No Bake Multigrain Power Bar

 Do you love Granola Bars/Energy Bar and often buy them in the store? If you do, then try out this recipe once.  I doubt if you will ever go for the store bought one's again. This bar is very easy to make and tastes so good. Without any additives or preservatives, a good option for after school snack along with a glass of raw milk instead of store bought cookies or bars.I saw this recipe in the Livingwell Magazine, but slightly modified it based on my taste. The original recipe calls for chopped nuts, dried fruits etc but after the bar is chilled and then cut, the addition of nuts makes it difficult to get bars with even size/shape. So I reduced the amount of dry fruits & nuts in the second photo and instead replaced...

Read more »

Ragi(Finger Millet), Green Mung, Black Chick Pea Cutlet

A grain free, gluten free,  a super diet for people with diabetes, carb & weight watchers, easily digestible can be given for kids and even infants. Apart from all these very filling,  tastes very good, very versatile and very inexpensive. Can any food fall on these categories? Ragi or Finger Millet is the one that would fit all these description. This seed used as a grain is extremely nutritious one. Instead of just Ragi, I have combined Green Mung Flour and Black Chick Pea flour to make this as a well balanced dish with complex carbohydrate and protein. I make this often either by adding chopped raw onions and green chili or by combining mixed vegetables. The simple cutlet just with onion and green chili tastes absolutely...

Read more »

Sugar free Shrikhand (Yummy, Creamy Yogurt Cheese Dessert)

Craving for some dessert, try this nutritious shrikhand!! Shrikhand is an Indian Sweet Dish made with strained yogurt and by mixing it with sugar, saffron, cardamom and nuts.  Instead of the sugar, I have replaced it with Xylitol and you can absolutely not tell much difference in the taste of Xylitol on dairy based desserts. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol sweetener used as naturally occurring sugar substitute. For people with diabetes stop using all artificial sweeteners and try substituting with Xylitol or stevia which doesn't have any side effects. In fact Xylitol doesn't cause any cavities like normal sugar and is safe for kids too. It normally takes several hours for straining the yogurt and to get a thick yogurt cheese. So I substituted...

Read more »

Lemon Quinoa(Quinoa Lemon Pulihora)

Quinoa is a highly nutritious food from South America. Quinoa is rich in protein conten, complete protein as it contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine, which is required by the body to grow and repair tissues. Apart from Protein it is also a good source of  iron, calcium, copper, potassium and magnesium. If you are looking for a grain free as well as gluten free diet, Quinoa is a boon for you. The high protein content and low carb content will make this a best fit for people with diabetes, childhood asthma,  migraines and vegetarians aiming for a high protein diet. The seed of quinoa has a coating of saponin that imparts it a bitter taste and is quite toxic. It needs to be soaked for...

Read more »

Eggless OatMeal & Whole Wheat Cranberry Cookies

If you are do include Wheat and Oats in your diet, you should definitely try this one. Absolutely tasty and you can't taste the whole wheat flour at all in this cookie. I came across this recipe in the Quaker Oats Container and made few modifications, like replacing the eggs with ener-g egg replacer and substituting Whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour and also omitting the white chocolate chip cookies. With sweet and tart taste of cranberries and with the texture of Oats and the raw sugar, they taste just perfect. Do try this out and let me know how it turned out.Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt and triticale. So if you are sensitive to gluten this recipe is not for you.Preparation...

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...

Read more »

Eggless Sugarless Vanilla Pudding

I hope you all had a great Valentine Day Celebration. Amidst all the Pink and Red Hearts celebration, I choose the white one to celebrate. The reason is the my Kids had their Valentine day class parties and come back home charged themselves with all the  carb and sugar. I just wanted to keep things at home simple, healthy and ofcourse yummy too. This Vanilla pudding is a very easy and healthy and tastes absolutely divine. Xylitol has a chilling effect on your tongue, so the pudding after it is set kind of tastes like Icecream. With just very few ingredients you can create this delicious dessert. Do try out and let me know, how you liked it.Preparation Time - 5-10 MinutesCooking Time - 10 MinutesServes - 2 to 3 (Depending on the...

Read more »

Eggless Banana Black Bean Brownie

Banana Black Bean Brownie - Does it sound weird? But the taste doesn't. If you like moist, dense and fudge brownies and love the flavor of banana, then you should definitely try this out. The main star ingredient is Black Beans in this nutritious brownie. But you can barely taste it, but the flavor of banana is predominant. So if you love bananas, then instead of making banana bread next time with those ripe ones try this nutritious, protein rich brownie. The additions of walnuts give a nice crunch and the small amount of oats give this little bit texture. I used Xylitol for sweetening. Do you know Xylitol doesn't cause cavities like sugar. They taste best after atleast a day of refrigeration. If you try this out, let me know how you...

Read more »

Kovakkai Sadam(Tindora/Indian Ivy Gourd Brown Rice)

Kovakkai(Tindora) is a popular Asian Indian Vegetable and is widely used in Indian Cooking. It looks like a small cucumber with a crunchy taste and can be used to make stir fry, stuffed and baked, or pickled raw by adding spices. Tindora is widely recommended for people with diabetes in alternate medicine due to its low glycemic index and its possible role in regulating blood glucose.I love Tindora and this rice is a nice variation in using Tindora than the regular curries or pickle. Tindora, Onion, Brown Rice, Peanuts and Spices, this combination not only tastes so good but is absolutely good for you too. Who said Healthy Food doesn't taste good?Preparation Time - 15 MinutesCooking Time - 15 MinutesServes - 2IngredientsCooked Brown Rice -...

Read more »

Eggless Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake

If you go and google Vegan Chocolate Cake or Eggless Chocolate Cake, this is one of the most popular recipe you will run across in several sites. Looks like this whacky vegan chocolate cake recipe is around for years and is a definite  keeper. I just made a few changes to suit my preferences by substituting All purpose flour with Whole Wheat flour and refined sugar with raw sugar. Absolutely moist and delicious, the apple cide vinegar used in the cake is not reflected in the taste at all. I have made this cake several times with whole wheat flour alone and whole wheat pastry flour alone. The regular whole wheat gives a very dense texture and the whole wheat pastry flour gives a crumbly texture, the combination of these two give a soft,...

Read more »

Mixed Vegetable & Mung Bean Red Rice Flakes/Aval/Poha

Rice Flakes/Aval can be used to prepare tasty and quick dishes. All you have to do is to soak for 2-3 minutes or run it through the water depending on the thickness of the flake. Also you can choose a healthier version of the flakes by going in for a unpolished variety or the red rice variety flakes. Traditionally in South Indian house holds, you can see a variety of dishes prepared using these flakes like Lemon Aval, Tamarind Aval, Pepper Aval, Thayir Aval and Sweet Aval . I just modified the Lemon Aval little bit and added bell pepper, onion, carrots, peanuts boiled mung bean(you can also add sprouted raw mung bean- provided you have the time to chew and eat), roasted peanuts for the extra crunch. With the addition of mung...

Read more »