Beetroot Juice With Carrots And Apples/Health Drink

                             Simple to make and healthy to drink 

                    

Beetroots have many beneficial effects on health.   Raw beet juice which is healthy and nutritious, has antioxidants  and nitrates which may improve blood flow throughout the body and helps lower the blood pressure.  Making juice with beets is easy. It is not recommended drinking   raw juice alone.  Add  carrots and apples to beets, it gives more taste and flavor.  

Ingredients

   1 Beetroot

  2 Carrots 

  1  Apple

½ inch piece of ginger

Method:

Wash all above ingredients thoroughly. 

Remove the carrots and beetroot tops. 

Then peel the carrots and beetroots.

Slice up all of them and put in to juicer.

If you are using blender, add water  to prepare juice and 

filter it.

Serve it cool.  

 

Aloo Paratha/Aloo Chapathi/Indian Flat Bread

 

This recipe is about  aloo paratha, but I am not making separate aloo curry stuff   to make paratha.  It is the easy version of  stuffed aloo paratha.  Simply add  mashed potatoes to wheat flour   to make chapatis. These chapatis are very soft and tasty.  Once in a while I love to do this.

Ingredients:

Potatoes/aloo     (2 medium size, boiled, peeled and mashed)

Whole wheat flour   (2 cups)

Green chilli   (1 no, paste, red chillie powder is substitute)

Jeera powder/cumin powder     (1/2 tsp)

Salt to taste

Oil (optional)

 

Preparation method:

·  First boil the potatoes, then peel the skin and mash it in a mixing bowl. 

·  Add wheat flour, green chilli paste, Jeera powder/cumin powder and salt   then  prepare soft dough. The water in the boiled potatoes is enough to make soft dough. Continue to knead till you get the right consistency. 

·  Divide the dough into equal portions   and make medium sized balls of it and keep them ready to roll out.

·  Take one dough ball and roll it into chapati, lightly coat on wheat flour both sides to prevent the dough from sticking as you roll the chapati.  

·  Heat the pan/griddle/ tava,  transfer the rolled chapati on it,  then roast it well with oil(optional) both sides.

Serve hot with curry or chutney and Enoy the Taste of Aloo Chapati.

Brown Rice Dosa/Attu

  

Ingredients:

Brown rice     (3 cups)

Urad dal/minapappu/black gram            (1 cup)

Fenugreek seeds/methi/menthulu  (1/2 tsp)

Chana dal/ senagapappu/Bengal gram   (2 tbs)

Salt as needed

Oil  (optional)

Preparation method:

1. Wash brown rice, dal and fenugreek seeds.  Soak them  in a bowl   for 6 hours.

2. Grind together all the soaked ingredients into  smooth batter using grinder by adding required water.  

3. Transfer the batter to a big bowl which has enough space for the  batter to rise.  Now add  salt to the batter and keep it in room temperature.  If  you are using oven, just turn it on for 1-2 minutes in the winter. Let it ferment for overnight.  

4. Before preparing dosa add more water to the fermented batter, mix well and make it just like regular dosa batter consistency.

5. Take a nonstick griddle heat it, drop a ladle of batter, spread it  around  into a thin crust. (Do just like regular dosa). If you want , sprinkle oil on dosa,  Let it cook for 2-3 min, until  it turns into medium brown color. Now  turn it and cook it for less than 1 min.

6. Now brown rice dosa is ready to eat.  Serve it hot with  peanut/ground nut chutney, ginger chutney,  pudina chutney,tomato chutney or even with tomato ketchup.

How To Cook Brown Rice ( Hulled Rice)

Brown rice is having lot of health benefits than regular white rice.  Rich in fibers, minerals   and vitamins. Cooking brown rice is little bit tricky.  The best way to cook brown rice is on a stove. It’s a slow cooking process, so it takes about 45 to 50 minutes for cooking.  This method works for both short and long grain brown rice. 

Here is the recipe for brown rice. This recipe serves 4-5 people.

Ingredients:

Brown rice    [2 cups, soak the rice in 6 cups water for about 30 minutes, (longer time also fine), 1:3 ratio of rice and water for mushy brown rice.]

Pinch of salt (optional)

¼ tsp of oil (optional)

Cooking method:

Take a heavy bottomed or nonstick pot with  a  tight lid.

Transfer  the soaked rice along with water to it.

Add pinch of salt to the rice water then put it on stove burner. Keep the flame high, and bring the rice and water to a boil uncovered.

Then add oil and  put the lid on the pot, and reduce the heat to low/simmer.

Let the rice simmer for 35-40 minutes until all the water has absorbed.

Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes (20 minutes also fine). 

Serve hot with sambar or dal.  

Kothimira Pachadi/Coriander Chutney/Cilantro Chutney

 

 

Delicious   kothimira chutney [Green Chutney/Hari Chutney] is very simple to make. It can be used as chutney, side dish or dip also.

Here is the recipe for kothimira chutney.

Ingredients:
Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves (1 big bunch,   washed and chopped)
Green chillies/dry red chillies     (2)
Channa dal/senaga pappu/bengal gram       (1 tbsp)
Cumin seeds/jeera   (1/4 tsp)
Tamarind  (small gooseberry sized, cleaned)
Garlic cloves    (1 no)
Oil  - (1 tsp)
Salt to taste
Sugar or jaggery(optional, to taste)

For Seasoning  (Optional)
Mustard seeds   (1 tsp)
Curry leaves   (few)

Preparation method:
Heat the oil in a  pan and add cumin seeds, let it splutter then add chana dal, tamarind, chillies and finally clove saute them until they become brown in color. 
Now add chopped coriander leaves and stir it continuously until water evaporates. 
Remove it from heat and cool it.  
Grind this mix   with  salt and sugar/jaggery(Optional)  in the blender until it becomes soft paste adding  required water. Transfer it to bowl. Keep refrigerated.
Seasoning  (Optional)
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves let them splutter. Add this to the chutney and mix well.

Serve with idli, dosa, vada, chapati and rice also.  You can use this chutney as a dip for  snacks like samosa, pakoda or spring rolls.   

Avocado Guacamole Dip Recipe

Guacamole is a dip made from avocados. It can be prepared easily at home. All you need is  ripe avocados.  This fruit is low in saturated fats,cholesterol and high in potassium. Here is the recipe for guacamole. This recipe serves 1-2 people.

Ingredients:

Avocado    -1 ( I bought Hass avocado)

Green chillie  -( 1, finely chopped)

Onion  -  (1, small, finely chopped)

Tomato  -(1, small, finely chopped)

Lemon juice   ( as needed)

Black pepper powder   ( ¼ tsp, adjust to your taste)

Salt to taste.

Preparation:

Cut  avocado into half, remove seed, then scoop out  the pulp from the peel and put  into a mixing bowl.

Now add the onion, green chillie, black pepper powder, tomato, salt and lemon juice then mix well.

Dip is ready to serve with corn chips.  Keep  refrigerated until serving for better taste.  

Bean Sprouts Stir Fry

 

 

Generally the bean sprouts are the sprouts of mung beans.  

The sprouted beans are more nutritious than the original beans. 

Here is the recipe for stir fry. 

Serves 2-4 people.

 

Ingredients:

 

Mung bean sprouts  -(1 pound, available in  oriental stores)

Soy sauce  - 2 tsp

Sugar  -  ½ tsp

Oil  - 2 tsp

Garlic powder - ¼ tsp

 

Preparation:

 

Wash the mung bean sprouts.

Boil the sprouts in hot water  until they become soft and  tender.   It takes about 4-5 minutes.  Drain the water.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet, add the bean sprouts and stir fry it for 4-5 minutes.  Now add soy sauce , sugar and garlic powder.  Mix well and keep it on flame for 3 more minutes.  Now it is ready to serve hot.

 

Soya Chapati/Roti/Pulka

Soya chapati/roti/pulka is very healthy, nutritious and high in protein low in carbs. 

Here is the recipe for soya chapati.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 3 cups

Soya flour -   1 cup

Yogurt/milk -   (2 tbsp)     

Water ( as required)

Preparation Method:

Mix wheat flour, soya flour, yogurt/milk and water in a mixing bowl and knead it to prepare a soft dough.

Divide dough into small portions and make medium sized balls. Take one dough ball,   roll it into chapathi.  

Heat a pan and put the rolled out chapati on it and cook bothsides well with oil (optional).  Once chapati  is done serve it hot. 

 

Quick Plain Biryani Rice Recipe

 

Today I am going to post quick plain biryani rice recipe.  One can make this in electric rice cooker or pressure cooker.  This recipe serves 3-4 people. This rice goes well with non-veg curries, sambar and fried curries.

Ingredients:

Rice 2 cups (Basmathi, wash, soak rice in 3 ½ cups water for 10- 15 minutes)

Oil – (1 tsp)

Onions (1 small, cut into long thin pieces)

Black cumin seeds/kala jeera (1 tsp)   (Cumin seeds are alternative for black cumin seeds)

Bay leaves (2 no)

Cinnamon stick/dalchina (1no, 1 inch)

Cloves/lavanga   (3-4)

Cardamoms/ealichi   ( whole 2 no)

Cooking Method:

Heat   the inner pan of the electric rice cooker on stove with low flame, add 1 tsp oil, then add onion, sauté it till they become transparent.

Now add black cumin sedds/kala jeera, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms and stir fry it for 2 minutes.

Then add rice along with water and mix well.  Now transfer this inner pan into the electric rice cooker, turn on switch.  Once the rice is done, hot biryani is ready to serve.

Banana Chapati/roti

This recipe is for kids especially who do not like bananas and milk.  These two ingredients make very soft dough and as well as soft, tasty chapatis.  Try this recipe for your little picky eaters.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour    -1 cup

Banana   1

Milk   (as needed to make dough)

Preparation method:

Mash the banana in a mixing bowl.  Add wheat flour and prepare of soft dough with milk. Continue to knead till you get the right consistency.  Divide the dough into equal portions and make medium sized balls of it. Roll between your palms, applying a gentle pressure, till the balls are smooth and without cracks. Make as many as you need and keep ready to roll out.

Take one dough ball and roll it into chapati, lightly coat on wheat flour both sides to prevent the dough from sticking as you roll the chapati. You can use Flatbread maker/roti maker to make chapatis.

Heat a pan on a medium flame and put the rolled out chapati on it to cook with some oil. When both sides are cooked well with brown spots on it, transfer to the serving plate.