Mint and peas pulao

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup green peas

1 medium potato cubed

2 tsp oil

1 medium bunch of mint leaves

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp ginger paste

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp grated coconut

Paste from one onion

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 cardamoms

Soak rice for 1/2 hour. Heat little oil, add the mint leaves and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Grind it along with coconut, ginger and green chillies.

Heat the rest of the oil, add cloves, bayleaf and cardamom. Add turmeric, potato cubes, peas and masala paste. cook for 2-3 minutes and add salt. Add the soaked rice after draining the water and mix well for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, transfer to a vessel and pressure cook it. Garnish with roasted cashews.

Serve with raita of your choice.

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Besan paratha

Ingredients

1 cup gram flour

1 cup wheat flour

Salt to taste

1 finely chopped onion

Bit of asafoetida

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or 1 finely chopped green chilli)

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Oil to cook

Mix all ingredients except oil with little water to make a soft dough. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Make balls of it and roll into parathas by dusting little wheat flour.

Cook on a hot tava with little oil till brown spots appear on both sides. Serve hot with pickles and curd

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Red chickpea salad

Ingredients

2 cups red chickpeas (soaked overnight and pressure cooked till soft)

2 medium boiled and cubed potatoes

Salt to taste

1 onion chopped

1 tomato chopped

1/2 tsp chaat masala powder

1/4 tsp cumin seeds powder

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the ingredients together well and serve.

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Keerai dosa

A very simple and healthy breakfast variety with usual dosa batter

Cook any greens after cleaning until soft and add salt, asafoetida, crushed cumin seeds, grated coconut and mix well. Add this to the usual dosa batter and make dosas.

An easy way to incorporate healthy ingredients in daily food.

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Rava vadai

An instant crispy vada variety for a quick snack and sudden guests

Ingredients

1 cup roasted rava/sooji

1 cup rice flour

1 green chilli cut finely

Salt to taste

Finely cut coriander leaves

1/2 cup sour curd

Oil to fry

Mix all the ingredients except oil and keep aside for 10 minutes. Add little water if required. The mixture should be thick but not like dough.

Heat oil. Wet palms and pat small balls of the mixture flat to make vadas. Drop them slowly in hot oil and repeat for 2-3 more vadas depending on the capacity of the vessel. Fry in medium flame till golden brown on both sides.

Remove on a tissue paper to drain excess oil. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

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Budding blogger: Remya

Meet Remya from Remya's Kitchen today as a Budding blogger.

She says - I'm remya. I'm a new blogger.

Cooking is a hobby, passion and an obsession for me. I dont specialise in anything particular. I like to try everything in my kitchen. I love to cook Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, Continental, baking etc.

My mom, husband, friends and relatives have appreciated my cooking skills and their encouragement prompted me to start blogging where I can share my skills and also learn new things from like minded people.

Mankaai (raw mango) pachadi

This is a special dish made on the occasion of Tamil New Year.

Ingredients

2 medium sized raw mangoes

Bit of cardamom powder

1/2 tsp tamarind paste

Small lemon sized Jaggery

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilli

Drop of oil for tempering

Remove the skin of the mangoes and cut into thin slices leaving out the seed. Cook this in boiling water till soft and then add tamarind paste and mix well. Add little more water if required. After mixing it well, add cardamom powder and jaggery. Mix well till it boils well and gets thick. Temper with mustard seeds and red chillies..

Mankaai pachadi ready to eat as a side dish.

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Coconut- milk powder burfi

Ingredients

1 cup finely grated coconut

1/2 cup milk powder

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp ghee

Mix coconut and milk powder together. Make a sugar syrup with little water to get sticky consistency. Add the coconut milk powder mixture and cardamom powder. Also add ghee and keep stirring well till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the vessel.

Transfer to a greased plate and cut into desired pieces when a little cool.

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Guest post : Preventing Diabetes with Maple Syrup

What Everybody Should Know About Preventing Diabetes with Maple Syrup

Based on the latest studies of US researchers, it has been found that maple syrup can significantly reduce the growth of some types of cancer cells. Studies also showed that it can also considerably decrease the risk of diabetes.

Evidences have been discovered pointing to the fact that maple syrup has thirteen previously unknown antioxidant compounds. These antioxidants have special properties that make them very effective against cancer, diabetes, and bacterial infection.

The Anti-diabetes Properties of Maple Syrup

Maple syrup contains high levels of phytohormone and abscisic acid. According to research, this type of acid is a natural defense in controlling diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. The acid is effective because it has the potential to encourage the release of insulin through the pancreatic cells.

It can also enhance the fat cell’s sensitivity to insulin. The studies on maple syrup and its effects on diabetes have been reviewed by experts. The results of these studies were revealed before the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

Maple Syrup as the Best Anti Cancer Food

A study by researchers at the Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, implies that maple syrup can be more effective than broccoli, blueberries, carrots and tomatoes in significantly slowing cancerous cell growth in the brain, prostate and lungs and somewhat less significantly in the breast.

A Delicious Option in Fighting Cancer and Diabetes

Maple syrup can serve as your tasty alternative in fighting cancer and diabetes. There are many anti cancer foods today like blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. However, recent studies have shown that maple syrup is more effective against cancer compared to other anti cancer foods. Laboratory testing results also show that the syrup is more potent compared to the maple sap.

It is also ideal to use the pure dark syrup rather than the lighter syrup. Dark syrup has high color oxidation.This is the reason why darker maple syrup should be preferred. So if you want a better alternative to fight cancer and diabetes, then your favorite maple syrup is a good option.

Reference: Journal of medicinal food. 01/02/2010; ISSN: 1557-7600, OI: 10.1089/jmf.2009.0029

About the Author - Sandy Harris writes for the diabetic cookie recipes blog, her personal hobby blog focused on tips to prevent, cure and manage diabetes using healthy snacks and recipes.

Sprouts kurma

Ingredients

2 cups whole moong sprouts

2 tsp oil

2 cloves

Piece of cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger paste

Paste of 1 tomato

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 cup grated coconut

2 green chillies

Coriander leaves

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Heat oil and add cloves and cinnamon. Add ginger paste, turmeric powder and tomato puree. Grind the coconut, green chillies, little coriander leaves and fennel seeds to fine paste. Add this to the gravy and add salt as required.

Add the pressure cooked sprouts to it and allow it to boil well and get thick.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis, pulao

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Vegetable adai

Ingredients

1 cup mixed dals (green gram dal, bengalgram dal and red gram dal)
1 cup raw rice
Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves

2 cups mixed vegetables (cabbage, onions, carrot, beans, coriander leaves)

Oil

Soak the rice and dals seperately for 4 hours and grind to a coarse batter. Add salt, asafoetida and few curry leaves.

Heat tava and spread a ladle full of batter. Spread some mixed vegetables over it and little oil in the sides. Cook on medium flame till golden brown on the lower side and slowly turn and cook on other side as well.

Serve hot with avial, chutney, sambar.
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Sweet corn pulav

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
1 cup sweet corn
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
Piece of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 onion cut lengthwise
1 onion and few cashews - grind to paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garam masala powder

Soak rice for 1/2 hour. Heat oil, add cumin seeds. When it splutters, add cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf. Add onions chopped lengthwise and fry till it starts changing colour. Add ginger paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and the onion cashew paste. Fry for 2-3 mins to get rid of the raw smell. Add soaked rice, salt and mix well. Transfer to a vessel, add 1 1/2 cups of water, sweet corn and pressure cook it.

Garnishing options- fried onions, cashews, coriander leaves.
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Budding blogger : Chaitrali

Meet Chaitrali from I am not a Chef blog this week in the Budding blogger series..

She says -

I am Chaitrali Pathak-Bhagat currently staying in Russelsheim, Germany. I am basically from Pune and have been here for the past 8-9 months. I have done my hotel management diploma and then have worked with Oberoi Hotels and ITC hotel ( Fortune Group) for about 3 1/2 years and after that was teaching in the Hotel Management Institutes in Pune. As i have also mentioned on my blog; when I was doing Hotel Management Course and even when I finished it, many people ( my friends and relatives) kept asking me for some or the other recipes; considering hotel management is only about Kitchen and cooking. For some reason; I could not bring myself to write recipes for them( Actually I use to hate Kitchen Practicals, because our teachers use to make us work like hell in the Institute's Kitchen). I am actually a Housekeeper by profession; I was working in Housekeeping department with Oberoi hotels and Fortune Hotel, and also was teaching subjects like Housekeeping, Front Office. So I was never interested in cooking and experimenting. Though I use to cook at home even before marriage.

I got married, and that is when i started exploring my cooking skills ( may be to impress my husband, my in-laws ;-) ). For the past 8-9 months, I am in Germany with my husband. Since I am on dependant Visa; I cannot take up a job here. This way I almost wasted about 5-6 months just lazing around.

I got this idea of blogging through one of my school friend who is active blogger; and then I thought let me also do this as I have lot of free time which can be utilized and help my friends and relatives by giving them the recipes, they always wanted me to pen down earlier.

I would like to clearly mention here that I may not participate in any blog events; if i don't feel so, as this blog is for my friends and relatives ; but otherwise if something interesting comes up then I am game for it.

Chickpea peanut salad

Ingredients

2 cups soaked and cooked chickpeas

Salt to taste

1/4 cup roasted and coarsely powdered peanuts

1 tsp lemon juice

Finely chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp chaat masala powder

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

Mix all the ingredients together and serve

Sending it over to Ruchika for the MLLA-22 event started by Susan.

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Paneer Gulab jamun

Ingredients

1 cup grated Paneer

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened khova

2 cups Sugar

Bit of baking soda

Bit of cardamom powder

Oil to fry

Mix the paneer, soda, flour and khova well to a smooth dough. Make balls of it and fry in medium heat till golden brown.

Make a sticky sugar syrup with 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Add the cardamom powder to it and when ready add the fried balls in it. Allow it to soak for atleast 1/2 hour.

Paneer gulab jamun ready to eat..

You can try it when milk gets curdled- just add 1 tsp lemon juice and boil for five minutes. Strain out the water using a muslin cloth and paneer is ready for use.

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Mixed bean cutlet

Ingredients

2 cups of soaked and cooked mixed legumes

2 boiled and mashed potatoes

2 slices of bread

Salt to taste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp chat masala powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Finely chopped coriander leaves

Bread crumbs

Oil as required

Mix all the ingredients except bread crumbs and oil. Make cutlets of them and dip them in bread crumbs. Shallow fry in hot tava with little oil till golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot with ketchup.

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Guest post from Chitra- Radish raita video

Chitra Agarwal from ABCDs of cooking blog has come up with this video of Radish raita and wanted to share it with you all

Here is the video -

Budding blogger: Lopa

Today's featured blogger is Lopa from Cook with me..

She says -

This blog "Cook with me" has been in draft for some time now, it was born at the same time my other blogs were but wasn't getting time to manage everything and now i have finally taken control of things.

I loved cooking even since as a kid, but never cooked much regularly, i used to cook only when something catches my fancy, some recipe on tv show or in newspaper will make me run to kitchen and then no one would be permitted in kitchen until I am done. Luckily, those experiments always turned out good.

After moving to Europe, with no mom or cook home, and with limited varieties and options for eating out vegetarian food in Europe lead me to cook more often. So now i can cook almost anything and everything vegetarian and thought why not to share, it's a nice way to socialise with other bloggers with tasty sharing and help others passing through similar stages as mine.

Budding blogger: Neethu

Budding blogger series introduces new bloggers (those blogging for less than a year) every wednesday and promotes their blogs through Simple Indian Food. If you are interested in being a part of this series, please mail me a short description about your blog, the cuisine you specialize and your objective/inspiration in blogging to easycrafts@gmail.com.

Today's featured blogger is Neethu from Kitchen Express..She says-

I always had the interest for cooking but when I was smaller. y mom never used to allow me into kitchen as she would say " I m there to make, I will make and give u".. That actually spoiled me a little and made me lazy to start cooking when I moved to Dubai, when I got my first job. But then during those times I hardly used to get time to cook when I reach home after work. Then I got married. Though I used to cook its not always that I cooked something new (as I was working duing that time). The real interest started when I started being a home-maker after delivering to our little princess :) (5.5 month old now). I actually wanted to do something related to cooking. One day while on internet, as usual I was searching a new recipe, I came across many blogs and that inspired me to start one!!. I also thought in sure it would be useful for my princess to, that is if she has interest in cooking ;)... Thats when I started my blog named KITCHEN EXPRESS.

At first, when I hardly got comments I thought I m not gonna make it far. But then slowly slowly I started getting many blogger friends and awards. Then I knew I m doing the right thing and I m actaully earning compliments from my blogger friends for my hard work. Today I m proud that I have started my blog which can help many people out there who are just on the edge of the ABC's of cooking :)... My blog doesnt not specialize in any cuisines.. From North to South India everything is there and still trying on new things :). Planning to do few international dishes too :).. hopefully one day with many others we all will be known for our wonderful recipes ;)

Dear all, plz do log into my small world of recipes and do have a look. I would also be sincerely thankful to each one of you if you could log in with ur id and be follower of blog. I would really appreciate that :)... do let me know your comments about my blog. I m all ears for more chages if needed to be made. Thanks u all for time you gave to read this :)