Vrat Ke Chawal (Bhagar) Ki Khichdi

In this recipe Vrat Ke Chawal (Samo Seeds) are cooked with yogurt to make soft and mushy khichdi.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bhagar or Samo Seeds or Vrat Ke Chawal
• ½ cup yogurt
• 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 6-7 curry leaves
• Nuts roasted and chopped
• 1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
• 1 tbsp green coriander leaves chopped
• Sendha namak to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak Samo seeds for about 4-5 hours.
• In a pressure cooker add soaked Samo seeds, salt, one green chili, 2-3 curry leaves and 3 cups of water; cook (up to 2 ‘pressure release’ or ‘whistle’) till soft.
• Open the pressure cooker when cooled, stir in the churned yogurt, crushed pepper and chopped coriander leaves.
• Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves and chopped green chili. Fry a little.
• Add cooked Samo seeds and stir carefully. Add some warm water, if required, until the consistency is like soft khichdi.
• Garnish with nuts, fried whole red chili and coriander leaves.

Do You Know?

Studies of fasting in both rodents and humans appear to indicate a connection between calorie restriction and longevity. In one study of overweight men and women, a calorie-restricted diet improved markers of aging, such as insulin level and body temperature.

Fasting might also improve longevity by delaying the onset of age-related diseases including Alzheimer's, heart disease, and diabetes.

Since researchers have not followed people for long enough periods of time, they do not yet know whether the effects of fasting translate into an actual increase in lifespan.

Sabudana (Pearl Sago) Cutlet

Mix Sabudana (Pearl Sago) with potato and peanuts to prepare deep fried cutlets.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sago
• 2 potato medium sized
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 1 tsp green chili paste
• 2 tbsp ground peanut
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Sendha Namak to taste
• Black pepper powder
• Ghee to fry

Method:

• Soak sago in enough water so that it is completely dipped in water and keep it aside for 2 hours. If sago pearls have not become completely transparent then sprinkle 2-3 tbsp water and again soak for 10-15 minutes more.
• Boil and mash potato.
• Now mix all the ingredients with soaked sago (no water should be there with sago pearls) and mashed potato. Mix it properly with hands.
• Make small balls of the mixture and flatten them.
• Heat some ghee in a pan. Deep fry these cutlets till golden brown and crispy.
• Serve with chutney.

Do You Know?

During a fast, a person purposely abstains from food for a specific period of time. Fasting has been practiced throughout the ages for both religious and therapeutic purposes. A one-day fast is unlikely to cause any harm to a healthy body. Slightly longer fasts (two to three days) are also well-tolerated by most healthy people.

No matter how short the duration, fasting is unwise and potentially dangerous for some people, including pregnant and lactating women, people with cancer, diabetes, gout, hypoglycemia and other diseases.

Some health experts caution against fasts lasting more than two to three days, even for healthy individuals, if longer fasts are practiced, they should be medically supervised.

Badiyon Ka Pulao

Rice cooked with Urad Dal Badiyan makes delicious pulao.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Badiyan broken into small pieces
• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1” stick of Cinnamon
• 2 Green Cardamoms
• ½ tsp Garlic paste
• ½ tsp Ginger Past
• 1 green chili chopped
• 1 small Onion finely sliced
• 1 tbsp Mint Leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp Cilantro Leaves chopped
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp ghee (Clarified Butter) or oil

Method:

• Boil Badiyan in just enough water till just cooked and no extra water is left (Some Badiyan are harder and required to be cooked in pressure cooker. Freshly prepared Badiyan can be cooked in a pan without pressure cooker).
• Soak rice for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan; add Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Cardamoms and sliced onions. Sauté well.
• Add garlic paste, ginger paste, and fry again for one minute.
• Add cooked Badiyan and fry on medium heat for a minute. Since Badiyan themselves are spicy, very little or no extra spices are added to pulao.
• Now add 3 cups of hot water, chopped mint leaves, chopped cilantro leaves, chopped green chili, salt and soaked basmati rice. Mix lightly.
• Allow rice to cook over a high heat first.
• Cover the pan and further cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes until rice is done.
• Serve hot with onion raita and green chutney.

Do You Know?

Emotional eating is “the tendency to eat in response to negative emotions”. Many laboratory studies showed that overweight individuals are more emotionally reactive and are more likely to overeat when distressed than people of normal weight.

Furthermore, it was consistently found that obese individuals experience negative emotions more frequently and more intensively than do normal weight persons.

Til Ki Chutney

Grinding is not required for this chutney. Just mix all roasted ingredients and eat with hot boiled rice and dal.

Ingredients:

· ¼ cup white Sesame Seeds

· ¼ cup grated khopra (dry coconut)

· 3-4 whole dry red chilies

· 4-5 curry leaves

· Pinch of asafetida

· ¼ tsp tartaric acid (or citric acid)

· ¼ tsp black pepper powder

· ¼ tsp cooking oil

· Salt to taste

Method:

· In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat.

· When hot add asafetida, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Fry till they change the color.

· Now reduce the heat to low and add sesame seeds and grated coconut; stir fry till they are crispy light brown.

· Remove the pan from fire and add salt, black pepper powder and citric acid. Mix well.

· Cool at room temperature and serve with dal, sabji and hot rice.

Do You Know?

Sesame Seeds are grown worldwide, particularly in India, China, South America and Africa.

It has been cultivated for over 4,000 years in Mesopotamia and was found in Tutankhamun's tomb.

The seeds were ground for flour and today they are still used to make tahini, a delicious paste that has a long reputation for increasing longevity.

Apparently the women of ancient Babylon would eat 'halva', a mixture of honey and sesame seeds, to prolong their youth and beauty, while Roman soldiers ate sesame seeds and honey to give them strength and energy.

Laddoo Ki Kheer

Have you ever made Laddo ki kheer? If not then try out now. Boondi ke Laddoo are used to prepare this special kheer.

Ingredients:

• 2 Boondi Laddoos
• ¾ cup full cream milk
• Pinch of cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp rose water
• Crumbled khoya or burfi
• Chopped nuts

Method:

• Take Laddoo in a plate and cut each in two parts.
• Pour milk over the Laddoos.
• Microwave the plate for at least one minute or till bubbles start coming out. Remove the plate from microwave.
• Sprinkle khoya, cardamom powder, nuts and rose water over the laddos. No sugar is required.
• Refrigerate it covered for about an our till chilled. Serve as dessert.

Do You Know?

Laddoo is an Indian sweet that is often prepared to celebrate festivals or household events such as weddings. Til and jaggery laddoo are especially made for the festival of Sankrant.

Laddoo are always round in shape but their size may vary. Some have a soft to bite-into-consistency while others are hard to bite into.

Laddoos are usually made out of some flour like wheat, besan or gram flour, or nuts like sesame seeds, peanuts as the main ingredient and hot sugar syrup or jaggery syrup.

Some examples of ladoo are : Motichoor ladoo, Boondi Ladoo, Churma Ladoo, Rava Ladoo, Atta or Wheat ladoo.

Mixed Vegetable Soup

Serve this nutritive flavorful soup with croutons and a salad. Use frozen vegetables for quick preparation.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped carrots
• ½ cup chopped beans
• ½ peas shelled
• 1 cup crushed tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp wheat flour
• 2 cups chicken stock (optional)
• 4-5 cups of water
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of salt
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Melt 1 tbsp butter; fry garlic cloves and wheat flour till it is little pink; add crushed tomato, carrots, beans, peas, onion and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook for 5-6 minutes.
• When cold, blend and pass through a sieve. Add chicken stock and more water according to the required consistency and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add salt, black pepper powder and chopped coriander leaves.
• Heat 1 tbsp butter in a small pan, add cumin seeds. When they stop spluttering, add asafetida and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the simmering soup.
• Serve hot with crouton.

Do You Know?

A crouton is a small piece of sauteed or rebaked bread, often cubed and seasoned, that is used to add texture and flavor to salads and as an accompaniment to soups, or eaten as a snack food. The word crouton is derived from the French croûton, itself derived from croûte, meaning "crust".

Strawberry Milkshake

It is a nutritive refreshing drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped fresh Strawberries
• 1 cup cantaloupe cubes
• 1 cup cold milk / Vanilla Ice Cream
• ¼ cup strawberry nectar
• 1 cup crushed ice

Method:

• Wash strawberries properly and remove the stems.
• Blend strawberries, cantaloupe and strawberry nectar together in a blender until crushed properly into a smooth paste.
• Add milk / ice cream and crushed ice.
• Blend again for another 30 seconds or so.
• Serve chilled in glasses topped with ice cream and fresh strawberry.

Do You Know?

A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk/ice cream and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup. Milkshakes are usually served in a tall glass with a straw, and whipped cream may be added as a topping.

In some parts of New England and New York City in the United States, milkshakes are made without ice cream. In those areas, a milkshake made with ice cream is commonly called a ‘frappe’.

Yogurt Dip

It is a tasty and simple dip for garlic lovers. Goes well with crackers/chips and cucumbers/carrots

Ingredients:

• 1 cup thick yogurt (I prefer Plain Mountain High Brand)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic minced fresh
• 2 tbsp spring onion chopped finely
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt to taste

Method:

• If you are using homemade yogurt then place it in a strainer or hang it in muslin to drain off the water for approximately 15-20 minutes.
• Beat lightly, add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Refrigerate till ready to serve.
• Serve with potato wafers, crackers, cucumber and sliced carrots.

Do You Know?

Due to its strong odor, garlic is sometimes called the "stinking rose".

When eaten in quantity, garlic may be strongly evident in the diner's sweat and breath the following day. This is because garlic's strong-smelling sulfur compounds are metabolized, forming allyl methyl sulfide.

Allyl methyl sulfide (AMS) cannot be digested and is passed into the blood. It is carried to the lungs and the skin, where it is excreted. Since digestion takes several hours, and release of AMS several hours more, the effect of eating garlic may be present for a long time.

Lamb Biryani

Hyderabad Biryani is simple to make, but requires a lot of experience. The variables are complicated such as right proportion of spices, moisture of yogurt meat mixture at the time of ‘dum’(cooking in sealed container), lamb portions, quality of rice etc. All the variables have to be carefully balanced so everything will cook together and come out perfectly.

Ingredients:

For Rice:

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 8-10 Mint leaves
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• 1 Green chili
• 1” Cinnamon stick
• 4 Green cardamom
• 2 Clove
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste

For Meat:

• 2 lbs Lamb meat (cleaned, cut into medium size pieces)
• 2 cups yogurt
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chili chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp Shahjeera
• 1 tsp garam masala

For Layering:

• 2 Big onion
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of saffron color
• ¼ tsp of saffron dissolved in ½ cup of milk
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 Cup oil
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• 2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Method:

• In a large bowl mix the meat, yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, chopped green chilies, salt, and ground garam masala. Marinate for at least 4-6 hours in the fridge.
• Chop the onions lengthwise and sauté them in the oil on low heat till light brown. Drain away any excess oil and then remove the onions and spread over a large plate. This should keep the onions crispy. Once they have cooled, crush the onions with your fingers and add half of this to the marinated meat mixture. Keep aside remaining half for later use.
• In a large pan half fill with water and add salt, whole garam masala, mint and coriander leaves and one green chili. Bring this to the boil and add the washed rice. When rice becomes half cooked, remove it from the flame. Drain the rice in a colander and rinse with a little cold water. Mix one tsp of oil and keep aside for later use.
• Heat the oil in which sliced onions were fried, in a pan. Add shahjeera and lamb pieces with marinade and fry for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat. Add water and cook till the lamb pieces are tender and the curry thickens. Remove from heat.
• Grease heavy bottom saucepan generously with ghee and transfer half of the meat mixture in to it. Spread half quantity of boiled rice over the meat. Garnish with half quantity of chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, garam masala powder and deep fried onions. Place the second layer of meat over the rice and repeat the same. Pour the ghee on the edges of the layered biryani. Warm the milk and crush the saffron into it. Add saffron color in it. Pour the milk saffron mixture over the rice. Cover the saucepan tightly. It is better to seal the container with the dough and cook over high flame for 10 minutes in the beginning and then on low flame for at least 30 minutes later. Break the seal just before serving.
• Biryani is traditionally served with Mirch Ka Saalan, Tomato Kut and Dahi Ki Chutney.
  

Tomato Rasam

Rasam is a special type of ‘soup’ prepared regularly in South India mostly from Lentils. It is both spicy and sour.

Different brands of Rasam powders are available in market. Just mix dal stock and Rasam powder with tomato soup and season it with asafetida …..Rasam is ready.

Rasam is nutritious; it can be had as a soup or can be eaten along with Rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups crushed canned or fresh tomatoes

• 1 cup dal stock or ¼ cup toovar dal

• ¼ tsp asafetida

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Salt to taste

• ½ tsp mustard seeds

• 2 cloves of garlic crushed fine

• 7-8 curry leaves

• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 6-7 cups of water

• Rasam masala:

• 1½ tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• 2 dry red chilies broken in to half

Method:

• Prepare Rasam powder: Roast peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chilies on medium heat, without oil, for one minute. Grind them into masala powder.

• Prepare dal stock: Pressure cook ¼ cup toovar dal with two cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder for ten minutes. Mash well when soft. Use as dal stock.

• Prepare tomato soup: In a pan add crushed tomato, crushed garlic, 4 cups of water and salt. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from fire, strain to remove seeds and skin.

• Mix Rasam powder, dal stock, tomato soup and 2 cups of water; boil and simmer for 5 minutes in a pan on medium heat.

• Prepare seasoning: Heat ghee in a small pan, add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add asafetida and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning over the Rasam. Remove from fire and leave the pan closed for 5-10 minutes.

• Mix in lemon juice. Garnish with chopped coriander. If required heat it again and serve it piping hot in cups.

Do You Know?

In Tamil, 'Rasam' means Juice. It can refer to any juice but simply Rasam commonly referred to the one prepared with Tamarind/Tomato juice with added spices.

Historically, it was prepared mainly with black pepper and tamarind, both ingredients native to and abundant in South India in general.

There are different kinds of Rasams, varying by ingredient. Lemon Rasam, Meriyala/Milagu (Pepper) Rasam, Neem flower Rasam, Ginger Rasam, Garlic Rasam, Pineapple Rasam, Parupu (Dal) Rasam etc.

Hara Masala Aloo (Potatoes in Green Sauce)

Potatoes are cooked in green sauce (green Masala). Use frozen masala and prepare in minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Potatoes peeled and cubed
• 2 cups finely chopped scallion ( green onion / spring onion)
• 2 cups spinach chopped, washed and drained
• 4-5 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 pinch soda bi carbonate
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Butter and fresh cream for garnishing

Method:

• Take spinach in a large vessel, add ¼ cup of water and soda. Cover and put to boil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Cool in a plate or run under tap water to cool.
• Put spinach in a grinder; add scallion, green chilies, wheat flour, white vinegar and salt. Grind to smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and fry till color is changed. Add potato cubes and fry till pink. Add ginger, garlic paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add blended spinach mixture, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and allow cooking covered, on medium heat, for about 8-10 minutes or till potato is tender.
• If using green masala cubes then first fry potato cubes then add green masala cubes; cook till potato is done.
• Mix lemon juice before serving.
• Garnish with butter and fresh cream.
• Serve with Naan or Paratha

Do You Know?

Spinach is one of the foods that is most commonly associated with allergies. This may be due the reason that it is very tightly-packed with nutrients. Any one of its agents could trigger an allergy in a person who happens to be allergy to something. So always eat spinach in moderation.

Aloo Parwal

Potato and Parwal cooked with mild spices (basic masala) to make a delicious curry. Parwals (both frozen and fresh) are available in Indian grocery store.

Ingredients:

• 1 big potato cut in long pieces
• ½ lb frozen Parwal (or fresh Parwal)
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and chopped
• 1” cube of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium sized tomato, peeled and minced
• 1 green chili
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 4-5 tbsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Put the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chili and tomato into a blender or food processor along with ¼ cup water and blend until you have a smooth paste.
• In a vessel heat 4-5 tbsp of oil and add the onion tomato paste. Fry until it turns light brown. Add the coriander, red chili and turmeric powders, and fry stirring continuously, until the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• Add potato pieces and parwal; pour in 2 cups of the water. Mix in salt and black pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently till vegetable is done.
• Transfer curry to serving bowl. Add garam masala powder.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti or paratha.

Do You Know?

Unlike many foods, potatoes can be easily cooked in a microwave oven and still retain nearly all of their nutritional value, provided that they are covered in ventilated plastic wrap to prevent moisture from escaping. This method produces a meal very similar to a steamed potato while retaining the appearance of a conventionally baked potato.

Basic Masala

Most gravid Indian dishes have certain ingredients in common, so preparing and storing one when you have some spare time is a great idea.

I freeze masala in ice trays in freezer and then store these masala cubes in freezer bags. Do not forget to label the freezer bag with date and freeze for later use.

You have to just add meat or veggie to the gravy and cook through.

Ingredients:

• 4 large onions cut into quarters
• 1 medium tomato cut into quarters
• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 2” cube of ginger
• 4 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 4 green chilies chopped
• 4 tsp red chili powder (modify the quantity according to your need)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 8-10 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Grind the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilies together in a food processor till you get a smooth paste. Add little water while grinding.
• Heat the cooking oil in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add the onion paste, fry for 8-10 minutes.
• Now add the powdered spices and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• If you are not using masala immediately then turn off the fire and allow the paste to cool completely.
• Fill ice cubes tray with the masala and freeze it. After 2-3 hours, when masala is set like ice cubes, take out from the tray and store in a freezer bag. Label the freezer bag with date and freeze for later use. Use number of cubes according to your taste. If any time you feel that gravy is thin, add more cubes to the curry.
• If cooking curry then add prepared vegetable/ chicken/meat at this stage. Allow to cook till it is done.
• You can add little meat masala or chicken masala or kitchen king masala powders (different brands are available in Indian Grocery Store) to basic masala to give different flavors to different curries.
• Sprinkle garam masala powder in the end when curry is ready to be served.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or grated cheese or fresh cream.

Some Recipes:

• Aloo Parwal
• Peas Mushroom Curry
• Egg Curry
• Matar Paneer
• Gosht Masala
• Keema Lobia

Green Curry Masala

Gravy is green and goes well with potato, chicken, Lamb or goat, paneer etc.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely chopped scallion ( green onions or green onion)
• 2 cups spinach chopped, washed and drained
• 4-5 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 1 pinch soda bi carbonate
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

• Take spinach in a large vessel, add ¼ cup of water and soda. Cover and put to boil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Cool in a plate or run under tap water to cool.
• Put spinach in a grinder; add scallion, green chilies, wheat flour, white vinegar and a few pinches of salt. Grind to smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and fry till color is changed. Add ginger, garlic paste and stir fry till light pink.
• Add blended spinach mixture, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and allow cooking on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes or till it is thick.
• If you are not using masala immediately then turn off the fire and allow the paste to cool completely.
• Fill ice cubes tray with the masala and freeze it. After 2-3 hours, when masala is set like ice cubes, take out from the tray and store in a freezer bag. Label the freezer bag with date and freeze for later use.
• If cooking curry then add prepared vegetable/ chicken/meat at this stage. Allow to cook till it is done.
• Mix lemon juice before serving.

Green Curry Masala Recipes:

Chicken Green Curry

Paneer Kofta Curry

Hara Masala Aloo

Hara Masala Shrimps

Aloo Ka Halwa ( Potato Halwa)

This is one of the uncommon desserts normally cooked during festivals like Janamashtami or Shivratri.

You can replace ghee with vegetable oil but then it will not have the same flavor and taste as the original dish.

I prepare halwa in vegetable oil but in the last stages of its cooking I add just 1 tbsp of Desi ghee which gives good aroma and flavor to the halwa.

Ingredients:

• 2 Potatoes medium sized
• ¼ cup desi ghee (clarified butter)
• ½ cup Sugar
• Cashew Nuts chopped
• ¼ tsp Green Cardamom crushed
• ½ tsp Rose water
• Pinch of yellow color

Method:

• Boil the potatoes in a saucepan or Microwave them for 5 minutes.
• Once the potatoes cool down, mash or grate them.
• Heat ghee in a non-stick pan on medium heat and add mashed/grated potatoes gradually.
• Stir and cook this till the ghee starts separating from the potatoes mixture.
• Add sugar and yellow color; continue stirring till sugar is completely incorporated in the potato mix.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Add Rose Water and Green Cardamom Powder, mix well.
• Garnish it with dry fruits and serve warm.

Do You Know?

• Ghee increases the medicinal properties of spices when spices are sautéed in ghee.
• According to Ayurveda, ghee is more alkaline than other oils and this results in a smoother skin tone and makes one look younger.
• Ghee is said to promote all three aspects of mental functioning - learning, memory and recall.
• Ghee balances both Vata (the Ayurvedic mind/body operator that controls movement in mind and body) and Pitta (the operator that controls heat and metabolism).
• Like aloe, ghee is said to prevent blisters and scarring if applied quickly to affected skin.
• Eating ghee is also believed to enhance virility and sexual potency.

Kanda Besan Bhaji

Kanda means onion. Onions with besan is an extremely delicious dish. Small sized onions or just the bulbs of spring onion are cooked with roasted besan.

It is very easy to cook and will not take more than ten minutes to prepare.

It is ideal to be served with roti or paratha.

Ingredients:

• 12-15 bulbs of spring onion or small onions
• 4 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• Pinch of asafetida
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chilies broken into pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Separate bulbs from the greens of spring onions. Trim off the roots and peel the outer layer of the bulb off to access the tender, crunchy interior.
• In a small kadhai or wok roast the besan (without adding oil) until light brown. Keep aside for later use.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add asafetida and cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the garlic. Stir-fry till brown; now add the red chili pieces and fry till they are little darker.
• Add onion bulbs and stir-fry. Mix in coriander powder, salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder and the garam masala. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes till onions are transparent.
• Add roasted besan and mix till all are blended.
• Serve with dal, rice / roti.

Do You Know?

• Gram flour contains a high proportion of carbohydrate but no gluten.
• Gluten is the substance that gives dough its elasticity, strength, and makes the dough rise. Wheat has a high level of gluten.
• Some examples of non-gluten flours are rice (brown and white), potato, chickpea, quinoa, cornmeal, soy, sorghum, and buckwheat.
• Breads and baked goods made solely with non-gluten flour have different characteristics than baked goods made with gluten flour.
• The texture is much more dense and crumbly because the dough made with gluten-free flour does not rise. Many people prefer the dense texture.
• Various types of baked goods made with gluten-free flour are also full of flavor and some have even better nutritional profiles than baked goods made with gluten flour.

Lemonade Pudina Pani

Lemonade with Indian twist…easy to make…. refreshingly drink for summer days.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup pudina leaves (Mint Leaves)
• 1” long fresh ginger (Adrak)
• 2 cups Lemonade (modify according to taste)
• ½ tsp black salt
• ½ tsp chat masala
• ½ tsp roasted and crushed cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 lime slices for garnishing
• Crushed ice cubes

Method:

• Grind mint leaves and ginger to a paste in grinder. Add 3-4 cups of water.
• Strain the juice through muslin cloth or strainer to remove fibers.
• Pour into a large jug.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to get desired strength and sweetness and mix well.
• Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
• Serve in chilled glasses garnished with lemon slices
• Mix with crushed ice before serving.

Do You Know?

• Fresh ginger rhizome is available in two forms: young and mature.
• Young ginger, also called as spring ginger, is juicy, fleshy, and tender with a very mild flavor. It has a pale, thin skin that requires no peeling. It can be grated, chopped, or julienned for use. They are often pickled in vinegar or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes.
• Mature ginger has a tough skin that must be peeled away to get to the fibrous flesh and is usually grated, chopped or ground for use.