Mango Lassi, cardamom-flavored ( Mango Smoothie)

Lassi is a traditional North-Indian thirst-quencher and energy booster. It is basically yogurt/buttermilk that has been churned and sweetened with sugar. Sometimes it is flavored with cardamom. It is an age old drink made in all homes to beat the heat. Everything is natural with this drink: it is freshly made and there are only 2-4 ingredients: yogurt/buttermilk, sugar, water and may be cardamom. 

You will find this in most Indian restaurants. One popular version of Lassi is mango lassi when it is whipped with fresh mango pulp. I love this version more than the plain. During mango season, I love to make this and relish it instead of the store-bought ones. If the mango is sweet and the yogurt is not sour, you don't need to add any sugar. If you wish you can add a dash of honey. I like to use yogurt and mango pulp in the ratio of 1:1 . You can vary it based on your individual preference. You can substitute other fruits instead of mango. There you have the recipe! It is that simple and easy! You can use it for breakfast, mid-day meal or to wake you up from the afternoon slump. 

Do give this a try. You will love it. I just blend it in my magic bullet in the morning and take it with me to work.

Servings: 2

Prep time: 5-8 minsCook time: 0 minsTotal time: 5-8 mins

Ingredients:

Ripe Mango pulp :2 cups ( from 1- medium sized mango)

Plain yogurt/curd: 2 cups

Honey : 1 tbsp ( you can use sugar too)

Cardamom: seeds from 1 pod

Ice: 1 cup

Method: 

Add all the above ingredients to a blender. Pulse and blend until well mixed , around 1 minute. 

Serve chilled. Can add more ice if needed.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this delicious Lassi to Fiesta Friday #182 so that all our friends can cool down in this heat! Angie's cohosts this week are Liz @ spades, spatulas & spoonsand Jenny @ Jenny Is Baking.

Cooking made easy:

If the yogurt/curd is sour, substitute 50%of it with milk. 

Depending on the desired thickness you can add water or milk. 

If you are vegan use almond, coconut or soy milk instead of yogurt.

Tip for healthy living:

During summer, to combat the heat we tend to drink more than eat. The sad part however is that we end up drinking more calories than when we would have eaten. The reason being all the juices, smoothies and beverages that we buy and consume. Either drink water to quench thirst or make the juices freshly at home so that you know exactly how much sugar you are adding. 

Food for thought: 

Self-preservation is the first law of nature. Samuel Butler

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Rawa Fish Fry/ Rawa masala : Fish coated with cream of wheat and shallow fried.

We Mangaloreans love our fish! May be because we live in a coastal region. 😊 I am specially partial to fried fish. We fry our fish several different ways. We fry it plain with just the spicy marination, or coat it with a spicy masala and dip it in rice flour and fry it. We also dip the marinated fish in rava or cream of wheat and fry it when it is called Rawa fry!! I love the texture that you get with rawa fry. If you are gluten free, you can use corn meal instead of rawa. You get the same result.

The rawa fry can be a tawa fry ( pan fried), can be deep fried or shallow fried! I like to tawa fry it or shallow fry it for 2 reasons: a) it is healthier than deep-fried. b) the rawa does not drop off into the oil and get burnt.

Either ways, it is very easy to make. You can do this with any kind of fish. I have used tilapia. It works great with King fish, mackerel, porgy, pretty much any fish! You can use fillets it steaks. It makes a great combination with rice and Dali thoy ( dal) or rasam or with just plain rice kanji ( rice porridge).
Try it for yourself!!

Prep time: 10 mins + atleast 15 mins marination timeCook time: 10 mins
Total time: 35 mins

Servings : 2

Ingredients:

Tilapia pieces : 2 big ones

1/4 cup Oil: for frying ( can use more if needed).
Onion rings: 6-8,for garnish
Lemon wedges: 2, for garnish

For marination:

Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp ( I use Kashmiri chilli powder as it is not too spicy and give a nice red color).
Turmeric powder ( haldi): 1 tbsp
Asofoetida ( hing)powder: a pinch
Salt: to taste
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Water: to make a paste
Rawa /sooji( cream of wheat) or cornmeal: 4 tbsp

Method:

Clean the fish pieces and keep aside.

In a bowl mix together red chilli powder, salt, haldi, hing, lemon juice and water to make a nice thick paste.

Apply this liberally to the fish pieces and keep aside for atleast 20-30 minutes.

Heat  oil in a frying pan on medium flame.

Take the rawa/sooji in a plate. Dip the fish in it so that the rawa coats it completely on all sides.

When the oil is slightly sizzling,  place the fish steaks in the oil and let it cook on medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes on one side. 

Now flip it and cook for 5-6 more minutes on low heat.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with onion rings and lemon wedges. 

You can also serve it as a side with rice, dal and other accompaniments to make a complete meal.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Angie's Fiesta Friday #179! Her cohosts this week are Petra @ Food Eat Love and Laura @ Feast Wisely. If you have never been to one of her fiesta's, you should..it is tons of fun!

Cooking made easy:

Whenever you fry something, make sure that the oil is not too hot or cold when you drop the fish in it. If the oil is too hot, the fish will get burnt and if the oil is not hot enough, the fish will absorb too much oil and become oily! To check the temperature of the oil, drop into oil a drop of the marinade or batter. It should float right up to the surface of the oil. If it sinks, the oil is not hot enough.

Tip for healthy living:

Using minimal oil while cooking greatly reduces the total fat ingested by the body on a given day. Also using healthier oils that are meant to sustain high heats like coconut oil, mustard oil, sesame oil is healthier.
Some oils are not meant to be heated! They lose their nutritional value upon heating!

Food for thought:

If a plan doesn't work, change it. Don't change the goal. Unknown

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Spicy Karela ( Bitter gourd cooked with spices)

Most people shy away from Karela (bitter gourd or bitter melon in English). I for some reason love it. Every time I go get my groceries, if I see bitter gourd I will surely buy it. May be because I am aware of the immense health benefits and  the nutritional value of bitter gourd, especially for diabetics. People don't like it because of it's bitterness. I am of the opinion that either they have eaten a bitter gourd dish that has not been cooked properly. If a bitter gourd is cooked in the correct manner, there is little to no bitterness in the dish. Check my fried bitter gourd and the Masala Karela recipes.

Today I am bringing to you another of my favorite, easy to make bitter gourd recipes that does not leave the Karela tasting bitter! This recipe was shared by my sister.  I have modified it to make it tastier and more convenient.  Do try it.. You may like it!! 

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 15-20 minsTotal time: 35-40 mins

Ingredients: 

Bitter gourd/ Karela: 2 medium sized

Turmeric powder/ haldi: 1 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Water: 4 cups

Tamarind pulp: 1/2 tsp

Jaggery/brown sugar: 1 tsp

Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Garlic : 4-6 cloves, chopped 

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Freshly grated coconut: 2 tbsp

Method:

Chop the Karela either in circles or in pieces. Take this in a bowl. 
Add turmeric powder, salt and keep aside for atleast 15 mins. I usually leave it overnight like that in the fridge ( for convenience). 

After 15 mins ( or whenever you are ready to cook it), squeeze the Karela a fistful at a time and keep aside. Do this with all the available bitter gourd. Discard the remaining water. 

Take this squeezed bitter gourd in a sauce pan or pot. 
Add 4 cups water, jaggery and tamarind pulp. 
Bring this to a boil, reduce the flame and cook it until the Karela is just tender. Turn off the flame and let it cool down slightly.  
When it has cooled down enough to handle it, drain the water completely. Discard the water. Keep the cooked Karela aside. 

In a sauté pan or frying pan, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil.
Add the mustard seeds. 
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and chopped garlic. Sauté for few seconds until the garlic is fragrant. 
Add the red chilli powder. Sauté for 10 seconds.
Now add the cooked Karela, freshly grated coconut and if needed a pinch of salt( I usually don't add salt as we already added it earlier during marination). Mix and let it all come together for 2 mins. Turn off the flame.

Serve hot. 

Goes well with rice and dal, yogurt rice or roti.

I am bringing this to my dear friend Angie's Fiesta Friday#175. I bet they have not heard of this dish. Her cohosts this week are Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Suzanne @ A Pug in the Kitchen. Both are very talented bloggers.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy: 

The key to ensuring that Karela is not bitter is either to marinate it with salt and turmeric powder, squeeze it out and discard the water or to boil it in water, squeeze and remove and discard the water. 

Tip for healthy living:

Since time immemorial, bitter gourd had known for its health benefits in diabetics. The most significant being the insulin like properties of it's juice which is used in diabetics to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Research however has shown inconclusive results. Karela is also used as a blood purifier. It is supposedly helpful in people with toxemia, and helps boost the immune system. There have been also other claims like its use in people with gout, piles etc, but there has been no scientific evidence to support it.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-795-BITTER%20MELON.aspxactiveIngredientId=795&activeIngredientName=BITTER%20MELON
http://www.bitter-gourd.org/health-benefits/
http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-bitter-gourd.html

Food for thought: 

Fortitude is the guard and support of other virtues. John Locke

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Ramen/Maggi noodles Made Healthy!!

You don't believe me do you?? It is true.. Ramen can be made healthy..
Check out my Buckwheat Mushroom Rice Ramen.

So what exactly is Ramen?? Ramen has many names. Ramen in India is popular as Maggi noodles. Basically these are instant noodles that comes with a seasoning packet( tastemaker) that can be ready in 2 minutes!! The biggest issue with ramen that makes it unhealthy is the seasoning packet or tastemaker that most often than not has monosodium glutamate amongst other ingredients that makes ramen  so desirable. Not to mention the fact that these noodles are made out of white bleached flour with little nutritional value!

With all that being said, how do we make these noodles healthy?? Basically, by taking away the undesirable ingredients and adding nutritient-rich ingredients. Instead of using plain water, we use vegetable broth to cook the noodles. A variety of vegetables are sautéed and added on top of the noodles. Now does it sound healthy, nutritious and delicious??Also, do not forget that Maggi is available in atta version and oats noodles. Here in US, we get buckwheat and rice noodles/ramen. 

Whatever said and done, all of us at some point in our lives have lived on Ramen/Maggi ( remember college days??) or had it when we didn't have anything else in our pantry.. someway or the other, Ramen remains a comfort food... With the weather yo-yoing, people look forward to a bowl of Ramen to warm them.

Check out the recipe to see how you can make it, enjoy it but in a guilt-free manner.

Prep time: 5-10 minsCook time: 8-10 minsTotal time: 13-20 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Instant noodles ( Maggi/Top Ramen): 2 packets
Water/ vegetable broth: 4 cups
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1, medium, sliced lengthwise.
Green Pepper: 1 medium, sliced lengthwise
Red Pepper: 1 medium, sliced lengthwise.
Mixed vegetables: 2 cups ( any combination can be used; I used frozen peas & carrots)
Green chilies: 1-2, chopped fine ( optional)
Tomato: 2 medium, sliced lengthwise.
Lemon wedges: 4-8 nos
Salt: to taste
Cilantro: 1 tbsp for garnish, optional

Method:

In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water/ vegetable broth to a boil. While waiting for the liquid to boil, prepare the veggies.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a sauté pan or frying pan. 

Add sliced onions. Sauté until the onions wilt. 

Add the frozen vegetables, chopped green chilies & sauté for 2-3 mins until the peas & carrots are slightly tender. 

Add the sliced Bell peppers. Sauté for 2 mins. 

Add salt & cilantro ( reserving some for garnish). 

Turn off the stove.

Break the noodles & add it to the boiling liquid. 

Continue to boil for exactly 2 mins. Turn off the stove. 

Cover the pot and let it sit for 1-2 mins.

Take 4 serving bowls. 

Divide the noodles equally into them. 

Divide the veggies into 4 equal portions. 

Top each bowl with the cooked vegetables , slices of tomato and a wedge of lemon. 

Garnish with little cilantro.

Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Any combination of frozen & or fresh vegetables can be used. Just keep in mind the cooking time for the vegetables. If the vegetables take long to cook, cook them separately and then add to the sautéed onions.

Tip for healthy living:

Adding 3-4 colors of vegetables to your dish ensures that you get a variety of essential vitamins and other nutrients through your meal. The color of the vegetable is usually an indicator of the nutrient that they are rich in. For examples, the orange color of carrots indicates that they are rich in beta carotene.

Food for thought:

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. John wooden

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Pineapple Chicken Kebabs with Sumac

When Angie announced the Healthy Recipe Challenge, I was intrigued. When I looked at the ingredients that she wanted to be used in the recipe, I scratched my head. Greens and pineapple in one recipe!! I couldn't resist the challenge! I was making some Sumac chicken kebabs with vegetables for lunch. I figured I will throw in the pineapple with it & serve the kebabs on a bed of baby greens. Who could resist a platter like that??

During my recent visit to the grocery store, I came across Sumac. This is a spice that I have known through Elaine and other friends here at Fiesta Friday. I have been waiting to try it for a long time now. While we all love grilled vegetables, I was positive that grilled pineapple would taste delicious. And it turned out to be delicious!  Together with sumac, it was an irresistable combination! We ate the kebabs served on a bed of baby greens for lunch and ate the leftovers served with Pineapple Couscous Baby Greens Salad for dinner!! 

This is a very easy recipe that would be perfect for weeknight dinners , as appetizers or sides for parties! Super Bowl is next weekend guys!! You can prep, marinate and keep everything ready in the refrigerator ahead of time, and throw it on the grill or in the oven a few minutes before your guests arrive! Voila! Delicious kebabs ready in minutes!!

Servings: 2

Prep time: 45 mins ( including marination) 

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast: 1 lb, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/4 tsp+ 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Sumac: 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Italian herbs ( dry): 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Bell peppers: 2 ( different colors), diced big.
Cherry tomatoes: 10 ( may not need all)
Red onion: 1, diced big and petals separated.
Pineapple pieces: 1 cup
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Baby greens: 1 & 1/2  cups

Method:

Clean and marinate the chicken with salt, pepper, lemon juice, Italian herbs & sumac, for at least 30 mins.

In a bowl, take the bell peppers, diced onion, cherry tomatoes and pineapple pieces . Add olive oil, a pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, a little sumac and Italian herbs.

Set the oven on broil and preheat it.

Take a skewer and arrange the veggies and chicken pieces as you wish and the amount that you want.

Arrange it on a baking/grilling tray. Place the tray in the broiler and cook the chicken and vegetables for 14-16 minutes or until the chicken is cooked  thoroughly and to desired tenderness.

Divide the baby greens equally on two serving plates. Arrange the skewers on the bed of baby greens. Just before serving, sprinkle a little more sumac on the skewers.

Can be served with cilantro/ mint chutney.

Serve hot!

Enjoy! 

Apart from linking to the Fiesta Friday Healthy Recipe challenge, I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #156 and Saucy Saturdays.

Cooling made easy:

The kebabs can be grilled on a outdoor grill, on a stove-top grill or even baked at 400 deg F or 200 deg Celsius on the middle rack of the oven. If you don't have steel skewers, you can use bamboo skewers, but make sure that you soak the skewers in water for sometime before using.

Tip for healthy living:

Grilling or broiling is a much healthier option for frying chicken or vegetables. It is low in calories and pretty much fat free!

Food for thought:

Think before you leap! Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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