Meatless Monday Endamame - Tofu Salad

Here is another one of my favorites. It is healthy and yummy. Soybean has chock-full of health benefits and we can reap it to the fullest through this salad. It has soybean in its simplest form as Endamame and in the fermented form as Tofu. It is quick, simple and easy to make.

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Shelled Endamame: 2 cups( frozen Endamame can also be used).
Extra firm Tofu: 4 oz , cut into bite-sized squares.
Cooking oil: 1 tsp  for greasing the skillet.
Red bell pepper: 1, diced small.
Orange/ yellow bell pepper: 1, diced small.
Green bell pepper: 1, diced small.
Cilantro: 1 tbsp, chopped

For the dressing:
Sesame oil: 2 tbsp
Rice vinegar: 1 tbsp
Soy sauce: 1 tsp
Grated ginger: 1/2 tsp
Honey: 3/4 tsp
Minced garlic: 1 clove
Red chilli pepper flakes: a pinch
Salt: to taste( remember soy sauce is salty; adjust accordingly).

Method:

Cook the Endamame over the stove-top until tender. Keep aside to cool.

In a skillet,  pan sear the tofu pieces until slightly golden and keep aside to cool down.

In a jar mix together all the ingredients listed under "for the dressing".

Marinate  the tofu slices in the dressing for 5-10 minutes. Then mix in the Endamame , the bell peppers and cilantro. Mix well.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Do not soak the wooden cutting boards in water for washing. Just use warm/ hot water and dish soap, wash and dry it completely before storing. If you leave the wooden cutting board in water, it absorbs the water, swells up and gets deformed.The same goes for wooden spoons.

Tip for healthy living:

Soy is a great source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. It is in fact one of the few complete proteins available that are of plant-origin. People on elimination diet have to be careful as some people may also be allergic/ reactive to soy. One also has to be careful regarding the selection of soy products. You want to make sure you choose Non-GMO ones and the products that are least processed; examples being Endamame, soy milk & Tofu.

References:

Food for thought:

Hope is such a bait, it covers any hook. Oliver Goldsmith

Shri Krishna Janmashtami Special

Yesterday was Shri Krishna Janmashtami ( Lord Krishna's Birthday ) which is celebrated with much pomp in India and all over the world by the devotees of Lord Krishna. This is celebrated by fasting all day and at midnight ( which is when Lord Krishna was born), the fast is broken with a feast served on plantain leaf.My earliest memories of this festival is my mother waking up early, taking a head bath( read washing hair too), preparing an array of delicious sweet laddoos ,prasadam  and a whole bunch of the traditional items and us eagerly awaiting the grand dinner at night. Everything has to be vegetarian but without the use of onion or garlic. No rice or rice containing items can be consumed throughout the day. Being so far away from home, I try to emulate my mother and follow tradition by making at least few of the traditional food items every year so that my children  will be familiar with our culture and traditions. We have a small prayer session which is followed by the dinner. We also go to the nearby temple. Last night by the time we were done with everything, I was too tired to post anything.

Here is my humble offering to Lord Krishna on a symbolic plantain leaf.

Clockwise: Rice with Chana saaru ( Black chick-pea rasam), Alvathi( collacacia leaves cooked in spicy ground coconut sauce), Lai undo ( Lai laddoo), Til undo( sesame laddoo), Godu phovu( sweet beaten rice ), mixed lentil panchkadai( mixed lentil with coconut and jaggery), Chana upkari( Black chick pea and sweet-potato stir-fry), Muga Dali Usli ( moong dal stir fry), valval( mixed vegetable stew.

Recipes for all items will be posted soon.

Indian Independence Day Special: Tricolor Rice Platter

Today is Indian Independence Day. It is in fact the 68 th Independence Day. It has been 68 years since India became free from the British. I wanted to make something that would simulate the Tricolor Indian flag, popularly referred to as "Tiranga"( Tricolor). I pondered for a while and finally decided to celebrate this wonderful occasion by making a Tricolor Rice Platter. Before going into the details of my platter, let me tell you all a little bit about the Indian Flag. It is of course made up of three horizontal bands of equal colors: saffron, white and green with a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes  in the center of the middle band.Saffron stands for valor,courage and sacrifice of the Indian people. White stands for truth, peace and purity. Green stands for prosperity, vibrance and life. The wheel which is based on the Ashoka Chakra represents righteousness, progress and perpetuity.It represents motion. The 24 spokes of the wheel represent the 24 hours of the day.

My Tricolor Rice Platter comprises of Carrot Pulao for the Saffron band, Jeera Rice for the white band and Palak Pulao( Spinach Rice) for the green band. I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday! I am sure everyone there will enjoy this platter! Jhuls and Selma are co-hosting this week.I have already packed my pretty floral tankini and the sunscreen for the pool-party! Each week I look forward to Angie's party!

Carrot Pulao ( Carrot Rice)

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Basmati rice: 1 cup
Grated carrots: 1 cup ( from 1 large carrot)
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1 tsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped fine
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 2, chopped fine
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Coconut oil: 2 tbsp
Lemon juice: from one small lemon
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( optional for garnishing)
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp chopped fine ( for garnishing)
Water: 2 cups
Salt: as per taste.

Method:

Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadai/ saut� pan. Add 1 tsp jeera and the onions. Saut� until the onions turn transparent.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and saut� for few seconds. Now add the turmeric powder and garam masala powder.

Add the rice and saut� for 2-4 minutes. Add the grated carrots, saut� for a minute. Add in the hot water, salt and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes. 

When done, fluff with a fork/ spoon. Add in the lemon juice, mix well.

Garnish with freshly grated coconut and chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with some Raita of your choice or by itself.

Enjoy!

Jeera Rice ( Cumin rice)

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice: 1 cup
Water: 2 cups
Clarified butter( ghee): 1 tbsp( you could use regular cooking oil if you don't have ghee)
Jeera ( cumin seeds): 3/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Bay leaf: 1 small
Cashew halves: 1 tsp( optional)
Salt: to taste.

Method:

Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.

Heat ghee in a saut� pan/ pot on low heat. Add the jeera( cumin) and cinnamon stick and saut� for few seconds. Add the cashew halves and saute until slightly golden.

Now add in the washed and dried rice and saut� for 2-3 minutes. Now add 2 cups of hot water, salt and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame to the lowest possible, cover and cook for 15 minutes. 

When done, open, fluff the rice and keep covered for 10 more minutes with the flame turned off.

Serve hot with a side dish of your choice.

Palak Pulao ( Spinach Rice)

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Cooked rice: 2 cups
Spinach pur�e: 1 cup
Ghee( clarified butter): 1 tsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped fine
Green chillies: 2, chopped fine
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1/4 tsp
Salt: to taste
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp( from one small lemon)
Chopped Ciilantro: 1 tbsp( for garnishing).

Method:

In a saut� pan/ kadai, heat 1tsp ghee. Add the ginger garlic paste and onions and saut� until the onions turn transparent. 

Add the chopped green chillies, garam masala, spinach pur�e, salt, sugar and cook for 5-6 mins. 

Add in the rice and mix well.  Cook for 1-2 mins. 

Now add the lemon juice.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Serve hot.

Pineapple Pudding (Cornmeal Pineapple Pudding)

This past Sunday was Rakshabandhan, I decided to celebrate the occasion by making something sweet that my kids would eat and is healthy to boot. Rakshabandhan is an Indian festival where every sister ties a thread bracelet on her brother's wrist and asks for his protection. There is a whole tale behind the beginning of this tradition.

Anyways, this is a very simple and easy dessert to make. Sooji/Cream of wheat or wheat farina is normally used in the preparation of this dish, but since I avoid gluten, I wanted to make it gluten-free.Hence,I decided to use cornmeal. Why cornmeal??? Because from experience I know that when I substituted cornmeal for cream of wheat in upma, it comes out very good, then why not in the pineapple pudding??? It comes out super-yum! Now I have a delicious dessert too!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Yellow cornmeal: 1 cup
Sugar: 1 cup
Water: 2 cups
Pineapple pieces: 1/2 cup( I used one cup as I wanted to finish the pineapple I had!)
Ghee( clarified butter): 1/4cup
Saffron: 3-4 strands( optional)
Cardamom powder: 1/8 tsp ( freshly crushed from 2-3 cardamom pods.
Cashew halves: 1 tsp( optional,for garnishing)
Sliced almond: 1 tsp( optional, for garnishing)
Raisins: 1 tsp ( optional, for garnishing).

Method:

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups water, sugar and bring it to a boil. Add the bite-sized pineapple pieces to it and simmer for 5-8 mins. Add in the saffron strands and cardamom powder.Keep aside.

In a thick- bottom pan, dry roast the cornmeal until slightly aromatic on low flame( usually around4-5 minutes). Make sure you don't burn it. Keep aside in a bowl/ plate.

In the same above pan, heat the ghee( clarified butter) and oil . Roast the almond slices, cashew halves and raisins one after the other. Remove from the pan and keep aside in a plate.

Now add back the dry roasted cornmeal and mix well in the ghee for 1-2 minutes on low flame.Add in the hot water-sugar-pineapple mixture slowly, mixing the cornmeal each time you ad the water. Make sure that it is smooth and there are no lumps.Reduce the flame to the lowest possible, cover and let it cook for 3-5 minutes stirring in between until done. Add in 3/4 of the nuts and raisins and mix well.

Reserve the rest for garnishing before serving.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

You could make the above dish with sooji/ cream of wheat/semolina/ farina.

You could use canned pineapple instead of fresh. I prefer using the fresh ones.

Tip for healthy living:

Ghee( clarified butter) has been used for time immemorial in Indian cooking. But in recent years there had been a greater hesitancy in using ghee for cooking for fear of fat accumulation. Ghee in moderation is actually good for the body. It provides the body with good fats that is much needed for the functioning of the body cells like those of the nervous system.

References:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/doctors-bust-medical-myths-and-lies?page=13
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=newtip&dbid=9
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/56
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/15-amazing-benefits-of-ghee.html

Food for thought:

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. Jean Anouilh

Quinoa Payasam (Quinoa Pudding). A traditional Indian dessert with a modern twist!

Finally, here is a recipe that I can claim complete an sole ownership to!! At least I think I can!  Often you assume that you came up with an original idea, but somebody else has already thought of it! That is a problem when you live in such a heavily populated world!But in my defense, I can truthfully state that I have never come across this recipe anywhere before. I came up with it by chance. I accidentally figured out the recipe and did not set out with the intent of finding it.

This is what happened... Payasam is a commonly made South Indian dessert, specially cooked on auspicious days. The base for Payasam is coconut milk and jaggery. Basically you cook either lentils ( split yellow peas, Chana  dal, moong dal) or  bulger wheat or  rice and put this in a sauce made of cardamom flavored coconut milk sweetened with jaggery and then garnish it with nuts and raisins. I set out to make moong-bean lentil Payasam. When I was almost done, I realized that I had miscalculated the amount of jaggery required and as a result my dessert was now too sweet. Neither do I nor do any of my family members like dessert that is too sweet. I started pondering about ways to fix this! Then I remembered having some cooked quinoa in my refrigerator. I decided to add it in and see what happens. The gamble paid off! Not only did I manage to fix the sweetness of the dessert, it turned out absolutely delicious! Everyone, including my family members and colleagues enjoyed it. I had come up with a nice healthy dessert!

Here is the recipe in detail:

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Quinoa: 1/2 cup
Moong-bean lentil: 1/2 cup
Water: 1 cup + 1 cup
Coconut milk: 1 can
Jaggery( palm sugar/coconut sugar): 3/4- 1 cup ( depending on the sweetness you prefer). If you don't have jaggery you could use brown sugar.
Cardomom powder: 1/8 tsp freshly ground from 2-cardamom pods.
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp( optional for garnishing)
Raisins: 1 tbsp( optional for garnishing).
Coconut flakes: 1/2 tbsp( optional for garnishing).
Ghee( clarified butter): 1/2 tsp to roast cashew halves and raisins.
Salt: pinch

Method:

Bring one cup water to a boil. Add the quinoa and salt, reduce the flame to low, cover and cook the quinoa for 12-15 minutes until you see the curls of the quinoa unfurl.Fluff it with a fork.

Cook the moong-bean lentil with 1 1/2 cups water over the stove-top until tender/ cooked.

Now in a pot, mix together the cooked moong-bean lentil, cooked quinoa and the jaggery. Simmer on low until the jaggery is all melted. 

Add the coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Turn off the flame.

Mix in the cardamom powder.

Garnish:
In a small frying pan heat the ghee, roast separately the raisins and cashews. Add it to the above pot.
Coconut flakes can be used as a garnish just before serving.

You could serve it hot or cold! I am bringing this dessert too to Angie@TheNoviceGardener  for her Fiesta Friday as I don't think that the Mango Ice-Cream that I took yesterday will be enough for all! ;) I definitely don't want our hostesses, the aussie dames, Margot and Saucy to be upset! Plus, I think they would enjoy a traditional Indian dessert with a modern twist!
Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

The above dish can be made with quinoa alone.

You can use any other lentil like split yellow-peas.

The moong-bean lentil can be cooked in the pressure cooker with 1 cup water for 3-4 whistles. Take it out only when the pressure is zero in the cooker.

Tip for healthy living:

Sugar Vs Jaggery.

Both sugar and jaggery are made out of sugarcane juice. Jaggery is made by boiling the sugar cane juice continuously until it forms a thick paste which is then cut into blocks. For sugar, after boiling the juice, it is set through bone charcol for crystalization. Sugar is the simplest form of sucrose while jaggery contain minerals, iron and some fiber in addition to sucrose. For time immemorial jaggery has been used as a sweetener in India. It is even used in tea and coffee instead of white sugar.White sugar is processed sugar. Jaggery is naturally processed and is much healthier and is also a source of iron. In India, jaggery is preferred as it is considered holy as animal bone is not used to process it.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaggery

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/jaggery-and-sugar.html

https://www.reliancegeneral.co.in/insurance/articles/year-2012/September/Say-No-to-Sugar-Opt-for-Jaggery.aspx

Food for thought:

Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. Voltaire

Eggless Mango Ice Cream

I have been looking for that elusive,easy, perfect ice-cream recipe for the longest now.I have seen people post wonderful perfect-looking home-made ice-creams on Facebook and in different forums.  I have come across several ice-cream recipes online but most require a ice-cream machine or have eggs in them. Others call for taking it out of the freezer every few hours and blending it and putting it back. Well, I simply cannot be bothered with all that as time is a issue for me. Everything that I make has to simple, quick an easy. Therefore I cannot tell you how happy I was when I saw my good friend from the blogging world, Shilpa Pinaki's  simple ice-cream recipe with just 3 ingredients! I was overjoyed when I tried it and it came out PERRRFECT!!! It was a superhit at home! Shilpa fully deserves all the accolades that she receives for this recipe.

We still have another month or so if summer left before the temperature stars falling. Enjoy it to the fullest with this simple and easy Mango Ice-cream recipe. I of course have modified the recipe a little by adding a fourth ingredient: vanilla essence. You can find the original recipe here.

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

Whipping cream: 1/2 pint
Condensed milk: One 12 oz can
Mango pulp: from one big mango ( I used kent Mango).
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

Shilpa's recipe suggests using equal amounts of whipping cream, condensed milk and mango pulp. I didn't want a little bit of this and a little bit of that left, hence used whole can/carton.

Method:

Chill the cream and condensed milk overnight  in  the refrigerator overnight.

Whip the cream in a blender until fluffy. Add the vanilla essence.Add the condensed milk and mango pulp little bit at a time until well mixed.

Freeze for 6-8 hours before serving.

Serve it in a cup/cone/ waffle bowl, anything that catches your fancy!

I am bringing this to all the fun-loving foodies at Angie's Fiesta Friday! Margot and Saucy, the wonderful Australian duo are co-hosting again this week! What fun it will be!!! I bet they will all love it! I hope I have enough for all...:)
If you haven't been to Angie's parties, I strongly suggest you do..it is TONS of fun!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

 For the above ice-cream, any fruit of your choice could be used instead of mangoes. You could use frozen/canned mango pulp instead of fresh mango.I prefer to use fresh whenever I can.

Whenever you have fruit that is overripe or you fear is about to go bad, just peel it, chop it and put it in ziplock bags or freezer bags/containers and freeze it. When needed you can whip it into an ice-cream, smoothie or milk-shake!

Tip or healthy living:

Make sure you include atleast 3-4 kinds of fruits in your diet each day. The colors are important as each color indicates the nutrient that the fruit is rich in !This will provide you with most of your daily requirement of vitamins and minerals!
References:
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/colors-fruits-vegetables-play-important-role-1660.html
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-multiple-colored-fruits-vegetables-4676.html
http://www.eufic.org/article/en/show/spotlight/rid/colours-of-fruits-and-vegetables-and-health/
http://www.louisvillehealth.com/health-benefits-of-colorful-fruits-vegetables.php

Food for thought:

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. Mark Twain

Gajbaje ( Mixed vegetables in coconut gravy)

The word "Gajbaje"  literally means "mix-up" in the konkani language. I think that is a very apt name for this rather popular tradional konkani side-dish. This dish is a go-to when you have little bit of this and little bit of that  in your fridge/pantry but not enough quantity to make a complete dish with one single vegetable and you want to use it before it goes bad! This dish is also commonly used during holy days or festival days when we do not use/cook/consume onion or garlic in our food. It is really a easy dish and healthy too. I hope you guys try it and like it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Zucchini: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise  into 2 inch pieces
Carrots: 2 small, chopped lengthwise into 2 inch pieces
Potatoes: 2 medium, diced big ( I used red potatoes, any potato can be used.
Chayote: 1 medium, peeled and diced big.
Cauliflower: 8-10 big florets.
Salt to taste.
Water: 1 cup


For the sauce/ gravy ( masolu):
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Red chillies( dry): 3-4( depending on the spice level of the chilli used).
Tamarind: marble sized

For the tempering:
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 small sprig

Method:

Cook all the vegetables with salt and little water until just tender/cooked. Keep aside.

Using a blender,grind together all the ingredients listed under "for the gravy" into a smooth paste, adding water as needed.

Add the above paste to the boiled vegetables and bring it to a boil on low flame.

Tempering:

Heat oil in a small frying pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add this to the above pot!

Serve hot with rice  or flat bread.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Almost any vegetable could be used for this dish. Again, this dish is a perfect way to get rid of the little bit of leftover vegetables.

Just ensure that you do not overcook the vegetables otherwise the dish will turn into mush!

Cook the vegetables over the stove-top in a pot. To save time, I keep a small pot with little water to boil. As the water is boiling I chop the vegetable that will go in first, the one that requires the most cooking time; in my case the potatoes. I keep chopping and adding vegetables like this starting with the vegetable requiring the most cooking time to the one that requires the least, in my case the zucchini. By the time I add the zucchini in,the vegetables are almost done. This makes cooking more efficient.

Tip for healthy living:

What is a healthy diet?

Food for thought:

The giving of love is an education in itself. Eleanor Roosevelt