Avocado-Egg Whites Salad

A recent episode of 'Agents of shield' on Star World had agents May and Skye discussing their feelings about Ward's betrayal. On being asked why she did not feel any anger, May replied that though she felt very angry with Ward, she would not waste her energies on throwing a tantrum and would rather channelize it and wait to take down her adversary. It just made me think how many of us would do something like that. Most of us are ready to throw a fit and get into confrontations even at a perceived slight. And finally we end up looking stupid. Maybe it is something I will try to implement in my personal life.

Today's recipe is a delicious and healthy salad for the weight watchers !! The whites are a great source of protein and the avocado is full of healthy fats. One can also add some crunchy lettuce , celery or cucumber to the salad to make it more filling. To make a complete meal, sandwich some between 2 slices of wholegrain bread or have it wrapped in a tortilla/quesadilla. Read on  -

Preparation Time - 12 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 egg whites ( boiled and separated from the yolks )
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp mustard sauce
• freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation - Boil the eggs for 10-12 mins. Remove from flame and allow to cool. Remove the shells and separate the whites.

Cut the onion into thin slices and marinate for a while with the vinegar and salt.

Halve the avocado and scoop out the flesh. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard sauce, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Mash together (almost to the consistency of a Guacamole).

Add the chopped/lightly mashed egg whites and onions (discard any liquid though). Mix gently.

Chill for 20 mins before serving.

Kala Chana Sundal

A very easy and tasty snack, it hardly calls for any effort. Commonly sold on the beaches and roadsides, sundals have now become the staple 4'o clock snack in my home.

For those unaware of the benefits of eating chana, a single cup of boiled chana provides you with 1/3rd of the day's protein requirements. Plus it is loaded with dietary fiber which helps lower cholesterol,  regulates blood-sugar levels and also prevents constipation. It is a good source of potassium, sodium, iron, calcium and folate. But for those who have been advised for limit their sodium intake, go easy on the salt please.

Read on for the easy recipe -

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( includes a lot of standby time )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup kala chana
• 2 tsp urad dal (skin removed)
• 1-2 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 green chillis (slit or chopped)
• 1/5 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 pinches of asafoetida
• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• a pinch of turmeric (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• freshly grated coconut (optional)

Preparation - Wash and soak the channa overnight.

Cooking - Take the drained channa in a cooker with 1 1/2 cup water. Add salt to taste and turmeric. Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistle (till it is soft but not mushy).

Allow the steam to escape before opening lid.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds and green chillis. Fry for 10 sec before adding the urad dal.

Once it urad dal turns light brown, add the curry leaves and asafoetida.

Add the boiled channa and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve with a dash of lemon juice and grated coconut.

Peanut Sundal (Verkadalai Sundal for Navratri)

Sundal is a quick stir-fried snack made with white chick peas or garbanzo beans. The beans are soaked overnight and cooked till soft but not mushy. This dish can also be prepared with peanuts, horse gram, whole green moong and kala channa. While the seasoning is kept minimal and the same for each preparation, they taste quite different as each legume has its own distinct flavor.

While the recipe is said to originate from Tamil Nadu, it is quite common to locate a street-side vendor selling a variety of sundal anywhere in South India. It is also used as a prasad or 'neivaidyam' during the Navratri fasting.

It was the ease to preparation and the protein content that made me try this as a 4 o' clock for my kid. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( including 10 mins standby time )

Ingredients -

1 cup peanuts (with skin)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp skinless urad dal (black lentil)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
4-5 curry leaves
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 tbsp grated coconut ( though I have skipped it )
a dash of lime juice
coriander leaves for garnishing

Cooking - Boil the peanuts with a little salt till tender. (I used a pressure cooker and gave 4 whistles on medium flame). Drain off excess water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard and urad dal. Fry till urad dal starts to turn a little brown.

Add curry leaves, broken red chilli and asafoetida. Fry for 10 seconds.

Add the boiled peanuts and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the coconut, mix in and remove from flame.

Add coriander leaves and lime juice when serving.

Note - While some like it hot, I prefer to have it at room temperature.