Pongal [Southern Indian Rice Meal]

  

Pongal [Southern Indian Rice Meal]

Ingredients:[For approx 4 servings]

Rice - 2 cups

Moong dal - 1 cup
Jeera - 2 tsp

Cashews(broken) - 1/2cup

Whole dry red chillies - 6

Whole peppercorns - 10-12

Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves

Garlic - 4 cloves

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Urad dal -1 tsp

Hing [Asafoetida powder] - 2 pinch

Butter - 2 tbsp

Salt as per taste

Method

• Soak rice and moong dal  in water for an hour.
• Cook rice and dal with salt, turmeric powder and butter/ghee in a heavy bottom pot in 3 cups of water.
• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter.Add Jeera, chana dal, urad dal, hing powder, minced garlic, a few peppercorns and cashews. When it splatters, add curry leaves and dry red chillies.
• Add this prepared seasoning to the cooked rice mixture.

Serve hot for light lunch or dinner.

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.