesterday's Soup of the Day was Cucumber soup, I told her let's go, check on Aunt G now!

My mom's sister and my granny live a couple of buildings away, and it goes without saying that when I'm there, I drop by my aunt's house in the evenings to catch up on what's happening (what's cooking rather). She's one of the most innovative cooks in the family and she's always upto something interesting in the kitchen. At least most the times, lets say! So that evening, it was a tomato-carrot-lentil soup. OK, so I stole the lentil idea for my soup from her, but hey mine is a more exotic combination. See below.

By the way, if you end up trying my recipe below, please tell me if you didn't go WOW on seeing the colour of the soup, when it came out of the blender! Do NOT forget.

Just to show you the colour - Yeah I know the photo is terrible, but blame it on the lack of practise, the steam and the shaky hand.

Soup of the Day - 1
Category - Soup, Quick dinner, No fat
Time to table - Under 20 minutes
Serves - One greedy person

Ingredients
1 cup packed spinach leaves, washed thoroughly
1 medium beet, peeled and cubed
1 small carrot, cubed
1/2 cup cooked yellow lentils (tur dal)
1 medium tomato, quartered
Seasonings - see below

Directions

In a pan, place 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, throw in the beets and carrots. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, till the veggies are nearly tender. Then add in the spinach leaves and tomatoes, covering and cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
Drain the veggies and let cool. Reserve the drained liquid.
In a blender, puree the tender veggies, cooked lentils till very smooth.
Remove this in the same pan with the reserved liquid, add some water to thin out the soup if you wish. Bring to a simmer.
Serve into a large soup bowl. Season with lots of pepper, pinch of salt and some lemon zest (and a dot of Amul butter too)

Nutrition notes

My aunt likes to add some milk in the end to most soups, to give them a creamy taste and also to get an interesting colour. However I am against mixing dairy with green leafy vegetables as it makes iron absorption difficult.
The lentils gave a nice body and an different dimension of mellowed out taste to the soup. You can use any leftover cooked lentils, or anything you've reserved in the freezer.
In my opinion, lemon zest gives a nice flavour when beets are used, as they give a sharp edge to the metallic taste of beets and spinach.
A trial proved that people who start their meal with a low cal soup, ended up consuming 20% less in the entire meal. This kind of reduced food (calorie) intake over a period of time, can help reduce weight or maintain lost weight. This is actually true in my case. I had this soup for dinner with two slices of whole wheat bread, toasted, and I had no appetite to eat any more.

Coming up soon are more healthy soups. I've already made 3 different types this week - yoohoo!!!

Announcing my other blog and the Aunt inspired soup series

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Just to show you the colour - Yeah I know the photo is terrible, but blame it on the lack of practise, the steam and the shaky hand.

In a pan, place 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, throw in the beets and carrots. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, till the veggies are nearly tender. Then add in the spinach leaves and tomatoes, covering and cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
Drain the veggies and let cool. Reserve the drained liquid.
In a blender, puree the tender veggies, cooked lentils till very smooth.
Remove this in the same pan with the reserved liquid, add some water to thin out the soup if you wish. Bring to a simmer.
Serve into a large soup bowl. Season with lots of pepper, pinch of salt and some lemon zest (and a dot of Amul butter too)

Nutrition notes

My aunt likes to add some milk in the end to most soups, to give them a creamy taste and also to get an interesting colour. However I am against mixing dairy with green leafy vegetables as it makes iron absorption difficult.
The lentils gave a nice body and an different dimension of mellowed out taste to the soup. You can use any leftover cooked lentils, or anything you've reserved in the freezer.
In my opinion, lemon zest gives a nice flavour when beets are used, as they give a sharp edge to the metallic taste of beets and spinach.
A trial proved that people who start their meal with a low cal soup, ended up consuming 20% less in the entire meal. This kind of reduced food (calorie) intake over a period of time, can help reduce weight or maintain lost weight. This is actually true in my case. I had this soup for dinner with two slices of whole wheat bread, toasted, and I had no appetite to eat any more.

Coming up soon are more healthy soups. I've already made 3 different types this week - yoohoo!!!

Soya nuggets have long been a favourite of mine, even before I started thinking of nutrition and eating healthy. The very fact the the boiled nuggets turn spongy, all ready to absorb any flavours you dunk them in, make them a delight to cook with. Biting into one of the nuggets and letting the absorbed juices explode in your mouth is a foodie's delight. They are odourless and tasteless by themself, presenting to every cook a blank canvas to paint on. I love using them as substitutes to eggs in egg curries, in stir fries, in pulaos and the different shapes available (such as granules, smaller nuggets) allow one to adapt them into a variety of recipes. Poha made with a mixture of beaten rice and soya granules is a favourite in our house.

Ruchi was one of the first companies to bring out and popularise these soya products in India under the brand name Nutrela. They claim to use exceptionally high quality, non-genetically modified soya beans - the nuggets have a protein concentration of 50-55%, the highest for any vegetarian source and negligible fat content. You will find a whole lot of recipes listed on their site.

These nuggets are made like our Indian vadis, using soy flour - dried out in the sun and used as per need. Here's a nice little breakfast / brunch recipe which goes wonderfully with lightly buttered and warmed pav (Mumbai special bread). You can also have this as a salad by itself, being high in protein it is extremely filling.

Note the increase in size after boiling

The dried nuggets have to be either soaked in salted boiling water for a few minutes or boiled in salted water for 3-4 minutes, until they have balooned out and become soft, before use. Follow the instructions on your pack for this. Idea is to soften them and yet keep their texture intact, or else you can end with a mushy mess.

Soya Nugget Salad with Pav
Category: Vegetarian protein, accompaniment with bread, Salad
Time taken: Under 20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
14-15 larger size soya nuggets - boiled as per instructions above

1 medium onion - sliced

1 small carrot - diced

1 medium capsicum - deseeded and diced

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup thick yogurt

2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise ( I used Karen Anand brand Eggless mayo)

7-8 black pepper corns - roughly pounded

Dried herbs of your choice (I used parsley)

pinch of chilli flakes

1/2 tsp salt

Pav (1 slab of 6) or any other bread

Directions

Heat a tsp of oil in a wok. Add the vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes, with a tiny pinch of salt. We want them to retain their crispness. Meanwhile, take the boiled nuggets in a colander and press down hard with a rounded bowl or so, to drain out all the water from them. Cut them into quarters or smaller pieces and add them to the wok.

Stir to mix it with the vegetables. Remove wok from flame and keep aside.

In a large bowl, take the mayo, yogurt, roughly pounded pepper, salt, herbs and beat with a fork to mix well. Once the contents of the wok are cooled, transfer them to the bowl. Mix to coat the dressing uniformly.

Garnish with chilli flakes.

To prepare the Pav, tear them into individual pieces. (They generally come in a slab of 6 or 8) Slice them into two horizontally, but not going all the way through. Apply a dot of butter on the inside and on both the outer sides, place on a hot skillet, until lightly golden and crispy on the outside.

If you do not get pav, where you live, try out this superb tried and tested recipe for home baked Mumbai-special Pav.

This is my entry to WBB - Soy hosted by Rajitha at Hunger Pangs.

Soya nuggets in a brunch plate

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Note the increase in size after boiling

1 medium onion - sliced

1 small carrot - diced

1 medium capsicum - deseeded and diced

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup thick yogurt

2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise ( I used Karen Anand brand Eggless mayo)

7-8 black pepper corns - roughly pounded

Dried herbs of your choice (I used parsley)

pinch of chilli flakes

1/2 tsp salt

Pav (1 slab of 6) or any other bread

Directions

Stir to mix it with the vegetables. Remove wok from flame and keep aside.

Garnish with chilli flakes.

If you do not get pav, where you live, try out this superb tried and tested recipe for home baked Mumbai-special Pav.

This is my entry to WBB - Soy hosted by Rajitha at Hunger Pangs.

Warm pieces of cake

I never tire of making banana cakes (or bread if you like to call it that). Banana cake was the first thing I ever baked and it has remained a hot favourite. Besides, now that we are trying to avoid eggs in baked products too, it is fun to look at innovative ways to bake our favourite goodies by using interesting substitutes like yoghurt, coconut milk, coconut water, flaxeed paste etc.
For a banana cake, since bananas are a great binding agent anyway, use of adequate baking powder and replacing the liquid part of the eggs with a liquid of our choice seems to work pretty well.
I came upon this beautiful piece of cake on one of my favourite blogs, and I had to tie my apron on immediately. This was over 2 months ago and the cake turned out so moist and delicious, we simply loved it. In that one, I had sprinkled poppy seeds and arranged a sliced firm banana on the top - in addition to mashed ripe bananas in the mix. The banana slices caramelized to a yummy brown colour and deep rich taste. Unforgettable. I do remember having taken pics, but will take me a while to fish them out.
Today's version looks plane Jane in comparison, but I can already smell the sweet heady aromas, as it is baking.
Here's my recipe adapted from David Lebotitz's blog.

Dressed up BANANA CAKE

Time taken - Around one hour
Makes one loaf
Ingredients
1/2 cup All Purpose flour (Maida)
1 cup whole wheat flour (Atta)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup crushed jaggery
4 tablespoons coconut water or coconut milk
2 medium sized, very- ripe bananas

½ cup yoghurt (homemade dahi)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons ghee or butter or canola oil plus some more for greasing baking tin
1/3 cup walnuts or mixed nuts

few thin slices of banana, tbsp of sugar, pinch of cinnamon powder and poppy seeds (optional) to sprinkle over the top for decoration, before baking
Preparation
Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan or a loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350F (180 C).
Directions
1. Sift together in a bowl the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In a mixer, put in the bananas, jaggery, coconut water and yoghurt. Blend into a fine puree.
3. In a large bowl, place the melted ghee. Add the puree into this along with vanilla essence.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in the wet ingredients with a spatula until almost mixed. Add in the nuts and stir until just combined, but don't overstir: stop when any traces of flour disappear.
5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan - top with banana slices nicely arranged, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon with some poppy seeds over the top and bake for 40 minutes, or until the center feels lightly-springy and just done.
6. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes:
This cake is very low in fat, from the two tbsp used. Sugar is replaced by jaggery which is a healthier source of sweetness, not to mention the lovely golden brown colour it imparts. Eggs are replaced by coconut water and 2/3rds of the the AP flour is replaced by whole wheat flour, adding to the fibre content.
I have also tried using 1/4th cup Semolina and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, for a cake with added texture. Diabetics can enjoy a slice of this cake too, right after lunch or dinner without worrying about shooting up their blood sugar too much.

A word about WBB for December - I was trying to contact the blogger who had confirmed to take up this month until this week, and since I haven't received a response yet, I am assuming it is quite late to start the proceeds for the month. However your hostess for Jan is in the loop and I shall request her to announce the event by end Dec / early Jan for the first edition of WBB in 2008. In the meanwhile, you can expect a recap from me about WBB 2007 soon!

Other banana delights on Saffron Trail:

Eggless banana cardamom loaf

Honey banana muffins

Steamed / Microwaved Rava Banana cake

Morning Glory muffins

Another Banana Cake - David Lebovitz inspired

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Warm pieces of cake

Dressed up BANANA CAKE

¾ cup crushed jaggery
4 tablespoons coconut water or coconut milk
2 medium sized, very- ripe bananas

½ cup yoghurt (homemade dahi)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons ghee or butter or canola oil plus some more for greasing baking tin
1/3 cup walnuts or mixed nuts

Other banana delights on Saffron Trail:

Eggless banana cardamom loaf

Honey banana muffins

Steamed / Microwaved Rava Banana cake

Morning Glory muffins

When Madhuli asked me how I felt about Oats as a theme for Weekend Breakfast Blogging, I thought, wow, she's a girl after my own heart. According to me, the simpler and blander an ingredient, the more you can dress it up, the more creative you can get. It's like working on a blank canvas. Oats for me is one such blank canvas, it is just there to absorb any flavours you might care too add. This Oats and Mango- Breakfast in a glass is a two minute breakfast. With something as fast and healthy as this one on hand, you have no excuses for skipping the most important meal of the day.

Oats and Mango - Breakfast in a glass
Category: Breakfast drink
Time taken: Under 10 minutes
Makes 2 glasses

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups water
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 cup skimmed milk
2 tbsp powdered jaggery (or brown sugar)
1 large pinch cardamom powder
3-4 ice cubes

Directions:
Soak the oats in 1 1/2 cups water in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 - 2 minutes till soft. If you have more time on hand, you could simply soak the oats in warm water for 10-15 minutes.

Blend all the ingredients together along with the softened oats to make a thick smoothie and serve immediately.

Note: You could substitute the mango with papaya and use a spice of choice instead of cardamom, such as cinnamon or all spice powder. The oats supplies the fibre, mango is rich in beta carotene and fibre. Skimmed milk is rich in calcium without any additional calories from fat, jaggery is a natural, healthier sugar alternative - all of which make this a super-healthy breakfast option. Even if you are not an oats lover, the other flavours will more than compensate for it. This is a perfect option for those who have very hurried mornings.
Also check out Oats for Dinner from an earlier post.

This is my entry for WBB # 13 starring Oats at Madhuli's Foodcourt. If you are an oats believer too, go ahead, make something, post it and rush your entries to her before the 25th July. I shall be back from my holiday to check out the round of all healthy breakfasts.

Oats and Mango - Breakfast in a Glass : WBB # 13

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Usili is a popular Tamil Brahmin vegetable preparation where soaked, ground and steamed lentils are mixed with vegetables like cluster beans, French beans, Capsicum, Carrots and even Ivy Gourd. The first two are made regularly in my family, but until I saw Sheela write about this one with Kovakkai (ivy gourd) I hadn't know about this possibility. When I asked mum whether we make this kind in our family, she confirmed that they do and it is delicious.

Ivy Gourd is an interesting vegetable, mainly used in dry curries in Tam Bram cuisine - it is either sauteed in tempered oil and garnished with a bit of fresh coconut shavings or a spicier version is made with potatoes. For both these recipes, kovakkai can be cut into slender strips or into roundels. This is low carb, high in fibre and fast to cook. It is an excellent vegetable choice for diabetics too. Read this report for more details on Ivy Gourd and Diabetes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup toor dal
2 tbsp chana dal
2 dried red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder / hing
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp oil

2 cups length-wise slit kovakkai
1 tsp oil
2 dried red chillis and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds for tempering
Salt to taste

Preparation for Usuli:

Soak 1/2 cup toor dal with 2 tbsp chana dal, either overnight or for 3 hours in warm water. Grind this to a coarse paste with 2 broken dried red chillies, 1/4 tsp of asafoetida powder, pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt and a few curry leaves without adding any water.
Steam this paste in an idli-steamer or a regular steamer for 10-15 minutes until the lentil paste is cooked. Remove to a bowl once cooled and crumble into small pea-sized pieces. Keep aside.

Directions:

Place the slit pieces of kovakkai in microwave safe bowl, sprinkle some water and cook them on high for 5 minutes. Keep aside.

In a non stick pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, and put in the crumbled usili. Stir them around on medium flame till golden and slightly crispy. This will take around 5-7 minutes. Keep this aside.

In the same pan, take 1 tsp oil, put in the mustard seeds and broken red chilli pieces. Once they crackle, put it the cooked kovakkai, salt to taste, stir around for 2 minutes.

Add the stir fried usili and stir together for 2 minutes until they have come together.
Serve hot with Mor Kozhambu and rice along with some appalams (Tamilian Papads)

Notes:

You could make double the batch, and freeze the lentil 'idlis' for the next time you are making this. Making the Usili is the only time consuming part of this recipe.
You can also pressure cook the ivy gourd pieces in a cooker-vessel, after sprinkling some water for one whistle to cook them for this recipe.
Mor kozhambu is the best combination with Usuli as this dish is already heavy with lentils. Combining this with sambhar, which is again made with lentils, makes it a very tough to digest combination. Mor Kozhambu is a Tamil style Kadi made with sour buttermilk and a paste of raw rice, coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies, boiled together with the buttermilk, and a tempering of curry leaves & red chillies.

A Maharashtrian style Ivy Gourd recipe - Tondlichi bhaji with Goda masala
Sheela's Mor Kozhambu with Opo Squash

This goes out to Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables for the letter U (Usili)

Kovakkai Paruppu Usili - Ivy Gourd with steamed lentils

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You could make double the batch, and freeze the lentil 'idlis' for the next time you are making this. Making the Usili is the only time consuming part of this recipe.
You can also pressure cook the ivy gourd pieces in a cooker-vessel, after sprinkling some water for one whistle to cook them for this recipe.
Mor kozhambu is the best combination with Usuli as this dish is already heavy with lentils. Combining this with sambhar, which is again made with lentils, makes it a very tough to digest combination. Mor Kozhambu is a Tamil style Kadi made with sour buttermilk and a paste of raw rice, coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies, boiled together with the buttermilk, and a tempering of curry leaves & red chillies.

A Maharashtrian style Ivy Gourd recipe - Tondlichi bhaji with Goda masala
Sheela's Mor Kozhambu with Opo Squash

This goes out to Nupur's A-Z of Indian Vegetables for the letter U (Usili)

Here's to two of my best friends from the blogosphere -
Meeta who celebrated her Birthday on 2nd June and Sig who is celebrating her anniversary today !!

This is my first ever attempt at making ice cream at home. With Natural Ice Cream's main outlet a stone's throw away from home, I really can't be blamed right? Musk melon, Fresh strawberry and Papaya-Pineapple have been my season's favourites and Custard Apple & Tender coconut are my all time favourites.

Their natural fruity ice creams have only 3 ingredients - Milk, Sugar and Fruit pulp / chunks. It can't get fresher and simpler than this. A half kilo box costs around Rs.150 ( under $4.00 ). I wont be wrong if I say this is Mumbai's favourite icecream brand. While I like trying out the gelatos that are taking the city by the storm, nothing can beat Naturals!!

Anita's Roasted Banana icecream truly inspired me to try my own, especially because she made with without any fancy schmancy gadgets. Meeta's dark chocolate raspberry icecream made me feel like hiding my own simple creation right at the back of the freezer LOL!! And there's Priya's Mango icecream giving company to my own...

Mango Coconut Icecream
Category: Dessert, Icecream, Fruits
Serves 6
Recipe source: Rediff.com

Ingredients

500 ml cold milk (3% or higher fat content)
200 ml tetrapack of coconut milk
1 cup skimmed milk powder
3/4 cup sugar or equivalent Splenda for those who avoid sugar
1 tsp mango essence or vanilla extract or cardamom powder
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into small pieces

Directions

1. Turn your freezer control to 'quick chill' or lowest temperature one hour before you start with the ingredients.

2. Take all of the ingredients except chopped mango in a large deep bowl and churn with a handblender for 10 minutes till frothy. It's good to take some breaks of a few seconds each so as not to overheat the blender's motor.

3. Put in the mango pieces and blend for another 2 minutes.

4. You may either turn this mixture into your ice cream maker and follow instructions or pour it into an airtight plastic jar / aluminium tin and freeze for 4-5 hours.

5. Remove the contents back into the bowl and churn with hand blender for 5 minutes or so, until all the frozen chunks are broken and frothy.

6. Repeat as in 4.

7. Icecream should be set and ready. Scoop out into chilled bowls and garnish with mint leaves or cardamom powder or mango slices.

Notes

The coconut flavour happened as a result of laziness. I didn't have the cream on hand to use in the recipe, and since coconut milk is as thick as cream, I decided to give it a try. Coconut and mango both being tropical flavours, blend quite well. If you are a person who loves pinacolada type flavours, you are sure to love this one.

If you do not have a hand blender, by all means use your regular food processor / mixer to beat the frozen icecream.

This is my entry to Meeta's BIG BIRTHDAY BANG!

Mango Coconut Icecream

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Traditional Lunch Series - Day 2 (Peerkangai thuvaiyal and Red chauli in gravy)

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Cracked wheat with tons of veggies

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Sprouts for breakfast - Healthy eats WBB

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Announcing my other blog and the Aunt inspired soup series

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Soya nuggets in a brunch plate

Soya nuggets in a brunch plate

Another Banana Cake - David Lebovitz inspired

Another Banana Cake - David Lebovitz inspired

Oats and Mango - Breakfast in a Glass : WBB # 13

Oats and Mango - Breakfast in a Glass : WBB # 13

Kovakkai Paruppu Usili - Ivy Gourd with steamed lentils

Kovakkai Paruppu Usili - Ivy Gourd with steamed lentils

Mango Coconut Icecream

Mango Coconut Icecream

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