Instant cucumber Idlis

This is in fact , a traditional dish prepared in our community since many years. In days of the year when turmeric leaves are abundantly available, we usually cajole our mother to prepare this dish.It is traditioally called "Thousalli." I added an interesting twist  to it,rather its shape to be made in the form of idlis. This way, they cook much faster, form an interesting finger food for kids, can be served easily and above all ,it form an instant healthy snack. The turmeric leaves give a distinctive flavour to this dish. These can be replaced with banana leaves or can be prepared as it is.

Ingredients
Cucumbers (green are preferred) 4-5 peeled and grated
Semolina(Rava) 11/2 teacup
Jaggery (Gur)shred into pieces- 1 cup or to taste
Salt- 1/2 tsp
water 1/2 cup
Ghee 2 tblspoons
grated fresh coconut- 1 cup
Turmeric leaves- as required cut into 3-inch squares.

Method
In a thick bottomed pan Heat the ghee and roast the semolina for 2 mins on a slow flame. Add the cucumber, jaggery, coconut and water and mix it well and stir till the jaggery dissolves into the mixture. Meanwhile set the steamer to boil. Arrange the turmeric leaves in the idli moulds and then pour the cucumber mixture into each mould like the idli batter.Cover with another turmeric leaf if you like. Arrange all the moulds and steam for 10-15 minutes.
Serve warm with a teaspoon of ghee and liquified jaggery.

           This is the consistency of the cucumber mixture before it is added in the idli mould.
                             It should be rather thick

                    These green cucumbers are usually preferred as they are juicy and mildly sweet.

Mushroom, Paneer and Capsicum grill

Many a times we need a quick accompaniment to an exotic lunch or a simple one. I derived this after watching many recipes. This dish can be made within minutes and is left slightly crunchy and not overcooked. The first time I prepared this dish, it immediately clicked in the dinning room and left them wondering at " something so tasty and so fast." It can be made with very little oil on a non-stick grill pan or a Dosa tawa/ flat griddle. Since Mushroom, Paneer are high protein foods this dish is ideal for weight watchers. You can be more innovative to add some parboiled veggies like carrot, corn, cauliflower, red and yellow bell peppers, baby corn , green peas, onions etc as available in your neighborhood.

Ingredients:

Mushroom-200 gms

Paneer-100 gms

capsicum-200 gms

Onion-1 medium

dark soya sauce- 1 tbspoon

Chilli Flakes- 1/2 tsp

Oregano-1/2 tsp

Black pepper- 4-5 crushed

Lemon juice-1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil- a few drops

Method

Cut all vegetables into bite sized dices or chunks. Marinate with the rest of the ingredients and set aside for 5-10 mins. Heat a grill pan/ tawa and add a few drops of oil. Spread the vegetables and toss them over a medium flame till they are cooked but crunchy to bite. Flip over the pices frequently to prevent overcooking or burning.

 Serve piping hot and sprinkle some Pizza masala and chopped coriander to garnish.You can also sprinkle the remaining marinade  or thicken it into a sauce and serve. This dish can even be made with skewers and served as a Barbeque or with a Sizzler.NJoyyy!!

Masala Fish in Banana Leaves

This is an interesting recipe which can be cooked with any kind of a medium sized fish like pomfret, bangda,sardines or silver fish. I used a flat silver fish normally called soundale in the local language. It is coated with a south Indian spiced masala , wrapped in banana leaves and shallow fried. This requires very less amount of oil as the fish is neatly cooked in the extract of the spices and turns into individual parcels grilled to perfection. Requires patience and time but worth the effort and it turns into a lip smacking dish. Ideal for a day when you can cook something different with fish.

Ingredients
Fish - 4-5 cleaned, kept whole marinated with salt, turmeric and lemon juice.
Banana leaves  -  4-5 pieces
For the masala:
Oil- 1/2 tsp
coriander seeds-1 tsp
Saunf (aniseed)- 1 tsp
cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
dry red chillies-4-5
fresh grated coconut-1 cup
tamarind- 10gms
onion- chopped 1
tomato -chopped-1
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Heat oil in a flat pan and saute coriander, cumin, saunf, chillies, ginger-garlic paste and add onions. Saute them till brown and add tomatoes and cook till they are soft. Blend coconut ,chillies, tamarind in a mixie  into a coarse paste. Add the paste into the pan, add salt and fry the mixture till thick. Cool to room temperature.

Smear each banana leaf with a few drops of coconut oil. Coat each fish with above masala and wrap them. Fasten with toothpick if necessary. On a flat griddle heat some oil and place the wrapped fishes. Cook on a medium flame till the fish is cooked and grilled impression is seen on the masala. Serve warm with Rice and curry. A green salad made of tomatoes, cucumber, onions and lettuce is a good accompaniment.

Multigrain Laddoos

Multigrain Laddoos

Sweet dishes are popular in all households. In India, It is also offered to a worshipped diety as a part of the worship(Puja)

I thought upon a sweet which can be nutritious, delicious and can be prepared without much hassle. That’s how I combined whole wheat, besan and Nachani and flavoured it some common spices. This way It contains a cereal(wheat), A pulse( gram) and millet (nachani). It provides protein , calcium, iron and some B-group vitamins making it wholesome for children and the entire family.

I could get coarsely ground flour of the above three grains which gave the laddoo a semolina or a Rava –like texture. You can use whatever is easily available in your locality.

Ingredients

Wheat flour- 1 cup

Besan or gram flour- 1 cup

Nachani flour  - ½ cup

Powdered sugar -1 ½ cup

Cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon powder mixture- 1 tspoon

Crushed almonds- as required

Ghee or clarified butter- ¾ cup

Method

In a deep bottomed and a thick kadai heat 2 tbsp of ghee and combine the flours in it. Roast over a slow flame for 35-40 minutes or till they change the colour to a deep shade and give out a delicious aroma. Cool. Combine spice powder, powdered sugar and rest of the ghee(melted) in the mixture, crushed almonds and make spherical laddoos. Store in an airtight container. Depending upon the size this mixture would make 15-20 laddoos and they keep fresh for over 15 days.

Shepu Dosa (Pancake out of Dill leaves)

 Just like any other leafy vegetable Shepu or dill leaves are very high in nutrition.

They have a distinct flavor and are usually used as a vegetable in the Indian household. Dill is particularly rich in calcium , iron, magnesium and vitamin A.

I have tried using this ingredient in a different way. This is my mother’s recipe which I have been enjoying since my childhood. I do remember cajoling my mother to make them every week.

Ingredients

Rice -2 cups

Methi (Fenugreek ) seeds – 2 teaspoons

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Dill leaves- Washed, chopped fine- 1cup

Poha (beaten rice) – 1cup

Salt  - 1tsp

Jaggery- 4-5 tspoons

Water as required

Oil to shallow fry

Method

Soak rice and methi (fenugreek seeds)for 5-6 hours. Grind Rice, methi, dill leaves, coconut with sufficient water to make a smooth paste. Keep the consistency as much as Dosa batter and not very thin. Soak Beaten rice or Poha in water and squeeze out the extra water. Mix this poha into the batter, add salt and ferment it for 8 hours or overnight. Before making the dosas add the jaggery and mix well. The batter is now ready.

Heat a non stick pan and pour a tsp of oil on it. Pour the batter in three divided portions as shown and do not spread it like a regular dosa. Cover it and cook it on medium flame for a while. Flip and turn them and cook it on the other side.

They turn golden brown, soft and spongy.

Serve warm with a dollop of butter, your favourite chutney or a pickle.

Millet bhakri on Banana leaves

I have written a couple of posts on millet earlier, the most popular being Millet as a part of daily alkaline diet (Ragi  Dosa) and Millet breads.
This is a unique recipe which I learnt in my native place in South India. In this region Banana trees are commonly found and people make use of every part of the tree productively just as coconut tree.
I made a mixture of Ragi(nachani) flour, rice flour and jowar flour along with some onions, coriander and chillies and cooked it with the help of Banana leaves. The leaves give a mild flavour to the dish and can be made with very little oil.

 Ingredients

For the batter
Rice flour- 1cup
Jowar flour - 1/2 cup
Ragi flour -1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Onions -chopped-1medium
Coriander leaves and green chillies- as required
water to make the batter
Oil to grease the banana leaves
Banana leaves- cut into small rectangles

Method:
Mix the ingredients for the batter and keep the consistency of the batter equivalent to Idli batter or which one can spread easily. Grease a banana leaf with a little oil.

Spread the batter on the leaf and cover with another greased leaf.

Heat a flat tava or griddle and place the entire assembly as shown in the picture.

Bake on both sides and remove the leaves when the bhakri is semi cooked

You can make use of the leaves again if you are careful not to burn them while cooking.

The bhakris are tasty and a mild flavour of the banana leaves is what makes this dish unique and distinctive.
It is a perfect option if you are bored with the same breakfast options and need "something different."

Oats and Soya cutlets

Cutlets are an easy and a fun way to include vegetables that are hidden within the taste of Potatoes and spices. This is one of the best illustrations where we successfully combine health with taste,Agree?
I made them in a rather hurry and so I couldn't shape them perfectly. They can be served at any part of the day, as a side dish or a snack , in children's tiffin boxes or an after school treat. I heard some women at a bus stop saying, " The toughest part of making a cutlet is to boil and mash the potatoes!!!" Yes, If the potatoes are ready, cutlets are just some minutes away.
The combinations of making cutlets are many.I have posted an oats and soya cutlets with lightly roasted oats and soya panner(Tofu) added along with vegetables. But there are a host of other combinations with  spinach paste, Mushrooms, sprouts, rajma, beans, sweet potatoes and they go on. .....

Ingredients
Boiled and mashed potatoes-4-5 medium
Lightly roasted oats- 1/2 cup
Tofu or Soya paneer- 1/2 cup Crumbled
Coriander leaves-1 cup
Grated carrot- 1 cup
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala/ Kitchen king masala- 3/4 tsp
Chat masala- 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic-green chilli paste- 1tsp
Corn flour or rice flour to bind- 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Oil to shallow fry
Method:
In a mixing bowl combine the mashed potatoes, tofu, oats, carrots, coriander, spices, salt and ginger- garlic green chilli paste and mix well add the flour to bind it together. With greased palms make small tikkis out of the mixture and shallow fry on a non stick pan till they are golden brown on both sides. Serve with chutney or Tomato ketchup.
Usually cutlets are not left over to the next session but if they are, then convert them into interesting chat with some beated curds, sweet and sour chutney and chatmasala, to with sev and chopped coriander. They would disappear soon

These are another variation with boiled and grated beetroot along with mashed potatoes. These taste great too.

Rajma parathas (Kidney bean stuffed Bread)

I have earlier posted  a starter made with Rajma. Rajma or Kidney beans are very nutritious, rich in protein and minerals  and maybe that’s the reason I decided to post it again with a variation

The preparation for this lies in cooking the rajma in a pressure cooker till it is soft.

The rest of the recipe proceeds similar to Alu Parathas.

Ingredients

Potatoes – Boiled and mashed – 3-4 medium

Rajma cooked- 1cup

Coriander leaves- chopped- 4 tblespoons

Garam masala-1/2 tsp

Dhana-jeera powder- 1tsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Ajwain- ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil to cook the Parathas.

Atta – 2 cups

Water to knead the dough

Method

To begin , knead a soft dough of the Parathas  as we normally do with rotis/ Chapatis. Cover with a wet cloth and set aside.

We would prepare the mash that would be stuffed inside these parathas . Mix together Potatoes, Rajma, all the spices, salt, coriander leaves and ajwain and prepare the stuffing.

Roll out the dough into a 4” round and stuff the mixture in to it. Cover it from all sides dust with flour and again out into a thick Paratha. Cook on a hot tawa with oil or ghee till the paratha is cooked well.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

I prepared a vegetable with some cooked Rajma that I had, Spread on top of some buttered slices of bread, sprinkled some cheese and served as an evening snack for my family. It turned out like instant mini pizzas and was enjoyed thoroughly.

Healthy and Delicious Pizza

When we talk of the NextGen foods, encounters are common in most Indian households about the difference in food culture that changed over time. Most of the older generation often speaks about the home food that they used to enjoy. Snacks like poha, upma, sheavai-upma were common in holds as evening snacks and later replaced by chats like shevpuri, bhelpuri etc. In the event of foreign food culture that seem to have raided here Italian dishes like Pasta and Pizza have included in the likes of children and they have dominated most menus of restaurants too. The only reason that I would restrict is the presence of refined flour or maida while making the base, the use of various sauces that are prepared many days in advance and contain many preservatives, and loads of cheese that is usually unhealthy and said to be the major cause of childhood obesity in these days.

In these circumstances, I would best suggest to make the pizza at home . With a little pre-preparation and planning a delicious pizza can be made at home.

Ingredients for the Pizza base.

Whole wheat flour / Atta – 2cups

Melted butter/ oil -2 tsp

salt-1/2 tsp

Baking powder- ½ tsp

 water as required

Method :

Knead the dough with the above ingredients and allow to rest for about half an hour. Keep the consistency same as for rotis/ Chapatis. Variations such as adding some chilli flakes, oregano, ajwain to the dough can be done for some extra flavor.

Ingredients for Pizza sauce

Chopped onions- 1cup

Tomatoes -2 large –blended coarsely

Tomato puree/ Tomato Ketchup- 2tbspns                   

Salt to taste

Pizza masala- A blend of spices like oregano, pepper, basil, rosemary etc.-as required

Black Pepper- as required

oil-2 tsp

Capsicum- 1 finely chopped(optional)

Garlic – 8-10 cloves- finely chopped

Chopped parsley or coriander

sugar- 1tbspoon(optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add garlic, sauté for some time and add onions, sauté till they turn pink. Add tomatoes and other ingredients and cook till they blend well. The consistency should be thick and therefore do not add much water. The sauce can be made spicy by adding green chillies/ capsico sauce.

This sauce turns out very tasty and can be used as a sauce for pastas too.

How to proceed:

Roll out the dough into a 6 inch thick base about 1/8 of an inch thick. I preferred keeping the base thin as it turns out crispy and since we have not added yeast , a thick base is not preferable.

Add some butter on a hot tawa and keep the base on it, Spread about 3-4 tsp of pizza sauce on it.

Add onion rings, capsicum rings, tomato slices, mushroom , paneer, olives or even chicken if you like.

Sprinkle pizza cheese on top, cover and cook for 10 minutes on low flame. Cut the pizza into portions and serve. Enjoy……..!!!!!

This pizza is relatively low fat and can be made more healthy with the addition of veggies in it. The amount of cheese is a lot less that the commercial ones. Cheese although is a good source of calcium and protein, it also contains saturated fat and cholesterol and that’s why not advisable in large amounts.

Turn to the homemade version and snack on it.

Spinach Parathas(Palak ka Paratha)

These parathas are easy to prepare. They  are an excellent breakfast option knowing the goodness of spinach and the nutrients that go with it. Besides ,they are a great hit with the kids. The bright green colored look of the parathas brings a yummilicious SMILE which we mothers always look forward. The rendering smell of spinach is effectively masked with the flavor of garlic  and other spices resulting in amazing parathas good enough to be eaten at anytime of the day, tiffins or guest-parties. I have skipped the use of green chillies as it makes the parathas too spicy for kids. If necessary green chillies can be ground with the spinach.

Ingredients

Spinach-washed and chopped- 2 cups

Garlic- 7-8 cloves

Garam masala powder-1 tsp

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp

Chilli powder – ½ tsp

seasame seeds (til) 1 tsp

salt to taste

whole wheat flour-3 cups

oil – to knead the dough and to cook the parathas

Method

In a mixie jar blend spinach, garlic, garam masala, turmeric, chilli powder, into a smooth paste without adding any water. Pour out the puree into a large bowl, add salt ,oil  and seasame seeds and knead in the wheat flour, taking water only if necessary  just as we knead the regular chapatti dough. Knead a little more with oiled palms and leave the dough covered for 10-15 minutes. It would look a bright green firm dough.

Roll out parathas and cook on a tawa applying oil on both sides till golden brown. Serve with your favourite chutney.

Karwar- Truly worth a Visit

We did an amazing tour last year end in December. I was accompanied by my husband and daughter while we visited KARWAR- A coastal town in north Karnataka bordering Goa. A major part of it is under the control of Indian Navy under the prestigious project Seabird.  We enjoyed what the nature opened its wings and offered us to explore.

Being a coastal town, we decided to spend most of the time on the beach. The beach had clean waters, clean sand and a wonderful view of the sunset.  A garden just alongside the beach turned out to be a good recreation and education park as there was an old Navy ship installed for the public to see. The kids loved to see the ship in its real form complete with the engine, fake models of ammunition and the life of a sailor inside the ship.

The beach waters welcomed us with cool and steady waves and we had our share of fun when we became kids along with the kids.

Now for some FooooooD!!!

The afternoon lunch was hosted by SHWETA LUNCH HOME. A popular restaurant which served delicious  fish Thalis made traditionally with all Karwar authenticity.

The restaurant was a gleeful one , crowded to prove itself and aroma of fried fish told us ‘We are at the Right Place’

We saw a few familiar boards. One with an appreciation from the famous Rocky and Mayur team “Highway on My Plate” which telecasts on the channel NDTV Goodtimes. The other one was with NDTV Zaika India ka , Vinod Dua ke Saath.  Both these posters were proudly exhibited by the owner who took personal effort to see all his customers were served properly.

It was a mouth watering platter with rotis,rice, fish curry, Bangda fry, Solkadi, vegetables and salad. We also took a Pomfret fry to suffice our appetite. The taste was indeed traditional and made with the right expertise to blend the spices which brought out the flavor in full galore. We ate to our hearts content and thanked the owner for his hospitality.

We also visited Shree GuruMatt  which is the Samadhi Shree Padmanabh Swami. Thus with many memories of Karwar  we proceeded on our tour. I would like to appeal to all readers to visit Karwar- An Unexplored destination in Karnataka that unfolds nature in its mesmerizing  form

Healthy Undhiyo

We Mumbaites are familiar with this word “Undhiyo” as much as Dhokla, Vada Pav , Kothimbirwadi  and Misal. I know these dishes are mouth watering and tempt us even when we have already had our lunch. Undhiyo from any eatery out comes in with loads of oil and a few veggies and ‘Muthia’ floating in it. For me the idea of a healthy version struck when I actually saw the recipe traditionally made on a popular gujarti TV channel. It has the goodness of all the seasonal vegetables that are available in the winter season along with Coriander leaves and Garlic. I somehow did not agree to the fact that Undhiyo needs to float in oil to make it tasty. So I decided to try out a version of mine with less oil, with lots of vegetables and no guilt.

The Undhiyo thus prepared would 7-8 persons and should be accordingly adjusted if less quantity is required.

Ingredients:

Surti Papdi-1/2 Kilo

Purple Yam/Kand- ¼ kg

Potatoes -¼ kg

Brinjal -1/4 kg Slit lengthwise

Shelled Tovar -1cup

Shelled peas-1cup

Sweet Potatoes ¼ Kg

Raw Bananas -2

Coriander leaves-1 large bunch

Garlic with leaves- 15 cloves

Green chillies- 2-3

Coconut- 1cup grated

oil – 4 tbsp

ajwain -2 tbsp

Seasame seeds or Til -2tbsp

Juice of 2 lemons

For the Muthias

Methi  , chopped fine -1 cup

Besan- 2 tbsp

atta- 1cup

salt to taste

Chili Powder ½ tsp

Turmeric-1/2 tsp

Dhania-jeera powder-1/2 tsp

Method for Muthias:

Combine all the ingredients for muthias with sufficient water and 1 tspoon of oil to make a dough. Shape into oblong balls between palms and deep fry them till golden brown. Keep aside.

 For the Undhiyo

To begin with cut the vegetables in to big pieces.

For the masala, combine Coriander leaves, Garlic, green chillies, salt and some lemon juice. Add some water and grind in a blender.  Mix the chutney with the grated coconut, adjust the salt and apply to each of the above vegetables and keep aside. In a pressure cooker heat 4 Tbsp of oil and add ajwain and Til to it . Layer vegetables with Papdi, Potatoes, Kand , sweet potatoes, shelled tovar and peas, Raw bananas and brinjal  and cook upto 2 whistles or till vegetables are done. Open the cooker when cool and  add muthias to the undhiyo and simmer on low flame. Garnish with grated coconut, muthias and sev.

Good accompaniment with Rotis or Puris. Most of them who tasted the Undhiyo liked it’s flavours and the aroma of variety of vegetables . In my opinion this is the best part of an Undhiyo.

Millet Breads (Bhakris)

I have already mentioned the importance of millets in our diet through some earlier posts in my blog. Millets as a part of daily alkaline diet. It is particularly recommended to include millet in our diet in winter and the body consumes a lot of energy to maintain warmth in the body.

This recipe is a traditional one and I have learnt it from my mother.

The bhakri is a simple millet bread that is usually flattened with the help of palms and then baked on a griddle preferably made of cast iron. Millets do not have gluten in them and that’s how it makes it difficult to knead and roll like our regular rotis or Parathas wherein we use wheat. Here we try to induce a glutenizing effect by pre-cooking the mixture in hot boiling water. After this is done , it is knead and rolled into Bhakris and baked without any oil on a Tawa (flat griddle). It forms a staple, wholesome, nutritious and tasty form of bread that goes well with any vegetable side dish.

With simple ingredients and easy to prepare this dish is sure to be liked by everyone at home. This recipe can be made with any kind of millet e.g. jowar, bajra, ragi or even corn(makai ka atta)

Ingredients

Bajri flour 1 cup Heaped

Water -1cup

salt -1/2 tsp

Method:

Heat the water in a kadai and let it boil. Add the salt and stir. When the water is boiling lower the flame and add the flour and stir continuously till it forms a king of dry dough. Remove from fire and cover it for 2 minutes. The final consistency is shown in the picture below. It should be dry and difficult to stir.

                             

Open the kadai and moisten your hands with some water and knead the dough carefully. You would notice that the dough actually behaves like a roti dough with the same consistency and can be made in to small balls. Flatten each ball, dust it with bajri flour and roll it out. Bake on a hot tawa on both sides.

Applying oil is not necessary and the bhakri taste best when served hot and remain soft for a longer time.

The dough needs to be thoroughly  knead with hands and care has to be taken not to hurt the hands. After repeating the  recipe for a couple of times you would know the exact consistency of the dough required to bring out perfect bhakris. I have taught this recipe to many of my friends and they have loved this tasty and low-cal recipe for a weight loss diet. These are a frequent breakfast option in my house and I usually serve them with Bottle gourd vegetable or Spinach with Pumpkin.

Boiled Rice Kheer

This is a kheer that is actually healthy to eat.  I prepared it out of a special rice which is popularly known as Mangalore Ukda rice. It has a prominent reddish outer skin and is not polished away like other rice varieties. The word  “ Ukda” means Boiled. The rice is boiled and then processed further to form a dry grain. As a preparation of this dish one has to wash this rice 2-3 times and pressure cooked for a fairly long time till it turns out very soft. Usually 2 whistles on a high flame and then kept for half an hour on a slow flame is recommended. Consequently ,  a large amount of water is added into the pressure cooker along with the rice.

This form of Rice is usually eaten along with the water in which it is cooked and is popularly known as “kanji.”The outer red skin of the Rice makes it more nutritive than other white forms of rice as it is full of niacin, Pyridoxine and Thiamine which are B group of vitamins. It also contains calcium, iron and copper thus making it a complete “ Whole Grain” with all its goodness. I prepared a kheer or ‘Payasam’ as it is popularly called in the south. In many areas of Maharashtra such rice kheer is often called ‘Doodhpaak.’

Ingredients:

Boiled Rice- Pressure cooked till soft -2 Cups

Milk- 2 cups

Sugar-1 ½ cups or as to suit one’s taste

Mixed dry fruits- Almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins.

Kesar or Saffron- a few strands dissolved in some warm milk

Cardamom or elaichi powder- ½ tsp

Method:

In a pan, boil the milk and add the cooked rice into it. Stir continuously and let is cook for 10-15 minutes till the milk reduces and the mixture thickens. Add  sugar and stir again cooking for some time. Add Saffron in milk and the dry fruits chopped into pieces. Finally add the cardamom powder and serve hot or chilled.

I have tried to make it as a low fat version. Condensed milk or full cream milk can be used to make it richer. Also Khoya can be added. The dry fruits and also be fried in ghee before adding to the kheer. It all depends how rich you want the kheer to be!

Spinach with Pumpkins

This is a great gravy dish in which I have tried using greens by using spinach, ash gourd  and pumpkins. This is an ideal dish for every health conscious, diabetic, weight watchers and children. This is rich in carotene which makes it full of vitamin A, mineral rich with iron ,potassium and zinc and has very less oil. This green gravy can be taken as a base gravy for various dishes like Spinach soup, Alu-palak (Potato and Spinach),Palak –Paneer(cottage cheese with spinach)and various other vegetables that can combine well. In place of pumpkin any other gourd can also be used such as squash or bottle gourd

Ingredients

Spinach – A large bunch, washed, chopped

Pumpkin – 1 cup diced

Ash gourd – 1cup diced

Ginger – ½ inch piece, chopped

Garlic – about 5-7 cloves, chopped

Onions -2- sliced

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Green chillies -2 slit

Juice of half a lemon

Cumin- ½ tsp

oil – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder ½ tsp or as required

Method

To prepare the gravy heat a pan with half a tsp of oil and add sliced onions to it, sauté till transluscent and add ginger and garlic. Add the spinach and cook till the spinach turns dark green. Cool And blend in a mixer till smooth.

In a pan heat another half a tsp of oil add cumin and green chillies. Fry for some time and then add pumpkin and ash gourd and half cup of water, salt and cook covered it is soft enough.Add the gravy, adjust the salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and let it boil. Adjust the consistency to your liking. Put off the flame and add lemon juice and stir. Serve hot with Rotis, Parathas, or Rice.

Carrot, Pineapple and Coconut Cake

The ingredients of this recipe impressed me and the fact that this cake would taste different made me try it. I was watching a food show on the television and I saw this cake being made. I forgot to record the exact measurements of the ingredients  and decided to follow my instinct. In fact, measuring the ingredients is an important task in baking and I was a little nervous about how the cake would finally turn .

I have used fresh ingredients wherever possible. Fresh carrots  and pineapple in grated form are used. Fresh coconut could not be used because of the presence of excess moisture in them. Desicated coconut is used instead. As a nutritionist, I have always encouraged the use of whole wheat flour instead of the bleached refined flour. This way the cake is healthy except for the calories for the weight-watchers.In this cake, although I have used whole wheat flour (sieved a couple of times) members can use refined flour if they wish to make this cake more fluffier.

The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The ingredients given below are sufficient for a large cake baked in a round tin of 8 inch diameter. I believe in baking  a large cake as the process is tedious and the cake would serve as a desert for some days and not finish in just one serving!

Ingredients

Sieved whole wheat flour or refined flour-200 gms

Powdered sugar-275 gms

4 eggs

Butter -150 gms

Carrots grated -1/2 cup

Pineapple chopped fine – ½ cup

Desicated coconut- 50 gms

Cinnamon powder_ ½ tsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Baking Powder- ½ tsp

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Grease and dust a cake and line with butter paper.

In a bowl beat the eggs till light and add the butter. Continue beating the eggs and add the powdered sugar. Add the carrots, pineapple and the coconut and mix well. Sieve the flour well along with the baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the bowl one spoon at a time and fold the mixture. Add all the flour and prepare the cake batter. Pour it into the cake tin and bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.

I usually do not decorate cakes as we find it too yummy to wait! Well this cake can be decorated with whipped cream and cherries. Celebrate occasions with this delightful fruity-veggie variation.