Category: Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Kimchi Besan Cheelas | Kimchi Flavoured Vegan Omlette

Kimchi Besan Cheelas
Kimchi Besan Cheelas | Kimchi Flavored Vegan Omelette

What does an Indian do when she has had an overdose of Indian food but misses home none the less? An Asian twist to the rescue! She makes kimchi besan cheelas (vegan omelette) and devours them.

This is a super easy fusion between the Indian cheela and the Korean kimchi pancake. They are both individually so delicious possessing very unique tastes to the countries they originate in. However, there is a similarity that helps fuse them together. I am surprised it took me so long to try it!

The kimchi besan cheelas is a simple recipe and they are a complete meal. I added some peas to the batter and topped with toasted coconut flakes before serving it. One small tip, courtesy my sweet Korean friend – the older the kimchi is the better and tangier flavor it will give the pancake. I do not make my kimchi at home, so I let the store-bought kimchi sit in my fridge for a month (that is all I could persevere).

These are perfect as an afternoon snack or a lunch box meal for the kids. And yes, they taste delicious with a hot cup of masala chai. Scroll down for the full recipe.WholesomeMeal

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Kimchi Flavoured Vegan Omlette (Kimchi Besan Cheela)

Ingredients

  • Besan (chickpea/gram) flour- 1 cup
  • Onion, chopped fine-1 small
  • Green peas-2 tablespoons
  • Green chilies, chopped fine-2 (optional)
  • Coriander, chopped fine- 1.5 tablespoons
  • Kimchi, chopped to small pieces- 3 tablespoons or to taste
  • Caraway(ajwain) seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste; based on how salty the kimchi is you would need to adjust the salt added
  • Toasted coconut flakes as topping-2 tablespoons
  • Water-1.5 cups; squeeze the water from the kimchi and use it for making the batter too
  • Oil-4 tablespoons for shallow frying

Instructions

  1. In a deep bowl, add besan and stirring continuously add water gradually to make a smooth batter
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well
  3. Heat one tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan and swirl the pan to evenly spread the oil
  4. When the oil is hot, reduce heat to low and add 1 tablespoon batter to the pan and using the back of a spoon spread out the batter evenly to make a circle
  5. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook till brown; flip it over, add another tablespoon oil and cook the other side till done
  6. Serve hot topped with toasted coconut flakes and a side of dates-tamarind chutney or ketchup

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 145 Nutrition- Protein/Iron/Magnesium/Potassium/Vitamin B-6 It does wonders for your- Muscles/Sleep/Nerves/Anemia This is “My 1pm/3 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/kimchi-flavoured-vegan-omlette-kimchi-besan-cheelas/

[kkstarratings]

 

 

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Thekua | Whole Wheat Jaggery Sweets

Thekua
Thekua

I am home and so excited to share with you the recipe of Thekua, a popular Bihari sweet!

After a (thankfully) uneventful journey I am here in my quaint, sleepy little city of Bokaro and enjoying (read gorging) every (awake) moment. But in spite of all the fun and euphoria, I have not forgotten my promise which I made to bring to you some yumminess from this part of the world.  And if you have been following my stories on my Instagram feed, you might have taken a glimpse already.

So, let’s start on a sweet note. I bring to you the quintessential Bihari sweet – Thekua. Not only is this sweet a part of every major Hindu festival – Holi, Diwali or Chatth – but is also a part of every Bihari’s bag when they leave home for studies or work. It is a very strong emotional and tasty bond that we Biharis have 😉

Made with wholewheat flour, sweetened with jaggery and flavored with fennel seeds and dried coconut, these score over almost every packaged cookie in the market. Thekua can be prepared by either deep frying it in ghee or baking it. It is also the perfect accompaniment to your masala chai moments if you are looking for less sweet alternatives. Scroll down for the detailed recipe.

 

Thekua

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Thekua (Whole wheat-jaggery sweets)

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat flour- 250gm
  • Jaggery- 100 gm
  • Water- 4 tablespoons (for melting jaggery)
  • Shredded coconut- ½ cup
  • Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon
  • Fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Baking powder-½ teaspoon
  • Ghee (clarified butter) for frying- 2 cups + 2 (warm and melted) tablespoons for kneading the flour

Instructions

  1. Place the flour in a wide and deep dish suitable for kneading. Make a well in the center of the flour and add 2 tablespoons ghee. Mix the ghee with flour using both hands, rubbing the mixture between both palms for 10 minutes until both ingredients are well combined. At this point the flour will achieve a smooth talc like consistency
  2. In the meantime melt jaggery on a low flame with water, stirring consistently until a homogenous consistency is achieved. Turn off the heat and set aside till the jaggery-water mixture reaches room temperature
  3. Mix cardamom powder, fennel seeds and desiccated coconut with the flour
  4. Now, gradually add the jaggery syrup with one hand to the above mixture while continuously mixing it well with the other. Be carful to not add the entire syrup mixture in one go to avoid making the dough too wet and sticky. Once ready the dough should be relatively stiff
  5. Form the dough into small tennis sized balls and then pressing each ball gently between the palms make small diskettes. At this point you can make small patterns onto the diskettes using a toothpick or fork
  6. Heat ghee in a deep wok. Drop a tiny piece of dough into the hot ghee to check if it is hot enough for frying- the dough should rise up to the surface if the ghee is hot
  7. Fry the diskettes until dark golden brown on both sides and place on a kitchen towel to absorb excess ghee. The thekuas taste delicious even when hot or once cooled to room temperature. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they keep well for a month or two.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/thekua-whole-wheat-jaggery-sweets/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Spiced Pumpkin Cutlets from Odisha

Pumpkin Cutlets
Spiced Pumpkin Cutlets

There are recipes and there are universally accepted recipes, which three generations enjoy equally. Spiced pumpkin cutlets is the latter.

In my family, the only way pumpkin is accepted is when it is in the form of these cutlets. This is a recipe quite popular in Odisha and was passed on to me by my mother in law. It is an added bonus that they are a complete meal by themselves. I also have a mom-tip. These cutlets are great finger food for babies, especially if you practice Baby Led Weaning. Make sure you exclude the cashews to avoid choking and of course the chilies. As for all you calorie counters out there, don’t worry. I have got you covered. You can replace the potato in the cutlet with sweet potato.

While I do serve these cutlets for dinner most times, these pumpkin cutlets are great lunchbox meals for your kids and also make for the perfect accompaniment with a cup of masala chai. Serve them hot with a mint-coriander dip or tamarind-dates dip and enjoy!

Super easy to whip up, I don’t think you need more reasons to give this recipe a try. Scroll down for the detailed recipe.

Pumpkin Cutlets

 

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Spiced Pumpkin Cutlets

Ingredients

  • Half small pumpkin (chopped in cubes and boiled)- Around 1.5 cups
  • Medium sized potato (boiled and mashed)- 1
  • Bread crumbs- 2 tablespoons or more to achieve a binding consistency
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1.5 tablespoon
  • Coriander powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Amchoor (raw mango powder)- ½ teaspoon
  • Garam masala (curry powder)- ½ teaspoon
  • Red chilli powder (optional)-1/4 teaspoon
  • Chopped green chillis (optional)- 2
  • Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves- 2 tablespoons
  • Semolina (sooji)-1/4 cup
  • Himalayan or rock salt- 1.5 teaspoon or to taste
  • Cashews halved vertically-6-8
  • Oil for shallow frying- 4 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Boil the pumpkin in a pressure cooker or a wok with some water until soft. Drain away the water (you can retain the water for making veg stock) and mash the pumpkin to a smooth paste and let it come to room temperature.
  2. Mix the mashed pumpkin with the mashed potato and the remaining ingredients (except semolina and cashews) to make a semi-solid mixture. While adding bread crumbs be cautious to do it gradually as too little wouldn't help bind and too much would make the cutlets taste like just bread.Shape the mixture into palm sized discs 1-1.5 cm thick. At this point you can pop them into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes so the cutlets harden a bit making them easy to fry.
  3. Place the semolina (sooji) on a flat surface so it spreads evenly and coat the discs evenly with it on both sides
  4. Pressing gently, place the cashews in the center of the discs and shallow fry in a non-stick pan on medium heat flipping half way through till both sides are evenly brown
  5. Serve hot with a side of mint-coriander dip or tamarind-dates dip

Notes

Calories (for 2 tikkis)- 90
Nutrition- Vitamin A/ Beta-carotene/Vitamin C/Vitamin E
It does wonders for your- Heart/Eyes/Skin/Blood Pressure
This is “My 3pm/1pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/spiced-pumpkin-cutlets-from-odisha/

[kkstarratings]

 

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Coconut, Dates and Almond Energy Balls

Energy Balls
Coconut, Dates and Almond Energy Balls

I did not get the memo 📝 ! I should have known that being a food blogger on Instagram gets especially injurious to health come festivities. Every second picture on my feed is a mithai! How on earth is someone with a major sweet tooth try and stay off sugar?

But it is festival time. And the pictures weren’t helping. So, I decided to be a bit kind to myself. My husband had a work trip to India. Perfect timing, right?  I got my husband to get 5 boxes of mithai on his way back from India. Now, while I was waiting for the precious parcel to be delivered, I thought of treating myself (and the kids of course ;)) to some healthy desserts. Hence these coconut, dates, and almond energy balls.

They are extremely easy to whip up and even easier to gulp down, as these energy balls are refined sugar-free and therefore guilt-free too. I made two versions – one with raw cacao and one without. Both were equally delicious. Apart from being great energy boosters, they also make great lunch box snacks for kids. Here is the recipe which was inspired by Natasha Minocha’s Coconut Almond Rose Bliss Balls recipe.

Energy Balls

Energy Balls

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Coconut-Dates-Almond Energy Balls

Ingredients

  • Dates- 12
  • Desiccated coconut- ½ cup
  • Almond meal (see here for an easy almond meal recipe - http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-diy-almo-14350)- ½ cup
  • Pistachio and Almonds (chopped fine)- 6-8 each kind
  • White Sesame seeds (dry roasted)- 2 tablespoons
  • Vanilla or Rose essence (as per preferred flavor preference)- 1 teaspoon
  • Raw cacao- 2 tablespoons
  • Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Soak the pitted dates in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes to soften them for ease of blending
  2. Drain the water and reserve.Combine all ingredients in a high power blender to form a smooth paste. If chocolate flavor is not preferred, exclude the raw cacao
  3. To the blended mixture, add 1-tablespoon coconut oil and mix well. If the mixture seems too wet add more almond meal/desiccated coconut or if it is too dry add a teaspoon or two of the water reserved in step 2
  4. Form into small balls and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These yummy delights keep well for 10-15 days in the refrigerator

Notes

Calories (per ball)- 20
Nutrition-Calcium/ Iron/Manganese/ Magnesium/Phosphorous/Copper/Vitamin B Complex
It does wonders for your- Energy/Hair/Skin/Immunity/ Cardiovascular health/Sleep/Gut/Anemia
This is “My 10am/3pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/coconut-dates-almond-energy-balls/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Beetroot Dip And It’s 100% Vegan

Beetroot Dip
Vegan Beetroot Dip

This vegan beetroot dip though was by no means a result of any kind of pre-meditated experimentation.

I tend to get bored of stuff very easily. Therefore, even if I am making the same old daal in my kitchen I like to play around with the regular ingredients. More often than not the results are not too bad 🙂

The other day, I was craving a mini Mediterranean feast. I was all set to prepare one until I opened the refrigerator and realized I had run out of yogurt! And I almost never, ever run out of yogurt. Anyway! Lack of yogurt was by no means going to stop me from creating my “favortiest” dip ever, for I was a woman on a mission.

A quick google search yielded some recipes with walnut but guess what, I did not have any walnuts on hand too! Now, this was the Almighty and Mr. Murphy throwing an open challenge and how could I not accept?!? I did not have yogurt, I did not have walnuts but what I did have was cashews and lots of gumption and I was off!

The results were well received and bowls licked clean. So, here is the beetroot dip recipe for you to try.

Beetroot Dip

 

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Vegan Beetroot Dip

Ingredients

  • Oven roasted beetroot (medium sized)-2 (see here the perfect technique to roast beetroots- http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-beets-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-172827)
  • Garlic- 6 cloves
  • Raw cashews – 12-14 kernels approximately
  • Cumin seeds- ½ teaspoon
  • Coriander seeds- ½ teaspoon
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice- 2 teaspoons
  • Green chili (seeded and finely chopped)-1 (optional)
  • Salt- ¼ teaspoon or to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil- 1 tablespoon
  • Toasted pine nuts-1 tablespoon for topping

Instructions

  1. Roast the beetroots in an oven as per the link above, bring to room temperature and peel off the skin. Alternatively you can boil the beetroot but roasting imparts a deeper flavor to the dip
  2. Dry-roast the garlic pods on a thick-bottomed skillet on medium high heat or on a baking tray in an oven until they are tender. Always roast the pods with the skin to avoid burning. The skin can be easily peeled off after they are roasted
  3. While the beetroots are roasting, soak the cashews in a cup of warm water for 15-20 minutes
  4. Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds on a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the seeds release their distinct fragrance. Take off the skillet and let cool, then pound to a powder or blend in a blender
  5. Once the beetroots have come to room temperature, cut into small cubes and in a high speed blender blend them together with the roasted spices, garlic, lemon juice, green chili (if using), salt and olive oil. Adjust salt and lime if necessary, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with chopped peanuts and serve with some toasted pita or whole-meal crackers

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 90
Nutrition- Folate/Manganese/Potassium/Copper/Fiber/Magnesium/Phosphorus/Vitamin C/Iron/Vitamin B6/Copper
It does wonders for your- Blood Pressure/Sleep/Immunity/Skin health/Joints/Bones
This is “My 10am/3 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/vegan-beetroot-dip/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal

Roasted Crispy Masala Chickpeas

Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted Crispy Masala Chickpeas

Rice and lentils have been a staple in the Indian subcontinent since time immemorial. With the variety of lentils that are a part of any Indian pantry whipping up a healthy wholesome meal is most times a no-brainer. All one needs is some kind of vegetable on the side and done! It really is that simple. I have always cooked various recipes with these lovely lentils as a part of our everyday meal but it was not until I attended Christine’s @conscious_cooking workshop, that I came across these crunchy golden nuggets – Oven Roasted Chickpeas.

Another quick-fix meal with slow-cooked herb flavored brown rice on the side. I cooked mine in chicken broth for added flavor. You could use vegetable broth or water. It does not compromise on either taste or flavor. There are several recipes for roasted chickpeas available online, though I gave mine a bit of an Indian twist with chaat masala, lemon, and chicken curry masala. The fun is in playing around with the spices. You can add or minus any based on your taste preference or double up on your favored ones as I did with red chili powder.

They taste the best and crispiest when hot and just out of the oven. Alternatively, you could store them in an air-tight container in a refrigerator and pop into a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes before consumption. Here is the recipe

 

Roasted Chickpeas

 

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Roasted Crispy Masala Chickpeas

Ingredients

  • Boiled or canned chickpeas-1.5 cups
  • Olive oil-2-3 tablespoons
  • Salt or Garlic salt-1 teaspoon
  • Chaat Masala or Amchoor powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Chicken curry masala-2 teaspoons
  • Dry roasted Red Chili powder-1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees centigrade and line a baking sheet with foil, spray some olive oil evenly and keep aside
  2. If using canned chickpeas, rinse thoroughly under running water or cool the boiled chickpeas completely under running water and dry well on a paper towel so that no moisture remains
  3. In a deep bowl place the chickpeas oil and salt and mix well and place it in the oven for 10 minutes
  4. After 10 minutes bring them out and transfer to a wooden or a heat proof glass bowl, sprinkle chaat masala, chili powder and chicken curry masala, give it a good mix and place it back on the baking sheet and bake for another 10-15 minutes
  5. The roasting time varies from oven to oven so watch out for over-roasting or burning during the last few minutes. Perfectly roasted chickpeas turn golden brown with slightly dark patches

Notes

Calories (per cup)- 134
Nutrition- Protein punch/ Fiber/Calcium/Magnesium/Potassium/Vitamin A/Folate
It does wonders for your- Bones/Sleep/Gut/Muscles/Nerves/Eyes/Hair
This is “My 3 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/roasted-crispy-masala-chickpeas/

[kkstarratings]