khichdi

My husband, CJ, is a khichdi expert and i could never make a khichdi as tasty as his. So whenever I feel like having khichdi, i ask him to cook it. I thought of putting his recipe in the blog because this is really simple. Everybody can make it because of it's precise measurements. As for me, i just refuse to learn it, coz i have CJ to make it for me ;-)

Ingredients:

1/2 C basmati rice
1/4 C split moong daal (green)
1 tsp jeera
2 tbsp oil
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 C chopped onion
1 tomato finely chopped
4 C water
salt to taste

Method:

1) In a pressure cooker, heat oil and add jeera. When it starts to splutter, add green chillies and onions. Let it turn brown.

2) Add tomatoes, let it cook for 2 minutes. Add garam masala.

3) Add the mixture of rice and daal, pour in water and add salt and black pepper.

4) pressure cook until one whistle and turn off the heat. Let the khichdi cook until all the pressure goes off by itself.

5) Serve hot with achar and papad

Serves: 4

lemony buttermilk pancakes with strawberry and bananas

This is a basic pancake recipe which can be made at home very easily and tastes awesome, much better than a store bought pancake mix. Here it is...

Ingredients:
Batter
1 C buttermilk
1C all purpose flour (you can also use whole wheat flour to make it healthier)
1 large egg
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Toppings
maple syrup
1/2 C sliced strawberries
1/2 C sliced bananas
(you can use any fresh fruits a your topping)

Method:

1) In a large bowl mix all the ingredients of the batter to form a cake like consistency batter. If it is too thick add some more buttermilk. If you do not want to buy a whole lot of buttermilk, you can always make buttermilk at home by mixing 1 tbsp of yogurt or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk and let it rest for 10 minutes.

2) heat a flat girdle and spread some butter on it. With a ladle, pour the pancake batter on the girdle. Do not spread.

3) Once some bubbles appear on pancake, it is ready to flip. Cook on the other side for about 2 minutes. Prepare rest of the pancakes in the same manner.

4) Place all the toppings on top and enjoy !

Serves: 4 (2 pancakes each)

lauki ki sookhi sabzi

This is also a very simple recipe which i started making when i start working. It is always difficult to prepare a whole lot of complicated food when you are tired and just want to relax. This sabji basically cooks on its own and goes very well parathas and makes a light and satisfying meal.
So, here it is...

Ingredients:

2 C chopped lauki (bottle gourd)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp chopped green chillies
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp oil
salt

Method:

1) In a hot pan, pour oil, add hing, coriander seeds and mustard seeds. Let them splutter.

2) After they start spluttering, add turmeric powder, green chillies and red chilli powder. Add the chopped lauki. Mix well, simmer and let cook for about 5-8 minutes.

3) Add coriander powder and let cook on high for 2 minutes.

4) Serve hot with paranthas.

Serves: 2

open faced healthy tomato sandwiches

Nowadays, i am always trying to make healthy recipes, to maintain my weight.
I firmly believe that you don't have to starve to stay thin and you can always substitute healthy ingredients with the fatty ones and still have a flavorful meal ans loose weight !
So i experimented and loved the taste of these sandwiches. These make a healthy lunch without making you feel guilty. this is a great recipe for tomato lovers. Here it goes...

Ingredients:

2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 tomato sliced
1 tbsp of chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp of semi-soft goat cheese
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Method:
1) Brush the slices of bread with olive oil and toast them on a hot girdle until they get a light golden brown crust.

2) On each slice place the slices of tomatoes.

3) Sprinkle salt, pepper, chopped basil and goat cheese on top. Goat cheese has relatively less calories than mozzarella. But you can always use mozzarella as it goes well with tomato and basil.

4) Place in oven and broil on high for about 10 minutes until the goat cheese starts looking softer and tomatoes are roasted. Voila !

Serves: 1