Tangy Roasted Fox Nuts/Phool Makhana

Hello friends

You can never have enough of these crunchy,tasty & tangy roasted makhanas(lotus seeds)! It is a perfect easy to prepare, healthy, evening snack. You can munch on these to fight food cravings or hunger pangs that often strike in between your breakfast and lunch!

Good to know

Makhana/Fox nuts/lotus seeds are low in sodium. Their high calcium content is good for bone health. 

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Makes 1 medium snack bowl
Cuisine : Indian
Course : Snack
Difficulty Level : Very Easy
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Ingredients

30 gm Phool Makhana (Fox Nuts)
3 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp *Chat masala
1/4th tsp Chilli Flakes
1/4th tsp Kashmiri Red chilli powder
1/4th tsp Turmeric powder
1/4th tsp Black salt (Kala namak)
Juice of half lemon
Ingredients
Main Ingredient

Method

1. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a heavy bottom pan, add Makhana/Fox nuts and roast on low flame for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add 1 more tsp olive oil, red chilli powder, chilli flakes, black salt, chat masala, mix well and roast for another 1-2 minutes on low flame. (I could have added all the oil at once in the beginning only but makhanas are so good and quick at soaking up the oil that i prefer to add some in between as it allows the entire batch to be uniformly crispy!)

3. Add lemon juice, mix well

4. Remove from flame, your tangy, roasted makhana /fox nuts are now ready! Enjoy!

Tangy-Roasted Fox Nuts/Makhana

*Chat Masala is a spice mix from the Indian cuisine and is a mix of tangy and spicy flavours. It has cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, asafoetida (hing), dry mango powder and black salt.

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Healthy-Egg Peanut Salad Bowl

Hello Friends,

I am writing this recipe post after a long gap as i was unwell and had severe pain and discomfort in my throat. Luckily it was not covid! Humid weather along with the illness made me sluggish. I started taking multivitamins, calcium, giloy and homamade kadha to soothe my throat and to further build my immunity. I also increased the amount of raw turmeric in my home made decoction and it really worked for me. I am glad that i could avoid antibiotics. And as i have recently recovered so i can only think about healthy food with no cheat days at least for sometime!😁

So I have this healthy and easy to prepare Egg, Peanut Salad bowl which can be enjoyed as salad or snack in between your meals.

Good to know!

Egg whites are healthy as they provide good protein, potassium and are cholesterol free. Peanuts are good source of protein, healthy fat, fiber, potassium, magnesium and Vitamin B. 

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Makes 1 medium salad bowl
Course : Salad/Snack
Difficulty Level : Very Easy
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Ingredients

3 egg whites boiled (I have used half egg yolk as well, you can use all the yolks or remove them completely as per your choice)
3 tsp Peanuts (I have used salted peanuts)
1 medium Tomato chopped
1 Medium Onion finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Chat masala, salt, red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning to taste
A bunch of fresh Coriander leaves
Ingredients
Main Ingredients

Method

1. Chop the egg whites and keep aside. (I have used plain eggs but you can saute egg whites in 1/2 tsp butter or olive oil for that extra rich flavor & texture)

Chopped egg whites

2. In a serving bowl, put chopped egg whites, half egg yolk, chopped tomato, onions, peanuts.

3. Add lemon juice, red chilli flakes, chat masala, salt, Italian seasoning or oregano as per your taste.

4. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves/cilantro and serve.

Egg Peanut Salad Bowl

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Homemade Garam Masala (Indian Spice Mix)

Good Afternoon,

This is the most loved and extensively used spice mix in Indian households and we all have our own version of making this at home. The flavor and aroma of homemade garam masala in our dishes cannot be missed! I have tried lot of store bought garam masala in the past and none of them could compete with the homemade version. I prepare small batches so that i get the most of aroma and flavor. 

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Makes 30 gm of garam masala 
Cuisine : Indian
Difficulty level : Easy
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Ingredients

6 Green Cardamom pods (Hari ilaichi)
4 gm or four 2″ long cinnamon sticks (dalchini) (preferably ceylon cinnamon)
1 tsp Black Peppercorns (kali mirch)
1.5 tsp cloves (laung)
2 tsp Coriander seeds (sabut dhania)
2 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)
2 Black cardamom (badi ilaichi)
1/2 or 3 petals Star anise (chakar phool)
1 Mace (Javitri) strand
1 Bay leaf (tej patta)
Ingredients
Ingredients

Method

  1. Put all the spices in a pan and dry roast on medium flame for one minute. (Roasting is done to get rid of moisture and it enhances the flavor and aroma.)

2. Remove from flame and let it cool down at the room temperature.

3. Put the roasted spices in a grinder and grind well.

4. You can (I don’t) pass it through a sieve to get that powder like consistency. Put the coarse parts in the grinder and process again.

5. Store the garam masala in an air tight container.

Homemade Garam Masala

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Healthy-Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Hello friends!

This healthy chicken quinoa bowl recipe can be easily customized/quantified as per individual requirement by adding more or less chicken or quinoa to the bowl!

You can marinate the chicken, a day prior to cooking and refrigerate, thaw when required and cook. Again you can prepare quinoa a day in advance and use it the next day so following a quantified diet becomes easy with little planning and preparation. It’s takes less than 15 minutes to make this bowl, if you have pre-marinated chicken and cooked quinoa ready.

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Makes 2 bowls of chicken quinoa
Course : Lunch/Dinner
Difficulty level : Medium
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Good to Know

Quinoa is a tiny edible seed and has a dense nutrient profile. It is said to be one of the few plants that contain all nine essential amino acids.

Ingredients

300 gm Boneless chicken pieces
2 cup cooked Quinoa
3 tsp curd
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cooking oil
A bunch of fresh Cilantro/Coriander leaves
1 tsp salt or to taste
Ingredients
Cooked Quinoa

Method

For the marinade

  1. Wash the chicken pieces and place them in a big bowl.
  2. Add curd, garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, lemon juice and chopped cilantro/coriander leaves.
  3. Mix well and marinate for minimum 30 minutes or keep the marinade in the refrigerator to be used next day.

Cooking Instructions

  • Cook Quinoa : Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in a pan. Bring it to boil and reduce the flame. Let it simmer and cook on low or medium flame until the quinoa absorbs the water. cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will allow the quinoa to fluff up. Once cooked, keep aside.

1.Heat a pan/kadhai and add 2 tsp cooking oil, add marinated chicken pieces.

2. Stir and cover the pan, cook for 3-4 minutes.

3. After 3-4 minutes, you will notice that it is partially cooked and has a gravy now! Mix well and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes. Check whether the chicken is nicely cooked, if required cook it for few more minutes. (Don’t overcook or it will become chewy and dry)

4. Remove the lid, and cook on high flame to quickly reduce the gravy. We do not want our chicken to be completely dry, remove from flame when little moist and has very little gravy left, just good enough to coat it well.

5. Serve hot along with quinoa and raw onion rings.

Healthy-Chicken quinoa bowl
Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Paneer Bhurji (Scrambled Indian Cottage Cheese)

Good afternoon,

My love for paneer (Indian cottage cheese) knows no bounds! Paneer is my favorite and I am glad that my kids like it as well but my husband doesn’t ! Somehow this time, I convinced him to taste bhurji and to my surprise, i noticed that he silently reached out for the bowl again! I knew instantly, without him uttering a word in my praise that this dish is a hit and next time no convincing is required!! (haha)

You can serve it in lunch or dinner as a side dish and the leftover bhurji can be used to make delicious sandwiches. You can use store bought paneer but I recommend using homemade paneer and as it does make a difference to the texture and taste of dish.

Good to know

Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is rich in protein & folate, helps regulate blood sugar and strengthens bones & teeth.

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Makes 3-4 servings
Course : Side dish
Cuisine: Indian
Difficulty level : Easy
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Ingredients

250 gm Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, tightly chopped
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4th tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp red chilly powder (I have used kashmiri mirch powder)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4th tsp garam masala
2 tsp refined oil
Salt to taste
A bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
Ingredients
Ingredients
Main Ingredients

Method

1. Heat a pan, add 2 tsp oil, now add cumin seeds and let them turn brown & release earthy aroma!

2. Add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste, saute till raw smell goes away (usually for 10-15 seconds on low flame)

3. Add finely chopped green chilli & chopped onion, saute till translucent.

4. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder & chopped tomato. Saute till the masala paste starts to leave oil.

5. Add Paneer (cottage cheese) and salt to taste. Mix well & cook for few minutes on slow flame. (Don’t overcook the paneer as it can become chewy)

6. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Paneer Bhurji

This also makes for a convenient to carry tiffin recipe, just pack it with roti or paratha.

Paneer Bhurji

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Easy Mango Pudding!

Hello friends!

This mango pudding is as simple as a pudding could possibly be! This is gelatin free and has a sweet and tangy taste to it. It is so good for those weeknight cravings, just whip up the below mentioned ingredients and freeze! The picture shows 4 moulds with mango pudding because we wanted to enjoy small sweet bites so divided the pudding that’s meant for two into four!!

I have used safeda variety of mango in my pudding as it is sweet and fibreless. For the topping, I have used the totapuri variety of mango, to get that little sweet & tangy flavor at the top! It is the combination of these two varieties of mango that gives this dish it’s amazing flavor. 

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Makes 2 servings
Cuisine : British
Course: Dessert/sweet dish
Difficulty Level : Easy
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Good to Know

Mango – The King of Fruits, has many known benefits. It is packed with vitamin C, A & K. It is a good source of dietary fiber. It also improves your skin apart from boosting your immune system. Sweetened Condensed Milk is high in calories & fat but it provides extra protein, calcium & phosphorous.

Ingredients

2 cups Mango pulp (I used one big safeda mango)
1/4 th cup Sweetened condensed milk
1/4th cup fresh cream (I have used low fat cream)
8-10 saffron strands soaked in 2-3 tsp warm milk
1/2 cup chopped mango (I have used Totapuri mango to get that sweet & tangy taste!)
A pinch of cinnamon powder
Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients

Method

1. Put the mango pulp in a mixer/processor and make a smooth puree. (The safeda variety of mango, which I have used for this pudding is naturally very sweet. I recommend adjusting the quantity of sweetened condensed milk accordingly)

2. In a large bowl, mix mango puree, cinnamon powder, sweetened condensed milk, saffron milk, fresh cream and mix well.

3. Pour the mix in serving dish/bowls (I have used baking moulds) and put chopped mango bites at the top.

4. Garnish with saffron strands and keep it in the freezer for 3 to 4 hrs before serving.

Mango Pudding

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