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alfafoods · 2 years ago

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Gorge on these 10 Healthy Navratri Fasting Foods

Navratri is a time for festivities and also going on a fast. Lots of neighborhoods around India abstain from consuming alcohol, red onion, garlic or even non-vegetarian food during this time around, and some limit their diet even more gravely during these nine days devoted to Deity Durga.

Although many people fast for religious filtration at this time, there is actually a medical explanation to it also. Navratri coincides with the altering seasons, an opportunity when the physical body's resistance is actually reduced and also individuals are more likely to fall ill. Steering clear of abundant foods and detoxing along with ingredients that are light, complete and also easy-to-digest of nutrients including protein and also fiber is the most ideal technique to ready your body for the transition.

It is actually recommended that you stick to protein-rich fruit products, nuts and also low-fat dairy products. The seasonal fruit products throughout Navratri are actually the healthiest options that you possess to pick coming from.

Right here are actually 10 meals items to consume if you're fasting for Navratri:

1. Kuttu Atta

Kuttu atta, or even buckwheat flour, is packed with higher thread that aids in cleansing of the body system. It is actually likewise wealthy in healthy proteins, B-complex vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper.

Traditionally, puris are created coming from Kuttu flour. Offer these puris a healthy twist as well as create rotis from the exact same.

2. Sabudana

Sabudana is actually a superb resource of carbohydrates which gives a much-needed energy increase throughout fasts. It additionally provides a cooling effect to the body and also is actually quick and easy to absorb.

Though reduced in body fat and also healthy protein, it may be utilized along with other active ingredients, like dairy as well as almonds, for creating kheer, payasam, difficult or even veggies as well as peanuts for making sabudana khichdi. Control the excess fat as well as it can be a well-balanced possibility.

Also, take ideas from our previous blog on: Is Ragi Good for Diabetes? Find Out.

3. Samak Chawal

Samak chawal may be an ideal replacement for rice as it tastes almost similar to busted wild rice when cooked. It is, hence, referred to as sanwa rice. It gives energy, consists of a higher volume of fiber, B-complex vitamins as well as crucial minerals like iron as well as magnesium mineral.

It is also said to be rich in phytochemicals which help in lowering cholesterol. Possess you ever before tried coupling it with dahi as well as peanut kadhi? It is a total food along with carrots or cucumber on the side.

4. Rajgira

Amaranth, or rajgira, grain is actually higher in protein, manganese, iron and also phosphorus. It is actually either made use of in puffed kind or even as a flour during quick. Rajgira chikki is quite typical and a great choice to satisfy delightful yearnings. Try producing a roti with rajgira flour or puffed amaranth porridge along with almonds as a packing morning meal.

5. Singhara Atta

Water chestnut flour, also referred to as singhara atta, is prepared coming from dried out, ground water chestnuts. Singhara ka Atta is actually an excellent source of minerals and also vitamins. It is wealthy in vitamin B, as well as blood potassium. It additionally contains a variety of anti-oxidants. The greatest technique to eat singhara atta is actually to ready rotis from it. You might even create dhoklas coming from singhara atta.

6. Makhana

Makhana is a preferred food items in the course of going on a fast. It is actually filled with anti-oxidants and also works as an anti-ageing food by avoiding white colored hair, wrinkles and also premature aging. Its own high-fibre content prevents bowel irregularity, aids the body system to clear out the waste and avoids the build-up of contaminants.

These almonds are actually reduced in hydrogenated fats along with salt however high in magnesium as well as blood potassium which aid in controlling high blood pressure, insomnia.makhanas, diabetes and tremble

7. Legumes and also rhythms

Rhythms including environment-friendly gram, bengal gram, red gram dal, green gram dal etc. are actually used to make sundals alongside coconut during Navratri. Rhythms are an excellent resource of healthy protein as well as fibre, as well as forms a notable source of minerals and vitamins.

8. Dry Fruits

Dry fruits are actually a very small treasures filled along with lots of benefits. Almonds, pistachios, cashew almonds and kishmish are eaten during the course of fasts to dress up sweets. You can eat a handful of nuts as a snack food or for breakfast to have maintained power throughout the time.

9. Veggies and also fruit products

A dish of new vegetables and fruits gives you with opulence and also but abides by your starting a fast regimen. Vegetables like bottle gourd, white potato, pumpkin, colocasia, yam, fresh potato, cucumber, fresh plantain, tomato, carrot, fresh papaya and spinach are veggies often eaten during Navratri.

Origin veggies, if boiled and also consumed as opposed to frying, can be a really good source of energy required in the course of fasts. Usage veggies like bottle pumpkin, cucumber and gourd to help make ratios which are cooling as well as filling up as well.eat fruits throughout thyrois issues.

Also, take ideas from our previous blog on: 5 Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss

10. Dairy products

Dairy items are thought about to become holy for any kind of auspicious occasion. Low fat dairy products can be taken in any time of the time to give the healthy protein needed to have for sustained power. Dairy healthy protein takes a number of years to absorb and also as a result keeps the glucose levels dependable. Have simple dairy or buttermilk, sugar free fruit product shakes, or even make some paneer tikka to maintain hunger pangs away.

Healthy Navratri Recipes

While you may stuff on those food products, additionally try these well-balanced dishes this Navratri season:

Fruits as well as Makhana Kheer You can easily skip sweets or Sweets Free since fruits work as the sugar within this nutritious kheer dish-- made with makhana (fox nuts or even lotus seeds).

Substances

Five hundred ml low-fat milk

1/2 mug makhana

1 mug fruits, diced (apple, pear, pomegranate extract, fruit).

1/4 teaspoon of cardamom (elaichi) grain.

Methods

Dry roast as well as grind the makhanas to a particle.

Boil the dairy for 5 minutes. Incorporate the makhana powder, as well as boil and also mix for another 5 mins.

Let the mix cool down. Incorporate cardamom particle and also fruits.

Offer warm or even cold.

Pumpkin and Apple Soup.

This is a tasty, loading and also nourishing supper substitute in the course of the fasting season. Active Ingredients

1 cup red pumpkin (kaddu), diced.

1 mug apple, cut.

1-inch cinnamon stick (dalchini).

A small quantity of stone salt.

Pepper to taste.

1/2 cup water.

1 cup low-fat dairy.

Method

Pressure-cook the pumpkin, apple as well as sugar-cinnamon embed a cup of water. Refreshing and also blend the mix.

Transmission to a pot on the stove, and add the spices.

Switch off the fuel, include a mug of milk as well as mix.

Provide very hot.

With going on a fast currently in full circulation, it is best to take in the meals stated above. You can also try these tasty dishes if you want to guarantee a satisfied as well as well-balanced Navratri. Navratri synchronizes along with the altering periods, a time when the body system's resistance is reduced and people are actually more probably to drop ill. It is actually encouraged that you adhere to protein-rich fruit products, nuts as well as low-fat dairy products. The in season fruit products throughout Navratri are the healthiest choices that you have to opt for coming from.

Dry results are actually a very small nuggets filled along with heaps of advantages. Have ordinary dairy or even buttermilk, sweets complimentary fruit shakes, or make some paneer tikka to maintain hunger pains at gulf.

Also, take ideas from our previous blog on: 7 Best Baked Snacks Recipes

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shipragoyalposts-blog · 6 years ago

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Fitness

In this beautiful world how can we stay fit and healthy ?In our daily busy life, we do not have time for ourselves . So how to stay fit without having much time ? When I am thinking about all this, always comes to my mind are gym , aerobics , zumba and all .You may not have time to go to the gym , but can still be physically active and boost your metabolism by using a bit of creativity in planning your day. So I am sharing with you all today some tips that I am taking in my life. Firstly we should give ourselves a break from stress. Stress is the biggest culprit in our lives . Stress causes physical changes in the body that can accelerate aging. Stay hydrated.Always drink atleast 8 glasses of water daily . There are many apps in the playstore that will remind you about drinking water. Eat a balanced diet.Take the stairs.Play games with your kids.Get enough sleep.Use smaller plates for unhealthy foods.Eat fiber rich food and plenty of proteins. Eat without electronic distractions.Eat less salt.Avoid sugary drinks.Eat your food slowly. Do yoga or pilates while watching TV.Practise stretching or light yoga moves while talking on the phone. Food recipes for staying away from cravings: Hii everyone.Today I am here with some more tips on healthy living.As in my last post i give some tips on daily habits change to stay fit and healthy,now i am sharing some nice food recipes which help you in staying away from the cravings of fast food.So here we go:

1.CAPSICUM AND CHEESE SANDWICH: Ingredients:

red capsicum

yellow capsicum

green capsicum

whole wheat bread

butter

cheese

Method:

take two slices of whole wheat bread.

apply butter on them lightly.

chop the capsicum finely.

place the capsicum over the bread and sprinkle black pepper and salt.

now put a cheese slice over it.

then the other bread piece.

now place it on griller.

here goes the yummy breakfast...

2.Caulifower and oats tikki: Ingredients: 2 cups finely chopped cauliflower 1/2 cup oats 1/2 cup oats flour 3 1/4 tsp oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 1/2 cup finely chopped and boiled french beans 1/2 cup finely chopped and boiled carrots 1 tsp green chilli paste 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander 2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves 1 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 1/2 tsp dried mango powder 1/2 tsp ginger paste 1/2 tsp chaat masala salt to taste Method

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Transfer the onions into a deep bowl, add the cauliflower, french beans and carrots, mix well and mash lightly using a potato masher. Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes. So the oats absorb all the flavours and binds well. Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions and shape each portion into a 50 mm. (2") flat round tikki. Heat the non-stick tava (griddle) and grease using ¼ tsp of oil. Cook each tikki on a slow flame using 1/8 tsp of oil, till they turn crisp and golden brown in colour from both the sides. Serve immediately with healthy green chutney. 3.Broken Wheat Kheer : Ingredients

1/4 cup broken wheat 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp of cornflour a few saffron strands dissolved in warm low-fat milk

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

For The Garnish 1 to 2 rose petals or a few saffron strands Method

Wash and soak the broken wheat in ½ cup water for 15 minutes. Drain and discard the water. Combine the soaked broken wheat along with 1 cup of water in a deep non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes or till the water evaporates, while stirring occasionally. Add the milk, sugar and cornflour–milk mixture, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 6 to 7 minutes or till the mixture becomes thick. Add the saffron-milk mixture and cardamom powder and mix well. Keep aside to cool slightly and refrigerate it for 15 minutes. Serve chilled garnished with the saffron stands or rose petals.

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So by following healthy diet and some routine changes we can live healthy and happy life.stay fit and stay healthy is all what we need in our life.So we should take it as our passion that we will live healthy life by little habits change..

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vinodcookware · 3 years ago

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Traditional recipes that your mother would love you to know

You grew up eating your mom’s delicious food which is always made with extra love and care. And you still crave for her home cooked meals even when you are well into adulthood. Now is probably the right time to impress her with your culinary skills. This Mother’s Day, spoil your mom with these traditional recipes that are bound to impress her and create a memory that she will cherish forever.

Gajar ka Halwa

Ingredients: 7-8 medium-sized carrots (grated), 4 cups of milk, 4 tbsp ghee, 10-12 tbsp sugar, and cardamom powder.

Method:

Add grated carrots in a heavy kadai or a wok. Pour in the milk and heat the mixture on medium flame while continuously stirring.

Cook the mixture till the milk is considerably reduced. Now add ghee and stir.

Add cardamom powder and continue to simmer on low to medium flame till the mixture thickens and the milk completely dries out.

Serve it hot.

Chole Bhature

Ingredients: 1 cup boiled chickpeas, 1 medium-sized onion, 2 medium-sized tomatoes, 1 green chili, 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves, and 1-inch ginger – chopped, various whole and dry spices.

Method:

Blend the chopped vegetables into a fine paste using a blender.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tej patta, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 2 to 3 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, and 2 to 3 black peppercorns.

Pour in the paste and sauté for ~8mins.

Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 pinch asafoetida, and 1 tsp amchur powder. Mix well and sauté for ~2mins.

Now add the chickpeas, pour 1 to 1.5 cups of water and add salt to taste. Mix well and simmer the mixture for ~7 to 10 mins till the gravy thickens a little. Stir occasionally. Chole is ready to be served with some hot bhature and chopped onions.

Kheer

Ingredients: 1/4 cup basmati rice (soaked), 1-liter whole milk, saffron strands, sugar, and ¼ tsp cardamom powder.

Method:

Pour milk into a saucepan and boil it on a low-medium flame. Stir at intervals to ensure that the milk does not burn.

Drain all the water from the soaked rice. Now add the rice to the boiling milk. Mix well and simmer on low-medium flame. Cook until the rice is half cooked.

Add 5-6 tbsp sugar, some saffron strands and continue to cook the mixture. Stir at intervals. Simmer till the rice is almost cooked and add ¼ tsp cardamom powder.

Add cut dry fruits like almonds, and pistachios and continue to boil till the rice is completely cooked. You will notice that the rice kheer has now thickened. Serve it hot.

Tadka Dal

Ingredients: 1 cup soaked tuvar dal, chopped veggies – ½ cup onions, 1 cup tomatoes, 2 – 3 green chilies, 1 tsp ginger.

Ingredients:

In a pressure cooker, add the dal and chopped vegetables. Pour 4.5 cups of water, some turmeric powder, and 1 pinch of asafoetida, and pressure cook the mixture for ~8 whistles.

Mash the cooked dal and add ½ tsp garam masala powder, 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, and salt as per paste. Mix well to combine uniformly.

Next is the tadka – heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pan, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, 5-6 garlic cloves (chopped), 2-3 red chilies, 1 tsp kasuri methi. Pour the tempered ingredients into the cooked dal.

Serve it hot with the jeera rice.

Do let us know which recipe your mom liked the most in the comment section below. We know that it’s the effort that is going to touch her heart, no matter the taste! Because she is a mother after all!

#pressure cooker

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sergioozky893 · 3 years ago

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11 Ways to Completely Revamp Your Recipes in Hindi

In Hindi, "dal" means lentils or even a dish created from them. Regardless, those little beans are actually stuffed with healthy protein, thread, vitamin B6, as well as folate. Select dal in tomato-based dressings over creamy ones to maintain down the fat.It is actually red. It is actually charred. It's one of the best knowledgeable Indian recipes. Chick tandoori gets its label coming from tandoor, a thick clay-based or even rock vessel it's prepared in. You likewise can purchase tandoori fish and also lamb, which are seared at heats coming from fire, charcoal, or even a gasoline flame. Just like cooking, all the flavor arises from the meat product and marinade, not oils or even other unwanted fats.The legume is loaded along with folate, vitamin, fiber, as well as iron B. The tomato-and-onion sauce is mixed along with lots of garlic, ginger root, chiles, and also good-for-you spices.These transportable wallets are actually the supreme Indian road food snack. Samosas are loaded with veggies-- whites potato, carrots, peas, and onions. What is actually the fear? All the healthy and balanced stuff is actually folded in to a carb-heavy delicacy shell or even wonton skin, after that deeper seared in bubbling excess fat.Purchase: Aloo GobiThis may not be actually the sexiest food on the Indian cafeteria. You could miss ideal past it on your method to chicken tikka masala as well as basmati rice. This potato-and-cauliflower combination acquires Recipes in Hindi high results for preference and center healthiness, specifically with all that turmeric extract, ginger root, garlic, as well as cumin in the mix.Avoid the craving to eat all of them before your meal arrives. Or even crunch your method with simply a couple, possibly along with a little bit of mint chutney on best.Purchase: Kebabs11/15Pork + spices + grill = true protein. Top it along with a tomato chutney and also go with entire or brown grain rice instead of pilaf.These golf ball-sized treats covered in sticky liquid may not be suitable for your diet video game. Gulab jamun are a blend of dairy, sweets, and ghee that is actually deep fried and dropped in rose water syrup. If you yearn for one thing delightful after an Indian meal, go with kheer, or even rice pudding covered with fruit product.Hot Tip: Presume LittleOne sequence of poultry biryani, lamb vindaloo, or even dal makhani normally suffices for pair of dishes. Allotment or even conserve some for yet another night. That immediately reduces your body fat as well as calories through fifty percent.

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century-foods · 4 years ago

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Kheer Recipe: Nepali Style Rice Pudding

Here is a recipe for kheer, which is so popular in Nepal. Kheer is the sweet rice pudding that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. According to the Nepali calendar, Nepalese eat kheer on Shrawan 15, which falls in the month of July.

It is a celebration to accomplish the farmers who worked on the field. In Nepal, Sharawan 15 is marked as “Kheer Khana Din.” On this day, people worship deities by offering kheer as Prasad. Kheer is considered as a pure holy treat, and during most puja, Nepali serve it.

The kheer recipe is quite easy. You don’t need many ingredients to make kheer. But it takes time to make. You need to dedicate time to making delicious kheer.

Kheer Recipe: Ingredients

Milk- four cups

Water – one-fourth cup

Cashews- 10-12 pieces

Rice- one-fourth cup

Sugar- six tablespoons

Cardamom powder- half teaspoon

Ghee- 1 tablespoon

Kheer Recipe: Instructions

Frying Cashews

This is options, you may skip frying cashew. If you have time, you can fry the cashews, it adds flavor to the kheer.

Step 1

Take about 12 pieces of cashew nuts and break them into two half.

Step 2

In the pan, add one tablespoon ghee and heat it in a low-medium flame for a minute.

Step 3

Put the cashew nuts and fry them for about a minute. Keep stirring in intervals. Fry until they turn into light-golden brown color.

Step 4

Transfer them to the bowl. When they cool, cut them into small pieces or you can skip doing so.

You will need them in the upcoming step. So keep the cashew nut separately in the bowl.

Kheer MakingStep 1

Wash the rice and drain completely. You will have to wash the rice a few times to ensure it is cleaned properly.

Step 2

In a big pot, pour one-fourth water and four cups of milk. Bring it in the boil on medium flame. Keep stirring the milk so that fat doesn’t get stuck to the bottom.

Step 3

When it boils, add the drained rice. Keep the flame low and keep starring to avoid burn. Cook the rice until it soft. You can check it by mashing it with a spoon.

Step 4

After that, add 6 tablespoons of sugar to the kheer. If you want, you can also add more sugar according to the taste.

Step 5

Stir kheer after adding sugar and allow it to cook until rice becomes thick. Now you need to cook the kheer in lower flame.

Step 6

Add chopped roasted cashews and half teaspoon cardamom. Mix well with the kheer. And turn off the flame. Let it cool down.

For tangy flavor, people also prefer to make aloo achar. Kheer is a sweet dish, and aloo achar is a tangy side dish. And these two make a perfect combination.

Aloo Achar Recipe

Every Nepali household has its own method of preparing aloo achar. This aloo achar recipe is quite simple and goes with kheer perfectly.

Ingredients

Potatoes- 2 large potatoes

Cucumber- 1 medium size

Carrot- 1 medium size

Salt- 2 teaspoons

Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tablespoons

Roasted sesame seeds- half cups

Fenugreek seeds- 1 tablespoon

Oil- one-three cups

Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon

Lemon- half

Red chili powder– 1 teaspoon

Cilantro

InstructionsStep 1

Take a pot and boil 3 potatoes. While boiling, ensure that half the potato is submerged in the water.

Step 2

When the potates are ready, let them cool for few minutes. When potatoes are not too hot, peel the skin.

Step 3

Cut the potatoes into cubes. And transfer them into a bowl.

Step 4

Now you need to slice the vegetables. Take the carrots and slice them into small cubes. And you have to do the same with the cucumber. Cut the cucumber into small pieces. But remove the seeds. You don’t want seeds of cucumber in the aloo achar. Put the vegetables aside.

Step 5

Heat the pan and dry-roast sesame seeds on a low flame for few seconds. Keep stirring it to avoid burn.

#kheer #ricepudding

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cscproject · 4 years ago

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INDIA

Indian cuisine dates back over 5000 years. Each region has its own traditions, religions and culture that influence its food. Hindus tend to be vegetarian and Muslims tend to have meat dishes, although pork is forbidden. Indian food has been influenced by Mongolian, Persian and Chinese cuisine, among others. The common thread throughout the centuries remains the distinct mixing of spices that invariably give Indian cuisine its flavor and aroma.

INGREDIENTS

Indian ingredients are as varied as the Indian people and the available foods of each region. Masala means spice blend. Certain foods use certain spice blends. For instance, birlyani masala—cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and fennel—is used for birlyani, an oven-cooked dish of rice and a vegetable, seafood or meat. Chilies, mustard seeds, gram flour, coconut and yogurt are popular ingredients in all types of Indian cuisine. Ghee, a type of clarified butter, is used for cooking, and has a toasty taste. Saffron is used to flavor and color rice dishes. Over 5,000 years you learn to use what you have and be creative with it.

REGIONAL CUISINE

Food choice varies north, south, east and west. Indians from the north eat flat breads like chapati and naan, while Southern Indians prefer to eat rice and coconut. The versatile coconut not only provides milk, it thickens stews, makes a chewy snack and is used in many sweet southern dishes as an ingredient or as a garnish. Western India is more cosmopolitan, but is known for its traditional spicy curries. Mumbai, formerly Bombay, at the heart of the region, is flooded with city dwellers, students and workers. They all have their traditional cuisines, but seafood and curries, hot and spicy sausages and snacks with chai tea are popular traditional fare. East Indian food relies heavily on rice, milk and vegetables, prepared simply with yogurt, seeds and spices steamed and curried. East Indians love their sweets and use milk and other dairy products abundantly in them.

DESSERTS

rice pudding, similar to rice pudding in America, is called kheer. It consists of basmati rice, milk, raisins, sugar, cardamom seed and almonds. Kulfi, is an Indian ice cream made by boiling reduced milk, which is then chilled and then flavored with mango juice, rose water and sweetened with sugar. Gajar Halwa, a carrot dessert, coconut soufflé, mango mousse and Gasgase Payasam are also popular desserts. Eastern India is well known for its sweets.

DRINKS

Chai is a tea commonly consumed upon rising each morning. It is made by adding milk, sugar and black cardamom pods to steeped teabags. Sweet Lassi is a yogurt shake that can also be flavored with mango, a popular fruit, much like a smoothie. Ginger and lemon tea are also popular and can be used for medicinal purposes, such as indigestion. Carrot Gheer is served by adding carrot to cold milk. Alcohol is rarely consumed as it is forbidden in many Indian cultures. Tea is more popular than coffee, coconut milk, mango, guava and sugarcane juices are popular

and sold in roadside stands and kiosks. If you want something salty, Jal Jeera, water and cumin, might be to your liking.

POPULAR DISHES

Indian cuisine makes best use of what is available, which is why each region has its own popular dishes. Dal, a lentil dish, is popular in the North. Meen Moli, a white fish curry, is loved in the South. Western Indians can’t get along without Vindaloo, a pork dish. East Indians love their sweets—one of the most popular being Chhenagaja—chhena, flour and sugar syrup. Halwa, a popular breakfast dish, consists of wheat, butter, sugar and almonds or pistachios. Indian snacks include samosas, a spicy turnover stuffed with potatoes and peas and a puffy rice, yogurt, tamarind and potato blend snack called bhel puri. Kabobs, meatballs, tandoori (clay-baked) chicken, rasam soup, and rice cakes, called idli, are popular dishes

POPULAR INDIAN FOODS

BIRYANI

I don’t think many people can quibble with the divine accolades showered on biryani after sampling a plateful of the wonderful stuff. It’s a traditional Indian food that is one of India’s most famous and beloved dishes. Biryani is a dish that was popularized in the royal kitchens of the ancient Mughal Emperors. If cooked in the traditional way, a biryani takes many hours to prepare and cook. Alternate layers of meat and rice are piled on top of one another and drizzled with ghee and spices. Then the assembly is sealed in an earthenware pot or ‘handi’ and slow cooked for many hours in an oven.

The meat component in the Biryani might be chicken, goat meat, prawns, beef, lamb or fish. Alternatively, vegetables or paneer might be the mainstay of the vegetable biryani. A medley of spices lends this dish its heavenly appeal. Saffron, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, cinnamon, bayleaf, onions, garlic, ginger and so much more perfume this dish.The different types of biryanis can be as numerous as the plethora of ingredients. Choose from Hyderabadi Biryani, Awadhi Mutton Biryani, Sindhi Biryani, Kolkata Biryani etc.

BUTTER CHICKEN

When you talk about popular Indian food, you have to include Butter Chicken. Did you know that Butter Chicken was made as a result of a happy accident? It is said to have been accidentally created one day when some leftover chicken curry was added to creamy tomato gravy. Butter chicken is one of Delhi’s most famous foods.

Butter Chicken is a decadent main dish which is best eaten with naan bread or tandoori roti. The chicken is soft and tender and submerged in a buttery, silken gravy, flavoured with a variety of spices. The butter gravy with a tomato sauce renders this dish with pleasing mild but rich flavours. The success of the dish depends largely on the marination of the chicken in a mixture

of lemon, plain yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste and spices. Ideally the chicken should be slow cooked in a tandoor oven but it may be cooked on the stove top too. Cardamom, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves and coriander are the dish’s secret ingredients

KEBABS (veg and non-veg)

Kebabs are an Indian food that doesn’t need a special introduction — they are an iconic Mughal dish that is well-known all over the globe. Although kebabs have become a household name, you will be amazed by the variation in types of kebabs when you come to India. Choose from vegetarian and non vegetarian options. The names of some well loved non vegetarian kebabs are murgh malai kebab (chicken cheese kebabs), boti kebab, reshmi kebab (relatively low spiced), galauti kebab, tangri kebab, hariali kebab and more. Pieces of marinated meat are pierced with skewers and then grilled to tender perfection. Vegetables like paneer, potato and cauliflower are particularly tasty when grilled using this technique.

TANDOORI (veg and non-veg)

You can’t mention Punjabi food without tandoor. A tandoor is a wood or charcoal fired clay oven and the tasty morsels of meat or veg that come out of it are called tandoori. Tandoori Chicken is made by marinating chicken in yoghurt and tandoori masala and then grilling it in a tandoor. The tandoori masala lends the chicken its characteristic vibrant colour, which is due to the addition

of cayenne pepper, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric and red food colouring. Tandoori chicken can be eaten as an appetizer or as a main dish. It is often eaten with naan bread. Using the same techniques of marination and grilling, vegetables or paneer can be used for preparing delicious tandoori vegetables.

CHOLEY BHATURA

Choley Bhatura is a satisfying dish that hails from the state of Punjab — a classic Punjabi food. It is a dish of spicy chickpeas (Choley) and a very large, fluffy, deep-fried bread (Bhatura). The meal is eaten with carrot pickle, onions, green chillies and chutney.The unusual fluffy texture of the Bhatura is created by kneading the flour with yoghurt, oil and either baking soda or yeast.

Choley Bhatura can be eaten as a breakfast food but it’s substantial portion size and the richness of the bread create a deep feeling of satiety. I would recommend eating the meal at lunchtime and taking a long walk afterwards to aid digestion.

PALAK PANEER

Palak paneer (spinach and cheese) is a vegetarian that has a very pleasing silken texture and that is low on the spices. The palak, or spinach, component consists of cooked spinach that has been blended to a smooth pulp. The puréed spinach is then tempered with garlic, ginger and other spices. While the smooth spinach blend is simmering, paneer pieces are popped into the mixture and slow cooked to maintain their softness. You can eat palak paneer with plain white

rice or scoop it up with pieces of naan or tandoori roti. A bowl of palak paneer is delicious and nutritious. You can skip the green smoothie on the days you opt for palak paneer.

DOSA

Dosa on a banana leaf is a famous Indian food

The dosa of South India is one of the most famous and delicious Indian foods

This is a dish that hails from South India and is the closest Indian counterpart to the continental crepe. Made from a fermented batter of rice and black gram daal, it is then cooked to a crisp on a heavy tawa. Dosas are wonderful as hearty brunch, lunch or even dinner food. The masala dosa usually has a mild potato and onion curry stuffing. The sada dosa, comes just as is. A paper dosa has been stretched to a paper thin texture and a rava dosa is crunchier due to the addition of semolina. All dosas have the obligatory hot vegetable daal or sambar as accompaniment, along with a minced coconut chutney.

IDLI

Idlis are like the softest, fluffiest white cakes made of steamed rice and daal. The rice and urad daal is soaked for many hours, then stone ground to form a smooth batter. The carbohydrates in the batter are considerably broken down during the fermentation process of preparing the batter – making them easier to digest and also very tasty. The batter is steamed in an idli maker – and lo and behold you have idlis. They make the ideal breakfast food with sambar daal and coconut chutney. You can break them into pieces and pop them in your mouth or you can soak them in the daal and eat them in spoonfuls. They have a spongey texture which means they soak up any kind of liquid very well. Either way, they are the perfect healthy, non-greasy food to eat when you want to eat something non-spicy.

SAMOSA

Available at every street corner and neighbourhood sweet shop, the samosa is everybody’s favourite savoury snack. You can also find them as popular entrees on restaurant menus. The simple samosa is a pastry pocket, stuffed to the seams with a potato filling. The triangular shaped pastry pocket is then deep fried to a golden hue and then the samosas are served hot with a mint, coriander or tamarind chutney. The filling, though usually made from potatoes, can incorporate cauliflower and green peas when the vegetables are in season. You can even find meat filled samosas. Typically eaten as an evening snack in India, they must be accompanied by a cup of steaming masala chai.

GULAB JAMUN

balls of Indian sweet gulab jamun

Gulab jamun is a famous Indian sweet that simply melts in your mouth

Gulab jamun is one of the most iconic Indian sweets and will surely give you that sugar high, particularly if you have a sweet tooth. ‘Gulab’ means rose in Hindi and ‘jamun’ translates to berry. The jamuns are made from milk solids or ‘khoya’ that has been reduced from milk by heating it over a low flame for a long time. They are then kneaded into small berry sized balls to the softest, fluffiest consistency with a little flour, then deep fried to a caramel colour in ghee or oil and then flung into the sweetest rose syrup. Flavoured with cardamom and sometimes saffron, they are the ultimate, decadent treat.

LASSI

Lassi is the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer’s day. Made from plain yoghurt that has been watered down and whisked to frothy goodness, you can drink a sweet lassi or a salty one with hints of cumin. Sweet lassis can be indulgent affairs with the fruit pulp of mangoes. Drink it from a tall glass with a long straw to quench your thirst. Alternatively, rosewater may flavour a sweet lassi.

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liveindiatimes · 5 years ago

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Biryani, kebabs, sheer mal, kheer: Here are a few recipes that you can enjoy this Eid ul-Fitr - more lifestyle

https://liveindiatimes.com/biryani-kebabs-sheer-mal-kheer-here-are-a-few-recipes-that-you-can-enjoy-this-eid-ul-fitr-more-lifestyle/

Marking an end to the Holy month of Ramadan, Eid festivities are in full swing, albeit in a subdued manner this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Eid al-Fitr means ‘festival of breaking the fast’ and it marks the end of 30-day Ramadan. Just like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr starts with the sighting of the new moon, and Muslims around the world await to sight the crescent moon on Ramadan 29 or Ramadan 30 to be sure of the date. The dates for Ramadan and Eid change as per the Islamic calendar. Eid is not just a time for celebrations and feasts, but also a time when one remembers Allah and thank him for all his blessings. Zakat (charity) is offered on Eid as well as throughout Ramadan, so that we get the opportunity to share our joys with those who are less fortunate.

Food is one thing that binds everyone amid festivities globally. Family and friends get together, cook traditional recipes, and enjoy the feast with all their near and dear ones. From biryani, to kebabs, sheer mal and kheer, here are a few recipes that you can make to celebrate the festival.

Biryani:

Biryani is derived from the Persian word Birian, meaning ‘fried before cooking’. There are multiple theories about how biryani came to India, after having originated in Western Asia.

One legend has it that Timur, the Turk-Mongol conqueror, brought the precursor to the biryani with him when he arrived in India in 1398. An earthen pot full of rice, spices and all available meats would be buried in a hot pit. This was then dug up and served to the warriors in Timur’s army.

Another legend has it that the dish was first brought to the southern Malabar coast by Arab traders who were frequent visitors there. Records of a rice dish known as Oon Soru in Tamil literature have been found dating back to as early as the year 2 A.D. Oon Soru is said to be made of rice, ghee, meat, turmeric, coriander, pepper, and bay leaf, and was used to feed military warriors.

However, the most popular story traces the origins of Biryani Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s beautiful queen who inspired the Taj Mahal.

Traditionally, the dum pukht method (slow breathing oven in Persian) of cooking biryani used. In this method, the ingredients are loaded in a pot and slow cooked over charcoal, sometimes also placed on the top of the vessel to allow the dum or steam to blend all the flavours together. The pot is sealed around the edges with dough (atta) which allows the steaming meat to tenderise in its own juices while also flavouring the layers of rice.

Meat or chicken is often the main ingredient in biryani, although in some coastal varieties, fish, prawns, and crabs are also used. Vegetarians too have options such as mixed veggies, soya chunks in a veg biryani. Use of rose water, sweet edible ittar and kewra water is still prevalent in biryani cooking since the medieval era.

Mughlai biryani, Hyderabadi biryani, Calcutta biryani, Dindigul biryani, Lucknowi biryani, Arcot biryani, Memoni biryani, Thalassery biryani, Kampuri biryani, Tahari biryani, Beary biryani, Sindhi biryani, Bhatkali biryani, Bombay biryani, Doodh ki biryaniare the varieties that are cooked in India across regions.

Almond Mixed Grain Biryani

Ingredients

1/2 cup Barley washed & drained, 1/2 cup Brown rice, washed & drained, 1/2 cup Pearl Millet, washed & drained, 2 tsp Ghee, 1 tsp Garlic, Chopped, 1 tbsp Ginger, Chopped, 1 tsp Green Chilli, Chopped, 1/2 cup Baby carrots, diced 1/4 cup Onion red, sliced, 1/2 tsp Salt to Taste Black Pepper, Crushed, 7 cups Vegetable stock, 1 tsp Cumin seeds , 1½ tsp Chopped Coriander, 1½ tsp Chopped Spring Onion, 1/4 cup Almonds

Method

Heat ghee in a large dutch oven/pot over medium heat. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf. As it crackles add onion, green chilli, garlic & ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add carrots. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, until carrots are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in all of the grains and cook for 12 minutes. Stir in stock; bring to a boil.

Add almonds. Cover the pot, and put in oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 180 degree celsius (check after 30 minutes; remove lid and cook a little longer if grains need to be softer). Fold in chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy The Almond Board of California

ALSO READ: The curious case of potato in Kolkata biryani and how the British fed us a lie

Chicken Shami Kebab

Ingredients

1 cup chana dal, 500 gram chicken thigh (boneless cubes), 2 tsp coriander whole, 7 cloves (laung), 10 clack pepper (whole), 2 small Cinnamon sticks, 1 tbsp red chilli (crushed), 7 pieces dry red chili (whole), 2 tbsp Salt, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain), 6 eggs, Coriander leaves (chopped), Mint leaves, (chopped), 6 green chilies, 1 tbsp ginger, 10 cloves garlic (Chopped), Oil (For frying)

Method

Boil the chana dal along with the chicken thigh cubes and spices. Let the chicken cook. Strain and keep aside to cool. Then add 3 eggs, chopped coriander, mint, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Mix well and mince. Make round shape kebabs of the mixture. Coat the kebabs in the remaining eggs slightly, and pan fry them in oil.

Sheermal, a saffron-flavored traditional flatbread

Ingredients

3 cups maida, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp extra milk, 1 tsp sugar, ¾ cup ghee and salt to taste and saffron strands.

Method

Soak saffron strands in milk. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and add melted ghee. Rub in the ghee, add a little milk to knead a soft dough. Cover and keep aside for 2 hours. Knead again and keep aside for 2 hours. Roll into 6 inches round and ¼ inches thick and prick all over. Cool on a tawa over high heat and then lower to cook some more. Smear milk solution, cooking it a little and serve with ghee.

Almond and makhana kheer

Ingredients

2 cups Full cream milk, 4 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp Green cardamom powder, a pinch of Saffron strands, ½ cup Almond slivers, 1 cup Makhana (fox nuts), 2 tbsp Ghee

Method

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, roast makhana and almond sliver till they are golden.

Heat milk and saffron strands in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil; keep stirring the milk, so that it does not sticks at the bottom.

Add the sugar to the milk, and mix well.

Add the whole makhana to the milk. Add the almond slivers to the mixture.

Keep cooking the mixture till the makhana becomes softs and milk thickens a bit.

Serve the kheer hot or chilled. Top it with roasted almond sliver and chopped roasted makhana.

Recipe courtesy The Almond Board of California

Sheer sewai or Sewaiyan kheer

Ingredients

250 grams roasted vermicelli, 4 tbsp ghee, 750 ml milk, 400 grams sugar, 1/2 tsp saffron strands (soaked in 1 tbsp of water), 100 grams khoya (crumbled), 2 tbsp raisins, 1 tbsp pistachio, 1 tbsp almond slivers, roasted, 2 tbsp cashew nuts, to decorate silver leaf

Method

Fry vermicelli in hot ghee. Pour in milk. Allow it to simmer for two minutes. Add sugar and continue cooking until sugar dissolves. Stir in saffron, khoya, raisins and nuts. Decorate with silver leaf, remaining saffron and dried fruit. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

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heartpridetrust · 7 years ago

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The Sattvic or Yogic Diet By Gary Gran, CYT, D.Ay.

Sattva is defined as the quality of purity and goodness. Sattvic food is that which is pure, clean and wholesome. A sattvic diet is food that gives life, strength, energy, courage and self-determination. In other words, sattvic food gives us more than the gross physical requirements of the proper mix of proteins, carbs and fats etc. It also gives us the subtle nourishment necessary for vitality and consciousness. Food is seen as a carrier of the life force called prana and is judged by the quality of its prana and by the effect it has on our consciousness.

These are important considerations in the practice of yoga. Yoga is defined as those practices that lead to anushasanam, which means the governing of one’s subtle nature (Yoga Sutras 1:1). The goal of yoga is described as chitta vritti nirodha, the quieting of the mind-field (YS 1:2). Yoga practitioners advocate the use of the sattvic diet to support these subtle goals.

A beginning practice in both ayurveda and yoga is to simply observe the effect of each food choice we make and, from our experience and awareness, begin to make small changes. As we progress in this practice we can recognize three broad categories called the gunas. Some foods leave us feeling tired and sluggish. This is called the tamasic effect. Other foods leave us feeling agitated or over-stimulated--the rajasic effect. The third category belongs to foods that leave us feeling calm, alert and refreshed. This is the sattvic effect and the basis of the sattvic diet.

If we persist in this practice, we will arrive at our personal version of the sattvic diet. The Bhagavad Gita describes the sattvic diet as “promoting life, virtue, strength, health, happiness and satisfaction.” Sattvic foods are “savory, smooth, firm and pleasant to the stomach.” By contrast, the Gita describes the rajasic diet as “excessively pungent, sour, salty, hot, harsh, astringent and burnt,” leading to “pain, misery and sickness.” The tamasic foods are described as “stale, tasteless, smelly, left-over, rotten and foul” (BG 17:8-10).

The true test of our foods comes when we meditate. All meditators know that there are two main problems. One is falling asleep--the tamasic effect. The other is an over-active mind--the rajasic effect. If we want to be able to quiet the mind and maintain our alertness to explore our subtle nature, we need to follow the sattvic diet. “When sattva predominates, the light of wisdom shines through every gate of the body” (BG 14: 11).

The Traditional Sattvic Diet Although it has been suggested that one can arrive at the sattvic diet through trial and error, it can be most helpful to consider the general characteristics of the sattvic diet, which traditionally is described as pure foods that are rich in prana. Organic foods are therefore recommended for both their purity and vitality. The food should be fresh and freshly prepared. Leftovers are decidedly tamasic. There are some exceptions, but most people understand that if you make a beautiful meal one day and feel great from it, that is no guarantee that you’ll get the same effect or pleasure the next day.

Sattvic foods are light (as opposed to heavy) in nature, easy to digest, mildly cooling, refreshing and not disturbing to the mind. They are best prepared with love and awareness. On this last point, please note that just as our food affects our mind, our thoughts and emotions also affect our food. You can consume high-quality food, but if it is prepared or eaten in anger, it will have a disturbing effect. On the other hand, you can sometimes take less than pure food and bless it to overcome its impurities. The idea ultimately is to absorb that which is nourishing and eliminate that which is not--and to keep our thoughts positive, especially when eating or preparing food.

Pure, sattvic food needs to be chewed carefully and eaten in modest portions. Overeating is definitely tamasic. The food should be enjoyed for its inherent taste and quality, rather than the spices and seasonings that are added. Too much salt and spice has a rajasic effect, which fuels desire and leads to over-satiation, the loss of taste and the loss of pleasure. “When rajas predominates, a person runs about pursuing selfish and greedy ends, driven by restlessness and desire” (BG 14:12). A refined sense of taste leads to increased pleasure.

Fresh Organic Fruits: Most fruits, including apples, apricots, bananas, berries, dates, grapes, melons, lemons, mangoes, oranges, peaches and plums, are considered especially sattvic. Sometimes yogis go on fruit fasts, where they avoid all foods except fruit and fruit juices, when doing a special sadhana (advanced practice) or have undertaken a vow. Fruit is also considered symbolic of generosity and spirituality and is often exchanged as an offering or a gift. Three dried fruits known as triphala are used to keep the digestive system operating optimally.

Fresh Organic Dairy: Dairy is considered controversial these days, but the yoga tradition insists on the value of a wholesome food freely given by the symbol of motherhood, the cow. We need to use the highest quality organic fresh dairy to benefit from its sattvic qualities. Milk, butter, clarified butter (ghee), fresh home-made cheese (paneer), whey and fresh yogurt (especially lassi) are all recommended. They benefit from careful preparation, and the extra effort to learn the recipes is well worthwhile. For example, milk can be diluted and warmed with mild spices (i.e. fresh ginger, cinnamon and cardamom) and served with raw honey to overcome any mucus-forming tendencies. Traditionally, if a yogi is doing advanced practices, the dairy provides needed lubrication, grounding and nourishment. In fact, dairy along with fruit have been described as the epitome of the sattvic or yogic diet.

Nuts, Seeds and Oils: Fresh nuts and seeds that haven’t been overly roasted and salted are good additions to the sattvic diet in small portions. Good choices are almonds (especially when peeled and soaked in water overnight), coconut, pine nuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. Oils should be of highest quality and cold-pressed. Good choices are olive oil, sesame oil and flax oil.

Organic Vegetables: Most mild organic vegetables are considered sattvic, including beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green leafy veggies, sweet potatoes and squash. Pungent veggies like hot peppers, garlic and onion are excluded, as are gas-forming veggies such as mushrooms and potatoes. They are considered rajasic and tamasic respectively. Sometimes the shortcomings of these foods can be overcome by careful preparation. An excellent practice is to drink freshly made vegetable juices for their prana, live enzymes and easy absorption.

Whole Grains: Whole grains provide excellent nourishment when well cooked. Consider organic rice, whole wheat, spelt, oatmeal and barley. Sometimes the grains are lightly roasted before cooking to remove some of their heavy quality. Yeasted breads are not recommended unless toasted. Wheat and other grains can be sprouted before cooking as well. Favorite preparations are kicharee (basmati rice cooked with split mung beans, ghee and mild spices), kheer (rice cooked with milk and sweetened), chapathis (non-leavened whole wheat flat bread), porridge (sometimes made very watery and cooked with herbs) and “Bible” bread (sprouted grain bread). Sometimes yogis will fast from grains during special practices.

Legumes: Split mung beans, yellow split peas, organic tofu, bean sprouts and perhaps lentils and aduki beans are considered sattvic if well prepared. In general, the smaller the bean, the easier to digest. Strategies include splitting, peeling, grinding, soaking, sprouting, cooking and spicing. Legumes combined with whole grains offer a complete protein combination.

Sweeteners: Yogis use raw honey (especially in combination with dairy) and raw sugar (not refined).

Spices: Sattvic spices are the mild spices including basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, fresh ginger and turmeric. Rajasic spices like black pepper, red pepper and garlic are normally excluded, but are sometimes used in small amounts to keep the channels open (rajas is used to counter tamas). But beware. Taking rajasic spices with tamasic food does not equal sattwa. A teacher once said you are more likely to fall asleep and have restless dreams!

Supplemental Protein: Yogis are advised not to indulge in flesh foods. It is said that the fear and anger of the animal being killed is transferred to the person eating the flesh. Fresh meat is considered rajasic, and old meat is considered tamasic. Another approach is to avoid the flesh of mammals, especially if one is using dairy products. How can one eat the flesh of one’s (symbolic) mother? This approach allows for some high-quality fish, poultry or eggs. Even then it is recommended to abstain from flesh foods a minimum of three days a week with at least two prolonged periods of abstention from all animal foods every year. Purists rely on dairy for supplemental protein as it is given freely and is considered non-harming.

One problem of the vegetarian diet is that it can become too cooling. For this reason, yogis of the Tibetan plateau sometimes include meat for warmth. One can also learn to promote bodily warmth through yoga practices centered on the navel region. An ayurvedic approach is to include warming and strengthening herbs in the diet like ashwagandha, astragalus or ginseng. Special combinations include masalas (based on cumin seed, coriander seed and turmeric root), hingashtak, draksha and chyavanprash. There are also mineral and ash preparations used called bhasmas. One that is favored in the Himalayas to keep the body warm in cold weather is a preparation of deer antler called sring bhasma.

Sattvic Herbs: Other herbs are used to directly support sattva in the mind and in meditation. These include ashwagandha, bacopa, calamus, gotu kola, gingko, jatamansi, purnarnava, shatavari, saffron, shankhapushpi, tulsi and rose.

Do remember that the above suggestions are just a starting point. Undoubtedly there are many other foods that will qualify. And some of the traditional suggestions may not be suitable for everyone. So put them to the test until you are full of “the sattvic essence.” In the words of the Charak Samhita, one of the classic textbooks of ayurveda, “The persons having the sattvic essence are endowed with memory, devotion, are grateful, learned, pure, courageous, skillful, resolute, free from anxiety, having well-directed and serious intellect and activities and are engaged in virtuous acts” (CS III-8:110).

And then, when your mind has become sattvic and peaceful like a clear pool of pure water, you may bypass the gunas altogether. Such souls, the Gita tells us, “are unmoved by the harmony of sattva, the activity of rajas, or the delusion of tamas. They feel no aversion when these forces are active, nor do they crave for them when these forces subside. They remain impartial, undisturbed by the action of the gunas. Knowing that it is the gunas which act, they abide within themselves and do not vacillate. Established within themselves, they are equal in pleasure and pain, praise and blame, kindness and unkindness. Clay, a rock and gold are the same to them. Alike in honor and dishonor, alike to friend and foe, they have given up every selfish pursuit. Such are those who have gone beyond the gunas” (BG 14: 22-25).

#yogic diet #sattvic diet

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syrupeel6-blog · 5 years ago

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A detailed guide to cook an elaborate Tamil Vegetarian Menu

How to cook a Tamil Vegetarian Menu in 2 hours – includes entire step by step process of the meal I cooked and an alternate menu plan. The meal is naturally gluten free and vegan if you avoid the raita and use of ghee.

My publisher (now, also a friend) was coming over for dinner last night. I asked her if she would prefer a small plates kinda dinner, which is my jam these days, or a traditional Tamil vegetarian meal. She opted for the latter.

I love showcasing my cuisine for anyone who is half interested. So I carefully worked out a menu featuring some favourites and a couple of new creations. Here’s the menu I cooked for 4 people.

Tamil Vegetarian Menu

Rice / Millets

Onion Sambar (with freshly ground masala)

Tomato Pineapple Rasam

Curry leaf powder (Karuveppala podi)

Bottle gourd chutney (Dudhi thogayal)

Potato curry (Urulai Podimaas)

Instant green mango pickle

Carrot Cucumber Yogurt (Thayir Pachidi)

Banana Chips

This Tamil Vegetarian menu is easy to prep ahead for, with fairly basic ingredients. It showcases the cuisine well with a variety of dishes, using different vegetables, flavours and techniques. I haven’t included a dessert here due to a shortage of time and also because we had got some Theobroma brownies 🙂 But any payasam (Tamil style kheer) would be a good fit in this menu.

The thogayal, podi and pickle can also be made on the previous day, even though the instant mango pickle just takes two minutes in the microwave.

I also pressure cook the tomato-pineapple mix and the potatoes a few hours ahead so that it can cool completely before handling and pureeing. I hate to burn my hands while removing the peels of tomatoes and potatoes.

While I did not cook everything at one go, this entire meal can be put together with around 2 hours of work, as long as you use a pressure cooker.

Entire list of ingredients for cooking this Tamil Vegetarian Menu

serves 4

PANTRY

1 cup rice

1 cup foxtail millet

3/4 cup tur dal

vegetable oil

coconut oil

ghee

11-12 dried red chillies

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2-3 tsp fenugreek seeds

2-3 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper corns

3 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 tsp powdered jaggery

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/3 cup urad dal

2 tbsp chana dal

1 tsp tur dal

salt

VEGETABLES

5 medium potatoes

20-25 sprigs curry leaves

3-4 green chillies

1” piece ginger

4 large onions

4 large tomatoes

200 grams pineapple

1 small bottle gourd

1 green mango

1 medium carrot

1 medium cucumber

1 small bunch coriander leaves

1 lemon

DAIRY +OTHERS

1.5 cups yogurt

1/3 cup grated fresh coconut (chutney + potato curry)

3 tbsp desiccated coconut (sambar)

Watch some of these videos to help you with the cooking:

How to make curry leaf powder

How to make arachuvitta sambar (sambar with freshly ground spices)

How to make Potato Podimaas

Batch Processing

Batch processing the tasks is the fastest way to cook any elaborate menu. I have batched up all the pressure cooking, masala preparation, vegetable prep and final tadka steps together. This makes a lot more sense can cooking recipe after recipe, which takes way longer time.

PRESSURE COOKING

3/4 cup toor dal + 2 cups water + 1/2 tsp turmeric

4 large tomatoes + 1 cup pineapple chunks + 1 cup water

3 – 5 medium potatoes

Rice and millets are best cooked just before serving –go to the last step.

TAMARIND

Soak 2 tbsp tamarind flakes in 1 cup boiling hot water for 30 minutes. Extract all the pulp and discard the tamarind flakes after squeezing well. You can also use 2 tsp ready tamarind paste, but the flavour from using freshly extracted puree makes it worth it.

VEGETABLE PREP

Potato curry: Peel and grate or crumble the boiled potatoes.

Raita: Peel the veg. Grate carrot and finely dice the cucumber for raita.

Pickle: Chop one green mango into juliennes or small cubes.

Chutney: Peel and thinly slice a tender bottle gourd (small size~200 grams). Saute this in 1 tsp oil for 5-6 minutes until almost tender.

Sambar: Peel 4 large onions. Cut into half and then into thick slices. In a pan, heat 2-3 tsp oil, fry 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds and add the chopped onion to this. Saute on medium-low flame, keep covered and cook for 10-15 minutes until onion is softened. Do not try to cut time on this step as the sambar flavour depends entirely on how well the onions are cooked. To this, add the tamarind extract and bring to a simmer.

MASALAS / MIXER / BLENDER

Sambar: 4-5 dried red chillies, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tbsp chana dal, 3 tbsp desiccated or fresh grated coconut – all dry roasted until aromatic (7-8 minutes on medium flame). Grind to a fine powder. Mix this in 1/2 cup water and add it to the pan with the onions and tamarind puree.

Podi: Dry roast washed and dried curry leaves until they turn crisp ~Around 5-7 minutes on medium flame. Remove and cool. Dry roast 3 dried red chillies and 1/4 cup urad dal until dal is golden brown. Grind all of it together to a coarse powder along with some salt. Store in airtight container.

Rasam podi: Dry roast 1 tsp tur dal, 1.5 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp black pepper corns until the dal turns golden brown. Remove, cool and grind to a fine powder.

Rasam: Remove peels from cooked tomatoes and discard. Grind the cooked tomato-pineapple mix into a fine puree. Pass through a sieve. Mix in the prepared rasam powder, salt and 1-2 tsp powdered jaggery and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Thogayal / chutney: In 1/2 tsp oil, fry 3 dried red chillies, 2 flakes tamarind, 2-3 tsp urad dal until dal is golden brown. Grind this along with sautéed bottle gourd and 1/4 cup grated coconut + salt to a coarse paste. Thogayal is ready.

FINAL STEPS

Sambar: add the cooked dal to the onion-tamarind-sambar paste mix in the pan. Bring to a simmer, adding some water to thin down if required. Check for salt and adjust. Heat 2 tsp oil in pan. Fry curry leaves, mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida and transfer to the pan. Keep covered until ready to serve.

Rasam: heat 1 tsp ghee. Fry 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves and transfer to the rasam. Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Potato curry: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil. Fry 2-3 finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp chana dal until the dal turns golden brown. Add grated potatoes, salt, juice of 1 lemon, 2-3 tbsp grated coconut and finely chopped coriander. Toss gently to combine it all together.

Pickle: in a microwave safe bowl, mix chopped green mango, 2 tsp pickle masala (you get this in supermarkets), 2 tsp powdered jaggery and microwave for a total of 3 minutes. Give the pickle a stir after every 1 minute mark so that it cooks evenly and is coated with the sweet-spice mix.

Raita: Mix cucumber and carrot in 1.5 cups whisked yogurt with salt. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Fry 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, curry leaves and 1 tsp urad dal until dal is golden brown. Transfer over raita. Garnish with finely chopped cucumber.

RICE AND MILLETS

Lastly, cook the rice and millets. Wash the grains separately, combine with twice the water and cook for 5-6 minutes on sim after the first whistle. Serve hot with all the above sides.

Serve papads or store bought banana chips with the meal.

Another Tamil Vegetarian menu which can be prepared similarly

Some more tips when you cook an elaborate meal:

Use the pressure cooker as much as possible

Keep a big bowl to collect all the peels and vegetable waste which can be discarded in the bin at one go.

Clean as you go, returning bottles and ingredients back to the place, so that the final clean up job becomes easier.

Try and use the same pan for the tasks, one after the other. For example, I use the same small pan to prepare tadka for each of the dishes.

When using the mixer, grind all the dry mixes first, so you can wipe it with a kitchen paper and move on to the next task. Reserve the wet grinding for the last, as you can see in my task detailing above.

Prepare tadka / garnishing of all dishes at the end just before serving.

If you liked this post, you will also like:

80+ Tamil Vegetarian Recipes – categorised

11 Traditional Tamil Vegetarian Lunch menus

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Source: https://www.saffrontrail.com/tamil-vegetarian-menu-how-to-cook/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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comidacaseras · 5 years ago

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Easy Sweet & Spicy Kozhukattai at Home

Looking for easy snack which is different.Then you are in the right place.All love to eat sweet and spicy kozhukattai. Kids will surely love this recipe.It is perfect to eat this in the evening.This is low calorie and healthy too. This dumplings can be made with the ingredient which are available in your home.Don't need to buy anything from outside. This is cost effective and easy to make.You may also like Biscuit halwa Healthy Thinai Payasam/Foxtail Millet Kheer Unicorn Rainbow Milkshake at Home Jump To Recipe

Overview of Sweet & Spicy Kozukattai

For Spicy Kozhukattai/Dumplings Make a soaked rice paste. Add oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,urad dhal, cumin seeds,hing,red chilli and curry leaves to pan. Now add rice paste to this pan and make it as solid consistency. Make small ball of this and get steamed up. Finally it is ready to taste. For Sweet Kozhukattai Soak rice for 1 hour and dry it. Now make it a powder. Make a jaggery syrup and add this powder to it. Add ghee,grated coconut and seaseme seeds to this mixture. Make a small ball of this and get steamed up in cooker. Finally sweet kozhukattai is ready to taste. Atlast both sweet & spicy kozhukattai is ready.

Sweet and Spicy Kozhukattai

For Spicy Kozhukattai500 grams Rice (Soaked)4 tbsp oil1 tbsp Mustard Seeds1 tbsp Urad Dhal1 tbsp Cumin Seeds1 tbsp Hing4 no Red Chilli2 tbsp Curry Leaves (Chopped)For Sweet Kozhukattai500 grams Rice (soaked)4 tbsp Ghee300 grams Jaggery1 tbsp Seasame (Optional)4 tbsp Grated Coconut For Spciy KozhukattaiFirst of all, grind the soaked rice into paste with salt.Take a pan and add oil to it.Add mustard seeds,urad dhal,hing,cumin seeds,red chilli and curry leaves to it.Fry this seasoning for 1 minutes.Now add this soaked rice paste and stir for 2 minutes.Make a small ball of this dough and steamed inside idli cooker.Finally, spicy kozhukatai is ready to taste.For Sweet KozhukattaiMake a jaggery syrup using jaggery and water.Filter the syrup to remove dirt form it.Soak the rice for 1 hour and then keep it for dry.After it is dried,grind it in mixi.Now sieve it and dry fry for 1 minute in a pan.Add this rice flour in to jaggery syrup and mix it until solid consistency.Now add ghee,grated coconut and seasame as per taste.Make a small ball of it and steamed in idli cooker.Finally,sweet kozhukattai is ready to taste. Read Also: Best baby Diapers in India Top 15 Health Benefits of Carrots with Nutrition Facts & Recipes Top 10 Pooja Room Decoration Ideas & Pooja Accessories at low price If you like to subscribe to our newsletter click here Read the full article

#bachelorsrecipe #easy #healthy #kidsrecipe #kozhukattai #snack #spicy'#sweet

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faucetdouble51-blog · 5 years ago

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Roti pinwheel bites, Rotimatic recipes

Roti pinwheels with simple vegetable spread, perfect for snack, starter or lunch box for kids. The spread can be of your choice from simple cheese spread to even sweet chocolate, fruit spread. With holiday season around corner, we might be hosting parties. So I thought I will post this simple recipe with Rotimatic rotis. This can be served as starter and very much Indian with a simple raita inspired spread. I have used hung curd as base, you can use sour cream too in place of hung curd. Or use cream cheese/ cheese spread and some raw carrot and cucumber. The spread is upto your imagination and taste preference. If you are a nutella fan, you can even spread nutella and arrange some thinly sliced strawberries or banana too and serve similarly. Last week we had a small lunch get together and I should say Rotimatic rotis help to plan such get togethers and parties with ease. Check out my other rotimatic recipes

Roti lasagna

Roti kheer

You can also try chapathi noodles with rotis. So with rotimatic, it is not simply roti alone, you can also create your own recipes with roti as main ingredient. If you are interested in Rotimatic, you can make use of the exclusive 15% discount for the upcoming Holiday season when friends and families get together, special for my readers. Click here to order now.

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Roti pinwheel bites recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Snack/ starter Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook time: 6 mins | Serves: 4 | Author: Raks anand

Click here for cup measurements

Roti pinwheels with simple vegetable spread, perfect for snack, starter or lunch box for kids. The spread can be of your choice from simple cheese spread to even sweet chocolate, fruit spread.

Rotimatic settings Recipe: Roti | Flour: Ashirvad | Thickness: 5 | Roast level: 2 | Oil: 1

Ingredients

Roti - 4 Curd - 1 cup Carrot - 1 Capsicum - 1/2 Cabbage, shredded - 1 cup Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup Roasted cumin seeds powder - 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Pickle - 1 tsp Salt - as needed Oil - 2 tsp Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Method

Take curd in a clean kitchen towel or muslin cloth and hang it for minimum 1 hr to get rid of the excess water.

Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil and splutter mustard. Add shredded carrot, cabbage and capsicum. Give it a fry.

Add required salt and cook for 2 mins.

In a mixing bowl, take the hung curd, vegetables, roasted cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder, pickle and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.

Prepare rotimatic rotis. Rotimatic settings - Thickness : 5, Roast level : 2, Flour : Ashirvad

Take roti, spread a tbsp or two of the prepared spread. Roll it.

Cut into bite sized pieces to serve.

Notes

Sour cream, cream cheese can be used in place of hung curd.

Nutella and thinly sliced fruits can also be used for sweet version.

You can prepare the same with homemade rotis.

If using curd, make sure to hang it to get rid of the excess water.

Tags: Roti pinwheels, Rotimatic recipes

Step by step pictures:

Take curd in a clean kitchen towel or muslin cloth and hang it for minimum 1 hr to get rid of the excess water.

Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil and splutter mustard. Add shredded carrot, cabbage and capsicum. Give it a fry.

Add required salt and cook for 2 mins.

In a mixing bowl, take the hung curd, vegetables, roasted cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder, pickle and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.

Prepare rotimatic rotis following the settings given.

Take roti, spread a tbsp or two of the prepared spread. Roll it.

Cut into bite sized pieces to serve.

Serve as starter or snack.

Source: https://www.rakskitchen.net/2018/11/roti-pinwheel-bites-rotimatic-recipes.html

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grocio · 6 years ago

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Special Light And Veg Dishes For This Summers To Stay Ourselves Cool And Fresh – GROCIONOIDA

Now summers have approached to the entire parts of India with such a great extent of intensed heat and humidity. As we all must we aware that during summers our metabolism of our body becomes weak, so doctors recommend us to take light and healthy diet to stay ourselves cool and fresh. Light foods means fast metabolism and lots of energy in our body. It is usually advised to take Farm fresh products, fruits and green fresh vegetables in your diet to increase your metabolism rate. On this auspicious occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, let’s have something veg and light. Below mentioned are some dishes and its recipe :

1. TAMATAR KADHI :

SERVINGS : 4 | TOTAL COOK TIME : 55 MINS

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED :

2 Kg Tomatoes, finely chopped

3 tbsp Oil

2 Green chillies (slit lengthwise)

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds (rai)

10 Curry leaves (kadhi patta)

1 tsp Chilli powder

Salt to taste.

3 cups Mixed vegetables - cauliflower, carrot, green beans, baby okra(gobhi, gajar,faliyaan and bhindi

To garnish Coriander leaves, chopped

HOW TO MAKE IT :

· Boil tomatoes in 3 cups of water till soft.

· Mash well and strain through a soup sieve to make puree.

· Add enough water to this to get a thin soup consistency.

· Put back on the stove and bring to a boil.

· Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard, fenugreek and cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.

· When seeds splutter, add the tomato puree and mix well.

· Add the red chilli powder, salt and the mixed vegetables and stir.

· Simmer and cook till vegetables are done.

· Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

· Serve tamatar kadhi with hot plain boiled rice.

2. SABUDANA KHEER :

SERVINGS : 8 | TOTAL TIME : 35 MINS

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED :

1 CupSabudana (tapioca)

1 1/2 cupSugar

1 litreMilk

4 Cardamom pods

Few Saffron color flakes

HOW TO MAKE IT :

Soak the sabudana in water for 15 minutes.

Boil milk with the sugar and cardamoms and add the sabudana after draining the water. Add 1 cup of water.

Boil until the sabudana becomes swollen and translucent.

Soak saffron flakes in a 1/4 cup of hot milk for 10 minutes.

Mix to squeeze out color and add all of it to the boiling milk.

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You can buy all the ingredients required for preparing this dish and can find a vast variety of other products too like ;

· Buy Food Daal Spices Oil in Noida

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Before trying this recipe don’t forget to pin this recipe and to see more such delicious food recipes subscribe to our mailing list or follow us onFacebook, Pinterest, Grocio Blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr andBlogger.

#grocionoida #shopongrocio #onlinesupermarketnoida #grociocashback #grocioapp #onlinegrocerydeals

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savetopnow · 7 years ago

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2018-04-02 02 FOOD now

FOOD

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#food

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vsplusonline · 5 years ago

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Date palm jaggery, and the sweetness of Bengal winters

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/date-palm-jaggery-and-the-sweetness-of-bengal-winters/

Date palm jaggery, and the sweetness of Bengal winters

Winter is well on its way out now, and we are lapping up the last of the bright red winter carrots and pale green fresh peas. For us, winters always meant two things — ma’s ‘to die for’ peas kachori and khejurer gur. From sweets made on Makar Sankranti to the thick, creamy payesh and the everyday comfort food of doodh-bhaat (milk and rice), khejurer gur nudged and pushed white sugar out of business and elevated the mundane. I would break pieces of the soft, deep caramel gur and put it on my tongue and savour the complex sweetness slowly spreading in my mouth. It was like a small piece of sweet warmth. I still think this is the best way to eat it. Ma had trusted sources who would procure and deliver to her good quality khejurer gur from Bengal to Assam, the softer ones for immediate use and the harder roundels to last through the year, safely tucked in airtight containers inside the refrigerator. My sister and I inherited this trait and we fulfil it every year like a family ritual.

Khejurer gur or date palm jaggery, that highly prized seasonal produce, occupies a place of pride in Bengal’s already accomplished sweet-making history. As far back as the 4th century BC, Panini wrote, Gurasha auang desho goura, which means Gour is the place of gur. It is, however, difficult to know exactly when khejurer gur became popular in Bengal. Some early references can be found from the history of Joynogorer moa. The old Pundra Bardhan in undivided Bengal, now Bogra in Bangladesh, became known as Gour for its high-quality gur produced from sugarcane. At that time, Mitraganj was a famous market in Joynagar, which is now in Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district. A weekly market or haat was held on Mondays and Fridays in that village where people from different villages came to sell gur. The fine quality of the date palm jaggery sold in this haat is orally documented in the Piruli song of Farid Pir and also in the folk poems of Dakshin Kalikapur village. The reason why a more formal, ‘Sanskritised’ documentation of the origin of khejurer gur is unavailable is because the Siulis – the artisans — belonged to the lower castes.

Nomadic artisans

Amir Sheikh and his younger brother shift home from Nadia to Adityapur village in Burdawan district for three to four months every winter. This means staying in makeshift huts, away from their families and creature comforts. A few kilometres away, near the Kopai river in Bolpur, Sabir stays with his family of four, including two infants. These families are all seasonal nomads, Siulis, who specialise in tapping the sap of the date palm tree and making khejurer gur.

The Siulis mostly belong to Scheduled Castes or Tribes, or to the Mahishya and Muslim community, and they are spread across the four-five major gur producing districts of Bengal — Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Malda. While the demand for khejurer gur has steadily increased over the years, nobody really knows much about its unique and climate-sensitive production or about the community that produces it. In the absence of this connect, the Siulis, the men who scale the thorny trees to collect the sap, are almost never acknowledged.

Obtaining the sap requires skill. The tapping is generally done at night, with an intervening period of rest for the tree. The Siulis climb the tree at dusk, cut the end of the inflorescence (flower cluster), and hang an earthen container from it, leaving it overnight to catch the dripping sap. The tree cannot be tapped if the weather is foggy, drizzly or warm, as the sap will become turbid and sour. It’s this that makes the gur so sensitive to climatic conditions. The fresh sap of the wild date palm is sweet, fragrant and as clear as drinking water. Rich in vitamins and iron and with 12-15% sugar, it is a delicious thirst quencher.

However, it ferments quickly along with the rising sun to turn into the alcoholic tari, so the Siulis start work before the crack of dawn. The pots are brought down from the trees and the collected sap is filtered and poured into open troughs. This juice is then put to boil till the Brix value reaches 118-120%, a calculation that experienced Siulis like Amir make just by sight and touch alone, without any modern instruments.

Many varieties

Date palm jaggery can be eaten as nolen gur — the softer, golden coloured gur, named after the nol, or the pipe that is used to collect the sap, and from nolen meaning new. Or as jhola gur, the viscous liquid gur made by reducing the sap but stopping short of crystallisation.

Jhola comes from the Bengali word for ‘hanging’ — the way the pots are hung. Jhola gur has low shelf life but high aroma, and is used to make the famous Joynagarer moa. Then there is poyra gur, from the word poila or ‘first’, for the gur made from the first sap of the season. This is believed to be the best variety because of the elongated period of rest that the tree gets.

The jhola gur made from the first sap is called jiren jhola gur — ‘jiren’ being the word for resting. The jiren gur is almost translucent. The sap is reduced further on low heat and poured into terracotta moulds to yield the solidified patali, which has the highest shelf life of about eight months but is the most compromised on flavour.

Khejurer gur has now became a part of fine dining and has inspired several refined sweets, but the first jhola gur each season still evokes memories of a winter special Bengali breakfast of luchi and jhola gur. Or, as the famous poet Sukumar Ray recalled, “kintu shobar chaite bhalo, pauruti aar jhola gur” — the best of all is bread with jhola gur.

SUNDAY RECIPE

Jhola gur diye moong-narkoler ichhamura

(Sweet croquettes of moongbeans-coconut served with jhola gur)

This is a take on the Bengali pithe ichhamura, which gets its name from the oblong shape that apparently resembles a prawn head.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup jhola gur

Refined oil for deep frying

For dough:

150 gms shredded coconut

75 gms moong daal

200 gms sugar

50 gms kheer/ khoya

2 inches cinnamon

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp ghee

2-3 tbsp maida

Method

1. Take sugar and water in a kadhai and put on medium heat. Let it come to a boil. Add the coconut, mix on low flame for five minutes and add khoa. Keep stirring till it becomes sticky and coconut is glossy. Remove from fire, transfer to another container and let it cool a bit till you can handle the mix.

2. Roast the moong daal in ghee, add cinnamon and boil in just enough water so that the daal is cooked and the water is absorbed. Remove half the cinnamon stick, cool, and make a smooth paste in a blender. Prep the daal mix before the coconut.

3. Mix the moong daal, coconut and maida together and form a smooth dough.

4. Take a tbsp of the mix and mould into inch-long oblong croquettes. Deep fry till golden brown in hot refined oil.

5. Heat the jhola gur in a pan and put the ichhamura right after draining the oil into the jhola gur. Soak for a while and serve, with spoonfuls of jhola gur drizzled on top.

Note: Drop a little dough into the oil and check if you need more maida to bind. Do not add much as it will ruin the taste. Do not fry in piping hot oil as it will brown the outside too quickly and blister it too.

The writer is part-time culinary historian, part-time development professional and full-time storyteller.

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#Health

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