Guacamole

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, I wonder why apple got picked for this proverb. Why not Avocado a day keeps the doctor away, yes avocado technically a fruit but used as a vegetable has tons of nutrients like Vitamin E, K , B, C and mono unsaturated fats. With so many health benefits it is good to include at least one avocado a day either in salads, smoothies or simply make this guacamole. Guacamole is an avocado-based sauce that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) with sea salt.  You can use guacamole as a dip, salad or condiment. Guacamole with some whole grain chips and salsa serves as a good snack or starter. Or if you are looking for a grain free option, you can serve with some almond flour cheese triangles which I will post soon. So make sure to check back.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – Nil

Serves – 4 to 6

Ingredients

Avocado – 3

Roma tomatoes – 2

Onion – 1/2

Green Chili – 2 or more to taste( you can substitute this for jalapeno)

Lime – 1 (Juiced)

Sea salt – 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Cilantro – handful(leaves alone no stalks)

Method

1) Peel, deseed and scoop out the avocado pulp in a bowl and to this add half of the salt and lemon juice.

2) In a food processor place the tomatoes, onion, green chili, rest of the salt and cilantro and pulse for a second and transfer the mixture to the avocado pulp and using a masher mash nicely and combine it well and serve immediately.

Note – You can add a clove of garlic along with the tomato, onion and serve guacamole with corn chips, multi grain chips or almond flour triangles which I will post soon.

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Home made Roasted Almond Butter

Summer vacation, kids at home, lot of cooking, snacking, running around, no time for yourself. I am sure I am not alone and this is what all the Moms experience. With kids at home, I am really kind of stocking up on lot of different healthy snacks. This is one such combo and comes very handy. Not alone they are healthy and natural but also tastes awesome together. Fruits because of the water content keeps you full and fat and protein content in almond butter curbs the craving and serves as quick and healthy snack. If you are some one you buys the pricey Almond butter in the store, then you should definitely read this recipe. Such a simple and easy one and home made almond butter just costs a fraction of what you buy in the store. If you happen to try this recipe do let me know how you liked it. If you happen to have suggestions for healthy and easy snack ideas please do share it with me and I will be happy to try that out.

Preparation Time – None

Cooking Time – 15-20 Minutes

Serves – Makes 1 cup by volume

Ingredients

Almonds – 2 Cups oven roasted or you can go for raw ones too

Coconut oil – 2 Tbsp

Salt pinch optional





Method

1) Bake the almonds for 15-20 minutes stirring in between till they are slightly brown.

2) Set it aside to cool.

3) Once the almonds are cold enough to handle, transfer them to a food processor and grind till you get a nice powder. Now add the coconut oil and process once again to get a smooth paste.

4) Transfer to clean, dry container and enjoy.

5) This stays good at room temperature for at least 7 days, mine was all done by that time.

Note – You can add sweetener and flavoring of your choice like honey, maple syrup, stevia and unsweetened cocoa, vanilla extract etc.

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Mango Jelly using Xylitol

 

I hope all of you are having a great Holiday Season. Happy Holiday wishes to all my readers and friends. Life is become so hectic with all the holiday gift shopping, school vacation, work, year end Doctor visits so blogging has been pushed into back seat. But hoping to be quite regular in a few days. It is been a while since I posted any recipe and to end this void thought of publishing this unseasonal post. This has been lying in my drafts from Summer. I love mangoes so much,  I make mango puree and freeze them in season which I use in various recipes when this lovely fruit is not in available.  So whenever you can get hold of this yummy fruit or if you also freeze the pulp like me, do  try out this Jelly. I used xylitol as the sweetener and I loved it but you can go ahead and substitute the sweetener of your choice.

Preparation Time – 15 Minutes
Cooking Time – 15  Minutes


Ingredients


Mangoes – 2 Big or 3 Medium sized
Water – 1 Cup
Xylitol – 1/4 Cup (Increase the sweetener measure based on the sweetness of your mangoes)
Lemon juice – Juice of 1 lime
Salt – pinch
Agar agar flakes – 2 Tbsp

Method


1)  Soak the agar agar flakes in half cup of water and let this sit for few 15 to 20  minutes.
2) Peel, cube the mangoes and puree to a fine pulp by adding half cup of water. Add xylitol to this and keep this aside.
3) Heat the soaked agar agar flakes and boil till the flakes are completely dissolved, now add the mango pulp and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly.
4) Leave this aside to cool for 5-10 minutes, while it is hot pour into containers and leave it aside to set.
5) Keeps in refrigerator for at least a month.

Events

Sending this to Zesty Palette’s New You Series 3 hosted by Vardhini.

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Kale & Coconut Chutney

Kale is the King of Greens along with Brocolli. Though greens in general are nutritious foods, kale stands a head above the rest. Not only is it one of your best sources of beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants believed by many nutrition experts to be a major player in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and certain age-related chronic diseases, it also provides other important nutrients. In addition to beta-carotene, kale posses other important carotenoids: lutein and zeaxathin. These carotenoids help keep UV rays from damaging the eyes and causing cataracts.



Because of its nutritional content, I always pick up a bunch of kale from the farmers market. There are numerous ways you can include kale in your diet steamed kale, kale chips, salads. Being little bored of all these, I tried out this chutney and we all liked it. Do try out and let me know, how you liked it.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Kale - 2 Cups ( Washed, stalks removed and torn or chopped into small pieces)

Coconut - 1 Cup (grated fresh)

Tamarind - 1 small goose berry sized ball(soaked in 1/4 cup water and discard any dirt in the bottom)

Salt - 1 Tsp or to you taste



Tempering



Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida - small piece or 1/4 Tsp powder

Split Urad dal - 2 Tbsp

Red chili - 8 to 10 depending on the spiciness of the chili and your taste preference cut into half



Method



1) Heat a pan add oil and once it is hot add the mustard seeds and asafoetida piece

2) After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the urad dal and then the red chili pieces.  Saute till slightly brown. Now add the kale leaves and cook till slight tender.



3)  Once the kale is slightly cooled add all the contents from pan setting little bit of urad dal and mustard seeds aside to a food processor, to this add the salt, coconut, soaked tamarind and blend till smooth adding more water as desired.



4) Now add the urad dal and mustard seeds to this ground chutney and mix well and enjoy.

Event Participation

Sending this kale chutney to Srivalli's Condiment Mela.



This also goes to Yummy food in Tummy's Life is Green Event.

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Kovakkai(Tindora/Ivy Gourd) Pickle/Salad

Have you seen this small green colored, baby cucumber kind of vegetable before? If you haven't then when you get a chance to go to your nearest Asian Indian store check it out. I love the crunchiness of this vegetable and tastes great in stir fry and also as a salad/pickle. I am calling this as pickle because I added little bit more of red chili pepper and added coarsely ground fenugreek seeds. Which is normally done for a pickle. This not alone tastes great but Tindora is a very low GI vegetable and in alternate medicine the Doctors in fact recommend to include this vegetable more in the meals to lower diabetes.  So there is no reason not to try this and do let me know if you did.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 2 to 3 Minutes

Serves - 2 to 3





Ingredients



Finely chopped Tindora pieces - 3 Cups (Edges trimmed, washed and finely chopped)

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Red chili pepper - 1 Tsp or to taste

Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp or to taste

Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tsp (Dry roast till slightly brown and grind it to a coarse powder)

Asafoetida powder - pinch (if you are gluten free, do not use this)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp



Sesame Oil - 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp



Method



1) Combine the tindora pieces, salt, red chili powder, fenugreek powder, tumeric powder, asaofetida powder and set it aside.



2) Now heat a small pan and add the sesame oil. Once the oil is warm, add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, transfer the tempering to the tindora and spice mix. Add the lemon juice and combine thoroughly.  Enjoy!!



Notes - You can prepare this and leave this for an hour or two for the spices and flavors to be well absorbed by the vegetable. If keeping more than a day, refrigerate.

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Tomato & Bell Pepper Salsa

I love bell pepper not alone for their beautiful color and look. But also the nutrition associated with them. So every week when I go to the farmers market I can't resist myself from buying these beauties. I add them in every thing literally. Soup, stir fry, salads, to rice and quinoa dishes. The options are endless. I still had few left and when I had to prepare something to go along with Almond flour mock chips along with guacamole, I quickly whipped this up. They are low in carb and super delicious. Perfect with some crunchy snacks. Very easy to make and involves no cooking, do try them out and let me know how you like it.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 4 to 6





Ingredients



Tomato - 2

Green, Red, Yellow and Orange Bell pepper - 1/4 of each ( Cut into cubes and keep)

Chopped onions - 1/4 Cup

Chopped Cilantro - 1/4 Cup

Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Fresh Parsley - 1/2 Tsp (optional)

Lime juice - 1 tsp or to taste (you can also add vinegar)

Jalapeno - 1

Olive Oil - 1 Tbsp



Method



1) Place the bell pepper, onions, cilantro, jalapeno in a food processor and run it for a few seconds so that the ingredients look coarsely chopped.



2)  Cut the tomatoes into halves and remove the seeds and cut them into 4 pieces each half.



3) Now add the tomato pieces, olive oil, parsley, salt and pulse briefly for few seconds to get a chunky texture. Do not run the processor more than few seconds, other wise you will only get a puree and not salsa.



4) Add some freshly ground pepper and lime juice or vinegar and mix thoroughly and refrigerate for few hours and serve.

Event Participation



1) This goes to Smita's AWED - Mexican an event started by DK.

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Currypowder

This is the basic curry powder recipe, which can be used for Curries, Sundal (Bean Snacks etc), Sambar, Rice. This powder can be easily prepared and stored in a air tight container at room temperature for atleast few months. Because the ingredients are dry roasted, the powder doesn't go bad and stay at the room temperature for few months. Adding this curry powder to the dishes you prepare give a nice taste and flavor. You can also add coconut to the ingredients listed below, but the ground powder has to be kept in the refrigerator and the shelf life is around 1 week. A tsp of fennel seeds and a cinnamon stick can also be added to give a nice aroma to this powder. You can add 1/2 cup Channa dal and 1/2 Cup Peanuts to get a nice sweet taste. There are lot of  different variations you can come up with and there are various dishes you can add this powder to. The options are endless, do try out and you will be happy you did.

Preparation Time - Nil

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Ingredients

Coriander Seeds - 2 Cups

Channa Dal  - 1 Cup

Urad Dal - 1/2 Tsp

Dried Red Chili - 1 Cup or to taste

Method

1) Take a heavy bottomed pan, keep it in medium heat.

2) Dry roast channa dal for 5 minutes, then add urad dal, coriander seeds and dry red chili and roast till the color turns slight brown. (Make sure it is brown and not black. Keep stirring to make the ingredients are evenly roasted).

3) Let the roasted mixture cool down for few minutes.

4) In a dry blender, grind the roasted ingredients to a coarse to fine powder and store in a air tight container after the powder completely cools.



Read more »

Raw Mango Pickle

Know what you Eat

Mangoes are  high in prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamin C, polyphenols and provitamin A carotenoids. Mango peel also contain other phytonutrients, such as the pigment antioxidants – carotenoids and polyphenols.If you want more vitamin C, try eating a raw mango rather than a ripe one.  The fiber content in mangoes is also higher than other fruits.





Ingredients



Raw mango – 1 (Chopped into small pieces)

Salt – 2 tsp or to taste

Red Chili powder – 2 tsp or to taste

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Methi/Fenugreek/Vendhayam seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/2 tsp

Sesame oil – 3 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp



Method



1) Dry roast fenugreek seeds till you get a slight aroma and changes dark brown in color(do not allow it to become black) and keep it aside.

2) Once the fenugreek seeds are cooled, powder them in your food processor to a coarse powder.

3) Add fenugreek powder, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder to the raw mango and close the container and shake so that all the mango pieces are evenly well coated with the added spices.

4) Heat oil in a small pan and once it is hot add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering transfer the contents to the cut mango container. Mix well and leave it for 4 to 5 hours so that all the flavors marinate well.

Note – This pickle will be good for 4-5 days, but can’t be kept for a longer time.

Event Participation 

1) This goes straight to Pickle Mela hosted by Snack o Rama.

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Home Made Cashew Butter

Do you buy pricey nut butters in the store, try this recipe and you will not only enjoy the fresh home made taste, but will find out how easy it is to make these nut butters at home. You can make cashew, almond, peanut butter, of course any kind of nut butter of your choice. Very few ingredients and few quick and easy steps and you have a bottle of protein packed power butter in few minutes, good to use for breakfast or for a high energy snack. I tried almond, cashew and peanut butter using this recipe and cashew butter is the winner of the three. While making nut butters, try to go for unflavored oil to for a better taste and flavor. You can add little bit of salt to make salted butter, add some honey and dark chocolate for sweeter version or just enjoy unsalted, unsweetened version. The choice is all yours.



Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 4 Ingredients



Unsalted Toasted Cashew(Peanuts, Almonds, Macadamia) - 1 Cup

Sunflower Oil - 2 Tbsp

 Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste or  Honey - 1 Tsp or to taste.



Method



1) In a food processor run the cashew for a minute or two, until it is coarse and grainy.

 2) At this stage add the oil and salt or honey etc and run the blender for 1 to 2 minutes to get a smooth butter.

 3) Store in a dry glass jar and enjoy. When making peanut butter, add a Tsp of oil and try running the blender if required add more oil.

Read more »

Onion Pickle(Thokku)

Life without Onion, would be impossible for me. It just not only adds taste and flavor to the dishes you

cook but has immense health benefits.

Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs,

and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs,

bacterial infections, and breathing problems. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to

provide protection against cardiovascular disease. Onions are also natural anti clotting agents since they

possess substances with fibrinolytic activity and can suppress platelet-clumping. The anti clotting effect

of onions closely correlates with their sulfur content.

Preparation Time – 15 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 20

Ingredients

Red Onion – 6

Red Chili – 8 to 12 depending on your taste

Red Chili powder – 1 Tsp

Tamarind – Lemon Sized ball

Salt – 2 Tsp or to taste

Tempering

Oil – 3 Tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/2 tsp

Method

1) Wash, peel and chop the onions, soak the tamarind in warm water to cover the surface.

2) Heat a pan, add a tsp of oil add the red chili, saute for 5 minutes and then add the chopped onions

salt and the red chili powder.

3) Once the onions are translucent switch off the stove.

4) Let this cool for few minutes.

5) Now transfer the contents to a food processor and blend till a smooth paste.

6) Heat a pan, add half of the oil and add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add asafoetida

powder and the onion paste.

7) Simmer this for a few minutes till all the water evaporates and this becomes a thick paste, now

add the rest of the oil and saute for 2 minutes and then switch off the stove.

8) Once this is completely cooled, store in a dry clean air tight bottle. This stores good in a refrigerator

up to a month.

9) Use this as a side dish with Idli, Dosa, Quinoa, Indian Flat Bread, Rice, Dip or spread.

Read more »

Cilantro Peanut Chutney

This inexpensive and tasty herb is a powerful natural cleansing agent. Cilantro has been effectively

used to help remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body. The chemical compounds in

cilantro actually bind to the heavy metals, loosening them from the tissues, blood and organs. Cilantro's

chemical compounds then aid to transport these harmful substances out of the body through elimination.

Cineole and linoleic acid are two primary components of organic cilantro that contain anti-rheumatic and

anti-arthritic properties. These two components also help purge extra water present in the body due to

swelling. Cilantro also contains oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin-C).

Each of these elements are effective in lowering high cholesterol in the blood, as well as the internal walls

of the veins and arteries.

I love cilantro for its flavor and for its beautiful green color and try not just to include it in the garnishing

but make it as a chutney and eat it often. This combined with the goodness of protein rich peanuts

is not only good for your health for tastes so good for your taste buds too. Easy to make and can be

refrigerated for at least 5 days, can be used as a dip, spread, chutney. Do give it a try.

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

Cooking Time – 5 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Cilantro – 1 bunch

Roasted peeled peanuts – 1 cup

Green chili – 4 to 6 or to taste

Tamarind – small ball(half the size of a lemon)

Salt – 1 1/2 Tsp or taste

Water – 1/4 cup

Tempering

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Red chili – 2

Method

1) Soak the tamarind ball in warm water for few minutes and carry on to step 2.

2) Wash, rinse and drain the cilantro leaves and chop into small pieces.

3) In your blender throw in the chopped cilantro, peanuts, salt, green chili and

soaked tamarind ball with water discarding the residue as the dirt will settle

down at the bottom.

4) Blend into a fine paste and add little bit of water if required.

5) Heat a pan, add oil and once it is hot add mustard seeds. After they stop

spluttering add asafoetida powder, urad dal, red chili and once the urad dal is

slightly brown add the tempering to the ground chutney and mix thoroughly.

6) Serve with Idli, Dosa, Rice or use as a spread on your sandwich.

Read more »

Coriander Chutney(Kothamalli Thogayal)

This inexpensive and tasty herb is a powerful natural cleansing agent. Cilantro has been effectively

used to help remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body. The chemical compounds in

cilantro actually bind to the heavy metals, loosening them from the tissues, blood and organs. Cilantro's

chemical compounds then aid to transport these harmful substances out of the body through elimination.

Cineole and linoleic acid are two primary components of organic cilantro that contain anti-rheumatic and

anti-arthritic properties. These two components also help purge extra water present in the body due to

swelling. Cilantro also contains oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin-C).

Each of these elements are effective in lowering high cholesterol in the blood, as well as the internal walls

of the veins and arteries.

Everybody use this herb/leaf for garnishing but with so much of immense health benefits don’t you think

this needs to be made into a dish by itself, try this aromatic, tasty and healthy chutney and i am sure

you would love it. This is not your regular cilantro watery chutney but made without adding even a Tsp

of water and keeps well in refrigerator for at least a month.

Preparation Time – 20 to 25 Minutes

Cooking Time – 5 Minutes

Serves – 10-15 Servings

Ingredients

Cilantro – 2 bunches

Red Chili – 12-15(Adjust this according to the spice level of the red chili and your taste)

Black Pepper – 1 Tsp

Split White Urad Dal – 2 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 Tsp

Tamarind – Small lemon sized ball

Sea Salt – 2 Tsp (Adjust this according to your taste and can be added later after grinding too)

Oil –2 Tbsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method

1) Chop the thick stems and wash, rinse and drain the leaves and thin stem from the cilantro

bunch.

2) Once the water is drained, take the cilantro leaves and chop them into an inch piece

coarsely and spread them on kitchen paper towel to remove the excess water.

3) Leave this for 20-30 minutes on the paper towel and pinch out the tamarind into small

pieces with your hand and leave them in between the cilantro leaves, so the thick tamarind

will get softened and it will easier to grind without adding water.

4) While the cilantro leaves are left to dry out a little, let us heat a pan and add the oil.

Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and once they stop spluttering then add

asaofoetida, white urad dal. Once the White urad dal slightly browns then add the red

chili and black pepper.

5) Switch off the stove once the red chili is slightly browned and the black pepper is all popped.

6) Leave this to cool for 10 minutes, now spoon out the roasted black pepper, red chili, urad dal

reserving 1 tsp of urad dal and little bit of mustard seeds in a blender and add the drained

chopped cilantro along with the tamarind pieces and sea salt.

7) Now get some patience and grind this into a chutney without adding any water and stirring

in between. You will be very tempted to add water to the blender, but do not add as you will

not get the same as grinding without water.

8) Take out the chutney and mix the reserved urad dal and mustard seeds and add powdered

salt if necessary. Serve it with hot rice, Idli, Dosai, Roti or even can be used as a spread

on bread.

Read more »

Tomato Pickle(Thakkali Thokku)

I can never get enough of tomato dishes. But why, it is one of the super foods, which is low on calories,

fat, carb and apart from that a very good source of Lycopene. The super chemical of the town.

Lycopene is the chemical that makes tomatoes red. Among the studes, it showed

that the more tomatoes one ate, the lower the risk of cancer. Cooked tomatoes contain even more

lycopene because cooking breaks down cell walls, releasing and concentrating carotenoids. Eating tomatoes

with a small amount of fat enables lycopene to be better absorbed.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 10

Ingredients

Green Tomatoes – 8 to 10 Medium Sized ones

Tamarind – A small lemon sized ball(If your tomatoes are really sour just skip this one)

Red Chili powder – 3 Tsp (Increase or Decrease as per your preference)

Salt –3 Tsp (Increase or Decrease based on your taste)

Turmeric Powder – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Sesame Oil – 4 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 Tsp

Method

1) Wash and rinse the green tomatoes and Jalapeno Pepper.

2) In a wide mouthed pan add a Tbsp of oil, stir fry the chopped tomatoes on high heat for 5 minutes and

switch off. Once it is cooled enough go to step 3.

3) In a food processor, grind them into a coarse mixture and do not make a smoothie

or this will end up in the stove top for half a day.

4) Heat a wide mouthed and big pan and add 2 Tbsp of oil, once the oil is hot

add Mustard seeds.

5) Once the mustard seeds, stop spluttering add the Tomato paste

and then add turmeric powder, salt, tamarind pulp and Red Chili powder and simmer in the stove top

for 30 minutes, stirring in between.

6) After 30 minutes, the mixture would have turned into a thick mass and have started

leaving the sides, at this point add the rest of the oil, combine and leave on high heat for two

minutes and switch off the stove.

7) After this cools completely, store in a clean, dry, airtight bottle. This is good for at least

3 weeks if kept in a refrigerator.

8) Goes very well with Idli, Dosa, Spread and Dip. You can combine this with rice or quinoa and

make spicy, tasty tomato rice or tomato quinoa.

Read more »

Green Tomato & Jalapeno Chutney

I don’t why people didn’t reward any other vegetable or fruit the special status like Apple, when a

proverb exists “Apple a day keeps the Cancer away” should we come up with a one like

“Tomato a Day keep Cancer away”. A review of 72 different studies showed consistently that the

more tomatoes and tomato products people eat, the lower their risks of many different kinds of cancer.

The secret may lie in lycopene, the chemical that makes tomatoes red. Among the studes, it showed

that the more tomatoes one ate, the lower the risk of cancer. Cooked tomatoes contain even more

lycopene because cooking breaks down cell walls, releasing and concentrating carotenoids. Eating tomatoes

with a small amount of fat enables lycopene to be better absorbed.Why wait, grab a bag of tomatoes

and let us get cooking.

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 30 Minutes

Serves – 10

Ingredients

Green Tomatoes – 8 to 10 Medium Sized ones

Jalapeno Pepper – 10 Increase or decrease this based on your spice preference

Red Chili powder – 1 Tsp (Increase or Decrease as per your preference)

Salt –2 Tsp (Increase or Decrease based on your taste)

Turmeric Powder – 1 Tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Sesame Oil – 4 Tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 Tsp

Method

1) Wash and rinse the green tomatoes and Jalapeno Pepper.

2) In a food processor, grind them into a coarse mixture and do not make a smoothie

or this will end up in the stove top for half a day.

3) Heat a wide mouthed and big pan and add 2 Tbsp of oil, once the oil is hot

add Mustard seeds.

4) Once the mustard seeds, stop spluttering add the Tomato and Jalapeno paste

and then add turmeric powder, salt and Red Chili powder and simmer in the stove top

for 30 minutes, stirring in between.

5) As it boils and simmers, if you use a small pan the tomato jalapeno mixture will surely

decorate your stove top with enough spots, so make sure to use a wide mouthed and big

pan.

6) After 30 minutes, the mixture would have turned into a thick mass and have started

leaving the sides, at this point add 2 more Tbsp of oil, combine and leave on high heat for two

minutes and switch off the stove.

7) After this cools completely, store in a clean, dry, airtight bottle. This is good for at least

2 weeks if kept in a refrigerator.

8) Goes very well with Idli, Dosa, Rice, Quinoa, Spread and Dip.

Read more »

Parrupu Thogayal(Yellow Split Peas Chutney)

Are you worried about your cholesterol level? Eat split peas! Full of soluble fiber, peas help to bind up

cholesterol-containing bile and move it out of your body. If you are diabetic, or have it in your family,

split peas can be your best friend. Peas help stabilize your blood sugar levels while providing a steady

supply of energy. Studies have shown that type 2 diabetics who eat at least 50 grams of fiber per day

can lower their cholesterol, their triglycerides

Preparation Time – none

Cooking Time - 20 minutes

Serves – 4 to 6

Ingredients

Split Yellow Peas / Toor Dal – 1 cup

Red chili – 4 to 6 or to taste

Black pepper – 1/2 tsp

Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup

Salt – 1 tsp or to taste

Water

Coconut Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Asafoetida powder - pinch

Curry leaves – 4 to 5

Coriander leaves chopped – 1 tbsp

Method

1) Heat a pan and add a tsp of oil and to this add the Toor Dal, red chili and black pepper and saute for

few minutes till the yellow color of toor dal turns slight golden brown. Do not keep till it is dark brown

other wise you will get a bitter chutney.

2) Switch off and let this cool, after it is cold enough to handle by your blender transfer all the

sauted contents and the coconut, salt to a food processor and grind till a fine powder. Now add water

little by little and grind it into a smooth paste.

3) Heat oil , add mustard seeds, once this stops spluttering add the urad dal , asafoetiday powder,

curry leaves and leave till golden brown and then transfer this to the ground paste and combine evenly.

4) Serve this with hot rice and ghee (clarified butter).

Notes – This is one of the simplest dish one can prepare but it does taste awesome. My mom doesn’t

do any tempering and serves the ground paste as it is with some pepper stew for which i will post the

recipe later.

Read more »

Silk Squash(Chinese Okra/Peerkangai) Chutney

Chinese Okra is a popular vegetable used extensively in many Asian Countries. A long, thin squash with a dull-green

skin, Chinese Okra has deep, narrow ridges which give it a star-shaped slice when cut. So named because of

its similarity in taste and texture to okra, Chinese Okra is usually eaten young, before it becomes bitter.

Steamed, sautéed or braised, the flesh becomes soft and tender and can be stir-fried or deep-fried. It is a very

good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. Try this chutney out, with a tangy, spicy taste. They

are not only good for your taste buds and good for you too.

Preparation Time – 20 mins

Cooking Time – 15 mins

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Chinese Okra – 3

Red Chili – 4 to 5 (increase it to make it even more spicy)

Asafoetida – small piece

Tamarind – 1/2 size of lemon

Salt – 1 tsp or increase it more to your taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal Split - 1 Tbsp

Method

1) Wash, peel and cut the Chinese okra into small cubes. Make sure to peel the hard green

part and use only the white interior part.

2) Heat oil in a pan and once hot add mustard seeds and asafoetida piece.

3) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the urad dal and once it is slightly brown

add the chinese okra pieces to the pan.

4) Saute for a 10 minutes till the vegetable becomes tender and then switch off and

add the tamarind pieces to the sauteed vegetables to soak in the hot vegetable itself.

5) Once the Chinese okra is cooled enough, add salt and grind in a blender to a coarse

to smooth paste.

6) There is no need to add water when grinding, but after grinding if you want to

make it little thinner, add some more water and adjust the taste of the salt accordingly.

Enjoy with Idli, Dosa, Rice or spread in pita bread and stuff with veggies and enjoy.

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Coconut Chutney

Coconut is high in fiber, but its most plentiful nutrient is fat, the oil that accounts for 85 percent of the

calories in coconut meat. Roasted Split Chick Pea is a good source of protein.

This delicious and nutritious chutney elevates any ordinary dish to an extraordinary taste. This is

a very popular chutney made in the Southern part of India. I love it so much, i eat by itself instead of using

as an accompaniment. Can be used as a dip too.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 2 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

1 half of a coconut – Shredded finely

Roasted Split Chick Pea(Channa Dal) – 1 Tbsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp or to taste

Green Chili – 2 or to taste

Water

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 3-4 leaves chopped

Method

1) In a blender add the coconut, roasted split chick pea, salt, green chili

and grind to a fine powder.

2) Now add 2-3 Tbsp of water and once again grind to get a thick paste.

3) Do not add water in the beginning itself because sometimes the

coconut milk and oil will separate and float from the paste.

4) After grinding to a fine paste, now add water to get a desired consistency

and add more salt if required.

5) Heat oil and once warm add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds

stop spluttering, add asafoetida, urad dal and curry leaves.

6) Once the urad dal becomes slight golden in color transfer the tempering

to the ground chutney. Stir thoroughly, serve and enjoy.

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Bell Pepper & Almond Chutney/Dip/Spread

Know what you Eat - Let us color our life healthy with this brightly colored vegetables which are high in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Manganese, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid and Magnesium. The Vitamin A in these peppers are (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the wheezing and airway tightening of asthma. By providing these two potent free radical destroyers, bell peppers may help prevent or reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions by shutting down the source of the problem.







This recipes was passed on to me by my sister. Usually split and roasted chick peas are used for this kind of chutney/dips. But the addition of the Almonds gives a very creamy texture and an awesome taste. Try it to find out.

Preparation Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - 10 mins

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Bell Pepper - 1 if big or 2 if small

Toasted Almonds - Handful

Tamarind/Tamari - 1 inch piece if using raw tamarind soaked in little water or half tsp pulp

Green chili - 1 or 2 to taste

Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Split Urad dal - 2 tsp

Asafoetida - very small piece or if using powder 1/4 tsp

Method

1) Wash and Chop Bell pepper into 1 inch cubes and set them aside.

2)  Toast the almonds in a toaster for 5-7 minutes till they become slightly brown and are crispy.(Make sure not to burn them).

3) Soak the tamarind in 2 tbsp of warm water and keep it aside, if any impurities are there it will settle down at the bottom. Filter and discard the impurities.

4) Heat oil, once hot add asafoetida piece and mustard seeds.

5) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the urad dal and green chili.

6) Once the urad dal is slightly brown take half of it mustard seeds and urad dal alone and keep it aside and to the rest add the cubed bell pepper pieces and stir fry on high heat for 5-7 minutes till they are slightly tender. Set it aside to cool down.

7) In a blender first powder the toasted almonds and then add the stir fried and cooled veggies, salt and tamarind and blend to a fine paste. Add 2 tbsp of water when blending. If you don't want a thick consistency adjust by adding more water.

8) Use this as spread it in a pita bread and stuff it with veggies and beans.

9) Add the kept aside mustard seeds & urad dal to the chutney. If using as a spread, do not keep the mustard seeds & urad dal but grind everything together.

Event Participation - This goes to Yasmeen's Health Nut Challenge - 3 Healing Foods.

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