Broccoli with Besan/Chickpeas flour

If you are thinking how to make your kids eat broccoli? Try this recipe. Very simple and delicious.

My mom explained this recipe over the phone. Basically she makes similar recipe using bell peppers. She asked me to try the same with broccoli.. Turned out to be yummy.

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets  ( I guess i used 3/4lb)
2tbsp chickpeas flour
1/2tsp garam masala
1/2tsp red chili powder( adjust as per your spice level)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of asafetida
pinch of turmeric powder
1tbsp of oil
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Recipe:

In a skillet add oil, once oil is hot add cumin seeds and asafetida. Once cumin seeds starts spluttering add broccoli, salt and cook covering with a lid. Meanwhile mix chickpeas flour, spices(red chili powder, garam masala and turmeric powder) and 1/4tsp oil. Once broccoli is cooked, sprinkle chickpeas flour and mix well (sprinkle water if it is too dry).  Once chickpeas flour is cooked with broccoli add lemon juice and remove from heat.

Serve with roti or just eat as a snack. Healthy and simple curry.

Tofu in Spinach Gravy

I can't believe January is coming to an end. Time seems to be flying. Like every year this year also started with a hectic schedule for me. With all the hectic schedule it is very hard to keep healthy eating habits. I don't like to eat out much nor eat anything packed or frozen. Also a strong believer in eating fresh food every day. With all these restrictions I have to be innovative and healthy in my recipes. So sometimes, it gets little hard to decide what to cook on a weekday.

Today's recipe is an outcome of innovative healthy cooking. Instead of cooking stir fry tofu decided to give indian touch and decided to make Tofu in Spianch gravy like Palak paneer.

Very simple yet very healthy and vegan to. So next time when you want a variation in palak paneer try this recipe.

Ingredients:

2tbsp of oil
1 bunch of spinach/ 4 cups of baby spinach
1 pack of extra firm tofu(8oz) cut into cubes or any shape which you like. I used Organic sprouted extra firm Tofu
1 medium sized tomato (finely chopped) or blanch and puree
1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
2-3 green chilies
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp garam masala/curry powder
pinch of turmeric powder
1tbsp red chili powder
Salt to taste


Procedure:

1. Blanch spinach, green chilies and puree in a food processor.
2. Stir fry cubed tofu till they turn golden color. (You can skip this step if you want soft tofu in your curry)
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and salt (Salt helps to cook onions faster). Once onions turn golden color add curry/garam masala powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder.
4. Add chopped tomatoes/tomato puree. Once tomatoes are cooked completely in masala/spices add spinach puree.
5. Once spinach puree starts boiling add Tofu cubes. Cook for 5-6 mts on low heat. Give a taste test and adjust spices.
Turn off the heat and serve with nan/roti.

Nail Art- New weekend hobby

Past 2 weekends I started this new hobby of nail art. 10mts of free time on Sunday gives these gorgeous nails. When you have some time try these nail arts. Very simple to design.

Step 1: Place a piece of scotch tape diagonally on each nail and press firmly. 

Step 2: Base coat all nails

Step 3- Take any color nail polish and paint.

Step 4- Wait till nail polish dries and remove the tape. You get nice diagonal tipped nails

Step 5: Put a blob of white polish on a piece of paper and use dotting tool and put dots on the colored nail polish.

Step 6- add a silver glitter stripe using nail art brush. 

Step 7- finish with top coat. 

Finished product will be like the picture below.

Here are the tools which I used

Kale and sprouts Salad with Home made Tahini Sauce

Holidays are over. Now it's time to hit the reset button and start healthy eating. Part of the healthy eating, made this simple and nutritious salad for lunch. If you are craving for a healthy salad try this recipe. I am sure you will love it.



Recipe:

Adapted from Lunchbox Bunch blog (Owner of Finding Vegan).

Ingredients:

Wash and chop greens ( I used kale and spinach)
1 cup sprouts/any beans of your choice (washed and semi cooked)

Any fruits of your choice
1 tbsp chopped nuts and dried fruits ( i used cranberries and raisins)

Dressing ingredients:

1tbsp tahini paste
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2tsp lemon juice
sea salt ( as per taste)
black pepper ( as per your taste)
Red chili powder or cayenne pepper ( as per your taste)

In a bowl mix all dressing ingredients and keep it aside.

In a large bowl add greens, sprouts, nuts and dressing and mix well. Adjust seasoning if required. On a serving plate add greens and top with your favorite fruits.



Tahini Paste Recipe:

1 cup of sesame seeds( toast on the stove or oven. Make sure not to turn into brown color)
2tbsp vegetable oil or sesame oil

Use a food process make a smooth paste of toasted sesame seeds with oil.  Store in air tight container in a refrigerator.

Happy Sankranthi ! Bobbatlu/Puran Poli

Wish you all a very Happy Pongal! Pongal is usually celebrated for one of the harvest seasons in India. Pongal means first thing to comes to my mind is lots of food. This is one of the longest festival usually celebrated 4 days. First day Bhogi, Second day Makara Sankranthi (Sun enters into Makara Rashi), third day Kanumu and 4th day Mukkanumu. Bhogi day usually all of us used to gather and do camp fire before sun rise. (this tradition called Bhogi mantalu). After the sun rise all the kids in the house get ready with new clothes and have a blast. In the evening "Bhogi pallu (mixture of gooseberries, coins and akshatas)" ceremony will be performed if the kid is 5 years of younger. Bhogi pallu mixture is showered on the heads of the children to protect them from the evil forces. Sankranthi day evening perantam for pasupu and kumkum distribution. Kanumu day we usually use to eat anything with urad dal (Usually Medhu Vada).  This day we used to end the Rangoli days(which started almost a month back) with a Radham Rangoli.  Along with all these rituals every single day used to be filled with lots of food, snacks and playing cards. I miss all those days.

Living in USA I cannot experience all those activities/rituals but I still try to compensate with good food.  Today as a part of pongal celebrations I prepared Pulihora, Bobbatlu, Mango dal and Rice.


Gangireddu Picture which I took in July 2012 when I visited India.

Here is the recipe of the bobbatlu:

DIY- Fruit Bouquet -Edible Arrangements

2 months back my friend Mary-Tu Nguyen got a fruit bouquet for our team lunch in our office. I was amazed looking at the way fruits were arranged in a potluck. Since then I was planning to make this bouquet, finally got a chance to do the same for a get together dinner yesterday.  Thank you Mary for guidance and tips to make this beautiful bouquet. My friends loved it.

Tips:

Use water melon or cantaloupe as a base. While purchasing the melon check for flat base melons, if you cannot find a flat based just slight cut the skin to get a flat base.
Another option for base is to use foam block and decorate with nice color paper. 

Cut 1/4 of the melon and scoop flesh using melon ballers. Remove any juices into a glass and put back the flesh into the base and refrigerate.
Prepare all fruit skewers ahead and keep it in fridge. Use any cookie cutter to cut the fruits/vegetables.

I made radish roses. (followed steps from internet.) You can dip strawberries in chocolate to make it more rich and give a nice color contrast.

Just before your party starts remove the base, fruit skewers. Just be creative and arrange the skewers on the base.

Here are the pics of the bouquet