Methi Pulao

Ingredients

1 cup           Rice
1 cup           Methi Leaves
1                 Onion
1 tsp            Jeera
2 tsp            Oil
2 tsp            Ginger-Garlic paste
2                  Green chillies
Whole garam masala - Cloves (2), Bay leaves(1),Whole black pepper(5), Elaichi(1), Dalchini(1 inch)

Method

Wash rice and methi leaves

Heat oil, add jeera, all garam masalas and finely cut onion. Fry onion till it turns pink.

Add ginger garlic paste and methi leaves. Fry this mixture till methi leaves get cooked.

Add rice and fry for 2-3 minutes, add 2 cups of water, green chillies and let it boil. 

Once it starts boiling lower the heat and cover and cook till rice is done

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Serve hot with curds raita.

Quick tips

1. Soak rice for about half an hour to cut down on cooking time.

2. Can add shelled corn or peas along with methi.

Nutritional value

Each serving has about 125 calories. Methi leaves are rich in calcium, phosphorus, Iron and Vitamin C. 

Instant Upma

Ingredients

1 cup          Rawa

1                Onion

2-3            Green Chillies

7-8            Curry leaves

1 tsp          Rai

1 tsp          Jeera

1 tsp          Urad dal (optional)

2 tsp          Oil

1 cup         Finely cut vegetables  (peas, boiled corn, carrots, capsicum, french beans)

Method

Lightly dry roast the rawa for few minutes on low heat

Heat oil add rai, jeera, udad dal, curry leaves and slit green chillies.Add finely cut onion and all vegetables. Add salt and fry for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add 2 cups of water and let it come to boil, gradually add roasted rawa and keep stirring to avoid lumps.

Keep stirring for few minutes still the water get evaporated and it becomes dry.

Garnish it with lime juice and coriander leaves.

Quick tips

1. Rawa should always be stored in an air tight container after roasting it lightly to avoid getting spoilt.

2. Above recipe can be made without any veggies too but then its nutritional value will go down

Nutritional value

Each serving has about 250 calories. Adding mixed vegetables enhances its nutritional value as it is good source of Riboflavin, dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Manganese.

Baigan Bhurta

Ingredients

1                  Brinjal

1 medium     Onion

1 medium     Tomato

2                  Green Chillies

1 inch           Garlic

2 tsp             Oil

1 tsp             Jeera

1 tsp             Chilli pwd

1 tsp             Dhania pwd

1/4th tsp       Haldi pwd

1 tsp             Jeera pwd

Salt to taste

Method

Cook brinjal on the direct gas (as shown in figure below), keep circling the brinjal to cook evenly on all the sides.

Once it becomes soft from all the sides, remove from fire and soak it in a bowl of cold water. This enable us to remove the skin.

Heat oi, add jeera and then finely cut onions, green chillies and finely cut ginger and fry till onion turns pink.

Mash brinjal with a fork.

Add totatoes and fry for few minutes till it is soft, add salt red chilli pwd, haldi pwd, dhania pwd, jeera pwd and salt. Keep stiring to mix all masalas, then add mashed brinjals.

Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or till it is dry and oil separates. .

Garnish it with coriander leaves and lime juice. Serve hot with chapaties.

Quick tips

1. While selecting the brinjal, choose the lighter ones which have less seeds.

2. Can add curds instead of tomatoes.

Nutritional value

Each serving has about 83 calories. Brinjals being rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin B-6 and many more nutrients are very good for heart.Antioxidants in it helps to keep our arteries healthy and thus prevents heart attack.

Udad Dal

Ingredients

1 cup      Udad dal

1 small    Onion

2            Green chillies

1 tsp       Jeera

1 inch     Ginger Julienne (finely cut)

Salt to taste

Method

Soak udad dal for 2 hours

Boil it with about 1/4th cup of  water with salt. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low so it gets cooked and remains dry

Heat oil, add jeera, finely cut onions, green chillies and ginger juliennes

Fry till onions turn golden, add this to the boiled udad dal and stir. Keep it for few minutes on the low heat so it to it gets mixed properly and flavours get absorbed in dal.

Garnish it with coriander leaves and lime juice. Serve hot with chapaties.

Quick Tips

1. Soak dal in hot water for half an hour, this will save soaking time.

2. After adding fried onions, cook it on tawa at low heat for about 5 minutes.

Nutritional Value

Each serving has about 180 calories. Udad dal has high contents of proteins and vitamin B. It is one of the healthiest pulses specially for women as it consists iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

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Methi Thepla

Ingredients

1 cup      Wheat Flour

1 cup       Methi leaves, washed and cut finely

1 tsp        Red chilli pwd

1 tsp        Jeera pwd

1 tsp        Haldi pwd 

1 tsp        Dhania pwd

2 tbsp      Oil

Salt to taste

Method 

In a bowl take flour, make a well and add all above ingredients and mix well.

Knead well into a semi-hard dough

Make small balls 

Roll out dough with rolling pin using flour till it appears thin, round like pancake

Bake well on both the sides on medium heat, apply little oil/ghee.

Serve hot with curds/pickle.

Quick Tips 

1. Thepla should be baked on medium heat so it comes out crispy

2. Can be stored for about a week in fridge, if half cooked. Can do final baking on tawa just before eating.

Nutritional Value

Each thepla has about 100 calories with Fats, Carb and Proteins.

Alu Methi

Ingredients

1 bunch      Methi leaves

2-3             Potatoes

2 tsp           Oil

2-3             Green chillies

1                 Red whole chilli

1 bulb         Garlic

1 tbsp         Jeera

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil add jeera, once it starts spluttering add whole red chilli, crushed garlic, green chillies.

Add potaotes and fry for few seconds

Add chopped methi leaves, cover and cook on low heat.

Add salt stir and cook till done.

Serve with hot chapaties

Quick Tips

1. Cooking on low heat helps to cook the veggies in its own moisture, which makes it more tastier

Nutritional value

Each serving has about 155 calories along with Fat, Carbs and Proteins.

Sambhar

Ingredients

1 cup       Tuvar Dal

1 tsp        Haldi

1             Green chilli

1 cup       Mixed vegetables (pumpkin, brinjal, dudhi, drumstick)

1             Small onion
1             Tomato

1             Pinch hing

2 tbsp     Tamarind pulp

2 Tbsp    Coriander leaves
1tbsp       Jaggery

few sprigs of curry leaves

Salt to taste

Sambhar masala

1 tsp      Jeera

1 tsp      Rai

1 tsp      Methi seeds

1 tsp      Whole Dhania

2 tbsp    Grated coconut 

3-4        Whole Red Chillies 

Method

Boil Tuvar Dal in a pressure cooker, add haldi, onion, green chilli, hing and salt.

Dry roast all the masalas and grind it finely

Add all vegetables, tomato, curry leaves, sambhar masala in the boiled dal and cook

Once all are cooked, add tamarind pulp, jaggery and boil

Garnish it with coriander leaves..

Quick tips

1. Oil free recipe

2. Home made sambhar masala

Nutritional value

Each serving has about 80 calories with carbs and proteins.

Alu ke Chande (Moon shaped Potato)

Ingredients

250 gms     Potatoes

2 tsp           Oil

2 tsp           Jeera

1 tsp           Haldi

2 tsp           Chilli flakes

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a kadahi

Add Jeera and let it splutter

Quickly add haldi pwd and chilli flakes

Add potatoes and fry it on and low heat

Cover the lid and let it cook for few minutes.
Add salt and 3 tbsp of water and cook on very low heat till done.

Serve with chapaties

Quick tips:

1. Cut potatoes in a thin slices, to enable to cook it fast and evenly.
2. Chilli flakes can be made at home instantly by grinding whole red chillies in a mixture

Nutritional value:

Each serving has about 197 calories with 14 gms fat, Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Iron, Sodium and Potassium. Cholesterol 40 mg

French beans

Ingredients

250 gms   French beans
1 Tbsp      oil
1 Tsp         mustard seeds
1 Tsp         haldi pwd
2-3            green chillies
Few           curry leaves
1 tsp          salt
2 Tbsp       grated fresh coconut

Method

Wash & Cut finely French beans

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, finely cut green chillies and curry leaves.
Once it starts spluttering, add haldi pwd and quickly add French beans.

Cover and cook on low heat.
Add salt and let it cook till its done

Garnish with grated coconut

Quick tips:

1. Can add potatoes to this recipe
2. Cook on very low heat, this will help to cook french beans in its own moisture

Nutritional value

One serving has about 160 calories with Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium and Iron
with 0 cholesterol.

Boiled White Rice

Ingredients

One cup      Rice
Two cups    Water
One tsp        Salt

Directions

Wash rice and keep rinsing till the water is clear

In a saucepan take two cups of water and rice

Add salt

Bring it to boil

Once it starts boiling turn the heat to low and cover the saucepan

Cook for 10-15 minutes without uncovering the pan.

Fluff the rice with a fork

A cup of boiled white rice has about 200 calories in the form of starch.

    

Soft Chapaties

Ingredients

2 cups     Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp     Ghee or Oil  
1 Tsp       Salt
1 cup       Warm water
Makes 10-12 chapaties

Method

Sieve Flour

Add salt and oil, mix it well.

Now add water and make a stiff dough

Sprinkle some water, cover and set aside for at least half an hour
Divide into small balls and knead well

Roll out dough with rolling pin using flour till it appears thin, round like pancake

Bake well on both sides on hot tawa/griddle, keep flipping and rotating to cook evenly

Toss on hot oil, allow them to puff

Serve hot

Quick tips:

1. tips on good kneading
2. tips on heating on tawa so that roti doesnt become hard


Nutritional value:

Each chapati has about 110 calories, 3.5gms protein, has vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, calcium, Iron and fibre with No cholesterol