Quinoa Pulao/ Masala Quinoa / Indian style Quinoa recipe

Pepper Chicken recipe

Almond and cranberry Seekh Kebab

I am again using this wonderful platform to interact with you all food lovers and sharing my passion for food with you all. Today I bring one more recipe from house of Mughal cuisine with some modern tadka with a combination of almond slice and dried and chopped cranberries.

CRANBERRY AND ALMOND SEEKH KEBAB

Ingredients

Mutton mince                                                   1 kg

Brown Onions                                                   100 gm

Almond Sliced                                                    50 gm

Cranberry chopped                                             50 gms

Cilantro roots                                                     2 tablespoon

Salt                                                                  to taste

Black pepper                                                      2 teaspoons

Cumin powder                                                   2 teaspoons

Cinnamon powder                                              2 teaspoons

Butter                                                               100 gm

Method

1.    Combine mutton mince, onions, salt, cumin powder and cinnamon powder.

2.    Mix well and put in a mincing machine twice

3.    Blend in butter and finely chopped cilantro roots.

4.    Shape the mince mixture on a skewer and then coat almond slice and dried cranberry nicely.

5.    Cook on charcoal grill for 5-7 minutes, basting at regular intervals.

6.    Serve with a garnish of chilled lettuce, beetroot, carrot, lollo rosso and radish

7. Accompany with pita bread or roomali roti.

Dhai Kebab

Hi their.... hope you enjoyed my past blogs, please do write me what you are thinking and please do share your expectations also so that I can work on them and bring you the best.

Today I bring a very special and delicate dhai kebab; it’s yummy, creamy and rich preparation from mughlai cuisine.  I am sure you will like this recipe, so here it is please enjoy…….

DHAI KEBAB

 

Servings- 33 pieces 

INGREDIENTS

Hung curd (full cream)                    500 gms

Paneer                                                60 gms

Crushed cashew nut                         2 tbsp

Cornstarch                                         1 tbsp

Cilantro roots                                     1 tbsp

Ginger                                                 1 tbsp

Green chili                                          ½ tbsp.

Crushed black pepper                      1 tsp

Salt                                                      1 tsp

Panko breadcrumb                           to roll

Method-

1.     Take I kg of yoghurt in a thin wire mesh strainer and leave for overnight to drain whey out and it will give approximately yield of 500 grams.

2.     Grade paneer and keep aside.

                                            

3.     Fine chop cilantro roots, ginger and green chilies and keep aside.

                                

4.     Crush Cashew nut and keep aside.

                               

5.     Take a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and nicely mix the mixture.

6.     Make equal size balls and roll them in panko breadcrumb and give them shape.

7.     Deep fry them in 350 F oil and place them over absorbent paper to avoid excess oil. Or if you want to be health conscious then grill it on griddle.

8.     Serve  with salad  and chutney.

Ayurveda- Art of Living

Art Of Living

In my introduction blog, I had spoken about the difference between today’s fooding habits and yesterday’s fooding requirements. In todays life, what to eat is just a matter of choice as world is in just a click away from you, but what to eat and what not to eat is big question to stay healthy and fit. It’s a fast pace life and almost everybody is paying the cost of it. Eating wrong, comfort food or junk food had done negative changes in our genetics that it becomes very important to learn what suits to your body and what’s not... and all this is possible with one of India’s old science or in other words “Art of living” which allows you to know everything according to your body type and one can heal their body by eating right as we all know that our body is having self healing mechanism, we only need to take medicine when that mechanism fails to heal or becomes suspended due to negligence in taking care of your body. 

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.

Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure.

How Ayurveda is different from regular modern medicine?

·       In Ayurveda, every individual is unique and there is no diet or lifestyle, routine that works for everyone.

·       Prevention is key. Ayurveda focuses on providing specific advice and guidance on how to maintain physical and emotional health by eating and living right.

·       Food and lifestyle routines are considered the most important medicine. If you come to an Ayurvedic doctor with a complaint, you are more likely to leave with a recipe than with a prescription for pills.

How does Ayurveda work?
The ancient practice of Ayurveda believes we're made up of three different 'body types' that correspond to our physical and personality traits, known as doshas. These are: vata, pitta and Kapha, each of which represents two of the five universal elements (a combination of ether, air, fire, water, earth). Ayurvedic philosophies believe we each contain varying proportions of each Dosha, generally one or two in dominance. Our naturally dominant Dosha does not signify imbalance, but rather how – or who – we are in our most healthy, balanced state.

Mind-body health and harmony may be challenged when any of the doshas become aggravated or imbalanced. Identifying your predominant dosha and potential imbalances, which an Ayurvedic practitioner can assist with, is the secret to keeping your mind-body balance in check. Below are Dosha types  for each mind/body type:

1. Vata (Wind) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls bodily functions associated with motion, including blood circulation, breathing, blinking, and heartbeat. 

·       In balance: There is creativity and vitality.

·       Out of balance: Can produce fear and anxiety.

2. Pitta (Fire) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls the body's metabolic systems, including digestion, absorption, nutrition, and body's temperature. 

·       In balance: Leads to contentment and intelligence.

·       Out of balance: Can cause ulcers and anger.

3. Kapha (Earth) Dosha – It’s an energy that controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all body parts, moisturizes the skin, and maintains the immune system. 

·       In balance: Expressed as love and forgiveness.

·       Out of balance: Can lead to insecurity and envy.

In Ayurveda, things that we consume are divided into three categories:

•                        Poison

•                        Medicine

•                        Neutral

Poison is defined as anything that hinders digestion. Medicine is considered to be anything that we consume to aids the digestive process. Neutral is anything we eat that gives support and nourishment without either aiding or hindering the digestive process.

Kitchari is a unique because it falls under both the neutral and medicinal categories. It not only provides nourishment for the body, but, due to its spice combination, also benefits digestion. This makes kitcheri an ideal food of choice during times of stress on the body, such as during an illness, periods of overwork or change of seasons. It is also an especially good food to use while on a mono-diet as part of an internal cleansing regime.

There are several variations to a basic kitcheri recipe and the one below is my modern twist to basic kitchdi, easy to start with, and balancing to all three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha). You will find that the ingredients are readily available at most health food and Indian grocery stores.

Kitchari

Ingredients:

            Ghee (clarified butter)                         2–3 tablespoons 

            Cumin seed                                         1 teaspoon

            Asafoetida (“hing”) powder               1 small pinch

            Salt                                                      1 teaspoon

            Turmeric powder                                 1 teaspoon

            Coriander powder                                1 teaspoon

            Ginger root                                          1 tablespoon

            Yellow mung dal                                  1 cup 

            Organic Quinoa                                   1/2 cup

            Water if using pressure cooker           4 cups

            or about if using a regular pot.            6 cups

            Cilantro chopped                                 2 tablespoon

            Lime juice                                            1 tsp

           

             

Preparation:

1.     Heat the ghee on medium heat. Ghee burns easily, so be careful.

2.     Saute cumin seeds in the ghee until the seeds pop. Then add, asafoetida powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt.

3.     Immediately add ginger root and sauté for a while and then add the drained mung dal, Quinoa and water. Stir well, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker or pot.

4.     If you are using a pressure cooker, fasten the lid on and turn the heat to high, let full pressure build up. Once the pressure has built up, turn the heat low and let cook five minutes. Then take the cooker off the heat and let it sit until there is no more pressure and you can safely open the lid.

5.     If you’re using a regular pot, cover and bring it to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer until both the rice and dal are mushy.

6.     A thinner consistency is preferable if digestion is weak. kitcheri will thicken when it cools therefore you may need more water than you originally thought.

7.     In order to get the best quality of energy to your body, Kitcheri should be eaten fresh not the one which cooked a day before or in previous meal.

8.     Garnish with fresh cilantro (great for pitta—ok for vata and kapha)