Independence Day Special - Part II (The recipes)

So starting with my first recipe, ready in ten minutes time and absolutely easy, healthy, Zero Oil, Zero Cholestrol recipe. Here it is -


"The Tri-Coloured Healthy Salad"

Servings – 2
Preparation Time – 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS-

Carrots Grated Lengthwise - 2 Large
Bean Sprouts - Steamed - 100 gms.

Dressing -

Lime Juice - 1 tblspn
Black Pepper - 1/2 tspn
Salt - a pinch
Lettuce - 2 nos.

METHOD -

1. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients under "Dressing" and shake vigorously.
2. Combine grated carrots and steamed bean sprouts.
3. Mix in the dressing.
4. Mix with a very light hand.
5. Transfer in to a serving bowl.
6. Keep in the fridge till serving time.
7. Garnish with two lettuce leaves.

The Second recipe is very simple and super fast recipe. Try it out.

"The Tiranga Finger Salad with Cheesy dip"

Serves – 2
Preparation Time – 10 mins.

INGREDIENTS-

Cucumber – 2 Large
Carrots – 2 Large
Radish – 2 Medium
Cheese Spread – 2/3 tblspns.
Mixed herbs – ½ tspns
Cold Water – 2 cups

Garnish –

Raspberry – 1
Mint Leaf – 1

METHOD

1. Wash and peel all the vegetables.
2. Cut all veggies lengthwise.
3. Immerse them in cold water and keep it aside.
4. Mix mixed herbs in ready made cheese dip.
5. Drain the veggies well.
6. Arrange in the serving plate with the cheesy dip.
7. Garnish cheesy dip with a mint leaf and raspberry.
8. Serve.

Also Try healthy-orange-cups from my previous posts.

Independence Day Special-Part I

India is a country specialising in cuisines from different parts, different corners and different states of the country. The diverse culture and the awesome Indian Food make us special. Every State has its own regional cuisine but is loved by everyone in the whole country. For Example, the Delhites love to have Idli's and Dosa's . Down South "Dilli ki chaat" is equally famous. If we travel towards East, we would find the love of the people for the Gujrati Dhokla's and in the Western parts of India people crave for the rasgullas or the momos. I feel privileged to present a Tricolour Spread on the occasion of 64th Indian Independence Day. It has a mingling of diverse cultures of India. And if u want to impress your guests try your hands on such a spread and no wonder the appreciations and love would be no surprise for you.

I present the methods for two recipes from my Tricoloured Spread. First is "The Tri-Coloured Healthy Salad" and Second is "The Tiranga Finger Salad with Cheesy dip".  For the recipes please read Independence Day Special - Part II.

Tori ke Bachke (Ridge gourd Fritters)

Monsoon reminds me of Garma Garam Pakode पकोड़े (Hot Fritters) . It had been raining continuously and I thought the best thing to serve the family is hot fritters made up of तोरी Tori (Ridge Gourd). My children who feel "yuck" just by the sight of Ridge gourd had these bites without fuss, lovingly demanding for more and deep in my heart I was pretty happy to see my kids having a green veggie with no fuss. I made the Bihari version of the Pakode (Fritter) which is known as बचका "Bachka" . Favourite Vegetable is coated in gramflour batter and deep fried. My mother-in-law's advise is - बचका can be made कुरकुरा (Crispy) by adding चावल का आठा (Rice Flour).Kids would love to carry it in their tiffins.  Here is the recipe.

Serves - 2
Preparation Time - 7 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins

INGREDIENT

Tori (Ridge Gourd) - 4
Besan (Gram Flour) - 2 cups
Chopped Ginger - 1/4th cup
Carrom Seeds - 2 tsp
Roasted (Sesame Seeds) Til - 1 tsp
Flaxseeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Chopped - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1/4th cup
Salt - to taste
Chopped Green Chillies - 4-5
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Water - as required (a little less than 1 cup)
Chat Masala - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD

1. Cut Tori into Roundels.
2. Take a bowl and place the tori in it.
3. Add gram flour and rice flour.
4. Throw in the carom seeds and flax seeds.
5. Add to it chopped ginger and coriander.
6. Mix in chopped chillies.
7. Add red chilly powder and salt.
8. Add water and mix well.
9. Prepare a batter as to well coat the vegetables (Tori).
10. Heat oil in a deep pan (kadhai)
11. Drop in pieces of tori and deep fry till reddish in colour.
12. Place on a kitchen napkin for excess oil to evaporate.
13. Sprinkle Chat Masala.
14. Serve hot with ketchup and garnished with green chillies (see pic)

Tips - People staying in States or Canada and other countries where Tori is not found can replace Tori with Zucchini.
Tori is known as Turai तुरई in many states of India.
The Green chillies can be increased/decreased as per liking or totally omitted if so desired.

Laddoo Joker

Are you organising a birthday party? Thinking hard to have a different menu from the rest. Well here's the solution, Try and prepare these jokers made out of Laddoo, the traditional Indian sweet available in every sweet shop of India. I've used ready made laddoos from the market, if you desire you can make laddoos at home too. I've used ready made ice-cream cones to prepare the base and the cap of the jokers. Cadbury Gems to make the eyes. You can make your imagination run wild and use other decorations for decorating the cap . Put your creativity to its best and get going to organise a real cool birthday party for your adorable sweetie pie. Kids would love the new version of laddoos.

INGREDIENTS

Boondi Laddoo - 10

Ice cream cones - 10

Cadbury Gems - 20

Icing Sugar to paste the gems.

METHOD -

Cut the ice-cream cones for the base and the cap.

Arrange the base in the serving tray.

Keep each laddoo on each base.

Glue gems for eyes with the help of icing sugar.

Place the second half of the cone as caps.

Ready to be served.

NOTE- For the mouth I've used the laddoo garnish (Pista) which was already placed on the laddoo. If u're using plain laddoo u can glue a piece of pista for mouth.

Mutton Kababs. (Lamb Kebabs)

Non-Veg lover's heres a dish for you to enjoy this monsoon. When it's raining outside one can enjoy the hot mutton kebabs. A boneless mutton/lamb dish which would melt in your mouth. The secret touch to this recipe is that it's marination process which allows the salt and other spices to penetrate into the lamb pieces giving it a soft delectable flavour.

INGREDIENTS-

Boneless Lamb - 500 gm

Ginger Garlic paste - 6 1/2 tspns

Curd/Dahi - 1/2 cup

Chilly powder - 3 tspns

Salt - to taste

Refined Oil - about 5  tbspns

Sliced Onions - 1 cup

Roasted Gram Flour (Besan) - 2 tbspns

Juice of a lemon

Dry -spices -


Cinnamon (Dalchini) powder - 1/2 tspn

Cardamom (Choti Illaichi) powder - 1 tspn

Roasted Cumin (Jeera) Powder - 1 tspn

Jaiphal (Nutmeg) powder - a pinch

Roasted black pepper (Kali mirch powder) - 1/2 tspn

METHOD-

First Stage -

Combine Lamb meat, curd, salt, ginger-garlic paste and chilly powder.

Mix well. Keep it well covered in fridge for 3-4 hours to marinate.

Second Stage -

Transfer the marinated lamb with the entire marination in a pressure cooker.

Cook till it gives 7-8 whistles on low flame.

Third Stage -

Heat oil in a pan (Kadhai).

Put in the sliced onion and let it cook till reddish brown.

Add to it the cooked lamb from the pressure cooker along with the residue.

Cook on high flame. Keep on stirring.

The onion should be well incorporated into the lamb.

Sprinkle roasted gram flour and keep on roasting till mixed well.

Add all the dry spices one by one to the roasted lamb.

Squeeze in lemon juice.

Mix well.

Serve hot with Mango Tango.

Mango Tango

Mango is the king of fruits. Mango is loved by all. Mango is rich source of  Vitamin "A', Vitamin 'C', Vitamin 'K',Vitamin 'E', Beta carotene and Phosphorous. It also has a good amount of fibre. Before the season of mangoes comes to an end, lets enjoy a refreshing Mango mocktail. An easy recipe, ready in minutes, Serve Chilled with any snack or starter.

INGREDIENT-

Mango Juice Tinned - a little less than 1/2 cup

Mango Diced Cubes - 1/2 cup

Soda Chilled - as required

Ice Cubes - 8-9

METHOD -

• 
  
  Keep the glass in which u want to serve mocktail in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• 
  
  Throw in some ice cubes in the glass.
• 
  
  Add to it ripe mango cubes.
• 
  
  Pour in tinned mango juice.
• 
  
  Fill the remaining glass with soda.
• 
  
  Stir lightly.
• 
  
  Serve Immediately.