Panjiri

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of whole wheat flour

2. 1 cup of desi ghee ( clarified butter) / oil

3. 2 cups of almonds and cashew nuts chopped roughly

4. 1 cup of sugar or use sugar free - then ½ cup

5. ½ cup of raisins

Directions

1. In a non stick pan add clarified butter / desi ghee / oil

2. Add the Whole wheat flour when the oil becomes little hot

3. Keep heat on low flame.

4. Keep on stirring the wheat flour until it turns golden brown.

5. When the color changes to golden brown that means it is ready. Remove it from the flame

6. Add almonds and cashews to the mixture and stir it.

7. Let the mixture cool down and serve.

8. This dish is very nutritious for pregnant woman and kids. You can serve otherwise also.

-Chitra

Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of your choice of diced vegetables

(Red Reddish, Beetroot, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Red bell pepper)

2. 1 ½ cup of Vinegar

3. 2 cups of water

4. ½ tsp of salt

5. ½ tsp of sugar

6. Sterilized jar

Directions

1. Boil water with vinegar, salt and sugar. When it is reduced very little remove from the flame.

2. Fill in the jar with vegetables until they are full packed.

3. Now cool down the water till the temperature changes to hot to warm.

4. Pour the syrup to jar but leave little space.

5. Close the lid and store in warm place. In about 3-4 days pickle will be ready.

6. Use Pickle vegetable with anything Wraps, Pasta, Salads.

-Chitra

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-Chitra

Jaggery Peanut Brittle/Gur ki Gajak

 

Ingredients

1. 200 gms of jaggery / gur

2. 3 tbsp of saunf / fennel seeds

3. 2 cups of roasted peanuts

4. 3 tbsp of oil

Directions

1. In a non stick pan add 3 tbsp of oil.

2. Add Gur / Jaggery; keep the heat on slow flame.

3. Now let the gur melt until it is golden brown.

4. Add saunf / fennel seeds to the mixture along with peanuts.

5. On a foil paper spray oil and lay it down on the flat surface.

6. Remove it from heat and pour the mixture on foil paper and spread it well.

7. Cool down the mixture, until it is hard.

8. Break it down into pieces with some hard thing.

9. Enjoy in cool winters.

-Chitra

Khatti Meethi Tamatar ki Chatni

Ingredients

1. 10-15 desi tomatoes

2. 1 tsp of sugar

3. 1 tbsp of oil

4. 1tsp of cumin / zeera seeds

5. 1 tsp of salt and red chili powder

Directions

1. Dice tomatoes in very small pieces or grate them

2. Heat oil in pan

3. When oil is hot drop in cumin seeds

4. When the cumin seeds crackle add tomatoes

5. Let them cook for 5 minutes with lid closed on slow medium heat.

6. Now add sugar and stir well till sugar caramelizes.

7. When sugar is melted well add salt and red chili powder and let it cook until all water is evaporated on slow heat.

8. Serve hot or cold with parantha’s or on bread as a spread.

- Chitra

Potato Wedges

Ingredients

1. 2 medium potatoes

2. Salt to taste

3. Pepper to taste

4. 1 tbsp of lemon juice

5. Red chili powder to taste

6. 1tsp. of hot sauce

7. 2 tbsp of virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes in wedges and drop in glass bowl

2. Spray oil on the wedges

3. Sprinkle salt, pepper and red chili powder and red hot sauce

4. Now toss over the wedges with spatula

5. Spread the wedges in oven tray. Oven should be preheated at 400 degrees

6. Bake the wedges till they turn golden brown

7. Sprinkle lemon juice all over the wedges.

8. Serve hot with spicy mayonnaise sauce or tomato sauce

- Chitra

Low Fat Burschetta with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

1. ½ cup of feta cheese

2. 2 tbsp of mozzarella cheese

3. 1 sesame French baguette loaf bread, sliced 1 inch thick

4. 2 cups of thinly sliced firm tomatoes (seeds out)

5. Salt and black pepper to taste

6. 1 tbsp of lemon zest

7. Two tbsp. of fresh chopped basil

8. Olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Toast the bread in oven by drizzling olive oil on both sides of bread until light brown.

3. Toast the tomatoes also with olive oil and salt and pepper until they turn golden brown.

4. Now take out the tomatoes and let it cool down for some time.

5. In a big bowl add tomatoes, basil, lemon zest, mozzarella cheese.

6. Take out the bread now and place the tomatoes mixture and let it bake for 5 minutes.

7. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and mint / basil leaves.

8. Bake them only when your guest arrives. Before that just prepare all ingredients.

Adding only two tbsp. of cheese will be less fattening as compared to normal burschetta and using all fresh ingredients is healthy as a dish.

-Chitra

Strawberry Sorbet

Ingredients

1. 8-10 frozen strawberries

2. 5 ice cubes

3. 1 cup of Ice Tea mixed with water (I opted for Crystal light Peach flavor), you can also use any kind of fruit juice apple / orange / mango

4. 2-3 cherries to garnish

Directions

1. Blend strawberries with juice or ice tea.

2. When strawberries are blended well mix ice cubes till they turn to thick mixture.

3. Serve icy cold garnished with a cherry.

This can be done with any frozen fruit like mangoes, pineapple, berries or even water melon or mix two fruits together. Now you don’t have to spend so much on frozen treat outside and enjoy making your own.

-Chitra

Chilled Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients

1. 1 small bag green romaine lettuce hearts or one fresh romaine
2. 1 English cucumber, sliced thinly with grater
3. 1 cup chopped kalamata/black or green olives
4. 1/2 medium red onion, diced vertically
5. 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
6. 3 firm tomatoes sliced in bite size
7. 1 cup baby artichokes in can
8. 1 tablespoon capers
9. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
10. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
11. 1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette
12. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
13. 3/4 teaspoon salt
14. 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15. 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
16. 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence or Greek seasoning
17. 1 pita bread cut them diagonally.

Directions

1. Take a small bowl and a whisk for mixing dressing for salad.

2. Add Olive oil and salt and pepper.

3. Mix together and add vinegar and lemon juice slowly keeps on stirring while adding, so that it mixes well.

4. In a large bowl for tossing salad add all the salad ingredients.

5. Chop the romaine, and add to salad bowl.

6. Toss in the cucumber, olives, tomatoes, artichokes and red onion and set aside.

7. Now Add Feta cheese, capers and greek seasoning or herbes de provence and toss well.

8. Pour dressing we prepared earlier over salad and toss well to combine.

-Chitra

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Everybody makes a New Year Resolution to eat healthy and stay fit. Most of us want to achieve size Zero as soon as possible and for that we try different things like Gym, Yoga....etc.

But we all know that to stay healthy we have to start eating fresh and healthy food.

So for all of you my friends, my new year resolution is to post some fresh and healthy recipes which are very economical and easy to cook at home with fresh ingredients.

Let’s start fresh……