Daliya Khichdi - Cracked Wheat Upma or Kichdi

Cracked wheat is made by crushing  the whole wheat into small pieces.  Cracked wheat contain relatively less calories but high nutrition values. It will be good source for loosing weight yet get more nutrition values.

1/4 cup of dry cracked wheat serves 8 -10 % of Iron Content and protein contents of daily serving.

Fiber in Cracked wheat :

In addition to keeping your body moving throughout the day, some carbohydrates take the form of fiber, a type of carb your body does not digest. Each serving of cracked wheat has 5 g. Fiber promotes the health of your digestive system and influences your bowel health, helping to decrease your risk of developing hemorrhoids and diverticulitis. Eating a carbohydrate and fiber-rich diet aids in maintaining a steady blood sugar level, preventing spikes that can damage your health.

source : Livestrong.com 

Ingredients:

Cracked Wheat - 1 Cup

Water - 21/2 cups
Green Beans - Finely chopped; ~1/2 cup
Carrots - Finely chopped ; ~1/2 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup
Ginger, garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Onion - Chopped, 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (optional)
Green Chilly - 1 or more :per your taste bud


Seasoning : 

Butter - 1 Tbs
Musturd Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Hing a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch

Easy Steps :

Soak the daliya in water for 10 minutes.

Heat Butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds, urad dal, fry for couple of seconds. Add mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Once the mustard seeds starts to crack add ginger garlic paste and green chilly. Fry until golden brown for few seconds.

Add Vegetables, soaked daliya.  Add salt, sugar and mix it well. Add 1 2/2 cups of water. Cook on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the hard cracked wheat's are soft and easy to chew. OR you can pressure cook for 3 whistles. use little less water if using pressure cooker.

Either you can make it like mushy like kichdi or less mushy like upma.

Enjoy this healthy kichdi with raita or yogurt or curd.

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Daliya Khichdi - Cracked Wheat Upma or Kichdi

Mac & Cheese , Seasoned Green beans and Fresh Salad with fresh Guacamole dip

The above title was today's lunch!. It is very healthy and delicious meal. I wanted to make Vighnesh and Arushi eat avocado somehow so I tried this guacamole and finally I am successful!.

Below are the recipes of the complete lunch plate. Enjoy and stay healthy.

1) Guacamole Dip :

Ingredients: Serving size 2 adults

Avocado - 1

Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped

Onion - 1 Tbs, finely chopped

Lime Juice of 1/2 lime

Tabasco sauce - 1/4 tbs or less ( optional)

Method:

•  Cut the avocado in to half; lengthwise.
•  Run the spoon close to the skin of avocado to remove the flesh of avocado.
• Remove the pit.
• Mash the avocado until your desired smoothness. Add the tomato and onion.
• Add the lime juice, salt and pepper and stir well.
•  Keep it aside.

Fresh Salad :

Chop all your favorite veggies to get your daily serving of vegetables.
I used : Thinly sliced carrots, couple of lettuce leaves, Thinly sliced red radishes, tomato and zucchini and some sprouted mung beans.

 

Seasoned Green Beans:

Recipe is here

And Finally Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
Macaroni elbows pasta - 1 cup
Butter - 2 Tbs
Flour - 2 Tbs
Milk - 1 cup
Sharp cheddar cheese; shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Yellow Mustard  - 1 tbs
Grated Zucchini - 1/2 cup
Breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup
Method :
• Cook pasta according to the package instruction.
• Meantime, heat butter in a pan, add the flour whisking continuously.
• Add milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps.
• Add the mustard, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of cheese, Mix it properly.
• Add the cooked pasta, zucchini.
• Pour this mixture into baking pan.
• Heat the oven to 350F
• Melt 1 tbs of butter and add the crumbs. mix it well until all get wet.
• Spread this over the pasta in the baking pan.
• Keep it in the lower rack and bake it for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let it cook for 5 minutes before serving.
• You can serve this pasta with pasta sauce.

All put it together :

Our  healthy lunch plate Looked like this 

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Mac & Cheese , Seasoned Green beans and Fresh Salad with fresh Guacamole dip

Carrot Halwa : Microwave version

Wow, It was so tasty!. My friend Kokila had prepared this Carrot halwa for last Sunday's get together. And roopa's Halbai and Mangalore Bajji was also very tasty, Oh! My mouth is watering! :) . I had asked them for these recipe and here they are. Thanks dear for this yummy recipe.
You got to try this today and do let us know how it turned it out.

Here you go:

Ingredients for Carrot Halwa:

Carrots - 1 pound
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee or Clarified butter - 4-5 tbsp
Condensed Milk - 5 Tbs
Cashews, almonds and raisins  - handful.

Easy Steps:

1. Peel the carrots and microwave the whole carrots for 7-8 mins. Alternatively we can steam them for 5 mins.
    (Microwaving or steaming the carrots softens them and makes it easy for grating).
2. Grate the carrots.
3. Microwave the grated carrots for about 6 mins.
4. Next add 4 spoons of ghee. Mix well and microwave for another 5-6 mins.
5. Add 4 -5 tbsp of condensed milk (I use fat free) and microwave for 5 more mins.
6. Add dry fruits and sugar and microwave for another 5 mins.

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Carrot Halwa : Microwave version