Eggless walnut cake with coke

Having tried cakes with the full-proof never go wrong recipes of Rich Chocolate banana and Carrot cake, tried this egg less cake recipe from one of my gujju friend. She is great cook and actually loves cooking. Her recipes never fail me. And the best person to have a easy egg-less recipe is definitely her :)

She told me lots of variations too that can be done in the same recipe ( tried and tested by her). This cake is very heavy and filling to eat and after eating this, we don't feel like eating anything else. I think that's why my kids names it as cursed caked, so funny and weird. They just cant resist the temptation to eat it and after eating this they don't have any appetite left to eat anything else.

And the best thing I like about this cake is, its full of nuts, a healthier option to give to kids.

Ingredients :

All purpose self raising flour 2 cups
Milkmaid 1 tin ( 397 gms)
Butter 125 gm
Baking soda 1 tsp
Khane ka soda 1 tsp
Dry fruits mix 250 gms
Coke  125 ml
Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius
2. Grease a 6 x6 inch baking dish and set aside.
3. Take flour , baking soda and khane ka soda and mix well. Pass it through sieve 3 times so as it mixes completely .
4. Add softened butter in a deep bottom bowl and whisk it with an hand mixer or electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, until soft and frothy
5. Add milkmaid and mix well
6. Add the dry fruits ( I used roasted and chopped walnuts)
7. Add the issuance and finally add coke.
8. Pour the batter in the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the skewer comes out clean .
9. Let it be in oven, a standby time of 10-12 minutes and we are done.

You can see how much soft and spongy the cake looks. These were the only slices left in the whole cake, that was left for me to pack and store, rest all was gone directly from the baking dish.

Tips :

1. Keep the nuts of choice  ready , roasted and chopped in advance.
2. We can have variations by using fanta, instead of coke and adding orange Zest , orange essence to have orange cake.

Posted by Neha 0 comments

Labels: baking, Cake, egg-less, healthy

Healthy Oatmeal cookies

During the last year end holidays, ventured back into baking after a long time with kids. There were many incentives to do so. It was New year and Christmas time, with kids eager to try their hands out with some baking. And also, I had bought my new Panasonic Convection cum microwave oven a few weeks back, which was looking at me with anticipation to get its first baking done :D

So eventually thought of baking some cookies, as my previous attempt with baking Choco chip cookies was not so exciting due to the older oven with its round tray :( . So I was sure , my new oven would be far better and we wont be disappointed with the results . And viola, it was a breeze making these cookies. The faster I made them, even faster all the cookies were gone.

Below measurement yielded me about 27 medium sized cookies, which I baked in 3 batches. By the time, I put in my 2nd batch, my first batch was already gone ;)

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup (105 gm) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

3/4 cup (170 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (210 gm) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups (260 gm) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup white or dark chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

1. Toast the nuts and then chop into pieces after its cooled . Set aside.
2. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes).
4. Add sugar and mix for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
6. Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.
7. Finally stir in the nuts, oats, and dried cranberries or chocolate chips.

Now our batter is ready. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours , so that the butter hardens back.

Preheat oven to  190 degree C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a spoon or a ice-cream scooper to scoop a spoonful of the batter in the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
With your fingers slightly shape and flatten the cookies to be about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake the cookies for about 10 - 12 minutes or until it gets a light golden brown color along the edges and is still soft and a little wet at the center.
Remove from oven and let it cool a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Tips:

1. We ca replace chocolate chips with dried cranberries or raisins o make it even more healthier.
2. If we don't have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the salt added n dry ingredients.
3. Batter can be mixed and kept in refrigerator ahead of time.
4. If we need to bake the cookies in batches, keep the batter back in refrigerator, else the cookies flatten a lot gets cooked really fast ( may burn)

Posted by Neha 1 comments

Labels: baking, breakfast n brunch, cookies, healthy

Yummy Egg rolls

Going by the book, egg roll is referred to a wrap, which is dipped in egg and then deep fried, a variant of spring roll. But the one I make is typical of Kolkata and originates from there itself. The egg roll in Kolkata is similar to Frankie of Mumbai. A "Mexican egg roll", also referred to as burrito, is an egg roll wrap filled with beans, cheese, and, optionally, meat, as well as various peppers and spices. And so are its versions in other parts of the world.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour(Maida) 1 cup

Eggs 3
Green chili 2 or more chopped
Coriander 1 tbsp chopped

Onion 1 medium, chopped finely
Tomato 1 small finely chopped
Capsicum abt 1/2 chopped
Lettuce or cabbage shredded

Oil for shallow frying
Salt to taste
Tomato sauce and green or red chilli sauce

Method:

Add salt to taste to the flour and knead the flour well with required water.
Take a small ping pong sized ball and roll it as thin as possible to about 6 inch diameter chapati's. It makes about 6-7.
Cook on a hot driddle , lightly from both sides( no need to puff them up over direct the flame). Set aside.

Beat the eggs; add salt to taste, chopped chillies and coriander.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and add about half of 1 beaten egg to it, spread it slightly so as to have almost the same diameter as that of chapati.
Place one thin chapati over the half fried omelet and slightly rotate it,pressing from centre to out, so as both the diameters are same, and egg is evenly spread and sticks over whole chapati.
Allow it to cook for about two more minutes.
Slowly with the help of spatula turn it around and cook the other side for a minute and take it out.

Place the chapati on a flat surface with the egg side up.
Apply sauces as per your taste on the egg side.
Add chopped onions, capsicum, lettuce and tomatoes at the centre of the chapati to make the filling.

Roll the chapati tight and cover it with an aluminum foil or kitchen paper.
Serve piping hot.

Tips & Notes:

I do use a non stick pan, so only the first roll need oil, rest can be cooked oil free.
The filling can be varied , as per availablity, I do add Corn, olives, cucumbers too.
Instead of sauces I do prefer home made green coriander chutney.
To make healthier version, I mixed flour with whole grain wheat aata in 1:1 ratio..

Posted by Neha 5 comments

Labels: appetizers, Egg, healthy

Cream of broccoli soup

I was searching around for some recipes of broccoli, as i had read a lot about its nutrional value, but still wasn't able to incorporate it well in our diets,(n also the more the merrier). Then i stumbled upon this very nice and interesting blog by Kim. Her's Cream of Brocolli Soup's recipe was so easy and tempting, that i instantly decided to make it.

I did altered the recipe a bit to suit to my taste buds,but more or less its same.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized broccoli , chopped finely(with stem)
½ medium Onion, finely chopped
1-2 Garlic Flakes,finely chopped
1 cup Milk
¼ cup Cream (optional)
3 cups Vegetable Stock /2-3 Veg Stock Cubes
1 tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

Heat butter in a pan and add chopped garlic flakes and sauté them till they turn light golden.
Now add chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes,till they turn light golden.
To this add finely chopped broccoli and vegetable broth .Bring to a boil and lower to simmer(for atlest 15 minutes) till the broccoli becomes tender.

Take off the heat and let it cool, then blend it in a blender to form a puree.

Return to heat ,add milk, salt and pepper to taste and simmer the flame. Keep stirring the soup for few more minutes so that the milk doesn’t curdle.
Add cream and stir. Bring it to a boil
Serve hot and enjoy.


I didn't wanted the soup to be too heavy, hence omitted cream (and added milk instead in the orignal recipe), but if you like thick and creamy texture , can add both.

-----------------
After i read the recipe,then i remembered the ongoing event MBP:less is more hosted by nupur. And this one perfectly fits in for the event, 5 or less ingredients, (as Kim herself had posted it under 5 or less ingredients). At her blog too some similar event is going. Can see a lot of recipes there too for ideas..:)

So here it goes to nupur .......

Posted by Neha 10 comments

Labels: healthy, soup

Healthy Soya nuggets with Turai (ridge gourd)

In my childhood days, we got a pack of soya nuggets free with some other grocery we bought. Before that we never had them. So knowing how healthy soya is for us, my mom asked someone about its recipe,and cooked it. But...., we being pure vegetarians, didn't liked it(somehow it had the non veg feel, and its called vegetarian meat.....). After that day i never tried to have it, or introduce it to our diets. But what now, due to kids nowadays i do try anything healthy...:)

To my surprise, we loved it so much..., Apart from being healthy(soya), i found a yummy way to cook turai or luffa ,which we disliked so much....

About soya nuggets,the nuggets have a protein concentration of 50-55%, the highest for any vegetarian source and negligible fat content ,free from cholesterol.The boiled nuggets turn spongy, ready to absorb any flavours you dunk them in. Biting into one of the nuggets and letting the absorbed juices explode in your mouth is a delight.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soya nuggets
500 gm luffa , Ridge Gourd, cut in small pieces.
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 inch ginger chopped
2 3 green chillies slit
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 medium onions - chopped
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp Garam masala powder
3 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the soya nuggets in hot water for about 10 mins and keep aside (as per instructions in the packet).Squeeze and drain excess water from it(the chunks shall be quite soft now)

Heat the oil ,add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add asafoetida, ginger, green chilli, garlic and saute. Then add onions and saute till the onions are trasclucent.

Add Soya nuggets, turmeric powder,salt ,chopped coriander leaves and cook on medium flame till all the water evaporates(this step requires time, as tuarai also releases a lot of water).

When all the excess moiture is gone,add the chilli powder and coriander powder and Garam masala and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with roti, puri, rice

Note: I prefer adding small soya pieces(not the big big nuggets). if they are not available i just crush the nuggests in 4 5 pieces before soaking them, so that it easily blends with turai..

*****************

Now here comes, one of my previous post, Healthy Palak Tofu, can view its recipe here.


I'm sending Palak Tofu along with Soya Nuggets and turai for the event Eat healthy,Protein rich

Posted by Neha 8 comments

Labels: dry veggie, healthy

Healthy Oat Dosa (pancakes)

Being a mother of two small fuzzy eater kids, i am always searching for something or the other healthy food to feed them.I heard oats are very good for them as they are full of protein and are fibre rich (can see about its nutrional value here and here).But feeding them ..???

I found this recipe(in a forum by Deepa), and thought its worth try.It makes a really yummy breakfast, Easy to make, very filling and so healthy too.

We too had this, i should say, we didn't felt it extra ordinary yummy(actually i don't have the taste buds for oats yet), but if we consider its nutritional value too, then i must say its real tasty..

Ingredients:

250gm Rolled Oats
50gm Sooji (semolina)
Green chilli 2
Ginger 1 inch
Coriander leaves 2 tbsp ,chopped
onions 1 medium, chopped(optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak oats for 30 mins. Drain all the water. Grind it with 1-2 green chillis and a little bit of ginger, without adding much water. Dough should be around the idli-dough consistency. Add around 50gm semolina to the grinded dough, and add salt to taste.
Add corinader leaves and chopped onions.
Thats it, dough is ready.
Make thick dosas(pancakes) with the oats dough. Serve hot, with coriander chutney or tomoto ketchup.

Variations: You can add firm veggies (like grated carrots) or mashed veggies (like mashed broccoli ), to make it even crunchy, yummy and healthier too.

Posted by Neha 19 comments

Labels: breakfast n brunch, healthy

Khakhara, gujrati snack

Long back, when some of my relatives came from india, they brought the khakharas (readymade ones) along with them. That was the first time i had them, and liked them so much, that i was drooling to have them more...., And nowadays, whenever i see my one of favorite serial, Baa Bahoo n Baby, hearing them say khakhara, thepla, dhokla and all, my temptation to eat grew very much. So finally i searched the net, and found out these. The recipe sounded simple(but i think, its actually no so simple), so finally made them.

The taste was not as good as the readymade ones, but it sure is a yummy and healthy snack, as i read in the various sites , its a good food for diebatic people. Khakharas are very wholesome, nourishing and great item for breakfast. The sugar content is very low and active carbohydrates are easy on stomach.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
3 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
½ tsp caraway seeds (ajwain/ omam)
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder
salt to taste

Method:

Mix all the ingredients and enough water into a softish but elastic dough similar to dough for making chapathi.Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes. Pinch off a ball of dough the size of a small lemon/ lime and roll out into as thin a circle as possible(wafer thin is good). Dust lightly, if necessary, with whole wheat flour while rolling out the dough to prevent it from sticking.

Heat a cast iron griddle. Put the rolled out dough on it and cook, over low to medium heat on both sides till faint brown spots start appearing.Now take a thick kitchen towel, fold it and roll it up into a size fills your palm. Holding the rolled up towel press down on the cooked dough circle, a little at a time till every part of the circle has been pressed down. This ensures that it cooks and crisps out evenly. Now turn the khakhra over and repeat with the other side. The khakhra would now have a light brown colouring on both sides and would have become crisp.(this step requires time and patience) If you would like, the khakhra can be brushed with butter or ghee at this point. Cool on a cookie rack. Finish the rest of the dough in this manner.When cool, store in an airtight container.


Khakharas are best enjoyed with Khakhara powder. We had it with chat masala powder. Just sprinkle chat masala over the khakhara, and eat it.Can also have it plain, with tea, or served with a variety of dips or salsas, sweet and sour chutneys or even curries.

I'm sending this to SWC:Gujrati cuisine , hosted by notyet100 of Asan Khana. And i request all my readers(specially gujju), if they have a better recipe, do tell me too, as they were not as nice as readymade ones....:)

Posted by Neha 17 comments

Labels: bread indian, dry snacks, healthy

Healthy Palak Tofu

Posted by Neha 12 comments

Labels: gravy, healthy, spinach, tofu

GM diet plan

Hey guys, 2 days back myself and my hubby started the GM diet plan, which i think is very popular among indians(as i searched the net and everywhere its indians only who did it...)..Both of us are actually not obese(don't dare compare with the above one, hehe..), but yep, we have some extra pounds, which we thought of shedding.., for me, its the extra post pregnancy weight (still there with me after 2 years) which i wanted to loose and for him, he's really a bit conscious to stay really fit......(actually i'm a lazy bones, its due to him only we are finally doing this...hehe).Regular exercising or gymming is not our cuppa tea.I had been trying to postpone this too for a few months, but finally with a subh mahurat , it did started....

Ooops...You all must be wondering what's this is all about, can see the links in the right section of the page(both veg. and non veg.versions).

Till now everything's going fine(though i already cheated once....:) ),and i think ,i already lost my appetite or can say carving for grains; first 2 days were a bit tough though,today i feel fine.My hubby's already reduced a bit and he's feeling good too, and as far as i'm concerened, still the same...hehe

I'll definately tell you all the end results.So not much cooking(read, nice n yummy cooking) this week..mostly the vegetable soup only...see u all....

One more thing, we got inspired from our friend,who really wanted to loose weight, and lost 3.5 kgs doing this (along with exercise),and finally reduced 10 kgs in 2 months.....

Posted by Neha 15 comments

Labels: healthy, miss.

Chinese Veggie Noodles

This recipe is specially for the kids, my kids like to eat it so much, that every week atleast once they have this for the dinner.Fast to cook and good to eat(and fast to feed too).I usually prepare it for dinner time only, unlike my mom's place where we used to have it as evening snacks. As this dinner results in early and not so very heavy meal..(ideally dinner ought to be like this, i think???)

Ingredients:

1 packet Noodles
2 tbsp Soya sauce
1 tbsp Tomato ketchup
1 Tbsp Chilli garlic sauce
1 tbsp vinegar(optional)
2 cup of julienne carrots, spring onions,potatoes,french beans & cabbage.
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 big onion,sliced
2 tbsp Oil
2 tsp Black pepper
Salt to taste

Method:

Boil the noodles with sufficient water(or as par instruction given in the packet), some salt and 1 tbsp. of oil till the noodles are soft. Drain out the water.
Pour some water (2-3 glasses) of room temperature on them, so that they do not stick together.
Keep it aside to cool.
Heat Oil in a thick bottomed pan. When oil gets hot,add garlic,and then sliced onion,cook till onions are translucent.
Add cut vegetables, sprinkle a pinch of salt and stir fry at high heat for about 3 4 mins.
Now add spring onions, soya sauce, chilli garlic sauce & tomato ketchup, stir for couple of minutes and add cooked noodles.
Add salt to taste.
Stir fry for 2-3 mins and serve hot.

Tips: Prepare the noodles at high heat for best results.
If you want,you can use any brand noodles(discard the taste maker) to prepare this dish
Soya sauce contains lot of sodium, check for salt before you add any.

**********************
I'm sending this indo chinese Main course to AWED:Chinese ,hosted at Culinarybazaar...

Posted by Neha 12 comments

Labels: chinese, healthy

Garlic

Just wanted to share about it, as i'm trying to incorporate more n more healtier choices in our diet.
So here it goes.......

Love it or hate it, the garlic can transform a humble dish into a gastronomic delight with its flavour and fragrance. Aromatic and almost bitter, it becomes delicate and sweet when cooked. Garlic is an ancient plant with a long history as a popular culinary ingredient, a healing "wonder food" and also as a protective charm.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a versatile and savory ingredient originally native to Asia that is now enjoyed world-wide. Prized as a medicinal, magical, and culinary plant, garlic is related to the onion and takes on many different personalities depending on how it is cooked. From mellow to pungent, garlic offers a variety of flavor to devotees of the “stinking rose”.


The Physiological Effects of Garlic

Studies by competent multi-degreed scientists have shown beyond any reasonable doubt that consuming garlic generally has the following physical effects:

Garlic lowers blood pressure a little.
Garlic lowers LDL Cholesterol a little. (more effective in women than in men)
Garlic helps reduce atherosclerotic buildup (plaque) within the arterial system. One recent study shows this effect too to be greater in women than men.
Garlic lowers or helps to regulate blood sugar.
Garlic helps to prevent blood clots from forming, thus reducing the possibility of strokes and thromboses (It may not be good for hemophiliacs).
Garlic helps to prevent cancer, especially of the digestive system, prevents certain tumors from growing larger and reduces the size of certain tumors.
Garlic helps to remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body.
Raw Garlic is a potent natural antibiotic and, while far less strong than modern antibiotics, can still kill some strains of bacteria that have become immune or resistant to modern antibiotics.
Garlic has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
Garlic dramatically reduces yeast infections due to Candida species.
Garlic has anti-oxidant properties and is a source of selenium.
Garlic can improve claudication (leg muscle cramps on exertion)
Garlic also can reduce or cure the fungal infection of Athlete's foot, and reverse some middle ear inflammation.
Garlic is generally regarded as a preventive measure for colds and flu.

At some time or other during its long history, garlic has also been used to treat such afflictions as acne, altitude sickness, animal bites, bee stings, athlete's foot, asthma, constipation, greying hair, toothache and headaches.

It has been, in fact, probably the most studied herbal product, with about 1,200 medical and pharmacological reports, and an additional 700 or so chemical studies, now published.

Garlic's role in cancer seems to be more to prevent it than to cure it, at least based on the ways we now use it. Garlic eaters just get less cancer than non-garlic eaters, according to demographic surveys. Using garlic in various ways inhibits cancer cells from reproducing, that is, it slows down the process and may actually reverse it in the early stages.

It is best to let crushed raw garlic set for 7 or 14 minutes before using so that it can form the maximum amount of allicin in order to have greater antibacterial properties.Also, chopping or crushing garlic and waiting and then baking it or microwaving it increases the amount of DADS and DATS in the cooked residue - same with boiling it in an enclosed pot or in milk. The water or milk in which the garlic is boiled is also rich in DADS and DATS - drink it.

Rubbing crushed fresh garlic on the skin will get more of garlics compounds into your system faster than eating it, it stands to reason that you could do the same thing by rubbing garlic-laced booze or oil directly on the skin and absorb it through diffusion

Crushed raw garlic is a very powerful antibiotic, but it must be applied to the site of the infection, including Staph and Strep, to be effective. It will burn like fire for a minute or two but it is the best way I know of to kill staph without a prescription medicine.

If there's a piece of meat that's not fresh , but you're going to cook it and eat it anyway, rub crushed garlic all over it and the garlic will kill most if not all exposed bacteria

Water stabilizes allicin, the active ingredient in garlic for a while and its half-life in water is 28 days, during which time is still possesses antibiotic properties, according to Dr. Larry Lawson (Lawson & Wang, 1994). That's important to remember. Conversely, crushed garlic left alone at room temp loses allicin rapidly the first day and gradually each day and after a week or ten days, there's little allicin left. If you only have a little, putting the crushed garlic in water will keep it useable much longer than if you just set it on a saucer.

Raw garlic(mixed with white vinegar)is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne. This treatment uses the antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic and germicidal properties of garlic to fight the acne while its antioxidants help repair and protect the skin from free radical damage and help draw out infections. The vinegar balances your skin’s pH levels.

CAUTION: Garlic must be used with caution by people who have a bleeding disorder, or are on blood thinning medication such as aspirin or warfarin, because it is a powerful blood thinner. Other side effects include bad breath, body odor, heartburn, upset stomach, and allergic reactions.

So, is garlic beneficial to your health? Most likely it is, if we can learn anything from its long medicinal history. But, remember that the vast majority of positive observations of the past were based on the consumption of fresh whole garlic and plenty of it, at that! So if Garlic is still not a part of your daily diet, now is the time to incorporate it! It will not only make your food taste better, but will also make you a more healthy person. And if you hate the smell it leaves in your mouth, you can easily use the garlic capsules available in the stores. Great health and no Bad Breath.

Posted by Neha 5 comments

Labels: health food, healthy

Vegetable fried rice(Pulao)

This the most common dish that i make, both as lunch, as well as dinner, as its so healthy, easy and fast to make too...

Kids like to eat it too, and myself also satisfied that, aah finally i could make vegetables into their diet... Mostly my cooking is formatted that it should be kid friendly, as i have two toddlers at home to deal with, with a lot differtent taste buds..hehe

Eat it with raita, or as it is...

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati Rice
1 Onions large sliced
Green Chillies(as par taste)
2 tbsp ghee,
2 Carrots,cut lenghtwise,abt a inchlong
1 Potato, cut lenghtwise,abt a inchlong
1/2 cup Peas
10 15 beans, cut in 1 inch size,
1 cup Cauliflower,cut into florets
2 tomatoes, puried
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Salt To Taste

5 6 cashew broken
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch
2 3 Cloves

4 cups water

Method:

Soak rice for atleast about 15 minutes, then wash and keep aside
Pre-cook rice with a pinch of salt. Allow the rice to cool.

Heat the ghee in a saucepan and add bayleaves, cumin, cloves ,cinnamon and cashews; fry.
Add the onions and cook until brown. Add the green chillies. Stir for few minutes.
Add all the vegetables and mix well.
Cook until the masala separates from oil and vegetables (subzi) gets tender. Add tomato puree , cook for some time and then add garam masala.
Add salt and stir well.
Mix the vegetable mix with the rice.
Serve the vegetable pulao hot, with raita.

Tip:
While cooking rice, add few drops of lemon,so that grains of rice won't stick together.

Posted by Neha 12 comments

Labels: healthy, Rice

Tomato Soup

This is a way to feed something nutritious to my kids, as they like soups very much. I do always regularly make this soup, as it is hassle free and healthy too. The cooking time is not much and you can add (or remove ) more heathier options too to it, as per your taste.
In the original recipe their was one small potato too, which i omitted (as i felt i would only add to thickness and not nutrition..:) ).

Ingredients:

4 big ripe tomatoes
1 medium carrot
1 medium sized onion
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
i inch cinnamon stick
5 6 black pepper
2 vegetable stock cubes(optional)
Salt,sugar and Pepper as per taste

Method:

Boil tomatoes,carrot and onion along with all spices in the pressure cooker and when it cools down, put it in a blender and puree it.
Strain it through a seive, to get a smooth pulp.
Put this tomato puree in a pan and allow it to boil for a couple of minutes. Add stock cubes, mix water to get desired cosistency(almost 2 cups)
Add salt,sugar and pepper as per taste.
Garnish with bread crums or cheese.
Serve hot.

Note:If u are having fresh vegetable stock, we can add it instead of water and stock cubes.

Sending this to WBB Summer Feast

Posted by Neha 5 comments

Labels: healthy, soup

Spinach paratha

Every week atleast twice I make these parathas for my younger one, who doen't like to eat curry atall.. so this is for all picky eater kids...
Doesn't make a lot of difference in taste, but looks attractive....

And in the same terms we can add grated beetroot too to it, instead of spinach, and it gives nice red parath's.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Wheat flour
milk (for making dough)
Spinach (washed)
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies 3-4 (you may add more if you want to make it spicy)
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut Spinach, grind it in mixie with Chillies and add very little milk to make a paste.
Add this paste to Wheat flour with salt, ajwain, jeera and make a dough.
Make small balls out of dough and roll them into the parathas.(keep them a bit thick only)
Put it on hot tawa or frying pan and cook applying ghee on both the sides & serve hot with any gravy or chutney.

Posted by Neha 9 comments

Labels: bread indian, healthy, spinach

Mixed Vegetable soup

Posted by Neha 0 comments

Labels: healthy, soup