Grilled vegetable kebabs

Vegetable kebabs are grilled vegetables that are arranged in a skewer sticks. Vegetables are usually marinated with mustard sauce, tomato sauce or chilli sauce before grilling. It is served as starter or as an alternative to salad.

Vegetables used to prepare kebabs include onion, all colour capsicum, tomatoes, cottage cheese besides fruits like pineapple and raw mango.

 

Ingredients:

Onions - 1

Cottage cheese - 50 gm

Capsicum - 1

Tomatoes - 1

Bamboo skewer sticks - 8 to 10

For marination:

Hung curd - 1 cup

Chat masala - 2 tsp

Green chilli paste - 2 tsp

Yellow mustard paste - 1 tsp (optional)

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for marination. Check for salt and consistency. It should be thick like idli batter. 

Wash and cut the vegetables and cottage cheese into big chunks. Separate the layers of onions.  Marinate all the vegetables including the cottage cheese. Rest it for half an hour. 

Then, arrange one piece of each item in the skewer sticks. Grill it in a preheated oven at 200 c for 20 minutes. Keep turning the skewer every 5 minutes. Once everything is cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle some chat masala over it before serving.

Note: 

This can also be grilled over gas stove. Then steel skewers have to be used.    

Chutney salad

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.

Green gram salad

Come summer and salads become the order of the day.  Green gram salad is one such salad that is high on protein and fibre and filling too. This easy to make salad uses locally available ingredients and is devoid of oil.

Ingredients:
Green gram -1cup
Tomato -1
Onion - 1
Cucumber -1/2
Raw mango -few pieces
Coriander leaves -few
Chilli flakes -1tsp
Lemon juice -1tsp
Sugar -1/2tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. Keep it aside. Wash and soak the green gram in water for 5 hours. Drain the water and steam it in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes. Combine it with the chopped vegetables, chilli flakes, lemon juice, salt, sugar and coriander leaves. Serve over chilled cabbage leaf.

Fruit salad

Unrelenting summer calls for some sensible eating to keep oneself well hydrated. Fruits come handy on such occasions, which can be had alone or with coconut milk dressing. The latter has cooling properties and gives a unique flavour to the fruit salad.

Ingredients:
Green grapes - 1cup
Papaya - 200gms
Ripe banana -1
Fresh coconut milk -1cup
Honey -2tsps
Salt -1pinch (optional)
Raisins - few
Cashew nut -few

Method:
Combine the coconut milk, honey and salt. Keep it in the refrigerator. 
Wash all the fruits in cold water. Peel and cut the papaya into cubes. Peel and cut the banana into discs. Break the cashew nuts into small bits. Add the cold coconut milk mixture to the cut fruits. Serve immediately.

Note:
Other fruits like mango, apple and jackfruit can also be added. 

Cup o salad

When baked cups are filled with choicest seasonal vegetables or fruits, it becomes a meal in itself. Summer times are times for eating more salads. However, salads alone are not a good meal as it lacks carbohydrates. Hence, I have made small cups made of all purpose flour to go with the raw vegetables. It will also enhance the palatability of such servings that sans creamy dressings. 

Ingredients:
All purpose flour -2cups
Salted butter -1tsp
Finely chopped mixed vegetables -1cup
Boiled potato -1

Method:
Knead the flour and butter well. Next, add about 1/2 cup of water and make stiff dough out of it. Rest it for 20 minutes.    Flatten the dough as thin as possible using a rolling pin. Cut out small rounds out of it using a round cutter. Place each round firmly in cookie cups. Bake them at 180°C in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Make small strips like bread sticks with the left over dough. Bake them also like the cups.

                                            Baked cups and strips
Presentation:
Arrange the cups and sticks in a round plate. Fill each cup with different vegetables. Slice the potatoes and place them over the baked strips. Serve it along with tomato sauce or red chutney or any dip of your choice.

Note:
Fresh fruits can also be cut and arranged in the similar way and served along with honey.

Crunchy salad

Eating fresh raw vegetables and fruits during summer is highly recommended, as it is expected to keeps us hydrated and energetic. Accordingly, a bowl full of salad made from fresh seasonal vegetables is unbeatable. When some peanuts are added, the protein content in it is enhanced and can make for a whole meal in itself.  Here is a salad that uses some locally available vegetables, sweet corn and peanuts for that crunch.

Ingredients:
Corn cob -1
Roasted peanuts -1/2cup
Chopped onion -1cup
Chopped tomatoes -1/4cup
Grated cucumber -1/4cup
Grated carrot -1/4cup
Grated raw mango -2tsps
Chopped coriander leaves -3tsps
Chilli flakes -1tsp
Sugar -1/2tsp (optional)
Lemon juice -1tsp
Salt to taste
 
Method:
Place the corn cob over direct flame and cook on all sides. Cool and remove the corn kernels with a knife. Combine the corn kernels with rest of the ingredients. Adjust the salt. Serve fresh.

Chickpea salad

Chickpeas are good source of protein, besides being rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. This keeps you full for a longer period and controls your appetite. Hence, it is highly recommended for diabetics and weight watchers.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas -1cup
Dates chutney -1/4cup
Chilli flakes -2tsp
Chopped onion -5tblsps
Chopped capsicum -3tblsps
Grated carrot -2tsps
Grated cucumber -1tsp
Chopped coriander -1tsp
Salt -as required

Method;
Soak the chickpeas in water for 8 hours or overnight. Add 2cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker till soft. Remove from cooker and add salt. Set aside for few minutes for the salt to seep in. Drain the water and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Serve along toasted bread roll.