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Seven Layer Bean Dip

This Mexican dip is a party favorite. It can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. It should be served at room temperature. You can add any ingredients of your choice but below is the list of most preferred ingredients in a seven layer dip.

Ingredients:
Approx. 6 servings

• Re-fried beans - 1 can (16 oz)
• Taco seasoning mix - 1 (1 ounce) packet
• Sour cream - 1 (16 ounce) container
• Guacamole - 1 cup (homemade or store bought)
• Salsa - 1 cup
• Tomato - 1 large chopped
• Green bell pepper -1 chopped
• Green onions - 1 bunch chopped
• Sliced black olives - 1 (6 ounce) can, drained
• Shredded Mexican cheese - 2 cups

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and re-fried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large rectangle glass container.
2. Spread sour cream over the re-fried beans.
3. Top the layers with guacamole and salsa.
4. Now add layers of tomato, green bell pepper, half green onions and top with Mexican cheese.
5. Garnish with sliced black olives and remaining green onions.

Serve at room temperature. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips.

Chana dal vada : A crunchy snack for soggy weather

Happy Indian Republic Day!

Saare jahan se achcha Hindusitan hamara.......

Chana dal vada is a perfect snack for rainy, soggy weather. Enjoy these crunchy fritters with the chutney of your choice and a hot cup of tea.

Ingredients:
Approx. 6 servings

• Yellow chana dal  - 2 cups
• Onion - 1/2 cup finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Green chilies - 2 finely chopped
• Fresh cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Soak chana dal 4-5 hours in plenty of water.
2. Drain the water. Keep 1/4 cup soaked dal aside. Grind remaining dal without adding water.
3. In a large bowl, add the above dals, onions, ginger-garlic paste, cilantro leaves, green chilies, cumin seeds and salt. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in a pan for frying vadas.
5. Take 1 tbsp of the above batter in the palm of your hand, flatten them a bit and carefully fry them in medium hot oil till they turn golden brown in color.
6. Drain vadas on the kitchen towel.

Enjoy these garma garam vadas with the chutneys of your choice.

Khandvi: A Gujarati delight

Khandvi is a very delicate Gujarati snack. It takes little patience and practice to make these beautiful rolls. But it’s worth trying.

For Khandvi batter:
Besan (Gram flour) – 1 cup
Yogurt – 1 cup
Water – 1/2 cup
Green chili paste – 1 tsp
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Asafetida powder (Hing) – 1 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Salt as per taste

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds (rai) – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 5
Green chilies – 2 chopped
Fresh cilantro – 1 tbsp finely chopped
Fresh grated coconut – 2 tbsp
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add sieved besan, ginger paste, green chili paste, turmeric powder, asafetida powder and salt. Now add yogurt and water to it. Mix thoroughly. There must be no lumps and batter should be smooth.
2. In a thick bottom pan, cook this batter, stirring continuously. It starts to thicken. Keep stirring for approx. 5 minutes or till done.
3. Now keep the back of two steel thalis or any other large smooth area ready.
4. Take some batter on the back of each of these thalis and quickly spread them in very thin layer.
5. Let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Then slice them with knife into 2 inch long stripes.
6. Roll each stripe gently and arrange these rolls neatly in a serving dish.
7. For tempering, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard starts splattering, add curry leaves and chopped green chilies. Sauté for a minute and pour it evenly on the rolled Khandvi.

Garnish and serving suggestions:
Garnish Khandvi with fresh grated coconut and fresh chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Mutter ki Kachori (Green peas stuffed snack)

Happy Independence Day!

Mutter ki Kachori (Green peas stuffed snack)

Kachori is one of the most common western Indian snacks. This recipe has green peas as main ingredient for filling. It is great on its own with tea/coffee and even tastes better as assembled chaat.

Ingredients:
For Kachori shell:

• All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cups
• Melted butter or ghee - 2 tbsp
• Water (enough to make firm dough)
• Cooking oil to fry
• Salt as per taste

For Filling:

• Green peas - 3 cups (fresh or frozen)
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Green chilies - 2
• Shredded coconut (fresh or dry) - 1/2 cup
• Cumin Seeds (Jira) - 2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Amchur powder - 2 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
To prepare filling:

1. In the microwave, cook green peas with very little water for 6 minutes, keeping it covered.
2. In the food processor, grind these green peas coarsely with green chilies.
3. In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add cumin seeds. When it starts splattering add ginger garlic paste to it. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Now add green peas mixture and shredded coconut to it. Mix well. On medium low heat let it sit for 10-15 minutes. For fresh coconut it takes longer.
5. Once the mixture is all dried up, add amchur powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well.
6. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely before filling in the kachories.

To make Kachoris:

1. Combine all purpose flour, butter or ghee and salt. Mix evenly. Now add little by little water to make flaky dough.
2. Knead well to make it firm dough.
3. Keep the dough aside for 5-10 minutes.
4. Take small ball size dough. Roll it into small circles. Place 1 tbsp of prepared filling in the centre and bring the edges together. Make an even ball; flatten it a bit by pressing your thumb in the center gently.
5. Heat cooking oil for frying the Kachoris. Oil should be medium hot.
6. Deep fry kachoris very slowly till it is crisp and golden on both the sides.
7. Drain it on paper towel and let it cool down. Store it in an air tight container.

Serving Suggestions:
Assemble Mutter ki kachori as chaat. Place 2 kachoris on a serving plate. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.
Mutter ki kachori is ready to be served.

Indian flag image source: http://perfecthdwallpapers.blogspot.com/2011/08/indian-flag-wallpapers.html

Healthy Snack: Steamed Doodhi Muthia

Healthy Snack: Steamed Doodhi Muthia

I always loved Gujarati cuisine for the variety it brings to everyday snack. Muthias are steamed and tempered bites made of a variety of flours and vegetables. I have adapted this recipe from Tarla dalal’s cookbook and every time it comes out perfect. Enjoy this healthy snack with your favorite chutney and a cup of masala tea.

Ingredients:
Servings: 4 Approx.

For the muthias:
Bottle guard (Lauki /doodhi) – 1 medium
Whole wheat flour – 1 cup
Semolina (rava) - 3/4 cup
Bengal gram flour (Besan) - 1/2 cup
Ginger-green chili paste - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder (haldi) - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (hing)- 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Chopped cilantro - 3 tbsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Cooking oil- 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

For the tempering:
Mustard seeds ( rai / sarson) - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds (til) - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida (hing) - 1/2 tsp
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

For garnish:
Chopped cilantro - 2 tbsp
Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbsp (Optional)

Method:
For Muthias:

• Peel and grate lauki or doodhi. Squeeze the excess water from it. Strain the water out of the grated doodhi. Keep the liquid aside for later use.
• Combine all the ingredients for the muthia in a bowl and knead soft dough adding the strained vegetable liquid if needed.
• Oil your palms and divide the dough into 4 parts and roll out into cylindrical shapes approx. 1.5 inch diameter.
• Steam them for 25 to 30 minutes till done. To check if the muthias are done, insert a toothpick in the centre. If it comes out clean, the muthias are cooked.
• Cool and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and keep aside.

Tempering and Garnish:

• Heat oil in a shallow pan and add the mustard seeds. When it starts crackling, add the sesame seeds and asafetida.
• Add the sliced muthia and stir for 5 to 10 minutes till they become golden brown.
• Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and grated fresh coconut.
• Serve hot with tangy green chutney.

Tom kha Soup (Vegetarian Thai coconut milk soup)

Tom kha Soup (Vegetarian Thai coconut milk soup)
Tom kha soup is one of the most commonly served Thai vegetarian soup. This soup is very nutritious and flavorful. It has galangal and lemongrass as main ingredients which has great medicinal values too.

Ingredients:
Approx. 5 servings

• Coconut milk – 2 cups
• Vegetable stock – 3 cups
• Lemongrass – 3 stalks, cut into 1" pieces
• Galangal -  2 inch root, thinly sliced
  Note: ginger can be substituted as galangal, but the flavors are different.
• Green chilies - 2 finely chopped
• Sweet onion – 1 medium, cubed
• Tomato – 1 boiled, peeled and cubed
• Mushrooms– 1 cup sliced
• Bamboo shoots – 1/2 cup sliced
• Baby corns -1/2 cup cut in halves
• Bean sprouts – 1/2 cup
• Water chestnuts – 1/2 cup sliced
• Lime juice – 3 tbsp
• Soy sauce – 2  tbsp
• Cilantro – 1/4 cup chopped
• Sugar – 1 tbsp
• Black pepper – 2 tsp
• Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt as per taste (Soy sauce has some salt too)

Method:

1. In a big pot, add vegetable stock and coconut milk and boil.
2. Add lemongrass, galangal, chilies, sugar and pepper.
3. In a pan, heat oil. On high heat, Sauté all the vegetables for couple of minutes except bean sprouts.
4. Add these vegetables to the coconut milk pot and keep boiling for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat.
6. Add bean sprouts.
7. Add lime juice, soy sauce and salt. Stir well.
8. Soup is ready to be served.

Garnish and serving Suggestions:
Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and chilies. Serve hot before meal.

Hara bhara seekh kebab

“Seekh” means skewers and “kebab” means patties, so seekh kebab is patties on the skewers. Usually kebabs are associated with non vegetarian food category. But these crispy flavorful seekh kebabs are made from vegetables and chana (gram).

Ingredients:
Approx. 10 seekh kebabs

• Green chana (gram) (fresh or frozen) - 1 cup
• Green peas (fresh or frozen) – 1 cup
• Carrot – 1
• Potato – 2 medium
• Roasted chana dal (dalia) – 1/2 cup
• Chaat masala – 1 tsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Amchur powder – 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tbsp
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt as per taste
• Bamboo skewers - 10

Method:

1. Grind roasted chana dal and keep aside.
2. In a pressure cooker, cook green chana, green peas, carrot and potatoes.
3. In a bowl, add cooked green chana, green peas, boiled and peeled potatoes and cooked carrot. Mash them well together and keep aside.
4. In a pan, heat  1 tbsp oil and add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Now add mashed vegetable mixture, all the dry spices and salt. Mix well. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and take it off the heat.
5. Take the mix in a large bowl and gradually mix roasted chana dal powder to it. Make it into dough like consistency.
6. Take a lemon size mixture in your hand and place skewer in it. Now gently but firmly spread the mix evenly on the skewer.
7. In a wide shallow pan, add little oil and place these kebabs in single layer on medium heat. Let it become golden brown and crisp on one side and then turn them on the other side.
8. When kebabs are evenly golden brown and crisp, it is ready to serve.

Enjoy these seekh kebabs with green chutney or tangy tomato chutney as an appetizer or evening snack.

Paneer Tikka: Tandoori Paneer

Ingredients:
For approx. 5 Servings
Paneer - 1 lb
Bell Pepper (red, green or yellow) - 2
Mushrooms small whole – 20
Pineapple chunks – 2 cups
Sweet onions – 1

For Marinade:
Ginger minced - 1 tbsp
garlic minced - 1 tbsp
Green chili paste - 1 tbsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp
Thick yogurt – 2 cups
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Honey - 1 tbsp
Tandoori masala - 1 tbsp
Tandoori food color – 1 pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

• Cut paneer into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes. Keep aside. Cut bell peppers and onions in big chunks.
• To prepare marinade, add all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.  Now add all the cut vegetables and paneer to the marinade. Gently mix well.
• Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for couple of hours.
• Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 5 minutes. Take them out and wipe them. Keep aside. Or you can use metal skewers without soaking them in the water.
• Preheat oven on 375 degrees.
• Arrange paneer pieces on skewers alternately with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and pineapple.
• Place the skewers on a grill or wire rack brushed with some oil. Grill for 15 minutes turning once in between.
• Cook till paneer pieces get golden brown on all the sides.

Serve hot with mint cilantro green chutney or Maggie hot and ketchup.

Tricolor Bread Pakora

 

 










Ingredients : For bread pakoras : 8 pieces

For stuffing:
Potatoes  - 2 boiled and peeled
Onion -  finely chopped
Green chilies  - 1 finely chopped
Cilantro - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

To make cover:
Bread   -  4 slices
Besan (gram flour)   - 1.5 cup
Red chili powder  - 1/2  tsp
Turmeric  powder  - 1/2  tsp
salt as per taste

For pakora assembly:
Tomato Ketchup  - 1/2 cup
Green chutney -1/2 cup
Cooking oil for deep frying

 

Method:

• In a bowl, prepare stuffing, by adding boiled and peeled potatoes, Onions, green chilies, cilantro, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, amchur powder, chaat masala and salt. Mash it all together. Keep aside.
• Take one bread slice, apply a thin layer of ketchup on it . Cover it with another bread slice. Now apply a layer of potato stuffing on it. Cover with another bread slice. On this slice apply a thin layer of green chutney and finally cover it with a bread slice.
• The whole sandwich should have following layers:  Bread  - ketchup - Bread  - Potato stuffing - Bread  - Green chutney - bread .
• Cut the whole sandwich in 4 quarters. Quarters are easy to manage while frying. Keep them aside.
• For the covering batter: In a bowl, take besan, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Now add some water to make a smooth batter. Batter should not be runny.
• Now take each sandwich quarter, dip evenly in the above batter and fry it in medium hot oil.
• When the pakoda looks evenly golden on all sides, take it out and drain it on the kitchen towel.
• Let it cool a bit. Now cut it diagonally to reveal all the layers.

Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or cool lemonade.

Ragda Patties (Potato cutlets and dry peas curry)

Ingredients : (For approx. 4 servings)
For Patties:
Potatoes  - 4 (boiled)
Bread slices – 4
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp
Cooking oil for shallow frying
Salt as per taste

For Ragda:
Dried whole peas - 1 cup
Onion – ½ cup finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp minced
Garlic – 1 tsp minced
Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp
Jaggery – 1 tbsp powdered
Cooking oil – 1 tbsp

Dry Spices for Ragda:
Jira (Cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
Hing (Asafoetida powder) – 2 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Amchur powder (dry mango)– ½ tbsp
Garam masala powder -1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method: To make Ragda

• Soak the dried peas overnight or for at least 6 hours. Pressure cook the peas till done.
• Heat oil in a deep pan, Add cumin seeds and Asafetida powder. When it starts crackling, add onions. Sauté onions for a few minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add all the dry spices. Sauté for 2 minutes.
• Now add boiled peas, tamarind paste and jaggery. Mix well. Add 2 cups of water and let it simmer for 15 minutes on low-medium heat. Mix well and ragda is done.

To make Patties:

• Boil and peel potatoes. Grate potatoes for smooth texture. Keep aside.
• Take the brown edges off the bread slices. Now dip the bread slices in warm water, aand then squeeze out excess water.
• Add these bread slices to the potatoes. Also add red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and salt. Mix well and form a smooth dough if it.
• Make 8 equal portions of the dough. Take each portion in your palm make a tennis ball sized ball. Now flatten it to make tikki or patties. Patties can be round or oval shaped. Smooth out the edges of the patties and keep aside. [Apply little oil on your palms to avoid patties sticking on your hand].
• Heat griddle or pan, add 1 tbsp oil and shallow fry the patties golden brown on both the sides. Keep the heat medium high. Drain them on kitchen towel and keep aside.

Garnish and Serving Suggestions:
Place 2 patties on a serving plate. Pour 1-2 ladles full of ragda. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.
Yummy Ragda -Patties is ready to eat.

Bhutte ke bhajiye [Corn fritters]

Rainy or gloomy weather calls for something hot, something crispy. What will be the better option than Spicy Fritters: Garma garam bhutte ke bhajiye with a cup of tea. Enjoy this easy recipe for corn fritters.

Ingredients;
For Corn fritters [Approx. 4 servings]
Corn kernels [Bhutte] -2 cups (frozen or fresh)
Gram flour [Besan] – 2 tbsp
Green chilies -2
Cilantro -1/2 cup (leaves only)

Dry spices:
Cumin seeds [Jira] – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Salt as per taste

For Garnish:
Chaat masala -2 tsp
Freshly squeezed Lemon juice -1 tbsp

Method:

• Thaw frozen corn kernels in microwave for 2 minutes. For fresh corn, carefully cut the kernels using sharp knife.
• In the food processer, add corn kernels and green chilies and pulse 4 times till it becomes coarse mixture. Keep aside.
• In a large bowl, add processed corn mixture, besan, cilantro and all dry spices. Mix well. Do not add water or it will make the batter runny.
• Heat cooking oil in a frying pan. Drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Garnish:
Sprinkle chaat masala on the fritters and also add some lemon juice. Serve immediately. Enjoy with green chutney and a cup of hot tea.

Note: You can also make chaat of these fritters, just add green chutney, tamarind chutney, finely chopped sweet onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, nylon sev and some chaat masala. Viola! Chaat is ready.

Hariyali Bhel Puri[Mumbai style street food/ Chaat]

Bhel puri or Bhel is a very common Western Indian Street food. This bhel is named Hariyali bhel as it calls for more Green Mint-cilantro chutney than the sweet tamarind chutney. Also it has abundant fresh cilantro for great flavor.

Ingredients:
For Hariyali bhel puri [6 servings]

Dry Ingredients:
Puffed rice – 2 cups
Papdi – ½ cup crushed [home made or store bought]
Ratlami sev – ½ cup
Namkeen mixture – ½ cup
Nylon sev – ½ cup

Wet Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes – 2 cups chopped
Sweet Onions -1 cup finely chopped
Tomatoes -  1cup finely chopped
Cucumber - 1cup finely chopped
Cilantro -1/2 cup finely chopped
Raw mango – ¼ cup finely chopped [if available]
Green Chutney – 3/4 cup
Sweet tamarind chutney -1/4 cup

Spices:
Chaat Masala* – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:
Green Chutney : Pls. follow the link for Green chutney recipe.
http://shvetasrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/03/mint-cilantro-chutney-green-chutney.html
Tamarind chutney : Pls. follow the link for Tamarind chutney recipe.
Papdi : Pls. follow the link for papdi recipe.
http://shvetasrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/03/namkeen-papdi-for-papdi-chaat.html


For preparing Hariyali bhel puri:

• In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Mix well.
• Now add all the wet ingredients and spices. Mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and Nylon sev.
• Serve immediately or it will get soggy.

Enjoy this quick recipe as your evening snack.

*Chaat Masala, Nylon sev, Ratlami sev, Papdi and Namkeem mixture is easily available at all Indian grocery stores.

Veg Kothe : An Indo-Chinese delight

Veg Kothe is a new Indo-Chinese appetizer/snack dish. I personally savored Veg Kothe at a wedding reception in India recently. I, then, went to the chef to know the details of this tangy spicy delight. The chef was kind enough to give me the detailed recipe, with all the ingredients and method, the very next day. The recipe is accurate, as I tried making Veg Kothe in my kitchen few times and each time it comes out perfect. So for this recipe the credit goes to;

Mr. Bansilalji Chaudhary
Master Chef, Hotel Rhythm Palace
Ratlam (MP) India

Ingredients:
For Veg Kothe: [6 servings approx.]
Cauliflower (Gobhi) - 1 cup very small pieces
Mushroom - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Green bell pepper - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Cabbage - 1/2cup finely chopped
Onions - 2 cups finely chopped
Ginger - 1.5 tbsp finely chopped
Garlic - 1.5 tbsp finely chopped
Green spring onions - 1 bunch chopped
Fresh green chilies - 2 minced
Fresh cilantro -2 tbsp fine chopped (for garnish)
Maida (All purpose flour) - 1 cup
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup -2 tbsp
Honey - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed
Black pepper - 1 tsp freshly ground
Orange food color - 1 pinch
Cooking oil for frying
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Cut cauliflower, cabbage, green bell pepper, mushrooms accordingly. Keep aside.
• In a bowl, add maida, salt, baking powder, all the above chopped vegetables and 1 cup chopped onions. Now add water to make a thick batter. Mix well.
• In a pan heat cooking oil to fry. Make fritters of this batter, deep fry till they turn light golden. Drain on a kitchen towel and keep aside.
• In another pan heat 2 tbsp cooking oil. Add remaining chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Sauté till it turns golden brown. Now add tomato ketchup, honey,  salt, lemon juice, freshly grounded black pepper powder and orange food color. Mix well and it’s ready to serve.

Garnish:
Garnish Veg Kothe with freshly chopped green spring onions and chopped cilantro. Enjoy as an appetizer or anytime snack.

Chocolate covered Strawberries

Celebrating Health

Good news for all health conscious people. I’ll be celebrating health for a month by posting healthy, low calorie, low sugar recipes. It will give you a kick start to get in shape for the summer. It will also energize your more for outdoor activities. I’ll also try to provide you the nutritional facts about the ingredients.

Hope you enjoy eating healthy, living happy.
I am starting the series with the simplest, mouth watering fruit dessert recipe.

A chocolate lover’s delight!

Nutritional facts: 

Strawberries : One cup (144 g) of strawberries contains approximately 45 calories (188 kJ) and is an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_strawberry

Chocolate :Chocolate is often spoken of as being good for the heart, in more ways than one. Not only does it have a chemical said to mimic being in love, but studies indicate that chocolate can improve blood vessel responsiveness (important for the prevention of heart disease), blood pressure, and cholesterol. Other studies have shown it has potential for improving glucose tolerance, which is important to those of us who are using low-carb diets to minimize blood glucose spikes.

Ingredients: [For 12 pieces]
Low Sugar or Sugar free chocolate : 12 oz [ I prefer 12 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate]
Fresh Strawberries      : 1 lbs
Parchment paper
Toothpicks

Method:

• Wash and dry thoroughly all the strawberries. Do not remove the green leaves form the strawberries.
• Insert toothpick in each strawberry. Keep them aside.
• In a double boiler [place a pot with some water on the heat and now place another pot on it with the chocolate], melt the semi sweet chocolate. Water in the pot below should not touch the pot sitting above it. Stir it till it becomes smooth and shiny.
• Dip the strawberries more than half way in the melted chocolate by holding them with toothpicks. Double dip to coat evenly. Let the excess chocolate drip in the pot.
• Now arrange all the strawberries on the parchment paper. Refrigerate them for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy these chocolate covered strawberries after your meals.

Methi ke bharwan tikke

Ingredients: For methi ke tikke [ Approx. 8 pieces]

For Cover:

Whole wheat flour - 1.5 cups

Butter - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1 pinch

For filling:

Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves) - 1 bunch

Potatoes - 1 medium [OPTIONAL]

Fresh crushed garlic - 1/2 tbsp

Fresh crushed Ginger - ½ tbsp
Olive oil – 1 tbsp

Dry Spices:
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds -1 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) powder -1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1/2 tbsp
Amchur powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Salt as per taste

Method: 

• To make dough, in a large bowl add whole wheat flour, butter, salt and some water to make even but little stiff dough. Keep aside.
• To prepare filling, Clean the methi leaves and cut finely. Keep aside. Boil, peel and cut potatoes into small cubes and keep aside. 
• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafoetida powder. When it crackles, add crushed garlic and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add cut methi leaves and boiled potatoes to the pan. Mix well and cover the pan for few minutes.  
• Now add all dry spices (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt). Mix well.Cook it uncovered till the filling becomes dry.
• To make tikke, divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll the balls into 6 inches diameter circles. On each circle, place 2 tbsp of methi filling. Bring all the sides together and make it into tikke.
• On the medium hot griddle, place two tikke at a time. Cook the tikke on both sides till it becomes golden brown.

Enjoy garma garam tikke with green mint chutney on the side.

Celebrating Health: High Protein Bean Salad

This healthy salad can easily replace your lunch. It looks appetizing and tastes great as well.

Nutritional Facts:

Kidney Beans: A cup of cooked kidney beans provides 45.3% of the recommended daily intake for fiber. Kidney beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Just one cup of cooked kidney beans supplies 177.0% of the daily value for molybdenum.

In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.

Source: whfoods.com

Black eyed beans: Like most beans, black-eyed beans are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They are a good source of folate, potassium, copper, phosphorous and manganese. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they help reduce blood pressure. Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein. Beans also contain protease inhibitors which frustrate the development of cancerous cells.

Source: whfoods.com

Ingredients:

For Bean Salad [6 servings]

Kidney Beans – 3/4 cup (dry)

Black eyed beans – ¾ cup (dry)
Green peas -1/2 cup (dry)

Butter beans -3/4 cup (dry)(optional)

Corn kernels – 1/2 cup (frozen or fresh)

Sweet Onions -1

Cucumber- 1

Tomatoes - 2

Cilantro -1/2 cup

Lime Juice – 2 tbsp fresh

Freshly crushed Garlic – 2 cloves

Extra virgin Olive oil -1 tbsp

Dry Ingredients:

Chaat Masala – 1 tbsp

Black Pepper – 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (powdered)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method:

• Soak all the beans overnight in the separate bowls.
• Next morning, boil kidney beans and keep aside. Now boil black-eyed beans, butter beans and green peas together. Keep aside.
• For salad dressing, In a bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, crushed garlic and all the dry ingredients. Whisk together for a minute. Dressing is ready, keep aside.
• Thaw frozen corn kernels in microwave for 2 minutes.
• In a covered sauce pan, cook the fresh or thawed corn kernels for 5 minutes. Cool it down.
• Chop sweet onions, tomatoes and cucumber finely. Clean and chop cilantro finely as well.
• In a salad bowl, add boiled kidney beans, black-eyed beans, butter-beans, green peas, cooked corn kernels, chopped sweet onions, cucumber, tomatoes and cilantro.
• Now prepared salad dressing to the salad. Mix salad gently. Serve chilled. Prepared salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Serve fresh with any meal or just as an anytime snack.

Celebrating Health: Lettuce Salad Cups

These adorable cups will grab your attention instantly and increase your appetite. They can be filled with any of your favorite fresh vegetables or fruits.

Ingredients:

For Lettuce salad cups [4 servings]

Green Lettuce head – 1
English cucumber – 1
Sweet Onions -1
Tomatoes- 1
Cilantro – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Lime Juice – 1 tbsp fresh

Dry Ingredients:
Chaat Masala – 1 tbsp
Black Pepper – 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (powdered)
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Peel and chop cucumbers in small cubes. Keep aside. .
• Chop sweet onions and tomatoes finely. Clean and chop cilantro finely as well.
• In a salad bowl, add chopped sweet onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and cilantroix gently.
• Now add lime juice, chaat masala, freshly grounded black pepper, roasted cumin seed powder, sugar and salt. Mix the salad again.
• Separate the lettuce leaves gently. Take each lettuce and cut them in 3 inch diameter circular discs. Prepare 4 lettuce discs.
• In a paper cup, line the lettuce leaf and fill it with the prepared salad mix. Repeat the process for the remaining 3 cups.
• Arrange all the four salad cups in a serving plate.

Serve fresh with any meal or just as an anytime snack.

Raj Kachori

Kachori is one of the most common western Indian snacks. It is great on its own with tea/coffee and even tastes better as assembled chaat. It lasts for a couple of weeks if stored properly in air tight container, so it is a great anytime snack.

Ingredients:

For Raj Kachori [Approx 15 pieces]

For cover:

All purpose flour [Maida] – 2 cups
Melted butter or ghee – 2 tbsp
Water (enough to make firm dough)
Cooking oil to fry
Salt as per taste

For Filling:

Moong dal [Yellow split] – 1.5 cups
Saunf [Fennel seeds] – 1 tsp
Ajwain [Carom seeds] – 1 tsp
Jira [Cumin seeds] – 1 tsp
Hing [Asafoetida powder] – 2 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Amchur powder – ½ tbsp
Garam masala powder -1 tsp
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

To make filling:

• Soak moong dal for at least 4 hours.
• Steam moong dal till its half done. Keep aside to cool. In the food processer, coarsely ground the moong dal.
• In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add cumin seeds. When it starts splattering, add hing and steamed moong dal. Also add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, amchur powder and ajwain. Mix well.
• Cook till the filling is all dry. Keep aside to cool.

To make Kachoris:

• Combine all purpose flour, butter or ghee and salt. Mix evenly. Now add little by little water to make flaky dough.
• Knead well to make it firm dough.
• Keep the dough aside for 5-10 minutes.
• Take small ball size dough. Roll it into small circles. Place 1 tbsp of prepared filling in the centre and bring the edges together. Make an even ball; flatten it a bit by pressing your thumb in the center gently.
• Heat cooking oil for frying the kachoris. Oil should be medium hot.
• Deep fry kachoris very slowly till it is crisp and golden on both the sides.
• Drain it on paper towel and let it cool down. Store it in an air tight container.

Note: Kachoris can have different fillings such as peas, mawa filling as dessert etc.

Serving Suggestions:

Assemble Raj kachori as chaat. Place 2 kachoris on a serving plate. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.

Raj kachori is ready to be served.

Chole tikki: An utimate Chaat

Chole Tikki: An ultimate Chaat
Chole tikki is one of the most common mouth-watering street foods. It is a kind of Chaat [Spicy and tangy snack] which is flavorful and filling at the same time.

Ingredients:
For the Aloo tikki: [Approx 8 tikkies]
 

Potatoes –3 medium [boiled and peeled]
Bread – 2 slice [cut the brown sides and use the white part only]
Green chilies –2 finely chopped
Cilantro – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Roasted Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper –1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil for shallow frying

For Chole:
Kabuli Chana or Chole [Garbanzo beans]dry – 1.5 cup
Tea bags- 2
Dry Ingredients for gravy:
Whole garam masala – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Chana Masala -1.5 tbsp

Wet Ingredients for gravy:

Onion -3/4 (pureed or finely chopped)
Tomato puree -1 cups
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Green chili -1 tsp (finely chopped) [Optional]
Olive oil – 2 tbspn
Salt as per taste

Method: to make Aloo Tikki

• In a bowl, take boiled and peeled potatoes. Add bread, green chilies, cilantro, cumin powder, black pepper and salt. Mix very well and form a smooth dough if it. 
• Make 8 equal portions of the dough. Take each portion in your palm make a tennis ball sized ball. Now flatten it to make tikki. Tikkies can be round or oval shaped. Smooth out the edges of the tikkies and keep aside. [Apply little oil on your palms to avoid tikkies sticking on your hand].
• Heat griddle or pan, add 1 tbsp oil and fry the tikkies golden brown on both the sides. Keep the heat medium high. Drain them on kitchen towel and keep aside.

Method: to make Chole

• Wash dry Kabuli Chana or Chole a couple of times and soak them overnight in water.
• Add soaked chole, turmeric powder, salt and 4 cups of water and tea bags in the pressure cooker. Pressure cook it for 30 minutes on medium heat.
• For gravy, heat olive oil in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then add pureed onions and sauté it, till turns light golden. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chilies (optional). Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add tomato puree, red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder in the gravy and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Discard the tea bags from the boiled chole. Add the gravy to the boiled chole and add a cup of water and simmer it on low heat for 10 minutes.
• Finally, add chana masala and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
• Chole is ready to serve.

Garnish  and serving suggestions:
Place 2-3 Aloo tikkies on a serving plate. Pour 1-2 ladles full of Chole. Garnish it with sweet tamarind-date chutney, green chutney and spiced yogurt. Also add chopped red onion, namkeen sev and chopped cilantro.

Yummy Tikki-Chole is ready to eat.