Vegetable Chowmein

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Some years back,in large metros around India, restaurants introduced what was called "Chinese" dishes in their menu.Apparently a lot of people were curious to taste this new type of food and this cuisine caught on in a big way.I was probably one of the few holdouts who had not tasted this cuisine for quite some time even though it seemed to be gaining a fair amount of popularity.What can I say,apparently my spirit of adventure with regard to food had not completely developed at that point.

Anyway this "Chinese" cuisine was so popular that every restaurant added this type of food to their menu cards,new stalls mushroomed all across the cities doing brisk business churning out stuff with names like Cauliflower Manchurian,Vegetable Manchurian,American chopsuey to name a few and the people around were literally eating it up.This Chinese food is vastly different from the Chinese food you find here,since it has been Indianized,hence the term "Indo-Chinese" which is used to refer to this cuisine nowadays.

Eventually of course I not only tried and liked this type of cuisine and still like it as a matter of fact, I also make some of these dishes at home regularly.This variation of chowmein I make using wheat spaghetti or wheat angel hair pasta. I guess the use of Italian spaghetti in an Indo chinese dish definitely qualifies this dish to be categorized as fusion cooking in its truest sense :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make the Vegetable Chowmein

8 oz of wheat spaghetti / wheat angel hair pasta
4 medium carrots (cut into 3 pieces horizontally and then sliced lengthwise)
4 cups of cabbage (cut long, loosely packed cups)
1 onion sliced lengthwise
3 tbsp sesame oil (or corn oil)
1 tsp minced ginger
3 tbsp chili garlic sauce (or according to taste) (I used Maggie sauce)
2 tbsp Soy sauce
4 tbsp Regular Tomato Ketchup
Salt to taste

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot with boiling salted water.Drain,rinse with cold water and drain again and keep aside.

Heat the sesame oil and add the onions to this and saute for a minute or two on high heat.Add the minced ginger and saute for a few seconds.

Add the carrots and saute for a few minutes on medium to high heat.Do not let the carrots become too soft.

Add the cabbage and saute for a few minutes on medium to high heat.When all the veggies are softer but still crisp ( a little tender crisp) add the chili garlic sauce,the soy sauce and the ketchup.Mix well.

Add the cooked spaghetti,salt to taste and mix well.Saute this for another minute or so.

Serve hot.Serves about 3-4

Notes: This can be made using Chinese Egg noodles or any other type of Chinese noodles.In case you use a different type of noodle,first prepare the noodles as per instructions on the packet and drain and keep aside and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Another point to note is that when using different type of noodles you may need to decrease the amount of chili garlic sauce.

You can use vegetables such as snow peas,bell peppers in place of or in addition to the vegetables given in this recipe.

The picture I have used here is when I made this chowmein with angel hair pasta and other vegetables such as green bell pepper, mushrooms, onions and carrots.

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Rice Krispies Chivda ~ Savory Snack made with rice krispies and mixed nuts ~ With Stepwise pictures

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Traditionally chivda is a snack served in the western region of India to be had at tea time.It is normally made with thin beaten rice flakes or puffed rice and peanuts and and sometimes, raisins and dried coconuts in them. In an attempt to making this healthier and creating a snack that incorporates more nuts I first experimented with making this recipe with Rice Krispies more than a year back.I loved the way it tasted and this snack has been a regular in my home ever since that first try and has come to my aid numerous times when I have been looking to make a quick savory healthy snack.

This is a very simple recipe and quick to make if all ingredients are at hand.It can also be stored in an airtight container for a week easily.The combination of cumin,green chillies and sesame seeds provide unique flavors that are pretty interesting and irresistible.Try this with a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate or pretty much anytime the dreaded craving for a snack hits.




Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make this chivda
5 cups Rice Krispies (see notes)
1/2 cup raw peanuts/mungphali/kadalai  (see notes)

1/2 cup raw mixed nuts (almonds/badam, cashews/kaju, pistachios/pista)(see notes)
2/3 cup dark raisins (kishmish)
5 tsp brown sesame seeds (til/ellu)(optional)
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera/jeeragam)
4 Thai or Indian variety green chillies cut very fine (hari mirch/pachai molagai)( or according to taste )
1/8 tsp of cumin powder (jeera powder) (optional)
1/4 tsp chili powder (lal mirch) (optional)
salt to taste (namak/uppu)
1/2 tsp sugar (shakkar/sakkarai) (optional)

Heat oil in a large pan.Add the cumin seeds and the green chillies to it. When the green chillies splutter a little and the skin of the green chillies start turning a little white,lower heat and add the raw peanuts and stir for a few minutes until the peanuts get roasted.

                   

Maintain heat at low to medium low and add other nuts and stir until the other nuts get lightly roasted. Then add sesame seeds and stir for about a few seconds on low to medium low heat. They will begin to pop a little. Add raisins and stir a few times.

Add cumin powder and chili powder if using and mix well. Add rice krispies and mix well.

Add salt to taste and sugar and mix well.

Cool the entire mixture thoroughly before storing in an air tight container.

Enjoy this healthy snack.

Notes:
Any combination of nuts can be used in this recipe in addition to peanuts, sometimes I use a combination of cashews, pistachios and almonds. The time that I took the stepwise pics I used only almonds, cut in half. 

If you have roasted variety of nuts, then add them stir a few times, then continue with the rest of the recipe. It will definitely be much quicker with roasted nuts.

If you do not have rice krispies you can also use puffed rice (kurmura/murmura) in its place.

The most convenient thing about this snack is that adjustments are so easy to make, if it has a little bit more heat/spiciness than you expected, just add 1/2 a cup or 1 cup more of rice krispies, mix well and it gets corrected :) 

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Low fat microwave Potato chips/crisps

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Potato chips have to be one of the most universally loved snacks. I have yet to meet anybody who tells me they hate potato chips,really I have never met such a person.
This past weekend I learnt a new way of making these,not that I have ever attempted making the traditional style potato chips :) but I learnt this healthier alternative from my father in law.This was a simple and quick technique and worked out very well.The ultimate guilt free snack,so get ready to dig in.I was very excited and happy with the success of these chips and wanted to share this with all of you

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make Microwave Potato chips/Crisps

2 or 3 white potatoes
a small pinch of salt
small pinch of chili powder ( optional )
a few drops of oil

Wash the potatoes well and peel skin if using old potatoes,for new ones you can keep the skin

Slice the potato thinly

Grease a microwave safe plate or a microwave safe dish with a few drops of oil

Place the sliced potatoes on the plate/dish.Take care not to overlap the slices as it will stick together and not become crispy enough.

Place dish in the microwave and heat for about 5-8 minutes (it will depend on the thickness of the slices and the wattage of the microwave)

Flip the slices once during the cook time

Place the chips/crisps in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and chili powder and mix well

Store in an airtight container.

Notes:
In case you are making more than one batch of these do remember to re-grease the dish/plate between batches as otherwise the potatoes tend to stick to them.

Also remember that if the potatoes are sliced so thin as to be almost transparent,they will surely stick to the plate,make the slice thin but not thin enough to be transparent.

On to other things now....

I have been double tagged,both Rashmi and Trupti have tagged me.

The rules are as below:

"At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 or 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read my blog".Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answers."-


1.What was I doing ten years ago?

Slogging for my CA final exams

2. Five things on Today's "To do" list

Complete this post
Start dinner
Make a run to the grocery store
Catch up on my emails
Upload some pictures into a web album and send it to family

3.I am addicted to :

Well addiction is too strong a word, more of a deep interest I would say in
Reading fiction,
Blogging,
Good music,
Good tea
and most of all, a good book with good music in the background and a hot cup of tea in my hand.........heaven !

4.Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Charity,Investments and Travel

5. Places i have lived:

Bombay,California,Oregon and North Carolina

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Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Barley

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The downside to being vegetarian and calorie conscious means there seem to be few choices that seem appealing when eating out at restaurants .It is not always possible to completely avoid eating out too.On one such occasion when I was dining in a restaurant,wanting to choose something that would least affect my diet I landed up choosing the split pea vegetarian soup and I was thoroughly surprised and delighted with this soup.

Since that restaurant visit I have been making this soup regularly at home.Over the years I have modified the recipe quite a lot and have played around with adding other dried beans on occasion, sometimes barley and other ingredients I consider healthy.This recipe is pretty good,very tasty and the way we like it the most.This soup is healthy and filling and can be served on its own or with some good bread of your choice.This may also be a good recipe to try and make in a crock pot, although I have never tried it that way.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make the Split pea soup with Barley

1 cup dried green split pea lentils
3/4 cup quick cooking barley
1 red onion chopped finely
2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs chopped into little pieces (yields about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
2 cups of vegetarian vegetable stock( or water )
6 cups of water

Wash and drain the green peas.Then soak the green peas in just enough water to cover it for about twenty minutes

Heat the olive oil in a large pan,add the onions and saute until transparent.

Add the minced garlic and saute for a minute.Add the carrots,celery and saute for a minute.

Add the salt,paprika,the chili powder and saute for a minute.

Add the stock and water,then add the soaked green peas and the barley and simmer for about an hour or until peas and barley are soft and all the veggies are cooked.

Add the Italian seasoning and simmer for a few minutes.

Serve hot.Serves about 5

Notes:
When the green peas are sufficiently cooked they will dissolve slightly and the soup will begin to thicken

This is my entry to the Eat Healthy- protein rich event being hosted by Sangeeth

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Simple and quick Rasmalai ( Milk based Indian sweet )

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Rasmalai is one of many famous sweets that originated from Bengal a state in the eastern region of India.Like a lot of sweets from that region it is milk based and is normally mildly sweet.
Normally this sweet is made by an elaborate process of boiling milk,pouring lemon or vinegar in it and when the cheese separates to roll it and put this in sugar syrup and then finally removing from sugar syrup and putting it into milk syrup. Whew...just listing the steps makes me tired :)

Anyway this recipe of mine is an adaptation of two different recipes I got,one each from an aunt and a cousin.I have made this numerous times and it always turns out well.This is a good dessert to make while entertaining as it can be made ahead of time and it is always such a success.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make the easy rasamalai recipe

1 Fat free Ricotta cheese 15 oz container
1/4 cup dry non fat milk powder
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 tsp cardamom powder

For the syrup
2 cup fat free half and half
5-6 tsp sugar
3 pinches of saffron strands
1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Preheat oven at 350 deg F

Mix the first four ingredients ( the cheese, milk powder, sugar and cardamom powder) well and put this in an oven proof glass dish and bake for about 40 mins.Take care not to spread the mixture too thin as it may brown

(To check the mixture to see if done ,take a small part of the cheese in a spoon,cool slightly and try to roll this between your fingers,if you are able to roll this it means the mixture is ready.)(The mixture will look creamy at this point)

Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Simultaneously in a heavy bottomed pan heat the fat free half and half on a low/medium heat and add the sugar,the cardamom powder and the saffron strands stirring continuously.

When the half and half is heated,does not have to boil,take off from the stove and keep aside.

Roll the cheese into small lemon sized balls and flatten it.

Place this in a deep serving dish and pour the half and half milk on top of this.The milk should cover the balls completely.

Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serve chilled

This recipe yields about 16 pieces of rasmalai.

Notes:I used a glass dish that is about 10 X 14 inches in size and I needed about 40 minutes to bake the rasmalai. If you use a smaller dish you may need to bake longer.Baking times vary depending on size and material of baking dish so do keep that in mind while baking the rasmalai and check frequently on your first attempt.

While on the subject of sweets,what can be sweeter than an acknowledgement of friendship.Sowmya of Creative Saga has given a Friendship award to me.



Thank you so much Sowmya,I am truly honored.I would like to pass this award on to Trupti, Diksha, The Taste tinkerer, Karuna , Rashmi, Madhavi, Mitr and Mahimaa

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Tomato and Cinnamon Basil Soup

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Growing plants gives me a great deal of pleasure,there is something so satisfying in seeing them grow. Lack of space is one of the reasons that my interest in plants has been contained to well......container plants. I find that growing my own herbs like mint and basil have dual benefits,in addition to providing an outlet for my green thumb I also get to use these herbs in my cooking .

This past spring I came across a new type of basil at the local Home depot called the cinnamon basil,it seemed to me it was a more fragrant type of basil and I decided to give this one a try.The only use I could find for the basil for quite some time was in my tea,and no, there is no hint of cinnamon in the taste of this basil in case you are wondering,it is just seems more fragrant and a slightly stronger herb than the regular basil

Finally, I decided to experiment with this herb in tomato soup and see how that turns out.The presence of this herb imparted a very unique and subtle flavor to the soup that was pretty good.I have never made tomato soup with regular basil so I cannot compare how the taste differs from that one,but I was pleased with how this soup turned out and plan to make it again

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the Tomato basil soup

1 leek cut into little pieces (use the white part)
1 inch piece of ginger (grated)
1 tbsp chopped basil (about 5 to 6 small cinnamon basil leaves )
3 cups tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces ( I used campari tomatoes)
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp chili powder ( or according to taste)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pan,add the cut leek and the ginger and saute for about two minutes.

Add the tomatoes,the basil and the salt and cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.

Cool a little and then puree the mixture in blender until smooth.Press the pureed mixture through a sieve.

Pour the milk through the sieve too,so as to extract the maximum of the juice from the pulp.

Add the half and half to the extracted juice,the chili powder and heat gently on low heat.

Serve hot with fresh ground pepper

Serves about 2

Notes:

In case you like a stronger flavor from the basil increase the amount of basil slightly

This is my entry to the No Croutons Required event being hosted by Lisa and Holler

This is my entry to the Grow your own event being hosted by Andrea and Jugalbandi

This is my entry to the Herb Mania-Basil being hosted by Ammalu's Kitchen

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Chickpea and Oat Cutlet / Patties

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The health benefits of oats include lowering bad cholesterol,reducing hypertension or high blood pressure, helping in weight control to name just a few.Plain oats are quite versatile and can be included in a variety of dishes.I have been experimenting with using oats in different types of dishes both sweet and savory.This recipe is a spin on the traditional Indian cutlets/patties made with potatoes making it instead with heart healthy ingredients like oats which is a better alternative for those like me that are avoiding empty carbs.The protein and the fiber in this also makes this more satisfying and filling and the use of olive oil to shallow fry this is an additional benefit as olive oil is said to be very beneficial for heart health too.

This cutlet is both tasty and versatile and can be used in a burger,as a side dish,as an appetizer, as a sandwich filling or with ragda. For the skeptics who believe that healthy does not translate to tasty this cutlet will definitely prove otherwise.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make the cutlets.

1 1/2 cup cooked chickpea
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen cauliflower
1 1/4 cup of quick cooking plain oats cooked in the microwave in 1 1/4 cup of water
1 cup cream of wheat/ semolina  (rava)
3 tbsp cooked barley
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chili powder ( or according to taste)
1 tsp ground ginger paste
1 tsp green chili paste (optional)
salt to taste
a little extra virgin olive oil (or any other oil) to shallow fry the patties

a little wheat flour or chick pea flour if required

Mash the cooked chickpea with a potato masher or in a processor until grainy,it does not need to get smooth like hummus.Do not add water to this,if using canned chickpeas be sure to drain out all the liquid.

Cook the frozen peas and cauliflower in the microwave for about 5 to 6 minutes until soft without water

Cook the quick oats in water for a minute in the microwave.

Mix together the mashed chickpea, the cooked vegetables and the oats in a large bowl.

Add the cumin powder,the coriander powder,the salt,the chili powder ,the chili paste,the ground ginger paste,the turmeric powder and mix well.

Add the cream of wheat (rava) and the cooked barley to this and mix well.

If the mixture is too soft and difficult to handle a little wheat flour or chick pea flour to make the mixture a little firmer.

Shape into large balls and flatten (use some all purpose flour or rice flour to aid this process if required ) ( I did not use flour as I was able to form the cutlet without the flour)

Heat a tawa/griddle and place the cutlet on it and cook on medium heat adding a few drops of olive oil to each side.

Serve hot with cilantro/ coriander chutney or use to make veggie burgers or as a filling in a sandwich.

Variations:
Instead of cauliflower you can use mixed vegetables like carrots,beans, potatoes etc too.

Notes

In case you use fresh vegetables instead of frozen remember to add just the required amount of water and to cook until the water evaporates.

In case the mixture feels too soft, place it in a heavy bottomed pan and heat for a few minutes on low heat until all the excess moisture evaporates cool slightly then shape the patties or as I mentioned in the recipe add a little wheat flour or chick pea flour (besan) to the mixture to make it firmer.


This is my entry into the healthy cooking event being hosted by Mansi

This is my entry into Original Recipes monthly event hosted by Lore

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Apple Chutney ( Apple Pachadi )

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This is a recipe I got from my mother in law.She makes this recipe with raw mangoes and on those days when she makes this,I will be willing to ignore any other side dish in favor of this chutney as I absolutely adore this chutney.It is supposed to be served as a side dish with rice and spicy curry but I find that this works well with roti/Indian flat bread too.

This has a unique taste with a little tang from the fruit itself,sweetness from the jaggery,crunch from the roasted lentil and slight hint of spice from the red chilly.This chutney tastes best when made with raw mangoes,but tastes pretty good when made with apples too and tastes best when made with tart varieties of these fruits.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the Apple chutney

1 1/2 cup slightly heaped cut apple pieces (Green Tart variety of apples) ( Apples should be peeled and cored first)
1/2 cup of water to cook these apples
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 cup grated jaggery
1/2 Tbsp rice flour (mixed into 1/3 cup water)

for seasoning
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split black gram lentil (udad dhal)
1 small dried red chilly broken into little pieces.
1 tsp oil

In a sauce pan put in the apple pieces,the salt,the turmeric powder, half cup of water and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes on low heat until the apples are soft.

Add the jaggery to this and cook furthur,until all the jaggery is melted and the apples are kind of transparent and mushy and the water is mostly evaporated

Add the rice flour into half a cup of water and mix well seeing to it that no lumps are formed and add this to the softened apple mixture.Simmer for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat.

Heat the oil,add the mustard seeds,the black gram to it.

When the mustard seeds splutter and the black gram starts turning golden brown,add the dried red chilly and let it turn darker red ( this just takes a few seconds). Add this to the chutney and mix well.

Serve hot or cold

This can be stored in a refrigerator for a couple of days.

Notes
Water can be increased slightly if you want a little more watery consistency for this chutney.

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Low Fat Asparagus Soup

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The only asparagus soup I have had in the past is the store bought kind.I have never attempted to make this soup from scratch.The other day, I saw some really fresh and tender asparagus being sold at a local store and on an impulse decided to buy it to try making the asparagus soup myself.

I got this recipe from a vegetarian cookbook I recently purchased and I modified it a little by adding a few ingredients,changing a couple of items and cutting out the cream suggested by the recipe replacing it with milk instead, making it a low fat version.

I loved this soup ,the texture, the taste, everything about it was just right.The small amount of spice may seem incongruous with a cream style soup,but I felt that the taste of the soup was enhanced because of the slight amount of spice in it and made things decidedly interesting. After having had the made from scratch version of this soup,I will probably never have the store bought one again as the taste and freshness of the one made at home is so much more superior.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the low fat Asparagus soup.

1 leek cut into little pieces (the white part)
2 cups chopped asparagus (do not use the spears)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups water
about 1 tsp salt ( or according to taste)
1/8th tsp chili powder (optional)
1 cup milk


Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan,add the cut leek to it and saute until tender.

Add the cut asparagus to it and saute for about one minute

Stir in the flour and cook for a minute

Add the water and the salt and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the asparagus is completely tender.

Cool slightly and then puree the soup in a blender until smooth.

Press the pureed asparagus through a sieve.Add the milk and the chili powder and mix in well.

Heat the soup gently on a low flame and serve hot.

Serves about 2.

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Mung Bean Curry ~ Whole Moong usal

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Usal is a dish that originated in Maharashtra, a state in the western region of India.It is traditionally served with pav,a kind of rustic Indian bread . It is very tasty, nutritious, low fat and protein rich,Well what more can we ask from a dish really.Did I mention it is very tasty ............hmm yes I did.

The other day this dish made a re entry into my kitchen after a long hiatus.There was no reason for the absence of this dish except probably that I got side tracked with a lot of other dishes and did not get around to making this. I made this to go with phulkas (Indian flat bread)  this time although occasionally I make this to go with pav (Indian bread)  which is a good combination too :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the Usal
1 and 1/2 cups Mung bean (whole moong/green gram/pachai payaru) soaked overnight and sprouted
1 medium onion chopped finely (pyaaz/vengayam)
2 tomatoes chopped finely (tamatar/ thakkali)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera/jeeragam)
1/2 tsp grated ginger (adrak/inji)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
1/2 tsp chili powder (lal mirch/molagai podi) (or to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/manjal podi)
salt to taste (namak/uppu)
1 Tbsp oil
1/2  tsp goda masala (optional, see notes)
3 to 4 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves/hara dhania/kothamalli) for garnish

After soaking the moong for 8 to 10 hours, remove from water and tie in a fine muslin cloth or place in a sprout maker for another 8 to 10 hours (or longer)  to allow it to sprout.

Cook the sprouted beans either in pressure cooker or on the stove top until soft yet not mushy. ( I usually use the pressure cooker and it takes me about 2 whistles in mine to get it perfectly soft)

In  a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, when it sizzles add onions and saute until onions are translucent.

Add ginger and stir a few times.Add the tomatoes and stir until tomatoes are cooked and soft.

Add turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder and stir once or twice.

Add cooked beans, salt to taste, water as required to achieve required consistency and goda masala if using and simmer for a few minutes until the flavors mingle.

Garnish with cilantro, remove from heat and serve hot with phulkas/ chapathis (Indian flat bread) or pav (rustic Indian bread)

Suggested variation: Use 1/2 tsp mustards seeds (sarson/rai/kadagu) and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) instead of just cumin seeds.

Notes:
The goda masala is entirely optional, sometimes when I do not want the taste of the masala I just leave it out and make the usal with the other spices. 

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Low fat Cranberry cookie

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This recipe for low fat cranberry cookie is entirely my own creation.The trepidation that I felt as I initially mixed in the flour and all the other ingredients was replaced by joy when the cookies turned out perfect.These cookies are quick and simple to make and turned out to be very tasty and chewy,a good substitute for store bought cookies or traditional ones that tend to have more calories in them.
These cookies have no butter or eggs, just some plain yogurt and a little oil. Yet the eggs and butter are not missed at all.Since the first time I whipped up a batch of these, I have made them a few more times. They are a perfect tea time or any time snack.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the cranberry cookie
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour (Maida)
1 cup Whole wheat flour (Atta/godumai maavu)
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries  ( I use craisins)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup fine sugar
3/4 cup plain yogurt (curds/dahi)
1/4 cup oil
3/4 tsp vanilla extract/ essence

Pre heat oven to 350 deg F.Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl add the all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, dried cranberries and mix well.
Whisk the yogurt and add to the the mixture in the bowl, then add oil and mix gently.Finally add vanilla extract, mix well.
Spoon a little on the cookie sheet about an inch apart and bake for about twenty minutes or until golden brown
Remove and cool on a wire rack and store in a airtight container.
Yields about 20 medium sized cookies

Suggested Variation :
Use 1 tsp orange extract instead of vanilla extract for a different flavor.


Now after this sweet indulgence one sweet point.Last week Sowmya of Creative Saga gave me the Blogging with a purpose Award,Thanks a lot for the same Sowmya



I would in turn like to pass this award to

Sunita
Mythreyee
Diksha
Karuna
Jaishree

Enjoy your award !

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Steamed Dumplings (Muthia)

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I received this recipe from my father in law,who is very creative and comes up with some really innovative and healthy dishes when he experiments in the kitchen.This recipe somehow went right into my cook book without being made and there it remained for a better part of a year.

The other day while I was flipping through my cookbook looking for some ideas, I came across this recipe.After mentally running through my inventory I realized that I had all the ingredients required for this dish at hand and decided to make this.

This dish turned out very well and it is simple, tasty and extremely nutritious.It is also fairly low in fat content as it is steamed and very little oil is used in it.After having been ignored for so long now this recipe is made regularly in my kitchen and is very well liked and appreciated.

This works well as a snack, a side dish or an appetizer

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the Muthia
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup gram flour (besan)
1 1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp crushed ginger
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup buttermilk
salt to taste

For tempering
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds

In a large bowl mix in the wheat flour and the gram flour,add the salt,the chili powder,the cumin powder ,the cumin seeds and mix well.

Add the spinach and all the other ingredients and mix well and knead into a soft dough.

Make small lime sized balls and roll it into slightly elongated shape and steam for about 5 to 6 minutes.

Cool slightly, cut the elongated steamed muthias into 1/4 inch discs and keep aside.

Heat oil in a small pan and put in the mustard seeds and sesame seeds and when it splutters pour this on top on all the steamed muthias.

Serve hot with cilantro chutney or ketchup.

Notes

In case you plan to make these as an appetizer, you could roll them into more dainty and smaller shapes or steam them large, then cut them into little bite sized pieces, then add the garnish and serve.

You can substitute cooked brown rice with any other type of  plain steamed/cooked rice such as white rice

This picture is from a subsequent time I made these with slightly different ingredients. (instead of spinach I just used more cilantro in this try )

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Spinach Chickpea Soup

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Soup always meant tomato soup for me when I was younger,whether at home or at a restaurant as far as I was concerned that was the only soup of interest.I am not sure whether it was the color or the taste that appealed to me so much.The combined influences of time,my family and knowledge that more vegetables need to be incorporated in our diet for better health has made my fixation with the tomato soup a thing of the past.Hey don't get me wrong I still enjoy a hot bowl of tomato soup,only now I additionally make a variety of soups and prefer those that have some veggies and some protein so that it is more hearty and filling.

This soup was inspired from a vegetarian cookbook I recently purchased and I have altered the recipe and added a few things to the original recipe to make it more healthy.This is a very tasty and filling soup and the presence of chick peas makes it a good source of protein too.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and method to make the Spinach Chickpea soup

3/4 cup chickpea ( soaked overnight with a pinch of soda and cooked in the pressure cooker until slightly soft)
3 cups packed cut spinach
4 medium potatoes peeled and cut into little pieces
1 onion cut into pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cube vegetarian vegetable bouillon or 1 tsp of concentrated vegetable paste (that can be used in place of bouillon)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder(optional)
2 tsp sesame seed powder ( dry roast the sesame and powder it when cool to powder resembling bread crumbs)
2 tsp peanut powder (dry roast the peanut and powder it when cool to powder resembling bread crumbs)
2 tsp corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
4 cups water
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pan,add the onions and saute until transparent

Add the ginger paste,garlic paste,cumin powder ,coriander powder and paprika and saute for a minute.

Add the potatoes and the salt and simmer for about ten minutes.Add the chickpeas and simmer for another ten minutes or until both potatoes and chickpeas are reasonably soft.

Add the spinach and simmer for five minutes

Separately add the cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water mix well,then add to that the powdered sesame,peanuts and chili powder.Add this to the soup.Simmer for a few minutes

Add the milk and serve hot.

This serves about 4-5 and takes about an hour to make including the prep work and the cooking time.Some crusty bread works well as an accompaniment with this soup

This is my second entry to Eat Healthy-Protein rich contest hosted by Sangeeth

This is also my entry to Monthly one dish meal event being hosted by Archana

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