Macaroni Patata Sabji

This is my favorite sabji. I have grown up eating it and for the longest time did not know that macaroni is actually pasta.
It is a famous Sindhi veg.
I have taken the picture from here since I did not click a picture yesterday... was too hungry :)

Ingredients (serves 2):

- 1 large potato, cubed
- 1/4 cup macaroni
-1/4 cup phool patasha (available in all grocery stores)
- salt
- 2 chopped green chillies
- 1 tsp dhania powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp kasoori methi (the most important ingredient)
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- Oil
- 1 cup water

Method:

- Heat oil in a cooker

- Add the chopped tomatoes and stir. Once they are completely done, add potatoes, macaroni, phool patasha and green chillies

- Add the spices- salt, dhania, red chilli and kasoori methi and mix well

- Add 1 cup water and close the cooker

- After 3-4 whistles, switch off the gas

Yummiest veg is ready.

Cranberry Molasses Cake (but without the molasses)

I came across this recipe few days back here. I had purchased cranberries for a smoothie and decided to use them for this cake instead.

Ingredients:

• Olive or canola spray oil - I used regular cooking oil
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour - Maida
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt - Used sour cream instead since greek yoghurt was not available
• 1/3 cup molasses - Too expensive (400 bucks)... used castor sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup fresh cranberries or thawed frozen cranberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with oil, and then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with oil; set the pan aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, castor sugar, honey and eggs. Gently whisk flour mixture into sugar mixture just until blended and smooth. Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove cake from the pan and peel off parchment paper. Continue to cool completely on the wire rack.

I do not like cranberries and I realized that now. The cake turned out to be ok.

Tikkar

I think I picked up this recipe from Tarla Dalal's website sometime back. I really love it for breakfast.

Ingredients: (makes 8 tikkars)

-1 cup makai ka atta
-1 cup regular atta
-1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tsp grated garlic (I just use ginger garlic paste instead)
-2 tsp chopped coriande
-1/2 tsp green chillies
-1 tsp red chilli powder
-2 tbsp melted ghee
-salt
- I also add 1/2 tomato

Method:

- Combine flour and salt
- Add ghee, rub with finger tips till mixture resembles bread crumb
- Knead dough. Cover with muslin cloth for 20 mins
- Add all ingredients and knead
- Roll into roti and cook on tava

Yummy with curd!!!

Kiwi Banana Smoothie

The whole smoothie research started with this post. The smoothie has kiwi and banana... both are in season right now.

 Ingredients:

- 1 kiwi
-  banana
- 1 cup yoghurt
- honey

Method:

- Slice kiwis in blender
- Add bananas, yoghurt and honey
- Blend

It is yum. Must try.

Banana Oats Smoothie

I am into eating healthy these days... that does not mean bland food but tasty, filling and nutritious food. I have been looking up recipes for that.

My biggest challenge is evening. I come home by 6.15 pm and then head to the gym. It is the time when I am most hungry. I have a fruit at 5 pm so that is out. I started looking up smoothie recipes. Finding good recipes which do not need strawberry, raspberries, blueberries or cranberries is very difficult. I even decided to buy blueberries but the price (Rs 500) gave me a heart attack.

Finally, I came across good recipes on Tarla Dalal's app. Here is one of them:

Ingredients:

- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 cup Danone vanilla yoghurt (original recipe mentions dahi+honey)
- 2 tbsp flax seeds (you can skip these but they make the recipe healthier)

Method:

Combine in a mixer and blend. Yum.

Beetroot Raita

So, I decided to try something new. I hate beetroot. In fact, I didn't even know what it looked from the outside when I bought it.

Ingredients:

- 1 beet
- 1 cup curd
- rai (mustard seeds)
- curry leaves
- salt to taste (if required. I didn't add any)

Method:

- Boil the beetroot
- Grate it
- Add curd and water (if required)
- Heat oil (1 teaspoon), add rai and curry leaves. Turn off gas and add it to the curd
- Mix well

Yummy and healthy beetroot raita is ready.

Oats Upma

Another healthy innovation. I had this for dinner today.

This is where I took the recipe from here

Oats Upma Ingredients: (serves 2)

• Oats – 1 Cup (e.g., Quaker Oats)
• Finely Chopped Onion – 1
• Chopped Green Chillies – 1
• Oil – 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal or Split Black Bean (Gram) / White Lentils – 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Sugar – 1/4 tsp
• Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
• Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
• Salt

Time to Prepare: 15 min

How to Make Oats Upma :

1. Heat Oil in pan, add Mustard Seeds, once the Mustard Seeds splutter, add Urad Dal (White Lentils) and fry until they turn golden brown.

2. Now add Curry Leaves and chopped Green Chillies and fry for a minute. Then add chopped Onions and Turmeric Powder and fry until the Onions start to look a little transparent.

3. Add Salt and Sugar to the the above mixture and fry for a minute.

4. At this stage, add Oats to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or till you smell a nice aroma and Oats turn light brown in color.

5. Now sprinkle about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to the above fried Oats mixture in the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatulla and fry till the Oats turn soft. Make sure to not add excess water to the Oats Upma as the whole mixture can become too soggy and Oats Upma may not taste as good as it should.

6. Add Lemon Juice to the Oats Upma and mix well. Garnish with Coriander Leaves / Cilantro.