Stuffed Chillies

Cottage cheese stuffed chillies

Ingredients

• 4-6 long green capsicum/ shimla mirch
• 200gm cottage cheese
• 2 boiled potatoes
• 1 onion finely cut
• One small bunch coriander finely chopped
• 4-5 basil leaves
• 1tbsp red chilli powder
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lemons

Method

In a large bowl mash the potatoes, cottage cheese, salt, red chilli powder, finely chopped basil, coriander, finely chopped onions, and some lemon juice together. Take the long capsicums, and slit them along the length. Remove the seeds, and stuff them with the above mixture.

In a large flat pan, add a little olive oil and place the stuffed capsicums on it. Cook on a low flame for about 10-15 minutes on each side. Cover it to for the first 5mins on each side to allow the vegetables to cook in steam.

Chicken stuffed chillies

Ingredients

• 4-6 long green capsicum/ shimla mirch
• 1 minced chicken
• 1 onion finely cut
• One small bunch coriander finely chopped
• 4-5 basil leaves
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 cups cut tomatoes
• 1tbsp red chilli powder
• Salt as per taste
• ½ tbsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method
With very little olive oil sauté the minced chicken with onions, coriander, basil leaves, garlic, tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Keep the mixture aside to cool.

Take the capsicums and slit them lengthwise. Remove the seeds and stuff them with the chicken mince mixture. Tie the capsicum with a thread so that it doesn’t break when cooking. In a pan add a bit of olive oil and cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.

Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad 
Serves 2

Ingredients 
2 big cucumbers grated not very finely
3 tbsp of roasted chana dal 
½ cup chopped mint 
1½ tsp ginger chilli paste 
1 tsp lemon juice 
Salt as per taste 

Method 
Add salt to gated cucumbers and keep them aside. In a food processor, crush roasted chana dal. Do not crush them finely. Add it to the grated cucumber; adjust salt, ginger chilli paste as per your taste. Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice. Refrigerate the preparation and serve it chilled garnished with mint leaves.

Watercress Omlette

Watercress Omelette

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites beaten
• Watercress leaves
• 1 red capsicum
• 2 mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Fresh peppercorns
• Salt

Method 
Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan and throw in the beaten egg whites. Sprinkle the finely chopped capsicum, mushrooms and watercress leaves. Add a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook till the egg turns goldenish brown and is ready to serve.

Spinach corn toast

Spinach corn toast 
Serves 2 

Ingredients 
1 cup finely chopped spinach 
1 cup boiled corn – partly mashed 
4 tsp low fat paneer  
Ginger chili paste, oregano, chili flakes and salt as per taste 
1 tsp oil 

Method 
Heat oil in a pan; add spinach and corn and sauté for 3-4 minutes till it becomes dry. Cool the mixture and add paneer, oregano, chili flakes, ginger chili paste and salt. Adjust the spices as per your taste. Spread a dash of butter on couple of bread slices. Make a sandwich using the mixture and grill / toast it in an oven. Serve it with mint chutney.

Corn basket 
Serves 2 

Ingredients 
1 cup boiled corn 
½ cup tomato 
½ cup capsicum 
1 cup low fat/ skimmed milk 
1 tbsp wheat flour 
2 tsp cheese 
¼ tsp black pepper 
½ tsp red chili powder
Salt as per taste 
4 canapés

Method 
In a pan, heat milk, add wheat flour, cheese, salt, black pepper and red chili powder, stir to make a thick white sauce. Add tomato, capsicum and corn. In a canapé add the mixture and bake it in an oven for 2 minutes. Serve hot

Chandrakanthalu

Ingredients

• Pesarapappu - 2 cups
• Coconut - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups (3 cups if you want more sweet)
• Water - 2 cups
• Oil
• Elaichi Powder

Preparation

• Soak 4 hrs for pesarapappu ( Grind the pesarapappu; if needed add little water)
• Put pan on stove
• Add 2 cups water (for 2 cups of pesarapappu)
• Add 2 cups of sugar and boil
• Add coconut pieces in that water and boil
• Add 1 tsp oil so that pesarapappu paste does not not to stick and avoids lumps formation
• Add the grinded pesarapappu paste to this water
• Allow it to cook till it is done
• Touch hand with water and touch the sweet and it shouldn't stick - this means it is done
• Add elaichi powder
• In a plate put a wet cloth and pour the batter, spread across.
• Allow it cool and then cut the pieces(diamond shaped) - dip knife in water
• In a pan add oil and allow to heat
• Deep fry the cut pieces
• Allow to fry till brown color and remove

Serve warm or cold. Store in an air tight container for 4 days.

PAPDI CHAT

Ingredients:

• Maida  - 1 cup
• Semiya - 1/4 cup
• Oil - enough to fry papdi
• Salt to taste
• Red Chilli Powder to taste
• Potatoes - 2 (boiled and mashed)
• Boiled Peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Curd - little
• Jeera Powder - 1 teaspoon (fry)
• Sanna Karampoosa
• Onion - cut to small pieces - to garnish

Preparation:

• In a bowl, add Maida, Semiya, Salt, little oil, boiled water and mix as a chapati dough for 1/2 hour
• Make small chapatis
• In a pan add oil - add Jeera Powder, Mashed Potatoes - fry for 5 minutes
• Add Curd, Salt, Red Chilly Powder, Boiled peanuts and mix and remove from heat
• Spread chapatis on a layer and add this mixture on the layet and top it up with chapati and Sanna karampoose, onions pieces
• Papdi chat

Use the Chat Chutneys in this blog and you can top with those as well.

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TIP:: Freezing Mango Pulp

TIP:: Freezing Mango Pulp for eating during other seasons


Squeeze the juice out of Mangoes (Juicy - Rasalu) and freeze it in freezer. You can eat them after couple of days/weeks. Optionally you can grind it and freeze to have a smooth texture. 

Ensure you do this right when we have mangoes are sweet rather than at the end of the season where we don't get sweet ones

This is especially useful when your loved ones abroad are planning to come to India or when you have plenty of mangoes at home.

HEALTH TIP: Walnuts for rest of life for increasing HDL

HEALTH TIP: Eating walnuts for increasing HDL levels.

I went for a health checkup yesterday and all seems well except I need to increase my good Cholesterol (HDL) values.

Doctor suggested to "Eat handful of WALNUTS first thing in the morning for the rest of my life" 

Another doctor next door for my friend suggested to eat FISH.