Moong sprouts/Pesarattu

Bean sprouts of any kind are healthy and nutritious food . Sprouts like Alfaalfa, broccoli and bean are available in the supermarkets. Ready to be used in salads ,sandwiches and stir fries .  Moong sprouts are the most commonly used sprouts in Indian cooking. I've mostly eaten them raw in salads or cooked in sundal. (Of course my mom's recipes)  They are actually very versatile and can even be used in soups and sabzis too.
   Let me share with you a couple of recipes I tried and liked.
Note- cannot make sprouts out of yellow moong....Its already processed:-)




Method of making moong sprouts.                                         

  SoakGreen Moong Dal  in water for about 3-4 hrs. Remove water and tie tightly it in a wet towel/cloth. If the room temperature is high the bundle must be kept in the refrigerator. It takes about 2 days to germinate. The sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for almost about a week in airtight container.
    Tossed with cucumber, onion , tomatoes, cilantro with salt and lemon juice dressing , makes a wonderful side for any dish.

 Moong sprouts Sabzi

Moong sprouts 1 cup
Onion finely chopped 1 small
Garlic ( optional)
Tomatoes (optional)
Oil to sautee 1-2 spoons
Cumin/ zeera seeds
Turmeric , chilli powder and salt

Heat oil in a pan, add zeera . once it sputters add garlic and onion and cook till translucent. Add 1 cup of moong sprouts and the  preffered seasonings.Add water to help make it softer. No addition of water is necessary if crunchy texture is preferred.
    My kids are a big fan of this ...especially since it looks like peas. Its good for them and they love it what could be better.

Pesarattu                     
It is a common breakfast in the state of  Andhra Pradesh. It makes a hearty and filling brunch that is high in protein content.

Grind together in a blender
2 cups moong sprouts
2 spoons of rice powder
half a small onion chopped
chopped ginger/ginger paste 1 tsp
cumin/zeera seeds
Salt to taste.
and required amount of water

Spread a ladle of batter on a hot griddle. Sprinkle finely chopped onions and cumin/zeera seeds on top. Drizzle oil( optional- avoid if trying to watch your cholesterol level) flip the pesarattu.
serve hot with chutney.

Note - Addition of vegetables like carrots( vit A), red and yellow bell peppers ( vit C) to the standard onion and tomato chutney increases the nutritional value as well as improves taste.



My weight loss strategy now is to eat a large bowl of salad or raita before every meal, along with regular exercise of course. Need to work on portion control. Keeping my finger crossed .

Bhel puri

I was off for a 1 month vacation to India ( If you could call it that:)) , hence my absence.
One month of preparing for two weddings,shopping, yummy food, people to take care of my kids, being pampered in salons, being more pampered by parents and In laws and more shopping, I am back home in the peak of winter.
                In the last one month, losing weight never crossed my mind. I would have been overjoyed if I had'nt put on any weight. I did lose weight in spite of that ..though only a couple of pounds.( not that it shows ). Need to get back to the exercise and eat right mode. Ok, ....More exercise than eat right mode :)
    Bhel puri is my all time favorite snack. Yummy and healthy and a quick fix.
Bhelpuri reminds me of all the fun times us sisters have had over the years. Its always the first thing that would pop into our head whenever we wanted to have a  midnight snack...after of course ":Maggi ".
It seems to be the perfect thing to make when i am missing them.
My sister is the best bhelpuri maker....I come a close 2nd place:)

Though every body has their own recipe, this is how I like to make it.
Recipe
Half a cup each of
Finely chopped onions
Diced cucumber
Diced tomatoes
Grated carrots
diced boiled potatoes

finely chopped cilantro for garnish
puffed rice cereal 1-1.5 cups
roasted peanuts to taste 
Store bought sev to taste

Green cilantro chutney
Grind together 1 cup cilantro
                      half a small onion
                      garlic 2 pods
                      tamarind paste half spoon
                      green chillies 2
                      salt to taste
Store in airtight container in the fridge.
Sugar/ jaggery( optional) 1 tsp
 Lemon juice to taste

Method
Mix the veggies with couple  of spoons of green chutney .
Add sugar, salt and lemon juice as required.
mix in the puffed rice cereal. The mixing needs to be done fast.
Sev, roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro can be sprinkled on top or mixed in at the end.

Bhel puri should be eaten immediately or it can get soggy. Eating when the rice ceral is still crunchy is the best way to eat.

Salad Ideas -Kala Chana Salad

This distant dark cousin of  garbanzo, Mr Kala channa might be one of  my favorite kind of beans. When cooked right,it has the right amount softness and bite to it. Though it tastes good in pretty much any preperation, Kala channa salad is my favorite. It brings back fond memories of childhood. Its healthy yummy and very close to my heart.


Kala chana cooked 1 cup
( I soak it overnight in water and then pressure cook it with little salt)
cucumber chopped half cup
Tomatoes chopped 1 large
Carrots chopped
Chopped raw mango(optional) / Amchur
Lemon juice
green chilies-1 finely chopped
Chilli powder to taste
cilantro- 2 spoons finely chopped
Mustard oil-1 tsp( substitute with extra virgin olive oil or omit if not a big fan)
Salt to taste
Mix the veggies and kala channa. Add seasonings to taste and enjoy.  Tastes good even when it sits for a long time. It can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just hold out on adding salt and lemon. Remove required quantity whenever needed and mix in salt and lemon. It is an extremely satisfying and filling salad and a great hit with my daughter.

Peanut chutney ....Sandard PB and J alternative

Bored of the standard American breakfast, PB and J? Try a couple of these alternatives with toast for variety. My kids love them too ....and they are healthy. Double whammy!
 Peanut butter is very nutritious...High in calories but nutritious. Couple of ideas to include Peanut but reduce the sugar. I am not a big fan of the sweet-salty taste, plus I like to mix it up. Nothing more boring that eating the same thing everyday...And variety is fun especially when you are trying to eat healthy.

Peanut chutney ( green) 
Peanuts- 1 cup
Dried red chillies -1-2 ( Reduce or increase according to taste)
Green chillies-1-2
Cilantro( coriander leaves)- Handful
Mint leaves-Handful
Ginger-finely chopped - 1 spoon
tamarind Paste Half a spoon
Salt to taste
   Dry roast the peanuts in a pan till golden brown. Transfer peanuts and all other ingredients to the blender. Add about half a cup of water and grind to paste. Peanut chutney is ready to be eaten with Dosa, Phulka  or Bread. It should be stored in and airtight container in the refrigerator, and lasts up to a week to 10 days.

Peanut chutney ( Red)
 Chana dal- Half a cup
Peanut  - Half a cup
Dried red chillies- 2-3
Tamarind paste- half spoon
Garlic pods - 3-4 finely chopped
Dry roast chana dal in a hot pan till golden. Transfer to a blender and grind to a smooth paste.
  Great combo spread on a dosa. A quick fix lunch on bread with tomatoes and cucumber.





With the weight loss on track..I hope to continue exercising . Eating yummy healthy food is the funnest part :-)

Tandoori Tofu

I am always trying to include Tofu in my diet. Especially when I am not using any other form of  proteins in my food.My personal opinion is that Tofu does not go with any Indian preparations. It has a characteristic smell that cannot be masked. Or, atleast I thought that till I found this recipe. Love the way it turned out.

Ingredients-
           Tofu- Firm or Extra firm ..Cubed 1 inch
           Yogurt- Fat free or 2% - 1 cup
            Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
            Paprika/chillipowder-1 Tsp
            Turmeric-half tsp
            Garam masala half Tsp
            Salt to taste
            Bell Peppers - Red, green and yellow -cubed-2 cups
            Onion - 1 - cubed -large pieces





Method;
To the one cup of Yogurt add ginger garlic paste,
paprika/ chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala powder and salt .
Pat dry the cubed Tofu to remove any excess water. Gently mix in the yogurt with the tofu cubes, and let it marinate. For best results, leave it in the refrigerator overnight. A min of 4 -5 hours is necessary for th spices to penetrate the tofu.
    Lightly grease a griddle/ tava with oil and cook the tofu pieces on every side till golden brown .Reserve the left over marinade.

Mix the Veggies with a spoonful of oil. and put it under the broiler. Slightly charred edges give a nice flavor. Alternatively veggies can also grilled/ sauteed. Once the veggies and cooked half way remove from the broiler, mix in the yogurt mix and grill for a couple more minutes . If sauteing, add yogurt to the mix and heat till it gets warm.
   Transfer to a serving platter. Arrange the tofu on top. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Served with Phulkas or home made Whole wheat naan ( no butter- recipe coming soon), Awesome!
A little bit from every food group! My motto is Healthy food can be fun ...It need not be boring.
Ciao!

Some bean salad Ideas( Garbanzo and Vatana)

"Salads that are healthy and filling" ....
  Some days my lunch is Salad. Just veggies? Have to get back into the kitchen looking for more food in an hour or 2. Adding Cooked beans/lentils/peanuts into the salad helps endure hunger for longer time.
In India we would find this as street side food. I have fond memories of eating such salads on train travels to my grandma's place. Warm boiled/roasted peanuts or Kala channa( A distant dark cousin of Garbanzo bean ) with finely chopped Onion, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and sometimes raw mango. Add a dash lime juice, Salt, chilli powder, chat masala and mustard oil .....Hmmm one of my yummiest memories. Hearty and healthy.

Couple of Ideas for these salads
.1)Green Vatana
This Salad is in the lines of Masala puri , a very popular street food in Bangalore. I use Green Vatana/ Dried green peas...It is almost a cross between a soup and salad.
Pressure cook a cupful of green Vatana with tamarind,salt and ginger to taste till soft.
I like it when some of the peas are over cooked forming the gravy.

Toppings-
Green Chutney- grind together 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
                          Half cup Mint leaves
                          Green chillies/ red chillies
                          2 pods of garlic(optional)
                           dhania zeera powder 1tsp
                          spoonful chopped onion
                          half tomato chopped
                          half spoon tamarind paste
                         Jaggery/ brown sugar 1--2 spoons ( optional)
                         Salt to taste
                          Kala namak- half spoon
                  This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. Eaten with pretty much anything.
Onion  - finely chopped
Tomatoes- finely chopped
carrots - grated
Peanuts-dry roasted till crunchy..can be fried too
Sev -Store bought ...the only fried indulgence in this dish. Can be omitted.
I guess a couple of teaspoons wont hurt :)
Cilantro finely chopped
Lemon juice to taste

Serve in a cup with choice of toppings ...I love it with a couple of tsps of everything

1] Garbanzo bean salad

Garbanzo bean ( kabuli channa)- 1 can/cup  drained and washed( cooked)
Can also be soaked in water overnight and cooked till tender.

Romaine lettuce-1 cup
Baby spinach- handful

red cabbage sliced finely- half cup
carrots sliced finely- half cup
cucumber- sliced/chopped- half cup
Dressing
   Olive oil 2 tsps
   Lemon juice- half lemon
   salt, pepper,Paprika, chat masala
 Mix well and add to the the above mixture
Enjoy ..
Can even be stuffed inside a pita or tortilla to make a wrap.

Will post more ideas of filling salads ...as and when I make them.
I hope to lose some weight before my sister's wedding in November. I need to exercise regularly.Wish me good luck!

Everything Burger

Every thing Burger, It has everything but the Kitchen sink :--)). Well! Sometimes I need to clear the refrigerator of leftover veggies. A bit of everything. This is a great and healthy way to finish all the veggies.

INGREDIENTS
One cup each of finely chopped
Onion
mushrooms
carrots
capsicum
peas
corn
Brinjal/ Eggplant
any combo.....
Half cup finely chopped ginger
Half cup Brown rice cooked
Half cup rolled Oats
Cooked lentils half cup.
1 boiled potato/ cooked Mashed beans ( black or red) 1 cup
2 slices bread ...slightly crumbly couple of days old bread
Half cup Cilantro
1-2 Egg

Method:
In a pan saute with a little oil all the veggies till soft.
Add ginger,rice, lentils and oats. Add a little water to let the oats cook ...cook in low heat ....
When it starts to get together in a gooey mass ....Switch off the heat and cool.
Mash boiled potato/ bean paste and add...Let the mix cool
Reserve  2 tsps raw chopped onion. Add to the mix onion and crumbled bread. Add egg and seasoning to taste.
I added salt, pepper, paprika and garam masala.
Make it into patties and cook on low heat with a lil oil on a Tava.
Enjoy with bun as a burger or just like that ..with sauce.
Great way to get my kids to eat veggies.

I can be made into balls and baked in the oven at 350-400 F for about 20-30 mins ...Works great for wraps in pita bread or just as a snack.
I made it a couple of times with different ingredient. Once wrapped in a pita bread with baby spinach and tomatoes,and once with Asian style ..Sweet and sour noodles. Everybody loved it :)

Idly and Sambhar

I have fond memories of my college days. Living in the hostel had its own advantages. We friends would chat/ study late into the night and end up running late for the morning classes. We'd rush to college without breakfast.
My staple brunch after the morning classes would be a couple of idlis with sambhar at our college canteen. It is healthy, fills you up and does not leave you with a feeling of guilt even when you over eat.
  Idly with sambhar is usually my Sunday/Saturday brunch now. It is my all time favorite recipe ...A slightly modified version of our 'good old Standard South Indian Breakfast '.

                           

IDLY
Ingredients
Brown rice 4 cups( standard short grain or long grain)
I use this instead of the usual White Idly rice to make richer in nutrients.
Urad Dal/Black lentils ( shelled is white) 1 cup
Methi/Fenugreek seeds 2 tsps
Salt to taste
METHOD
Soak rice and lentils separately in water for about 3-4 hours . Wash them well before soaking. Soak the fenugreek seed along with the lentils.
Though a stone grinder is ideal for this, a blender would work as well. Heads up , If you are using a blender you may want to reduce the rice to 3 cups. the proportion can be played with to get the right consistency of idly.
Grind the lentils and fenugreek seeds in the blender till smooth, it should be light and fluffy. Keep aside.
Grind the rice with a little water till smooth batter is obtained. Some people like to keep it a little coarse. It is entirely upto you. Add salt and mix together both the batter with hand. Note, It has to be by hand.
Leave the container in a warm place to ferment. In warm weather it usually takes around 3-4 hours.
Fermented batter is light and airy. Mix the batter a couple of time to get an even mix.

Pour into greased idly molds to steam. A saucer used instead to steam, will make a bigger idly .
Steam for about 10 mins in medium heat. Idly's come out puffed and beautifully soft.
I can eat it just like that, but Sambhar makes it a complete meal.

                           

Especially being a vegetarian,Sambhar satisfies the need for veggies and proteins. Its traditional to make Onion Sambhar with Idly...I like to make with all veggies. It needs to be a complete meal :)
INGREDIENTS
Toor dal( split pigeon peas) 2 cup
Tamarind size of a lemon ...if using paste use 2 tsps
Veggies -about a cup sliced ( carrots, peppers,pearl onions )
Tomatoes diced -half a cup
Sambhar powder-Store brought or home made- 2tsps
    Recipe- Dry roast equal quantities of Channa dal, Coriander seeds and red chillis. Powder and store in airtight container. Use a couple of tsps when necessary.
Curry leaves and mustard seeds for tempering .

METHOD
Traditional method is the cook the veggies in the tamarind water and sambhar powder before adding the cooked dal. Just to make my life easier, I put all the ingredients Dal, tamarind, veggies,sambhar powder in a pressure cooker. Add double the amount of water ...that is 4 cups, cook on low heat for about 20 mins .Once the Dal is cooked down and mushy, add tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves.  Yummy sambhar is ready.

There are never any leftovers of this meal. If any left over ...Crisped up on a hot pan with a little oil, my kids devour it :-)



















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Rice and Lentil salad

I just turned 30 last week ! Not the best day of my life....My husband meets with an accident( He's safe,that is all matters. Only the car is bashed up). A trip to the Doctor ....My son fell sick :-( , and my daughter did not take an afternoon nap. Nonetheless it was my birthday and I wanted to celebrate. Reaching 30 is a milestone of sorts, in my head. A wonderful husband , adorable kids and loving friends and relatives. I have a lot to be thankful to God for. ( I just hope my career, that is at the back burner now come to the fore soon ). Is not celebrating Birthday's , celebrating life? Thanking God to have put you on earth to enjoy such wonderful life and experience beautiful feeling like love.
   I made myself a quick Salad with brown rice and lentils I made for kids on the lines of Tabbouleh salad. Traditionally Bulgur is used, not rice.This Mediterranean  Salad has wonderful flavors, that I happen to Love. Happy birthday to me!

INGREDIENTS

Brown rice- 1cup
green lentils- Masoor with shell- half cup
Half cup each of chopped
cucumber
tomatoes...I like to use cherry tomatoes
Peppers ( Capsicum ) all colors
Avacado( not traditional in Tabouleh, but I like it)
Parsley ( key ingredient , I like curly one better for this)
Mint leaves-4-5 leaves
Garlic 1 clove finely minced
Extra VirginOlive oil --2-3 tsps( always used in Salads gives a wonderful aroma
Lemon 1 large
Zatar Spice( optional)

 METHOD
Add Brown rice and lentils to the rice cooker. Add twice the amount of water, approximately 3 cups. add salt to taste and let it cook. Once cooked, I usually add a spoonful of olive oil and mix it up so that the rice does not get mashed up.

For the Dressing : Juice one lemon , add finely chopped parsley, mint  and garlic. Add Zatar and salt to taste. Zatar can be substituted with ground thyme or omitted. I love its flavor . Add Extra Virgin Olive oil, mix well and keep aside.

   When ready to eat mix about half the rice and lentils mix to the chopped veggies and dressing. Mix well and give it a taste. Ingredients can be added according to taste. Enjoy.
Slight variations can be made , like  grilling veggies like peppers, broccoli and mushrooms and serving as a side. Kiddos get it with the veggies finely chopped and rice slightly overcooked.

Thank you God! for this wonderful life. And Mom :-) Love you

Egg Paratha

My sister got engaged last month. I'm happy for her. To me she is still a baby in her 3rd Std , with her pigtails held together by sky blue ribbons. Now she is old enough to get married..... Where did all that time go?
   Time just flies...I got married, had kids meanwhile. Imagine, I'm gonna be a wreck when my kids leave home for college.
   My life revolves around my kids now...My cooking revolves around mainly my son , who like most toddlers is temperamental when it comes to food. One day he loves the food you make, and the next he will not even touch the food by mistake. As his mom I have to be smarter and see to it that he gets what he likes and what is good for him. Tough balance! but I try.

  He usually eats his eggs for breakfast. Suddenly he decided, he hates eggs. Had to figure out a way to make him eat it without him knowing...Sneaky huh? :-D 

Since he likes roti so much, I made parathas with the leftover boiled eggs . They turned out great.                                Recipe                                                                                                                                                                            Boiled eggs 2-3    

                                                                  Carrot - grated half cup

Onion half finely chopped

Cheese 2 tsps        

                                            Salt

Pepper                                                                                                                                                       Roti/Phulka/Paratha dough- Recipe-   http://myattemptsatabalanceddiet.blogspot.com/2011/02/phulka.html                                                                                                                                        

Mash together eggs, carrots , onion, salt and pepper.                                                                                     Take the dough, about an inch in diameter. Flatten with a rolling pin. make the edges thinner than the centre.

Add about 2 teaspoonfuls of the egg mixture in the centre.                                                                        

Bring edges of the dough together to make a purse. remove extra dough.                                                      

Roll the dough along with the stuffing into about 2-3 mm thick parathas.                                                       

Cook on a hot pan, add oil on the edges.                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                 

For adults trying to reduce cholesterol intake, use only egg whites and cook parathas without oil. 

I've tried adding some ketchup to the filling as well ...tastes great                                             

                                                                                                                              

Mint and honey lassi with oven roasted chickpeas

After super busy mornings, afternoons are when I get to relax before the next marathon session of changing diapers, potty training , feeding and cleaning begins again.
   Add to the confusion 'sick kids ',  I lose even the 2 mins I get to sit down and check mails. Stress always makes me reach out to the most unhealthiest things to eat. Crunchy food is the best stress buster.More often than not, crunchy means fried
These recipes satisfy my craving for sweet ...and crunchy fried things

 Honey and Mint are a great combo. I first had it at a restaurant, where the tender coconut water was flavored with mint and honey. It had a great fresh taste. I wanted to recreate the same flavors.

Mint and Honey Lassi
1 cup plain yogurt 2% or non fat
3-4 leaves mint
honey 2 tsps
1 sprig mint for garnish

Method
Mix all ingredients together in a blender to a smooth consistency, adding water if required.
Pour into a pretty glass.
Making a pretty drink is pretty satisfying:)
Dip the sprig of mint in honey and garnish
  

I am a great fan of Alton Brown's 'Good Eats'. He can be intelligent and funny at the same time, and talk about food.I found this recipe on his show, and adapted it to my tastes and made it Indian.

Roasted Chickpeas

chickpeas- 1 cup
olive oil-1sp
salt
paprika
amchur
chilli powder

Method
Soak chickpeas in water overnight.
In the morning drain the water and let it dry out in a collandar
Add oil and salt to taste
Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Heat the oven to 400F
Roast in the oven for about 60mins to 90 mins
toss every 15 mins
They must turn golden and crunchy.
Hit with paprika ,salt and amchur when hot .Mix and serve at room temperature.
Chana chur Garam :-)


I'm yet to try it out wit other legumes. I think they must work great too

Lasagna

  Oh my God! what is Lasagna doing in the list of  healthy things to eat? you may ask...Well1 I figured out a healthier and lighter version of lasagna. No more greasy food that threatens to choke your senses with the over dose of cheese. And, It has proteins. No kidding! I added tofu ( very apprehensively) to the filling...It did turn out great. I got a thumbs up from J!! :-))
      I don't even want to think about the first time I made lasagna.  We ended up eating subway sandwiches that dinner. One of my grand Friday night dinners gone sour. I have come a long way since then. For some reason all the veggie lasagnas I've eaten are extremely cheesy. I wanted to figure out a way to reduce cheese, and add protein.And, my experiment worked:-)

RECIPE

1 pack lasagna noodles- I use precooked ones
2 cups marinara sauce  - any brand of your liking or you could make your own
1 cup cooked spinach drained- I use frozen spinach , thawed and drained
2-3 spoons cream cheese
Italian seasoning to taste
Half onion finely chopped
Tofu crumbles half to 3/4ths cup
Half boiled potato/ 1 egg
Mozzarella cheese shredded 3-4 spoonfuls
1 tomato chopped
Basil chopped
1 spoon minced garlic
Salt pepper to taste

METHOD
In  a bowl , mix spinach, tofu, cream cheese, onion,potato (mashed), salt ,pepper and italian seasoning.
Potato can be substituted with 1 egg. Its function is to hold the filling together. I don't like its eggy taste, hence I substitute it with potato.

Mix chopped fresh tomatoes,garlic and basil to the marinara sauce...Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a baking dish add 1/4th of the marinara sauce to the base.
Arrange the lasagna sheets in a layer. Add half the spinach mixture, spread in an even layer.
Add 1/4th the marinara sauce mix sprinkle an spoon of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add lasagna sheets to make another layer.
Spread the rest of spinach mixture on top, repeat with marinara sauce.
Add the last layer of lasagna sheets.
Add rest of the marinara sauce and couple spoonfuls of mozzarella cheese on top

Bake at 350-400 F for about 45 mins, till the cheese has melted and bubbly.Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins....Before you attack :-)

Healthy Lasagna is ready!
We can change up the flavors ....use salsa instead of marinara. Add roasted veggies like zucchini, bellpeppers and mushrooms. The possibilities are infinite.

Khichdi

Today, while the kiddos slept, I did not sleep,nor did I make dinner or clean the house. I made Hairbands....Yes! for my dear daughter. My brain still has some creativity left ...rather, the right side of my brain is still working...Yay!!:-) I was pleasantly surprised. Taking care of my son, then my daughter 24/7, I had almost forgotten that I was capable of doing things other than clean poop and cooking.:)

  It was pleasantly refreshing to create something. I felt like I was child again ...in my craft period, making pretty things.Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a child. Live the carefree life, with not a worry in the world. In some ways I am living my childhood again, thanks to my children. My daughter is my little doll, I like dressing her up..Playing catch, going down the slide with my son, singing rhymes with actions.Doing all that, makes me feel like a child again.Even if its only a moment, it feels great to let yourself do stupid things . I just love the crazy life I live.
  As children we would just run to our neighbor's house to eat, if my mom made something we did not like, much to my mom's exasperation. Our neighbor, Daisy auntie would welcome us with open arms. One of the things we loved was Khichdi. Yes! its the food eaten when sick. But, we just loved it and auntie made it a fancy meal with all the fixes like, Baingan bhartha, aloo bhartha, kachoomar and raitha.
  It is my go to recipe, when I am sick or need a one pot dish that is healthy. I love pongal but this north indian version is slightly healthier with the inclusion of veggies.

RECIPE
onion- half medium - finely chopped
1 potato- medium sized diced into large pieces
green peas - 1 cup
carrots - 2 large diced
moong dal - yellow-1 cup
Basmati rice- 2 cups
Zeera - 1 spoon
garlic -2-3 pods
ginger-2 spoons
green chillies diced- to taste
 salt -to taste
Garam masala - 1 spoon optional
turmeric- half spoon

Method
In a cooker heat 1 tsp of oil/ghee.
Add zeera wait till it sputters.
Add onion and garlic ...wait till it turns brown
Add all the veggies and cook for a min. Add turmeric
To this add the washed dal ....and stir till fragrant.
Now add the basmati rice and add about 4 cups of water. Close the cooker and let it cook till the mixture is completely cooked.
Once completely cooked add salt to taste and garam masala. Add water if required and heat the mixture.
when the khichidi is simmering add the minced ginger and green chillies on top switch off the heat.

Hot Khichidi is ready to enjoy. It tastes great with raita ...or plain old Mango pickle. fast and healthy
In many ways its the food of childhood ...sonny dear enjoys it with  a dollop of ghee on top.Of course without the chillies. Guddu, my daughter gets it pureed for now :). Healthy and wholesome, its a food for all age groups.






















  

Potstickers/ dumplings

Till I was living in India, the only cuisine, other than Indian I knew about, was Chinese and Italian. Well! Chinese was noodles and Italian was pizza of course. Little did I know they were all Indianised. When I came here, I was craving gobi manchurian and hakka noodles. J took me to what he called a " good chinese place". I was truly and utterly dissapointed, I was expecting gobi manchurian :-(.
  After living here for 4 yrs I have developed taste for all kinds of food. Reducing my intake of chilli has helped my taste buds realize that there are other flavors that need to be enjoyed, other than heat. The name Chinese food in USA conjures images of oily, greasy, fried  food. Not many options for us vegetarians...Fried tofu is not my idea of  healthy.
     In one of our visits to a Chinese restaurant, I discovered dumplings. They had a veggie one ....yay!!
It tasted awesome ...was itching to try it at home.On one of  my trips home, a Nepalese friend of my sis's made Tibetian mommos for us. I was surprised because they were pretty similar to the dumplings I had tried.They seemed pretty tedious to make though. I was not very encouraged to try them.
    On one of my shopping trips to the grocery shop, I noticed wanton wrappers..... I could no longer procrastinate.It made my job easier:).  I tried a couple of recipes to find what I liked. And they turned out great and not as time consuming as I thought they would be.

RECIPE
Tofu- I use firm -half pack
cabbage- finely chopped-1 cup
onion -finely chopped- half
carrots-grated - half cup
Ginger garlic paste-1 spoon( can be substituted with finely chopped ginger and garlic)
Soy sauce - to taste
Chilli powder -to taste
Wanton wrappers- 1 pack

Method
Mash the tofu brick to make scrambles.
Add the rest of the ingredients to make a mixture.

Add soy sauce and chill powder to taste.

Take to Wanton wrappers. Store the open pack in ziplock bag to preven it from drying out.
Take 4 wrappers at a time. Lay it out out on a plate. Apply water with your fingers or a brush, approximately 2 fingers wide. Place a spoonful of filling mixture in the center, pull the edges to make a pouch and press the edges together. Make a whole batch before cooking.

Method of cooking

There are three ways.
Steamed-

I like to use a collander on top of boiling water in a vessel. Oil the collander well, place the dumplings on it.
Place the collander in the vessel such that there is a distance of atleast 2 inches between the water level and the bottom of the collander. Bring the water to a simmer and cook the dumpling for abot 10-15 mins in the steam. Serve hot with sriracha sauce or any sauce of your liking.
 Or in a shallow pan bring water to a boil , gently add dumplings. Wait till completely cooked and gently fish  them out of water.
Veggies like carrots,broccoli, zucchini and squash can be added to be used as a side dish.Served with a splash of lemon juice, salt and pepper, makes a complete meal.

Potsticker Style-
 Take a pan with a flat bottom . Preferably a nonstick one. Place the dumplings on the hot pan. You should hear it sizzle the moment it touches the pan. A drop of oil around the base of the dumpling can be added if not using a nonstick pan. Wait for some time ...once the bottom of the dumpling is browned , add water about half a centimeter in height, and cover with a lid. Leave the lid slightly open for the steam to exit. Cook on simmer for for about 15-17 mins. The dumpling are cooked, when they turn translucent. Cook with the lid off for some time .
             Serve hot ....The crispy bottom and soft steamed top make a great combo.

Fried: 
   This is the most unhealthiest way to cook them.But, I'm sure both my J and my my sis would vouch that this is the best tasting.
   Be extremely careful to remove the excess water before deep frying them.

PS; Scrambled eggs can be added to the stuffing mixture. Or, you can completely eliminate the tofu and add only veggies of your choice.
 Though dumplings by themselves are pretty filling, with fried rice/noodles they make a yummy combo.

phulka

After giving birth to my daughter, and eating ' ma ke haath ka khana' for almost 3 months, I found myself 25 pounds overweight. Doc said ' It will all come off, since you are nursing'. My daughter is almost 7 months old now, and I have lost only 2 pounds:(.
        I decided I need a life style/ diet change.  Maybe my body is not metabolising the food the same way it used to. 10 yrs ago I would eat junk , make a meal out of gobi manchurian and still managed to look good. I knew I needed to make changes that I could continue to upkeep for a long time. I believe in eating a balanced diet. I am certainly not going to deprive myself of one food group completely. I believe by being moderate, I might not have immediate results,but will have longer lasting results .One of the decisions was to make roti/phulka most dinners.
   I have fond memories of my mom making phulkas on the chulha( yes, we had one at home). We used to sit around the chulha and the phulka would go straight from the fire to our plates,with a spoonful of ghee. Hmm...yummy
      But, the problem isthat it has to be eaten hot or it gets dry and tough without ghee, which I am trying to avoid.  In my quest to find the right recipe for soft phulkas even when cold , I finally zeroed in on this recipe . It makes wonderful phulkas every time, even right out of the fridge after 3 days. I usually make a double batch of the dough and store in the fridge for later use.It saves time.

RECIPE
Wheat flour- I usually use sujatha/lakshmi brand - 3cups
soy bean flour- to increase the protein content-1 cup
Salt- acc to taste
Curds- I use lowfat yogurt-1 cup
water

Method:

  Mix together the dry ingredients with salt.
To the curds add some water and whip to smooth consistency.
Add to the flour mixture and slowly start kneading.
Once the curds are added add more water if needed to incorporate all loose flour.
Knead just enough to incorporate all the flour. Do not knead too much.Working the dough too much makes the phulkas tough especially after refrigeration.It is a slightly sticky dough. Once all the flour are together in one mass, transfer the dough to a closed container and let it rest for atleast an hour.
I usually make the dough in the afternoon while my kids are asleep, and use them to make phulkas for dinner.

Making Phulkas:
Take a small amount of the dough, dunk in  dry wheat flour if its too sticky.
Make a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Knead well so that there are no lumps.
With a rolling pin roll it out into a roti about 2 mm in thickness.

Mean while heat the pan. Drop the roti in the hot pan. Turn immediately, you can see that the side we put on the pan has changed its colour to beige. Once turned , wait till you see small bubbles forming. Take the pan away from heat. Turn the flame to high and put the roti direct on flame. It starts to puff up. Put the flame back to low, use tongs to turn the phulka . Keep on high for a couple of seconds, and the phulka is ready to serve or store.

 Phulka Served with Dal makes a wonderful healthy and filling meal. Of course my son gets it with loads of ghee :-) He loves his ' ootti' :-)