Methi Pulao - Fenugreek Fried Rice

Fenugreek or Methi leaves are healthy herbs loaded with vitamins and minerals including Vit C and Iron. The upside is, it tastes fantastic too with its unique flavour and aroma.

It's this beautiful flavour and aroma that makes Methi Pulao a delicious treat, that's so easy to create too!

Here it is, my version of METHI PULAO:

Ingredients: 1 bunch of Fenugreek leaves washed and chopped finely, handful green peas, 1 onion chopped, some cashews (can be omitted), a few chillies as per taste, 1 tsp urid daal, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala, small cinnamon stick, 1 cup cooked and cooled rice, salt to taste, a bit of oil and ghee.

Make: 

1. Cook the rice and let it cool so that it is fluffy and not sticky.

2. In a pan, saute in a little oil and ghee, the urid daal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cashews, chillies and garlic. Add onion, cinnamon stick and turmeric powder. 

3. Next add in the chopped Fenugreek leaves and peas. Add salt and garam masala, mix well and cover. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes and lower the flame.

4. Add in the cooled rice and toss gently to combine well. Take care not to mix heavily. Turn off flame, cover and rest for a few minutes before serving hot with Raita.

Chickpeas & Potato Curry

A hearty curry that's both healthy and tasty is always a great dinner option. This vegan curry is a delight with rice or roti/breads and is so easy to make that it's a weekly dish for us.

Here it is, my version of CHICKPEAS & POTATO CURRY (ALOO CHANNA CURRY):

Ingredients:

400-500 grams Chickpeas soaked & cooked (you can also use canned Chickpeas), 1 tomato chopped, 1 onion chopped, 1-2 potatoes diced, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp red chilli, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cumin powder, water to cook, salt to taste, a bit of oil, handful chopped coriander.

Make:

1. In a pan, saute the onion, chilli, turmeric powder, garlic and ginger until there is a lovely roast aroma.

2. Add in tomato and mix, followed by potato and cooked Chickpeas. Mix in the garam masala and cumin powder and cook for a few minutes.

3. Put in tomato paste and add a little water to adjust the consistency to a nice gravy. Add salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes. 

4. Let the curry rest for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with coriander and serve hot with rice or rotis. Enjoy!

Vada Pav - Spicy Indian Burger

When it comes to delicious Indian street food, not much can beat the famous tasty delights that make Mumbai famous! Along with famed treats like Pav Bhaji and Pani Puri, Vada Pav is one of the most loved.

With a delicious spicy potato patty (vada) and toasted buns (pav/pao) filled with spices and tangy chutney, this one's for all foodies! 

Here it is, my version of Vada Pav:

Ingredients: Soft buns (I prefer wholemeal wheat buns). 

For the patty - 4 medium Potatoes, 1 tsp mustard seeds, handful curry leaves, 1 tsp turmeric powder, salt, 1/2 cup besan (chickpea) flour for the batter, oil either for deep frying or pan frying.

For the garlic chutney - 3 or 4 garlic cloves of 2 tbsp garlic paste, 1/4 cup descicated coconut,  1 tbsp red chilli powder, salt.

For the green chutney - handful coriander, mint leaves, few green chillies, tamarind paste.

Make: 

1. Boil and mash the potatoes. In a pan, saute the mustard seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Add in mashed potato, salt and mix well. Let it cool.

2. Make the batter for the vada by mixing the besan flour, turmeric powder and salt with water just enough to form a thick batter. 

3. Get the cooled potato mixture and form patties with hands, dip them into the batter to coat completely. Cook either by deep frying or pan frying - either way delivers great results. 

4. To make the garlic chutney, in a pan lightly fry the garlic together with coconut and chilli powder until well mixed.

5. To make the green chutney, put in coriander, mint, chillies and tamraind paste in a blender and grind into a chuntey. 

6. Assemble! Slit the bun half way in the middle (not completely in half). Lightly toast each side with bit of butter. Spread the green chutney on both insides, followed by a generous sprinkle of garlic chutney. Place a warm Vada, top with more green chutney and close. Serve!

Babycorn Manchurian

When we think Indo-Chine cuisine, we often can't go without thinking about varities of Manchurians! A tangy, spicy treat that pairs amazingly with Indo-Chine Fried Rice or Noodles.

Babycorn, being so versatile, works wonderfully with the strong flavours of ginger, chillies, tomato and soy sauce. Here it is, my version of BABYCORN MANCHURIAN:

Ingredients: About 10 Babycorns chopped into halves. For the batter, 1 tbsp corn flour, 1 tbsp rice flour, 1 tbsp plain flour, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp chilli powder, 2 tbsp yogurt/curd. 

For making the Sauce, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, 2 tbsp soy sauce, fresh chopped chillies as per taste, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 1 onion chopped, a few curry leaves, coriander or chives for garnish. 

Make: 

1. Make a thick batter using the flours, spices and yogurt. It should be thick enough to give a nice coating to the Babycorn. Dip Babycorns into the batter and deep fry OR pan fry with just a little oil - either way will provide crispy coated Babycorns.

2. In another pan, make the Manchurian sauce. Saute in a little oil, chillies, ginger, garlic, onion and curry leaves. Add soy sauce and ketchup, cover and simmer for a few minutes.

3. Pour in the crispy coated Babycorns into the sauce and toss gently. Garnish with coriander or chives, sprinkle chilli powder if desired. Enjoy hot!!

Corn Flakes Mixture - Spicy & Crunchy

Healthy snacking definitely does not have to be boring! A great way to enjoy delicious healthy snacks is to skip the deep frying. This addictive treat is exactly that and oh soooo yum!

Here is my version of CORN FLAKES MIXTURE:

Ingredients: 4 cups normal (or gluten free) Corn Flakes cereal, 3-4 sprigs curry leaves washed & dried, 1/4 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup cashews, 1/4 cup coconut flakes, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar. 

For spice tempering - 1 tbsp channa daal/urid daal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp chilli flakes, a little olive oil.

Make:

1. In a wide non stick pan, saute all the spices for tempering in low flame. Add peanuts, cashews and coconut flakes, continue to mix in low flame until they start to turn golden.

2. Add in the curry leaves and corn flakes. Mix gently then add salt and sugar. Continue lightly stirring in low flame for about 10 minutes or until there is a lovely roasted aroma. The corn flakes will be extra crunchy and golden brown. 

Take off heat and cool completely before storing or serving with a nice cuppa!

Moong Dal Dosa - No Fermentation quick Dosa

Weekend breakfasts for us often involve delicious South Indian delicacies and Dosa is a popular one! There are so many different variants of Dosa but I especially like trying versions that do not require the long fermentation process.

Moong Dal (split yellow lentil) is a healthy, high protein ingredient which makes some seriously good, crispy yummy Dosa! The best benefit is no soaking-grinding-fermenting long process, not to mention its low GI qualities.

Here it is, my version of Moong Dal Dosa:

Ingredients: 1.5 cups Moong Dal, 4 to 5 tbsp rice flour, 1 tbsp crushed ginger, pinch of baking soda, salt to taste.

Make:

1. Wash and soak the Moong Dal for about 4 hours (or overnight if wanting to make Dosa for breakfast)

2. After soaking, transfer the Moong Dal into a grinder, add the rice flour, ginger and salt. Add water to adjust consistency and grind into a smooth batter.

3. Add a pinch of baking soda, mix and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

4. On a hot pan, ladle the batter and make delicious crisp Dosas.

Enjoy hot with your favourite chutney or sides! 

Pav Bhaji - Indian Street Food Style

A very popular Indian street food and sure to please even the fussiest of eaters with its beautiful blend of spice, vegetables and bread. Pav Bhaji is so quick and easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as a snack or main meal. With a squeeze of fresh lemon, its sure to make mouths water!

Ingredients: 

Bread rolls of your choice, peas, carrots and potatoes cut into small cubes, tomato paste, chopped onions, chilli, cumin seeds, salt, pav bhaji masala, few tablespoons oil, fresh lemon and butter.

Make: 
1. Pressure cook all of the chopped vegetables or cook in a pan until soft and mashable.

2. In a pan heat oil and add cumin seeds, chilli, onion and lightly fry. Add all of the cooked vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, adding as much tomato paste as needed to make a nice gravy. Also add during this process, the pav bhaji masala, salt and some butter. 'Bhaji' is ready!

3. Spread butter generously on bread rolls and roast on a pan until mildly crisp. 'Pav' is ready! 

BEETROOT PAV BHAJI option! To make this delicious treat healthier, just add some grated Beetroot into the mix of veggies. All else the exact same method.

Serve with chopped red onion and enjoy hot with a dash of lemon :)

Zucchini Spinach Chutney/Dip

Healthy chutneys and dips are so easy to create at home and even easier to disguise all sort of unpopular healthy ingredients especially when it comes to kids! 

My Zucchini Spinach Chutney is so loved at home, and the little one doesn't even know there's loads of Zucchini in it, as it's just called the "Green Chutney"! 

Here it is, Zucchini Spinach Chutney/Dip:

Ingredients: 1 medium size Zucchini, 1 to 2 cups Spinach leaves, 1 onion chopped, chilli flakes, 1 tsp cumin seeds, garlic if desired. If tempering, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp urid daal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, handful curry leaves, salt.

Make: 

1. In a nonstick pan, saute in a bit of oil, the onion, chilliflakes, garlic. Add chopped Zucchini and Spinach leaves along with salt to taste. Stirfry until well cooked and let it cool to room temperature.

2. Transfer the whole mixture to a grinder and grind into a smooth paste. Do not add any water. Transfer to a serving bowl/dish.

3. If tempering, saute the olive oil, urid daal, mustard seeds and curry leaves and pour on top of the chuntey.

Serve warm with your favourite sides or use as a dip for breads. Enjoy!

Beetroot Red Velvet Cake

Who doesn't love some cake! Even more if it's healthy. Red Velvet Cake is traditionally known as a fancy dessert cake with the red colour derived from natural cocoa. Some quick recipes often use food colour but I found that using Beetroot not only gives a beautiful natural red crimson colour but adds moisture especially for an eggless cake.

Here it is, my eggless Beetroot Red Velvet Cake:

Ingredients: 2 cups self raising flour (or if using plain flour, add 1 tsp baking soda), 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 tbsp light olive oil or similar, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tspn vanilla essence, 1 Beetroot boiled and pureed smooth, milk only if needed.

Make:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients so it is combined well. 

2. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together and using a spatula mix into a smooth cake batter. Add milk as needed to adjust the consistency. 

3. Pour batter into a greased and lined baking tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 170deg for about 30 to 40 minutes. 

4. Once baked, cool completely and decorate with cream cheese frosting or buttercream icing. 

Enjoy the delicious, soft and moist Red Velvet cake which surprisingly has little or no flavours of Beetroot at all, but all the health benefits! 

2 Ingredient GARLIC NAAN

Every now and then, it's great to indulge in something delicious which might not be super healthy, but the fun of it is worth it! 

Typically, Indian flat bread "Naan" is made of plain flour so while changing to whole wheat flour makes it much healthier, the use of plain flour still gives the authentic flavour and texture. So talking about being indulgent, I tried to make one of our favourites, Garlic Naan in a most easy way using just 2 ingredients.

Here it is, my 2 Ingredients GARLIC NAAN:

Ingredients: 1 cup self raising flour (or if using plain flour/maida, add a pinch of baking soda), 1/2 cup thick yogurt/curd. A bit of salt and oil is optional just to mix the dough. For brushing on top of the Naan, some melted butter, garlic paste & chopped coriander.

Make: 

1. In a bowl mix the flour and yogurt together with your hands, add salt if using. The dough should come together nicely but if not, use a bit of milk or oil to help form a soft dough. Cover and leave to rest for about 20 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, make the mixture for brushing on top by mixing melted butter, garlic paste, coriander in a bowl.

3. Dust some flour and using a rolling pin, roll out small balls of dough into a flatbread shape. Try to roll out as thin as possible. Roast on a hot pan on both sides until golden brown spots appear. Immediately brush the garlic butter mixture.

Enjoy the soft delicious Naans with your favourite sides/curries! 

BAKED Wheat Chakli/Muruku

Indian festive season means loads of yummy snacks, which also means calories overload! Decided to try out making traditional Chakli with healthier twist this time, by using whole wheat flour and by skipping the deep frying! 

Turned out fabulous and a hit with my taste testers at home! Here it is, my BAKED WHEAT CHAKLI:

Ingredients (about 30 Chaklis): 1.5 cups wheat flour, 3/4 cup fine rice flour, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp asetofida/hing, 1 tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, warm water for mixing dough, a bit of oil for dough.

Make:

1. Put wheat flour in a muslin cloth tied up and steam in a steamer for about 10 minutes.

2. In a bowl mix in all of the dry other ingredients as above, ensuring the steamed & cooled wheat flour is crumbled well by hand (as it will be lumpy after steaming). Use warm water and some oil to mix a soft dough without cracks.

3. Using a Chakli maker, make spirals of the dough and arrange on a lined baking tray. Spray with a little oil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 170deg for about 30 minutes. Turn all Chaklis after 20 mins to get a nice colour on both sides.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container to enjoy with tea/coffee! 

7 Cups Barfi

7 Cups Barfi as its name says, is made of 7 cups! The combination of besan/chickpea flour, ghee(butter), sugar and milk to create a melt in your mouth delicious sweet treat is simply yummy.

Here it is, my 7 CUPS BARFI:

Ingredients: Choose any size cup and use it to measure all ingredients. 1 cup besan flour, 1 cup descicated coconut, 1 cup milk, 1 cup ghee, 3 cups sugar, 1 tbsp cardamon powder.

Make: 

1. In a heavy bottom (non stick is good) pan, dry roast the besan flour on low flame for about 10 minutes until the raw smell disappears. 

2. Add in cup of ghee, mix well. Add in cup of milk, cup of coconut. Stir continuously to combine well, all on low flame.

3. Add in 3 cups of sugar (or bit less if preferred) and cardamon powder. Mix by stirring continuously to smoothen the mixture. Keep stirring and the ghee will start to release. Continue stirring until the whole mixture leaves the sides of the pan easily.

4. Pour the mixture into a prepared greased pan to set. Flatten using the back of a spoon and let it set.

5. Once cooled to room temperature, cut into slices. Ensure slices are cut at this stage as if it hardens furthe, it will be difficult to cut nicely.

Serve and store to enjoy! 

Vegan Thai Panang Curry

When you love Thai flavours and are a vegetarian, the biggest problem is finding vegetarian/vegan dishes that are made without hidden ingredients like shrimp paste! It's these issues that motivate me to create the same yummy flavours right at home with all pure veg ingredients!

Thai Panang Curry is a most delicious curry with flavours of peanut, coconut, spices and usually loaded with veggies. With some Jasmine rice, it's simply a treat for the tastebuds.

Here it is, my VEGAN THAI PANANG CURRY:

Ingredients: 1 onion sliced finely, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp garlic, chilli as per taste, 200 light grms coconut cream, 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 carrot sliced, 1 capsicum sliced, handful of brocolli, any other vegetable such as potato or zucchini, bok choy(if desired), zest of half a lemon, few basil leaves, chopped spring onions for garnish, 1 spoon coconut oil, salt. Tofu can be added if desired.

Make: In a heavy bottom pan, saute in coconut oil, onions, garlic, ginger and chilli. Add tumeric powder and saute till aromatic. Add carrots and cook for a few minutes. Next add in all other vegetables except for bok choy if using. Also add a few basil leaves. Toss well together, add salt and curry powder. Now put in the coconut cream and stir in, add water as required to get a smooth consistency. At this stage add in the peanut butter and stir in completely. Grate lemon zest on top, cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or less to ensure veggies are not overcooked. If using Tofu, cook it separately and add it to the curry when serving.

It looks as amazing as it tastes! Serve hot with Jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Masala Puri - Bengaluru style

Anyone from the Indian subcontinent will agree to one thing about food - there is nothing more tantilising and taste-buds satisfying than a spicy, tangy, fresh CHAAT!! Wheather it is a pani puri from the carts or gobi manchurian from a fancy restaurant or good old sev puri made at home, a good Chaat can bring a smile on anyone's face :) 

Every time we visit Bengaluru we make sure we indulge in one of our favourites, MASALA PURI. Being back home sweet home though, it was too tempting not to re-create that Masala Puri magic..so here it is, my version of the very famous Masala Puri, made in a quick and easy way!

Ingredients (for two servings): 1.5 cups of green peas, 1 potato, 1 red onion, 1 tomato, 2 carrots, corriander, few cinnamon sticks, few cloves, salt, chilli powder, chaat powder, 1 spoon tamarind paste, 1 spoon garlic paste, crisp wheat crackers or papdis (Indian wheat biscuits), sev.

Make: In a pan, lightly fry in a spoon of oil, chopped onion and garlic until golden brown. Add cinnamon sticks and cloves and fry lightly. Add the peas and chopped potatoes and 1 carrot chopped with half a glass of water. Add salt and cover. Simmer in low heat for 15 to 20 minutes and you should see the peas and potatoes have cooked well and become very soft. This can also be pressure cooked. Once cooked let it cool a little and transfer all of it except some cooked peas (which is needed later) to a grinder. Grind to a paste then add salt, chilli powder, tamarind paste, chaat masala, the cooked peas from before and mix well.

To assemble Masala Puri, in a plate, make a layer of crispy crackers broken roughly, then pour the masala all over generously. Make a another layer of grated carrot, chopped tomato, chopped onion and few more crackers. Top with corriander and sev. Not only will it look mouth-watering, it will taste amazing with the mix of spicy and tangy flavours!

Pani Puri - Sweet Potato filled!

Any foodlover of the Indian sub continent is bound to share a love for this famed street snack Pani Puri or Golgappa or Pucchka! Crispy light fried semolina balls filled with mouth watering spicy sweet tangy ingredients..there's nothing not to love about these.

It's a super fun treat at our place and it got a little healthier when I tried it with a Sweet Potato filling instead of the traditional Potato. 

Here it is, PANI PURI with Sweet Potato filling:

Ingredients: Fryable Puris (can buy at Indian grocery stores), 1 sweet potato cooked soft, 1 spoon chaat masala, 1 carrot grated, 1 onion chopped finely, handful chopped coriander, some nylon sev. 

For the pani (juice), 1 tbsp coriander mint chutney, chaat masala, 1 tbsp tamarind juice, chillinpowder as desired, water.

Make: Fry the fryable Puris so they are puffed round. Keep aside to cool. Prepare the pani by mixing all of the ingredients well with the water. Adjust the flavour depending on how strong you like the flavour.  Prepare the Sweet Potato filling by mashing it well with chaat masala 

To assemble Pani Puri, take each Puri and gently poke a hole in the middle. Put inside, a spoon of mashed sweet potato, grated carrot, onion, coriander and sev on top. Assemble all Puris and serve with a bowl of Pani so the lucky people can enjoy these packages of happiness!