Here im coming with a yummy and healthy recipe. Though tofu is easily available in brunei, I rarely buy this. I prefer to use paneer more. Now for a change, i cooked tofu curry. Tofu is vegan, rich in protein and low in calories. Try this delicious curry and serve as a accompaniment with roti or plain rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1½ cup extra-firm tofu (cut into 1 inch cube)

2 onion sliced (medium sized)

2 tomato chopped (medium sized)

3 garlic cloves

1 inch ginger

7 to 8 cashew nuts

3 green chilies

½ tablespoon cumin powder

½ tablespoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chilly powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Few curry leaves

Few coriander leaves chopped

1 bay leaf

2 clove

Small piece cinnamon

1 Cardamom

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Dry roast the tofu until they are brown and crispy on all sides. Keep aside.

In a pan, add ½ tablespoon of oil and saute onion and tomato for few minutes or until they turn translucent and mash well. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Once they are cooled down, transfer to blender and along with that, add garlic, ginger, cashew nuts, green chilly, red chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder & salt and blend well to smooth paste. Add little water while grinding. Keep the paste aside.

In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil. When heated, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and curry leaves. Saute for a min.

Then add in the ground paste. Saute and cook in low flame till they are cooked well and raw smell goes off. Add water to adjust the consistency.

Then add in the roasted tofu and close the pan with lid. Cook for few min and remove from heat.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot & enjoy!!

We may heard that mangoes contribute to heat in the body. But for raw mangoes, the case is just different. It cool down you. Aam ka panna is a very popular north-indian drink, made with roasted cumin powder, pepper powder and jaggery. Raw mangoes are perfect to protect you from sun-strokes. Make this drink early time and keep it refrigerated. Whenever you come home from outside heat, have a glass of aam panna. It will make you feel refreshing.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium Green mango

2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

1 teaspoon black salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper powder

5 to 6 tablespoons brown sugar

7 to 8 mint leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups cold water

Few ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS:

Roast the mango on all sides till they turn black. Keep the flame low, so that it ensures the mango is cooked well inside.

Take out from flame and let it cool down for few min. Remove the burnt layer and take out the flesh from it, using a spoon.

Now add this removed flesh, lemon juice, roasted cumin powder, pepper powder, black salt, brown sugar and mint leaves to a blender. Add 2 cups of cold water and blend it to smooth juice.

Check the taste of the juice and add sugar or salt, if required.

Our delicious roasted aam panna is ready.

Pour it in serving glasses, add few ice cubes & mint leaves on top and serve chilled.

Notes:

Amount of water you need to add will depend on the consistency of flesh removed from roasted mango. So add water accordingly.

Traditionally, jaggery is added to aam panna. Here i have replaced it with brown sugar. But you can also add white sugar, if you want.

Amount of spices needed is also depends on tanginess of the mango. So add pepper powder & cumin powder little first. After checking the taste, you can add more, if required.

This burger is an excellent combination of Indian veg tikki(patties) and soft bun. It is a wonderful indo-western combo in which the patties made with indian spices is sandwiched between soft buns that are shallow fried in butter. Here i have tried this burger with beetroot patties. But you can use any tikki, patties or cutlets you want.

INGREDIENTS:

4 wholemeal burger buns (you can also use normal buns)

4 beetroot patties

2 tablespoons butter/ ghee

Mayonnaise or Salad dressing- as needed

Few lettuce leaves

4 tomato slices

1 medium onion (cut into round slices)

4 cheese slices (optional, i didn’t use)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut each burger bun horizontally into two. Apply ¼ tablespoon of butter on the insides of each half of the burger bun and toast them lightly on a tava (griddle).

Apply mayonnaise or salad dressing on each side of buttered bun.

Top some lettuce leaves followed by tikki prepared.

Then place sliced tomato followed by onion rings.

Add some more mayo on top (you can place cheese slices instead)

Top with few more lettuce leaves.

Cover with an upper half of the bun with the buttered–spread side facing down and press it lightly.

Repeat the procedure to make 3 more burgers.

Above pic-after a bite by me 🙂

Serve immediately & enjoy to the core.

Theses patties have a lovely blend of Indian spices with creamy inside and crunchy outside. You can sandwich them in between burgers to have healthy vegetable burger or you can simply serve this patties with chutney or with mayonnaise.

INGREDIENTS:

1 grated beetroot (big size)

1 boiled potatoes (medium sized)

2 green chilies chopped

Few coriander leaves chopped

1 chopped onion

2 tablespoons rice flour

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon red chilly powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon garam masala

Salt to taste

For coating:

2 teaspoons corn flour (dissolved in 2 tablespoons water)

Bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS:

Grate the beetroot and squeeze out the juice from it.

In a bowl, take the grated beetroot, boiled potato, chopped onion, green chilly, chopped coriander leaves, rice flour, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric powder & salt. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into  patties as shown in figure.

Dip this patties into corn flour water and then gently coat it with bread crumbs.

Heat the pan and add few drops of oil. Cook the patties for 3 to 4 min on each side or till they turn golden brown.

Serve hot & Enjoy !!

Notes:

You can also try this recipe with carrots or potato and peas mixture.

Sweet potato cigars !..it may sounds bizarre to you. But you ll be surprised how delicious this crunchy, sweety, spicy sticks would be. Adding spiciness to this sweet vegetable, make this as complex flavoured dish. Try this for your kids party and sure they will love it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup grated sweet potato

½ cup grated potato

¼ cup grated carrot

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

2 green chilies finely chopped

Few coriander leaves

4 tablespoons gram flour

2 tablespoons rice flour

1 teaspoon red chilly powder

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For coating:

2 tablespoons corn flour dissolved in 3 tablespoons water

3 to 4 tablespoons semolina

INSTRUCTIONS:

Squeeze out the juice from carrot, sweet potato and potato completely.

In a bowl, add grated sweet potato, grated potato, grated carrot, onion, green chilly, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves and salt. Mix all these well.

Now add gram flour, rice flour, red chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder to above mixture and mix well. Set the consistency like cutlets, by adding more gram flour, if needed.

Now roll the mixture into sticks as shown in figure.

Dip it into corn flour water and then coat it in semolina.

Pre heat the kadai, add oil. Shallow fry the cigars all sides, till they turn golden brown.

Serve hot with ketchup or chutney & Enjoy !!

Oats Porridge remains the favorite and most often made porridge in my home next to multi grain porridge. Elaichi (cardamom) adds a wonderful flavour to this porridge. I like to make mine also with berries, as they plump up and add an extra textural enjoyment to the porridge. Made creamy with whole milk, this porridge is so good that you can also even serve this as a pudding for dessert. Use your oats of choice for this recipe – quick cooking, rolled etc.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup milk +½ cup water

½ cup sliced banana

¼ teaspoon elaichi powder (cardamom powder)

1 tablespoon chopped almonds

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Few cranberries and blueberries

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a wide pan, add milk & water and allow it to boil. When it begins to boil, add oats, elaichi powder and stir well in medium flame.

When it begins to thick in consistency, add berries and chopped nuts (reserve some for garnishing).

Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sliced banana, berries and nuts.

Add maple syrup and Serve.

Notes:

Berries are optional. you can also add dry grapes or sultanas.

Instead of walnuts or almonds, you can also add cashews or other nuts.

You can replace maple syrup with sugar or honey. But don’t add honey while cooking the porridge. Heating the honey may turns it to poison.

You can also add mangoes, chikoo (sappotta) or apples instead of banana.

Kaadai (quail) is a small sized bird, in which its meat tastes similar to chicken. In India, Quails are kept as a poultry birds both for the small quantity of meat it contains and small brightly coloured eggs. In rural sides, it is one of the important domestic grown bird. It is believed that quail provides relief for Asthma, Wheezing and other respiratory related problems. Like chicken, home grown quails take more time to cook when compared to farm grown.

Kaadai pepper roast is a easy, aromatic, spicy and delicious recipe, followed by a simple marination and sauteing. Do try this simple recipe at home.

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion sliced (big sized)

1 tomato (medium sized)

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

Few curry leaves

To marinate:

500 gms Kaadai (quail)

2 tablespoons red chilly powder

1 tablespoon cumin-coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon curd

Salt to taste

To grind:

¾ tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon peppercorns

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a bowl, take all the ingredients given under “to marinate” and mix well. Marinate it for 30 min.

Dry roast the fennel seeds and peppercorns in medium flame for 1 to 2 min. Grind this into fine powder and keep it aside.

In a pan, heat the oil and add onion, ginger-garlic paste &  curry leaves and saute it till the onion turns translucent. Now add in marinated kaadai and saute for a min.

Then add in chopped tomato, ground powder and mix well. Keep the flame in medium. Don’t add water, as the kaadai begins to loose water.

Now reduces the flame to low, close the pan with lid and cook it for 20 min. Stir occasionally. When the meat is cooked, switch off the flame.

Garnish and serve hot with plain rice.

Lauki paratha is a famous north indian recipe. It is a flat bread made using wheat flour, mild spice powders and grated bottle gourd. Lauki paratha is a good, lunch box recipe, which can be served with chutney or any curries. It i so good for kids, who do not like to eat healthy veggie like bottle gourd.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup grated bottle gourd

2 cups wheat flour

1 tablespoon crushed ginger-chilly

1 tablespoon yogurt

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon red chilly powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon hot oil

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, knead well. Moisture begins release from gourd and helps to bind the flour. If needed, sprinkle water little by little.

Set aside for 30 min. Make equal sized balls.

Flour the rolling stone and begin to roll the dough one after another. Sprinkle some flour as needed and roll the flour.

Medium heat the pan and put the rolled dough on it.

Wait for few seconds and you will see few bubbles on it. Flip it and it will have few brown spots on this side.

Add oil & Continue flipping and press it gently until it is cooked both sides.

Serve hot with chutney or curry.

Vanjaram is known by different names in different parts of Tamilnadu. Neimeen, Neimeen sura, Nettaiyan cheela are some. This seer fish gravy is a easy recipe which gives complex taste and goes excellent with plain rice, pulav or roti varieties.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms Vanjaram (seer) fish

2 sliced onion (medium sized)

Few curry leaves

1 tomato medium size (pureed)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon red chilly powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

Extract from half lemon sized tamarind

½ lemon sized palm sugar

Salt to taste

To grind:

4 to 5 dry red chilly

1 inch ginger

5 to 6 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre heat the kadai and add a tablepoon of oil. When heated enough, add sliced onion & curry leaves and saute till the onion turns transparent. Then the paste made from “to grind”, goes in. Continue cooking till the raw smell goes off.

Then add in tomato puree,salt, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilly powder & cumin powder and saute well till the raw smell goes off.

Add the tamarind extract and cook in medium flame. When it comes to single boil, add fish, mix well and continue to cook for 20 min in medium flame.

Stir occasionally. When the gravy gets thick consistency, add palm sugar and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with rice and enjoy.

Note:

If your curry is too runny, add 1 teaspoon of rice flour dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water, after adding fish.

Kaadai (quail) is a small sized bird, in which its meat tastes similar to chicken. In India, Quails are kept as a poultry birds both for the small quantity of meat it contains and small brightly coloured eggs. In rural sides, it is one of the important domestic grown bird. It is believed that quail provides relief for Asthma, Wheezing and other respiratory related problems. Like chicken, home grown quails take more time to cook when compared to farm grown.

Kaadai fry is a simple yet delicious recipe, followed by a simple marination no sauteing. Do try this simple recipe at home

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms Kaadai (quail)

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

¼ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons red chilly powder

1 tablespoon coriander-cumin powder

1 tablespoon thick curd

2 tablespoons rice flour

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a bowl, take kaadai (quail) and add ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, coriander-cumin powder, curd and salt. Mix everything well and marinate it for about 30 min.

Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. While oil is heating up, add rice to the quail and mix well.

Drop the marinated quails to the oil gently and fry it till it turns golden brown. It will take around 10 min.

Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot and enjoy !!

Notes:

Add the rice flour, just before frying. It gives more crispyness.

You can replace the curd with half tablespoon of lemon juice.