Herbed Cream cheese

Are you really busy this evening?  Or too tired?  But you are hungry.  There’s not much in the fridge.  Oh no!  What to do now?

Here’s what I did.  I took a bit of creamy cheese and added a few herbs and…

Ingredients:

1 bowl                  Fresh creamy cheese

2-3 Tsp.                Chives (finely chopped)

1 Tsp.                    Parsley (finely chopped)

1 small                  Spring onion (preferably)/ Onion/ shallot (finely chopped)

Salt (optional) (according to taste)

Pepper (optional) (according to taste)

Procedure:

1.                   Take a bowl of Fresh creamy cheese.

2.                   Add salt and pepper (optional) (I don’t and it is still perfect but it is a matter of taste)

3.                   Add finely chopped chives, parsley and spring onion.

4.                   Mix well.

Let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour for better results.  This gives the cheese the time to take the aroma of herbs.

You can have these as dip with boiled potatoes or vegetables or French fries or country potatoes or simply as a cheese spread for bread.

This is how I had it... the choice is yours :-)

Simply yummy! 

I love it.  Just try it out and tell me if you like it or not.

Aaloo - achari mirch (potatoes-chilli vegetable)

This is a quick recipe for those times when you feel like eating something spicy.  I don’t added red chillies as the green chilli lends a spicy touch to the dish but if it is not spicy enough for you, feel free to add some along with salt and turmeric powder.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 medium     Potatoes (peeled and cut lengthwise)

1 big                  Big green chilli (achari mirch) (cut lengthwise)

½ medium         Onion/ shallot (cut lengthwise)
Salt (according to taste)
¼ Tsp.              Turmeric powder
1 Tb. Sp.           Sunflower Oil
 

1 Tsp. Nigella sativa (kalonji)
















½ Tsp.                   Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)

Procedure:

Heat oil.

Add kalonji.

When it starts spluttering, add onions.

When the onions are semi-cooked add salt and turmeric powder and mix well.

Add potatoes and green chillies.

Cover and let it cook on low flame.  Keep stirring from time to time.

When the potatoes are cooked, take off the fire.

Let it cook at low flame for approximately 5 minutes.

Mix well.

Serve as a side dish with chapattis, rice or poories or with bread.

Onion, cucumber, tomato raita

All of us know how effective yoghurt is in fighting the summer heat.  And as we move towards summers I’d like to share a recipe that will help you beat the summer heat to some extent with ingredients such as cucumber, onion, mint and fresh coriander – a combination that is sure to help you protect yourself and your loved ones from heat wave.

Ingredients:

125 ml                  Yoghurt (dahi)

¼                            Cucumber (finely chopped)

1 small                  Tomato (finely chopped)

1 small                  Onion (finely chopped)

1 small                  green chilli (optional) (finely chopped)

Salt (according to test)

1 pinch                 Red chili powder

¼ Tsp.                   Mint powder

¼ Tsp.                   Cumin powder

10 gms                 Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)

Water

Procedure:

1. Take yoghurt and beat it into a thin mix.  Add a little water.
2. Add salt, red chili powder, mint powder and cumin powder.
3. Add finely chopped cucumber, tomato, onion and chilli and mix.
4. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander.

You can add other vegetables such as finely chopped carrots or capsicum.

Serve as a side-dish with rice-dal, pulao, puris or chappatis. 

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!

Chatpati Idli (Spicy rice and lentil cake)

Morning breakfast and afternoon snacks tend to put one in a dicey situation.  It's so difficult to please everyone and then of course, we are always concerned about being able to provide a healthy meal to youngsters who are so finicky about food.

At times, we have some leftovers at home so here’s a quick recipe for you if you have some leftover idlis (and no sambhar) or sandwich bread at home.

So here’s a healthy snack for

Ingredients:

1 Tb. Sp.              Sunflower Oil

1 Tsp.                    Mustard seeds 

2-3                         Dried whole red chillies (optional)

5-6                         Curry leaves

½ medium sized Onion (cut lengthwise)

1 medium sized               Tomato (finely chopped)

Salt (according to taste)

1 Tsp.                    Sambhar powder

Water

4-5                         Idlis (or white sandwich bread)

1 Tb. Sp.              Ground poppy seeds and almonds mix

Procedure:

1.                   Heat oil in a pan.

2.                   Add mustard seeds.

3.                   When the seeds start sputtering add whole red chillies. 

4.                   Add curry leaves, after 2-3 minutes add onions.

5.                   Stir fry till they are well cooked.

6.                   Add tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes while stirring from time to time.

Add salt and sambhar powder and mix well.

Add ground poppy seeds and almonds mix.

Add idlis and mix well.

If required, add  ¼ cup of water and mix well.

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

Aaloo wadiyaan (Potatoes with spicy nuggets made of lentils)

Here's another yummy potato recipe for those of you who are potato lovers.  A tasty yet healthy potato recipe thanks to the wholesome wadi.  Yes, you guessed it right, I am from Punjab and grew up with Papads and Wadis.  Those of you who are not aware of it, in fact, we Punjabis believe that the best wadis and papads are those from our own Amritsar.

Ingredients:

1                             Wadi

4-5 medium            Potatoes (peeled and cut into big pieces)



½ medium              Onion/ shallot (cut lengthwise)

Salt (according to taste)
2-3                          Whole red chillies
1 pinch                    Red chilli powder (according to taste)
¼ Tsp.                     Turmeric powder
1 Tb. Sp.                 Sunflower Oil
1 Tsp.                     Cumin (jeera) 
½ Tsp.                    Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
¼ Tsp.                    Garam masala

Procedure:

1.                   Heat oil and add wadi to it. 

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

3.                   When they start spluttering, add onions.

4.                   When the onions are semi-cooked add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix 

               well.

5.                   Add potatoes and some water.

6.                   Cover and let it cook on low flame.  Keep stirring from time to time.

7.                   When the potatoes are cooked take off the flame.

8.                   Break the wadi.

Serve hot as a side dish with chapattis, rice or poories.