Corn Meal Onion Rings

Today my recipe is corn meal onion rings.One day I heard about health benefits of yellow corn meal, from that day onwards I am trying to make different tasty dishes with corn meal. Cornmeal is loaded with many  health benefits. Cornmeal has a good amount of fat, fiber, carbohydrates, and protein, so it can be an essential part of a balanced diet.Yellow cornmeal is rich in antioxidants known to prevent cancer, muscular degeneration and cardiovascular disease.The fiber in cornmeal helps promote colon health,  prevent constipation and lowers cholesterol levels.Corn meal is gluten-free.Corn meal is beneficial for managing diabetes. Generally corn meal is used in bakery recipes like breads,cakes, muffins  etc..... in European countries, but in India we make dosa, upma, kheer etc......with corn meal. Now i made corn meal onion rings, i got this from food magazine.This recipe is very easy to make and yummy too. You can make onion rings with besan (gram flour) also. I hope you try it.............enjoy cooking............

Ingredients:

Yellow corn meal - 1/2 cup

Onion ( big size), cut into rings - 1

Ginger - garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Green chilli paste - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Chat masala powder - 1 tsp

Dhania - jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Mint ( pudina) paste (optional) - 1/2 tsp 

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method of preparation: 

1. In a mixing bowl, add above mentioned all ingredients except onion rings and oil. 
2. Add water to corn meal mixture to get dropping consistency like pakoda batter.
3. Now take a frying pan, apply little oil and take onions ring, dip into the batter and put it on  frying pan carefully.
4. Repeat the same method for all onion rings.
5. Sprinkle few drops of oil and turn the rings and roast them well. Remove from fire, sprinkle some chaat masala on corn meal onion rings.
6. Now yummy and spicy corn meal onion rings are ready to eat with tomato chutney or green chutney.

Sweet Corn Bhel

Today my recipe sweet Corn bhel is very healthy and yummy ideal snack item for all. Now plenty of sweet corns and normal corns are available in market.My husband's most favourite food sweet corn. I make different dishes with sweet corn, till now I made sweet corn soup,fried rice,tikka and chutney. Generally every one like to eat hot and spicy food in rainy season, for those people this is very tasty and healthy food.This is very simple to make.I hope you all try it and enjoy cooking............

Sweet Corn Nutrition: Sweet corn has vitamin B1, vitamin B5, vitamin C, folate, phosphorus, dietary fiber, and manganese. As an add-on to the sweet corn nutrients already stated, it also has a full array of other nutrients such as sugar, carbohydrates, soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamins, minerals, sodium, amino acids and more.

There are quite a few health benefits of sweet corn. 

1. The significant amount of folate corn supplies helps in maintaining a good health for our heart.  
2. For smokers, sweet corn consumption reduces the risk of lung cancer by 37 %. 
3. Another major health benefit from sweet corn consumption is the increase in memory levels. The reason for this is the presence of Thiamin which is traditionally known to be a key role player for energy production in a human body and also helps in increasing cognitive function. 
4. Another important element of sweet corn is panthothenic acid which is rich in Vitamin B content and helps energy production under extreme stressful conditions. 
5. For these various reasons, the consumption of sweet corn is very necessary, as it has so many health benefits. It is a good idea to include sweet corn as a staple part of your diet to a considerable extent so as to maximize the benefits that you can glean from this rich food source.

  

Ingredients:

Sweet corn kernels, boiled  - 1 cup

Tomato, cut into cubes - 1

Bell pepper (capsicum), cut into cubes - 1

Finely chopped onions - 1/4 cup

Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Chat masala - 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped coriander - 1 tbsp

Lime juice - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Heat oil in pan, add onions and saute until it turns into soft.
2. Add tomato slices, bell pepper (capsicum) and saute until done.
3. Add jeera powder, salt and red chilli powder and mix well.
4. Now add boiled sweet corn kernels and mix properly and saute for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
5. Add chat masala and coriander leaves and mix well.
6. Finally add lime juice and serve it.
7. Now yummy and tasty sweet corn bhel is ready to eat.

Appam

Today I am giving to u a popular Kerala break fast recipe is Appam. We went kerala 2 years back for honey moon, then we tasted appam for breakfast, really it was yummy and mouth watering. My husband like to eat appam very much. One day my husband asked me to make appam for breakfast, then i searched for appam recipes and got it from Indian food blog. I tried it and it was really nice and spongy. My husband gave compliments on it, then i have a confidence to make perfect appams. In this recipe I used mainly raw rice, cooked rice, coconut and yeast. Instead of yeast you can use baking salt. Appam is good with coconut chutney or vegetable stew. Here I made chana ( chick peas) stew or curry, it was really tasty with appam than coconut chutney. I hope you all try it.............Happy cooking.........
 

Ingredients:
Raw rice / Par boiled rice - 1 1/2 cups

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2 tsp

Cooked rice - 1/3 cup
Dry yeast - 1/2 tsp  
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Wash and soak the rice for 6 hours. Drain the water well.
2. Grind the raw rice and cooked rice along with grated coconut. Remove from the grinder and add the sugar, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp yeast  in 1/2 cup of Luke warm water. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes and allow it to rise, add to the rice paste and mix very well. The batter should be dropping consistency.Cover and keep for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Pour 1 big spoon of the batter into a deeper non-stick tava. Slowly rotate the batter on the tava so that a thin layer forms on the side and the middle remains thick.
5. Cover with lid and allow it to cook for around 3 minutes on medium heat. When the center of appam is done and the edges start detaching, remove the appam carefully from the pan. Do not flip appams.
6. If you like the edges or laces to be golden brown, add more sugar to the batter.
7. Serve hot with Chana (chick peas) stew or coconut chutney. 

For chana (small chick peas) curry :

Ingredients:

Boiled chana (small chick peas) - 1 cup

Tomato, cut into slices - 2

Onions paste - 2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Green chilli paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Finely chopped coriander - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste 

Method of preparation:

1. Heat oil in pan, add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
2. Add onion paste and saute it.
3. Add tomato slices, green chilli paste and turmeric and mix well.
4. Add boiled chana ( chick peas) and 1/2 cup water and mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Finally add salt and coriander leaves and mix well.
6. Now yummy chana curry is ready to eat with appams.

Ragi Cake

Hi friends, today I am giving yummy and healthy ragi cake.Ragi is rich iron food so definitely we should add our daily diet in any form like idly, dosa, soup or famous food for south Indians is ragi sankhati etc. I am trying different recipes with ragi. My last recipe is ragi dhokla, this is very yummy and tasty too.One day I wanted to make cake with ragi flour.I got a standard formula for egg less sponge cake so I used ragi flour instead of maida(all purpose flour). I tried it and it was successful. Really I was surprised that ragi cake was so soft and yummy. My friends also tasted it and gave good compliments. I think it is very healthy and tasty too. Definitely you can prepare these type of cakes for kids instead of maida (all purpose flour) cakes. It is very easy to make. Actually here I cut the cake into small pieces by using heart shape cookie cutter. You can cut it in any shape. I made it in micro wave oven. You can make it either in oven or pressure cooker. I am giving two procedures. I hope you like it and enjoy cooking............

 Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1/2cup

Ragi flour - 1  cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curds or Yogurt - 5 tsp

Oil - 1/4 cup

Salt - 1 pinch

Vanilla essence - 3 drops

Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp

Coco powder - 4 tsp

Nuts (cashew,almond) , finely chopped - 2 tbsp

Dates, finely chopped - 2 tbsp

Butter for greasing

Oven method:

1.  Preheat the oven for 10 minutes. 
2. Cream the sugar and yogurt(thick curd) till the sugar melts.
3. Add baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and keep aside for 3 to 5minutes till the bubbles appear. 
4. Add the vegetable oil and essence. Mix well.
5. Add the sieved ragi flour and wheat flour and mix well but slowly and little at a time ( 2 tbsp at a time) 
6. Add coco powder,salt and nutmeg powder and mix well.
7. Add dry fruits and dates and mix gently.
8. Grease the pan with butter and dusting with flour slightly.    
9. Transfer the mix into the 6" pan.      
10. Slowly pat the pan on the floor to remove any air.  
11. Bake it at 200 degree Centigrade for 10 minutes. 
12. Then reduce the temperature to 175 degree and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. 
13. Allow it to cool and turn it on the decorating plate after some time.

  Pressure cooker method:

1. This cake can also be made in pressure cooker.
2.  Here we can use aluminum bowl or other than stain less steel.
3. Grease the pan with butter and dusting with flour slightly.
4. Transfer the cake batter in to pan.
5. Keep the empty bowl (any) in pressure cooker in invert position.
6. Now put the cake pan on it and close the lid without weight.
7. Keep the flame on high for 5 minutes, on medium for 7 minutes, and on low for 5 minutes.
8. In meanwhile we can check it once with toothpick. Depending upon quantity sometimes it takes more time to bake.
9. Allow it to cool and turn it on the decorating plate after some time.   
   
   
    Here, I cut the cake into small heart shape pieces by using cookie cutter. Enjoy this tasty and lovely cake with a cup of tea.

Wheat Ravva Idly

  Today my recipe is wheat ravva idly. I have posted wheat idly previous. One day I was searching about healthy breakfast recipes then I got it. Next day I prepared it for breakfast along with coconut chutney, taste was yummy. It is very simple to make as well as nutritious food. We never get bored to eat idlis daily by making these different types of idlis. You can add your favourite vegetables also. Here I used soaked moong dal and onions to wheat idly batter. Wheat is a good alternative for diabetics and weight-watchers. So when you feel guilty eating rice products, this is every healthy alternative. Curd is used in this recipe but can be substituted with curd prepared from low fat milk. Wheat is rich in catalytic elements, mineral salts, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, chlorine, arsenic, silicon, manganese, zinc, iodide, copper, vitamin B, vitamin E and ferments. Thereby, you can call wheat as the base foundation of nourishment. Issues like anemia, demineralization, gallstones, breast cancer, chronic inflammation, obesity, asthenia, tuberculosis, pregnancy problems and breastfeeding problems are smartly dealt by whole wheat. Wheat is also known to fight cholesterol. I hope you should add this recipe to your breakfast menu to maintain good health......Happy cooking........ 

Ingredients:  

Wheat rava (broken wheat) - 2 1/2 cups

Moong dal - 2 tbsp

Onions,  finely chopped - 1

Green chilli, finely chopped - 1

Ginger, finely chopped - 2 tsp

Sour Curds or sour thick Buttermilk - 2 cups

Coriander ,finely chopped - 2 tsp
Grated Coconut (optional) - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste
 

For seasoning:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Channa dhal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Ground nuts (peanuts) - 1 tbsp
 

Method of preparation:

1. First,dry roast the ravva and keep it aside.
2. Soak the yellow moong dal in water for 15 minutes.
3. Mix roasted rava (dry roast the rava) with curd or buttermilk without lumps. 
4. Add onions, ginger, green chilli and coriander leaves and mix well.
5. Add soaked moong dal, grated coconut and salt and mix well.
6. Heat oil, add seasonings and pour over the mixture. Ferment the batter for half an hour.
7. After fermentation, mix the batter thoroughly and pour in greased idly plates and steam for about 10 minutes. 
8. Serve yummy wheat ravva idly with chutney of your choice, or just plain.

Besan ka palak

Today my recipe is besan ka palak. This is a famous North Indian recipe. I learned it from my north Indian friend.This is very healthy and tasty too. I tried it and taste was yummy. Recipe process is very interesting to make and simple too. Besan ka palak is completely based on steam cooking so I preferred to make it. It has both protein rich basin (chickpea flour) and iron rich palak(spinach).
  Basin (chickpea flour) is quite low in saturated fat and sodium, is an excellent source of total folates and manganese, and is a good source of protein, dietary fiber and copper.  
         Spinach is a rich source of vitamin A and reduces the risk of eye diseases.  
Spinach is also rich in potassium and low in sodium.The amount of folate present in spinach also reduces hypertension.  Another important mineral, iron, which is found abundantly in spinach, is known to reproduce red blood cells, thereby preventing chances of anemia. The same iron is also useful for boosting the body’s metabolism, leading to more fat burning and giving way to reduce weight.  
It is advisable for pregnant women to include spinach in their regular diet as folate found in it is needed by the growing fetus for development of a new nervous system. Also, vitamin A present in spinach is required for the lung development of the fetus as well as during breast feeding. 
Any how both besan and palak is good combination to maintain good health. I hope you try it and be healthy..............
 

 Ingredients: 

Besan (Chickpea Flour ) - 1/2 cup  
Spinach (palak), chopped - 1 cup 
Jeera - 1/2 tsp 
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Onion paste - 4tbsp 
Tomato puree - 3 tbsp 
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp 
Dhania-jeera powder - 1 tsp 
Coriander leaves - few
Salt to taste 
Oil - 3 tsp 

Method of preparation:

Combine besan, palak (spinach), salt, red chilli powder and 1 tbsp oil with water and knead to a smooth dough. Shape into lemon sized balls and keep it aside.

 Boil water in a deep pot, add the balls and simmer till cooked. Drain the water and keep the cooked besan palak balls in a plate.
 

 In a small pan, heat ½ tbsp oil, add jeera and fry till it browns. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds.
Add onion paste and fry until it browns and add tomato puree and saute it for 2 minutes.
Add red chilli powder and dhania - jeera power and mix well.
Now add besan-palak balls and mix well. Add 1/4 cup water and cover and cook for few minutes.

Finally add salt and coriander leaves and mix well and remove from flame.
Now yummy and healthy besan ka palak is ready to eat with steamed rice or roti.

Stuffed Rajma Paratha

Today my recipe is yummy and healthy rajma paratha.  Any stuffed partha is favorite food for my husband and definitely I make them thrice in a month. Every time I really want to make a healthier version of parathas and at the same time tasty too. So I choose Rajma (red kidney beans) to make the filling for the paratha and it came out really well. Kidney Beans are rich in soluble fiber, so these are good in lowering cholesterol.They are a good source of protein, folate, iron, manganese and zinc. Kidney bean is also a good source of iron and potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus and copper. The bad thing about kidney beans is that they are high in saturated fat and sodium.The high soluble fiber in kidney beans help to eliminate cholesterol from the body and help cleanse the digestive tract. The high fiber may, however, cause wind in stomach. They also contain purines, so if you are suffering from gout or kidney stones, you should limit kidney beans in your diet.
                                                  I hope you follow my recipe and enjoy cooking........

For dough: 
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Water as required
salt - 1/2 tsp
 

For filling: 

Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) - 1 cup 
Onions,finely chopped - 2
Tomato, finely chopped - 1 
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
Dhania - jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp 
Chilly powder - 2 tsp 
Garam masala - 1 tsp 
Coriander leaves - few 
Salt to taste
oil - 1 tbsp

  Method of preparation:

1. Combine wheat flour and salt in a bowl, mix well and knead into a soft dough, using enough water and cover with cloth and keep it aside for sometime.   
2. Soak the rajma in water over night. Cook the soaked beans in pressure cooker for 6 whistles.
3. Mash the cooked rajma into a smooth paste. You can even run it in mixie adding some water to it to make the paste.
4. Take 2 tsps of oil in a pan and drop in the cumin seeds. Once it splutters, add the chopped onion and fry until it turns golden brown.
5. Now add tomato slices and saute until soft.
6. Add ginger-garlic paste and mix well.
7. Now add the mashed rajma paste to the pan along with chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, dhania-jeera powder and salt. Mix them well and cook on medium flame for a while till it becomes thick.
8. Finally add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Remove from the flame and let it cool for some time.
9. Now Rajma filling is ready to make paratha. 

1. Now take paratha dough and roll out a portion of the dough into a circle.
2. Place a portion of the stuffing (rajma mixture) at the center and bring the edges together at the center to seal tightly.
3. Roll out again into a circle carefully with little pressure,using little flour for rolling.
4. Heat a tava and cook each paratha, using little oil, till golden brown spots appear on both the sides.
5. Repeat the same steps to make for all parathas.
6. Now yummy and healthy rajma parathas are ready to eat with any curry or fresh curd.

Dahi Poha

Today my recipe is  very nutritious and tasty Dahi poha. Poha, is one of the nutrient choice for breakfast, My hubby is fond of this dish. At least twice in a week I prepare it for him. It is very easy to make. This is the best replacement to curd rice for non eaters. This is a ideal breakfast in summer. Poha is light on the stomach and easy to digest. It is a source of instant energy on account of the rice content. Peanuts contained in Poha are good source of protein and antioxidants, and also considered good for the heart. Curd has high vitamin and calcium contents with protein. Consuming curd increases the capacity to absorb the nutrients and minerals form other food stuffs. Curd keeps digestive system healthy, has more Vitamin B Complex than milk. Studies have suggested that consumption of curd might help reduce the risk of high blood pressure. I made dahi poha along with some vegetables like capsicum,tomato and onions. You can add your favorite vegetables also. I used as raw vegetables so it was tasty and healthy too. I think this is the best food for kids to older people.    I hope you follow my recipe.........Enjoy cooking..........
 
Ingredients:
Poha - 1 cup 
Fresh curd / youghurt - 3/4 cup
Capsicum,finely chopped - 1 tbsp
Tomato,finely chopped  - 1 tbsp
Onions,finely chopped  - 2 tbsp
Boiled chana dal - 1 tbsp  
salt to taste
 
For seasoning:  
Green chilli , finely chopped - 1
Curry leaves - few 
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp 
Roasted Peanuts - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp 
Oil - 3 tsp
Finely chopped coriander - 2 tsp
 

Method of preparation:

1. Wash and drain poha or beaten rice and keep aside.
2. Add fresh curd ( yoghurt) and salt to poha and mix well.
3. Add capsicum, tomato, onions and Boiled chana dal and mix well.
4. Begin seasoning by heating oil in a tadka pan and add oil.
5. when its warm add mustard, let it splitter.
6. Add urad dal, cumin seeds and roasted peanuts and  fry till brown.
7. Add asafoetida, green chillies and curry leaves and fry .
8. Pour the seasoning on the poha and mix nicely. If need add some more curd to poha.
9. Finally garnish it with finely chopped coriander
10. Now yummy dahi poha is ready to serve.

Water Melon-Sabza (basil seeds) Cooler

Today my summer recipe is Water melon- sabza (basil seeds) cooler. Watermelon is one of the best, delicious and healthy food. This is one of the  healthiest summer drink to hydrate and refresh yourself on a hot summer day. This year summer is very severe and temperatures raising up to 45 - 50 degrees, therefore i make refreshing drinks daily, which shall give you refreshment as well as cooling effects. In summer plenty of water melons are available in the market, so we should eat water melons daily to avoid dehydration.I made water melon cooler with combination of sabza (basil seeds). Both water melon and sabza (basil seeds) are very helpful to cool the body in summer.Already I have given health benefits about water melon and sabza (basil seeds),  please refer my previous recipes. This is very simple to make and tasty too. Enjoy this refreshing drink with friends and family members. It helps you refresh yourself as well as get rid of summer heat. I hope you follow my recipe............

Ingredients:

Basil seeds - 2 tsp

Water melon , peel it and cut into small cubes - 1 cup

Honey - 1 tsp (optional)

Method of preparation:

1. Soak basil seeds in water for 10 minutes and strain and keep aside in a bowl.
2. First, keep aside some of watermelon cubes for garnishing. Take a mixer jar add water melon cubes and blend them well. Strain it and keep aside in a glass and if need add honey and mix well.
3. Add soaked basil seeds to water melon juice and mix well. Pour into serving glasses and refrigerate for some time.
4. Garnish with small water melon cubes and serve it.
5. Now yummy water melon -sabza (basil seeds) cooler is ready to drink.

Shahi Falooda

Today my summer yummy recipe is Shahi falooda. Shahi Falooda is a traditional Indian/Pakistani desert drink. Falooda or Faluda is a cold and sweet beverage with many ingredients very popular in South Asia. This is well known recipe to North-Indians. In summer frequently available at all places in North-India.One day my husband told me about falooda then I came to know about shahi falooda through Indian food website. Immediately I tried it and it was very delicious to eat and healthy too. Here used ingredients are rice vermicelli, milk, basil seeds (sabza) and dry fruits. All these ingredients are very healthy and basil seeds (sabza) are actually very good for digestion in a hot climate. Final product of falooda is topped with scoop of ice cream but i don't prefer to use ice cream due to health conscious. You can use little scoop of ice cream for kids. Kids are very interesting to drink these type of summer coolers. Falooda is made by different falvours like mango, saffron, banana or chocolate.I hope you follow my recipe and enjoy drinking Shahi Falooda in summer......

Ingredients:

Low fat milk - 1 glass
Rice Vermicelli - 2 tbsp
Honey - 2  tsp

Rose syrup / any flavoured syrup - 1 1/2 teaspoons
Falooda seeds / basil seeds /sabza - 1 tsp
Dry fruits(almonds,pista,dates,cashew), finely chopped - 2 tsp
Ice cream - 1 scoop (optional) 

Method of preparation:

1. Soak the basil Seeds in water for at least 1 hour. Strain and keep aside in a small bowl.
2. Boil the vermicelli in water for about 15 minutes. Strain and keep aside to cool.
3. Put the milk, honey, dry fruits in a blender and blend till smooth. 
4. Take 2 tall glasses. In each glass, put half the vermicelli, half the pre-soaked Sabza seeds. 
5. Now pour in half the milk over them. Put just under half the rose syrup in each glass and mix well.Chill in the refrigerator for some time.
6. Here i don't use ice cream, if you want to use ice cream,add a scoop of ice cream to this and garnish with dry fruits. Add a straw and long-handled spoon and serve.
7. Now yummy and cool shahi Falooda is ready to drink.