Tomato Rasam # 2

Here is another version of the Tomato / thakkali rasam I had posted earlier.This recipe is from Khazana Of Indian Vegetarian Recipes by Sanjeev Kapoor. I love to try out various types of rasams and this one seemed to be worth trying out and it was defiantely tasty.

I used:

Toor dhal - less than 1/4 cup
Tomato - 2, large ripe ones, roughly chopped
Red chillies- 2
Peppercorns- 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger- 1" piece minced
Salt to taste

For tempering :

Oil- 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves a few
Asafoetida powder- a pinch

Coriander leaves for garnishing

1. Pressure cook toor dhal with 2 cups of water. Once the pressure releases, drain the dal water and mash the dal and keep aside.
2. Dry roast red chillies, peppercorns and cumin seeds. 
3. When it cools grind to a fine paste along with ginger using a little water.
4. In a pan heat the dal water,add salt and bring to boil.
5. Add the paste and tomato and cook till the tomato is mushy .Simmer.
6. While it is simmering , heat oil in a small pan and put in the ingredients for tempering..
7. When it crackles pour into the simmering rasam and boil for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove from heat and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

This can be served as a soup or as an accompaniment with rice.

Check out blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking this week.

Other rasam recipes in my blog:

Mom's rasam
MIL's Instant Rasam
Nellore Rasam
Paasi paruppu rasam Spicy Moong dal rasam
Poondu rasam- Garlic Rasam
Kollu rasam- Horsegram rasam

Bon Appetit...

Chinese Spicy Potato Shreds

I prepared this easy breezy vegetable dish for the 4th day of Blogging Marathon  .Owing to my craze for cookbooks, I got 3 cookbooks in Chinese for RMB 10.Though I cannot read the language,my friend Ju helped me out here and I wrote them all in English as she translated them.

This recipe is from one of those books. I do not know if they are available online. The book is called - Yingyang chao shishu roughly translated as Vegetable dishes, which has around 90 recipes to cook different vegetables. You can catch a glimpse of the book here.

The cuisine in the region where I stay is very mild. I have rarely seen a spicy dish. The dishes though mild have a spicy dipping sauce with vinegar and soya sauce.If you prefer the spicy version you can always go in for the spicy dipping sauce or satisfy yourself with the soyasauce / vinegar. This dish is from a province that serves spicy food, a place in the Miao and Tujia minority region.If you recollect, we have a restaurant called Awashanzhai here where we get spicy and delicious Chinese vegetarian food. A real boon for us!You can read more about the region,its delicacies and specialties and about the restaurant here and here.

I love to have this dish at the restaurant but it is served way too oily.This recipe that I made from the book uses minimal oil and tastes just as delicious.

I used :

Potato - 1 , large

Red chillies - 8
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Spring onions greens [chopped] to garnish

1. Wash and peel the potatoes.
2. Cut them into very thin strips [matchsticks] and keep them submerged in water till ready to cook .Drain water just before use.
3. Break the red chillies into small pieces , shake out and discard the seeds.
4. Heat oil in a wok.When it starts smoking, put in the red chillies and turn down the heat.[ Be sure to open the kitchen windows and switch on the exhaust]
5. Immediately add the drained potato shreds and increase the heat.
6. Add salt and mix.
7. Cook , stirring continuously, for a couple of minutes or till the potato shreds are almost done. They should still have a light crunch.
8. Remove from heat and serve garnished with spring onion greens.

Note:

• The potato gets cooked really fast so keep an eye on the wok.
•  You can decrease the quantity of red chillies used to suit your taste.
• Sometimes I add a dash of lemon juice after removing it from heat and you get a really tangy and spicy potato shreds like the one served in the restaurant.

Check out blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking this week.

If time permits, take a look at the post I have updated in my Travel Blog -The Wild Goose Pagoda in the ancient city of Xi'an, China....

This day That year...

2010 -Read the review of the Healthy Heart Cookbook and try out a tasty Bing - Chinese Spring Onion Parathas.


Bon Appetit...

No Oil Mixed Vegetable Kurma

The third post for Blogging Marathon   is a side dish- A mixed Vegetable Kurma.I have already posted a Kurma recipe long back .This one is from Sanjeev Kapoor's No Oil Vegetarian Cooking.The book review is posted here. It is a nice book with yummy and healthy recipes that are prepared without oil. If you are interested, click this amazon.com link No-Oil Vegetarian Cooking to buy the book.

I used:

Mixed vegetables- 2 cups, chopped
[I used carrots, peas, beans,cauliflower,potato, capsicum]
Onion- 1,large chopped
Tomato- 1,large ,pureed
Tamarind pulp- 1 teaspoon
Garam masala- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves a few
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste


For masala paste

Grated coconut - 5 tablespoons
Garlic- 5 cloves
Ginger - 1" piece
Red chillies -2
Coriander seeds- 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds- 1 teasoon
Poppy seeds- 2 teaspoons
Fennel seeds- 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander leaves to garnish.

1. Parboil the vegetables on the stove or microwave the vegetables.
2. Heat a non stick pan and roast the ingredients under masala paste till light brown. Let it cool.
3. Grind to a paste adding a little water. Keep aside.
4. Heat a nonstick pan and add onion and saute till translucent.
5. Add curry leaves and masala paste.Add 1/2 cup water amd bring to boil.
6. Put in the tamarind pulp, boiled vegetables, tomato puree,salt and bring to boil.
7. Add more water if you want the gravy to be watery. I added around 1 cup.
8. Simmer till the gravy thickens a bit.
9. Add the coconut milk and garam masala.Stir well and remove from heat.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Check out blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking this week.

This day That year...

2010 - Read a food fiction and relish a bowl of Comforting beetroot soup

Bon Appetit...


.

Shakkar Paara

The second post for Srivalli's Blogging Marathon is from a famous author.She was born in Delhi where she also educated.She has traveled extensively collecting vegetarian recipes for this book.Apart from this book she has authored several cookbooks. She is a teacher of Indian cooking and has completed a television series on cookery for the BBC. I love to watch her shows on TLC.

Take a look at the dish first and then let me introduce you to the author......

I think you would have guessed that I have been talking about Madhur Jaffrey and her book - World of the East, Vegetarian Cooking. This book has around 400 recipes from India, Bali, Japan, China, Far east and Middle Eastern countries. I shall write a review of this book after I complete the Blogging Marathon. If you are interested in buying this book click this amazon.com link- Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking


As I mentioned earlier, there are more than 400 delicious vegetarian recipes in this book and I chose Shakkar Paara. We wanted a snack today and this was I one I could think of. Shakkar Paara is the sweet version of Namak Pare. Mildly sweet, it was enjoyed by my Lil Angel...

I used:

Maida / All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom powder- a pinch
Sugar - less than 1/4 cup or adjust to taste
Oil for deep frying

1. In a bowl sift the maida and butter.
2. Rub the butter into the flour so that the flour resembles coarse oatmeal.Keep aside
3. Heat a pan with 1/4 cup water and add the sugar.Simmer and wait till the sugar melts. 
4. Add the cardamom powder and switch off the flame.
5. Add a little of this syrup to the flour mixture and mix to form a ball. Add more syrup if required. In case the syrup cool, reheat it and use.
6. Knead lightly for a couple of minutes and pinch out golf sized balls and roll out into chapathis.
7. Use a knife to cut into squares / diamonds.
8. Heat oil for deep frying.
9. Once the oil is hot drop in the cut pieces and deep fry till golden brown.Remove with a slotted ladle.
10. Repeat for remaining dough.

Store in an airtight container once it cools completely.

Sending this to Gayathri who is hosting Srivalli's Kids's delight event with the theme Crunchy Snacks

Check out blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking this week.

This Day That Year...

This day in 2009, the world witnessed the longest solar eclipse of the century. Catch a glimpse of the eclipse and sip a quick and tasty Breakfast shake

Bon Appetit...

Spinach Chutney

Today a second group is starting Srivalli's Blogging Marathon.The theme I have chosen for this week is Cooking from cookbook.With loads of cookbooks in my library,I thought it will be a nice theme to do as it gives me chance to actually try out recipes from these books instead of just drooling over the pictures.

The book that I first chose for this theme is Sukham Ayu, a book with a treasure trove of information on Ayurveda and lots of nutritious recipes.

As promised in yesterdays review of the book, here is the spinach chutney I tried from this book.Usually I tend to alter the ingredients to suit my taste but when I cooked from Sukham Ayu, I did not make any changes. Followed the recipe as given and was rewarded with an excellent side dish.

I have used spinach in many forms and I found this recipe interesting.As the name suggests the recipe calls for spinach and Brahmi or coriander leaves. I could not find Brahmi leaves, so I used coriander leaves.The addition of yogurt to the chutney is very new to me and it really blended with the chutney.According to Ayurveda , Ghee when used in moderation is good for health and the seasoning here is with ghee which added an extra flavor to the chutney.

I used:

Spinach - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves - 1/2 a bunch
Black peppercorns - 6 numbers
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli - 1
Grated Coconut - 1 tablespoon
Yogurt - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Ghee -1/2 a teaspoon

For seasoning

Ghee- 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds- 1/2 a teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1/2 a teaspoon
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Curry leaves a few

1. Wash the spinach and coriander leaves and drain in a colander.
2. Heat ghee in a wok and peppercorns and cumin.
3. When they splutter, add spinach, coriander leaves and green chillies. Saute for a 2-3 minutes.Keep aside for a few minutes to cool down.
4. Grind it to a fine paste with coconut and salt. [There is no need to add water]
5. Remove to a serving dish and mix in the yogurt.
6. Heat a small pan with ghee and add the ingredients for seasoning.
7. When they splutter, pour over the chutney.
8. Mix well and serve as a side dish.

I paired this chutney with Oats Rava idli and they really complemented each other......

 Note :

This chutney is a little watery and can be used as a dip too.

Sending this to Sravani @ Srav's Culinary Concepts who is hosting her first event titled - Cooking concepts : Roti Pachadi / Chutney

Check out blogging marathon page to see what my fellow marathoners are cooking this week.

This Day That Year...

2010 - Soya Capsicum Pulao

2008 - Vazhapoo Vadai - Banana blossom - lentil fritters.

Bon Appetit...

Sukham Ayu - A Book Review

Sukaham Ayu - Cooking at Home With Ayurvedic Insights, is the second book authored by Jigyasa Giri and Prathiba Jain. As you may recollect, we prepared the Gujarati Dal from this book for Indian Cooking Challenge [ICC] and I was lucky enough to win this very book in the ICC contest!

This book was awarded the 2nd place in the Best Heath and Nutrition Cookbook in the World category in the Gourmand World Cookbooks Awards 2009!

With such a fame, I was eager to go through this book and once I received it I was hooked on to it.Read on to see why.

This is one of those books that give you a great detail of knowledge about the food you cook apart from making the healthy food appealing ,appetizing and very effortless to prepare as a part of the everyday meal..And there are not many books that cater to these conditions.This is a gem!

Sukham Ayu  is not just for recipes. Of course,there are recipes but the thing I loved in this book is how the authors have explained the Ayurveda dietetic principles in such simple terms that even a layman is bound to understand every sentence.

The recipes in this book have been researched at KARE -Kerala Ayurvedic Research and Rejuvination Establishment and the references for this book is from the very ancient and important Ayurvedic texts like Charaka Samhita, Astanga Hridaya , Bhavaprakasha, Kshema Kutuhalam etc.

The book starts with the authors note, table of content.Then comes a very interesting chapter called 'Who Am I?" which talks about each body type namely - Vata, Pitta, Kapha. A page is dedicated to each of these Doshas. Here you can read about things like how to balance the doshas, what are the situations that aggravate a dosha, the foods that are acceptable / avoided for a particular  dosha, what must to be done to treat the condition.

Then comes a couple of pages with a self test chart to find out which body type you belong to so that you can select / avoid ingredients based on your dosha.

The recipe section has 8 sub divisions with more than 60 recipes

1. Sweet platter - 8 recipes
2. Ladle of Soopa - 6 recipes
3. Vegetable Medley - 11 recipes
4. Pulses of health - 7 recipes
5. Indian Bread Basket - 6 recipes
6. Rice Bowl - 7 recipes
7. Snack Time - 7 recipes
8. Chutneys, Salads and Beverages - 5 chutneys , a salad spread page, juices page, 3 beverage recipes.

Each chapter has a home style basic recipe of the group that is simple yet nourishing.

The colorful photos for each recipe is really very tempting with a neat presentation. There are pages which have a delicious display of all the dishes present in the book that really motivates and tempts you to try out the recipes!

In each recipe page there is a small section that enlightens us about the ingredient, method of preparation and how it is suited for a specific dosha or if it can be taken by people of any dosha type etc.

Before the start of the recipes in each section, there is a page dedicated to Ayurvedic insights like - Self and elements, The Essence of Food,  Food and the seasons, Food compatibility, Food and the Mind, Eat with Ayurvedic insights.There are a few pages dedicated for the basic recipes where you can find the basic masalas, ghee, yogurt, pickle and post meal digestive recipes.

After the recipe section, there is a section with a menu plan and a food guide follows which is a chart where you can choose foods that must be taken regularly / occasionally/ sparingly based on your body constitution. So it is really easy to plan a menu with these two guides.

The book closes with a colorful glossary with the names of the ingredients used in the book with the English, Hindi and Sanskrit names.

So in this book we have a step by step procedure to prepare a dish, we get to know its ayurvedic properties, learn about the Ayurvedic principles and we are totally bowled over by the clicks. What more can we ask!!


Here are some of the dishes I love from this book.[I have tried most of these listed here and the rest are sure to be prepared soon]. These recipes are quite different from the usual  dishes we prepare with the regular ingredients.

• Khoya Poli which is a yummy variation to the regular Puran poli,stuffed here with khoya[Mawa].
• Milky vegetable soup that has vegetables cooked in milk.Very healthy and defiantely tasty.
• Sprouts with Yam- I have never even though of combining these two ingredients!Bean sprouts and fenugreek sprots are used here to make it a wholesome meal when paired with Rotla / roti.
• My favorite bittergourd in the Bittergourd dal recipe
• Delicious Red pumpkin Poori fried in cow's ghee is something you can indulge once in a while.
• Aromatic Briyani which uses a whole array of spices.The click itself makes me drool.
• Coriander Wadi with a cup of tea.
• I have used spinach in a number of ways but never in a chutney. Loved the Spinach chutney from this book.I will be posting this recipe tomorrow.
• I enjoyed sipping the spiced buttermilk this summer. Very refreshing and soothing.

With the world going in for fast foods and ready to eat meals, and people finding less time to cook a proper meal,this books shows us the easy and effortless way to incorporate a healthy lifestyle and prepare nutritious recipes at home.Aptly named Sukham Ayu meaning "Happy Longevity", this book will have you reaching out for these delicious recipes often.So if you are looking for a good book to cook the right meal for your family, this is the best one.

 Sukham Ayu is a book a prized possession in my library not only because I won it in a contest,but also because of the treasure trove of information and those simple and healthy recipes.I have tried out quite a few recipes from this book and I am really impressed with the outcome. Usually I tend to alter the ingredients/ recipe to suit my taste but here I have followed every step religiously and the result is excellent..


Are eager to get your hands on this book? Order through the authors' site here and enter into the healthy world of Ayurvedic cooking....

Disclaimer : Please note that I have not been paid to write this review. I am really impressed with the contents and that prompted me to write this post.

Happy browsing...

Nutritional Need In Pregnancy - Part II

After a break I am back with a post on the Pregnancy series.This post happens to be my 800th post and I am so thrilled to have come this far in my hobby!


The first part of this series can be found here.So moving on to the other nutrients required during pregnancy , we shall see the minerals and vitamins that are essential during this time.

1. Calcium :

Calcium is required by the mother to help the bones to support her body weight and also the weight of the fetus.The Calcium need increases more than two fold during pregnancy.This increase in the calcium need is essential for the bones and teeth development of the baby and also to build the body resources for calcium in the mother during lactation[ breast feeding] .

When the mothers diet in deficient in Calcium, the fetus draws its supply from the maternal bones. This also happens when the diet is inadequate in Calcium when the mother is breast feeding her baby.When there is not sufficient Calcium in the mothers bones, it leads to a condition called osteoporosis , where the bone becomes thin and there is increased risk of fractures.

Food sources of Calcium :

• Milk and milk products - Can be included as milk, milkshakes, buttermilk , yogurt etc
• Green leafy vegetables
• Vegetables like Broccoli, green peas, white beans,Brussels sprouts
• Baked beans
• Fruits like oranges
• Sesame seeds
• Black-strap molasses , brown sugar
• Almonds
• Crimini mushroom
• Oregano, Rosemary, parsley
• Kombu , kelp
• Garlic
• Salmon and sardines

2. Iron :

As with all the nutrients the Iron requirement also increases during pregnancy.Sufficient store of Iron is required right from the beginning of the pregnancy.The requirement doubles during pregnancy and this is a mineral which the baby depends completely on the maternal supply.


Inadequate supply of Iron from the diet / inadequate store in the mother's body takes its toll on the mothers health.It is likely to cause tiredness and giddiness , lack of iron increases the strain in the maternal heart and there are chances of excessive bleeding during delivery in anemic women.Though anemia in pregnancy is common it should never be left untreated.

The fetus requires iron for the following reasons:

• The child will be born with adequate storage reserves in its liver to last from 3-6 months.
•  It is needed for the formation of red blood cells
• It is also required for the growth of placenta.

When the hemoglobin content of the mother is low, supplements are usually prescribed in addition to following a diet rich in Iron.It should also be noted that supplements are not to be taken by self without consulting a gynecologist as there increased intake is also not good for health.


Food sources of Iron :

• Dried beans [legumes]
• Dried fruits
• Green vegetables
• Brussels sprouts, asparagus.
• Enriched cereals and iron fortified salt.
• Jaggery
• Tofu 
• Wheat germ
• Eggs
• Red meat, poultry.

Liver is  not only an excellent source of Iron but  also of Vitamin A. Excessive Vitamin A is harmful for the fetus and hence it is better to avoid it during pregnancy.


There are ways to increase the iron that is being absorbed into the body.

•  Cook in a cast iron pan.Foods that are cooked with acidic ingredients like tomato are good in soaking up iron.
• When taking food rich in Iron it is advisable to decrease the consumption of tea and coffee. 
• Also the intake of protein rich foods and foods rich in Vitamin C is recommended as they enhance the absorption of Iron from the diet.Include more of potato, lemon, orange which are good sources of Vitamin C.
• Oxalates and phytates in foods prevent the absorption of Iron.These foods need not be avoided but can be taken with enhancers like foods rich in Vitamin C.

 To be continued....

Disclaimer : This post is written to be a guideline and is not a medical advice. For further doubts and clarification consult your Dietitian / Gynecologist.

Earlier in this series on pregnancy:

Series Introduction
Pregnancy - Signs and Symptoms
Changes in the body during pregnancy - Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3
Gestational diabetes - Part 1 and Part 2
Diet in pregnancy
Nutritional need in Pregnancy - Part I

This Day That Year...

2010 - Forbidden Rice Noodles Soup

Healthy Living....

How To Eat / Prepare Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is a pretty little fruit that I fell in love with.Here are some interesting facts about this fruit....

• This fruit comes from a cactus like plant 
• It is called huǒ lóng guǒ in China and the other names included - Pitaya/ pitahaya / lóng zhū guǒ/ strawberry pear or nanettikafruit.
• There are three varieties of this fruit -  

                 Hylocereus it has red skin and white flesh,the one that is commonly referred to as the dragon fruit.
                Hylocereus polyrhizus it has red skin and red flesh.
                 Selinecereus megalanthus it has yellow skin and white flesh.

• It is rich in Vitamin C
• It is said to lower blood glucose level.
• Improves appetite and digestion
• Helps strengthen bones,teeth,good vision.
• Improves memory!!!

A glimpse of the beautiful dragon fruit....

This is how you prepare the fruit for the salad / smoothie / sorbet....

Using a sharp knife cut the fruit length wise.

Insert a spoon between the skin and the flesh of the fruit and run it along the cut half.

Remove the flesh and keep aside.Scoop out the remaining flesh if its sticking to the skin

Check if the skin is sticking onto the flesh and remove it.Cube the flesh and use as desired

 Recipes with dragon fruit

Dragon fruit salad

Dragon fruit banana smoothie

Oats Banana Dragon fruit milkshake

Dragon Fruit Sorbet

Fruity Breakfast Crunch

Happy cooking.....

Vegetable Adai | Savory lentil crepes with Vegetables

In the quest for a healthy and delicious breakfast for my Lil Angel, I made this vegetable adai. I waited with anxiety till she savored her first bite. Then she went on to take a second bite and I knew I had won!!!

This is a very simple recipe loaded with protein and of course veggies. A very colorful dish that kids and adults will fall in love with. Leftover adai batter can also be used.

Adai batter
Grated vegetables- I used purple cabbage, carrot
Finely chopped spinach leaves
Finley chopped onion
Coriander leaves
Curry leaves
Cumin seeds

1. Take all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. If the batter is very thick, add a little water.
3. Check for salt and add if needed.
4. Heat a griddle and pour a ladle full of batter in the center and spread it to a circle.
5. Cover and cook on both sides till brown. This adai will take a little longer to cook. You may also drizzle a little oil around the edges.
6. Serve hot with a side dish of your choice.

You can adjust the quantity of the vegetables to suit your taste.

Other Adai varieties

Oats Sago Adai
Ragi Adai with herbs
Barley Adai



Bon Appetit...