Eat Right! Live Happy: August 2011

Paneer Mutter with home made paneer

Ingredients:

Peas - 1 cup

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece grated

Green chilly - 1

Onion - 1 cup chopped roughly

Ghee - 1tbs

Garlic - 2 cloves

Black cumin - 1 tbs

Tomato puree - 1 cup

Milk or Cream - 3/4 cup

Salt

Paneer - 1 cup Cubed or as much or less as you like. (used fresh home made paneer)

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Ingredients:

Milk - 1/2 gallon

Lemon Juice - 1 whole: squeezed

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Instant Avocado Dosa / Pancake

For some reason Vighnesh doesn't like to eat avocado. But because of it's nutrional facts, i force him to eat it. So I am trying to find different ways to eat it. I tried Dosa yesterday and he loved it and I am happy!. :)

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit (Source: avocado.org)

Ingredients:

1 Avocado - de seeded

Sooji Rava (Wheat sooji) - 21/2 cups

Salt - 1 tbs or to taste

Water as needed to grind.

Method:

Soak the rava with water for 5 minutes, Do not add excess of water.
Grind the soaked rava with avocado to make a fine dosa batter. It is bit sticky. If needed add little more water but do not overdose.
Add salt and mix it well.
Let it rest for 5 minutes and ready to make dosa.
Heat the tava or pan on a medium-high flame.
Pour serving spoon full of batter in the center of the pan and start spreading to make dosa. The more thin you spread, the better dosa comes out. Because it will be very sticky, it will be bit difficult to turn it to other side.
It takes some extra time to cook compared to normal dosa.
once the raw dosa batter cooks and it is getting slightly browned, slowly turn it to other side with spatula.
Cook for sometime.
And serve hot with Tomato onion Junka

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Hagalakayi/Bitter gourd dry palya / Bitter gourd(karela) masala mix

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd - 3

Salt - 1 tbs

For Temper:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbs

Urad dal - 1/2 tbs

Oil - 2 tbs

For Masala:

Channa dal - 2 tbs

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tbs

Cumin - 1/2 tbs

Sesame seeds - 1/2 tbs

Urad dal - 1/2 tbs

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbs

Coconut powder - 2 Tbs

Red chilly - 1

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Ingredients:

Apple - 2 corsed, pealed, chopped into small chunks

Sugar - 2 tbs

Salt - 2 tbs

Water - 2 cups

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Ingredients:

Couscous - 1 cup

Dry Coconut flakes- 3 tbs

Paneer - cubed 1 cup

Carrot - chopped finely - 1/2 cup

Onions - chopped finely - 1 cup

Green beans - chopped- 1/2 cup

Peas - 1/2 cup

Garlic - 2 cloves minced

Ginger - 1 inch piece - grated

Milk or heavy cream - 1 cup

Water or broth - ~3 cups (Adjust according to your required consistency)

Corn kernels - 1 cup

Butter - 1 Tbs

Salt and Pepper - to taste

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Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, kidney beans can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. (Source : WHFoods ).

Ingredients:

Kidney beans - Soaked overnight

Paneer - 1 cup Grated

Carrot - 1 cup Grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

Whole grain tortilla (Chapathi)

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Ingredients: (Serving size 2 adults)

Cream style sweet corn kernels - small tin

Onion - 1/2 cup finely chopped

Green onion(Scallions) - 2 spring

Carrots - 1/4 cup Finely chopped

Green beans - 1/4 cup chopped

Cabbage - 1 cup Shredded

Garlic- 2 cloves minced

Ginger - 1 inch piece grated

Butter - 1 tbs

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Water or Broth

Corn starch

Add any other vegetables of your choice - Finely chopped cauliflower is also very good option.

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Ingredients:

Sweet pumpkin/ Halakumbalakayi - 1 long

Sugar - 11/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tbs

Cashews, raisins, almonds - handful

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Ingredients:

4 cloves of Garlic

3 tbs of Coconut powder

1 Tbs of Musturd seeds

1/4 tbs of Turmeric

1/2 cup Yogurt(curd)/ lightly beaten ButterMilk

3/4 cup of Water

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1/4 tbs

1 tbs of Oil

Pinch of Hing

Method:

Grind all the ingredients except yogurt. add more water if required
Mix with lightly beaten yogurt.
Add oil to pan, once the oil is lightly hot, add mustard seeds, Hing
Once it starts to splatter, add to the ground mixture and cover it immediately to keep the aroma.
Look for salt, sugar consistency. Add more if desired
Serve with rice.
Enjoy

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Home made Vanilla Extract

I do not know why I never tried to make such an easy vanilla extract at home. I assumed that will not possible at all to make it at home and so never tried. Other day I was browsing Internet and found this easy idea. Just a vanilla beans mixed with Vodka is Vanilla extract. Very simple right? . why to spend extra money outside when you can make it at home. I bought vanilla beans from Amazon.com . It works out cheap, instead of buying it from local store, they charge $8 for 2 beans!. It is like a robbery.

And Vighnesh had purchased Smirnoff Vodka for himself, I used a cup of vodka from that bottle.

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I am so obsessed with berries these days,everyday I will be thinking what I can make today using berry!. And yesterday I made Blueberry muffin. I actually do not make muffins so often; it is not because I do not like it, it is because I can't stop eating muffins: breakfast, lunch and whenever I enter kitchen. :)

Ingredients:

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon of Baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of Baking soda

2 Eggs

1 cup of Sugar

1/2 teaspoon of Salt

1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla extract

lemon zest

1/2 cup of Milk

1 stick of unsalted butter (melted- room temperature)

11/2 cup of Blueberry (fresh or frozen)

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Fruits and Chocolate dip?.. who doesn't love that combination? Yummy Berry's and melon's covered with chocolate to fill your temptation and your daily fruits servings, both of your needs will be served.

I like more of strawberry and blueberry over other berries and cantaloupe and honeydew melon over water melon. My body temperature rises if I eat water melon. Even though I feel like eating, I force myself not to eat.

Chop the cantaloupe to 1 inch thick pieces and bring all other fruits of your choice to a medium sized bowl. Pour desired amount of

chocolate syrup . I used Hershey's chocolate syrup on top of fruits and whip cream. Enjoy

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Barley Idli

Ingredients: (makes 16 medium size idli)

Barley - 3/4 cup

Urad daal - 3/4 cup

Idli rava - 2 cups

Salt - 2 tbs or to taste

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Ingredients:

Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped

Onion - 1 cup finely chopped

Green chilly - 2 chopped

Red chilly powder - 1 tbs or to taste

Garam masala - 1 tbs

Rice flour - 2 cups

Water - to mix all the ingredients,

Salt - 1 tbs or to taste

Sugar - 1/2 tbs or to taste

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On the ocassion of VaraMahalakshmi pooja, I prepared Sweet Potato paayasa with Banana muluka and sweet and khara pongal.

Ingredients: Serves for 4 adult (Depending on their temptation though)

Sweet Potato - 3 big; Cut into 1 inch cubes

Sugar/Brown sugar - ~1 cup

Sooji Rava - 3 Tbs

Cardamom - 1tbs powdered

Cashews/Raisins - handful

Milk - 11/2 cup

Water - 1 cup

ghee - 1 tbs

Salt - a pinch or less then 1/8 tbs

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Sweet Pongal

Sweet Pongal:

» 1 cup Raw Rice

» 1/2 cup Green Gram Dal

» 1 cup Milk

» 3 cups Jaggery (powdered)

» 4 tbsp Ghee

» 2 tbsp Cashewnuts

» 2 tbsp Raisins

» 5 no Cardamoms (powdered)

» 2 no Cloves (powdered)

» 1 small piece Nutmeg (grated or powdered)

» A pinch of Saffron

» 2 1/2 cups Water

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Mulka also called suttevu. Back home, they make it with banana, here i used the combination of banana and pear. Came out very good. Try it out and enjoy

Ingredients:

Rice flour - ~11/2 cup

Banana - 1 big

Pear - 1 pealed, boiled, pureed

Salt - 1/8 tbs

Sugar/ Brown sugar - 3-4 tbs ( add per your taste bud)

Cardamom - 1/4 tbs

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mash the banana and pear or blend banana and pear in a food processor to make a smooth puree
Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
It should be like idli batter consistency, not too thin, nor too solid paste.
Keep it aside for 5-10 minutes, covered.
Heat an oil in a pan
Place a spoonful of batter for deep frying
Fry all sides until brown
Enjoy!

Variation:

You can use only banana if you prefer and skip pear.

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Akki shavige/ Simple and Easy Home made shavige/ Banana rice noodles

One of my all time favorite, Easy to make this rice noodles. Try it out

Ingredients:

Rice flour - 2 cups

Banana - 2 long one's

Sugar - 2 tbs

Salt - 3/4 tbs

Cumin seeds - 1 tbs

Water - ~1 cup

You need Idli maker and chakli press.

Premier STAINLESS STEEL IDLI STAND-4 RACKS (16 Idlis)

. This will be helpful making any kind of idli.

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Jolada rotti/ white Corn rotti/chapathi

I cannot stop laughing the day I made the corn rotti for the first time. Vighnesh had invited his friends to home and he promised them 'We will make jolada rotti and ennegayi' which is famous recipe in north karnataka. One of his friend from north karnataka and he was very excited about it.

You know how bachelors feel when someone invites for lunch. :) . I never prepared jolada rotti until that day in my life. And was not sure how to make it, I just made a dough just like wheat chapathi dough. It was such flop show, ended up throwing whole dough and made simple wheat flour chapathi instead.

Later, I learned it from my Mother-in-law; she is a great cook and now I make pretty good jolada rotti. Trust me :). I keep getting appreciation from friends or vighnesh. Aw, It is been 3 years since corn roti was introduced in our regular diet.

So how do I make?

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Aw, Shucks!

Ingredients:

Water - 3 Tbs

Apple cidar vinegar - 11/2 tbs

Olive Oil - 1 Tbs

Corn (obviously :) )

Unsalted butter - 1 tbs

Garlic -2 clove minced

Parsley - Fresh preferred, I used dry; as I ran out of fresh

Pepper & salt 1/8 tbs or to taste

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Ingradients:

Spinach

Paneer/ Cottage cheese - cut into 1 inch cube

Oil/Ghee - 1 tbs

Ginger paste

Garlic paste

Green chilly - 1 - cut into lengthwise

Milk or heavy cream - 1/2 cup

Cumin and coriander powder - 1 tbs

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1 Cardamom

Method:

* Boil spinach and grind in a food processor

* Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, ginger, garlic paste, fry until golden brown

* Add Add ground spinach, green chilly and cook for 5 minutes

* Add milk and cook for 2-3 minutes

* In a separate pan fry panner until golden brown and put in a iced cold water for 10 seconds and take out.

* Add this paneer to the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Serve hot with roti/ naan or rice. Enjoy

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Apple/Paneer Pizza

Follow the ingredients for making pizza dough here .

The toppings:

Paneer - cut into 1/2 inch piece

Apple - Pealed, coarsed, cut into 1/2 inch piece

Cheese

Pizza souce or prego sauce

Pepper

Turn on the oven to 500f for 20 minutes. Meantime Roll the the pizza dough to desired thickness. Keep the rolled base on the lower rach for 5 minutes, take it outside and spread a cup of sauce on the base, place the other toppings. Sprinkle pepper and spread cheese on top of toppings. Place it in a lower rack of oven for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to bubble or the base turned brown. Do not let it burn. Serve hot and Enjoy.

This recipe is submitted to Ramya's kitchen ongoing event

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Broccoli bajji : Deep fried Broccoli snack

Ingredients:

Besan flour/ chick pea flour - 4 tbs

Corn flour - 2 tbs

Rice flour - 2 tbs

Grated/shredded Broccoli head - ~2 cups

Baking soda - a pinch

Salt - 3/4 tbs or to taste

Garam masala - 1/2 tbs

Chilly powder - if desired

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I know, i have been posting so many recipes of carrots, believe me i have more recipe of carrots to post. I started giving boiled, pureed carrots to Arushi and she loves it, Just like me!. :)

Ingredients:

Butter 1 Tbs

Carrot 3 - cut into 1 inch disks

2 medium size potato - pealed and cut into chunks

Onion - 1 medium size chopped roughly

Ginger - 1 inch piece grated

1/2 cup of milk

Salt and Pepper

Water

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Paneer/Carrot Paratha : Carrot/cheese stuffed flat bread

I was thinking to make something special dinner for vighnesh. Yesterday he came home late and by that time I had prepared his favorite paratha to surpise him.. He loved it.

It was easy and it came out very good.. Give it a try

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cup

Grated Carrot- 1 cup

Grated Paneer - 1 cup

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Ingredients:

Strawberry

Few red grapes

Banana

1 kiwi

Your favorite ice cream: I used Vanilla Banana split

Milk

Orange

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Crispy barley dosa

If you are not aware of barley health facts, read this article .

Ingredients:

Barley - 1 cup

Rice - 1 cup

Methi seeds - 1/4 tbs

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Pages

Paneer Mutter with home made paneer

Home made Paneer

Instant Avocado Dosa / Pancake

Hagalakayi/Bitter gourd dry palya / Bitter gourd(karela) masala mix

Apple Kayi rasa/Menaskayi /Curry /Apple sweet Masala

Couscous, Coconut soup

Kidney beans, Paneer quesadilla / Protein rich beans stuffed inside chapathi

Sweet Corn Soup

Hala kumbalakayi Halwa / Sweet Pumpkin Halva

Bellulli Sasive / Garlic Sasive (Ground garlic and coconut in yogurt)

Home made Vanilla Extract

Blueberry Muffin

Chocolate dip fruits for snack

Barley Idli

Uttappa/ Onion-Tomato Pancake

Sweet Potato Payasa/Pudding : Genasina gadde payasa

Sweet pongal and Khara/Spiced pongal

Balehanni muluka(Mulka)/ Deep fried Banana/pear and Rice flour Sweet

Akki shavige/ Simple and Easy Home made shavige/ Banana rice noodles

Jolada rotti/ white Corn rotti/chapathi

Pan-Seared Corn on the Cob / Cidar vinegar Corn

Paneer Palak

Apple/Paneer Pizza

Broccoli bajji : Deep fried Broccoli snack

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Paneer/Carrot Paratha : Carrot/cheese stuffed flat bread

Mixed fruits smoothie

Barley Dosa/Pancake