Low fat Split Chick Pea & Cabbage Fritters(Purple Cabbage vadai in paniyaram pan)

Which your most frequently used kitchen gadget/utensil?  I use my vitamix, pressure cooker and third in the order is Aebleskiver Pan or Danish Cake Pan or the Payiram Pan. I absolutely love fried food, anybody doesn’t here? But when frying lot of nutrients gets lost and also I use coconut oil for all frying and I don't reuse the fried oil. Because of all the wastage involved, some how, don’t get the motivation to fry at all.
When you don’t want to fry, this Aebleskiver pan comes really handy as a substitute for pan frying and you can almost match the taste to some extent. I used Channa Dal(Split Chick Pea) which is very high in protein and very low in glycemic index.  No frying involved, quick to make, high in protein and low in glycemic index, to top it all tastes great. This is a perfect snack for any one to try. If you do, let me know how you liked it.
Preparation Time – 15 Minutes
Cooking Time – 20 to 25 Minutes
Makes around 16-18
Ingredients
Split Chick Peas(Channa Dal) – 1 Cup
Asafoetida – Small piece
Salt – 1 Tsp
Red dry chili – 2 or to taste
Finely chopped purple cabbage – 1 Cup
Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp
Method
1) Soak the split chick peas for 2-3 hours. Drain and reserve 1 Tbsp of the soaked dal and grind the rest into smooth paste after adding salt, asafoetida, red chili and little bit of water. The batter should be thick and you should be able to spoon it, without pouring it.
2) To the ground paste, add the chopped purple cabbage, reserved split chick peas and mix thoroughly.
3) Heat the paniyaram pan in medium heat and once it is hold, add little bit of coconut oil in each one of the groove and then spoon t Tbsp of batter into each one of the groove and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4) Once one side is cooked and slightly browned,  flip it and cook on the other side. At this time if you want it little bit more crispier add few drops of oil in each one of the groove.
5) After both the sides are cooked, remove and serve hot with chutney.

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

 

Going to Fast food no Fat food hosted by Priya Sreeram an event started by Priya Mahadevan .

 

Read more »

Black Bean & Bell Pepper Salsa

Past few days were very hectic, fall recess for kids, work, Navarathri festival and inviting guests and getting the house, food everything ready for some fifty something people. I didn't even open the dashboard of my space for past few days and to break the Ice thought will post something today.

I love bell pepper for their color and the nutritive value they give. So every time, I go to the farmers market to pick up my vegetables I really get mesmerized and buy couple of them and add them to every thing possible.

This salsa is so easy to put together, throw in couple of healthy ingredients give a toss and serve with some organic whole grain corn chips or some almond flour tortilla chips which I will post soon. Don't forget to top with some tomato salsa to add some more spice to this dish.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes(If you are cooking the black bean by yourself)

Serves - 4

Ingredients



Soaked & Cooked black bean - 2 Cups(salted)

Tomato - 1 big or 2 small(Chopped into small pieces)

Thawed frozen baby corn - 1 Cup

Chopped bell pepper - 1 1/2 Cups(Green, Red, Orange & Yellow chopped into small pieces)

White or Yellow Onion - 1 Small (Chopped into small pieces)

Chopped Cilantro - 1/3 Cup

Lime juice - 2 Tbsp or to taste

Red wine vinegar - 1 Tbsp

Salt - 1 Tsp or taste

Freshly ground black pepper - 1 to 2 Tsp as per taste

Extra Virgin olive oil - 1 Tbsp

Chopped Jalapeno - Remove seeds & cut into small pieces(optional)



Method



1) In a large bowl add all the ingredients and toss together and serve with some tortilla chips

 

Events

1) Sending this to Kid's Delight Party event hosted by Srivalli.

2) Also sending this to MLLA-40 edition hosted by Veggie Platter an event started by Susan.



3) This mexican appetizer goes to Sizzling Tastebuds: A-100 day Global Food Festival an event hosted by Kalyani.

Read more »

Instant Khaman Dhokla (Vegan Gluten free Savory steamed Cake with Split Chick Pea flour)

Looking for a gluten free, high protein, low carb savory snack. Then this one will perfectly fit the bill. Made with split chick pea flour and seasoned with spices, these are steamed snacks. Easy to make, tastes great and good for you. What more is needed to curb those cravings. If you haven't tried this out do try it now and let me know.

Dhokla is a gujarati(Western Indian Dish). My introduction to Gujarati cuisine happened few years back, when I was working full time and I used to have Nanny(nannies I had 3 of them) to look after my kids and do cooking at home. This went on for few years but the time lines, dead lines demanded more time away from my kids. I quit my full time job and switched to part time one. One of them was a very versatile cook and she used to do catering in the weekends, when she wasn't baby sitting. I learnt a lot of new recipes from her and this is one of hers.

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - 12 - 15 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Split Chick Pea flour(Besan) - 1 Cup

Water - 3/4 Cup

Green Chilies - 1 to 2 or to taste(grate them)

Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Ginger - 1 Inch piece( peeled and grated)

Oil - 1 Tbsp 

Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp

Eno - 1 Tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida - pinch (exclude this for gluten free dishes)

Tempering

Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida powder - pinch

Sesame seeds - 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Chopped green chilies or jalapeno - 1 to 2 per taste

Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp

Method

1) Heat a pressure pan or a steamer with enough water and place a stand at the bottom and let the water boil while we prepare the batter.

2) In a wide mouthed vessel take the split chick pea flour, salt, asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, grated ginger, grated chili.

3) Grease a wide plate with enough oil and keep it aside.

4) To the flour mixture add the water, oil, lemon juice and using a hand blender blend thoroughly to make a batter without any lumps.  Now add the eno salt and blend once again and pour into the greased plate and steam for 12-15 minutes. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.

5) Heat a pan, add coconut oil. Once the oil is warm add the mustard seeds, asafoetida powder, white sesame seeds, curry leaves and chopped green chilies or jalapeno peppers. Saute for few minutes till the sesame seeds and chilies change color add 2 Tbsp water and let this boil.

6) Now the steamed dhokla would have cooled. Poke holes using a fork and pour the seasoning along with the water on top of the dhokla so that water will make it even more softer. Cut them into diamonds, garnish with grated coconut and serve with some cilantro chutney.

Read more »

Peanut Sundal(Boiled Peanut Snack)

Peanuts contrary to their names are not nuts but belong to the legume family peas, lentils, chickpeas etc. Peanuts are a very good source of protein and ideal for growing children, weight and diet watchers. Boiled peanuts also contain resveratrol(the one found in red wine), which is a type of polyphenol. Resveratrol is extremely beneficial for maintaining healthy cell growth and preventing malignant growth of cells that leads to various types of cancer.  Protein rich, gluten free, grain free, tasty and easy to make, these are perfectly  healthy snack.



Preparation Time - None

Cooking Time - Around 20 - 30 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Peanuts - 1 Cup (Raw peanuts with skin, soaked Over night)

Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Coconut Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp

Chopped cilantro - 1 Tbsp

Lemon Juice - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Curry powder - 1 Tsp or to taste



Method



1) Soak Peanuts overnight. Rinse, drain and add fresh water to just cover the surface. Add the salt and cook in pressure cooker for 3 Whistles.



2) Switch off and wait for 10-15 minutes and remove the cooked peanuts from the pressure cooker. Drain the excess water and keep it aside.



3) Heat a pan, add the coconut oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the coconut peanuts. Saute for few minutes (1-2) till the water is all gone and you get a dry curry.



4) Now add the curry powder and the grated coconut saute for a second and switch off. Add lemon juice mix evenly and enjoy!!!



Note - You can also add grated mango, but cut down the lemon juice.

Read more »

Mixed Nut Energy Ball

 Craving for something sweet but easy to make and not loaded with empty calories. These mixed nut power balls are just right for you. Made with Almonds, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia and Coconut they are rich in protein and perfect for little tummies for an after school snack. But the only thing you have to make note in this snack is this uses dates as the sweetener and dates are not good for people with diabetes. People with diabetes and weight issue have to watch the amount of fructose content in their food. Even if the fructose comes from whole fruits or dates or raisins, anything more than 15gm of fructose might cause problems in such cases.  And just 2 dates alone have 15 gms of fructose.

Try this out and let me know how you like it.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 12 - 14 Balls





Ingredients



Dates - 1 Cup

Almonds - 1/4 Cup

Cashews - 1/4 Cup

Coconut - 1/4 Cup (grated)

Chia seeds - 1/4 Cup

Pumpkin Seeds - 1/4 Cup



Method



1) Grind the Chia into a coarse powder and add the almonds, cashews, coconut and pumpkin seeds and make a coarse meal out of it.



2) Now add the chopped dates and process in the food processor to get a sticky dough.



3) Take out the dough and roll them into small balls and refrigerate for an hour and enjoy.

Read more »

Peanut Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers

While stuffed Jalapenos are made for adults and you want to make a similar stuffed pepper for your kids who can't tolerate spicy food. Try this cubanelle pepper which is not at all spicy, but kind of sweet and succulent. If you want a slightly spicier version then go for poblano or anaheim. I personally prefer the stuffed jalapeno for this recipe, but my elder one loves this one. So I make this quite often. So depending on the spice level you can tolerate pick the peppers which will suit your taste and this stuffing will work for any type of peppers. This snack is very low in carb but high in protein , gluten free and sure tastes good.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 2



Ingredients



Cubanelle Peppers - 2 (Washed, stem chopped and split)

Onion - 1 small to medium

De skinned peanuts - 3/4 Cup

Coconut - 1 Tbsp

Red Chili powder - 1 Tsp or per your taste

Salt - 1/2 Tsp

Amchoor powder - 1/2 Tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 Tsp

Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp

Method



1) Take the peanuts and make a coarse powder in your food processor and to this add

the salt, garam masala powder, amchoor powder, red chili powder, grated coconut and chopped onions and mix and set this aside.



2) Meanwhile heat a flat bottomed pan big enough to accommodate 4 peppers or you can do one by one or two and two depending on the size. Add the oil and once it warm go to the next step.



3) Take the filling and fill the peppers and place them in the pan one by one sideways with their filling side facing upwards.



4)  Cover and cook for 5 minutes and then uncover and cook for 5 more minutes till the peppers are slightly tender.



5) Remove from the pan and let this cool for few minutes and serve immediately.



Notes  - I still had some stuffing left out and used it for stuffed eggplant curry. For more details on what kind of pepper to choose based on the spice level check this website out.

Read more »

Mung Bean Sundal(Snack)

Sundal is a cooked bean snack garnished with some spices and coconut or onion and veggies. If you are from South India this is one of the most common dish. I have lot of such common dishes  in my house hold cooked every day lying in my drafts and wasn't sure whether to post it or not. One of my reader after going through my recipes gave a feed back to post common and easy recipes, so that people like him "new bes " to cooking can start learning from them. So you will start seeing lot of easy to make and nutritious dishes in my every day cooking more.



Now coming back to this recipe, if you are weight watcher or a carb watcher or a if you want to feed a protein rich dish for your growing child. Then this is "The Snack" for that. Rich in protein, iron and dietary fiber and low in carbohydrates, they are super delicious too. With a cup of yogurt these make a perfect snack or with some salad and yogurt they make a light and nutritious dinner too. If this recipe is new for you, try it out and let me know how you liked it.



Preparation Time - 0

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Green Mung Bean - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp

Curry powder - 2 Tsp or to  your taste

Lemon juice - 1/2 Tsp or to taste





Tempering



Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few



Method



1) Soak mung bean over night and in the morning drain the water completely, add the salt with 1 Tsp of water and pressure cook for 2 Whistles (3 whistles if you are cooking along with some thing else).



2) Let this cool  completely before you saute them in the tempering or you will end up with a mashed paste.



3) Heat a pan and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. After the seeds stop spluttering add the asafoetida powder, curry leaves and cooked Green Mung Bean.



4) Add more salt if required now or just add the curry powder and saute for few seconds and switch off.



5) Now add the grated coconut and combine well. To this add the lemon juice and mix well. Enjoy..



Note - I had lot of sprouted mung bean left, so used it for this sundal. But it is better to use the bean soaked over night instead of the sprouted one. The reason is the sprouted one's loose lot of their nutrition when cooked and also turn slightly bitter after sprouting. Sprouts are best if eaten raw then cooking them.

Read more »

Lentil Dumplings in Coconut & Yogurt Sauce(No Fry Thayir Vadai)

Thayir Vadai is a South Indian (Asian) delicacy which is normally prepared by deep frying lentil donuts and then soaking them in yogurt and ground coconut sauce. I am not a big fan of deep fried dishes and normally go for pan frying or baking instead. Because deep fried stuff normally loses its nutrition value and that's the reason I am not into deep frying. So don't think I am trying to avoid fat here, because I believe that low fat and no fat diets are a myth and fat is a key component that the body needs. Fats normally keep you feeling full reduce food cravings, but the source should be from Nuts, Avocados, Coconut Oil, Raw Unprocessed dairy etc. 

So coming back to the recipe have you seen the Aebleskiver Pan or Danish Cake Pan or the payiram pan. If not please do check it out. Lot of deep fried dishes can be made by pan frying using this cute little gadget. These dumplings are a good source of protein and calcium and are gluten free and grain free.

Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves  - Makes around 18 Appams

Ingredients

Mung Dal - 3/4 Cup (You can make this 1/2 Cup and Urad Dal 1/2 Cup too)

Urad Dal - 1/4 Cup

Green Chili - 2 or to taste

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Curry leaves few - optional

Asafoetida a small piece

Yogurt - 2 Cups

Grated coconut - 1 Cup

Green Chili - 2 to 4 or to taste

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Water - 1/4 Cup or more according to the thickness desired

Method

Making the Dumpling

1) Rinse and Soak Mung Dal and Urad Dal for at least an hour.

2) Drain the water and grind this into a fine batter after adding Green Chili, Salt, Ginger, Curry leaves, Asafoetida and little bit of water.

3) The batter should not be runny, but should be the same thickness of pancake batter.

4) Heat the Appam pan on medium heat and pour a drop of oil in each one of the hole.

5) Once the pan is hot enough pour the batter, cover and cook little crispy on one side.

6) Now turn the appam and cook the other side. You can add little bit of more oil to get a brown color on the other side too.

8) Remove the appam, when both the sides are well cooked

For the Sauce

1) Grind the coconut, green chili, ginger and salt by adding 1/4 cup of water into a fine paste.

2) To this add the yogurt and mix it thoroughly and keep it aside. (Add more water or salt depending on the consistency and taste you like)

The final step

1) Heat 4 Cups of water in a wide mouthed pan and once the water starts to boil, add the cooked 

appam/paniyaram/dumpling into them and leave them for a few seconds and remove them and keep them in a plate.

2) Repeat the same thing with all the dumplings and once they are cool enough to handle, slightly press them to squeeze out the excess water and to create  a flat shape.

3) Add this to the yogurt & coconut gravy and chill.

4) Garnish with grated carrots, chopped cilantro, raisins or boondi and serve.



Note - Traditional Thayir Vadai is made only with Urad Dal. Because of this pan fried version, the smell and taste of Urad Dal was very prominent which I didn't like and then made this combination of Mung Bean and urad dal. Mung bean is protein rich when compared to Urad dal. So nothing to loose.

Read more »

Almond Flour Crackers

 If you are craving for some quick salty crackers to munch on, try this simple and easy to make and healthy crackers. These crackers are gluten free and grain free, high in protein and low carbohydrates. They make a great snack with cream cheese or peanut butter sandwiched between them.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 - 12 Minutes



Ingredients



Almond Flour - 1 Cup

Powdered Chia - 1 Tbsp

Salt - 1/2 Tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 Tsp or to your taste

Sesame Seeds - 1 Tbsp

Sesame Oil - 2 Tsp

Water - 1/4 Cup (This varies based on the consistency of the almond flour)



Method



1) Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.



2) Combine almond flour, powdered chia, salt, red chili powder, sesame seeds, sesame oil. Now add water little by little and make a stiff dough.



3) Make two equal parts of the dough and place them between parchment paper and using a rolling pin make a thin flat layer. Using a pizza cutter, cut into desired shapes. Using a fork slightly make small holes.

Making the holes, will make it crispy.



4) Bake in a baking tray for 10-12 minutes till crispy and slightly browned.



5) Cool them completely and enjoy.



Notes - Stores good at room temperature for at least a week. You can make the crackers without adding

powdered chia as well and in the picture below I made it without them.

Read more »

Green Mung(Green Bean), Paneer and Veggie Cutlets/Burgers

Have you ever checked out the ingredient list in store made veggie burgers? Either they are made out of Soy or some kind of beans with binders like potatoes or eggs. But if you have to make one with a no soy, no egg, no potato and no grain,  how do you make these cutlets. I wasn't too sure until I made cutlets. So far I have baked them at least 3 to 4 times in batches of dozens. They taste good, good for you and freezes well and can be had straight as cutlets with some tomato ketchup or chutney or can also be  had as a burger in bun with some cheese and veggies. Green Mung Bean is a very good source of protein and dietary fiber and low in glycemic index. Paneer or Cottage cheese is a good source of calcium and protein. I added powdered chia which is a good source of omega 3 and 6 and spiced up with some garam masala and red chili pepper for the extra kick. They tasted awesome. Who said healthy food doesn't taste good!!! Now getting on to the recipe.



Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 30 to 40 Minutes

Serves - 10 to 12 depending on the size





Ingredients



Sprouted Green Mung Beans - 2 Cups

Grated paneer(Cottage Cheese) - 1 Cup

Chopped mixed Veggies - 1 1/2 Cups(Onions, green, yellow, orange, red bell pepper)

Powdered Chia - 2 Tbsp

Garam Masala - 1 Tsp

Red Chili powder - 1 Tsp or to taste

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Amchoor (Dried Mango powder) - 1 Tbsp or to taste

Coconut Oil - 1 Tbsp

Split Chick Pea Flour(Besan) - 1 to 2 Tbsp





Method



1) Heat a pan and add a tsp of oil. Once the oil is warm add the chopped vegetables and saute for few minutes till tender.



2) To the vegetables add the sprouted mung bean salt, red chili powder, garam masala powder and saute for 2 minutes and switch off the stove.



3) Once this is cooled down, transfer the mung bean and vegetable mixture to a food processor and blend without adding any water into a coarse mixture.



4) Preheat a baking oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie tray with parchment paper.



5) To the mung bean and veggie mixture add the grated paneer, amchoor powder, chia powder and the rest of the coconut oil and mix thoroughly to form  a dough.



6) Try to roll into a ball and flatten it with your hands and place it in the baking tray. Repeat the same thing for the rest of the dough and leave enough space between the patties.  If the dough is too sticky add a Tbsp or two of besan(split chick pea flour) to the dough.



7) Now bake for 15 to 20 minutes on each side, by flipping them in between depending on your oven.



8) Remove enjoy with some chutney, ketchup or as a burger with toasted bun, veggies, mustard and cheese or after cooling completely freeze well.

Read more »

Baked Spiced Almonds

Thinking of ways to include more protein in your diet. Think Almonds. Almonds are concentrated in protein. A quarter-cup contains 7.62 grams-more protein than is provided by the typical egg, which contains 5.54 grams. This is an easy breezy snack, good to eat, great for health, low in sugar and high in protein. 

This is another very interesting recipe I found in the Eating well Magazine. If you are craving for a spicy, crunchy snack, try this quick and easy snack.

Preparation Time - None

Cooking Time - 30 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Whole Almonds - 2 Cups

Coconut Oil - 2 Teaspoon

Curry powder - 2 Tsp

Salt - 1/2 Tsp

Red Chili Powder/Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 Tsp or to taste

Method

1) Preheat Oven to 300 Degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3) Combine Almonds, Oil, Curry powder, Salt and Red Chili powder and toss to coat well.

4) Bake for 25 Minutes until lightly toasted.

5) Transfer to a wide mouthed bowl and cool.

Read more »

Mung & Urad Dal Appam/Paniyaram(Pan fried vadai)

If you don't have the "Aebleskiver Pan" or the Danish Cake Pan same as Appam Pan please do get it. This is one of the most essential cook ware in my house. You can do lot of wonderful dishes using this cook ware. Paniyaram, Sambar Vadai(Appam), Thayir Vadai, Dahi Balle, Malai Kofta etc without deep frying. You can whip up any of these things very easily in few minutes and this appam is easy finger food and fits apt for kids lunch boxes. Nutritious, delicious and easy to make, what else is needed? If you are looking for this Appam pan, do a google search for "Aebleskiver Pan" and there are lot of sites that sell this including Amazon.



Now coming to this recipe, this Appam just uses Mung and Urad Dal and doesn't use any grain. So fits perfect for people looking for a high protein and low carb food. Because there is no deep frying involved, the taste and flavor of Urad Dal is little well pronouced. So If you dislike that increase the quantity of Mung Dal, but the Urad Dal gives a lot of fluffiness to the Appam and make it little softer. The Appam Photo on the top was made with 2/3 Cup of Mung and 1/3 Cup Urad and one in the bottom was made with both in equal proportions.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves  - Makes around 18 Appams



Ingredients



Mung Dal - 2/3 Cup (You can make this 1/2 Cup and Urad Dal 1/2 Cup too)

Urad Dal - 1/3 Cup

Green Chili - 2 or to taste

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Curry leaves few - optional

Asafoetida a small piece



Onion - 1 medium sized

Coconut Chopped into small fine pieces(Not Grated) -  1/4 Cup (If preparing for toddlers add grated coconut)



Method



1) Rinse and Soak Mung Dal and Urad Dal for at least an hour.



2) Drain the water and grind this into a fine batter after adding Green Chili, Salt, Ginger, Curry leaves, Asafoetida and little bit of water.



3) The batter should not be runny, but should be the same thickness of pancake batter.



4) Now add the chopped onions and coconut and mix thoroughly.



5) Heat the Appam pan on medium heat and pour a drop of oil in each one of the hole.



6) Once the pan is hot enough pour the batter, cover and cook little crispy on one side.



7) Now turn the appam and cook the other side. You can add little bit of more oil to get a brown color on the other side too.



8) Remove the appam, when both the sides are well cooked and serve with Coconut Chutney.

Event Participation

1) This goes straight to MLLA-33 an event hosted by Ammalu's kitchen started by Susan.

2) Sending this finger food to Toddler Breakfast Ideas by Soumya's Kitchen.

Read more »