Sunday, May 27, 2012

Khakhra with Sprouted Moong

2 cups whole wheat Khakhras, broken into pieces
1 1/2 cup boiled sprouted moong
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Salt to taste


Combine all ingredients in a deep bowl and toss well.
Serve immediately

Bean and Capsicum Salad

1 1/2 cups soaked and boiled rajma
1 1/2 cups soaked and boiled kabuli chana(chickpeas)
1 medium red capsicum
3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tsp finely chopped green chilies
1/4 tsp chili powder
Salt to taste



  • Pierce a fork through the capsicum and roast on a slow flame till it turns black
  • Remove the skin, stem and seeds and cut capsicum into sliced
  • Combine all the ingredients including capsicum in a deep bowl and mix well.

Crispy Peanut Potato Chaat

4 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seed powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice 
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste


  • Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the potatoes and saute on medium heat while stirring, till they are crisp and golden brown in color
  • Add the peanuts and saute for 1-2 minutes
  • Add all the other ingredients, mix well and cook on medium flame for more 1-2 minutes. Serve hot

Healthy Moong Chaat

1 cup sprouted moong(whole green gram)
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp chili powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander-cumin seeds powder
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste


For the garnish
Chopped coriander
Chili powder


For serving
Chopped onions
Chopped Tomatoes
Whisked curds



  • Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds
  • Add curry leaves and coriander and saute for 30 sec
  • Add the onion, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, coriander-cumin seeds powder and saute on a medium flame for 2 minutes
  • Add the tomatoes and sprinkle a little water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes or till the tomatoes are soft
  • Add the moong and saute for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of hot water, sugar, salt and mix well
  • Cover and cook on a medium flame for 12-15 minutes or till the moong is cooked.
  • Remove from the flame and transfer into 2 individual bowls
  • Pour some curds on the top of the moong mixture and sprinkle onion and tomatoes. Garnish with coriander and chili powder. Serve hot

Soya Poha

A popular Maharastrian snack beneficial to both diabetic and hypertension


1 cup soya granules
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
5-6 curry leaves
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 tsp finely chopped green chilies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup boiled green peas
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp saslt



  • Soak the soya granules in 2 cups of warm water for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the water and keep aside
  • Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida and saute till the seeds crackle
  • Add the onions and green chilies and saute till onions turn light brown
  • Add the coriander, turmeric, chili powder and salt and mix well
  • Add the soya granules and green peas and saute for another 3-4 minutes
  • Remove from the flame and add lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot

Chilli Cheese Toast

4-6 green chilies, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
8 sliced of bread
150 gm fresh coriander, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium capsicum, chopped
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
Salt to taste



  • Preheat an oven to 180 C
  • In a bowl, mix together the green chilies cheese, chopped coriander, onion, capsicum, crushed peppercorns and salt. Diving the mixture into eight equal portions
  • Toast the bread slices on one side on a non-stick tawa. Apply the cheese mixture on the non-toasted slide of the bread slices
  • Cook in the preheated over or place under a hot grill until the cheese melts and turns golden brown. Cut each slice diagonally into two and serve hot with tomato sauce

Healthy Chivda

3 cups puffed cereals (Whole wheat, bajra and jowar)
1 cup crushed cornflakes
2 tbsp raw peanuts
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
15 to 16 curry leaves
1/4 cup roasted chana dal
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp oil
Salt to Taste

  • Roast the puffed cereals, cornflakes and peanuts in a non-stick pan, stirring occasionally till crisp (3-4 minutes)
  • Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, green chilies, curry leaves and roasted chana dal and stir
  • When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida and turmeric powder and mix well.
  • Add the roasted puffed cereals, cornflakes, peanuts, sugar and salt and mix
  • Cool and store in air tight container

Masala Chai

4-6 teaspoons tea leaves
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chai masala
4 teaspoons sugar

  • Boil three cups of water in a pan. Add the tea leaves, milk, chai masala and sugar and bring the mixture to a boil again. Boil for a couple of minutes.
  • Strain and serve piping hot.
Chai Masala
Dry-roast and grind to a fine powder 1 inch cinnamon, 4 green cardamoms, 16 black peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg. Sift the powder and store in air tight contained

Microwave Poha

2 cups thick rice flakes (poha)
3 medium onions, finely chopped
3-4 green chilies, slit and seeded
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
2 tablespoons oil
8-10 curry leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
a few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

  • Wash the poha and place in a strainer to drain.
  • Place the oil and onions in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the slit green chillies, curry leaves and cruched peanuts and cook, uncovered on HIGH for three minutes
  • Add the turmeric powder, poha and salt. Mix well and cook, covered on HIGH for five minutes
  • Add the lemon juice, mix well, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot

Microwave Oat and Apricot Porridge

1 cup porridge oats
6 ready to eat dried apricots, chopped
3 1/2 cup milk
6 stoned prunes, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
20 almonds, chopped
caster sugar to taste

  • Soak the oats in the milk in a microwave-safe bowl for fifteen minutes
  • Cook in a microwave oven on HIGH(100%) for two minutes. Stir well. Cook on HIGH for another two minutes
  • Add the apricots, prunes, candied ginger and almonds and mix well. Set aside to cool completely.
  • Stir in the caster sugar to taste and serve.

Grilled Corn and Capsicum Toasties

Ingredients:
8 slices of white bread
1 cup sweet corn kernels, boiled
1 medium green capsicum, chopped
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
2-3 green chilies, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
7-8 black peppercorns, crushed 
salt to taste



  • Preheat the oven to 180 C
  • In a bowl, mix together the sweet corn, capsicum, cheese, green chilies, coriander leaves, onion, crushed peppercorns and salt. Divide the mixture into eight equal portions
  • Toast the sliced of bread on one side on a tawa
  • Spread the corn and cheese mixture on the other side.
  • Place on a baking tray and bake till the topping turns golden brown
  • Cut each slice diagonally in half and serve hot with tomato ketchup






Fruit Yoghurt with Cereal Topping

Ingredients
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium apples, cubed
8-10 cherries, stoned
1 1/2 cups yoghurt, whisked
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon raisins (kishmish)
3-4 cashew nuts, chopped
3 tablespoons muesli, toasted



  • Combine the mangoes, apples and cherries and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • In a bowl, combine the yoghurt and sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves
  • Just before serving, mix  in the chilled fruit, raisins and cashew nuts
  • Spoon into individual bowls, sprinkle the toasted muesli over and serve at once.

Cheese and Coriander Parantha

Ingredients


1 cup grated processed cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 3/4 cups wholewheat floor(atta) + for dusting
salt to taste
milk as required
1 inch ginger, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
2 teaspoons chaat masala
Oil/ghee for shallow frying



  • Place the wholewheat flour and salt in a bowl. Add the coriander leaves and enough milk and knead into a soft dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest it for 20-25 minutes. Divide the dough into eight equal portions and shape into balls.
  • Mix together the cheese, ginger, green chilies and chaat masala. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions.
  • Roll out each ball of dough into a medium sized chapati. Spread a portion of the cheese mixture over the chapati. Fold the chapati up like an envelop and roll out into square Parathas.
  • Heat tawa; place each parantha on it and shallow-fry, turning the parantha over and drizzling with little oil around both sides are light golden and crisp
  • Cut int four and serve immediately.

Sooji Kheer

Ingredients


1/2 cup semolina (rawa/sooji)
1-1/2 ltr skimmed milk
7-8 threads of saffron
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon charoli (saara pappu)
20 almonds, blanched and slivered



  • Roast the semolina in a thick bottomed pan over low heat for fifteen minutes or till light brown.
  • Soak the safrron in one tablespoon of milk
  • Bring the remaining milk to a boil, lower heat and simmer till reduced to one litre.
  • Add the reduced milk to rawa, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming
  • Cook over high heat till the mixture comes to a boil. Add the sugar and simmer for two or three minutes. Add the saffron and stir well.
  • Garnish with the charoli and almond slivers and serve hot or cold.


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Mint Julep

Mint Julep
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serves 1


leaves from 1 fresh mint sprig
1 tbsp sugar syrup
crushed ice cubes
3 measures of bourbon whiskey
fresh mint sprig to garnish


Put the mint leaves and sugar syrup into a small chilled glass and mash with a teaspoon


Add crushed ice to fill the tumbler, then add the bourbon. Garnish with the mint sprig.

Rich Simple Sugar Syrup

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

2 parts sugar
1 part water

Bring the water to a boil
Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly
Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat(Note: Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick)
Allow to cool completely and thicken, then bottle

To prolong the shelf life add a little vodka - usually between a tablespoon and an ounce.

Simple Syrup:
The easiest way to make simple syrup does not require a stove and can be made in minutes. 
Simple combine equal parts(1:) sugar and water in a bottle and shake it until the sugar is completely dissolved. The result is a syrup that is thinner than rich simple syrup

Raspberry & Apple Quencher

Raspberry & Apple Quencher
---------------------------------
serves 2


8 ice cubes, crushed
2 tbsp raspberry syrup
21/2 cups chilled apple juice
whole raspberries, apple pieces, to garnish


Divide the crushed ice between the glasses and pour over the raspberry syrup


Top up each glass with chilled apple juice and stir well. Garnish with the whole raspberries and pieces of apple speared on toothpicks and serve

Club Mojito

Club Mojito
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Serves 6


1 tsp sugar syrup
a few mint leaves, plus more to garnish
juice of 1/2 lime
ice
6 tbsp/2 measures Jamaican rum
soda water
dash of Angostura bitters


Put the syrup, mint leaves and lime juice in a highball glass. Crush the mint leaves and add to the glass


Add ice and rum, then top up with soda water to taste


Finish with a dash of Angostura bitters and a mint leaf


This is a traditional Cuban Cocktail

Orange and Lime Iced Tea

Orange and Lime Iced Tea
-------------------------------


1 1/4 cup water
2 tea bags
1/2 cup orange juice
4 tbsp lime juice
1-2 tbsp brown sugar
wedges of lime and granulated sugar to serve
8 ice cubes


Pour the water into a pan and bring to a boil. Remove the heat, add the tea bags, and let stand for 5 minutes to infuse. Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool to room temperature (About 30 minutes). Transfer to a pitcher, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.


When the tea has chilled, pour in the orange juice and lime juice. Add brown sugar to taste.


Take two glasses and rub the rims with a wedge of lime, then dip them in the granulated sugar to frost. Put the ice cubes into the glasses and pour over the tea. Serve with wedges of lime

Citrus Punch

Citrus Punch
--------------
4 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup sparkling water
4 ice cubes
12 oz/350 g frozen summer berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries
whole fresh strawberries, raspberries and blue berries on toothpicks to garnish


Pour the orange juice, lime juice, and sparkling water into a blender or food processor and process gently until combined.


Put ice cubes between 2 clean cloths and crush with a rolling pin. Add to the blender with the frozen berries and process until a slushy consistency has been reached.


Pour the mixture into glasses, then garnish with whole strawberries, raspberries and blue berries on toothpicks and serve