Salad is not palatable unless it has a tasty dressing. For that matter even sprouts needs to be steamed to make it more palatable. Leftover green chutney is prepared for sandwich can be combined with boiled chickpea a make a tasty salad. This salad is healthy as it is oil free and high on fiber. It is makes for a teatime snack for diabetics. Ingredients: Brown chickpea -100 gm Chopped onion -1 cup Salt to taste For green chutney Ingredients: Chopped coriander leaves -2 cups Green chilies - 3 Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Lemon juice - 2 tsp Sugar - 1 pinch (optional) Salt to taste Method: Combine all the ingredients listed under green chutney and grind to a smooth paste. Keep it aside. Soak the chickpea in water for 10 hours or overnight. Wash and cook in a pressure cooker until soft. Drain the water and keep it aside. To make the salad combine the chopped onions with cooked chickpeas and green chutney. Adjust the salt and serve immediately. Note: More chilies can be added to make the chutney hot and pungent. Adding sugar helps in the retaining the colour of the chutney.
Gulab jamun needs no introduction to Indians as it is easily available in every sweetmeat shops besides being made in homes on different occasions. It is prepared by deep frying small balls of blended mava and soaking them in sugar syrup. The key ingredient to make Gulab jamun is Mava/khoa/ evaporated milk. However, sometimes cottage cheese is also added along with mava in its preparation. Ingredients: Mava/evaporated milk -1 cup (150gms) All purposes flour/maida -1/2 cup Salt -1 pinch Baking soda -1 pinch or little less Sugar -2 cups Water -2 cups Method: Bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Knead the mava to remove all lumps. Mix the salt, baking soda and all-purpose flour well. Combine the mava with the all-purpose flour. Leave it aside for five minutes. Then, divide the dough into equal parts. Roll each part into a small ball. Deep fry them in small batches in medium hot oil till brown and crispy. Drop it immediately in hot sugar syrup. To prepare sugar syrup: Combine the sugar and water. Boil it over high heat till it reaches a syrupy consistency. It should be just sticky and flowing and slightly less than one thread consistency. Prepare the syrup while the dough it seating for five minutes. Note: Do not press the dough hard while rolling the balls. Keep the flame very low while frying. Keep stirring the jamuns while frying to get an even colour.
Chickpea, which is also known as garbanzo beans is a good source of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. It can be used to make a variety of things. Here is a simple snack that is usually prepared during navarathri as an offering to the lord. Ingredients: Split Chickpea -2 cups Grated coconut -1 tsp Chopped green chilies -1/2 tsp Chopped ginger -1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few Mustard seeds -1tsp Salt and oil - as required Method: Soak the split chickpeas in water for 10 hours or overnight. Wash and drain the water. Cook in a pressure cooker till soft. Remove from the cooker and add required salt. Temper mustard seeds and curry leaves in little oil and add to it. Garnish with grated coconut, chopped green chillies and ginger.
Peanut bars are healthy and a good substitute to store bought energy bars. It has lot of nutrients and a low Glycaemic Index. It is a excellent food for growing kids. Ingredients: Peanuts -200 gms Brown sugar/jaggery -200gms Butter - 2tblsps Method: Invert a flat plate or tray and grease it with butter. Set it aside. Roast and skin the peanuts. In a wide pan add the place the brown sugar along with 1/4 cup of water. Heat over a low flame until the sugar melts. Keep boiling till the syrup becomes thick and hard to stir. At this stage add the peanuts and butter. Stir over a low flame till it becomes a hard mass.
Spread over the greased plate. Using a rolling pin flatten it to 1 cm thickness. Cut into squares. Cool it completely. Store it in an airtight container.
This is again a South Indian recipe that is usually prepared at home. However, I have eaten it in New woodlands hotel in Chennai. It tasted divine. Just like rasa vadai, here soft idlis are soaked in hot rasam. It tastes great on any day and particularly during summer. It is a big bet for diet watchers too as it is light on the stomache and calories. Leftover idlis prepared for breakfast can be soaked in rasam and can be had as evening snack. Ingredients: Idli or mini idli - few Tomato rasam - 1 bowl Onion or boondi for garnishing (optional) Method: Take a soup bowl. Fill it with little rasam. Slowly glide hot idlis into it. Close it with a lid. Soak for 5 minutes. Open and add more rasam till the brim of the bowl. Serve it alone or garnished with onion or boondi. Note: Idli can be soaked in any rasam.
I had sown few coriander seeds in a pot that already had Tulasi plant (holy basil). Interestingly, all the seeds germinated and grew into small plants. It took nearly two weeks for them to become small plants.
This rasam/soup is made of tomatoes and split pigeon pea. It is made in many South Indian homes and also served in restuarnts, weddings and feasts.
Ingredients: Tomato - 1(cut into four pieces) Tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup Cooked split pigeon pea -1/4 cup Turmeric powder -1 tsp Rasam powder- 4 tsps Asafoetida -1/4 tsp Sugar - 2 tsps Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Chopped Coriander leaves -1 tsp Salt and oil -as required
Method: Mash and mix the split pigeon pea in one cup of water. Keep it aside. Dilute the tamarind pulp with two cups of water. Cook the tomatoes in it along with asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. When the tomatoes become mushy add the split pigeon pea liquid, rasam powder and more water. Check the consistency. Simmer for few seconds. Season it with mustard seeds fried in some oil. Garnish with coriander leaves.
