Healthy Noodles

I make my instant noodles in a healthy manner.

Ingredients : A carrot,some peas,1/4 cup sprouted moong,a tomato,a few leaves of fresh coriander,a packet of instant noodles inclusive of their masala packet.

Method : Grate the carrot,cut the tomato finely & take out the peas from the pods.Now boil the water ( take 2 cups instead of 11/2 cups as stated on the noodle packet).More water is needed as we are going to cook the sprouted moong,carrots & peas as well.After the water starts boiling add the sprouted moong,peas ,grated carrot & the instant noodles.Let all this cook for 5 minutes.Then add the diced tomato .Now add the noodle masala.Mix all.Put off the gas after two minutes.Now you can garnish the dish with fresh coriander.

This is healthy as no oil has been used.Only veggies like carrot,tomato , peas & coriander have been added thereby increasing the fibre content & also the quantity.Sprouted moong is an excellent additive.

Tips : One can add more water if you like a curry type consistency.You may also add some pepper & little grated ginger to enhance the taste.Even a squeeze of lemon will make it more tangy.Remember that carrots & tomato will turn the dish little bland.So ,you may need more spice ( any leftover sipces from other ready to cook packets will do fine ) or you can add any masala powder available with you.Some of you may feel the need to add salt but preferably eat without adding salt as you might as well get used to less salt.

Ripe Mango Curry

This dish was taught to me by  my colleague at work.She is from Kerela & so this is from that State.

I have always made this with Badam aam.One can use any mango which has a predominantly sour taste.

Ingredients : 1 badam aam,1/4 cup dahi -beaten up ,1/24 cup fresh grated coconut,3-4 red chillies ( Byadgi variety ),1 tsp jeera,1/24 tsp haldi,1/4tsp hing ( powder form ) ,salt to taste.Kadi pattas are optional.

Method : Cut the badam aam into big pieces ( more than 1 inch) & put it in a flat pan with water  enough to  just drown the mango pieces.Put on the gas. Now add haldi,hing & salt.

Take the coconut, lal mirchi & jeera & make a paste in the grinder.Within 5 minutes of cooking the mango ,it would have turned tender.Now add the ground paste to the pan. & mix the paste with the cooked mango pieces.Cook for another two minutes .Put off the gas.

After the pan has cooled to room temperature add the beaten curds to it & mix thoroughly.Delicious ripe mango curry is ready.It has three tastes-sweet,sour & teekha.

I add kadipatta whilst grinding the coconut paste as kadipattas are good for blood hemoglobin. The ghutli of the aam can be also added to the pan at the initial stage itself or it can be separately consumed as per one's wish.Byadgi is a place in Karnataka which produces the famous Byadgi mirchi.They are not hot at all but they have a unique taste.

Khatti namkeen lauki

This is my own creation -I had this large doodhi full of seeds.I deseeded it & proceeded ahead.

Ingredients : A doodhi ( skinned & deseeded) ,1 medium carrot,1 capsicum,1 medium onion,1 medium potato,1 medium tomato,1 green chilly,a few kadipattas,1 tbsp pav bhaji masala,1 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp haldi,  1/2 tsp hing & salt to taste.All veggies are diced into 1 inch pieces.

Method : I took a kadhai put on the gas. Now,pour  the oil in it.Then I added the onion, kadipattas & green mirchi & sauted it.I added haldi & hing.Then I  added the carrots,the potato ,the capsicum & finally the tomato.Then I added salt & mixed it all.Now,I added 1/2 teacup of water to the kadhai &  mixed it.I poured all this mixture into a vessel which will fit inside a cooker .I then kept the cooker vessel in cooker & pressure cooked it till I heard 1 whistle.I put off the gas.The delicious sabzi was ready.

Tip : I used potato with skin as all vitamins are there on surface but if the skin is muddy ,it is better to remove it if it sticks in spite of  repeated rinsing.I added pav bhaji masala on instinct.You can even try garam masala,if you feel that will be better.

Date cake - eggless

Ingredients : 1 Cup maida,1 cup deseeded dates,1 cup milk,4 teaspoons ghee,1/2 cup sugar,1/2 tsp eating soda.

Method :Soak the dates in milk for 1 hr or till they become soft.Mix them together in a mixer .Add maida & again mix all -milk,dates , maida & ghee.You  can add dry fruit pieces (optional ).Take an aluminium vessel Grease it on the inside & powder the inside with little maida.Now pour the cake mixture into it.Add soda & mix .

Put the aluminum dish containing the cake mixture in a rice cooker - without the rubber ring & whistle. Put the gas on & cover with cooker lid.Keep gas on high for 5 minutes & then keep it on low  .In 15 minutes,you  will get the aroma of  baked cake. Just put off the gas.Take out the vessel & allow it to cool. You  can check by inserting a knife in the cake. If the knife comes clean,the cake is ready.

A TIP : You  can add less sugar as dates have a deep sugary taste.

In case ,making the cake in microwave oven,please microwave on high for  7-8  minutes.Keep the cake in the microwave after the baking is over till it cools down -about 10 minutes. Then put a knife in the cake.If it comes out clean ,the cake is done.Now,put it upside down on a plate.Cut it with  a knife into squares.

Remember no water in the cooker - .preferably an aluminum cooker.

Rajma

I love rajma ( kidney beans ) .I opt for the dark red ones called sharmilee The buff colored ones with spots are also available.

Ingredients : 1 / 2 cup rajma beans -soaked overnight,2  small  onions, 2 small  tomatoes, 1 small carrot Grated),1' inch ginger ( grated ),2/3 - hari mirchi, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1-2 bay leaves,  1 tbsp oil, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook the soaked rajma by adding  a little salt to the rajma.Let it cook for two whistles,then lower the heat & let it cook for 18-20 minutes. Now,put off the gas.

Chop onions., Puree them in mixer.Pureeing is optional.I puree them as I want my teen to eat some gravy as well.My chopping of onions is not fine & my teen simply skips eating onions. Finely chop green chillies & grate ginger. The chilli-ginger mix can be pureeed as well .Chop tomatoes & carrot.Puree tomato carrot mix as well.Keep aside all mixes seperately in 3 bowls.

Take a kadhai & add oil.Heat the kadhai.Add cumin seeds. When they splutter add chopped onions. Fry them till smell of raw onions  goes away. add bay leaves. Next add green chilli ginger mix. to kadhai.Mix nicely with onions& bay leaves.After 4-5  minutes, add tomato carrot purree to kadhai. Mix nicely.After 5 minutes , add little salt so that chopped tomatoes will get cooked more.Remember that salt has been added to rajma while being pressure cooked.So add little salt to cook tomatoes more.Mix nicely.

Add cooked rajma. Mix nicely.Simmer on gas for 10-15 minutes  Garnish rajma with fresh finely chopped coriander.

Tips :
I pressure cook for rajma with onion tomato carrot gravy up to 2 whistles  as I have top cook rice in pressure cooker & so I can cook the cooked rajma beans with veggie gravy along with rice.

Those of you who are off onions simply skip adding onions as I skip adding garlic. 

Needless to add that I have learnt to cook great rajma from Sangeeta Khanna's blog 

Raita dosa / uttappa

This is again an attempt at making use of leftover dosa atta.I had this dosa atta ( 10 days old ).I added last night's leftover raita ( cucumber,onions,tomatoes,green mirchi &  salt in curd) to the atta. I then made uttappas out of this batter

Ingredients : Left over dosa atta,1 bowl of raita ( leftover or fresh - 1 cucumber ,1 onion,1 tomatao ,1 hari mirch finely chopped -add 2tbsp curd & salt to taste),add 1/2 inch grated ginger ,add chopped curry leaves.2tbsp oil.

Method: Mix the dosa atta,raita,grated ginger & curry leaves nicely in a big bowl.Take a non stick tawa & heat it.Now spread  1 tbsp of the dosa batter on the tawa being heated.It won't spread easily as a sada dosa as it has veggies.It will be more like uttapa -thicker than dosa.Cover the dosa with a lid.After 1-2 minutes,remove lid apply  a little oil on uncooked side & reverse the dosa on tawa.After a minute or two ,take out dosa from tawa .Now you are ready to eat it with dry chutney powder & seasame ( til oil) or coconut chutney.Repeat same method for more uttappas.

Doodhi raita

This is a dish often served by my mom.It has delighted many guests.

Ingredients : 1 doodhi,1 katori dahi,1 hari mirchi,1 sukhi lal mirch, a sprig of curry leaves, 1 tsp oil,1/4 tsp mustard,1/4 tsp jeera,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.

Method : Peel the doodhi & remove the seeds.Cut it into 1/2 inch pieces & pressure cook the diced pieces .After the pieces have cooled,take 1/4 of the same & put it in a blender or mixie .Add dahi,one hari mirchi,curry leaves,hing & salt.Blend all into a puree.Pour over the 3/4 remaining pieces of diced doodhi.
Prepare the seasoning by taking the oil & spluttering mustard & jeera & lal mirch in the oil.Pour over the raita.

Hara dhania can be used as a garnish or added while blending in the dahi.