Peanut- Garlic Chutney

Peanut- Garlic Chutney
(Note- Those red chilies are just to add the brightness in the picture- don't eat them just like that..:)))

After I wrote Red chard (pale bhaji) post, I could not wait to try some kind of chutney. I made this nice blend of peanuts and garlic with shredded coconut ,red chillies, salt, sugar and a hint of tamarind. It is the best chutney I have ever made. Hope you like it too.

Here are the ingredients-:

1. Peanuts- 1/4 cup
2. Garlic cloves- 4 big
3. Dry coconut- shredded - 1/4 cup
4. 1 red chili
5. Tamarind- add as per your taste, I added couple of small pieces of deseeded tamarind
6. Salt to taste
7. sugar to taste.

You can certainly change the quantity of red chili and garlic as much as you like. That will only make it spicier or milder depending on whether you increase or decrease the quantity.  I wanted  a medium version, so I only  used 1 red chilly and 4 cloves of garlic.

Dry roast shredded coconut, peanuts, garlic cloves and red chili separately  and then add them into a blender. Add salt, sugar and tamarind. Grind everything very well. Give it a stir in between and grind again. Grind the mixture to a consistency as seen in the picture above.

Store in an airtight container. Enjoy with paratha/ scallion pancakes, roti, bhakari, or rice.  Or simply just layer the chutney along with Desi ghee( tup) on a slice of whole grain bread for the breakfast. Good mix of protein (Peanuts) ,good carbs (Whole grain bread) and good fat (Desi ghee) to kick off your day..:)

Have fun.:)

Goodies from Remlinger Farms, Seattle

We Had a great day at Remlinger Farms today. It's a very happening place for the kids. I enjoyed our time in hay maze and hay jump and the marketplace which was full of fresh produce along with different spices and syrups, toys for kids and such.
I bought a bottle of plain queen olives and a packet of 17 bean soup mix. I am very excited about the 17 bean soup mix..:) Can't wait to try..:)

Here is a pic-:

17 bean soup mix and Plain Queen Olive

Red Chard (Palebhaji)

Are these beautiful greens missing from your diet? The way to get them on your plate is easier than you think.

 Here is what you will need-:

1. Red Chard chopped-  A bunch.
2. Chopped Onions- 1 medium
3. Chopped tomato- 1 medium
4. Minced Garlic- 3 large cloves
5. Salt to taste
6. Turmeric powder
7. Red chili powder
8. Peanut oil/ canola oil
9. Cumin seeds
10. Mustard seeds

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Wait until they splutter. Add garlic, saute them until the raw smell of garlic goes away. Then add onions, saute them for 2-3 minutes and add turmeric powder .Add tomatoes. Saute tomatoes until soft. Time to add the red chard. mix well. Cover with lid, and let it cook for about 5- 7minutes or so. The leaves should start wilting down. Add red chili powder  and salt to taste. Mix well and add a pinch of sugar, just to bring out all the good flavors. Cover and cook few more minutes if needed.
Ready to indulge..:)

Usually leafy vegetables do not take much time to cook, so watch out, make sure you don't overcook. Overcooking takes away all the nutrients that these colorful leaves have in them. So enjoy this homemade goodness of red chard with a bhakri/ chapati (poli) . You can also stuff the vegetable inside the bread and make a sandwich if you like.

Sauteed Red Chard with Jowar Bhakri

I usually use spinach in place of red chard. Using red chard is just a variation I came up with, and it turned out to be a great one...:) 

Blogoversary!!

My blog is 3 years old Today!!!! Yipeeeeee :)

Looking forward to the next year..:)

Baked sweet potato fries

Delicious evening snack for my little one! Sweet potato, cut in to wedges and roasted in the oven to the perfection!

Here is my little bunny, all ready with the sweet potato.

Ingredients-:

Sweet Potato
Olive Oil
Salt

Skin the sweet potato and cut it in to wedges. Make the wedges thin if you want the fries to be crispy. Thick wedges does not get the crunch that is usually expected from the fries. I make them thick so that they are easier on the little teeth.

Line a baking pan with the aluminium foil and spread some Olive oil on the foil. They need a very little oil. Arrange the wedges on the foil and sprinkle salt. Toss them together.You can also season them with other spices as per your taste like, pepper, basil, oregano, cumin powder, garlic powder, red chili powder etc.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Roast the wedges for about 25 minutes. Turn them over after 15 minutes.
Enjoy..:)

Soya starter

Back to back recipe of Soya as a main ingredient! I just love it's versatility, and the meaty texture.
It's a great appetizer recipe, needless to say healthy. Throw in any veggies you have on hand. I am sure it will taste just as delicious. Read on for few simple ingredients with few simple steps.

Ingredients-:
Soya chunks- A handful
Green and red bell peppers- cut lengthwise
Onion- sliced
Green onion- white part
Green onion- couple of springs, green part only
Soy sauce- 2 tsp
Hot and sour sauce - 2 tsp
salt to taste.

This is how you do it-:

• Boil the salted water and add the soy chunks. Let them play around for about 10-15 minutes. Drain, give them a squeeze and set aside.
• Add some olive oil in to the pan, and add sliced onions and the white part of the green onions, saute them for a minute, then add the bell peppers. Saute for couple more minutes and add the soy chunks along with the sauces.
• Season with salt and top them off with green onions.

Soy cutlets/ Soya patties

Easy to make, yummy to taste, and loaded with proteins! Just right for kids, adults, great for pregnant women, especially vegetarians, who often worry about their protein intake during pregnancy.

Read on for the ingredients and the recipe.

Ingredients-:
Soya Granuals- Couple of handfuls
Cut and boiled vegetables- Carrots, peas, corn, green beans, onions.
Potato- boiled, peeled and mashed- 1 small
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp
red chilly powder
cumin powder
coriander powder
garam masala - about 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Wheat flour- couple of tbsp for binding
Breadcrumbs- whole wheat
olive oil for shallow frying.

Recipe-:
Boil the granules in the salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water and set the granuals aside.
Mix all veggies, mashed potato, ginger garlic paste, red chilly powder, cumin and coriander powder, salt as per taste in to the soya granules. Add the wheat flour just enough to bind everything together and make round shaped patties out of it.

Cover the patties with the breadcrumbs, and shallow fry them over the non-stick skillet on a medium heat, until they are golden brown in color.

Serve with your favorite chutney or just tomato ketchup / sauce.

Yumm.........:)

Blueberry Smoothie

Holidays are in the air. Everyone is talking about cookies and cakes, pies and puddings, roasted turkey and roasted veggies!

Let me share with you my recent favorite dessert, which you might prefer this holiday, if you are on a weight loss spree like me.

Less ingredients, less calories,  and super easy to make. It takes less than 10 minutes. It's a great choice to include in your breakfast.

All you need is-:

• Frozen whole blueberries - 1/2 cup
• 1% milk/ soy milk - about 2 cups
• Non-fat yogurt- 1/4 cup
• honey - to taste

Mix all above in a grinder and beat to a smooth consistency. That's it. Pour in to the glasses and enjoy!!

oh.... and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Scallion / Spring onions/ green onion pancakes with guacamole dip

I was being really lazy to post this one. This one was made sometime in September. 

Scallions/ green onions/spring onions are not a common item in my grocery shopping.  We went to the Pike Place Market, and found a big bunch of scallions just for a couple of bucks. Grabbed them immediately..:)

Scallion Pancakes

The recipe I followed- http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/07/scallion-pancakes.html

 I made some changes in the dough. First off, I used whole grain wheat flour instead of all purpose and I added some Indian spices in the dough to make it more tastier. 

Using the wheat, I think affects the elasticity, all purpose might have made them taste better and why not!!

So here is what I used to make these tempting pancakes-:

• whole grain wheat flour
• cumin powder
• chili powder
• turmeric powder
• Ajwain seeds
• salt
• canola oil
• warm water to kneed the dough
• and lots of chopped scallions.

Just eyeballed the ingredients. 

Kneaded the dough with warm water and all the spices, with salt and some oil. Dividing them into small balls, rolled them, sprinkled the scallions and rolled them again to make nice round shapes. Shallow fried them over the stove top on a skillet. Served hot with homemade guacamole dip.

Here is the procedure with the step - by- step pictures. Hope it helps.

Guacamole dip

• Avocados
• Cumin Powder
• Lemon
• Salt 
• Cilantro spring

Cut the avocados in to cubes, add salt, cumin powder, chopped cilantro, and then squeeze some lemon juice on top. Mash the avocados and mix everything together. 

I didn't add garlic and tomatoes, which traditional recipe usually asks for. I thought I will keep it simple. It still tasted great.
Make the wedges out of pancakes and use the guacamole as a dip or simply eat it like paratha with guacamole as a chutney. So try this great combination and leave a comment if you like it.

I am sending this entry to Only Greens Event hosted by Sara's Corner and Foodelicious. What a great event!

Rice with soy chunks

One more healthy yet tasty post!!
No specifics, it's a very versatile rice preparation, which gives enormous opportunities to your creativity. I made just some additions to the the traditional jeera rice and came up with the name Rice with soy chunks.
Soy chunks being extremely nutritious and meaty in texture is a good substitute for someone who wants to shift to a vegetarian diet.

This is what you will need-:

Mushrooms

Diced ginger

Diced green bell pepper

Scallions

Soy Chunks

Oh... and Cumin seeds..and olive oil ...and rice....a picture of which is I think waste of space..:P

Heat some Olive oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. As they splutter, add ginger, saute for a minute and then add mushrooms. The washed rice goes next, saute for another couple minutes and add the water. The rice, water proportion is 1:2. Bring water to a boil and then lower down the heat to low, add the salt and let it simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Keep checking in between. Time to add the cooked soy chunks (cook the soy chunks by adding some water and salt and boiling the soy chunks for about 10 minutes, squeeze the excess water and drain the chunks) and the scallions. No need to cook the scallions. Turn the heat off as soon as you mix everything together.

This is the end result-:

Give it a try and let me know...:)