Semiya / Vermicelli Upma - Low-Fat Spiced Veg Vermicelli Noodles

Know What You Eat: A quick easy and handy LOWFAT semiya upma/spiced vermicelli upma  very common to many of my friends comes to rescue when I run out of breakfast ideas or evening snack. Its as easy as we cook any other noodles adding your favorite vegetables with a spunk of lemon juice for that refreshing lemony taste. Adding peanuts, raisins or any other nuts is a richer variation along with some freshly grated coconut. Oh ya, not to forget a cup of hot tea/coffee.This fast and simple recipe goes to “Quick and Easy Recipe Mela”

Preparation time:10 min

Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Serves: 4


Ingredients:
  2 C Semiya/Vermicelli Noodles
  1-1/2 C Water (Cook noodles in water and drain it)
  1/2 C mixed Vegetables (I added Bellpepper,boiled-Potatoes,Carrots,Peas)
  1 Onion, peeled & diced
  2 Green chilli,finely chopped
  1 inch Ginger, finely chopped
  2 tsp Red chilli pwd
  1/4 tsp Turmeric pwd
  Handfull of corianderleaves, finely chopped
  Salt to taste
  Juice of 1 Lemon

For Tempering:
    2 Tbsp Olive Oil
   1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds
   1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds
   1 tbsp Chana dal/split Chickpeas
   1 dry Red chiili
   6-9 fresh Curry leaves
   

Method: 

1.  Add a table spoon of oil to a heavy bottom cooking vessel and roast vermicelli to light golden brown on low heat. Set aside.
2. In the same pan add oil, mustard seeds and let it splutter, then add cumin seeds, split chickpea, dry chilly , few curry leaves.Mix it with a spatula.
3. Add diced onions and fry till translucent. Now add mixed vegetables, green chilli, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
4. Now add water and when the water starts to boil add fried vermicelli. Just how you cook pasta/noodles in hot boiling water. 

5. Cover it with lid and cook till vermicelli gets completely cooked on a low flame.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice.

7. Serve as a quick yummy breakfast or delightful evening snack.

  

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Instant Oats Crepe/Dosa

Know What You Eat: Instant Oats dosa/spicy oats pancake comes very handy and its nutritious when you dont know what to cook on Sundays for brunch..or you are tired of eating same old oats porridge..This is high in dietary fiber very high in manganese, magnesium,phosphorus,thiamin.

  

Just takes under 30 mins to get on to a plate

Ingredients:

1 C Oats (rolled or quick ), powdered in coffee grinder

1/2 C Semolina

2 Tbsp Rice Flour
1/2  C Yogurt 

1-1/2 - 2 C Water

2 Green Chillies, finely chopped

1 Onion medium size, finely chopped

Salt, to taste
A pinch Asafoetida
Cilantro, finely chopped
Cumin (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix everything and set aside for 20-30 mins.

2. Heat griddle; turn to high heat; pour a laddle full of batter on the griddle from outside to inside, The batter will spread on its own due to the heat. Fill up open spaces. The dosa, just like pancake will have tiny holes in them, this allows the dosa to breathe and get crisp as well. Now pour a teaspoon of oil around the dosa.
3.Allow it to cook on medium heat.
4. Flip when the bottom side is done, turned slightly golden brown. Wait for the other side to get cooked, about 1 minute.
5. Since yogurt is added, these dosa’s will turn out to be soft. If you like it to be crisp, then cook it in simmer and add a little more oil, until you get the desired texture.
6.Serve it with dry powder chutney along with some ghee (clarified butter)(I bought it ready made)

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Watermelon Jalapeno Quencher - Happy 4th July 2011

Know What You Eat: Tired of  same old sweet watermelon juice with different fruit combinations????..try this watermelon quencher with a KICK...On a hot summer day if you find your watermelon did not turn out to be  sweet, hey no ugly faces, no worries...just blend in all with a kick(jalapeno) and see the difference, with a whole bunch of vitamins watermelon is packed with antioxidants and has an extremely high water content, approx. 92%, giving its flesh a crumbly and subtly crunchy texture and making it a favorite thirst quenching fruit, so next time when you are very berry thirsty after coming from a grilling sunny day...dont grab a gatorade, instead grab this easy breezy watermelon quencher..which will replenish lost fluids in your body...So guys have a HAPPY, HEALTHY and SAFE 4th July...OFF  FOR WHITE WATER RAFTING.... ANYBODY ???

Serving: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: NIL



Ingredients:
6 C Watermelon seedless, diced
1/4 tsp Jalapeno, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Sugar/Honey/Xylitol (only if the watermelon is not sweet)
1 Tbsp Mint/Cilantro, finely chopped
A pinch of salt
Few dashes of Black pepper pwd
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Ice 

Directions:

1.  Blend everything together until smooth, along with crushed ice, in your blender, strain it if you desire to remove that extra bulk in your juice..garnish with finely chopped mint / cilantro and jalapeno..

Good Note: This juice is just fantastic , but if even that seems like too much effort on a hot summer day, do what I did for lunch this afternoon. Slice up some watermelon, squeeze a juicy lime over it, and sprinkle it with a mixture of spicy chili powder and kosher salt. My mouth is still happy. 

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Quinoa Oats Mix Vegetable Crepe/Dosa - Protein Rich

 
Know what you Eat - Much talked about quinoa in this blog..for those who are new its a recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa is high in protein, the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa's amino acid profile is well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, also quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. As we all know Oats, via their high fiber content, are already known to help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream.Coming to the recipe, its an instant mix veg pancake/crepe/dosa for yummy healthy and fuller breakfast. I am glad me and my kids just love it. Sending this to  Healing Foods - Whole Grains event by Siri guest hosted by Simona and Shobha's Good Food Event

 

Ingredients

1 C Cooked Quinoa

1 C Powdered Oats (powder quickcooking oats in coffee grinder)

1 C Sooji/Rava/Semolina

1-1/2 C Yogurt,lowfat

1 or 2 Green Chilli

1 Onion,medium sized

1 C Cabbage, carrot, finely chopped

1" piece of Ginger

1/2 C Cilantro, chopped

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp Oil for Seasoning

1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Sesame Seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dal

Few Curry leaves, chopped

A pinch of Hing(Asafoetida)

Water as per you need for pancake batter

Oil as you need for pancake/crepe/dosa

Directions:

1. Prepare quinoa, keep it aside. (Add 2 measures of water to 1 measure of Quinoa and salt to taste and cook till it fluffs up) Allow it to cool.

2. Grind Oats and soak in yogurt + water if needed along with semolina and cooked quinoa for 1 hour.

3. Finely chop green chilli, ginger, cabbage, carrot, onion and cilantro.

4. Add everything in the yogurt mixture along with salt to taste. Blend with blender only if necessary to assemble.

5. Splutter cumin & sesame seeds, urad dal along with curry leaves and hing in oil. Add this to the batter(consistency should be little thin than pancake consistency)

6. Now heat an iron/nonstick griddle, take one big spoonful of batter, make nice big pancake and pour 1 tsp of oil around it.

7. Once the side is well cooked turn the crepe and make sure the other side is cooked before removing it.

8. Serve this with sambhar, chutney or with mixing grated cucumber and mint with greek yogurt.

9. This dish is ideal for people who are looking for sugar free and low carb option. 

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