Fruity Shrikhand ( Fruity Sweetened Yogurt)

My mother used to make Shrikhand very often; this was one of her favorite desserts. She used to enjoy it more with mangoes, either in the form of ‘Aamrus’ (mango puree) or chunks. I have loved it ever since.

Ideally Shrikhand should be made with whole or full cream milk yogurt but you can also make it with low-fat or diet yogurt. The nuts are optional. You can add pineapple, mango or oranges, whatever you like to give it a different flavor.

In this recipe, I added fresh fruits which are not common in Indian fruit markets. You can call it as ‘hybrid’ of traditional recipe of Shrikhand.

Ingredients:

• 2 pound fresh yogurt- whole milk or full cream unsweetened
• 2-3 tbsp powdered sugar (modify according to your taste)
• 2-3 tbsp Orange flavored Fruitrition
• Fresh Blue Berries
• Fresh Strawberries diced into small chunks
• Dollop of Orange Sherbet (optional)

Method:

• Hang the yogurt in a clean muslin or cheesecloth for 2-3 hours to completely drain all the whey from it.
• Churn the drained yogurt well along with powdered sugar and Fruitrition in a bowl with the help of round part of the big serving spoon till it is smooth and creamy (for about 1-2 minutes).
• Now mix half of the fruits in it and chill it for an hour.
• Serve chilled with more fresh fruits and dollop of Orange Sherbet.

Note: If you do not have muslin or cheesecloth, add fruits directly to fresh thick yogurt and call it fruity yogurt.

Do You Know?

Berries and Oranges are rich in Vitamin C.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water soluble antioxidant that performs a variety of roles in the body. It helps to promote healthy gums and teeth, aids in mineral absorption, and helps heal wounds.

Bran

What is Bran?

Bran is the hard outer layer of grain (the grass fruit) and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Bran should not be confused with chaff, which is coarser scaly material surrounding the grain, but not forming part of the grain itself.

Significance of Bran for the Seed:

• The aleurone layer surrounds the endosperm tissue (endosperm is the part of the seed which surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch) and functions for both storage and digestion.
• During germination, aleurone secretes the amylase enzyme that breaks down endosperm starch into sugars to nourish the growing seedling.
• In cereals with starchy endosperm, the aleurone contains about 30% of the kernel's proteins.
• In multicolored corn, anthocyanin pigments in the aleurone layer give the kernels a dark, bluish-black color
• Pericarp is the tissue that develops from the ovary wall of the flower and surrounds the seeds. It provides protection to seed.

Significance of Bran for the humans:

• Bran is particularly rich in dietary fiber. It is often used to enrich breads (notably muffins) and breakfast cereals, especially for the benefit of those wishing to increase their intake of dietary fiber.
• Eating bran is one of the quickest and best ways to increase fiber in the diet. It is indigestible and it increases the weight and size of the stool more than the fiber contained in fruits or vegetables. It does not irritate the lining of the stomach, small intestine or colon. It is not a laxative but promotes the movement of fecal matter through the colon in a natural way. Unlike drugstore laxatives or other natural strong laxatives, bran does not quickly purge out all the contents in your colon.
• Bran is rich in omegas. Omegas are essential fatty acids that cannot be constructed within humans from other components by any known chemical pathways, and therefore must be obtained from the diet.
• Bran contains 12% - 13% oil and studies have shown that rice bran oil is rich in gamma-oryzanol. This includes its ability to reduce plasma cholesterol, reduce cholesterol absorption and decrease early atherosclerosis, inhibit platelet aggregation, and increase fecal bile acid excretion. Oryzanol has also been used to treat nerve imbalance and disorders of menopause.
• Bran contains significant quantities of starch, protein, vitamins, and dietary minerals.
• Rice bran contains various antioxidants that impart beneficial effects on human health.
• Bran oil may be also extracted for use by itself for industrial purposes (such as in the paint industry), or as a cooking oil, such as rice bran oil.
• Studies have shown that some of the nutrients and phytochemicals present in wheat bran, may also protect against cancer. These include phytic acid and various phenolic components such as phenolic acids, lignans and flavonoids.
• Rice bran oil's smoke point is 490 degrees F, higher than even grapeseed oil (480 degrees) or peanut oil (320 - 450 degrees). This means that even in the hottest of situations, rice bran oil won't smoke or breakdown. When cooking or grilling, you do not want your oil to smoke, because it imparts a negative flavor to the foods so when you use rice bran oil foods will taste better, and they will be less likely to stick to the grill or griddle when.

Important to note:

• Some research suggests that there are particularly high levels of inorganic arsenic (a toxin and carcinogen) present in rice bran, and that any health benefits may not be worth the potential detriments. Other types of bran (derived from wheat, oat or barley) contain less arsenic than rice bran.
• Due to the high oil content of bran, it tends to get rancid (decomposition of fats, oils and other lipids by hydrolysis or oxidation). To avoid rancidification it is best to store in refrigerator or in a vacuum-sealed container at a moderate temperature. Rancidification makes the bran bitter.

Significance of Bran for animals:

• Bran is widely used as a major component in pet foods for rabbits and guinea pigs.
• Rice bran is sometimes fed to horses for its nutritional value, particularly as a plant-based fat supplement. It is considered an excellent way to put weight onto a thin horse, without the problems associated with overfeeding grain.

Urad Dal Kachori

It is a traditional recipe of making awesome urad dal kachoris also called as 'Bedmi'. These are eaten with ‘Aloo ki sabji’ and U.P style ‘Aam ka achar’ (mango pickle).

Ingredients:

For dough

• 1 cup refined flour (maida)
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup fine semolina
• Salt
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

For Filling:

• 1 cup split skinned black gram (Dhuli Urad ki dal)
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp coriander seeds crushed coarsely
• 1 tsp fennel (saunf) seeds crushed coarsely
• 1 tsp dry mango (amchur) powder
• ½ tsp dry ginger powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• pinch of asafetida
• Salt to taste

For Frying: Cooking oil to deep fry

Method:

• Mix the maida, wheat flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil, rub until fully incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add warm water; knead to make smooth and pliable dough. Cover with moist napkin and keep aside for one hour.
• Soak dal in water for two hours. Put soaked moistened Dal in a blender, or a processor with minimum possible water. Grind it coarsely. It should be grainy not a fine paste.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add asafetida. Add the coarsely ground dal and sauté over medium heat to get rid of moisture. When the mixture starts drying out add all other ingredients to be added in the stuffing. The stuffing should be damp and not wet. Switch off the gas and keep aside to cool.
• Make almost equal sized small balls of dough. Roll out the balls to approximately three to four inches in diameter. Put about 1 tbsp of stuffing in the center. Seal the edges together using a little water and roll into a round ball. Make sure most of the air escapes before the edges are sealed and ball is made. Press down the ball making it flatter. Roll it lightly, slightly thicker than puri with the help of oil or dry flour.
• Heat the oil in a wok (kadhai); deep-fry the stuffed kachoris, a few at a time, on medium heat till they puff up and become crisp and golden.
• Remove and drain the excess oil on absorbent kitchen paper towels.
• Serve hot with Aloo Ki Sabji and pickle.

Tips:

• Replace water in part or whole with Dahi, or Buttermilk to make dough for ‘khasta kachori’. Lactic acid and fat in the Yogurt tenderize gluten.
• Allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature, to permit the starches and glutens enough time to work through.
• If you have stored dough in the refrigerator, let it come to room-temperature before rolling, otherwise the gluten will remain stiff resulting in hard dough.

Lamb Chops

Lamb chops are simmered in a creamy yogurt sauce flavored with garam masala powder.

Ingredients:

• 15 lamb chops
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp green chili paste
• 1 medium onion finely sliced
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp ghee
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4-5 drops of kewra water
• 2-3 green cardamoms powdered
• ½ - 1 cup lamb stock or water

Method:

• Mix yogurt, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, and salt together.
• Marinate the lamb in this mixture for 30 minutes.
• Heat ghee in a non-stick pan; add bay leaf, onions and fry till light brown.
• Add the marinated lamb chops with marinade, garam masala, mint leaves, coriander leaves (save some for garnishing) and fry until the oil separates from the mixture.
• Pour in half cup of lamb stock or water, stir and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the flame and simmer chops until the meat is tender. This dish, when cooked, requires the gravy that is enough to coat the meat thickly. If it is not so, cook the chops without lid to reduce the gravy to required consistency.
• When gravy becomes thick, add sour cream and fry for 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. When ghee starts separating out, add rose water, lemon juice and sprinkle green cardamom powder.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve as a starter with salad of your choice.

Do You Know?

A meat chop is a cut of meat cut perpendicularly to the spine, and usually containing a rib or part of a vertebra and served as an individual portion. The most common kinds of meat chops are pork and lamb.

Dal ka Paneer Pakoda( Cottage Cheese Fritters)

For a change make paneer pakoda with moong dal flour which is easily available in Indian Grocery Stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound paneer (cottage cheese) cut into cylindrical shaped pieces
• 1 cup Moong dal flour (available at Indian Grocery Stores)
• ¼ cup semolina (Suji)
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp green chili paste
• ½ tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder or chat masala or lemon juice)
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil to fry

Method:

• Mix moong dal flour, suji and all other ingredients except for Paneer and cooking oil for frying. Add water to make batter of dropping consistency.
• Beat batter in a blender for 4-5 minutes to incorporate air (this will make the batter fluffier).
• Let batter rest for about ½ an hour at a warm place.
• Sprinkle little salt, chili powder on the paneer cubes.
• Dip each piece of paneer in batter and deep fry in oil on medium heat.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Serve the paneer pakoda hot with coriander / mint chutney or Ketchup.

Note: You can add ½ tsp ENO fruit salt to the batter before frying to make fritters crispier.

Do You Know?

If performed properly, deep-frying does not make food excessively greasy, because the moisture in the food repels the oil. The hot oil heats the water within the food, steaming it from the inside out; oil cannot go against the direction of this powerful flow because (due to its high temperature) the water vapor pushes the bubbles towards the surface. However, if the food is cooked in the oil for too long, much of the water will be lost and the oil will begin to penetrate the food.

Which is better for the body, Brown Rice or White rice ?

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important foods in the world, supplying as much as half of the daily calories for half of the world's population.

Oftentimes, rice is categorized by its size as being short grain, medium grain or long grain. Another way that rice is classified is according to the degree of milling that it undergoes. This is what makes a brown rice different than white rice.

Although brown rice and white rice have similar amounts of calories, carbohydrates and protein, the main differences between the two forms of rice lies in the essential nutrients which are lost during the processing of white rice.

Today brown rice is a staple for health conscious eaters who believe food should be consumed in its most natural state.

Before discussing anything about the brown rice or white rice, let us first understand the different parts of the rice grain.

Structure of a Rice Grain:

1. Husk or hull is the outermost protective layer of a grain of rice present outside the grain.
2. Bran is the outermost part or layer of a grain of rice present just below the husk. It consists of combined aleurone (protein rich outer most layer of seed coat) and pericarp (outer most layer of fruit). Bran is particularly rich in dietary fiber and Omegas and contains significant quantities of starch, protein, vitamins and dietary minerals.
3. Germ in a cereal grain is the reproductive part that germinates to grow into a plant. It is the embryo of the seed. Germ is a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamine, zinc and magnesium, as well as essential fatty acids and fatty alcohol. It is a good source of fiber.
4. Endosperm is the tissue produced in the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch, though it can also contain oils and protein. This makes endosperm an important source of nutrition in human diet

What are Brown Rice and White Rice?

Brown Rice (hulled rice) is produced when only the outermost layer the husk or hull is removed.

White rice is produced when husk, bran and germ layers are removed during milling and polishing of rice.

Milling removes the bran and most of the germ layer. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain-a layer filled with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the product. The resulting white rice is bright, white and shiny; but simply a refined starch (made up of endosperm only) which is largely deficient in its original nutrients.

Brown rice becomes rancid more quickly than white rice. At many places it is more expensive than common white rice, partly due to difficulty of its storage and transport.

Nutrients Contents of Brown Rice and White Rice:

The process of removing husk from the rice grain is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice but milling and polishing of white rice cause loss of several vitamins and dietary minerals. These processes destroy 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.

By law in the United States, fully milled and polished white rice must be "enriched" with vitamins B1, B3, and iron. But the form of these nutrients when added back into the processed rice is not the same as in the original unprocessed version, and at least 11 lost nutrients are not replaced in any form even with rice "enrichment."

• Brown rice is a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion. They help out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, so brown rice is an excellent grain choice for people with diabetes.
• Brown rice is an excellent source of manganese. This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for a healthy nervous system, and in the production of cholesterol, which is used by the body to produce sex hormones. Manganese is also a critical component of a very important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is found inside the body's mitochondria (the oxygen-based energy factories inside most of our cells) where it provides protection against damage from the free radicals produced during energy production.
• Brown rice is rich in Selenium. Selenium is an essential component of several major metabolic pathways, including thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems, and immune function. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, and to induce their apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.
• Small amount of fatty acids and fibers are also lost during the formation of white rice. Fibers provide bulk to the food in the intestine thus help in reducing constipation. The oil present in rice bran may help in lowering LDL cholesterol.
• Deficiency of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) causes neurological disease called Beriberi in the people who are largely dependent on unenriched white rice.

Even though I strongly prefer the taste of brown rice, I wanted to know just how much better that brown rice is for you when compared to white rice. After comparing the nutrition that both brown rice and white rice have to offer, you may change your mind on which you choose to get.

Brown Rice and Chicken

Brown rice often referred to as whole rice or cargo rice, is the whole grain with only its inedible outer hull removed. It doesn't have the fluffy texture of white rice, but its nutty flavor and chewy texture makes brown rice a tasty way to get fiber into your diet.

Ingredients:

For Chicken Curry:

• 1 skinless boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
• ¼ cup hot and sour sauce
• ½ tsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

For Rice:

• 1 cup brown rice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• 2 cups water or broth

Method:

• Rinse the rice thoroughly under running water and remove any dirt or debris that maybe present. Soak it for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile marinate the chicken. Add sauce, garlic paste, black pepper powder, salt and 1 tbsp oil to the chicken and marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
• Heat remaining oil in a non stick pan. Add chicken with marinade. Cook covered on medium for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stirring frequently.
• In a pan boil 2 cups of water. Add rice, salt and oil to boiling water. After the liquid has returned to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until the rice is done. You can cook in electric Rice Cooker also. Brown rice takes longer than white rice to cook.
• Serve brown rice with sauce chicken.

Note: I used Knorr sauce. You can modify the quantity of sauce according to your taste.

Do you know?

Brown rice becomes rancid more quickly than white rice. At many places it is more expensive than common white rice, partly due to difficulty of its storage and transport.