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Showing posts with label easy and healthy snacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy and healthy snacks. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

ChatPati Oats Locho ( Monsoon Mania Collaboration )

Ever tried to guess the reason behind those hunger pangs that crop up everytime there is a down ? Well, it could be sudden fall in outside temperature that makes one feel chilled and hence the craving to eat something hot along with one's favorite beverage. Or it might even be the limited mobility that makes one explore other avenues before finally settling down on snacking . After all good food has a relaxing effect on us.

Or maybe, it is that primal desire to bite into the forbidden fruit...er..food. With most doctors and elders putting a blanket ban on street-side fare during the rains, they suddenly start to look even more inviting. Wading though the murky waters, the aromas of bhajjis and samosas wafting up from the street vendors assail our senses and send our normally logical brain into a tailspin. And we end up eating stuff that we would otherwise not even touch with a barge-pole. 

But given that gastrointestinal disorders are very common during monsoons, it is best to steer away from street-foods. Some advance preparation can actually go a long way in avoiding such blunders. This 'Surti Locho' recipe is one such example to an easy to prepare and very healthy steamed snack. I have added a healthy twist to this recipe by substituting the 'poha' with oats and serving it up with a tangy 'Puli-inji' relish.

But hang on !! There are more recipes to be discovered as I am back with a collaboration with my bloggers friends Saswati who blogs @ Delish Potpourri and Parinaaz of A Dollop of That fame. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to check what these gals are dishing out !

Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 45 mins

Ingredients -
  • 1 cup channa dal
  • 1/3 cup urad dal
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 tsp crushed ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper powder
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 2 pinch turmeric
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • salt to taste

For garnishing -

  • puli inji relish
  • coriander leaves

Preparation - Wash and soak the channa dal and the urad dal separately for 6-7 hours.

Take the oats in a bowl. Cover with just enough hot water to moisten it.

Grind the channa dal into a slightly coarse paste.

Grind the urad dal separately into a fine paste. Add the moistened oats to the same jar and blend together.

Transfer all the ingredients ( except baking powder) into a big mixing bowl . Bring everything together.

Cooking - Take sufficient water in a steamer. Bring it to a boil.

Grease a round/square dish which is about 2 inches deep. 

Finally add the baking powder to the batter, mix evenly and pour into the baking dish.

Put it in the steamer and let it cook for 30 mins. Insert a toothpick into the center to check if it is done.

Remove it from the steamer. 

Scoop out some of the hot Locho onto a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with Puli inji relish ( or tamarind jaggery chutney ) and cilantro. 

Serve piping hot.
















Note - Refrigerate any remaining batter ( to which baking powder has not been added ) and use it up in a day or two .

Check out these fabulous Monsoon recipes contributed by my fellow bloggers !!
















Parinaaz's Eeda Chutney na Pattice ( Egg and Chutney Croquettes )

and



Monday, June 27, 2016

Soya Stuffed Peppers ( A healthier take on Mirchi Bhajji )

There is something about the rains that brings out the foodie in me. The splattering sounds made by the water, the ever present chill in the air and even the lovely smells that the rains unleash gets me into a good mood. Being ravenous is a not-so-desirable side effect of the monsoon showers but these days I am hardly complaining. I have managed to lost a bit of weight by turning partly vegan and have been working out regularly. So, a once in a while indulgence is kinda welcome.

Tea and mirchi bhajjis is one such combination that makes me go weak in the knees. But the amount of oil that goes into making the bhajjis always makes me change my mind at the last moment. However, today I had skipped lunch and ended up quite hungry around 5 in the evening. I wanted something quite filling with my tea . So, I decided to give the bhajjis a healthy makeover by stuffing them with some spicy soya filling and then pan frying them.

It is quite a simple recipe yet it turned out delicious. Read on for my 'Soya Stuffed Peppers' -

















Preparation Time - 20-25 mins

Ingredients -

  • 1 cup soya chunks
  • 1 medium potato
  • 5-6 large peppers 
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup besan
  • 1/2 of a medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 2 pinch garam masala
  • salt to taste
  • 3 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp chopped cilantro

Preparation - Cook the soya chunks and potato in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles.

Allow steam to escape. Open lid, take out the soya chunks, squeeze them and rinse 2-3 times in clear water.

Squeeze out all the water from the soya chunks, put in a mixing bowl and mash to a coarse paste. Peel the potato, mash and add to the same mixing bowl.

Add some water, salt and a bit of chili powder to the besan. Mix well to make a paste of medium consistency.

Cooking - Heat 1 tsp oil in pan. Add the chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a while till the raw smell goes off.

Add the soya and potato paste along with salt and chili powder. Mix everything together and cook for 4-5 mins.

Finally add the garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix and remove from the flame. Let it come down to room temperature.

Make a single slit on the side for each pepper. Remove the insides and stuff the soya masala into it.

Dip the stuffed pepper into the besan paste and take it out. Shake lightly to remove excess batter clinging to it.

Spread the oats on a plate. Roll the battered peppers over the oats taking care to form a uniform layer. Repeat this process for all the peppers.

Heat a non-stick frying pan. Add 1 tsp oil to it and place the stuffed peppers. Drizzle some more oil over them.

Fry on a medium flame till they turn golden brown on all sides.

Remove from pan.































Serve hot with mayonnaise and ketchup.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Garlic Ragi Mathri ( With Fortune Vivo Dia-Care Oil )

Incessant snacking has always been an integral part of the long summer days. But between a fussy kid and a diabetic MIL, I am always running short of options. And it was yet another dreary summer afternoon when I sat scratching my head for striking the right balance between health and taste when the doorbell rang shattering my concentration. I opened the door to find the delivery boy standing with a huge 5 L canister of Fortune Vivo Diabetes Care Oil. The Blogadda guys had indeed send me a generous sample for the review. They have been thoughtful enough to provide a two month's supply of the oil. That is more than enough time to test the efficiency of the oil on any diabetic patient.

Given my habit of checking out the nutritional information for every single item that I purchase, I promptly turned the can to check out the constituents of this oil. Turned out that it is a blend of rice bran and sesame oil (in a 80-20 ratio). Now that had me impressed for both oils have known diabetes controlling properties. Especially sesame oil, which has been in the limelight recently due to its proven ability to control high blood sugar levels and improves the effectiveness of the prescribed medication.

Initially, that is before I started cooking with it, I was a bit skeptical about the taste. Since it has that mild smell of sesame oil, I was worried if my fussy kid would pick it out. But thankfully, the smell goes off completely once I use it for cooking. With such a healthy cooking medium at my disposal, I could now try out almost any recipe without fear of compromising on taste/health.

Now my MIL and my kid are big fans of fried snacks. And 'Mathri' happens to be one of their favorites. To make it extra healthy, I added some ragi flour to the whole wheat flour that I normally use. And a touch of garlic for extra zing. Used Fortune Vivo Oil both for kneading the dough and deep frying the it. The 'Mathris' turned out to be delicious and for once I was not worried about serving fried stuff to my diabetic MIL. Given the win-win scenario and buoyed by the success of my first trial, I extended the use of this oil to every dish that I prepare. And every time, it lived up to my expectations.

So, this us a short review of Fortune Vivo Dia-Care Oil -

Pro's 

1. Contains health benefits like tocotrienol and Oryzanol.
2. Contains sesame oil which has proven properties to regulate blood sugar levels.
3. Priced economically at Rs 675/- for 5 liters. 
4. Taste is neutral.
5. Easily available.
6. Less absorbed while frying.


Con's

1. Smells lightly of sesame oil. But it goes off during cooking.

Overall, it is one great choice not only for diabetics but for everyone looking to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

And this is the fabulously yummy and healthy 'Garlic Ragi Mathri' recipe. Read on -


















Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients -
  • 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cup ragi flour
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • salt to taste
  • 5 tsp oil for kneading + sufficient for deep frying ( I used Fortune Vivo Dia-Care Oil )


Preparation - Take the wheat flour, ragi flour, grated garlic, chili powder, baking powder, salt and 5 tsp oil in a mixing bowl. Mix well. 

Sprinkle water little by little and knead into a tight dough. Smear it with a little oil and keep aside for 1-2 hours.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok.

Roll out the dough into a thick circle ( about 2 mm thickness ). Take the cap of a bottle and cut out small circles ( abt 3 cm in diameter ). Pierce holes into the circles with a fork.

Add 4-5 circles to the hot oil and fry till brown on both sides. Take out and place on paper napkins.

Repeat for the remaining dough.

Once the mathri had cooled down completely, store it in airtight containers.































Note - Both Ragi and garlic are beneficial for Diabetic patients. And combined with the health benefits of the Fortune Vivo Dia-Care oil, they makes for a great addition to a diabetic menu.

***Important - “I’m creating a dish using Fortune Vivo Diabetes-Care Oil for the #MakeIndiaDiabetesFree activity at BlogAdda.”

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Beetroot and Tofu Burger ( Vegan Recipe )

Happy Valentine's day everyone !!

Cheesecake. Brownies. Strawberries. Pomegranate. The visuals on social media have been unrelenting in the run up to the V-day celebrations. And that got my man pissed off. Big time. It's not that he hates desserts but he really wanted to see some real food. Given that I am on a healthy eating streak these days, I had to think hard to come up with something that is not too fussy and yet delicious.

I am yet to find a bloke how can say no to a burger. And that kinda set the stage rolling for a vegan burger which is also low on calories. Giving in to the fascination with hues like pink or red, I added some beetroot for color (and health too) !.

Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

  • 100 gm tofu
  • 1 small potato
  • 1 small beetroot
  • 2 tsp finely chopped onion
  • 1/5 tsp ginger paste
  • 1/4 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 pinch cumin
  • 2 pinch coriander
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
  • 2-3 tbsp roasted and crushed peanuts
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil 
  • oil spray for pan frying the burger patties


For the crust -

  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp besan
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 slice of whole wheat bread


For final assembly -

  • onion rings
  • lettuce
  • tomato ketchup
  • Burger buns
  • 2 tbsp vegan mayo
  • a dash of pepper

Preparation - Boil the beetroot and potato in a cooker for 2-3 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.
Remove from cooker, peel and grate them into a mixing bowl.

Grate the tofu into the bowl. Mix everything together.

Mix the besan, cornflour and salt with a few teaspoons of water to get a thin batter.

Tear up and throw the bread slices (removing the sides) into a mixer jar. Buzz for a few seconds to get fresh bread crumbs.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the onion and let it sweat a bit. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and chili powder . Cook for a minute before adding the mashed mixture of tofu, beetroot and potato. Season with salt. Cook for 2-3 mins.

Keep aside to cool. (best to keep it aside for an hour or two so that the flavors get to gel together)

Just before shaping the mix into patties, add the crushed peanuts. Mix and divide into 3-4 equal portions. Shape each one into a round patty ( go for a heart shaped patty if you are feeling extra mushy).

Dip the patties in the batter and roll them over the bread crumbs.

Spray some oil onto a pan. Heat it and place the patties on the pan. Fry on both sides till brown.

Assembling the burger - Toast the burger buns. Layer one with mayo and place the burger patty on it.

Throw on some onion rings and lettuce . Finally season it with some pepper powder and tomato ketchup. Top it with another bun.

Grab it and dig in !!!


Friday, September 18, 2015

Avocado Mango Mint Spread

For quite a few folks, when it comes to a sandwich spread, it translates into something buttery with a cheese/mayonnaise/hung curd base. This is perhaps the most important reason why it is one of the first things that goes off the menu when one is on a diet. But imagine a spread that is buttery, packs the same kind of punch and is, hold your breath, vegan to boot !!

That is where the delicious butter fruit or Avocado comes into the picture. With a texture and consistency that resembles butter, it is mildly flavored which makes it a great combination with other veggies and seasoning.

Read on for this low calorie spread made with avocado and some great Indian style flavors -


















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

  • 1 avocado
  • 4-5 shallots (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp mint paste
  • 2 tsp grated mango
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • salt to taste

Preparation - Halve the avocado and remove the stone. Scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl.

Add all other ingredients to the same bowl. Mash together with a fork. Let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour for the flavors to come together.

Take it out and use as a sandwich spread or even a dip with pakoras /samosas.

Keep the rest in the fridge. Stay good for 2-3 days when stored with care.


















Note - I prefer to add a few drops of EVOO to my spread. Gives a nice flavor.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Horse gram Sundal

Sundal is a popular roadside snack from South India (mainly Tamil Nadu). Boiled pulses stir fried with simple spices and garnished with fresh coconut, lemon juice and cilantro, it is high in fiber and low in calories.

And quite interestingly there are lots of variations even for such a simple recipe. Some prefer to make it with the sprouted lentils while others prefer to add grated carrots/beetroot/cucumber to it. The regular version has lots of onions (and sometimes even garlic) going into it while the one made on festive days especially 'Ganesh Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chaturthi' is sans these condiments.

Click here for more horse gram recipes !!

Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 20 mins

Ingredients -
  • 1 cup horse gram /kolotho/kollu
  • 1 large onion (chopped into medium sized pieces)
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2-3 dry red chili
  • a pinch of asafoetida
  • a pinch of turmeric
  • 2 tsp oil
  • salt to taste
  • freshly grated coconut/ finely chopped cilantro for garnishing

Preparation - Wash and soak the horse gram overnight.

Cook it with 2/3 cup water, a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste in a pressure cooker. Allow for 4-5 whistles. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Open the lid and strain the boiled lentils. Do not throw the water as it can be used for making rasam.

Cooking - Heat oil in a wok. Add the broken red chilis, urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the urad dal starts turning a little brown, add asafoetida, curry leaves and onion. Fry till onion turns translucent.

Add the boiled lentils and stir fry for 2-3 mins. Adjust the salt if required.

Remove from the wok and garnish with fresh coconut/cilantro. Serve as a healthy afternoon snack .



















Note - Add a little lemon juice and finely chopped green chili to add extra zing.  Avoid the onions when making it for Navratri or on any other fasting occasion !!

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