Raw Onions - What comes to our mind when we think of it? Either tears when chopping it or bad breadth when eating it. Onion is commonly used across any kind of cuisine and is an aroma enhancing element in any type of cooking. It has been a very integral ingredient especially in our Indian cooking for ages now.
We often think that mostly only Vegetables are packed with nutrients and minerals, but how many of us know that Onion by itself is a nutrient-dense food? Onion has so much of health benefits that it can be consumed raw or cooked by all without any inhibition, even for those who are on strict diet.
Health Benefits of Onions:
1. It is low on Calories. One cup chopped onions, contains approx. 64 Calories.
2. It contains an antioxidant, Quercetin, which can reduce allergic and inflammatory chemicals in our body and can be a promising in Asthmatic treatment.
3. Onions can reduce the cancer risk when combined with turmeric.
4. Onions are low on GI (Glycemic Index) hence making it a good choice for Diabetics.
5. Though raw onions, make our breath stink, they can help improve our oral health. Chewing a few pieces of raw onion, kills most germs in the mouth.
6. Onions are heart friendly i.e. they boost HDL Cholestorl, retard blood clotting, lower triglycerides and blood pressure.
So, if you're non-onion eater, it's time to join the onion eater club, as it's only going to benefit you health wise in a big way.
Here is one dry curry side dish made exclusively with onion which goes well with our Indian bread like chapathi/roti and even rice. This dish comes in very handy especially on a day when there might be no vegetables at home and you're breaking your head over what to cook or simply want to take a break from vegetables and still eat something palatable. Then simple, just go for this Onion Stir Fry. It's very simple and quick recipe and tasty too.
Ingredients:
1. Big Onions - 2, Chopped
2. Ginger - 1" inch, chopped finely
3. Garlic pods - 6 to 8 chopped finely
4. Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
5. Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
6. Amchur Powder (Dry Mango Powder) - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
7. Salt - 1 or 2 tsp
8. Coriander leaves - A bunch
9. Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 2 tsp, Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Method:
1. In a Kadai, Season with oil and Cumin seeds.
2. When cumin seeds splutter, add the finely chopped ginger pieces and garlic pieces, until they are well cooked and garlic emanates nice aroma.
3. Add the chopped onions and saute until they turn medium brown/golden brown.
4. Add the masala powders - Red chilly powder, Coriander powder and Salt and mix well. Optionally, you can also add Amchur powder (Dry Mango Powder) along with the other powders.
5. Let the masala's coat well into the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame, Onions should look roasted and glossy. Make sure the onions don't stick to the bottom. If they are sticky, add another teaspoon of oil and give a nice mix.
6. Finally, add chopped coriander leaves and mix well and remove.
7. This Stir Onion fry goes very well with Chapathi or Roti.
Tips:
1. Amchur powder (Dry Mango Powder) is an optional ingredient only. But adding this enhances the flavour and also gives a little tangy taste to your curry, which is good while eating.
2. The more the onions are roasted, the more tastier the curry, but make sure they aren't burned in the process of roasting. Adding little extra oil helps in better roasting of the onions.
3. You can avoid garlic and ginger in this recipe if you want.
Paneer Paratha is a very tasty flatbread stuffed with cottage cheese (paneer) which can be enjoyed by both adults and kids alike. Making the stuffing for this is pretty easy and quick too, so it's not a time consuming recipe (unless you try, you may not agree with me). The total preperation time may not exceed 20 to 30 minutes to make this paratha ready (about 4 to 5 nos), if you have soft paneer and chapathi dough ready. This is an instantaneous recipe to cook and requires no specific side dish, as the stuffing inside itself is great to taste and can be accompanied with just a thick yoghurt and pickle, an authentic combo for paratha's. This is certainly a good option for kid's lunch box, as it would a sure hit with them and their lunch box is guaranteed to be empty.
There are good number of health benefits with Paneer. So adding this cottage cheese in your diet, is indeed good for your health.
Health benefits of Paneer:
1. Paneer is a good source of calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth, and also prevents osteoporosis.
2. Paneer is a good source of protein and it reduces cancer risk.
3. Paneer can prevent stomach disorders and even help with your bones as you get older, especially in women.
4. It also helps in lower, back and joint pain.
You can use both fresh and frozen paneer for this recipe. If frozen paneer is used, you need to soften and grate the paneer as below. If fresh paneer is used, directly grate it and use it for this recipe.
To soften and grate Paneer:
1. Add frozen paneer to boiling hot water and keep aside closed for 15 minutes until it turns very soft. Drain the hot water and wash it once in cold water and drain any water completely. Now, soft Paneers are ready.
2. Grate the soft paneer’s using grater or by crushing them to small pieces by hand, whichever is easy for you.
Consume paneer paratha while they are hot, as it adds up the taste. Now, let's look at the recipe.
Ingredients:
For Paneer Stuffing:
1) Crumbled Paneer Pieces - 1 Cup (200 gms)
2) G.Chillies - 3 , finely chopped
3) Garlic - 1 pod, finely chopped
4) Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, finely chopped
5) Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
6) Amchur Powder - 1/4 tsp
7) Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
8) Salt - 1/2 tsp
9) Turmeric Powder - A pinch
10) Coriander leaves - 2 tsp, finely chopped
For Paratha:
1) Wheat flour (Atta) - 1.5 Cups
2) Water - 1 Tumbler
3) Salt - 1 tsp
Method:
Preperation of Paneer Stuffing:
1. Take into a bowl, all the ingredients mentioned under Paneer Stuffing and mix well with hand, to ensure all the powders and spices are coated well on the crumbled paneer pieces and keep ready.
Preperation of the Chapathi dough:
1. Take the wheat flour into a broad vessel and add a teaspoon of salt. Add water little by little and knead like as you do for normal chapathi. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. Make equal size balls and keep it ready.
Preparation of Paneer Paratha:
1. In the rolling board, take one ball of wheat flour ball and roll it using the rolling pin about your palm size.
2. Take one ball or 2 tsp of the Paneer stuffing, place it at the centre and from the corners, stretch the dough up and place it on the centre of the stuffing until the dough completely covers the stuffing.
3. Once done, press the stuffed paratha dough gently and flatten it, dust it with wheat flour on both sides and start rolling gently from the corners and then centre and flatten it as we do for chapathi and take the rolled paratha to a tray. If you find the stuffing spreading out of the wheat flour or sticky while rolling, add little wheat flour in those areas and roll gently, so the Paneer stuffing doesn’t spread out.
4. Repeat step 3 for every wheat flour and Paneer stuffing balls that you have.
5. Heat the non-stick tava and drizzle little oil and spread it across the tava. Take one Paneer paratha and place it on the tava, wait for few seconds. Then toss it over, you will find brown spots over the paratha. Drizzle oil on it evenly. Then toss it over again and do the same.
6. Cook till the paratha’s are done with the brown spots spread evenly on either sides. If needed, add little extra oil on both sides while cooking & then remove from the tava.
7. Repeat step 5 & 6 for all your Paneer paratha’s
Green Peas Masala is an easy to make side dish for chapathi/roti. If you're saturated with usual vegetable gravy, this can be a good diversion and change for your taste buds. I have used frozen peas for this recipe. So before cooking, I soaked a cup of frozen peas in boiling water for 5 minutes and then strained and used the peas for my cooking purpose.
Green peas is loaded with nutrients and it can be a good option for healthy eating.
Health Benefits of Green Peas:
1. It is good source of Proteins, vitamins, soluble as well as insoluble fiber.
2. It is low on Calories. Around 100gms of Green peas has around 80 calories.
3. It is excellent source of Folic Acid. It helps to prevents neural tubal defects in newborn. Hence a best choice for expectant mothers.
4. It is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin A.
Ingredients:
1. Green Peas - 1 Cup
2. Big Onion - 1, chopped
3. Big Tomato - 1, chopped (or) Tomato Paste - 2 Tsp
4. G.Chillies - 3, Slit lengthwise
5. Garlic pods - 2 or 3, chopped
6. Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
7. Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Coriander Powder - 3/4 tsp
9. Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Salt - 1 or 2 tsp
11. Coriander leaves - 1 handful
12. Water - 1/4 cup
13. Oil - 3 tsp (for seasoning)
Preparation of Green Paste:
1. In a Kadai, add 1 tsp of oil and add the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry until the onions becomes light brown and then remove.
2. If you are not using tomato paste, add chopped tomato and cook till it becomes mushy, if required add little water if the mixture starts sticking to the bottom, otherwise avoid water. If you're using tomato paste, avoid this step.
3. Cool the above and take it into a mixer. Add a handful of coriander leaves and little water and grind to a thick paste. The paste will look green colour due to the coriander leaves.
Method:
1. In a pressure cooker, add 2 tsp of oil. When oil becomes hot, add the Green Paste and saute for a minute.
2. In the green paste preperation, if you have not used tomato, then add 2 tsp of tomato paste now and mix and cook for a minute or two, otherwise omit this step.
3. Now add all the powders, namely, red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt. Mix well and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add the green peas and required water (if the gravy is thick) and give a nice mix. Check for salt and spice, adjust according to your taste and close the cooker and add weight. Allow 2 whistles. Switch off. Cool and open and change to a serving bowl.
5.Optionally, towards the end, garnish with coriander leaves and one fried green chilly.
Tips:
1. Tomato paste is added to give a rich color to the gravy. If you are using tomato, use a ripe red one to give nice color.
2. I have used frozen peas, which was soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and used for immediate cooking.
3. If dry peas is used, soak the peas overnight and pressure cook adding salt till soft.
4. If fresh peas is used, allow another extra whistle or two and then remove.
Beetroot is a food of fitness, packed with various nutrition which is very good for the skin and the overall health. In many house, beetroot is made commonly has poriyal for rice. This is a similar stir fry recipe with beetroot, but I have slightly differed it to make it suitable for chapathi. Nontheless, this same recipe can be a good accompaniment for rice too.
Health Benefits of Beetroot:
1. Researches confirmed that Beetroot helps in lowering blood pressure. Also it reduces cholestrol and heart related problems.
2. It is a natural detoxifier, which purifies your blood and makes your skin glow.
3. The antioxidants present in beetroot reduces the LDL (bad cholestrol) and increases the HDL (good cholestrol).
4. It makes liver more efficient, through the presence of Betaine and Methionine that are present in the beetroot.
5. It reduces the metabolism of cancer cells.
6. High fibre content in beetroot helps in controlling the sugar levels in our body.
7. It improves digestion and prevents constipation.
8. It helps in preventing Memory Loss and Dementia. Nitrates in beetroot gets converted to nitrites which increases the blood flow to the frontal lobes of the brain.
9. It is low on calories, around 40 Calories. As it is fat free, it is a right choice for weigh loss.
Regular intake of beet juice aids both in detoxification and weight loss.
So, you can see how healthy beetroot is. Making it a regular in our routine, can certainly help us maintain not only good health but a glowing skin too.
Here is this simple beetroot fry recipe, with very less oil.
Ingredients:
1) Beetroot - 2 Big, chopped very finely
2) Garlic pods- 3 or 4, chopped very finely
3) Coriander leaves - handful for garnishing
4) Salt - 1 or 2 tsp, according to your taste
5) Optional Ingredient: Any one of these powders - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp i.e. Red chilly powder (or) Sambar Powder (or) Coriander powder
6) Seasonig Ingredients: Oil - 1 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Method:
1) In a Kadai, season as given. When oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the chopped garlic and fry until garlic turns light brown.
2) Add the finely chopped beetroot pieces and give a mix. Add required salt and stir once or twice and close with lid. No need to add water. Cook completely on low flame. Once in 5 minutes, open the lid, give a stir to ensure the vegetable doesn't get burnt at the bottom. After few stirs, close again with lid. Continue this process until you find the beetroot raw smell completely gone and is well cooked.
3) Optionally, when beetroot is 75% cooked, you can choose to add any one of the above mention powders for little spice taste if you want.
4) When beetroot is completely fried and cooked, add the chopped coriander leaves and remove.
5) Transfer to a bowl and serve as a side dish for plain rice with sambar/rice/curd or chapathi.
Tips:
1. Since there is absolutely no water added and beetroot is allowed to cook in its own steam, beetroot retains most of its crunchiness.
2. If no spice powder is added, this is a pure delight with un-compromised beetroot flavor.
3. You can even mix this beetroot fry with plain rice and have like beetroot rice (you can also add a teaspoon of ghee while mixing with rice) which tastes awesome (I prefer it this way).
4. In between, you can add 1 or 2 teaspoon of oil, if you want to allow more fry.
5. Garlic is only for added flavor, If you want to avoid garlic, you can. Just season with cumin seeds alone. If you want this for rice, include mustard seeds, broken urud dhal, channa dhal into your seasoning.
Zucchini is a very versatile vegetable, sorry a fruit (it is ideally meant as a summer squash), which is actually cooked/grilled like a vegetable. This resembles a cucumber with lots of seeds inside. It normally comes in light/dark green or yellow colour.
This vegetable may be found easily in America and other countries, but in the Indian market (especially the South), Zucchini is not so well known and popular as other vegetables.
Zucchini can be taken raw or cooked, depending on your preference. If cooked, it can be cooked to suite both north indian and south indian cuisine. It can be made in variety of ways from a sabzi to kootu to curry to salads etc.
Almost all the parts of the zucchini are edible, including the flesh, seeds and even the skin. However in this recipe, the skin in peeled and cooked. If you wish you retain the skin portion, you can do so and just wash and chop the vegetable to your desired size and use it in your cooking.
Health Benefits of Zucchini:
1. Extremely low on Calories, roughly 100 gms has about 17 to 19 Calories only. So you can enjoy this as a low-calorie meal, if you're on your weight loss journey.
2. It is very good for your heart, as it contains good amount of potassium. Potassium can help control blood pressure because it lessens the harmful effects of salt in your body.
3. It is a very good source of antioxidant Vitamin C.
4. 95% of Zucchini is water and regular consumption of zucchini aids in weight loss.
Here is a simple easy to cook recipe of Zucchini which goes ideally well as a gravy side dish for chapathi's or phulka's.
Ingredients:
1. Zucchini - 4 (Skin peeled and chopped to 1 inch size)
2. Big Onion - 1, chopped finely
3. Big Tomato - 1, chopped finely
4. Garlic pods - 4 or 5, chopped to small pieces
5. Ginger - 1 inch, chopped to small pieces
6. Red chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
7. Corainder powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Salt - 1 or 2 tsp, accordingly to your taste
10. Green chillies - 2 or 3, slit lengthwise
11. Coriander Leaves - A handful for garnishing
12. Seasoning Ingredient: Oil - 1 or 2 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. Ghee - 1 tsp
14. Water - 3/4 or 1 Tumbler
Method:
1. In a pressure cooker, add the seasoning ingredients and when the oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds and once it starts spluttering, add the ginger and garlic pieces and green chillies and then saute until it emanates nice aroma.
2. Now add the chopped onions and fry for a minute or two.
3. Add all the powders namely - red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, required salt and fry until the powders coat well on the onions.
4. Add the chopped Tomatoes and fry until they are mashed well.
5. Add the chopped zucchini and enough water to immerse the vegetable in it. Stir to mix well and then close the cooker and when steam comes, add the weight and allow maximum 2 or 3 whistles and then switch off.
6. Cool and open, garnish with coriander leaves and change to a serving bowl. Optionally, just before serving add a teaspoon of ghee and mix once and then serve for added flavor.
Tips:
1) Adding chopped ginger and garlic is to bring out a nice aroma for the dish, if you don't want, you can omit both.
2) Adding ghee at the end is optional only. You can choose to avoid if you are health conscious.
A healthy Zucchini Sabzi is ready for Carrot Chapathi !!
Oats chapathi is yet another easy to make/instant food which can find a staple place in your diet. For long years, oats has been associated with weight loss owing to its rich fiber content, for all those weight-watchers, you can benefit from this oats chapathi by making it a regular in your diet.
Best Accompaniment : Any Dhal/Channa or Rajma or BEB Masala/any gravy side-dish
Health Benefits of Oats:
1. Oats for Weight Loss. Starting the day with a nutritious, fiber rich meal such as oats can help with maintaining a healthy weight.
2. Oats can significantly reduces LDL cholesterol.
3. Slows the rise in the blood sugar levels after a meal, hence making it the best choice for diabetics.
In order to make this oats chapathi, Powdered oats needs to be ready. Take 3 to 4 cups of normal Oats (I have used Quaker oats), and fine grind it into a blender and store in a air-tight container. I always have stock of this powdered oats for quick preparation of this chapathi anytime.
The oats powder has a coarse texture, hence this oats chapathi may not have a soft texture like the normal chapathi. Also when rolling the chapathi you need not be disappointed if you don't get a perfect round shape, due to the coarseness. However the chapathi softness and taste is guaranteed.
The garam masala, cumin seeds, turmeric powder are optional ingredients, just for adding the flavour. You can omit them if you want.
Ingredients:
1. Wheat flour - 1 Cup
2. Powdered Oats - 1 Cup
3. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Garam masala powder - a pinch
5. Turmeric powder - a pinch
6. Salt - 1 tsp
7. Water - 1/2 cup
Method:
1. Add all the above ingredients from 1 to 6 in a bowl and mix well. Add water little by little and knead to make a soft chapathi dough. Set this dough aside for 5 to 10 minutes if you want.
2. Divide the chapathi into small balls of equal shape and roll it, dusting it with little wheat flour, as we do for a normal chapathi.
3. Heat the non-stick tava, place one chapathi on it, and wait till small brown spots appear, then turn the chapathi around and repeat the same.
4. Spread little oil over the chapathi and toss it around and do the same on the other side. Cook the chapathi until even brown spots appear on both the sides and then remove.
5. Serve hot with any dhal or gravy side dish.
Broccoli is a very healthy vegetable for many reasons, however in Indian cuisine, largely it doesn't find a staple place and even if used, it is mostly restricted to soups and salads. Considering its benefits, it needs to be fitted into our diet more on a regular basis. This broccoli stir fry/thoran is a very desi version, which is very simple and quick to make, which can be a perfect combo for your chapathi and even rice.
Health Benefits of Broccoli:
1. Prevents cancer. Anti-carcinogen properties are also present in broccoli and these are effective in hindering the development of prostate, cervical and breast cancer while also improving liver health.
2. Maintains a healthier nervous system. This can be attributed to its high potassium content.
3. Regulates blood pressure. This is possible because of the presence of magnesium, calcium and potassium in broccoli.
4. Reduces cholesterol. The vegetable contains a huge amount of soluble fiber which is proven to be effective in drawing out cholesterol from the body.
5. A great addition to your diet.
Ingredients:
Broccoli - 1 Cup (Chopped)
Onions - 1 Cup (Chopped)
Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 1 tsp, mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Broken urud dhal - 1 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1 tsp, G.Chillies - 3 (slit lengthwise), Curry leaves - 10
Method:
1. Season as given and add the chopped onions and fry until translucent.
2. Add the chopped broccoli and mix well. Sprinkle little water and cook closed until well cooked. In between open the lid and give a mix.
3. Once well cooked, remove and serve.
Rava kichadi is a famous South Indian breakfast made with Onion, Tomato, mixed vegetables and spices. This is a good change from the normal rava upma. It's healthy too, as it contains mixture of vegetables. With little lavish pouring of ghee towards the end, gives this kichadi a very flavorful taste.
Ingredients:
Rava (Sooji) - 2 Cups
Onion (chopped) - 2
Tomato (chopped) - 2
Chopped Vegetables - 1 Cup (Potato, Carrot, Beans, Cauliflower, Peas)
Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp
G. chillies - 3
Ginger pieces (chopped) - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 tsp
Ghee - 3 to 4 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Seasoning Ingredients: Oil - 2 tsp, Fennel seeds - 1tsp
Method:
1. In a kadai/non-stick pan, heat oil and add fennel seeds, when it becomes hot, add the ginger-garlic paste. When it becomes slightly hot, add chopped g.chillies and ginger pieces and saute until it gets fried. (I forgot to add g.chillies and ginger pieces, so fried them separately and added).
2. Add chopped onions and saute for 2 to 3 mins.
3. Add mixed vegetables and fry for few minutes.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and fry until tomatoes get cooked well and mushy. Add turmeric powder now.
5.Sprinkle little water and cook closed, until vegetables are 70% cooked.
6. Open the lid and add 4 cups of water and required salt and allow the water to boil. At this time, vegetables gets cooked little more.
7. Now pour the rava little by little into the water and mix well, keep stirring to avoid any lumps. The kichadi will start thickening and all the water gets absorbed by rava and comes to an upma consistency. At this juncture, add ghee on top and give a mix and remove.
A tasty rava kichadi is ready!!
