Tasty split Bengal gram with some spices (according to your taste)

Here’s another yummy way to eat split Bengal gram that is so good for health.

Ingredients:

100 gms.                  Chaney ki daal (Split Bengal Gram)

1 pinch                      Asafoetida

Salt

Red chilli powder

Turmeric powder

1 Tsp.                        Fennel seeds (powdered)

1                                 Indian Bay leaf (Tej Patta)

Sunflower Oil

1 Tsp.                        Cumin

2-3                             Whole dried red chillies

1 small piece           Ginger (finely chopped)

1 medium                Onion/ shallot (finely chopped) (optional)

1 medium                Tomato (finely chopped) (optional)

¼ Tsp.                                   Garam masala

Green coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Procedure:

Take split Bengal gram, add water and boil it with asafoetida, fennel seeds, bay leaf, salt, red chillies powder and turmeric powder. 

Take it off the fire when it’s well done.

Tadka

Heat oil in a pan.

Add cumin seeds.  When they start spluttering add whole dried red chillies, ginger and onions.

Once the onion and ginger start turning brown, add chopped tomatoes.   Add boiled split Bengal gram to the mix once tomatoes are well cooked.

Mix well.  When the lentils start boiling, add garam masala.  Mix well.

Take off the fire and garnish with finely chopped green coriander.

Serve with steaming rice/ chapattis and/or vegetables.

I hope that you’ll enjoy this meal.  May you have a healthy meal!

Quinoa - A simple recipe

Are you looking for a healthy meal to prepare which you won’t spend hours in the kitchen?  So here’s a quick and simple recipe for you. 

Quinoa or, as some people call it, `Rice of Incas’ is a very healthy option for those who want to avoid rice for one reason or another.  There are several ways of making it but one of the easiest and still tasty ways is to serve it with red Kidney Beans (or Raajmaanh) or simply boiled chick peas (Kabuli Chaney).

Ingredients:

1 Tb. Sp.              Olive Oil/ Colza oil

1 cup                     Quinoa

Kelpamar (according to taste)

Water

Preparation:

Boil water.

Add quinoa grains.

Let it boil for about 5 - 10 minutes.

When it is done you’ll see that the grains haver germinated.

Once the grains are well cooked, lower the flame and let the water dry.

Serve in a dish with kelpamar and olive oil or colza oil dressing.  You can add some boiled chickpeas or red kidney beans (rajma) to it. 

It is a healthy and complete meal.  Personally I love it as main course of my meal.  If you are looking for a healthy

Health Benefits:

Quinoa has a very high nutritional value and its high protein content (18%) makes it ideal for those looking for protein rich diet.

Colza or Rapeseed oil is a rich source of Omega 3, 6 and 9 and an excellent source of these Omega elements for vegetarians.

And if you don’t get Colza oil, you can use Olive oil, which, too, has several health benefits.

Wadi Chawal (Rice with spicy nuggets made of lentils)

I love wadis and like many Punjabis nothing can beat those from Amritsar or as we lovingly call them Amritsari Wadis.  A wadi is made of Urad Dal (Maanh ki daal) and spices. 

Today I’m going to share a recipe that I make when I’m really tired or don’t feel like cooking or really hungry and have forgotten to cook or…

A wadi is quite spicy so there is actually no need to add any spice, so if you can’t handle a really spicy fare, please limit yourself to just salt and don’t add the optional ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 Tsp               Cumin (Jeera)

1 Table spoon Sunflower oil              

1 1/2                Wadi

20 gms.           Rice 

1 medium        Onion or Shallot (cut length-wise)

1 small pc.       Ginger (cut in small cubes)

2-3                  Whole red chillies (optional)

Salt (according to taste)

Red chillies (according to taste) (optional)

Water

250 ml Oil

Procedure:

1.                  Wash rice well and let it soak for 10-15 minutes.

2.                  Heat oil and add wadi to it. 

3.                  Heat till it is light brown.  Add cumin and red chillies.  

4.                  Lower the gas flame.

5.                  When the cumin starts spluttering, add ginger. 

6.                  When the ginger is somewhat red, add onion.

7.                  When Onion is cooked (not brown), add rice and cover it with water.

8.                  Put enough water so that it doesn’t stick at the bottom of the  pot.

9.                  Let it cook for approximately 15 minutes.

10.              You can break the wadi once cooked.

11.              Serve with plain yoghurt or raita or Dahi Pakodiyaan.

Personally, I love the spicy version and for me, this combination is a healthy wholesome meal but it’s all a matter of taste.  I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Bon appetit!

Poha: A healthy snack

Every time you want to prepare snacks for yourself or your little angels, isn’t it a struggle to search for a healthy and yummy option?  Well, today, I’m sharing a traditional recipe that is not only healthy but yummy as well.

Ingredients:

1 Tb. Sp.              Sunflower Oil

1 Tsp.                    Mustard seeds 

1 medium           Potato (peeled and cut into small cubes)

Salt (according to taste)

1 pinch                 Red chilli powder (according to taste)

½ Tsp.                   Turmeric powder

Water

100 gms               Rice Flakes (chidwa/ chooDa/ pohey)

1                            Green chilli (optional)

½ medium sized Onion finely chopped (optional)

1 Tb Sp                 Sugar (optional)

25 gms                 Green coriander, finely chopped.

5-6 drops            Lemon juice (optional)

2 Tb Sp                 Haldiram’s Bhujia/ any namkeen (optional)

Procedure:

1.                   Wash rice flakes under running water (in a sieve).

2.                   Heat oil in a pan.

3.                   Add mustard seeds.

4.                   When the seeds start sputtering add potato cubes.  Stir fry till they are golden brown.

5.                   Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix well.

6.                   Add washed rice flakes. Mix well and cover for 2-3 minutes.

7.                   Add onion, green chilli, lemon juice and sugar.   Stir well and cover.

8.                   Take off the heat and garnish with green coriander, mix.

9.                   Serve in a bowl and garnish with bhujia.

And if you wish to make it healthier, just add a few veggies such as peas and carrots (finely chopped) after step 4.  Have a nice and healthy meal!