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Mango Lassi

in on 10th June 2020 10th June 2020

Scrumptious mango lassi, beautiful soothing creamy drink made by yogurt and ripe mangoes, sugar, cardamom powder… most delighted Indian summer drink. Without mango for me, there is no summer. I grew up, by enjoying mangoes all summer in a different way but the all-time favourite is mango lassi and Aamras. Frothy soothing drink with a dollop of unsweetened yogurt that gives this drink slightly sour flavour with the freshness of sweet ripe mangoes.

Lassi is a sweet or savoury/salty Indian drink made from a fresh yogurt/buttermilk, water and tops up with homemade lassi masala. There is many more version of this classic summer drink and in Indian families. Lunch is never complete without lassi. So simple yet delightful soothing drink helps to beat heatwaves and keep you chill & refresh. This beautiful mango lassi has no sugar yet mildly sweeten with the natural sweetness of Alphonso mangoes with the richness of cardamom that gives this recipe a good kick.

The best part is that you can use frozen or canned mango pulp for this recipe and if you want can make this drink vegan too. Mango lassi is one of the most popular and loved Indian drink that served in many Indian restaurant’s menus, but easy to make it home. You can serve this mango lassi in supper or as a dessert or just like us along with your meal.

This mildly sweet and rich creamy mango lassi will compliment your authentic Indian meal and complete your summer food experience. Summer is on the way here, so grab your favourite mangoes and get your lassi hats on folks. You are going to love this beautiful creamy frothy summer mango lassi.

So ENJOY! Stay healthy, stay humble!

Dal Palak (lentils spinach curry)

in on 5th June 2020 5th June 2020

Indian dal Palak or yellow lentils with spinach is a pretty basic recipe that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and spices. For Dal Palak, I have used yellow lentils and split chickpea with spinach but feel free to swap with split pigeon peas as per your taste. I like the creaminess of moong dal with a little chunk of Chana dal. This dal Palak is full of nutrition and protein-packed with the goodness of spinach north Indian dish that is very famous and healthy. It gives your diet a healthy balance of deliciousness and protein.

Actually, this is a simple way to add greens in your daily meal. An easy to make a recipe with a unique garlicky flavour that gives this recipe much flavour and aroma. This Dal Palak is not just comforting meal but also has an amazing aroma of garlic and very few spices that easily available in your pantry. My version of dal palak is simply cooked moong dal, Chana dal with turmeric, salt in garlic-cumin tempering and few spices that gives an aromatic lift. It’s not so fancy yet so delicious and with the goodness of humble lentils and green spinach.

In your meal, nothing more succulent than a warm bowl of dal palak poured over hot plain rice or with chapati. In India, every region they have their own varieties of lentils with different spices and veggies. Also different cooking method, worth of trying but I like most this very simple dal palak in my dinner. So simple, sober, much comforting plus vegan full of healthy nutritional values and plant-based protein is a great way to add green in your daily meal.

Stay healthy, stay humble!

Spicy Kara Boondi

in on 1st June 2020 1st June 2020

One of the most favourite savoury and spicy tea-time snack that is delicious and addictive (Kara boondi), in other words, it is a spicy version of regular sweet boondi. It is vegan and gluten-free snack is crunchy and easy to make. Simple deep-fry chickpea batter pearls with few spices. Later mix with fried nuts and curry leaves. This is the most popular south Indian tea time snack. This crunchy snack is packed with flavours and crunchiness. This recipe lasts a couple of weeks in an airtight container. I have always a snack at home that tastes spicy.

Sometimes people keep these snacks simple with a salty flavour. It’s totally upon your taste buds though snack is usually made during special occasions and festivals. For me, its everyday tea time snacks better than store brought. Kara boondi recipe is so addictive that you’ll make it over and over again. Stock it up for everyday tea time snack or you can serve on top of your favourite rice dish or raitas. This is a very addictive spicy snack goes with everything or you can eat just like that with a hot cuppa of coffee or tea. The flavours are going to burst in your mouth. Making Kara boondi is not difficult but you need little practice. Then you gonna be perfect in this recipe always.

Mix chickpea and rice flour with few basic spices then make medium constancy batter. Fry pearls with help of ladle in hot oil and after that mix your favourite fried nuts, fried curry leaves after that. Season them well according to your taste and store this mixture in an airtight container. Enjoy this vegan super crunchy day snack any time of day.

Stay healthy, stay humble!

Lemon-Rosemary Cookies

in on 27th May 2020 27th May 2020

Rosemary cookies are perfect with a hint of lemony freshness when you crave for buttery sweetness in the summer. Some fresh lemon zest, lemon juice along with fresh rosemary are all required for this quick easy buttery rosemary and lemon shortbread Cookies!

Rosemary is a fragrant herb known for its savoury flavour and healing properties. My kitchen garden is full of rosemary plants and other herb plants too. I usually use this herb for my savoury dishes. But, for the first time, I made something sweet with this herb. So, it is my first attempt to make a batch of buttery, crispy cookies by adding lots of minced rosemary, some lemon zest and lemon juice – it’s a perfect match. Usually, I ate very less sugar or no sugar; but I love buttery cookies. First, they are easy to make and secondly their buttery soft texture.

Well, two days ago it was my birthday and it was a good sweet option for me on my birthday. These buttery lemony cookies are soft, crispy, melt in the mouth, and very slightly sweet with the freshness of lemon and rosemary. When you take a bite, you will feel tangy lemon flavour with rosemary just like that, not so sweet yet easy and delicious. I prefer to eat cookies with my evening tea, as a perfect birthday dessert. One of my favourite things about my birthday that I usually make my own desirable sweet, food and I eat all day. Last few days were so exhausting so, I prefer this beauty for myself. These are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee or you can simply have as a dessert.

There is nothing like the combination of fresh lemon and savoury rosemary. Especially when you cannot find these cookies in any baker shop and I love the additions of lemon zest in these cookies. I like to bake for myself this perfect dessert and enjoyed hot out of the oven with warm masala tea.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Mishti Doi

in on 22nd May 2020 22nd May 2020

Mishti Doi (Sweetened Yogurt) is the most popular Bengali dessert made by milk and sugar or jaggery. Traditionally doi prepared with thickened milk, some curd, and caramel from palm jaggery gives beautiful brown colour (instead of sugar). Left for fermentation overnight in an earthen pot. Yeah, authentic mishti doi you can eat in earthen pots. Well, I have decided to make this yogurt with jaggery, not sugar. So, I can feel the rich flavour in my heart. Mishti doi is Bengali sweet delicacy which you can eat as either dessert or snacks.

This sweet yogurt has thick caramel flavour, creamy, silky texture and dreamy sweetness of palm jaggery. I’d always had some kind of affection towards to Bengali sweets and mishti doi is one of them. This sweetened silky yogurt is easily available on the sweet shops or found around Durga puja/Diwali time. This sweet yogurt is a very integral part of the Bengali festival and cuisine. My lovely Odia friend (Mitali Mohapatra) has introduced me to this mishti doi three years ago. We were used to coming back home together from our institute, and she doesn’t like sweets but this one was always favourite.

I have tried out mishti doi in Bengaluru in plastic containers that are sold in the supermarkets. But, when I have visited my uncle in Mumbai during autumn 2018, he took me to the most famous Bengali Durga puja at Ramakrishna math and mission. It was a vibrant place to visit to witness the old custom of traditional Bengali Durga puja along with authentic Bengali food and desserts. Here Bengali people prepare traditional food and sweets in the traditional way. Here I have tasted authentic mishti doi in the earthen pot along with other foods. The smells of the wet earthen pot filled with creamy silky mishti doi give you the actual feel of the festival dessert.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Handvo (Spicy Rice-Lentils Cake)

in on 17th May 2020 17th May 2020

Healthy and yummylicious mixed lentils and rice cake recipe from the Gujarati cuisine. Handvo is a popular breakfast in Gujju families and even you can eat as a snack with your hot tea. It is a baked cake made with a fermented batter of rice and various lentils that is mixed with spices and vegetable. This spicy and savoury cake is soft inside and crisp outside. This can be made using Handvo flour or a batter made from scratch using rice and lentils. And yes, I have prepared this from scratch, as I cannot get Handvo flour here.

The protein-packed and most healthy spicy cake is full of nutrients and goodness of vegetables, and aroma is outstanding. I have personally prepared this guilt-free cake for our breakfast. This overwhelming, Handvo, a flavourful savoury cake-like dish and much better with bottle gourd; but I have used zucchini.

Gujrati cuisine has an impressive line-up of delicious savoury snacks and breakfast. I love all those dishes personally even my family too. Every Gujarati family will have their own version of Handvo, like some, adds pickle spices and oil in it for extra flavoursome. I have made it extra spicy. So, I love this savoury cake a bit spicy and a nice crust on top and bottom. It is diet-friendly too, because of protein and very less oil; no guilt when I take a big piece in my plate.

You can replace dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt or add lemon juice for a vegan recipe version. Ferment the batter without the lemon or tamarind. Add it just before baking. It is a wonderful breakfast and perfect teatime snack, a protein-packed recipe with the goodness of vegetables that you can give your little munchkins too.

I love this savoury and spicy cake with my piping hot masala chai and spicy green chutney. Handvo can be served as a snack, breakfast, lunch, or light supper as it can be a meal itself. Many serve it with buttermilk as well.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Soya keema paratha

in on 15th May 2020 15th May 2020

Hello beautiful people how are you all? R you up for some healthy and flavourful breakfast recipe? A delightful, full of aromatic spiced deliciousness nutritious breakfast plate. Today, I am sharing very nutrition and protein-packed breakfast recipe that is an authentic Indian stuffed whole wheat bread with flavourful minced soya keema, which is soya keema paratha.

Soya is veg meat or you can say a vegetarian source of good protein. Protein is an important part of the diet, especially soy protein has crucial health benefits. Soya granules are easy to cook and with earthy spices, you can add lots of flavour in it. It is a rich plant-based protein option for vegan and vegetarians. But, soya granules are not keto because they contain a significant amount of good carbs as well. You can add soya into other recipes like rice or stir fry or you can make curry with soya chunks.

Well, my paratha-lover family loves to eat parathas with yogurt in the morning. So, this spicy, flavourful paratha is a perfect way to start a healthy morning. This paratha is a perfect blend of nutrients and flavours. This is a very healthy and power-packed breakfast recipe. In Indian families, doesn’t prefer to eat oats in the morning. Always prefer paratha in breakfast with yogurt and homemade pickle along with masala tea. It is a perfectly balanced healthy, full of a protein breakfast. Even if you are weight watcher still you can have this protein paratha without any guilt.

This is a quick and easy breakfast recipe that also low in calories that you can make for your kid lunch box as well. Let your gut taste a good healthy meal.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Sprouted Moong Dal Curry

in on 11th May 2020 11th May 2020

Sprouted moong beans curry is healthy, protein-packed, full of nutritious, and has a very earthy flavour and aroma. It can be cooked in different ways. I made this beautiful delicious sprouted moong bean curry in simple ginger garlic flavoured sauce with mildly spiced.

To make sprout you just need to soak beans overnight and then left it in a warm place with covered in cloth. It helps to start sprouting. I always prepare moong beans sprout at home but if there is a lack of time, then you can buy from the grocery store.

It is so delicious, easy to make, and one-pot curry. This curry flavoured with garam masala – a classic Indian spice blend of earthy warm spice that gives this curry rustic and authentic flavour. In my region, moong beans are a holy grain. We make some special curry’s with moong beans on the festival as an offering. My holistic curry trail starts from home and the divine culture of plant-based food. It’s an absolutely vegan and gluten-free wholesome meal.

This sprout curry is a light and fragrant and a good option for the weight watchers. Right now I am also cutting gluten and carbs from the diet but I love to add healthy food in my meal. This soul-warming curry made my day when I really craving carb.

Sprout curry is a hearty and nourishing dinner recipe. Sprout moong beans are cooked in a savoury Indian style onion and ginger-garlic sauce to make dinner scrumptious.

Moong beans are a good source of dietary fibre, protein, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and vitamin K. The protein-plus-fibre combination in beans is one of the things that makes them special. Do not forget to add protein in your daily diet it is a necessary element of your gut health and wellness.

My low carb plate is settled, sometimes it’s good to back to our basic food that gives energy and takes care of our health.

So, Enjoy it. Stay healthy, stay humble!

Palak Thepla

in on 8th May 2020 8th May 2020

Thepla is a most popular Indian flatbread from Gujarati cuisine. Thepla is cooked almost daily in many Gujarati homes. Today, I am going to share my mum’s style spinach Thepla that is delicious, healthy and easy to make. My mother used to make this thepla at home either with methi or Palak to feed us green somehow. In past, I was never a big fan of green.

If you are going on long travel then it is the best travelling food, easy to carry, easy to store and you can eat it for the next 2-3 days easily. It is prepared from wheat flour, fenugreek or palak (spinach) leaves and other spices. Thepla is a light as well as a healthy snack. It is a thin, soft and merely goes great with boondi raita, pickle. Even this is the best option for the kid’s lunch box. This way you can serve them green leafy vegetable with whole wheat flour. It’s a perfect nutritional power pack for your kids.

Thepla is a perfect blend of spicy and savoury. It derives distinctive taste from fenugreek or spinach leaves. Green leafy veggie has a bitter taste that makes them unpalatable, but when mixed into the dough or with some spices makes a delightful aroma and texture. Growing up in India, we were fortunate enough to have a different kind of food experiences with great varieties. We grew up eating the numerous types of curry and flatbreads and thepla is on the top of my food list.

These are great for breakfast, lunch or even dinner. You can pair them with yoghurt, chutney, achaar (pickle) or yoghurt. These are nutritious, delicious and addictive too!

These nutritious flatbread are one of the best ways of feeding veggies to fussy kids as the veggies are finely chopped and kneaded with the dough. Other ingredients that make the thepla soft is curd and spices always gives a nice flavour.

Rustic Stroopwafel Banana Cake

in on 5th May 2020 5th May 2020

Dutch Liberation Day, or Bevrijdingsdag, in contrast, is a day for celebration and festivities. Liberation Day is characterized by big parties, celebrations, and festivals. Each city organizes its own festivities as well as 14 Liberation Day festivals that are held around the country. Aside from music festivals, military parades, street theatre performances, festival markets, and film screenings are common and popular events.

Let’s celebrate this time at home with some Dutch specialty “Stroopwafel”, that is one of my favourite cookies. These amazing Dutch cookies consist of a thin layer of “dulce de leche” syrup sandwiched between two wafers. These cookies originated from Gouda city of the Netherlands.

Stroopwaffles are meant to be eaten with coffee or tea. You keep the round disc on top of your mug and let the steam soften it for a couple of minutes. The steam heats the cookie and melts the inside layer so that it’s warm and gooey. If you can’t wait that long, eat Stroopwaffles straight from the package. Stroopwaffles delights everybody in your family, either you are Dutch or not. I love stroopwafel so much, divine taste, and gooey texture so amazing.

I have made a rustic cake with stroopwafels and bananas. The outcome is luscious. A beautiful evening in the Netherlands and sinful syrupy stroopwafel banana cake. Yes, an amazing combo that is perfect for breakfast on this colourful day. Time to celebrate Dutch Liberation Day with this amazing rustic cake.

If you are a weight watcher then it is not for you but if you want to enjoy the heavenly taste of this cake then go for it. The first time in while my girl ate cake and her reaction was so amazing. This cake is very easy to make with few ingredients and voila. Long weekend and stroppy banana cake… a great way to start celebrations.

Delicious rustic banana cake with pieces of stroopwafel. Enjoy this delicious cake with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

Stay healthy, stay humble!