LOW CALORIE CREAMY MIX VEG

Hello everyone

Generally everyone like mix veg as if you ran out of sufficient veggies at a time then also you can prepare a lip smacking side dish using all those left over small amount of veggies. I have to go for vacations so stopped buying further more veggies but what to do of small quantity of everything left in fridge , so tried this simple yet flavourful mix veg. It came out so yummy as served in restaurants, nice creamy texture without adding any cream to it.

Stepwise recipe is given below , hope you all will like it and try too.

LOW CALORIE CREAMY MIX VEG

Serves: 3-4

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients 

2 carrots, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 1/2 capsicum, diced

1 spring onion, chopped finely

1/4 cup frozen or fresh green peas

1/4 cup frozen or fresh corn 

1 cup cottage cheese ( paneer)

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

3 medium onions, sliced

8-10 garlic cloves

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

2-3 green chilies, slit

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 green cardamom

4 cloves

1 inch piece of cinnamon

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp chicken masala or kitchen king masala

1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1 tsp kasoori methi

3/4 cup milk

Salt to taste

Method:

First of all boil or microwave, carrots, potatoes, peas and corn together with water ,till soft and tender. I microwaved for 10 mins on high. 

Similarly either boil, or sauté or microwave onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes with water, till soft and tender. I microwaved it for 8 mins on high. Let it cool. Reserve its extra water for later use.

Now grind onion , garlic, ginger and tomato mixture with Kashmiri red chilli powder and minimum water, to fine creamy paste. Avoid adding much water while making paste as it will splutter a lot while cooking.

Now heat oil in a wok, add asafetida ,cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon. Sauté till aromatic and cumin crackle. Now add prepared onion tomato paste and slit green chilies. Add turmeric powder, garam masala , curry powder and chicken or kitchen king masala. Fry till it stars leaving edges of the wok and nice aroma starts to come. Now add capsicum and spring onion , sauté for 3-4 mins then add boiled veggies.

 Mix well then add milk and let it boil. Then add reserved water and some more water if needed. Add salt to it and boil. Now add paneer and simmer for 5 mins. Now add crushed kasoori methi and mix well. Your yummy creamy mix veg is ready to serve.

Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve with roti, naan, paratha, rice or pulao it goes well with everything.

You can use any veggies of your choice . Also you can cook capsicum and spring onion till tender if you don't like its crunch, but I like crunchy capsicums so just sautéed it.

This is so simple yet flavourful side dish to accompany your daily meal as well as can be fit in any party menu too. Hope you all will definitely give it a try and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot .

Happy cooking....

 

RESTAURANT STYLE ONION TOMATO CHUTNEY

Hello everyone

People who are fond of South Indian delicacies will definitely love this yummy onion tomato red chutney generally served with idly and dosa in restaurants. I too love to relish on these tangy chutney every time I make South Indian platter. These are flavour enhancer that goes well with plain dosa and idly too. Stepwise recipe is given below, hope you all will like it.

RESTAURANT STYLE ONION TOMATO RED CHUTNEY

Serves : 4-5

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 big onions, finely sliced

2 big tomatoes , finely chopped

1 tbsp Chana dal

1 tbsp urad dal

1 spring curry leaves

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

1-2 green chillies or dry red chilies

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp oil

Salt to taste

For tempering:

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp urad dal

Pinch of asafetida ( heeng)

1 spring curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a wok, add heeng and mustard seed. Let it splutter then add Chana dal, fry till little golden then add urad dal sauté for 5 secs, or till it become aromatic and little golden, then add curry leaves and green or dry red chilies, again sauté for 1 min then add onion and tomatoes . Sauté for 5 mins then add red chilli powder , turmeric powder and salt. Cover it and let it cook till onions and tomatoes are nicely cooked and mushy. 

Now let it cool and then grind to a smooth paste using little water if required. Now add lemon juice in it and mix well.

Now for tempering, heat oil in a pan , add heeng and mustard seeds. Let it splutter then add curry leaves and urad dal ,let golden and crisp then pour on your prepared chutney and mix well. 

Your your finger licking yummy red chutney is ready to go with idly, dosa or uttapam.

You can increase or decrease the quantity of chilies and lemon juice as per your taste. Use nice red tomatoes and red chiles for good red colour of your chutney. Never fry Chana dal and urad dal together as Chana dal takes more time to cook and urad dal get browned in secs. So if you do so, end up with uncooked Chana dal and burnt urad dal.

 If you are not willing to make sambhar and other stuffs to complement your South Indian platter then this one is sure a heart winning quick and yummy side dish for you.

Hope you all will definitely give it a try and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions , they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

SUPER CRISP INSTANT MOONG DAL DOSA

Hello everyone

Who don't like dosa? I love all South Indian delicacies including crisp dosa. But sometime we instantly have craving for it but couldn't have it due to long process of soaking, grinding , fermenting and then we can have it after a long wait of whole one day. So generally we head towards restaurant to satisfy our instant cravings. So I thought why not to try some healthy , quick yet equally yummy substitute of this traditional delicacy. As a result here is this super crisp, yummy , healthy and quickest dosa for you to relish . It took maximum half an hour from soaking to serving. Even kids too love this quick version. Those who love dosa but can't handle urad dal heaviness can also enjoy these lite and healthy dosas. Now no more waiting for fermentation to enjoy your favorite meal.

Stepwise recipe is given below, hope you all will definitely give it a try and I bet , you will fall in love with this quick version.

SUPER CRISP INSTANT MOONG DAL DOSA

Serves: 3-4

Time: 30 mins ( max)

Ingredients

2 cup split moong dal

1/2 cup rice powder

2-3 green chilies

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak moong dal in hot water for 10-15 mins. Then add all ingredients together in a grinder and make a smooth paste using required water . Grind at least for 4-5 mins so that you can see small bubbles in batter. 

Batter should be of pouring consistency but not runny. It should be of consistency like regular dosa batter. Now your batter is ready to make dosa.

Take a non stick dosa tawa, heat it on medium flame. Grease it lightly and wipe with tissue or you can make dosa on it without greasing too. Pour  ladle full of batter in center and spread it in circular motion outwards. Its crispness depends on how thin you spread it. Let it cook till brown patches are visible. 

Then fold it as you like and serve hot with any chutney or sauce of your choice. Your super quick crisp dosa is ready.

If you have enough time in hand then can also soak moong dal in normal water for 1/2 hr then grind.

You can also make stuffed dosa by adding stuffing of your choice in it.

If you are making it on normal iron tawa then try to make 1-2 parathas on it before making dosa. After making each dosa wipe tawa with a piece of onion. It will act as non stick coating on iron tawa😁 and you will get nice clean and crisp dosas every time. 

Always keep heat medium, as at lower heat your dosa can't be spread nicely and on too hot tawa you will get burnt dosa. So to get nice crisp and golden dosa , keep medium heat. If it become too hot , sprinkle some water to lower its temp.

This is easiest and quickest dosa I ever made. Hope you all will love it too and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions , they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

FLAXSEEDS DRYFRUITS PEANUT BUTTER LADDOOS

Hello everyone

Flaxseeds are considered super healthy food, so why not we too include it in our daily menu. Many people want to add it but don't like its taste , so here I have this super food in super healthy as well as super tasty version. Laddoo... Favorite of every sweet tooth but these are not only yummy for sweet lovers but also a boon to health conscious weight watchers too. It will satisfy your taste buds while craving for sweets and at the same time keep you fill for long. I prefer these for post workout snacks as that time we need some thing energetic and this best suits our needs. As I skipped adding sugar and ghee to it and added lots of Dry fruits , jaggery and peanut butter to increase its nutritional values so that anyone can have these without guilt and stay healthy in a yummy way. There  are numerous health benefits of using flaxseeds and one of them is women health. It's really a complete remedy to women's general regular problems if consumed regularly but remember to not consume too much at a time, as this may be heavy on stomach if consumed in large quantity. 1-2 laddoos daily is enough for our daily requirement of these nutrients. Consumption of raw flaxseed can also lead to digestion problems so always consume it in roasted form. For more information you can refer to Below link.

Flaxseeds, ground, raw
2.00 TBS
14.00 grams

Calories: 75
GI: very low

NutrientAmountDRI/DV
(%)Nutrient
DensityWorld's Healthiest

http://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-of-flaxseed?page=2

Recipe of this super healthy and yummy laddo is given below ,hope you all will definitely like it and add to your healthy meal list.

FLXSEEDS DRYFRUITS PEANUT BUTTER LADDOOS

Serves: 25-30 pieces( depend on size)

Time : 40 mins

Ingredients

1/2 kg flax seed
400 gms jaggery, grated
1 cup chopped dates
2 cups chopped dry fruits( cashew, almonds, walnut,pistachios and raisins)
2 tbsp ginger powder(optional)
1 tbsp cinnamon powder(optional)
12-15 green cardamom pods
1 tbsp ghee(optional only for flavor)
1/2-3/4 cups of peanut/almond butter

Method:

Dry roast flax seed at medium high flame till aromatic and crunchy. Don't burn it so be careful . let it cool then grind along with cardamom pods to a powder.
Slightly dry roast the dry fruits to make them crunchy . But don't over do as too much roasting or frying of dry fruits decrease its nutritional values.
Now add all ingredients together and mix properly. Your mixture is ready to make laddoos. Make laddoos of desired size and enjoy healthy snacking.

You can add jaggery and dry fruits as per your taste. For easy binding peanut/almond butter quantity can be increased. In India , flaxseeds have enough oil in it to bind itself ,so use peanut butter as required.

If you are allergic to any nut or peanut butter then can simply skip those nuts and go for ghee , for binding and add other nuts of your choice for flavour.

You can add more ghee also for more flavors and easy binding.

But I bet it still not going to disappoint  you at all .
Now enjoy this delightful sweet dish without guilt and stay healthy in a yummy way. Hope you all will like this healthy cum yummy treat and will definitely give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot ...

I am adding this information for those who are confused whether to consume flaxseeds in summer or not . So here you go... you can eat flaxseeds daily irrespective of seasons . 

Information source : Google 

Facts on Flax seeds: 

Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for overall brain health as well as for preventing memory loss and depression.

Including flax seeds in your diet can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels as much as 25 to 65 percent, especially in women.

Eating flax seeds daily stabilizes blood sugar and can reduce the effects of diabetes.

A 3 tablespoon serving of flax seeds is as rich in omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids as one pound of fish.

Flax seeds are rich in fiber: 3 tablespoons contains one half the daily requirement.

Flax seeds are rich in soluble fiber that carries toxins out of the body.

Flax seeds are rich in lignans—800 times more than any food on earth—which may help fight prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Lignans also decrease the severity of hot flashes and decrease inflammation related to diseases like arthritis and lupus.

Flax seeds are high in protein, containing 10 grams in each 3 tablespoon serving

Flax seeds are rich and filling, with their high-fiber content and omega-3 fatty acids, and create a full, satisfied feeling.

These are 10 reasons why to consume flaxseeds daily.

Hope this helps😊😊

Happy cooking....

SPICED SEMOLINA SAVOURY BREAD

Hello everyone

Bread is a thing which connects us to everyone in this world. Wherever you go, you can find bread in different shapes, sizes, flavours, textures etc but the main thing is it's bread. Today I too have a simple bread recipe to share. It's too simple too prepare but with a distinct amazing flavour, a zing of spices with mildness of onions and herbs. It's a perfect snacks for tea time or for kids tiffin. So give it a try at least once, you will definitely love it.

Stepwise recipe is given below , hope you all will must try this..

SPICED SEMOLINA SAVOURY BREAD

Serves: 4-5

Time: 3:30 hrs 

Ingredients

1/2 kg fine semolina ( sooji)

1 tsp + 2 tbsp oil

3/4 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup Luke warm water

3/4 cup warm milk

1 tsp + 1 tbsp sugar 

1 1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp oregano 

1/2 tsp chaat masala

2 onions , finely chopped

2-3 green chilies , finely chopped

2 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

First of all add yeast in 1/2 cup Luke warm water and 1 tsp sugar, mix them lightly and leave for 5-10 min or till it become nice frothy.

Now in a wok, heat 1 tsp oil add cumin seeds and let it splutter, then add onions, green chilies, mint and coriander leaves , ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Sauté till extra moisture evaporates, let it cool. Now take semolina in a big bowl, add salt, 1 tbsp sugar, chaat masala, oregano and prepared onion mixture. Mix well, then add yeast mixture and milk to it. 

Combine everything together and let it rest for 5 mins. Then add 1 tbsp oil in it and knead for 5 mins again let it ready for 7-8 mins. Again add 1 tbsp oil and knead for another 5-6 mins to get nice soft dough. This resting and kneading process is important to produce gluten in dough , so don't skip it. Grease the dough with oil and keep it covered at warm place to rise, at least 1- 2 hr, depend on weather. 

When it become double in volume then punch the dough and flatten it on a plain surface and by rolling give it shape of a loaf and seal its edges by pinching. Now place it in a greased and dusted loaf pan. 

Again keep it covered at a warm place for second rise, for at least 45 mins to 1 hr. Now brush its top with milk.

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 230 degree C for 30 mins or till its top become nice brown and on tapping you can hear hollow sound. Now brush it with some butter and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, to get nice clean slices.

Your bread is ready to be served with a cup of tea, enjoy these easy yet delicious bread slices. You can also give it in your kids tiffin or make sandwiches. In every way these will win your heart.

You can use any other herbs too and also any other loaf pan to get your desirable shape and flavour. But then baking time may change so after 25 mins keep an eye on it. Mine took exactly 30 mins😊.

If you find your dough dry while kneading (as quality of semolina affects dough) then can sprinkle some water but the quantity given will be sufficient for a soft dough.

So enjoy these savoury delicacies and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

KIMAMI SEWAI

Hello everyone

Sewai... A must preparation for Eid. We make sewai in many ways but this one is the richest and yummiest of all. Kimami sewai, it's loaded with dry fruits, milk, essence, mava and many more. A must try delicacy for all sweet tooth fellows. Kimami sewai is mainly made on the occasion of Eid celebration. When we were kids, used to go to our Muslim friends on Eid and had these heavenly sewai many times. This  Eid I was having strong craving for this delicious treat but had no one to offer these to me so I tried it myself and viola , succeeded in replicating that same flavour in my mouth... Yummmmm. 

Step wise recipe of this heavenly treat is given, must give it a try if you are true sweet tooth😊

KIMAMI SEWAI

Serves :12-15

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients 

300 gms fine sewai ( preferably super fine suterfeni, I missed)

500 gms sugar ( you can use more, as it calls at least 3 times sugar to sewai ratio)

1 1/2 lt milk

2 cups chopped dry fruits( pistachio, cashews, almonds, walnuts, raisins etc)

1/2 cup descicated coconut

10-12 dates, chopped or dry dates, soaked and pureed

1/2 cup dates syrup( completely optional)

1/2 cup mava( khoya) or 1 cup milk powder + 1/4 cup milk 

8-10 cloves

2 inch piece cinnamon stick

8-10 green cardamom

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

1 -2 tbsp ghee

Method:

Heat some ghee in a heavy bottomed wok, fry sewai in it till nice golden in colour. Keep it aside. Be careful while frying so not to burn it, keep flame at medium to low and keep stirring occasionally to get even golden brown colored sewai.

Now in little ghee fry all dry fruits except dates, till nice aromatic and golden. Again be careful, not to burn.

Now heat remaining ghee, add cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon stick. Sauté till aromatic then fry mawa in it till light golden, or add powder milk and 1/4 cup milk in it , sprinkle some more if needed and fry till it become of mawa consistency. Now add chopped or pureed dates and fry till it get incorporated with mawa. Keep it aside. 

Now boil 1 kg milk in same wok and add sugar in it. Let it boil till it become 3/4th. It may cuddle a little but not to worry as it will work as flavour enhancer. Now add fried sewai, dry fruits , mawa , dates syrup and remaining milk.  If you find it dry for you then can add some milk or water at this stage and simmer for 8-10 mins or till sewai is cooked. As different thickness of sewai may take different time to cook.

Now switch off the flame and add green cardamom powder or any essence of your choice to it , mix well and cover . So that sewai will absorb all the flavour and aroma. Garnish with chopped dry fruits, Serve warm or chilled, in both ways it's just heavenly.   

You can use dryfruits of your choice and also can increase or decrease its quantity as per your taste.

Sugar can also be increased as per your taste but believe me this much is also too much for us so just try it first.

If you are using super fine variety of sewai then may be it need less liquid to cook so add accordingly, but i made dry sewai and if you want it with syrup then can add more milk or water to it.

Dry rose petals or saffron can also be added to it.

You can serve it with milk too, to cut its extra sweetness for non sweet tooth guests.

Now enjoy these Eid special delicacy whenever you want. Hope you all will definitely give it a try and pour your queries, comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

VEG HALEEM

Hello everyone

Haleem.... This one word brings a single thing in mind, that is non veg. But wait , here it's veg one. Yes , you heard right this is for veg fellows who ever wondered of it to taste but couldn't due to non veg . So here come easy but flavourful haleem recipe for all haleem lovers to try this for a change of taste.

Stepwise recipe is given below ,hope you all will give it a try, even non vegetarians too can try for a change 😊.

VEG HALEEM

Serves: 5-6

Time 40 mins

Ingredients 

2 cup soya nuggets , soaked and ground

3 tbsp Dalia ( broken wheat) , soaked

1/2 cup barley or red lentil( masoor dal), soaked

2 onions, finely chopped

3-4 green chilies, broken in half

1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp cumin powder

20 almonds + 4 cloves, powdered together

3/4 cup thick curd ( yogurt), beaten

1/4 cup mint and coriander leaves( equal ) , finely chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp oil

1 tsp ghee or butter

Method:

Heat oil and ghee in a wok, add chopped onions and green chilies. Fry till transparent then add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2 mins. Now add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder and cinnamon powder, add some water to avoid burning spices. Fry till it starts leaving edges of the wok and nice aroma comes. 

Now add ground soya nuggets and sauté for 3-4 mins then add soaked Dalia and lentil. Add sufficient water and salt, cover it and let it cook till nice soft and cooked.

 Now add almond clove powder and beaten curd. Adjust water and Let it boil . 

Add chopped mint and coriander leaves and lemon juice, adjust salt .Simmer for 5 mins and done.

Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves or fried onions and serve with roti, naan or rice.

I used red lentil in it but if you have barley then go for it otherwise lentil too give a delicious flavour and texture to the dish.

It's a protein packed healthy veg substitute to traditional non veg haleem..hope you all will definitely give it a try and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here , they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EASY KALAKAND

Hello everyone

Sweets are the heart of each and every festival. No festival can be completed without having some sweets in menu. So here I am having a very easy , quick but tempting Indian sweet, kalakand. It needs minimum ingredients and time but turn out to be a droolsome awesome dessert. Any sweeth tooth can never say no to this scrumptious dessert. Whenever you want to please your guests without any fuss then go for it, you will never regret.

Recipe is given below, must give it a try. Hope you will like it.

EASY KALAKAND

Yield: 15-20 pieces

Time :15 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup mashed soft paneer or chhena ( cottage cheese)

3/4 tin condensed milk ( 300gms)

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 tsp kewda or rose essense or green cardamom powder

1 tbsp finely chopped pistachios or almonds

Method:

 Heat a nonstick wok on medium flame then add mashed paneer, condensed milk and milk powder. Cook , stirring continuously to avoid burning, till it starts leaving edges of the wok. Then add essence or cardamom powder and mix well. 

Spread it in a greased tray evenly and sprinkle chopped pistachios or almonds all over it and press a little to stick them firmly. 

Now let it cool completely then cut desired slices and serve. Your easiest yummy sweet is ready to hog on😊.

Once it starts leaving edges of the wok means it's ready to spread, so don't over cook the mixture otherwise it may become little chewy.

Always use soft paneer to get nice texture of sweet, also put every thing together in the wok . If you cook paneer first then it may become chewy. 

You can use any essence or dry fruit of your choice or simply skip it.

This is kids friendly as well as sweet tooth favorite sweet treat . So definitely give it a try ,you will never regret. Hope you all will like this easy ,simple , quick and yummiest dessert, please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

OATS MANGO KULFI WITHOUT CREAM

Hello everyone

Who don't like kulfi or ice creams, but if it's made of oats then? Wow.... Yes , it's absolute taste with health. I always tried to skip Ice creams and kulfis due to creams added in it but now no issues. An idea strikes me few days back that if I can use oats in my pasta to make it creamy and saucy then why not give it a try in some sweet treat. Suddenly my kid demanded ice cream , so thought to try this in kulfi first and the result was awesome. My fussy eater too loved it , what else is needed. Happy kids, satisfied mom, that's all😊😊. It's very easy, minimum cooking kulfi with seasonal fruit, mango. Recipe is given below, hope it comes up to your expectations.

OATS MANGO KULFI WITHOUT CREAM

Yield: 1- 1 1/4 lt 

Time: 20 mins ( freezing time excluded)

Ingredients 

3/4 cup oats

2 1/2 cup milk

2 1/2- 3 cup mango puree  ( pulp of four medium sized ripe mangoes)

1 tin condensed milk ( 395gms)

Chopped dry fruits ( optional)

1 tsp mango essence ( optional)

Method :

First of all soak oats in milk for 20-30 mins. Then cook it till nicely done. Let it cool then in a grinder make its smooth and creamy puree. Use more milk if needed, as the puree should be thick creamy but of pouring consistency.

Now add mango puree , condensed milk, dry fruits( I skipped) and essence to it. Mix well and fill in kulfi molds .

 Freeze for at least 7-8 hrs or overnight. Your yummy kulfi is ready to serve.

If your mangoes are not so sweet then add some sugar as per your taste. Adding dry fruits is optional, but I will recommend you to add as it will hide that little taste of oats in kulfi.

If you don't want to add mango in your kulfi then substitute it with equal amount of thickened milk of same consistency and lots of dry fruits.

Use kulfi mold is also recommended, as freezing in big bowl may lead to formation of ice crystals in it. Then you should churn it again after half frozen to avoid ice crystals .

I used M&M 's tubes to make kulfi as don't have kulfi molds, so you can also use your jugaad.😊

Your simple, easy and healthy kulfi is ready for health conscious kulfi lovers and fussy eaters too.

Hope you all will like this healthy addition to traditional sweet treat , please pour your valuable comments, queries and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....