Green Soup

Ingredients

• One cup of palak leaves
• One cup of drumstick leaves
• One medium sized onion
• One tomato
• One small piece of ginger
• 3or4 flakes of garlic
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• One cardamom
• One clove
• One small piece of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• One Bay leaf
• Salt as required

Method

1. In a piece of white cloth, pack cardamom, clove, cinnamon, fennel seeds, bay leaf and tie the bundle with a small thread .
2. In a pan, boil palak leaves, drumstick leaves, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic along with masala bundle till they get cooked.
3. Allow them to cool.
4. Remove the masala bundle and grind the cooked palak in a mixer.
5. Strain the mixture and add salt, pepper and enough water.
6. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with whole wheat bread.

Sprouted Soya Beans Sundal

 

My entry to Jhiva for this month is Sprouted soya beans sundal. Thanks to Sia for hosting and I am very happy to contribute this recipe for this month.

You find lots of people switching to Soya foods as it offers substantial health benefits. It has been reported that foods containing soya protein reduce the risk of heart disease. For some people soya may cause allergy and they should avoid soya protein. For vegetarians , soya is a very good source for high protein ,vitamins, minerals and fibers. Soya is known to have been used as a food item for over thousands of years as whole soya beans, soya sprouts, or processed as soya milk, tofu, Soya sauce etc.

Here comes the recipe.

Ingredients

• One cup of sprouted soya beans
• One onion ( finely chopped)
• One capsicum ( finely chopped)
• One small carrot (grated)
• One tsp cooking oil
• One tsp mustard
• One tsp jeera
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• One greenchilli
• Few curry leaves
• Few coriander leaves
• Salt as required

For dry roast

• 1 tsp Daniya
• 1/2 tsp channa dal
• 1/2 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 2 red chillies

Method for making sprouts

• Soak soya beans for 3 to 4 hours.
• Over soaking will sprout poorly or even rot.
• Drain off the soak water.
• Rinse thoroughly till the water becomes clear
• Soya will sprout better with more frequent rinses.
• Rinse and drain every 4 to 8 hours.
• You can see the sprouts within 24 hours without water.

Method for making Sundal

1. Cook sprouted soya beans with enough salt and water till it becomes soft.
2. In a  kadai, fry dania, channa dal, urad dal, sesame seeds and red chillies without oil.
3. Allow them to cool and grind coarsely in the mixer.
4. In a Kadai, Put 1 tsp oil. Add Mustard and Jeera. Let it splutter.
5. Add chopped onion, green chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for a while.
6. Add the cooked soya beans and salt (if needed) and fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add the chopped capsicum and grated carrot and fry for 2 minutes.
8. Add the ground powder and fry till it gets completely mixed with soya beans.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

 

Sprouted Chick Peas Idli

Idli is the common man’s breakfast in South India. Just walk down the streets in the morning hours and you will find road side vendors selling hot idlis with chutney and sambhar in banana leaf. You will find crowds and crowds of people rushing towards the stalls to get a grab of their idlis. The very sight will want you to have those soft, white and fluffy idlis.

Idli is easy to make and easy to digest. You just steam idlis and use no oil.  

People make idlies  using a variety of ingredients such as semolina, rice, vermicelli, aval, oats etc.,

In this recipe, I have used sprouted chick peas for making the Idli. Chick peas are highly nutritious, low in fat and rich in protein. Since it has a low glycemic index, this idli suits well for both diabetics and those who are on diet. More over, sprouting makes the dish easily digestible.

This idli is also soft and fluffy like normal rice idly. I include this low fat delicacy in my husband’s diet once a week.

Ingredients

• One cup of Kabuli channa (White chick peas)
• Quarter cup of urad dal (Black gram dal)
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (Methi)
• Salt as required

Method for making sprouts

• Soak Kabuli channa for 8 hours.
• Drain the water and keep it in a strainer.
• You can see the sprouts after 24 hours.

Preparation of batter

• Soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 1 hour.
• Wash urad dal well and grind till it becomes fluffy.
• Grind sprouted chick peas into fine paste by adding enough water.
• Mix ground dal, ground chick peas and enough salt.
• Allow it to ferment for 2 hours.
• The consistency of the batter should be like normal idli batter
• Now the batter for making idli is ready.

Method for making idli

1. Grease the Idli mould with little oil.
2. Fill the batter in the mould.
3. Steam it for 15 minutes
4. Poke the idlis with a knife or spoon to check whether the idlis are cooked properly.
5. If the idli does not stick on the spoon, it indicates that the idlis have cooked well.
6. Allow it to cool. Scoop out the idlis with a flat spoon.
7. Serve  the idlis  along with chutney and sambar.

Note: Soak one cup of raw kabuli channa and make into sprouts. For 1 cup of raw kabuli channa you need quarter cup of urad dal.

Radish Chappathi

Ingredients

• One cup of whole wheat atta
• Quarter cup of soya flour
• One cup of  grated radish
• One Onion ( finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp green chilli paste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 table spoon mint leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 table spoon coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt as required
• cooking oil for making the chappathi

Preparation of dough

• In a large bowl, mix atta, soya flour, grated radish,  chopped onion, lemon juice, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilli paste, red chilli powder and salt.
• Knead well with hand by adding little water.
• By adding little oil knead well till it becomes a soft dough.
• Let it remain for 1 hour.

Method

1. Tale a lemon sized portion of the dough and roll it with a rolling pin into round shape.
2. Heat  tawa and place the chappathi.
3. Pour some oil over it and cook on both the sides till it turns brown.
4. Serve hot with any raitha and pickle.

Olan

Olan is the most popular dish in Kerala cuisine. It goes well with both rotis and rice. The process of making this dish is very simple. It is easily digestible as it contains less oil and no spice.

I have prepared this recipe avoiding coconut milk and yellow pumpkin.

Here comes the recipe

Ingredients

• One cup of cow peas
• 100 gms of ash gourd
• One chow chow (chayote squash)
• Two green chillies
• One tsp  cooking oil
• 1/4 tsp  asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp  turmeric powder
• One cup of toned milk
• One tsp corn flour
• Few curry leaves
• Salt as required

Method

1. Soak cow peas overnight and pressure cook the cow peas with enough salt and water.
2. Cut ash gourd and chow chow into squares.
3. Slit green chillies.
4. In a Kadai, cook ash gourd, chow chow green chillies with  enough salt, turmeric powder, hing and water till the vegetables get completely cooked.
5. Add the cooked cow peas and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Mix corn flour with  milk and add to the cooked vegetables.
7. Pour hot oil tempered with curry leaves  to the cooked vegetables.
8. Serve hot with rotis.

Sprouted Ground Nut Salad

Including sprouted cereals in your meal provides all the essential vitamins and minerals that you need for leading a healthy life.

All edible grains, seeds and legumes can be sprouted except for some grains and seeds may take longer time to sprout.

While sprouting, the contents of vitamins, minerals and protein in the seed increase substantially while the caloric value and carbohydrate content decrease.

Here I have used organic ground nut and allowed them to sprout. This salad can be taken with tea as an evening snack.

Ingredients:

• One cup of sprouted ground nut
• One onion
• 1/2 capsicum
• 1/2 cucumber
• One piece of raw mango
• One tomato
• One small carrot
• One small cup of pomegranate pearls
• One tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• One tsp lemon juice
• Salt  as required

For Garnishing

• Few coriander leaves

Method

1. Cook sprouted ground nut with enough salt and water till it becomes soft.
2. Allow it to cool and strain the excess water and keep it aside.
3. Cut onion, capsicum, cucumber, raw mango, carrot and tomato into thin strips.
4. In a  large bowl, mix cooked ground nut, all the vegetables, pomegranate pearls, chilli powder, pepper powder, lemon juice and salt.
5. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.
6. Serve with tea or coffee as an evening snack.

JFI August Entry 2: Senna Auriculata ( Avaram flower) Extract

This my second entry to Jhiva for this month.

Senna auriculata/Avaram flower(Tamil equivalent) is an evergreen Indian shrub with bright yellow flowers.You can find this flower in the market after rainy season( in the month of December). The flowers and buds are used as a substitute  for tea in case of diabetes.

The dried flowers can be preserved and can be used  through out the year.

Drinking this flower extract daily on an empty stomach will help to control  blood sugar level.

Method for making the extract

1. In a bowl, take 11/2 glass of water.
2. Add the hand full of flowers.
3. Let it boil in a high flame for 10 minutes.
4. Allow it to cool and using strainer, extract the juice of the flower.
5. Drink on an empty stomach in the morning daily.

JFI August Entry1 :Power Syrup

This my first entry to Jhiva for this month. I thank Rachna for hosting and I admire the idea of choosing edible flowers as an ingredient.

Many flowers are edible. But proper identification is essential in choosing the flowers.

Hibiscus plant is one of the most famous plant found everywhere. The flowers come in different colours and have lot of medicinal values. The chemicals in a Hibiscus flower helps for hair growth. It reduces dandruff and restores your hair colour. Moreover it gives coolant effect to the body. The juice from these leaves and flowers can regularize the menstrual cycle for women. This flower improves digestion. Tea brewed with hibiscus flowers is said to help in  controlling nausea.

Here I prepared this juice using red colour hibiscus flower and lemon.

Ingredient for making syrup

• 10 Hibiscus flowers
• 4 lemon
• 1tsp sugar free powder
• 1/4 tsp Black salt

Method for making the extract

1. Remove the petals from the Hibiscus flower and wash thoroughly.
2. Cut the petals into small pieces.
3. Take an extract of lemon
4. In a bowl, soak the petal pieces in lemon juice.
5. Keep it in the sunlight for 3 to 4 hours.
6. After taking from the sunlight, keep it in the fridge
7. The next day strain the  mixture using strainer.
8. Store the extract in a bottle in the fridge.

Preparation of Power syrup

1. Take a glass of cold water.
2. Add 1 to 2 tsp of extract according to the taste.
3. Add 3/4 tsp sugarfree powder.
4. Add 1/4 tsp black salt.
5. Stir well and serve chilled.

Note: For non-diabetics, sugar syrup can be used for making the juice.

Ragi Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce

Ragi spaghetti is an ideal dish to be taken during breakfast. It is easily digestable and very simple to make. As I already mentioned  earlier, Ragi is highly nutritious and rich in iron, calcium and protein.

Spaghetti is a kind of pasta popular in Italian cuisine. It is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta made of semolina and water. My American neigbour and friend got this ragi spaghetti from Auroville. I used garlic sauce to go with ragi spaghetti. It turned out well and tastes yummy.

Those who are on diet and diabetic patients, can be taken ragi spaghetti once in 15 days.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 150 gms of Ragi spaghetti
• One medium sized onion (finely chopped)
• 10 to 12 flakes of garlic (finely chopped0
• one small cup of tomato puree
• 1 tsp chilli sauce
• 2 tsp soya sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp Vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt as required

How to cook spaghetti

1. In a kadai, put enough water, salt and one tsp oil.
2. When water starts boiling, add spaghetti.
3. Cook till it becomes soft.
4. Rinse the cooked spaghetti in the cold water to remove starch.
5. Strain the water and keep the spaghetti in the strainer for 15 minutes ( the water should be drained completely).

Now the spaghetti is ready.

Preparation of Garlic sauce

1. In a frying pan, heat 2 tsps of oil.
2. Add chopped onion and garlic
3. Fry till the onion becomes soft.
4. Add tomato puree and fry  for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add soya sauce and chilli sauce and fry for a while.
6. Add vinegar, garam masala powder, pepper powder and salt and fry for a minute.

Now the sauce is ready.

Method for making the dish

1. In a frying pan, heat one tsp oil.
2. Add cooked spaghetti, garlic sauce and salt ( if needed).
3. Mix well and serve hot.

Note: Take care that the sauce is not too dilute. Otherwise  the spaghetti becomes soggy  when you add the sauce.

Chow chow(Chayote Squash) Bhaji

Ingredients

• One cup of chopped chow chow
• One finely chopped onion
• One tomato
• One green chilli
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp daniya powder
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 1tsp cooking oil
• Salt to taste

For seasoning

• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• Few curry leaves

For Garnishing

• Few coriander leaves

Method

1. In a kadai, put one tsp oil.
2. Add mustard and jeera. Let it splutter.
3. Add chopped onion and curry leaves and fry till the onion becomes soft.
4. Add the chopped chow chow,turmeric powder,asafoetida, salt and enough water.
5. Cover the kadai with a lid till the chow chow gets completely cooked.
6. Add daniya powder and fry for a while.
7. Grind tomato and green chilli and add the ground mixture to the cooked chow chow.
8. Fry till the raw smell of tomato disappears.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot with rotis.