Tag: vegetables

DETOX YOURSELF

The connection between the body and mind is really strong, the way your body feels plays a great part in the functioning of your brain whether or not you experience a state of well being. Keeping your body free of toxins and other harmful nasty things will help you maintain a healthy living.

Thinking of doing a detox and wondering how to start? Detoxing the body is effective for starting a new diet plan. Detoxing with various foods that is the best way to help give your body the nutrients required also helps your digestive system to take a break from having to break down and digest food.

Are detox programs really good for your health?

Along with recommendations for detoxing comes warning, which makes the would-be-detox dieter totally confused.

1. Detoxing helps you boost energy

By cutting out the sugar, fats, Trans fat, saturated fat, caffeine and replacing them by fruits and veggies gets you a natural energy boost.

2. Help you get rid of excess waste

One of the greatest benefits of detoxing is that it helps you get rid of excess waste that your body had stored earlier.

3. Better immunity

While you are on a detox program, it frees up the organs to function the way they should. Through this it gives your body a boost and absorbs nutrients better.

4. Help to lose weight

A detox program would help you reduce weight in a short term and get rid f unhealthy eating habits.

5. Better breath

One of the contributors to bad breath is backed up colon. When you cleanse it and get your digestive system function properly, you will find your breath improves.

6. Glowing skin

You can expect a glowing smoother radiant skin at the end of your detox program, you can add sauna to your detox plan to help the body sweat out additional toxins.

7. Healthy living

A detox program is like a bridge between your old habits and new ones towards a healthy living. Once if you quit eating your weakness foods and replace those with healthier choices, you will be moving towards a healthy life.

8. Anti-aging benefit

By reducing the toxins you will see long term benefits in an increased longevity.

10 foods that will detox your body

1. Beet

It is mentioned as one of the super food. You should make an effort to include in your regular meals and definitely have it if you are planning a detox diet. It helps in making sure that the toxins you are getting out of your body are actually getting out.

2. Broccoli

Even though you are sick of seeing broccolis when health food is mentioned but actually it is a nutritional punch in a mini tree shaped veggie. It works with the enzymes in your liver to turn toxins into something your body can eliminate easily.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage helps your liver with the byproduct being lower cholesterol and also helping you expel the toxins getting them out of your system so you can start fresh.

4. Garlic

Garlic is of those crucial pieces in the puzzle of your detox plan. it helps you in boosting your immune system.

5. Ginger

Ginger has also been given the status of a virtual medicine chest, it has digestion friendly properties. It is considered as a staple in any health diet. It is one of the best detoxifying herbs as it stimulates digestion.

6. Green tea

It is great for cleansing the body from toxins and impurities. It purifies the whole to create a healthy circulation system and complexion as well. Adding a cup of green tea with each meal for daily detoxification will show improvements in health and physical appearance as well.

7. Lemon

It is very common to hear to begin your day with warm water because it improves digestion. They help to detox your body.

8. Olive oil

It is used for cleansing the colon. It has a lot of health properties and makes a good choice than most other options.

9. Turmeric

It is called the “detox diva”. Turmeric helps as liver cleanser and can rejuvenate the liver cells and recharge their capacity to break down the toxins. You can detox using a turmeric tea and substitute it for any other beverage to make the most of its health benefits.

10. Water

On a daily basis drinking water all by itself is one of the best ways to flush out the toxins. You can use any of the other detox foods along with water and get even more benefit from it.

Make sure to avoid alcohol as it has a very toxic effect on the liver and will fail your detox program. Also avoid caffeinated beverages as it can have a dehydrating effect on the body. Cut out on sweets, chocolates and sweets as excess of sugar will cause excess stress on the liver and your cleansing efforts will be a waste. Also avoid overeating as it leads to accumulation of toxins.

June 24, 2014
Food Items Best for Children

For parents, it is very comfortable to purchase and prepare nutritious food for your kids but the difficult part is to make them eat it. It is a very difficult job for the parents to provide their kids with the necessary nutrients. This job becomes so frustrating because the parents can’t compel their kids to eat those nutritious foods. These days’ kids are much happy with the food stuff like pizzas, burgers and many more but these items does not provide the essential nutrients to the body. Parents must ensure that their kids get the supply of all the required vitamins and minerals from their meals as it is very vital in the growth of the child. So below there are some super nourishing food items that are best for the children.

Milk:

it is most essential drink for the kids. It is well liked by the kids but as they gradually grows up they tends to like it less. The reason behind it is that they start drinking so many other drinks which are obtainable in the homes. But milk is fundamental source of protein, calcium and so many vitamins. So make sure that milk is included in the diet of your child. You can add so many flavors to the milk in order to make it more likable by your kid. If the child is taking in foods that are rich in calcium then milk is the best source to compensate for that.

Apples:

Similar to many other fruits, apples are greatly enjoyed by the children. Apart from being sugary and juicy it is an immense source of nutrients that are very essential for the healthy wellbeing. The amount calorie in it in low and it is rich in Vitamin C. It is very important to know that the apple loses its fiber after peeling it off. So it is much better to provide your children with unpeeled apples rather than peeled apples in order to deliver them with the essential and needed fibers. Children tend to enjoy eating apples so it is necessary to include it in your kid’s diet.

Yoghurt:

It is another food that is very rich in calcium and hence it is quite beneficial for that child who doesn’t like drinking too much milk. So you should make sure that your child’s intake includes a good amount of yoghurt. The children usually enjoy eating it and hence it becomes so easy for the parents to make their kids eat it. But it is necessary that one should select the appropriate yoghurt for their kids with low fat and which does not include huge amount of added sugar in it.

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Vegetables:

As everyone knows that vegetable plays a very significant role in supplying nutrition to the body, but parents usually end up forcing or tricking their kids to eat them. Generally kids don’t enjoy eating spinach, sprouts etc. which are very nutritious and beneficial for the body. But apart from these vegetables, there are so many other that the children tend to relish. The vegetables that are usually friendly to children are pea, potatoes and carrots. Apart from this, it is very vital that the parents familiarize their kids with a lot of vegetables starting from the initial stage as gradually they will start eating them.

Oatmeal:

A nutritious breakfast is very important for the kids so they can perform very well at their schools. It has been found out that the breakfast helps in improving the memory of the children. Oatmeal can be treated as a very healthy breakfast your kid as it is very rich in fiber. In addition to that the cognitive functioning and implementation is also increased. It is not compulsory to serve oatmeal only during the breakfast. We can prepare it as more edible and appetizing by accompanying it with honey, berries and walnuts.

Eggs:

They are a perfect blend of taste and nutrition. Eggs are greatly enjoyed by the children and in addition to that they are very rich in vitamins as well as minerals. Moreover they provide proteins to the body. They include vitamin D and iron. They also contain choline. Eggs play a very crucial role and help to build and repair the muscles. They support the body in absorbing the calcium. A little amount of cholesterol is present in the eggs but they don’t include a great amount saturated fat. And hence eating an egg normally is acceptable. So serving the kids with scrambled eggs in the breakfast is a great source of nutrition.

Cheese:

Calcium is very essential for the body and hence parents must include calcium rich foods in their kid’s regime. Low fat cheese provides a great amount of calcium to the body. One can come out with various methods to include it in your kid’s diet. You can serve the kids with the vegetables topped with melted cheese. It is quite evident cheese sandwiches are very famous among the kids, so it can act as a delightful lunch.

June 24, 2014
Mouth-watering Kolkata Street Food

Kolkata. The City of Joy.
Kolkata. The land of literature and poetry.
Kolkata. The land of ‘tok-jhal-mishti’.
Kolkata. The city of history and heritage.
Kolkata. The Cultural Capital of India.
Kolkata. The city of street food.

Food as we know goes hand in hand with culture. Street food- the very culture of which began in Kolkata and it holds great importance in the city. Unlike other cities where there are particular areas where you can expect to find chaat-walla, gol-guppa walla and nimbu-pani wale bhaiya, in Kolkata you will find road-side vendors at every nook and crack of the city selling some or the other snack. Once you have lived in Kolkata and if you move out, more than your family you will miss the food- this is a popular belief. I was born and brought up in this city and I have explored all the possible street food items that are available here, being the foodie that I am. So here is a list of the 16 most delicious and mouth-watering street food items found in the City of Joy which sure will leave all of you wanting for more.

1. The all-time favourite: Puchka and Churmur.

This is one of the most iconic street food items and it is an all-time favourite. As we know it, puchka belongs to the Gol-guppa or the Paani puri family, which are the other variations found in other parts of the country. But puchka, as called in Kolkata is thought to be the King of all variations. It contains numerous spices and comes in lot of variations like- ‘Doi puchka or dahi puchka’ which has curd. This is one of the specialities of Kolkata. The spiced mashed potato along with the tamarind or ‘misthti jol’ (Sweet water) in the crunchy puri is sure to make you drool.

2. Jhalmuri

This is another speciality of Kolkata. This is so famous that it has made a mark for it across continents. It consists of puffed rice, spices, chanachur or bhujia, chopped onions, chilly and nuts. It might also have coriander, tomatoes and a coconut slice. This is a food item which can be modified according to the customer’s choice. Jhalmuri is served in old newspaper cones, something which has been an old tradition now.

3. Roll

The rolls found in Kolkata are definitely the most delicious ones you will ever eat. The Kathi roll is again a speciality of this city. Basically a parantha is filled with the stuffing of one’s choice (for example Aloo, paneer, tandoori chicken, egg, etc.) and it rolled up, which the customer is supposed to hold in the hand and eat. Rolls are a favourite of the students or office-workers because it is not only tasty, it is also filling and affordable.

4. Samosa or Shinghara

Usually it is an evening snack, enjoyed with a cup of hot tea. It is a triangular shaped baked of fried pastry and it has a stuffing of mashed potatoes and is served with mishti chutney. They may have variations where the stuffing comprises of paneer, minced mutton, keema, etc.

5. Telebhaja

Quintessentially Bengali, telebhaja means fried items. In every corner of the street you will find small road-side stalls selling fried items such as ‘Beguni, aloo’r chop, pyaaji, phuluri, etc. They are excessively oily but they taste heavenly. This is one item every Calcuttan definitely misses when they leave.

6. Ghoogni

This is a typical Bengali dish and it comprises of Yellow dried peas, onions, chilly, coriander, tomatoes, and seasoned with spices. One may also add sliced carrots and coconut. It is mixed with the peas and served hot in a dry leaves bowl. Some Bengalis also enjoy ghoogni with puffed rice.

7. Chowmein

You might be wondering how this dish is street food? Well in Kolkata it is. You will find street-side stalls where hot and spicy chow is pan fried or stir fried with added vegetables or egg or chicken and served in plastic plates. You have to try it and then you will never want to have chow in a restaurant again.

8. Jalebi or Jilipi

Jilipi as Bengalis love to call it, it a unique type of sweet. One can never say what it exactly taste like because it is crispy, chewing, and soft all the same time. Kolkata has a special variation of jalebi called the ‘Channa’r jilipi’ which is made of channa or thick, fresh cottage curd cheese.

9. Fish Cutlet or fish fingers

As we all know it, Bengalis love fish. Fish and even chicken cutlets once again can be found in and around every street corner and is enjoyed by all. These are really tasty snacks which are mouth-watering and very inexpensive.

10. Cha, Chaai in Earthen cups

Chai is available everywhere in the country. Then what makes Kolkata’s chai so special? The USP of the tea served here is that it is served in ‘Bhaanr’ or earthen cups. Every Calcuttan who has had chai in earthen cups will know that it adds a characteristically different flavour to the tea. The road-side vendors do add spices if the customer demands.

These are the list of 10 street-food items which are delicious and will totally satisfy your taste buds. So all the foodies out there, next time plan a trip to Kolkata and trust me you will not be disappointed!

June 18, 2014
Paneer Tikka
Paneer Tikka

Paneer Tikka is a popular tandoori snack which is a simple recipe. Paneer Tikka is a marinated paneer cubes which are arranged on skewerss,which are used for holding food and then baked in an oven.It is considered as one of the best paneer recipes.There are many varieties in paneer tikka to prepare.Mostly,paneer tikka is prepared on a tandoor and hence it can be named as tandoori paneer tikka but it can also be made simply through an oven.

Paneer Tikka Masala is used to make Paneer Tikka which is a spicy dish of onions and garlic.The garlic flavor richens the dish.This dish is originated in India and considered as an popular dish in Middle-east and Europe.This dish is popular for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians as many varieties lies in this recipe as it can always be substituted with chicken and also Chicken Tikka Masala can also be added inspite of normal masala powder while preparing.

Paneer

Paneer is a dairy product now-a-days become majorly famous due to its elegance in taste.It is a type of cheese of milk curdled from sheep,goats, cows.It has a good quantity of calcium which helps in building strong body and it strengthens the bones,teeth.It also develops insulin resistance syndrome and helps in back pain and joint pains.As it is rich in proteins,it reduces the risk of cancer and also prevents stomach disorders and is mostly useful for elder women.

Recipe of Paneer Tikka:

Paneer Tikka can also be made in a tawa instead of oven.We also can make paneer at home easily which tends to be healthier than which are available in markets.

Method to prepare Paneer

muslin cloth
1. Boil 2 litres of fresh milk and add vinegar or curd or lemon juice to the milk and stir well and keep it aside.
2. After the milk has been curdled,wrap it in a muslin cloth(a thin delicate sheet) and rinse it with fresh water and squeeze the water.
3. Now,form it like a ball and place it under a saucepan for nearly 20 minutes.
4. Then,paneer of 200 gms is ready and we can use it in all foods.
Ingredients needed for Paneer Tikka-

ingredients needed

requirements
- 2 green and red cubed capsicums cut into cubes
- 1 onion cut into cubes
- 1/2 cubed tomato
- 1 1/2 cup of paneer cubes
- 1/2 tsp of tandoori masala powder
- 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
- 1 cup of hung curd or yogurt
- 1 1/2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp of red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder
- 1 tsp of coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tsp of oil
- 1/2 tsp of kasturi methi leaves
- 1 onion sliced for garnishing
- toothpicks
- salt to taste
Preparing Paneer Tikka
1. Take hung curd or yogurt in a bowl and beat it until it turns into a smooth paste.
2. Add all spice powders such as red chilli powder,garam masala,coriander powder,tandoori masala powder and also add ginger-garlic paste,kasturi methi leaves and salt.
3. Mix well and prepare a marinade(a mixture where the food is soaked to give flavor).
4. Now,add paneer and add the capsicum pieces,onions and stir them so that all ingredients are mixed up and leave it for an hour to marinate them.It can also be covered and placed in a refrigerator.
5. Now ,take a toothpick and arrange capsicums red and green,onion,paneer in an order.
6. Switch on the stove and heat tawa and put 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil.After mil heating,lightly fry paneer and vegetables over the heat. and cook them until those items turn light brownish in color for 3-4 minutes.
7. Now,Paneer Tikka is transferred to a plate and slowly remove the toothpicks by pushing the vegetables into the plate.
8. Add 1 -2 tsp of lemon juice over the food and garnish them with sliced onions and serve them.
Paneer Tikka
Paneer Tikka can also be served as a roll wrapped.The vegetables we arranged in toothpicks can be taken or also kept like it while serving.

Paneer Tikka can also be grilled in an oven.The marination process should be more than 2 hours.The more it marinates,the flavors gets fused much more that they get even more tasty after preparation.

You can also use mushrooms,babycorn,cauliflower,tomatoes in this dish.

For low fat,we can add 1/4 cup of milk.

We can add gram flour to the marinade such that it prevents from sticking paneer in the pan.

Also,we need to ensure that the paneer are not overcooked and it is cooked on all sides.

Paneer Tikka is a freshly made spicy Indian dish which can be accompanied with naans,chapati,bread.It is a tasty dish with several variations.It is also served with a gravy known as Paneer Tikka Masala.It has been popular such that even International fast food chains have added this recipe in their menu.Now-a-days,instant making packages are available in markets by different companies.It can be made within less amount of time.But the home made taste can’t compare with any taste which needs to be tasted once in a life time.
June 15, 2014
Rava Khichdi a simple and comfort food

Khichdi is one of the India’s best comfort food available.In India mostly south India people eat things made out of rice as it is their abundant available product.There are many items made out of rice out of them one the most comfort and easily prepared food item is Khichdi.It is done at the time of breakfast or evenings mostly.Few people who are busy with their life make this recipe which consumes their time and has a great taste.The dish is mainly inspired from the Anglo Indian dish kedgeree.It is also said that it is a inspiration for the popular Egyptian dish Kushari.Khichdi was popular at the time of Mughals mainly Jahangir.

Rava Khichdi recipe

The word khichdi is originated from the Sanskrit word Khicca which means a combination of rice and pulses based dish.This Indian comfort food is considered as a light, nutritious meal, healthy food with exact amount of spices.This can be prepared and served to infants, sick people, and for the people which are really physically weak conditions.Most the people who follows Ayurveda appreciate it.We can see this Khichdi is a daily meal for some people in Gujarat and they make several varieties of it.

At first Mughals started this dish named khichdi and they made it rich by adding strong spices, dry fruits and nuts.The Britishers during their time modified this dish by adding fish and eggs to the ingredients.During their time they named this Khichdi as Kedgeree,which became a popular dish during their ruling.They used to have it as their breakfast and later it has spread to their country also.

Ingredients:

1) One cup of Rava

2) Three cups of water

3) Two table spoons of Oil

4) One to two table spoon of Ghee

5) 1/4 table spoon of Mustard seeds

6) Take two Green chilli

7) 1/4 table spoon of Channa dal

8) 1/4 table spoon of Urad dal

9) Salt required for taste

10) Chopped onion (long pieces)

11) One Tomato

12) Half Chopped carrot

13) Green Peas few

14) Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

15) Curry leaves few

16) Cashew nuts few (optional)

Ingredients for the preparation of rava Khichdi

Preparation:

Rava Khichidi the mouth watering south Indian dish mostly prepared for breakfast.But few south Indians prepare it irrelevant of the time during breakfast,lunch,evening snacks time,dinner.It can be prepared for any meal of the day.Few people take it along with coffee by which they enjoy its taste.Generally in most of the south Indian weddings they serve this rava kichadi with sambar and chutney as an accompaniment dish.The taste changes for every place and it depends on they way of preparation.Some got talent in making a perfect rava Khichdi and some are not good in making it.Try learning how to make a perfect khichdi to enjoy its complete taste.This is generally prepared by using Ghee but if we use a mixture of oil and ghee it reduces the excess calories.One can try to do this for a small change instead of making usual vegetable rava upma.

Step 1:

At first we have to roast the rava in a pan by taking one table spoon of ghee and make a deep fry until you get a nice aroma of roasted rava.We can skip this step if you have bought roasted rava from the shop.Chop all the vegetables finely and keep them aside for further process.Take a kadai and heat the Ghee and oil mixture and stir it for two minutes then add bengal gram to it and fry them till their color changes slightly.Now add mustard seeds,urad dal and curry leaves to it and saute them well until they turn their color to brown.Now add finely chopped onions, slit chillies and ginger.Make a deep fry of all these ingredients to turn their color.Now add all the finely chopped vegetables and turmeric powder.

Rava khichdi preparation process

Step 2:

This vegetables are cooked with the ingredients and saute them for two to three minutes.Make sure the vegetables are not over cooked as they have to be cooked along with rava again so let them be half cooked.Now to this mixture add three cups of water and add salt that is sufficient for taste as it different from one to one.While cooking we can check the taste as the salt is sufficient or not depending on that we have to add more water or salt.But if the water is quite salty don’t add water just leave it as we add the rava it will be perfect.

Rava khichdi making-adding three cups of water and saute

Step 3:

The cooking process is continued until the water bubbles comes then reduce the flame and now we have to add rava slowly to this boiling water with one hand and care should be taken that the boiling water should not fall on hand.While adding rava to the boiling water stir it continuously with the other hand to avoid formation of lumps.This stirring is done till it forms a semi solid state then add a table spoon of ghee on the top of it and stir it completely so that the ghee gets mixed in it.Do this process till the water completely gets absorbed and then close the lid and cook it in a low flame then turn off the flame.That’s it we have preparead most delicious south Indian recipe rava khichdi.Move it to a serving plate and enjoy the taste.we can have it with raita as a great combination.

Rava-Khichidi-with raita

June 11, 2014
Kebabs- something you can drool over.
Kebab is a Middle Eastern dish where pieces of meat or vegetables are grilled or roasted. They can be both vegetarian and non vegetarian. The traditional meat used for the preparation of kebabs was lamb however depending upon local tastes and preferences of the consumers, other options such as beef, chicken and pork also started being used. The kebab was so famous in the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia that it became a part of the everyday cuisine. From the Middle East it travelled to Central Asia and then slowly became a worldwide favourite with time. During the earlier days, the Greeks used portable trays made up of ceramic to grill pieces of meat and vegetables while Persian soldiers used their swords to grill meat over open flames.

Kebabs can be prepared at home as well. One of the methods for the preparation of chicken kebab is given below. Similar way can be used to make other non veg and vegetarian kebabs by just substituting chicken with any other meat or vegetable.

Chicken kebab

Directions:
- Dilute 2 tablespoon of cornflour in 1 cup of water
- Clean the chicken and chop the meat in medium size pieces
- Marinate the chicken with salt, vinegar and black pepper and place it for 15 minutes
- Add to chicken the cornflour mixture with curd, ginger green chillies and garlic with 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix well
- Cover and refrigerate it for about 8-10hours
- Melt ghee in a pan and slowly add the pieces of chicken on high flame
- Fry till the piece turn golden brown
- Once all the pieces are fried, serve with chutney and salad.
Green chicken kebab

This is another recipe for the preparation of chicken kebabs which uses coriander leaves, mint leaves, methi leaves and spinach as well.

Directions:
- Wash about 400 grams of chicken and chop them in medium sized pieces
- Apply salt, lemon, ½ teaspoon chilli powder on the pieces and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
- While the chicken is marinating, chop the methi leaves into thin slices and grind it with mint, coriander, spinach leaves, ginger, garlic and green chillies to form a paste.
- Now add curd and spices in the paste and mix well.
- Coat the chicken pieces with the paste and cover it and place it aside for 20 minutes. During this time span the chicken will suck in the smell and flavour of the green paste.
- After soaking the skewers in normal water for, apply oil and arrange the pieces of chicken onto it. Spread oil over the chicken pieces.
- Preheat the oven at about 350F for 5 minutes and after that place the skewers in the oven and leave it to grill for 18 minutes.
- A check has to be kept to see that all the sides of the skewer sticks cook evenly.
- Once the kebab is ready, remove it from the skewer and arrange it on a serving plate and serve with lemon wedges and spicy green chutney.
Veg Chilli Milli Kebab recipe

This is a vegetarian kebab recipe for the vegetarians out there
- Mash 4 potatoes in a bowl and at the same time boil spinach for some time then drain and blend the spinach to form a puree.
- Combine 1tsp of ginger and garlic each with 4 green chillies and capsicum and chop them finely.
- Now mix all the items together. The boiled potatoes, the spinach puree and chopped mixture of ginger garlic with chilli and capsicum.
- To this add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper, coriander and garam masala powder (1/2 teaspoons each)
- Also add 2 tablespoon of breadcrumbs and salt to taste.
- Wash and clean the skewers and then apply oil over them.
- Preheat the oven at about 350F and arrange the kebabs onto the skewers and then again apply oil over the kebabs.
- Grill the kebabs for about 20 minutes till they are golden brown and have a crispy crust.
- Once the kebabs look nice and golden, remove them from the skewer and place it on a serving plate and garnish it with some fried chillies.
- Your vegetarian kebab is ready to be served.
Vegetable Seekh Kebab

This is another vegetarian dish of Hyderabadi cuisine. This dish can be eaten both as a snack as well as a starter. The main ingredients used in this dish are French beans and cabbage and the special fact about this dish is that it is prepared on a stone.

Directions for cooking:
- In a pan heat 2 tablespoon of oil and then add chopped french beans, carrot and cabbage on one side of the pan and on the other side add about ¾ cups of green peas and mash them nicely.
- Mix everything and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- In another pan roast gram flour (3 1/2 tablespoon) and caraway seeds for about 2 minutes.
- Now mix the flour with the vegetables along with ginger garlic paste and green chillies and mix well for half a minute.
- Add salt, chat masala and cashewnut powder with the flour and mix everything well.
- Take portions of this mixture and cover it on the skewer and press it around the stick till it’s evenly layered.
- Put oil on the grill stone and heat.
- Now place the kebabs on the hot stone for about 3 minutes till all the sides are slightly coloured.
- Serve the dish by sprinkling it with some chaat masala.
There are many more of such tasty kebab dishes which can be prepared at home. Earlier kebabs used to be consumed only by the royals but with time it became a favourite of all.

Georgie Rajan
June 11, 2014
Curry in a Hurry – in less than 30 minutes!

Curry is a dish containing complex combinations of herbs and spices, usually including fresh or dried hot chillies. Curry dishes may contain fish, poultry or meat, either alone or mixed with vegetables. They may also be purely vegetarian.

Curries are great for using any leftover food one may have in the fridge from the night before. They are also quite versatile. Most are really easy to make and cost effective. One can keep it simple or spice it up to suit one’s taste.

Cooking a curry need not take long stressful hours in the kitchen. It can be prepared pretty quick and in an easy manner. Not only are these preparations delicious but they are packed with a good deal of nutrients.

My favourite Curry-in-a-Hurry is the Creamy Egg Curry. It is light, healthy, yummy and leaves me wishing I had cooked a bit more.

A few other ‘Yummy – Tummy – Curry’ are:

Speedy Green Chicken Curry

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1 red onion (cut into half-moon slices), 4 tbsp Thai Green curry paste, 2 x 400g cans light coconut milk, 2 tbsp fish sauce, zest and juice 2 limes, 1 tbsp brined green peppercorn (drained and rinsed), 200g green beans (trimmed and halved), 4 skinless chicken breasts (cut into long strips), handful basil leaves, cooked basmati rice (to serve)

Method: Heat the oil in a medium pan, add the onion and fry for 2 minutes. Tip in the paste and cook for 1 min more. Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest and juice, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer, then add the beans and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.Just before serving, add the basil leaves. Serve with basmati rice.

Creamy Egg Curry

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 2 tbsp sunflower oil, 2 onions (thinly sliced), 2 heaped tbsp curry paste, 400g can chopped tomatoes, 8 eggs, 140g frozen peas, 4 tbsp Greek yogurt, rice (to serve), mango chutney (to serve)

Method: Heat the oil in a pan, then fry the onions over a low heat for 10 minutes until golden. Add the curry paste and sizzle for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the tomatoes and 200ml water, season to taste and then bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until you have a rich sauce.Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 8 minutes, cool in cold water, then peel and halve. 3 Stir the peas and yogurt into the curry and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Put the eggs into the pan, spoon the curry sauce over and leave for another 2 minutes to heat through. Serve with rice and mango chutney.

15 – minute Prawn Curry

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 390g can coconut milk, 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste, 2 tsp sugar, small bunch fresh coriander (leaves and stalks), 400g bag frozen tiger prawns (defrosted, cooked, peeled), 100g baby spinach leaves, juice 1 lime, 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

Method: Open the coconut milk; pour the thin milk into a jug, keeping back any thick coconut cream. Scoop the coconut cream into a blender. Add 2-3 tbsp of the coconut milk plus curry paste, sugar and coriander stalks and blend to a smooth paste. Heat a wok, tip in the paste, stir fry for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the remaining milk from the jug.Bring to a simmer, then add the prawns and spinach. Cook until the prawns are heated through and spinach has wilted. Add lime juice and fish sauce; then spoon into bowls. Scatter over coriander leaves and serve with plain rice or noodles

Squash and Coconut Curry

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 2 tbsp Madras curry paste, 1 large sqush (chopped into medium size chunks), 1 red pepper (halved, deseeded and roughly chopped into chunks), 400g can reduced-fat coconut milk, small bunch coriander (roughly chopped)

Method: Heat a large frying pan or wok, tip in the curry paste and fry for 1 min. Add the squash and red pepper, then toss well in the paste. Pour in the coconut milk with 200ml water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the butternut squash is very tender and the sauce has thickened. Season to taste, then serve scattered with chopped coriander and naan bread or rice.

No – fry Thai Curry

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 2 rounded tbsp Thai green curry paste, 400ml can coconut milk, 2 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets (very thinly sliced), 1 red pepper (seeded and cut into chunks), 3 spring onions (halved lengthways and cut into long pieces), cupful of frozen peas, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or basil (to serve), rice or noodles (to serve)

Method: Make the sauce. Stir the curry paste over the heat in a medium pan for a few seconds, pour in the coconut milk and bring to the boil.Cook the rest. Add the chicken and vegetables, let it all start to bubble again, then turn down the heat and cook very gently for 5 minutes until the chicken is tender but the vegetables still have some texture. Stir in the coriander or basil and serve spooned over rice or noodles.

Recipe and Image Courtesy – bbcgoodfood.com

May 29, 2014
The Veggie Kitchen

I’m going vegan for a week.

Being a meat lover and someone who hardly has her vegetables at meal time, this was turning out to be quite a hellish challenge to overcome.

I spent the first two days craving for some meat. Anything meaty. Any meat look-a-like. Today is the sixth day and I’m more than okay. I guess I’ll survive.

I was always a fussy eater. Not this. Not that. This is soggy. That looks weird. Eww. “Mum, the fish tastes fishy. I don’t like it.” I made up all kinds of excuses to not eat my meals properly, especially the greens.

Well, I’m twenty now. These excuses work no more.

Anyway, when mum dared me to go all vegan for a week, I readily took up the challenge. I had to prove her wrong, didn’t I?

Why? Why did I have to prove her wrong? *sighs*

Since my bruised ego had already done the needful, I braced my taste buds and entered the Veggie Kitchen.

(I would rather not admit this, but I don’t hate the green beings any more. The Vegetable Mornay is one of the yummiest vegetable dishes I have had so far. As far as egg-less desserts go, the Peanut Butter Fudge is my favourite. )

From the Veggie Kitchen:

Vegetable Mornay

Time – 40 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients – 2 to 3 carrots, 2 leeks, 1 head of broccoli, 1 cauliflower, 25g butter, 1 tbsp plain flour or cornflour, 500-700ml milk, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional), 100g mature cheese (grated, 75 g for the sauce and 25 g for the topping), ½ tsp mustard, Black pepper to taste

Method – Preheat the oven to 180C. chop the carrots into sticks, slice the leeks and cut the broccoli and cauliflower into manageable florets. Place in a steamer and cook until the cauliflower is tender but not soft. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter gently in a saucepan in medium heat. Add the flour or cornflour and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the milk a little at a time, continuing to stir to avoid lumps. Switch to a balloon whisk. Continue to stir over a medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken. The balloon whisk will also help to eradicate any lumps that may have materialized. Add more milk as necessary to get the desired thickness. The sauce should be the thickness of custard. If you are using nutritional yeast flakes, add these before the grated cheese as they will reduce the amount of cheese you will need. Add the cheese and mustard and stir well. Season with black pepper. When the vegetables are ready, transfer them to an oven proof dish. Pour over the sauce and garnish with the remaining grated cheese. Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or grill until the top is golden.

Creamy Beetroot Curry

Time – 50 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients – 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 onions ( very finely chopped), 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds, 3 tbsp Madras curry paste, 1 kg raw beetroot (peeled, halved and thickly sliced), 1 green chilli (halved lengthways), 400g can chopped tomatoes, 3tbsp ground almonds, 4 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt (plus extra to serve), basmati rice (to serve, optional)

Method – Heat the oil in a large lidded pan, stir in the onions and cook for 8 minutes until soft. Tip in the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until toasted. Stir through the curry paste and sizzle for 3 minutes. Mix the beetroot through the spicy onions, then add the chilli, tomatoes and 2 cans of water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beetroot is tender. Remove the lid, turn up the heat and cook until the sauce is thick. Take off the heat, then stir through the almonds, yogurt and some seasoning. Top with yogurt and serve with basmati rice(optional).

Coconut and Lime Rice

Time –22 minutes

Serves –4

Ingredients – 250g basmati rice, 5 tbsp desiccated coconut, zest and juice 1 lime, small pack coriander (roughly chopped)

Method – Cook the rice. Add the coconut about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Stir in the lime zest and juice, and the coriander. Serve immediately.

Chickpea Patties with Carrot and Raisin Salad

Time –15 minutes

Serves –2

Ingredients –

For the Patties: 400g chickpeas (drained), 1 garlic clove, 1 egg, 1 tbsp ground almonds, 2 tsp harissa, 1 tsp ground cumin, 3 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tsp rapeseed oil (for frying)

For the Salad: 1 tbsp raisins, 1 carrot and 1 courgette (shaved into ribbons with a peeler), 5 radishes (thinly sliced), 2 handfuls from a bag of watercress, rocket and spinach, 1 tsp each hemp or rapeseed oil and white wine vinegar, or lemon wedges (optional)

Method – Tip the chickpeas, garlic, egg, almonds, harissa and cumin into a bowl and blitz with ahand blender until smooth. Stir in the parsley. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and dollop in the mixture in 8 big spoonfuls, spaced apart. Cook for 5 minutes on each side.

For the salad, toss the raisins and all the vegetables together, but don’t dress with the oil and vinegar until you are about to eat. If taking to work, add a wedge of lemon to squeeze over instead of the dressing.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Time – 1 hour 20 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients – ½ cup butter, 2 ¼ cups brown sugar, ½ cup milk, ¾ cup peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

Method – Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour in to an 8×8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into pieces.

Vegan Brownies

Time – 50 minutes

Serves – 16 brownies

Ingredients – 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 cups white sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method – Preheat the oven to 175 C. Ina large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the toothpick inserted in the brownie comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Recipe Courtesy: allrecipes.com, bbcgoodfood.com

Picture courtesy: allrecipes.com, bbcgoodfood.com, aliveandcooking.com.au, toriavey.com,

May 29, 2014
Step-By-Step Guide on How To Eat Well
1. Eat at regular intervals and make sure that you have three meals a day. This should help your blood glucose level to remain steady throughout the day. Also, having three proper meals at regular intervals will prevent you from feeling hungry.
1. Watch the amount of fat you eat. Fried and fatty foods are loaded with calories (they are obviously not good for you if you are trying to shed a few inches off your waist). Intake of saturated fats may lead to rise in one’s cholesterol level. However, you can switch to healthier unsaturated fats which will not harm you in any way.
Food to avoid: Butter, Ghee, Paneer, Pastries, Crisps, Samosas, etc

How to eat healthy fats? Instead of cooking with butter or ghee (saturated fat), use olive oil or cornflower oil (unsaturated fat). Avoid using too much coconut in your cooking. Creamy coconut and coconut milk are high in saturated fat. Choose skimmed milk and low fat yogurt over cream and full- fat yogurt. Replace Paneer with Tofu.

A helpful recipe-

Grilled Salt and Pepper Tofu

Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 springs onions ( chopped, plus the finely chopped green parts of 4-6 spring onion), 5 cm piece root ginger (chopped), 6 garlic cloves (chopped), 5 cm stalk celery (chopped), 2 green chillies (sliced), 200g tofu (cut into 2 cm cubes), 1/8 tsp salt, 7-8 black peppercorns ( crushed), 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method: Heat the oil in a pan. Add the spring onions, ginger and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the celery and green chillies, and sauté for 30 minutes. Stir in the tofu, salt and crushed peppercorns and sauté until tofu gets some brown flecks. Add the spring onion greens and sauté for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, toss and serve.
1. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent damage to one’s arteries. So, eat as much fruits and vegetables as regularly as possible. These foods are nutritious, low- GI, low in calories and fat and quite filling. Dried fruits can be had as snacks in between meals. Have fruits in dessert instead of sweet meats. Incorporate the habit of having some salad with yours meals. For example –
Bulgur Wheat and Fruit Salad

Ingredients: 200g bulgur wheat, 2 medium size red peppers, 1 medium size yellow pepper, 1 medium size onion ( sliced), 4 garlic cloves ( thinly sliced), 2 medium size tomatoes (seeded and diced), 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, ½ tsp salt, ground white pepper to taste, pinch of sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 medium size apple ( diced), 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves, a few leaves of Iceberg lettuce, 1 tbsp olive oil

Method: Soak the cracked wheat in water for 15 minutes, then strain. Push each pepper on to a fork and, one at a time, roast directly on a flame. (If you prefer, you can char the peppers under the grill or roast them in the oven) Put the soaked wheat into a salad bowl, and stir in the onion and garlic. Run water on the charred peppers and then remove the burnt skin. Cut the flesh into small pieces and add to the salad bowl. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley, then add the salt, white pepper and sugar. Mix. Add the lemon juice, apple and mint leaves. Tear up the Iceberg lettuce and add. Toss well. Add the olive oil, toss again. Serve immediately.
1. Consume less sugar. Replace fizzy drinks with diet ones, water or unsweetened fruit juice. Limit sweet meats such as Rosogolla, Barfi, Ladoo, Gulab ajmun, Khir Malai to special occasions. Cut back on sugar in your tea and coffee. Switch to artificial sweeteners such as Splenda or Sweetex.
1. Eat food low in salt such as plain popcorn, unsalted nuts or fresh fruits instead of savory biscuits, salted crisps, etc. Use unsalted butter instead of salted butter. Dried fish is very high in salt; soak it thrice and throw away the water before cooking. There is no need to add extra salt in cooking. Instead of salt, try experimenting with paprika, pepper, spices and fresh herbs.
1. Have more high- fibre food. Choose brown basmati rice over white rice, dal with whole lentils over dal with pureed lentils. As recommended earlier, eat your vegetables and fruits regularly.
A vegetable dish for you to try –

Mushrooms with fresh Coriander

Ingredients – 600g button mushrooms (trimmed), 1 tbsp olive oil, 5 green cardamom pods, 1 black cardamom pod, 5 cloves, 2.5cm stick cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, pinch of ground mace, 175g boiled onion paste, 4 tsp minced ginger, 4 tsp minced garlic, 4 green chillies (chopped), 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp ground coriander, 375g natural low-fat yogurt (whisked), ½ tsp salt, 3 tbsp cashew nut paste, 25g fresh coriander leaves (chopped), 3.5cm piece root ginger (cut into thin strips)

Method – Blanch the mushrooms in hot water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Add the cardamom pods, clove, cinnamon, bay leaf and mace, and sauté over a medium heat until fragrant. Add the onion paste and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. Stir in the minced ginger and continue to sauté until the oil surfaces. Add the chillies and sauté for 30 seconds more, before adding the chilli powder and ground coriander. Stir for another 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the yogurt and salt. Mix well, then return the pan to the heat. Add 150ml of water and let it come to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the fat rises to the surface. Stir in the cashew nut paste and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and ¾ of the chopped coriander and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining coriander and the ginger strips.

Follow these steps attentively and you will soon discover a healthier better YOU.

Recipe courtesy – sanjeevkapoor.com

Picture courtesy – vegiebelly.com, weldricks.co.uk, spicesherbscentre.com
May 23, 2014