Pineapple and Mango Raita

Our East coast has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Last week we got about 20" snow. They are calling for some more snow tomorrow. Kids are having a blast with No school days..and parents are praying for no MORE SNOW !!!. But you take what nature gives you right ..so we made the most of all the snow by making a Snowman, making snow balls, made snow angels. If you have any more suggestions, please let me know as we have more snow coming...

This raita is just a diversion from the winter blues and the likes. This refreshing Raita will surely help you look forward to Spring and maybe even Summer!!! Its a flavorful, delicious and healthy accompaniment to any meal. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple diced
• 1 cup ripe mango diced
• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• 1" piece ginger finely chopped
• 1-2 green chillies chopped
• 1 tsp fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• 1 1/2 cup yohurt whisked
• salt to taste
• white pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp chaat Masala (optional)

Preparation : Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it gently. Adjust the salt. Your Pineapple and Mango Raita is ready to be served. Enjoy.

Gobi Manchurian- Cauliflower Manchurian

Gobi Manchurian 

Gobi Manchurian 

Gobi Manchurian is a very popular Indo-chinese dish. It could be served as a starter or a side dish. I prefer mine with vegetable fried rice.

Ingredients:

For the Manchurian/Cauliflower fritters

• 1/2 lb cauliflower cut into florets
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• about 1/2 cup water
• oil for deep frying

For the Manchurian Sauce

• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 -3 green chillies chopped
• 1/4 cup spring onions chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp red chili sauce
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• salt to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water

Preparation :

• Mix flour, Corn starch, salt, red chili powder and make a batter with water. Add the Gobi/Cauliflower florets and mix well. Deep fry. Keep aside.
• For the Sauce- Heat oil in a pan. Stir fry the garlic paste and the whites of the spring onions(the green is reserved for the garnish) for about a minute. Add the green chillies, soy sauce, red chili sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup on low flame. Stir. Add water and bring to boil. Add the corn starch paste and stir continuously. Adjust the salt. Just when the sauce thickens, add the greens of the spring onions and the Manchurian/fritters. Mix it well.
• Your Gobi Manchurian is ready to serve.
• This recipe serves 4.

Tomato Chutney

This is a repost. Its one of my earlier posts when very few or sometimes nobody read my blog. So its about time this one sees the light of day and gets some acknowlegement. Also of late I have been involved in so many things and could not devote time to my dear blog which I love and visit my blogpals. To make things worse my laptop died on me leaving me helpless and many pictures are inaccessible on its hard disk. Hopefully can retreive them and can continue blogging regularly. If not I'm trying to be comfortable on my hubby's computer. Also thanks a ton for your love and support and for enquiring about my whereabouts... Till then enjoy this Tomato Chutney recipe.

Tomatoes are an integral part of indian Cuisine. They are high in Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A. There are researches being done that show that cooking Tomatoes for example, may enhance the nutrients, providing you with more health benefits than eating raw tomatoes. They say that more of the phytochemical lycopene is absorbed by the body from cooked tomatoes — such as canned tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce — than from fresh. Also when lycopene is combined with a small amount of fat, absorption is even better, making olive oil and tomato sauce a perfect and healthy combination. So this proves that tomato chutney is good for you and its very easy and quick to make. You could serve it with parathas , as a side dish, with dosa or idli .

Ingredients:

• 1 Onion
• 5-6 big fresh tomatoes
• 1-2 green chillies
• 4 gloves of garlic
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin-coriander powder
• salt as required
• a pinch of Asofoetida (hing)
• Olive oil

Preparation. 1. Finely Chop all the vegetables. 2. Heat oil. Add Mustard seeds and asofoetida. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter. 3. Add Onions and fry till golden brown. 4. Add Garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. 5. Add the tomatoes , green chillies and all the dry spices (turmeric,red chilli,cumin-coriander powder,salt). 6. Cook on medium flame till the oil leaves the surface. 7. Ready to be served.

Red Cabbage Stir-Fry

Cabbage(Red/Green) is often an overlooked vegetable. But after knowing about the many health benefits maybe we could make some room for the humble Cabbage in our lives as well. It is such an abundant and inexpensive vegetable

Some benefits of including cabbage in our diet.

• They are a very good source of fiber to begin with.
• Loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Manganese.
• They have Shown to have anti-cancer properties.
• Optimize Your Cells' Detoxification / Cleansing Ability.
• Promote Gastrointestinal Health.
• Promote Women's Health.
• Peptic Ulcer Treatment.
• Red Cabbage Is Protective against Alzheimer's Disease.
• Provide significant cardiovascular benefits as well.

For more detailed information about the above mentioned health benefits, kindly read here.

Ingredients :

• 1 head of Red Cabbage chopped/shredded
• 1 cup shelled frozen peas (optional)
• 2-3 green chillies slit lenghtwise
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1" piece of ginger finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin-cilantro powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan/kadai. Keep the flame on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add ginger and curry leaves. Saute for about a minute and add green chillies. Add the shredded red cabbage, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,cumin-cilantro powder and salt. Mix it well.
2. Now cook this uncovered on low flame. Do not add any water. Keep stirring occasionally. When its almost cooked add the frozen peas and keep it on medium to high flame. When you see the peas are cooked . Add the fresh lemon juice and mix well.
3. Red Cabbage Stir-fry is ready to be served as a side dish with Rice and Dal or as the main dish served with hot phulkas/Roti and Raita.