Easy Peas & Carrots Pulao ( Pilaf)

My husband likes his food to be colorful. So, whenever a side dish calls for a little fancy kind of rice, like jeera rice or ghee rice, I make this instead. My children like it too and this way they get their portion of veggies too. It's quick & easy to make.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice: 2 cups
Ghee(clarified butter): 1 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Clove: 2
Cinnamon : 1 half-inch stick
Cardamom :2 whole
Bay leaf: 1 big
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp
Raisins: 1 tsp
Peas and carrots(frozen):1/2 cup
Hot Water:4 cups
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash basmati rice thoroughly, drain and keep aside 15-30 mins before adding it to the pan.

In a saut� pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add clove, cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaf, cashew halves one after the other. Saut� on medium-to low flame until cashew halves start turning a little golden. Now add raisins and saut� for 10 seconds until they begin to turn a little plump.

Add the drained basmati rice and saut� for 2-3 mins or until the rice crackles. Add in the peas and carrots.Now add 4 cups of boiling hot water and salt. Mix well. Once you see the liquid is boiling, reduce the flame to low, cover it and cook for 15 mins.After 15 mins, switch off the flame,fluff the rice.Keep it covered for another 15 mins before serving.

Serve with any side dish that has gravy . I served mine this time with butter chicken. Recipe will be made available in my next post.

Cooking made easy:

• While making any rice dishes that uses uncooked rice, the general rule of thumb for rice and water ratio is 1:2 unless stated otherwise.
• Make sure that you use hot water and not cold. This makes cooking faster.
• If using pressure cooker, do not put the weight ( whistle) on.
• Fluffing the rice at the end of 15 mins ensures that the top layer of the rice does not get hard.
• In the above recipe, I used frozen fresh peas and carrots.You can use dried peas which has been soaked and cooked and fresh carrots, diced.
• I use ghee and olive oil in 1:1 ratio in my dishes instead of ghee alone in order to reduce the amount of calories. Ghee is needed as it adds flavor to the dish.

Tip for Healthy Living:

Some amount of fats are required in our diets as they have numerous essential functions in the human body. This is especially true in growing children. As long as the fats are natural and not man-made and in small amounts,  it is healthy. Check out more here: http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidelifescience/fats_do.html

Food for thought:

One step at a time. ( unknown)

Methi Chicken ( chicken cooked with fenugreek leaves)

Methi Chicken has been one of my go-to recipes when I am in a rush and want to cook some chicken and make it quick.This dish also gives me my protein and vegetable in one pot ( without too many dishes to clean after cooking).I always have frozen methi leaves in my freezer and most of the time have some chicken with my basic marination of lemon,salt and pepper. The recipe below though has been made with fresh methi leaves as I recently had been to the Indian store.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken : 2 lbs
Methi ( fenugreek) leaves: 1 small bunch
Oil : 1 tbsp ( I use coconut oil)
Onions: 2 medium chopped fine
Ginger-garlic paste: 1tbsp
Green chillies: 4-6medium ( depending on your spice level)chopped fine
Haldi(turmeric): 1tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Yogurt : 1/2 cup
Cilantro leaves: 1 tbsp chopped fine
Salt to taste

Method:

Clean chicken, cut it into medium size pieces and keep aside.

Pluck methi leaves from it's stems, clean and keep aside.

Heat a saut� pan with 1tbsp oil, add chopped onion and saut� until they start turning golden brown. Now add ginger-garlic paste and saut� for a minute. Add chopped green chillies, haldi and saut� for a minute. Add cleaned chicken pieces and saut� for 3-4 minutes.Add yogurt, mix well.Add the cleaned methi( fenugreek leaves), salt. Mix well, cover and let it simmer for 15-20 mins on low flame until the chicken & methi leaves are cooked. Add garam masala, mix well.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with basmati rice or roti.

Cooking made easy:

While cooking chicken, generally there is no need to add additional water as the chicken leaves water. Therefore just keep the flame low and let it cook in its own juices. Add water at the end if needed.

Methi (fenugreek) leaves should always be plucked and not chopped. According to my mother, apparently chopping methi leaves makes it more bitter.

Freshly chopped ginger & garlic can be used in this dish instead of the paste.

Frozen methi (fenugreek) leaves can be used instead of fresh ones in the above recipe. If using frozen methi leaves, use 1 cup for the above recipe.

Tip for healthy living:

For centuries fenugreek leaves and seeds have been used in Indian cuisine and have been known for its medicinal properties. It apparently aids in digestion, helps blood purification and helps lower/maintain blood sugar levels in diabetics. It also apparently facilitates labor and helps enhance breast milk production. There is no conclusive scientific evidence for any of these claims.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-733-FENUGREEK.aspx?activeIngredientId=733&activeIngredientName=FENUGREEK
http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/15-health-benefits-of-methi/

 Food for thought: 

Knowledge is Power ( Francis Bacon)

Quick easy mixed vegetable pulao ( pilaf)

For the longest, making vegetable pulao for me was a long-drawn process to be saved only for weekends when I had the time. I used to always think you have to grind and make a coriander/ cilantro or mint based green paste then saut� this, do that... Just thinking about it used to tire me out. My mother-in-law broke that myth for me. To date, her vegetable pulao is the best! Every time she visited us, I just couldn't stop eating! I decided to learn the recipe from her. It is simple, quick and absolutely lip-smacking! My husband's all-time favorite! Here's the recipe.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Ghee( clarified butter):1tbsp
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Onion: 2 medium chopped
Garlic : 5 cloves chopped fine
Ginger: 1 inch chopped fine
Green chillies: 4 chopped fine
Tomato: 1 medium chopped
Frozen Mixed vegetables: 11/2 cups
Mushrooms: sliced 1 cup( optional).
Soya chunks: 1/2 cup
Cashew nut : 1 tbsp chopped(optional)
Garam masala: 1 tbsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder):1 tsp
Water: 4 cups + 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash basmati rice thoroughly and keep aside 15-30 mins before adding it to the pan.

Boil one cup water with a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat, add the soya chunks and keep it aside for 10-15 mins. Then squeeze the excess water out of the soya chunks and keep it in a separate bowl.

In a saut� pan/wok/pressure cooker heat olive oil and ghee. Add chopped garlic, saut� for 30 seconds. Add chopped ginger and again saut� for 30 seconds. Now add the chopped onions and saut� until golden brown. Add chopped cashew nuts and strained soya chunks. Then add chopped tomatoes and green chillies and saut� for 3-4 mins until the tomatoes are wilted. Now add haldi( turmeric) powder and garam masala powder, saut� for a minute. Add the drained basmati rice and saut� for 2-3 mins or until the rice crackles. Add the mixed vegetables.Now add 4 cups of boiling hot water and salt. Mix well. Once you see the liquid is boiling, reduce the flame to low, cover it and cook for 15 mins. (If adding mushrooms,mix it in at the end of 10 mins).After 15 mins, switch off the flame,fluff the rice . Keep it covered for another 15 mins before serving.

Serve hot with raita or plain cucumber salad.

I love mine with slices of avocados .

Cooking made easy:

• Learn to use what is available in your pantry. There is no hard and fast rule for cooking. We can always improvise, experiment within reason.
• Any combination of mixed vegetables can be used for pulao.I used frozen mixed vegetable comprising of peas, carrots, beans and corn.You can use fresh vegetables of your choice.
• You can use ghee alone for the pulao. I use a combination of oil & ghee to make it a little less fattening.
• Instead of fresh ginger and garlic, ginger garlic paste can be used if you are in a rush.
• The reason for adding mushrooms towards the end is to avoid overcooking the mushrooms.
• Make sure that you use hot water and not cold. This makes cooking faster.
• If using pressure cooker, do not put the weight ( whistle) on.
• Fluffing the rice at the end of 15 mins ensures that the top layer of the rice does not get hard.

Tip for Healthy Living:

Incorporate at least 20-30 mins of physical activity into your day. This could be any type of recreational activity you like or just part of your daily life. For example: walking briskly to the busy stop, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. This not only burns calories but also improves your general health and facilitates a sense of well-being.

Food for thought:

Desire is the root cause of misery.(Buddha)

Karate( karela/ bitter gourd) phodi( fry)

Karate is known as karela in other parts of India and bitter gourd or bitter melon in other parts of the world http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia .This is one of my favorites. It is also one of my rare indulgences. I don't make this often as it is fried. There is no getting around it. I have tried baking it too, comes okay. It just doesn't taste that good. So, once in a while I make a small batch of this to be eaten over a few days with our lunch/ dinner.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Karela ( Karate) : 2 medium sized.
Haldi ( turmeric powder): 1 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Chili powder( cayenne pepper): 3/4 tsp
Coriander pwd: 1 tsp
Hing : pinch
Rice flour: 1/4 cup
Oil for frying


Slice karate ( karela) into 0.25cms thickness rings. Sprinkle salt and
turmeric powder, mix well and keep aside for 2-3 hours.

After 2-3 hours, gently squeeze the karela with your hand and remove the excess water and keep aside.

In another bowl mix rice flour, chili powder, coriander powder, hing and a pinch of salt.

Now add the drained karela to this and mix well till the batter coats the karela well. If too dry, sprinkle a little bit to water to provide good binding.

Heat oil in a small wok and deep fry the karela on medium- to-low flame until crispy turning over once in between. Generally takes about 4-5mins on each side.

Enjoy with rice and dal.

Note:

Since salt has already been added during the initial marination, taste the batter for salt before adding more.

Getting the karela to be crispy takes a little while. I generally make this when I am in the kitchen for a longer period of time cooking something else as well.

Store in an airtight container. Stays fresh for almost 5days.

Cooking made easy:

While waiting for something to be done on the stove, you can do the dishes or clean up around the kitchen. This way you will not have a huge pile of dishes and cleaning to do at the end of cooking.

Tip for Healthy living:

While karela/ bitter melon is nutrient-rich vegetable, for centuries in India karate/ karela/ bitter melon has been used for it's medicinal properties. The most significant being the insulin like properties of it's juice which is used in diabetics to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Research however has shown inconclusive results.

Karela is also used as a blood purifier. It is supposedly helpful in people with toxemia, and helps boost the immune system. There have been also other claims like its use in people with gout, piles etc, but there has been no scientific evidence to support it.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-795-BITTER%20MELON.aspx?activeIngredientId=795&activeIngredientName=BITTER%20MELON

http://www.bitter-gourd.org/health-benefits/

http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-bitter-gourd.html

Food for thought:

Health is wealth ( unknown).

Butternut squash upkari/stir-fry

My kids have liked butternut squash since babies. I used to generally boil them with salt and give it to them with a little butter. To add a little more flavor and to get them into mainstream eating and reduced cooking for me, :) ) I often make upkaris ( stir-fry ) for them. I decided to make butternut squash the way they make pumpkin upkari back home. And it came out delicious! The kids loved it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash :1 medium
Mustard: 1/4 tsp
Chana dal : 1/2 tsp(optional)
Green chili: 1
Asofoetida ( hing): pinch
Coconut oil: 1 tsp. ( you can use any cooking oil of your preference, I use coconut oil in mine).
Jaggery(molasses)/ sugar:1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Fresh grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( optional).

Method:

Peel the butternut squash and dice it into 2 cm cubes and keep aside. Slit the green chillies and keep aside.

Heat a saut� pan/ wok on medium heat,add 1 tsp coconut oil. Now add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the chana dal, then the slit green chillies. Saut� for a minute until the chana dal turns a little golden color.Now add the diced butternut squash & saut�.Add asofoetida( hing), a little bit of salt and 1tsp sugar. Reduce the flame to low, cover the pan and cook until the vegetable is soft enough to eat. Generally takes about 15 minutes. Ensure that you check in between to see if it is cooked. You do not want it to turn into mush!

Garnish with freshly grated coconut. Serve with rice & rasam or dal. You can eat it just like that too.

Cooking made easy:

• This upkari ( stir-fry) can also be made with other types of squash like Acorn or Calabash. 
• The easiest way to cut squash is to first peel it with a regular peeler. The outside skin is tough but the inside is soft and easy to cut.

Tip for healthy living:

Incorporate colors and variety in your diet. Every single day try to eat at least 4-6 different colors of fruits and vegetables. This will automatically ensure that you get the adequate amount of the daily requirement of your vitamins and minerals NATURALLY! 

References:

http://www.wholeliving.com/134734/power-foods-butternut-squash

http://www.eufic.org/article/en/show/spotlight/rid/colours-of-fruits-and-vegetables-and-health/

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/eat-a-colorful-variety-of-fruits-and-vegetables

Food for thought:

Rome was not built in a day ( John Heywood).

Blackened Chicken

I have joined a group called Chef at Large which has several amazing cooks with blogs of their own on it. This recipe I learnt from one of the members of the group Ruchi Airen. She blogs at http://www.foodfellas4you.com This is apparently her mother's recipe. The beauty of this recipe is it's simplicity! I have neither the time nor the patience for recipes with a long list of ingredients,lengthy procedures and several pots and pans. I leave those to people with the inclination and time on their hands. This recipe was quick and easy to make with only 2 pots to wash! The aroma was enticing, and the taste absolutely delicious! You will definitely reach for second helpings!

The original recipe called for chicken drumsticks, I have used boneless chicken breast.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken boneless breast cut into medium-small bite sized pieces : 1 lb.
Chili powder ( cayenne pepper): 1 tsp
Garam masala: 2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Soya sauce : 1 1/2 tbsp
Vinegar: 1 1/2 tbsp
Olive oil : 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate cleaned  chicken with all the above ingredients except oil. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.

 Heat oil in a walk on medium-high flame. Add the marinated chicken and saut� till the chicken looks a little fried and the water has almost reduced. Reduce the flame to low, cover and cook for 5-8 mins. Open and saut� again on high flame until all water has evaporated . Make sure that the chicken has cooked through and through.

Garnish with onion rings and serve hot. Can be served with rice and dal/ rasam  as a side dish or  alone as an appetizer!

Cooking made easy:

• When you bring chicken home from the store, try to immediately clean and marinate the chicken before putting it in the freezer.
• Use a basic marinade of salt, pepper and lemon juice. Freeze them in small airtight containers or freezer bags in small portions.
• This way you can defrost just enough portion and make chicken anytime you wish without having to spend extra time on cleaning, marinating etc.
• Depending on the dish you are making you can add the additional marination ingredients and leave it for 10-15 mins.
• Chicken tastes better and is tender when marinated well
• You can do the same thing with fish too.

Tip for healthy living:

Try to use only organic chicken or cage-free hens without antibiotics. While organic chicken can be expensive there are also options of chicken whose sellers clearly state that no antibiotics have been fed to them. The examples I have are Perdue and Fairway brand. I have tried both of them. I must say I like the Fairway brand better.

Why must we use organic or antibiotic-free chicken? Because those chemicals/medications will enter our body and affect the functioning of our body. Think of what it might do to our growing children! 

References:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html
http://www.foodpolicy.umn.edu/policy-summaries-and-analyses/antibiotics/
http://m.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/what-makes-organic-chicken-organic

Food for thought:

Every bit matters ( source: unknown).

Quinoa Black-Bean Salad.

A year ago, I decided to make some lifestyle changes towards better health and healthy living. As part of this, I decided to avoid gluten.One of the gluten- free grains I came across was the protein-rich quinoa. Quinoa was all the rage then. It has come a long way from being in health food stores into mainstream grocery stores. It is a superfood with several health benefits. I did not know what to do with it. I have a colleague of mine who has food sensitivity and uses quinoa as a rice substitute. She gave me some quinoa to try out and I  could not do it. I love my rice! I decided to make upma with it just by substituting the sooji( semolina) for quinoa. It turned out horrible!  She then gave me some quinoa- black bean salad one day for lunch & I loved it! I decided to again try making quinoa again ( especially since I had a 5lbs bag of it!). The quinoa black-bean salad was a great hit ! It has been liked and devoured every single time I made it! Of course I have tweaked her recipe a little!This is for you Lyra.Here is my recipe:

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Quinoa : 1 cup
Water: 2 cups
Black beans: 1 8oz can
Corn kernels: 1 8oz can
Spring onions( scallions): 1 small bunch, finely chopped.
Red/white onion: 1 small, finely chopped.
Bell pepper green( capsicum): 1 small, diced.
Orange/red/yellow bell pepper: 1 small,diced.
Cucumber: 1small, diced.
Tomato: 1 small, deseeded and diced ( optional).
Dried cranberries: 2 tbsp( optional)
Coarsely chopped walnuts: 2 tbsp( optional)
Feta cheese: 6oz, crumbled.
Olive oil ( preferably) extra virgin:3 tbsp.
Lemon juice: from 1 whole lemon.
Pepper powder ( preferably freshly ground): 1tsp
Salt to taste.

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan with 1/4 tsp salt. When the water comes to boil, add quinoa, cover the pot. Reduce the flame to low and let it cook for 15 mins. Once cooked, let it cool down completely to room temperature.

In the mean time, rinse thoroughly and drain the canned black-beans & corn. While that is draining, chop the vegetables.

Take a large salad bowl,add all the chopped vegetables, black-beans, corn, feta cheese, cranberries, walnuts, cooled quinoa,cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Mix well. Keep in the refrigerator until it is served.

Serve chilled. You can garnish with sprigs of cilantro.

Cooking made easy:

• This salad is very versatile and can be made with pretty much anything that you have in your pantry & fridge.
• You can add all colored peppers or just the ones of your choice. You can skip it altogether if you don't like them.
• Instead of black-beans, you can use red kidney beans or pinto beans. You can also add either of them in addition to the black-beans.
• You can substitute fresh corn for canned corn kernels.
• Queso de fresco or cottage cheese can be used instead of feta cheese.
• You can cook the quinoa ahead of time ( like the previous night) and put it in the refrigerator.

Tip for healthy living:

You must have heard of several celebrities being on a gluten-free diet. Is it a FAD? May-be. But gluten has been known to be the cause of several health issues like joint pain, fatigue, bloating to name a few. Gluten is the root cause of Celiac disease.Should you go on a gluten- free diet? Not necessarily. These health issues are present in those who are gluten- intolerant (like those with celiac disease )and those who are gluten- sensitive. This is the population who experience issues like fatigue, bloating & joint pain. So what exactly is gluten? Where is it present? It is a protein component present in wheat, rye and barley.Gluten is what gives these foods their stickiness/elasticity. To learn more go here.Even though there are only 3 kinds of grains that contain gluten, avoiding gluten means avoiding a whole array of foods that are fattening. Examples include pasta, bread, pastries, cakes, donuts, cookies, crackers, so on and so forth. This automatically makes you choose more healthier foods like fruits, vegetables and grains like quinoa, oats & millet. When you eat healthy you will not gain weight.I think celebrities predominantly go on a gluten- free diet as one of the ways to keep their weight under control.

Food for thought:

Failure is the stepping stone for success ( Source:unknown).