Skinny on Desi Khana

Recipe #4 : Grapes, Celery and sev Burger

2012-01-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Having been on WW for last one , I have transformed my food habits. It's more fruits and vegetables, I am lighter than ever before and needless to say, feel more energetic and confident.
Recently I came across this recipe with Grapes, celery and yoghurt filling inside hamburger. I made it one night and maaan, it was delicious, filling and was 2 or 3 points on WW scale.
When I had the first bite, my indianized palette wanted some spices in it. Added sandwich masala and it got yummier, add red chillie powder and it got even more interesting.
I further tweaked it and made my very own Indian, grape yoghurt filling which can be made as follows.

1/2 cup seedless Grapes halved/chopped
1/4 cup celery chopped
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt (low in fat and high in protein). You may add your own yoghurt
Salt
Pepper
Chat Masala
Cumin powder pinch
Red Chillie powder as required
1/4 cup Sprouts ( I know it can't be healthier)
Boiled potatoes (little)
Imli chutney/ Maggie hot and sour ( watch the qty and spice levels)
Some Sev( optional)
Chana boiled (black preferred)
To add crunch you may either add puffed rice or some matri/ poori. ( I didnt add any)

Mix it all with a spoon and fill it inside two light pepperidge farm toasted bread/ hot dog buns and enjoy a wholesome, filling and delicious dinner.

Recipe #3 - Chinese fried rice in 15 minutes

2010-01-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Abirami Bharath, it took multiple attempts to get this recipe right.
I used to get my veggies soggy before I could add rice. So I ll write the recipe and follow with common mistakes and tips

Fried Rice

1. In 3 tbsp oil, fry 1 slit green chillies, slivered garlic pieces, spring onions and fry well..

2. Add carrots, peas, broccoli, musrooms, soy sauce, chillie sauce, 1 tsp ajinomotto, salt.

3. After having fried the above well, add cabbage and capsicum and fry for 3 more mins. Remember we don't want it fully cooked. 50% cooked is good enough.

4. Now add rice which is only 70% cooked and mix well. Long grain rices work the best. I use Basmati rice.

Common mistakes

- Control sauce portions or they can your fried rice soggy.
- We want the veggies to be semi-cooked. That gives a crunchy texture.

Recipe #2 - Pirattal - A chettinadu flavor

2010-01-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

I am an ardent fan of chettinad food, it's spicy, it's extremely different from our mundane sambars and finally it employs all the veggies just like many popular cuisines.

I didn't know that cuisine has so much to offer even for a vegetarian like me.

I follow Mallika Badrinath for chettinadu dishes. Her north indian recipe books lack the aunthetic taste. but for south indian vegearian dishes I love hers the best

Here goes the recipe for Pirattal

Boil 3 carrots, 2 potaotes and 1 small cauliflower, 1/4 cup peas.
For me california style of mexican style veggies packet helps best. Instant and equally nutritious and less pricy. I am for frozen veggies anyday.

Heat oil and add mustard, aniseed, curry leaves, 2 tbsp onion.
Once onions are brown, add 2 tbsp tomatoes and fry till all this is pulpy.

Grind grated fresh coconut 2 tbsp, 7 red chillies, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp aniseed, 1 tbsp gram and 1 tsp poppy seeds. Add to onion and tomatoes.

Fry till you get a good aroma and then add steamed veggies and salt. When all of it is a thick paste, switch off. Add to rice and ghee and eat.

Dellllliiiiiicious !!!!!!!!!!!! My new year weight loss resolutions up in the air ! B went fida too !

ps- it came out dry , so you can consider adding little water while frying

Recipe #1 - If Coriandar and Peas is all you have

2010-01-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Recipe #1

Nita Sharma has been one my favorite chefs fow an year now. Her recipes are simple, ingredients are easy to find and my book called ' 10 minutes cooking' is a hit in my house.

Grind together 2 cups chopped cilantro, 4 flakes garlic, 1 in Ginger, 2 Green Chillies, juice of one lemon, 1 tomato and salt.

Saute jeera, hing and kalonji ( onion seeds) and add 2 cups shelled peas. fry well for 5 mins and add dhaniya paste.

Pressure cook if possible or leave on gas for 15 mins. Add tomato finally. Serve hot..

This goes well with chappathis and cream. Achar would complete the combination.

For those who, like me enjoy the smell of fresh cilantro ( coriandar), green chillies this is a great side dish to chappthis.

I used the left over with rice the next day.

Julie and Julia on my Blog

2009-12-10T19:15:00.000-08:00

Extremely inspired by the movie 'Julie and Julia' combined with my passion to cook, I am looking for a role-model-cook to follow. Perhaps I ll have multiple cooks to follow. Definitely Sanjay Thumma is one of them.
The idea of having a deadline was cool.

So here is the commitment. Starting Jan 2nd 2010 - I ll have 364 days to finish 100 recipes. For food lovers it'll be a great place to relate to. Plus there will be some discoveries, some experience sharing and some inspiration for the readers. I am looking for a counter currently.

What am I going to try ? "Indo-Mexican, Indo-Chinese, Indo-Western" keeps it easy and yet interesting for me ! Still thinking on something unique.

How about some guest entries too...

What a resolution for a foodie !

Green Chutney - Nutritious and Easy

2008-07-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

How about having a single side dish which goes excellently well with Chappathis, Idlis, Dosas, breads and even rice ? How about not having to make it each time you want to have it ? Here is the recipe for an easy Nutritious green chutney.

Finding "healthy, Easy to make and tasty" food is rare. Here is the recipe of one of the most useful chutneys I have ever had.

Ingredients :

2 Cups Mint leaves
1 Cup cut Coriander leaves
2 Green Chillies ( You can increase if you want)
3/4 cup Onion ( Preferably small green ones, I use whatever is there at home)
Some Lemon Juice for tanginess
Salt to Taste

Method :

Grind them all raw into fine paste. THAT'S IT !

Uses :

1. You can store this chutney in fridge for a little more than a week and use it as and when you need it. You can have this chutney with little curd/yoghurt/Sour cream. Together they serve as an excellent accompaniment to Dosas, Idlis and Chappathis.

2. With Sour cream or Yoghurt when you blend this chutney, you can spread it on bread.

3. The chutney can be had with all North Indian chats like samosas, Kachodi, Pakodas, Bhel Puri etc.

4. With Gujju snacks like Dhoklas, it's an ideal side dish.

5. Mix some buttermilk/ curds to make a delicious Raitha which goes well with pulavs, Sambhar rice etc.

6. Blend this chutney with Yoghurt and instantly it acts like a dip for tortilla chips or potato chips...

Notes on OATS

2008-07-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

"Fiber" in diet is a mantra these days for healthy heart. You find fibre pills, fibrous vegetables more than ever before. Oats is top on the list when you think of fibre for breakfast. Here are some details I collected about OATS.

If you don't like it as a breakfast item, there are alternatives. Read further to get tips on oats.

Amazingly, the processing of oats does not take away anything as in the case of other grains.

The finer the grain, the faster it will leave you hungry. Of course, the larger or thicker it is, the longer it will take to cook. But then, we do know that a slow-cooked dish is tastier by far, don't we?

Benefits :

Oats offer an unbeatable number of health benefits: seven B vitamins, Vitamin E, and nine minerals, including calcium and iron. Oats have twice the amount of protein as wheat and corn, including essential amino acids-good for growth, maintenance and repair of the body. Importantly, a high level of soluble fibre is found in oats and this helps keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check, thereby protecting you against cardio-vascular diseases.

Soluble fibres also act as bottle brushes in the intestines, cleansing them of toxins and food debris. Its complex carbohydrates (sugar from them is released slowly in the blood stream) are good for diabetics, weight and health-watchers alike. Oats also have GLA (gamma linoleic acid), known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Ways with Oats :

1. Breakfast Cereal - Sweet or Salted. Steamed first. Add milk or curd, honey and nut.

2. Since they have been steamed for processing, they can even be eaten 'raw'. Just roast slightly for flavour and add gomasio (a healthy salt), or drizzle with cheese and pepper.

3. Add to cakes, cookies, shortcrust pastry, breads, pancakes, soups and dosas.

4. Oats Upma - Quaker is best. Delicious Oats Upma Recipe here at Saffron Trail.

I buy quaker oats.
I have compiled this post from various sources including preventionindia and several culinary blogs. You can add to the details :-)...

Wishes from me for a healthy heart and happy life.

Pudina/ Coriandar/ Curry leaves Rice

2008-06-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here is an easy recipe that you can have once in a week.
Why would you want to make this ?
1. Health Benefits - Fresh Green Leaves have this distinct flavor and together with ginger it has many medicinal benefits
2. Extremely easy

Ingredients :

Grind with little water :
A bunch of Coriander or Pudina or Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Grated Coconut
2 Green Chillies cut
1.5 Tbsp of Ginger

Mustard Seeds and little Oil to temper
Salt to taste and Lemon juice (Optional)
Cashews to garnish
Cooked White Rice

Method :

1. Splutter few mustard seeds and add ground paste and fry till raw smell goes.

2. Switch of the stove. Mix cooked rice to this paste with salt, lemon juice and roasted cashews.

You are done :-) You can have this with any raitha or chips or Plain yoghurt !! Without any side dish, it's equally tasty.

Tongue Tickling Pineapple Rasam

2008-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, I shall post a picture very soon, but here is the simple foolproof recipe.

Time Taken - 30 mins
Serves 3 ( Sometimes just 2, Tempting !!! )

1. Mix 2 cups water 3/4 chopped tomato, 3/4 cup of crushed pineapple, 2 tbsps of grated green chillies, 1 tbsp rasam powder, salt and hing and heat for 20 mins on medium- high flame

2. Add 3/4 cup cooked tuar daal ( Thuvaram paruppu) to this and heat further... Add more water if it's too thick. 10 more mins on medium flame

3. Now the real magic comes here. In 1 tbsp ghee, put some jeera and mustard and let it crackle and pour this over the boiling rasam.

The hotness of green chilli mixed with sweetness of pineapple makes it a sexy combination. Have it with rice and beetroot / kootu ( lentils and cooked veggies) or have it as a soup. Awesome !!!!!

1,2,3 Kesari

2008-06-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

I learnt making kesari from my mother. Ok here goes the easy way to do it

1. One portion rava fried in ghee. For 1 cup rava, I use 1.5 tbsp of Ghee. You can adjust accordingly.

2. Once rava gets mild brown in color remove it from stove, cool it

3. Boil three portions of water in the same wok.

3. Add rava to boiling water. Once the rava absorbs water well, add two portions of sugar. Little less than two would also taste good.

4. Add a pinch of kesari powder and mix well.

Add cardamom powder and roasted cashews to garnish.

Serve hot :-)Now wasnt that easy? It s just an easy interpretation of what I was taught.For those of you who don't know what kesari is, it's a sweet dish served in south india. Without the kesari powder it s called halwa and served in north India.

Dal Fry

2008-06-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe for Dal Fry. I learned it from my aunt. I luvvvv it. I shall post the pictures soon.Some people make it with just one of the dals. Instead we can use as many dals as you want. That can be useful when you have limited supplies of each dal or find one pricey over other.Undoubtedly the following dish is a protein relish. Dals tend to create gas in body. So ginger in dhal fry can offset that problem.Once made, you can store this for 3-4 days in fridge and use, provided it remains ;-)

Ingredients

1:1:1 = Moong yellow : Tuvar : Chana D1 Onion big, cut into small pieces

1 big tomato cut

2 Green Chillies1 tbsp Garlic Ginger paste or grated

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder - Secret Ingredient :-)

2 tsp Garam Masala1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

2 tspTurmeric powder more

2 tsp Cumin seeds

One inch Cinnamon Stick

Oil

Salt to taste

Method

Boil dals with little salt and turmeric powder.
Crackle Cumin seeds and cinnamon in a 1.5 tbsp of oil and little ghee. Ghee gives a good aroma, so one can even replace entire oil with ghee. Keep the gas at medium flame.
Add cardamom powder. You can break the seeds and add too.
Fry green chillies, ginger garlic paste for a minute. Ginger garlic paste due to it's moisture makes oil splutter, so try to use lid.
Add onions, fry well and when they are brown add tomatoes.
When the tomatoes mash well, add the masalas.
Fry well till it looks like one homogeneous paste and oil separates.
Mash the boiled dals either with masher or blend them in blender for just 2 seconds, not more. I prefer mashing with either hands or potato masher.
Add the dals to the paste in Step 7.
Increase the flame and heat the dals. This is where it gets a good taste.
Remove from stove in 15 mins.
Top with lil Kasoori Methi and chat masala if you want.

Serve with finely cut onions, Slit Green chillies and Lemon.

It goes well with Jeera rice, Plain Rice or Phulkas.

Easy Snack / Breakfast - Sandwich

2008-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

If you have visited the US or if you stay here, chances are high you have eaten in Mc Donalds or Burger King or other fast food outlets.. Here is something you can prepare at home as an easy evening snack or even as a light dinner or Breakfast.

Ingredients :

Iceberg Lettuce Leaves - for a juicy taste
Red Onion - for a strong flavor
Cucumbers - for it's chillness
Ground Pepper - Gives hotness to the Sandwich
Tomato Ketchup - Sweetness - Optional
Cabbage, Carrot colesaw, Spinach - Optional...My basic recipe doesn't need this
Ranch - Italian Ranch suits best for me, with herbal flavors
Bread - Whole wheat is what I take. You can choose anything.

Method :

Just place one on another.

Yes it's that simple..Start with lettuce, then ranch, then onions, cucumbers, pepper and ketchup.
Place the second bread on the top...That's it..Really.

If you want to make it heavy, you can always use patties and buns. This is something one can make quickly. Stack more veggies for a healthy treat.

Visit this area for easy snack options :-)...