Category: Recipes

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Breakfast | 8am Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Custard Apple and Mango Fruit Pudding

Fruit Pudding
Custard Apple and Mango Fruit Pudding

Summer and its bounties are plentiful, more so the fruits and hence the fruit pudding.

With all the fruits available in summer, I believe it is Mother Nature trying to tell us to stay hydrated and cool. I always try and eat seasonally available fruits as much as I can. It is definitely easier said than done. Plenty of my favorite winter produce is available all year round – usually imported from down under, where it is winter during our summer.

Staying true to my “I eat only seasonal fruits” belief, come summer, I make sure to totally go overboard with fruits like mango and lychees. This time around, I was pleasantly surprised to see my other summer favorite, custard apples at the market. Definitely not the season for them, but I just couldn’t resist picking one (sorry! guilty as charged 🙁 ).

With two of my favorite summer fruits on hand, a delicious concoction was in order and thus this custard apple and mango with basil seeds fruit pudding came to be. Quick tip. Try and include as much basil (sabja) seeds as possible in your diet this summer. They are great coolants and superb for digestion and weight loss. Follow the steps below in this simple recipe and enjoy this delicious pudding.

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Custard Apple-Mango Pudding

Ingredients

  • Mango (medium sized Alphonso/Langda. I used latter)- 1
  • Custard Apple (medium sized, seeds removed)-1
  • Coconut milk (I used Kara brand)- 2 tablespoons
  • Sabja (basil) seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Honey or brown sugar (optional if the fruits are already very sweet)- 2 teaspoons

Instructions

  1. Blend the mango pulp and 1 tablespoon coconut milk (and 1 teaspoon sugar or honey if using).Add half teaspoon sabja seeds, mix well and set aside
  2. Blend the custard apple and the remaining coconut milk (and 1 teaspoon sugar or honey if using). Add half teaspoon sabja seeds and mix well and set aside
  3. Pour the custard apple mixture followed by mango mixture into a tall glass
  4. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving. This gives time for the layers to form well and sabja seeds to swell up imparting a distinct crunchiness to the pudding

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 60
Nutrition- Vitamins C, A, B6/ Potassium/Magnesium/Copper/Fiber
It does wonders for your- Hair/Eyes/Heart/Skin/Immunity/Digestion
This is “My 8am/10am/3 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/custard-apple-mango-fruit-pudding/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Chicken Dum Biryani With Beetroot Raita

Chicken Dum Biryani
Chicken Dum Biryani With Beetroot Raita

If I were to go on a diet and be allowed just one cheat meal in a month, that meal would be Chicken Dum Biryani.

When I graduated from just a “noodles-sandwich” cook to a proper cook, one of the first dishes I wanted to make was biryani. I tried quite a few (and I mean QUITE a few) but nothing would match the authentic Hyderabadi Biryani. My search finally ended with Chef Sanjay Thumma’s restaurant-style biryani recipe. It is one of the simplest and yet the best I have tried so far. I must have made it at least 20 times if not more in the last few years. Each time it is appreciated and licked clean off the plate by one and all.

With multiple attempts, I have tweaked the recipe a bit but even if you follow Chef Sanjay’s original one to the T, the results would be as good. Let the list of ingredients not intimidate you. It really is extremely simple! Give it a shot and you would be hooked, just like me! You may serve it with a tomato and onion raita. However, what you see in the picture is the chicken dum biryani with beetroot raita.

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Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients

  • Chicken (a mix of drumsticks and thighs)- 500gm (remove the skin off the drumsticks and dice the thighs in approximately 2 inch sized cubes)
  • Long grained basmati rice- 1.5 cups
  • Hyderabadi Biryani Masala (I use Shaan brand. Chef Sanjay makes fresh masala but I struggle to find lichens here so just use the packaged masala)-3 tablespoons+1 tablespoon
  • Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder-1 teaspoon
  • Red Chili powder-1/2 -1 teaspoon or as per taste
  • Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
  • Fresh mint Leaves (finely chopped)- 3 tablespoons
  • Fresh coriander Leaves (finely chopped)- 3 tablespoons
  • Freshly squeezed lime juice- 2 tablespoons
  • Yogurt-3 tablespoons
  • Green chili (finely chopped)-2 or to taste
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tablespoons
  • Onion (1 medium)- Sliced fine
  • Tomato (1 small)- Chopped
  • Rose water-1 teaspoon (for fragrance only and doesn’t impact the taste so you can avoid if it doesn’t go well with you)
  • Kewra water-1 teaspoon (for fragrance only and doesn’t impact the taste so you can avoid if it doesn’t go well with you)
  • Whole garam masala (1 mace, 1 star anise, 2 centimeters long cinnamon bark, 1 big cardamom, 4 small cardamoms) wrapped and tied in a small muslin cloth
  • Bay leaf-2
  • Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
  • Saffron- 4-6 strands
  • Salt-1.5 tablespoon+1teaspoon+1 tablespoon
  • Vegetable oil- 2 tablespoons+1/2 tablespoon+1 tablespoon
  • Ghee- 1 tablespoon
  • Whole wheat aata for making dough to seal the wok (the method is called dum)

Instructions

  1. Marinating-The most important step is the marinating the meat overnight. If you perfect this step, 70% of the job is done. Take a large glass bowl and mix ingredients number 1-13 (except the basmati rice) well. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1.5 tablespoons salt. Mix again, cover and place it in the refrigerator overnight to marinate. Minimum 4 hours of marinating is recommended.
  2. Preparing the biryani- Keep the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before cooking. Soak the rice in water for an hour
  3. In a thick-bottomed wok (kadahi) add ½ tablespoon oil. Add sliced onion once the oil is hot and fry till golden brown. Keep aside half the amount for garnish later and to the remaining half add chopped tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Once the tomatoes are soft, add 1-tablespoon biryani masala and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the masala is cooked through and starts to leave oil. Add 1-teaspoon salt, mix well for 2 minutes and keep aside
  4. Bring 3 cups water to boil in a deep wok and add the soaked rice, 1/2-tablespoon oil and 1-tablespoon salt, bay leaves and cumin seeds. As the rice is previously soaked, it would not take long to cook. Please note that we are not going to completely cook the rice at this stage as it would further cook with the chicken during the dum process
  5. While the rice is cooking, place the marinated chicken in the same heavy bottomed wok which you used to fry onions making sure all the chicken pieces are uniformly touching the base of the wok and not overlapping each other. To ensure this please use a wide bottomed wok. We do not turn on the heat yet
  6. Once the rice is 70% cooked turn off the heat and with the help of a strainer, take the rice out and place it gradually over the chicken layer. Make sure you do not add any water from the rice to the chicken wok during the straining process. Please note that we are not draining the water out of the rice all at one go, rather taking rice out with a strainer gradually and adding to the chicken
  7. Once you have transferred the entire rice, make a small well on one side of the rice-chicken layer and place the muslin tied whole garam masalas. This would add more fragrance to your biryani
  8. Spread the previously cooked tomato-onion mixture, saffron, rose and kewra water and ghee on top of the rice evenly and seal. How you seal would vary based on the kind of wok you use. I used a Le-creuset, which has a heavy lid, so I just covered as usual and then sealed the edges using kneaded dough. If you are using a wok with a light steel lid then place the lid upside down and then seal with the dough to avoid any steam leakage. Please note that the dum process involves cooking the meat (and rice) in its own steam thus retaining maximum flavor of rice, meat and spices. Hence proper leak-free sealing is important (see here for tips to proper sealing- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUC_Ksz1oPg)
  9. Place a flat iron pan on high heat and place the above sealed wok on it. Let it cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, remove the pan and place the wok on direct heat. Let this sit for another 15 minutes before turning off the heat. Wait for 20 minutes before taking off the dough seal using a kitchen knife. Open the lid gradually as it would still be very hot with steam inside
  10. Serve hot garnished with friend onion, mint and coriander and onion-tomato raita. I served with some beetroot raita and raw onion rings drizzled with lime and salt

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 380 (please note that I have used more chicken and less rice hence controlling the total carb intake making it lower than a traditional biryani. You could also swap chicken thighs with breast portion to further reduce the calories)
Nutrition- Protein/Fiber/Good fat
It does wonders for your- Muscles/Mood/Gut
This is “My 1 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/chicken-dum-biryani/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal

Rooh Afza Popsicles With Coconut Water

Rooh Afza Popsicles
Rooh Afza Popsicles With Strawberry and Coconut Water

Hey! It is summer and the world is making popsicles and I am following suit!

A few weeks back I saw the very talented Mallika Basu post an extremely alluring picture of a Rooh Afza popsicles on her Instagram feed. What a genius idea to make a popsicle out of this extremely refreshing summer cooler! For the uninitiated, let me bring you into my corner. Rooh Afza is a brightly pink coloured concentrated fruit squash a lot of us grew up either loving or despising in India. Usually used to make a cooling drink to beat the Indian summer heat, over time Rooh Afza has been used to make milkshakes, desserts, cookies, and cocktails. So, Rooh Afza popsicles are just another example of the versatility of this squash.

And well I just had to try it out. However, because I have a certain militant in the house who isn’t as big a fan of Rooh Afza as I am, I made this two-layered democratic popsicle for universal acceptance at home.

Honestly, there is really no right or wrong way to make this. Just play around with the ingredients based on your taste and fancies. Pour it all into a popsicle mold, and forget about it for a few hours! A refreshing mood lifter would be ready and waiting for you to beat the afternoon heat and slump.

If you have any favorite Rooh Afza recipes, do share them in the comments below. Or even better maybe recommend what I should make next!

 

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Roohafza-Strawberry-Coconut Water Popsicle

Ingredients

  • Fresh strawberries (washed and chopped)- 1 cup and 1 tablespoon sliced
  • Coconut water- ½ cup
  • Greek yogurt or thick regular yogurt- ½ cup
  • Roohafza (see here for description- https://www.amazon.com/Hamdard-Rooh-Sharbat-Syrup-fl-oz/dp/B00D7D1FHY) - 2 tablespoons or more if you like the popsicle to be sweeter
  • Chopped pistachios and/or other nuts of your choice- 3 tablespoons ( I mixed the nuts with other ingredients before pouring into the mould but if you like you could just sprinkle on the periphery to have a crunchy base
  • Dried rose petals (optional)- 1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. Blend the chopped strawberries in a high-speed blender (I used my nutribullet) along with coconut water and set aside. You could add some sugar or honey if the strawberries are not very sweet
  2. Blend the yogurt and roohafza with a wire whisk and set aside. You could also blend all the ingredients together and pour into the mould. I preferred to make two layers, one light with strawberry flavoured coconut water and another slightly denser one with yogurt and roohafza
  3. Pour the mixture from step one halfway into the mould. Place thinly sliced strawberries followed by chopped nuts and the mixture from step two
  4. Finish off with a topping of chopped pisatchios and dried rose petals
  5. Freeze in the freezer overnight and serve as an afternoon snack

Notes

Calories (per popsicle)- 25
Nutrition- Vitamin C/ Folate/Magnesium/Manganese/Calcium
It does wonders for your- Immunity/Skin/Heart/Stress/Muscle tension/Detox
This is “My 3pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/rooh-afza-popsicles-coconut-water/

[kkstarratings]

 

 

 

 

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal

Soba Noodles in Hot Peanut Sauce

Soba Noodles
Soba Noodles With Peanut Sauce

Some days you have all the time to linger over a meal and serve it piping hot, right off the stove. And for the other not so leisurely ones, you have soba noodles!

Traditionally served cold, these are so easy to put together and perfect pick me up for dinner on a sultry summer evening. Though today these noodles are popular in Japan, I read that they actually originated in China. Let me know if you have heard anything different. It always interests me to find a little bit more about the food we eat. What about you?

Coming back to the recipe, I have also shared a detailed recipe for the peanut sauce that adds the extra zing to this dish. One thing to keep in mind is to not overcook the noodles. I recommend checking intermittently to avoid this. Saving the best tip for last, team it up with a glass of sake and these are totally unbeatable. I got you at sake, didn’t I? Well! What else could one ask for when the temperatures are soaring! Try this recipe and you can thank me later.

If you want a colder version of the soba noodles, try the soba noodles salad recipe.

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Soba Noodles in Hot Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

  • Soba noodles (green or black. I prefer green but either is great)- 150gm
  • Carrot (peeled and cut into thin strips)-1
  • Purple cabbage (cut into thin strips)-1 cup or you could add regular cabbage or lettuce for the crunch
  • Peanut butter (normal or reduced fat)-2 tablespoons
  • Low sodium light soy sauce- 1 tablespoon
  • Honey- 2 tablespoons
  • Rice wine vinegar (not to be confused with rice wine or mirin)-1.5 tablespoons
  • Sesame oil- 2 tablespoons
  • Chili-garlic sauce (or Sriracha sauce)- 1 tablespoon or to taste (make sure not to add too much of it as it is quite salty and combined with soy sauce might make the dish quite high on salt
  • Garlic (minced)- 1 clove
  • Ginger (chopped)- 1 tablespoon
  • Spring Onions (chopped fine)- ½ cup
  • Toasted sesame seeds- 3 tablespoons
  • Hard boiled egg (optional)-1

Instructions

  1. Boil the soba noodles as per packet instructions, drain and place under running tap water to stop the cooking process. The noodles do not take very long (5 -7 minutes at most) to cook so check intermittently making sure not to overcook
  2. Mix all the ingredients for sauce (number 4 -11) in a small bowl and keep aside
  3. Once the noodles have cooled down add the chopped vegetables (except spring onions) and mix with the prepared sauce
  4. Garnish with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve with a side of hard-boiled eggs. You could also add roasted peanuts for an added crunch
  5. This is a complete meal in itself but you could also add cooked and diced tandoori-chicken to the noodles or even pan-fried tofu (see here for an easy tofu recipe-https://onewholesomemeal.com/2017/07/08/tangy-spiced-tofu-bites/) for an added protein punch

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 120
Nutrition- Protein/Fiber/ Vitamin B-1/Magnesium/Zinc/Potassium/Iron
It does wonders for your- Muscles/Gut/ Heart/Bone health/Metabolism
This is “My 8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/soba-noodles-in-hot-peanut-sauce/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Tangy Cauliflower in Roasted Peanut, Chana Daal

Tangy Cauliflower
Tangy Cauliflower in Roasted Peanut and Chana Daal

Are you tired of the same old cauliflower curry recipes and looking for a change? Then this tangy cauliflower with peanut-roasted chana (split bengal gram) daal is just the thing for you. Cauliflower is S senior’s (that would be my husband ;)) favorite vegetable and he wants to eat it all year-round. It is somewhat difficult for me to eat the same onion-tomato cauliflower curry each time. So this time I tried something new with the readily available ingredients in my kitchen and the result was this tangy cauliflower.

This dryish preparation goes well with hot chapatis but if you want to eat with rice then you could make the gravy slightly more watery. I also topped it with sprouted lentils for an added crunch and health. Try it out and do not forget to share your feedback.

If like S senior, cauliflower is your favorite vegetable too, do try out the Achaari Paalak Gobhi and the Tandoori Cauliflower & Nuts Pulaao.

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Cauliflower in Roasted Peanut-Chana Daal Masala

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower- 250gm
  • Potato, medium sized (optional)- 1 (cubed)
  • Roasted peanuts- ¼ cup
  • Roasted split Bengal gram- ¼ cup
  • Amchoor (dry mango powder)- 1 tablespoon
  • Sambhar masala – 1 tablespoon
  • Dried red chili- 2
  • Tomato, medium sized- 1
  • Onion, medium sized- 1
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1.5 tablespoons
  • Cumin seeds- ½ teaspoon
  • Sprouted lentils-1/2 cup
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste
  • Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
  • Vegetable oil- 1.5 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Blanch the cauliflowers in salted boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until just soft, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. We do not want to make the cauliflowers too soft as they tend to break when mixing with the spices
  2. Blend the roasted peanut and split Bengal gram to a powder and set aside
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok and when the oil is hot add cumin seeds and dried red chilis
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and add onion and ginger garlic paste. Sauté until onions turn a golden brown and then add tomato and sauté for further 2-3 minutes
  5. Once the mixture starts to leave oil, it is done. Transfer into a bowl and set aside to cool
  6. In the meantime sauté the potatoes in the same pan until they are 70% cooked and set aside
  7. Blend the onion-tomato mixture to a smooth puree. Add the remaining oil to the same pan and add the puree when the oil is hot. Mix well and add the peanut-gram powder, followed by amchoor, sambhar masala and turmeric. Continue to stir the mixture on a low heat until all ingredients are well incorporated
  8. Add cauliflower and potato and keeping the heat low, mix well with the spice mixture. Cover and cook until soft. Add salt and half cup water if you prefer a curry
  9. Top with sprouted lentils and chopped coriander and serve with hot chapatis

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 95
Nutrition- Protein/Fiber/Vitamins C, K, B6/Folate/Potassium/Magnesium
It does wonders for your- Muscles/Gut/Immunity/Heart/Eyes
This is “My 8pm/1pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/tangy-cauliflower-roasted-peanut-chana-daal/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Breakfast | 8am Meal

Jackfruit Idlis With Red Bell Pepper Dip

Jackfruit Idlis
Jackfruit Idlis

So, here is the last but not the least in my jackfruit series – jackfruit idlis!

Yes, how could I not make the healthiest Indian breakfast with my current favorite fruit? Dieticians recommend adding idli to your diet for weight loss due to its ‘nutrient profile‘. Made with urad daal and rice, the idli is said to contain no fat, saturated fats, or cholesterol. Thus, it promises to be a very healthy start to your day.

In my recipe, I did not use the traditional idli batter. Instead, I used the same batter I used for the jackfruit pancakes. Now, isn’t that a good tip? Pop the batter into an idli steamer and voila! You have delicious jackfruit idlis. And before you label me lazy and a shirker, I did go a wee bit further and made a sweet/spicy/tangy dip with red bell peppers and tomato to go with the idlis. I roasted these veggies in an oven before blending them for the chutney. Plus I added a secret ingredient. I flavored half of the batter with some instant coffee and boy what a deadly combo jackfruit and coffee can make! You must try these jackfruit idlis out!

Scroll down for the detailed recipe.

 

Jackfruit Idlis

 

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Jackfruit Idlis

Ingredients

  • For idli:
  • Idli rice (presoaked overnight)- 1 cup
  • Jackfruit arils (deseeded)- 1 cup (approximately 8-10 pieces)
  • Baking soda- 1 pinch
  • Brown sugar – 2 tablespoons (using brown sugar is recommended as it complements the taste and flavors of jackfruit)
  • For coffee flavored idlis add some instant coffee (cooled down) to the batter- I added 3 tablespoons to half of my batter
  • For dip:
  • Red bell pepper (large)- ½
  • Tomato (medium sized)- 1
  • Fresh Red chili (can use green as well)- 2 or more as per desired heat
  • Garlic -4 pods
  • Onion (medium sized)- ½
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with foil. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil on the foil and roast ingredients for dip for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are evenly roasted. We do not need to char the vegetables, just roast it enough to get a smoky flavor. Let it cool and blend
  2. Blend the rice and jackfruit pulp in a high-speed blender, scraping sides intermittently until a smooth consistency is achieved. You would need to add 2-4 tablespoons water so as to achieve an idli batter consistency. For the coffee flavored idlis, instead of water add instant coffee mix
  3. Place in idli steamer and steam as you would steam regular idlis. Serve hot iris with the dip

Notes

Calories (per idli)- 32
Nutrition- Vitamin A/Vitamin C/ Vitamin B complex/Fiber/Flavonoids/Potassium/Magnesium/Manganese/Iron
It does wonders for your- Hair/Gut/Eyes/Mood and Energy/Skin/Blood/Immunity/
This is “My 8am Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/jackfruit-idlis-red-bell-pepper-dip/

[kkstarratings]