Tag: healthy cooking

Millet and Paneer Kofta

Millet and Paneer Kofta

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Increasingly we are being asked to introduce millets into our diet for health reasons. This is an easy way to do that.

Ingredients

For the dough:

Millet flour 1 cup

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Ajwain seeds 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Oil 2 tbsps

Water 1/2 cup, hot to touch

For the stuffing:

Paneer or cottage cheese 1/2 cup, crumbled

Green chillies 2, chopped fine

Salt to taste

For the gravy:

Oil 1 tbsp

Bay leaf 1

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Onions 2 large, finely chopped

Tomato 1 large, finely chopped

Cashew nuts 10

Chilli powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Kasoori methi 2 tbsps

Yoghurt 1/2 cup, whipped

Mint leaves for garnish

Method

Make a dough of the millet flour and all ingredients except for 1 tablespoon of oil. Knead into a soft dough. Add the remaining oil and work it in. Make small balls.

Add salt and green chillies to the crumbled paneer.

Flatten each dough ball and stuff with some the paneer. Bring the edges together and make into a sealed ball.

Heat 3 cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the stuffed koftas and boil covered on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Keep checking and add water if needed.

Take the koftas out with a slotted spoon and keep them on a plate to cool.

For the gravy, add oil to a wok and add cumin seeds. Add the bay leaf.

Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Add the cashew nuts and fry on low heat till the onions are brown. Add the tomatoes. Add the spices and cook till the oil separates.

Take the wok off the heat and add the yoghurt. Stir well.

Return the wok to the heat and cook on medium heat till the gravy thickens.

Switch off the heat and cool the gravy. Grind it with a hand blender or in a mixer blender.

Return the gravy to the wok and add the kasoori methi. Add salt. Add 2 cups of water.

Bring to a boil and add the steamed koftas. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Garnish with mint leaves and serve with roti, naan or rice.

Soya and Mango Curry

Soya and Mango Curry

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It is good to incorporate more soyabean into our dishes as it is a healthy option. And tasty too. But I got bored with the usual way I cooked it and tried this one using raw mango. It came out delicious with a slightly tangy taste.

Ingredients

Soya chunks 1 cup

Onions 2 small, one sliced and one chopped

Sprig of curry leaves

Green chillies 2 medium, chopped

Ginger 1” piece, crushed

Raw mango 1, chopped with skin

Coconut milk 100 ml

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 2 tbsps

Coriander powder 2 tsps

Coconut oil 3 tbsps

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 30 minutes.

Squeeze out all the water and transfer to a bowl.

Add 2 tbsps of coconut oil, sliced onions, curry leaves and chopped green chillies to a wok. Add the crushed ginger and mix them well using your fingers.

Add the chopped mango and the spices and mix well.

Add two cups of water and 3 tbsps of coconut milk and put it to boil.

Add the soaked soya chunks and simmer till the mango pieces are completely cooked. It does not take long. If you want the soy chunks less chewy, add them only after the mango pieces are cooked.

Once the mango pieces are cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk. When it starts to boil, switch off the heat.

Heat the remaining coconut oil in a frying pan and add the mustard and fenugreek seeds. Add the chopped onions and fry till they turn brown.

Add the fried onions to the curry.

Serve hot with bread or rice.

Millet (Bajra) Dosa

Millet (Bajra) Dosa

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Cooking can sometimes feel like a chore at the end of a busy day. It’s often tempting to throw a ready meal in the oven or call for take out. And now with doctors and nutritionists asking us to incorporate healthy alternatives such as millets into our meals, it can seem even more daunting. But preparing a simple and healthy family meal doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. Here’s how to make millet dosa using bajra or pearl millets.

Ingredients

Bajra or pearl millet 1 1/2 cups

Mung dal whole 1/2 cup

Urad dal 1/2 cup

Idli rice 1 cup

Salt to taste

Oil to apply on griddle

Method

Soak the bajra or pearl millets for 8-10 hours. I usually soak this around 11 am and then soak the other ingredients at the end of the day around 10 pm.

The next morning, grind all the ingredients. Start with the bajra or pearl millets first.then add the dals. Lastly add the rice. Grind to a smooth batter, adding as much water as needed. Add salt according to taste.

Leave to ferment till the evening.

Heat an iron griddle and oil it. Make thin and round dosas.

Have it with coconut chutney.

Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Soup

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This is a light but filling soup, just right for winter. The cream and the puréed broccoli stems makes this ideal for a one-dish meal.

Ingredients

Broccoli florets 3 cups, blanched

Broccoli stems 2 cups, peeled, steamed and puréed

Onion 1, chopped

Fresh cream 200 ml

Milk 1 cup

All-purpose flour 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Pepper powder 2 tsps

Garlic 12 cloves, minced

Olive oil 2 tbsps

Butter 30 g

Water 2 cups

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Add the olive oil and butter in that order to a heated pan. I use a wide and deep pan in which I can reheat the soup if needed. In this case, I used a pressure cooker as I was making this at a friend’s holiday home in the mountains and it tends to hold temperatures better.

Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry till they turn a light brown.

Add the broccoli florets and fry for a minute.

Add the flour and fry to a few seconds till the raw smell goes away. Add milk, stirring all the time. Add the puréed broccoli stems and water. Boil for four minutes.

Add the cream and let the bubbles appear. Keep stirring. Switch off the heat.

Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Vegetarian Thai Papaya Salad

Vegetarian Thai Papaya Salad

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Raw Papaya Salad is a delicious dish available at all Thai restaurants and a favourite with most patrons. The mix of hot chillies with garlic, shrimps, tamarind paste and fish sauce makes for a riot of flavour, very pleasing to the palate. I have tried to make a vegetarian raw papaya salad that offers the taste without the shrimps and the fish sauce.

Ingredients

Raw papaya 1 small

Tomato 1 medium

Garlic 3 cloves

Chillies 6-7, really hot ones

Fresh cowpea (lobiya) 2-3, roughly broken into 2” pieces

Soy sauce 1 tsp

Olive oil 1 tsp

Rock salt to taste

Peanuts 1/2 cup, roasted

Cashew nuts 10, roasted

Tamarind pulp 1 tbsp

Lemon 1

Jaggery powder 2 tsps

Method

Peel and slice the papaya into thin strips. I cut it the way the Thais do by scoring and slicing the papaya. You can follow this video to learn how to do it right

https://youtu.be/Wvv0dqZ_xa4

Soak the sliced papaya in iced water for 15 minutes. Drain. This will make the papaya crunchy.

Crush the garlic and rock salt in a wide mortar and pestle. Add the chillies to the mortar. I used the Indian Bird’s Eye chilli, known as Kanthari in Kerala. In Singapore, I used Cili Padi. The spiciness of the chilli gives the salad its special flavour and a kick.

Add the soy sauce and olive oil to the garlic and chilli in the mortar. Add the jaggery and the tamarind pulp. I soak a lump of tamarind the size of a small lemon in some water overnight and squeeze out the pulp and use it.

Add the drained papaya to the mortar and pound gently.

Cut the tomato into thick wedges. Add the cowpea and tomato to the mortar and pound gently to get out the juices of the vegetables.

Squeeze the lemon juice into the salad. Add the lemon skin too and pound gently. Toss well and then remove the lemon skin from the salad and throw it away.

Add the crushed peanuts and cashew nuts and toss well.

Serve with garlic bread or cheese toast.

Kerala Peanut Snack

Kerala Peanut Snack

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The best place on earth to enjoy the monsoons is Kerala at the tip of the Indian peninsula. And there’s is no better snack during those rainy days than peanuts roasted with curry leaves and coconut oil. And I make it in the microwave making it an extremely healthy option as I use just 1 teaspoon of oil for a cup of peanuts.

Ingredients

(Serves 3)

Raw peanuts with skin 1 cup

Fresh curry leaves, a few sprigs

Coconut oil 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Method

Wash the curry leaves and dry it with a kitchen towel. Transfer to a microwave safe dish.

Add the peanuts to the dish.

Add the oil and mix well.

Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for another 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 1 minute.

Add the red chilli powder and salt. Mix well. Use your fingers to crush the curry leaves, which will be crisp by now.

Cool and store in an airtight container.

Soy Bean and Tomato Curry

Soy Bean and Tomato Curry

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This curry made of soy chunks and puréed tomatoes is not only extremely tasty, it is also a dish increasingly relevant in the current pandemic. One of the food groups that has become more important among the global population is protein. It is what you should have more of if you want to lose weight, of course. It will also help you regain your energy and strength if you have been unfortunate to contract Covid-19. And soy is a huge source of protein. Most important, it is delicious.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

Soy chunks 1 cup

Tomatoes 3 large, puréed

Onion 1 large, sliced

Ginger 1” piece

Garlic 4 cloves

Yoghurt 1 cup, whipped lightly with a fork

Cream 2 tbsps

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 2 tsps

Cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Biryani masala 1/2 tsp

Vegetable oil 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the soy chunks in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed wok and fry the onions till they become translucent.

Crush the ginger and garlic in a pestle and add to the wok.

Fry till the raw smell of garlic disappears. It will take about 2 minutes.

Add the puréed tomatoes to the wok. Fry till oil leaves the sides of the wok.

Add the spice powders and salt. Add the yoghurt.

Add the soy chunks.

Add 1 cup of water and cook till the gravy thickens. Cover and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.

Serve with rice, chapatti, or naan.

Fried Chinese Potatoes (Koorka)

Fried Chinese Potatoes (Koorka)

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The tuber known as koorka or Chinese potato in Kerala — botanical name Coleus rotundifolius — is a perennial herb native to Africa. I remember my mother making it occasionally and revelling in the delicious taste and firm texture of the dish. The Chinese potato is neither from China nor is it a potato. It belongs to the mint family.

I rarely cook it as it is difficult to clean and peel and leaves ugly black stains on the fingers. In Kerala, however, now you can get it delivered cleaned, peeled and sliced. So I cooked it and enjoyed both the cooking and the eating.

Ingredients

Koorka or Chinese potato 200 g, sliced

Garlic cloves 3, crushed

Onion 1 medium, sliced

Curry leaves, a few sprigs

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Chilli flakes 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Coconut oil 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Method

Steam the koorka with salt and turmeric powder in 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker for two whistles. Let the cooker cool naturally and open it. Continue to cook till the water evaporates.

Heat the coconut oil in a wok and add the mustard seeds.

When they stop sputtering, add the onions.

Add the garlic and curry leaves.

Add the cooked koorka and the chilli flakes.

Cook on low heat till the koorka is slightly crisp on the outside.

Serve with chapatis or rice.

Jackfruit Biryani

Jackfruit Biryani

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It is jackfruit season in Kerala and the tree in my cousin’s backyard is laden with fruit. She gave me raw jackfruit and my original plan was to cook it the traditional way with coconut. But the smell of fresh raw jackfruit as it boiled was so tempting that I decided to try to make biryani with it. This is a recipe that I developed on the fly and the end result turned out delicious.

Ingredients

Raw jackfruit 300 g, cut into cubes

Turmeric 1 tsp

Salt 1tsp

Basmati rice 2 cups, soaked for 15 minutes and drained

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Onion 1 medium, sliced

Garlic cloves 5

Ginger 1” piece

Green chilli 1, chopped

Tomato 1 large, chopped

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 1 sprig

Oil 2 tbsps

Water as needed

Method

Boil the raw jackfruit in two cups of water with salt and turmeric till all the liquid evaporates. By now the jackfruit should be tender but still succulent.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. You can use any vegetable oil.

Add the mustard seeds. When the seeds stop sputtering, add the onions. Sauté the onions till they turn golden brown.

Crush the garlic and ginger in a stone pestle and mortar. Add this to the onions. Sauté for a few minutes till the raw smell of garlic disappears. This should take only about 2-3 minutes. Add the curry leaves.

Add the cooked jackfruit to the pan and fry for a minute.

Add the tomatoes and green chilli. Fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the drained rice and mix well. Add the spices and add about 3 cups of water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the biryani and cook till the water evaporates. By now the rice will be cooked.

Switch off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad or mango salsa.

Aloo Parantha (Potato Pancakes)

Aloo Parantha (Potato Pancakes)

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Aloo paranthas or wheat pancakes stuffed with potatoes are a favourite with most people. I have found that my friends all enjoy hot potato paranthas, irrespective of race, nationality or gender.

This aloo parantha can be made even if you don’t have the traditional implements — chakla or marble rolling tile, belan or rolling pin, and tawa or concave griddle. The potato stuffing is mixed into a batter of whole wheat flour and water and then made into pancakes.

Ingredients

Potato 1 large, boiled, peeled and grated

Onion 1 medium, finely chopped

Green chilli 2, finely chopped

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves, a bunch, chopped

Atta or whole wheat flour 1 cup

Water for batter

Oil 1 tbsp

Method

Mix the boiled potato with the onions, green chillies, salt, coriander leaves and red chilli powder and mix well. Add the oil and mash it all together.

Add water to the atta and make a smooth better. Add half a teaspoon of salt.

Add the potato mix to the batter and whisk well. Add more water if needed.

Heat a nonstick griddle and pour a ladle full of batter. Spread to make a thick pancake. Cook for a minute and flip it over. Apply some ghee and cook.

Transfer to a plate. Make similar pancakes with the rest of the batter.

Serve hot with a salad and plain yoghurt.