Dhanshaak

Recipe of Dhanshaak

On the demand of friends, this weekend it was a night of Parsi cuisine. I ended up making the richest and widely made recipe in every Parsi household kitchen, the Dhanshaak. 

Dhanshaak, in the verbal term, means lentil and vegetable. In itself, it's a wholesome meal but ideally served with brown rice or bread.

For, it is said, that traditional recipe varies from house to house and availability of vegetables in the freeze.

My version is as follow:

50 gms of split pigeon pea (toor dal)

50 gms of red lentil (masoor dal)

50 gms of yellow lentil (moong dal)  

A variety of other lentils can be used as per taste and availability.

one medium brinjal

one medium potato

a few cubes of bottle guard and pumpkin

two medium tomatoes 

bunch of fresh fenugreek leaves 

For Dhanshaak spice

2 dried red chili

1 green chili

few cumin seeds

few fenugreek seeds

2 cloves

peppercorns

a stick of cinnamon

For tempering

Oil 2 tsf

one medium sized chopped onion

salt to taste

If you are one of the friends who love their meat, feel free to add chicken breast or mutton. the recipe is as versatile as it sounds. 

Here we go:

In a pressure cooker, add the washed lentils, pigeon pea, peeled potatoes (cut in roughly 4 cubes), bottle guard, pumpkin, brinjal, tomatoes, and fenugreek leaves. Add the salt. add enough water just to soak the mixture. give a boil for three or four whistles.

After the whistles, blend the mixture in a blender. Usually, the consistency of Dhanshaak is very thick but one can add the water to this stage as per requirement.

Prepare the Dhanshaak spice:  Roast all the spice ingredients on a pan and blend them in a mixture jar with some water.

Prepare the tempering: In a wok (kadhai), take the oil. Add the chopped onions. saute till brown. At this point add Dhanshaak spice and wait for one minute till the spice get mature.

Add the tempering to the blended vegetable and lentil mixture. Boil the Dhanshaak in the wok for another five minutes. 

You are ready to serve.

My take, 

One of my parsi friend, who generoulsy hosted me for this recipe previously had added mint leaves in the vegetable mixture. I found the mint flavour overpowering the rest of mild flavours. So, I usually

avoid mint leaves in my blend. 

IRISH STEW : MY VERSION

IRISH STEW: MY VERSION

Lately, I was down with pharyngitis and laryngitis. My job calls me to speak for hours and I was becoming in-audible with the progress of the infection.

Saturday night, I thought of re-inventing the recipe of Irish stew for my sore throat.

My version is a bit easier and suited for Indian grocery ( as most of the traditionally used ingredients are not available in Indian stores).

Ingredients required: (serves 2)

250 gm boneless chicken cut into one-inch cubes ( lamb can be used )

200 gm spring onion ( my take on one medium onion and 100gm celery)

200 gm of carrot chopped in bigger cubes 

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bigger cubes.

olive oil for sauteeing

Coarsely chopped parsley and thyme

pepper and salt for seasoning

shavings of ginger (optional)

water 2 cups

Preparation

1. On medium heat, take oil in a pan and cook the chicken on one side until brown and cook it on another side. No need to cook it properly.

2. Add the chopped spring onions in the same pan. and stir them in the oil until caramelized.

3. I added the shavings of ginger for that little spice and the medicinal property of it for a sore throat.

4. Add the potatoes and water to the pan. (alternately we can use chicken or beef stock if available)

5. Add the salt and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook in its steam for about 20 minutes.

6. At this moment when potatoes are still tender add chunks of carrots, fresh thyme, and parsley. 

7. let it cook for another 10 minutes. and there, it is ready to serve.

Serve it with your bread loaf and butter. or just eat it alone. The wholesome dish full of proteins, minerals, and carbohydrate for those winter nights when immunity is at its low.

On those days when I crave for some extra calories, don't hesitate to put a generous serve of full-fat cream in the stew. 

 

Peanut Butter Muffin

                                                 Peanut Butter Muffin:

My sister who never favour chocolate in her indulgence, has recently developed taste for snickers. On poking, she told me that it’s the peanut flavour which is irresistible for her.

This rakshabandhan I challenged myself to prepare a whole menu based on peanut flavour. I made, Indonesian Paneer Satay, Penne pasta in pesto sauce (walnuts were replaced by peanut), Garlic bread and peanut butter Muffins. That day, I saw delight on her face.

Here is the recipe for peanut butter muffin

You need:

2 cups of refined flour

1 cup of brown sugar, powdered

1 cup peanut butter

2 medium eggs

3-4 drops of vanilla essence

Half tsf baking powder

10ml of milk

Here you go:

In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla essence. Sieve flour and baking powder into the mixture. Whisk gently with roll and cut technique. Add milk to adjust consistency. It should not be too thick or flowy.

Transfer the mixture in silicon shells. I made 6 muffins from the above quantity. Make sure you fill only three quarters of moulds with batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for over 15min.

Unmould and serve best with cinnamon coffee.

Moroccan Curry - My version

                                                   
                                                             MOROCCAN CURRY

This is the recipe I re-tweaked for my cookery show. An easy protein and mineral rich recipe for a healthy back-up.

All you need:

Chicke pea (chole): boiled 1 cup

chopped onion 1 medium

chopped garlic

seasonal vegetables, like eggplant(brinjal), squash, sweetpotato, potato, bottle guard, pumpkin : 1 cup

Tea water: boil 2tsf tea in 1 cup water. strain.

for seasoning

finely chopped basil

oregano

black pepper

chilli flakes

salt

oil 2 tsf

In a cooker, heat the oil. saute onion and garlic till caramelised. add vegetables. saute. add chick peas. season with above seasonings. add tea water. whistle 5 times in the cooker.

serve with tortilla, garlic bread, kulcha or steamed rice

one can see the recipe at below link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9_9EYsL894

Potato wedges with Cheddar Cheese

Potato wedges with Cheddar Cheese

A quick recipe, great for starter or tea time.

since its a quick one, am keeping my notes short and coming to recipe directly:

All I need:

Potato wedges : Frozen 1 kg ( one can make fresh potato wedges, cut raw potatoes in wedge shape and deep fry in vegetable oil till golden brown)

onion: 1 big ( peel and chop transversely to make onion rings)

Cheddar cheese : 200gms Or as per your cheese cravings

salt, pepper, oregano powder, italian seasoning.

Recipe:

Bake the frozen wedges in oven as per packet instructions. spread onion rings evenly over them. add the seasoning. mix well with fingers. add grated cheese. bake for 10 min at 180*C .

My friends dont let me serve in dishes.. they just directly gorge it from baking tray. hope you have the same experience too.

KACCHE AAM KI BIRYANI ( RAW MANGO BIRYANI)

KACCHE AAM KI BIRYANI    ( RAW MANGO BIRYANI)

This is one of the recipes I invented for the ETV cookery show. They were demanding something innovative and going with the summer season.

I decided to innovate some classic recipe with the latest flavour of Gujarat.  I say, you imagine, feel and create the new textures only when you are creatively challenged.

Here goes my kacche aam ki biryani or say Raw mango Pilaf.. summers are synonymous to mango either raw or perfectly tender fruit. Raw mango is well known to be a remedy for heat stroke. And being a doctor, I am always searching for such ingredients to highlight and popularise my recipe. :P

Here is what one need:

Raw mango (Alfonzo is a good choice as it is little bit on sweet side): peeled and grated: 1 medium size

Steamed rice, cool : 100gms

Ghee (oil): 3tsf

Cumin: 1tsf

Onion : 1 medium: finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste: 1tsf

Green chilli: 1 coarsely chopped

Sugar : a pinch

Salt: as per taste

Turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala: 1 tsf

Chopped vegetables (beans, peas, cauliflower, carrots)

Freshly chopped coriander and some fried onions for garnishing.

Method:

In a pan, add ghee: add cumin, once they start crackling, add onions, ginger -garlic paste. Wait till the onions go transparent. Add the raw mango, sugar, vegetables, green chilli and all spices. Add 2tsf of water and cover the pan with the lid. After 5 minutes (the mango will be tender now), add the layer of precooked steamed rice.  Cover the lid again for minutes. Garnish with coriander and fried brown onions.

Ready to serve!

My notes:

1. Since raw mango is tangy, we do not need yoghurt here.

2. On scale of nutrition, it has fruit vegetables.  So rich in minerals.

3. Dry fruits can be added.

4. Served with raita. It makes a complete meal

Molten Chocolate Cake II Choco Lava

Molten Chocolate Cake 

 Choco Lava

The name itself is tempting, steaming hot molten chocolate coming out in the very first bite of the freshly baked cake. Ah!

I learnt this recipe from my senior teacher Dr Anita Verma. She bakes it often for her kids. And I told to myself that am a kid at heart too, lets cherish myself.

Here goes the recipe:

You need:

Chocolate and lots of extra dark chocolate 50gms J

Coco powder 50gms

Refined flour 100gm

Butter 5ogm

Powdered sugar 100gm

1 egg

Baking powder : quarter tsf

Recipe: in a blender, mix butter, sugar, egg, coco powder till frothy. Add sieved flour and baking soda to the mixture. Fold well. Pour the mixture into silicon moulds. Chop the chocolate into cubes of 1inch size. Put a cube in each silicon mould in the mixture. Make sure, the mixture covers the cube from all sides and there is enough space in the moulds for cake to rise.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20 min. Serve hot.

Potato Chili

Potato Chili

A quick recipe, for that untimely craving of calorie rich junk food. Derived from Chinese origin I often make this recipe at home. With the availability of readymade French fries, it has become easier to savour this dish.

What one needs is:

French fries: 100gm (as per requirement): readymade or can be made at home (take a large potato, peel, chop lengthwise to make cubical pieces. Dust slight corn flour and fry them in vegetable oil.)

Red chilli sauce   3tsf

Soy sauce ¼ tsf

Vinegar 2tsf

Honey  ¼ tsf

Chopped onion 1

Diced capsicum (optional)

Finely chopped spring onions for garnishing.

Vegetable oil 1tsf

Salt to taste

In a pan, on medium heat, sauté onion. Add capsicum. Add the sauces and French fries, salt and honey. Sauté for two minutes.

Garnish with chopped spring onions.

A Visit to Kadoli Farm

A  Visit to Kadoli Farm

Sunday 3.3.13, a bunch of friends left for Polo forest for photo shooting. It turned out to be a fun filled day with the most authentic, traditional, simple and delighted lunch treat at Kadoli Farm.

Kadoli farm, situated in the interiors of 8 acres of cultivated land owned by King and Queen of Vijayanagar, district Gujarat. The humble welcome by King Harvardhan Singh Rathore (he avoids to use Rathore as his surname owing to his personal reasons) and Queen Gargi Devi took us to the journey of royalty and its current existence.

After a quick ginger tea, we went for the work, we were scheduled for. The shoot was fun filled and tiring. The scorching heat made us dehydrated and hungry. The hunger pangs forced us to return back to our host where a sumptuous lunch was waiting for us.

I was terribly hungry; I quickly freshened up and asked the queen if I can start the meal. I complimented her as she looks like my aunt. She was dressed in chiffon sari, nicely draped covering her head. The two bangles and vermillion in her forehead, reminded me of my aunt.

I started opening the casseroles in which food was served on the wide table. I was expecting some rich spicy, dry fruits clad meal. But I was disappointed to see the simple, traditional food served in every Indian house. The menu was small and same, a paneer recipe, sabzi,chapatti, dal chawal , curd, salad and gajar ka halwa.

With a disappointed face, I started my meal. With first bolus of food, I felt the most amazing, soft buttery paneer cooked in rich green gravy. The sabzi was aloo mutter. Palak paneer was made as per the traditional authentic recipe: you blanch, blend and make spinach puree. In a thick bottom pan, sauté finely chopped garlic and onion. Add spices (black pepper and salt). On medium heat, cook the puree for ten minutes. Add cubes of paneer. The aloo muttar recipe was same as I had published in my earlier posts.

What sweeps away the heart is the dal. The yellow lentil (arhar/toor) which we regularly cook in our houses was the best part. Very simple, easily made. Just boil the lentil, in a pan sauté the diced garlic in desi ghee till burnt. Add salt. Add the tempering to the lentil. Garnish with chopped coriander. YESSS! The simplest recipe ever, trust me, it blew my taste buds.

The curd; rich creamy smooth like vanilla icecream. I asked her the secret; she told us that they get the fresh pure milk from buffalo for curd and paneer.

Gajar ka Halwa: Against my quick recipe which I make from condensed milk, the dessert here was quick too, grate the carrots, add few ml of milk and add loads of malai (the thick layer of milk after pasteurisation).cook for 15 min. Add sugar when it is almost done. Remove from heat, let the sugar melt itself. Garnish with dryfruits.

The menu was simple yet delightful, full of flavours. A savoury you rarely relish and eagerly look forward to. Moreover before completing this draft, the food is incomplete if the love is not added to food which I could see in her gestures and happiness while serving us.

Thanks to her highness Mrs Gargi Devi for the most memorable lunch ever.

Sticky Toffee Chocolate Pudding

Sticky Toffee Chocolate Pudding

A quick recipe I learnt from a friend came handy when my best friend from Delhi visited me last Sunday. On the short notice, I found my freeze stuffed with the ingredients of this recipe. And I loved her compliments like anything.

What you need is:

Dates 100gms finely chopped

Egg 1 in number

Refined flour 100gm

Refined sugar 100gm

Butter 50gm

1tsf baking powder

For sauce

Roughly chopped extra dark chocolate

100gms thick cream

Refined sugar 20gms

In a bowl, take roughly 50ml of boiling water and soak dates for two minutes. Drain the water (but save it). In a food processor, crush the dates; add egg, butter, sugar and flour. Add baking powder. Add the water (from dates) to make the consistency thick enough to flow.

In an oven bake it in ceramic bowl at 180C for 20min.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate, add cream and sugar. Mix well.

Take the bowl out of oven. Spread the sauce over the pastry. Bake it again for two minutes. Serve it hot.

Cottage Cheese and Spinach Balls

Cottage Cheese and Spinach Balls

Last Sunday, there was a dinner at my house for the close friends. I had planned a black and white menu theme for the dinner. My flour miller promised me that he will deliver me the buckwheat flour by 5pm. But it turned out, that the shop was closed a little early. The guest were expected at 7pm. I had to prepare the main course and there was no time to create an elaborate starter.

I came up with the idea of a quick starter from the ingredients out of my main course. It blew away my guest and so did me.

I made a quick starter from cottage cheese and spinach. No need to mention that it was rich in proteins, minerals and iron(good for anemic patients).

Another thing to mention here is that I steamed the balls instead of frying. Hence it was calorie free. ( ok! I am calorie freak).

Here is the recipe:

Cottage cheese: 200gms

Spinach: 50gms

One small onion finely chopped

Garlic one clove finely chopped

Green chilies finely chopped

Chaat masala

Salt

1 tsf vegetable oil

In a pan, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil till caramelized  Blanch the spinach and finely chop after removing excess water.

Switch off the heat, add minced cottage cheese, spinach, green chilies and spices to the pan.

Make small balls of the batter. Steam them for 5 to 7 minutes in a steamer.

Serve hot with coriander chutney or salsa.

CRISPY POTATOES WITH HERBS

CRISPY POTATOES WITH HERBS

 The launched of my first poetry book VOICES & VICES was a big deal for me, so for my friends. Their support and motivation has led me to this giant step. After the release and success, comes the party time. Friends of my poetry club insisted a homemade supper. This is a delight when you see friends talking about your poems and food. It feels like I am the centre of their appreciation. Apart from self bragging, the menu was simple but with some innovation.

Here is the recipe of starters I served with almond broccoli soup. Though preparation takes time, but trust me the efforts are fruitful. I made crispy potatoes with herbs like oregano, parsley.

What you require is:

200gms potatoes (selectively the tiniest one, there this is another variety available in the section of your supermall, which people doesn’t easily relish)

50gms butter (yes, calorie counts)

Green garlic (few stems, diced)

Oregano, onion salt, garlic salt, chilli flakes (as per the taste)

SALT (only use while serving, not in cooking, explained below).

The recipe:

Few hours before the actual cooking, marinate your potatoes. In a zip lock pouch, put potatoes (rinsed, well dried and unpeeled). Add butter, garlic stems and herbs. Lock the zip pouch and mix the contents vigorously. Keep aside for 2-3hrs. You can mix the contents few times in the pouch itself.

In a pan, bring the contents on medium heat. Cover the pan. Occasionally stir the potatoes otherwise they will stick to bottom. It might take half an hr to get the potatoes golden brown and crispy.

Just before serving add the salt. If added before, the potatoes will release their water content and they won’t be crispy enough. Rather they will taste like wedges.

Garnish with oregano, diced garlic.

Goes well with soup, side salad and for a change with sandwiches (instead of regular French fries).

Hope you enjoy. I will wait for your feedbacks.

My take away on recipe:

1.      Time consuming. Not an instant recipe when guests knock your door uninformed.

2.      Calorie rich. But sometimes you can relish.

3.      Unpeeled potatoes, preserves the roughage content.

Masala Vermicelli

MASALA VERMICELLI

A morning breakfast or an afternoon snack, Masala or vegetable vermicelli is a good option to rely on. A quick ten minutes recipe I usually relish after my work hours. Sometimes my day  goes too hectic and I feel like munching something spicy after work. Being a diet conscious I usually avoid kachori and samosas.

Vermicelli is generally used in kheer or desserts. But I usually make it full of vegetables like a pulao.

Here are the notes of recipe

What we need

Roasted vermicelli  200gms ( if you don’t get roasted one, you can roast it on medium heat in a pan with a tsf of oil). These days whole wheat vermicelli is available. It’s healthier than regular refined flour product.

Ajwain  1/4tsf

Chopped one onion

Ginger garlic paste 1tsf

Finely chopped vegetables: anything you like as capsicum, carrot, peas, beans etc

Chopped green chilli

Turmeric powder 1/4tsf

Cumin powder 1/4tsf

Salt

1 tsf vegetable oil

Lemon juice

Chopped coriander to garnish

In a non stick pan, heat the oil on medium heat, add ajwain. Once it gets golden brown, add onions, garlic ginger paste. Once the onion gets tender. Add all the spices, add vegetables. Sauté for a minute. Add vermicelli. Add 100ml of water. Be careful, don’t add excess water, it will make it soggy. Add lemon juice. Cover the pan for five minutes. Now switch off the gas and let the vermicelli absorb the juices.

Serve hot. Garnish with chopped coriander. To make it more chatpata: chat masala can be added.

Gajar ka halwa

GAZAR KA HALWA

Winters are about to say good bye, in a way that those colourful fresh vegetables won’t be  available in the market soon.  I went to my regular grocery this fine Sunday morning and got tempted by red carrots across the counter. I thought of yummy Gajar ka Halwa. Although it’s a very common Indian dish and my generous colleagues usually offer me a portion of their Halwa, that I dint think of cooking it this winters.

But the charm of my recipe is that it’s a quick 15minutes recipe. Especially for the people like us who don’t have the time to go through proper traditional recipe where the carrot is cooked in milk for hours.

The innovation in my recipe is that I used condensed milk instead of whole milk and mava ( khoya).  I have actually replaced khoya in my kitchen with condensed milk (milkmaid, mithai maid) because the market these days is flooded with adulterated khoya.

Here is the recipe

You need

Carrots  250gms (should be red, enriched with Vitamin E,A)

Milk 10ml (yes just ten ml.)

Condensed milk (50gms)

Cardamom powder a pinch

Shredded almonds, coconut and dry fruits.

Blanch  the carrots in hot water. (YESSS! I blanch them first. It saves the milk quantity, hance calories. And the blanched carrot is easy to shred as well) Grate them.

In a pan take milk. Add carrots, cardamom powder and condensed milk.  Heat till the milk reduces.

Garnish with dry fruits.

Trust me:

The recipe is quick and easy

Calorie count is reduced. Since we are using sweetened condensed milk, no extra sugar is needed.

Adulterated khoya (mava) is avoided.

It tastes almost same, except that u miss the flavour of Desi Ghee. Which can be added. 

Besan Chilla

Besan Chilla or Gram Flour Pan cake

Mornings are always beautiful if we get a full, healthy breakfast. The breakfast forms the integral part of our diet. The dietitian says that you can skip your lunch but a heavy breakfast to begin a day is must. I have seen my colleagues who don’t indulge in habit of having breakfast, cribbing and lazing out at work. I always say: Eat healthy, Stay fit.

A common recipe used in north Indian houses for breakfast is besan chilla  or we can say besan pan cake, as the recipe is quite similar. But the richness of protein derived from gram flour beats the refined flour used in pan cakes. They are the healthiest way to start a day.

Here is the recipe:

Besan (gram flour) 200gm

Onion 1 diced finely

Ginger garlic paste 1tsf

Coriander finely chopped

Cumin

Asafoetida

Green chilli

Fruit salt (baking soda)

Salt

Vegetable oil to cook.

In a bowl sieve the flour, mix all the ingredients. (You can use roasted cumin, but I like unroasted cumin here). Add 100ml of water. The consistency of batter should be flowy i.e. neither too thick nor too thin similar to pan cakes or dosa. The batter should be vigorously mixed as to avoid lumps and better turn out.

Put a non stick pan on medium heat, put one tsf of oil and spread the batter in round shape. Wait for two minutes. Flip to other side and cook again till golden brown. Instead of oil, butter can be used.

Serve with green chutney and ketchup.

Vanilla cinnamon butter cups

Vanilla cinnamon butter cups

Christmas is round the corner. Before the final evening when Santa would be knocking my door, I thought I should be ready with a new flavour cake. This time I tried Vanilla cinnamon cup cakes. The recipe is almost same for cupcakes and cakes except for the fact that cake can be cut in between and the sauce can be spread between the layers and over the top. I chose cinnamon this year, as its my favourite flavour . the mild sweet smell of cinnamon makes my heart wobble. I bought selected cinnamon sticks from Diu this vacation.

For the cup cakes:

100gm refined flour

80gm salted butter
2eggs

80gms powdered sugar

Vanilla essence

Pinch of grounded cinnamon

3/4tsf baking powder

1/4tsf baking soda

In a bowl whisk eggs, sugar and butter till the froth appears. Add vanilla essence and a pinch of cinnamon powder. In another bowl, sieve flour, baking powder and soda. Fold and mix the flour mixture in the egg mixture. Bake in greased moulds in preheated oven at 120”C for 30-40minutes.

For the cream sauce

Whisk 50ml double cream with 50gm powdered sugar, vanilla essence and cinnamon powder until peaks develop.

With the help of cone decorate the cup cakes.

Creativity is all we look for. Merry Christmas.

Mooli ki bhaji (mooli ki burji)

Mooli ki bhaji (mooli ki burji)

The day was clumsy, I hate my physiotherapy sessions as they aggravate my pain contrary to the fact they will help me recover fast. I got a call from my dear friend that she has an exam near my residence and she wanna drop by afterwards for dinner. She asked for mooli ki bhaji (radish leaves) with chapattis. The request lifted my mood in a jiffy.

Mooli ki bhaaji is a common dish cooked in north Indian houses especially in winters. Though this dish is rich in minerals , I find it medically unbalanced diet. Hence I improvised it with fortifying it with some protein. Being a vegetarian i have limited options of adding protein to a savoury.

Here goes the recipe:

250gms of green leaves of radish (mooli)

1 stem of radish (white one is better as the pink is slightly stingy)

Soya chunks (soya wadi) optional, 50 gm

2tsf refined oil

Cumin (Jeera ) 1 tsf

Asafoetida (hing) a pinch

Lemon half

Garlic 7 cloves finely diced.

Salt, pepper,turmeric powder

Soak the leaves in saline water for an hour (it will clean the leaves, if infected with pests) drain and rinse with clean water. Finely chop the green leaves and radish. Boil the leaves,  radish and soya chunks  in 100ml of water until just soft. Squeeze the excess water from the leaves by putting between the palms. (the drained water can be used in kneading the dough for chapattis, or can be used in dal).

In a sauce pan, heat oil, sauté cumin, asafoetida, and garlic. Wait until garlic is almost burnt. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of turmeric powder. Add the boil and strained leaves. Sauté for 3-4min. Add lemon juice.

Serve hot with chapattis.

Tofu and Vegetable Clear Soup

Tofu and Vegetable Clear Soup:

Tofu and Vegetable Clear Soup:

Soups are generally considered low calorie diet. Dietians often recommend soups for reducing weight. But they generally forget that soups are deprived of protein. Vegetable soups are generally rich in minerals (unless cream is added, which adds extra calorie and fat). I came up with the idea of fortifying a regular clear soup with extra calcium and proteins.

I recommend this soup especially  obese who have knee problems and trying to reduce weight.

Tofu is soya protein(paneer) which is rich in calcium and proteins.

Here is the recipe

All you need is:

1tsf of olive oil

Tofu 100gm diced in small cubes

Peas, cabbage, cauliflower,spring  onion, beans : 100 gms

1 tsf corn flour

500ml of vegetable stock

Salt

Oregano, chilli flakes

Garlic powder

1sf vinegar

In a cooker, sauté the vegetables and tofu in olive oil. Add salt, garlic powder,corn flour(dissolved in water), oregano,chilli flakes, vinegar and salt.

Whistle the cooker and wait for two whistles.

Handva

I always get fascinated by the variety of farsans (snacks) savored in Gujarati families. The names are endless, khakhara, handava, khandvi, dhokla, patra etc. and lemme tell you, they all taste unique and awsome.

The curiosity is in the process which is widely in use, these days because of diet awareness and increasing tendencies of obesity among Indians. they use the steam process for the preparation of variety of snacks like dhokla, patra.
Although the snacks are quite healthy and rich in proteins. but, the heavy tempering full of cotton seed oil ruins the charm of low calorie snacks. not to forget that tempering obviously increases the flavor of snacks.

Today I tried Handva (handvo) in my kitchen. I tried making it low calorie (being a diet conscious).
its a very healthy hearty recipe full of proteins and give a fuller effect on satiety. people sometime replace it with the meals. In some gujarati thali, its a part of platter.

Here goes the recipe:
Ingredients:

1 cups rice 

1/2 cup toovar (arhar) dal

1/4 cup urad dal (split black lentils)

1/4 cup moong dal (split green gram)

1/4 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)

1 cup sour curds

2 1/2 cups grated bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki) other vegetables like carrots, potato can be used.

4 tbsp oil

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp soda- bi-carb

1 tbsp sugar(optional, for contrast)

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

3 tbsp green chilli-ginger paste

salt to taste

for tempering optional: 2tsf oil, hing(asafoetida), mustard seeds, sesame seeds, chopped green chilli, chopped coriander.

soak the rice and pulses for few hours. grind them in mixer. add sour curd and ferment for 3hrs (in summers,time for fermentation can be reduced). add the rest of ingredients in the batter. 
spread the batter in a baking dish. bake it on 180.C in preheated oven for 30-40min untill the crust becomes golden brown. 

after that, tempering can be done, in a pan, heat oil, add hing, mustard seeds, sesame seeds, green chillies. heat it untill the seeds start crackling.
another option is, that tempering can be mixed in the batter itself before baking 
garnish with coriander. serve with imli chutney.

Haldi ka doodh (Turmeric milk)

It’s been a fortnight I had an accident and damaged the shoulder.  I am succumbed to bed and mercy of lord. Though my kind and lovely friends are there, all the time to look after me. Yes am blessed with good friends. Some make me laugh, some keep me distracted from pain, few keep worrying about my health and there is one who doesn’t hesitate to apply his medicinal knowledge on me. These days, every morning am being fed with haldi wala doodh (turmeric milk). I googled the properties and medicinal benefits of turmeric in healing.Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

I was having doubts about the recipe of turmeric milk i was given. I inquired with a colleague working in ayurveda section of my hospital. He told me there are various ways to make haldi ka doodh.Here is the recipe he told me for my healing:In a pan take 2tsf of desi ghee (pure ghee), heat it. Add 2tsf of turmeric powder. After 30 sec add 200ml of milk and sugar(as per your taste). Boil and serve.You can add ginger bud in ghee for sore throat.Add cardamom or saffron for flavourAdd ajwain for gastric problems.