Fruit Salad with Homemade Granola in Greek Yogurt

Know what you Eat - Fruits contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. Yogurt promotes intestinal health, improves lactose intolerance, builds stronger bones, enhances immunity, lowers blood pressure, and may even have anticancer and weight-loss effects. Granola is packed with goodness of whole grains & nuts and is a good source of fiber, protein and omega-3.
We normally have a very strict diet pattern at our home, very balanced food with whole grains, pulses and vegetables. But had to attend few parties continously and were over whelmed with the food we ate. So on a Sunday after all the overeating on Friday and Saturday, we had couple of people for lunch and i made this sinless dessert. Everybody just loved it, it was tasty and healthy too. You can have this dish as dessert in small quantities or have a bowl ful as your breakfast, light lunch or dinner.

Cooking Time - 20 mins(If making homemade granola ) otherwise none
Preparation Time - 10 mins
Serves - 6

Homemade Granola

Old fashioned Oats - 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Chopped Almonds & Walnuts - 1/4 cup
Chopped Raisins & Dates - 1/4 cup
Chia Seeds - 1 tbsp
Wheat Germ - 1 tbsp
White sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Canola or Sunflower Oil - 1 tbsp
Baked Sweetened Banana chips - 1 tbsp(optional)
Sunflower seeds - 1 tbsp(optional)
Honey - 1 tbsp
Water - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp

Method

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Combine all of the above ingredients except the raisins, dates and baked sweetened banana chips and bake in baking tray covered with parchment paper.
3) Keep stirring the contents continously and bake till the Oats slightly brown and nuts turn crunchy.
4) Once baked add the chopped dates, nuts and sweetened banana chips.
For the fruit Salad

Ingredients

Organic Oikos Non fat plain yogurt - 16 0z(2 cups)
Apple, Orange, Mango - 1 each
Strawberries - 1/2 cup
Orange juice - 2 tbsp
Grated Orange rind - 1 tbsp
Honey - 1 tbsp(optional)
Granola about - 1 1/2 cups

Method

1) Chop Apple, Orange, Mango and strawberries into small pieces.
2) Add Orange juice, orange rind, honey to yogurt.
3) Now add the chopped fruits and granola to the yogurt and combine thoroughly.
4) Serve chilled and have this as a wholesome breakfast , dessert or a as a nutritious snack anytime of the day.


Event Participation

The granola goes to Low fat eggless baking event hosted by Madhu.

The fruit salad with granola goes to Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast Food hosted by Radhika and Sudeshna.

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Low-fat, Gluten free Multigrain Savory Pancakes

Know What U Eat: Multi grain savory pancakes, is good anytime of the day, have it in your breakfast or a healthy snacking idea..high in protein, low in cholesterol, low in fat, gluten free, and a very good diabetic diet. Goes to the pancake event, hosted by Priya. & it goes to JFI-Breakfast guest hosted by Suma of Veggie Platter, event by Indira...

Ingredients:

1 C Yellow corn (makkai) flour

1 C Sorghum (jowar)flour

1 C Pearl Millet (bajra) flour

1 Onion, finely chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1 inch Ginger, finely chopped

4 Thai green chillies, finely chopped

1/2 C Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1 C Yogurt + little water to bind dough,

2 Tbsp of Oil + extra shallow frying/spray

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix everything in a huge bowl. Make 18-20 equal portions. Set aside.

2. On a plastic sheet, spray some oil, take one portion and tap it with wet hands to make thick disc (circles 2-3" in diameter). Lift other end of that plastic, in such a way that the disc easily comes out on your hand. drop/press some sesame seeds on the top.

3. Place this disc on hot griddle, and cook both the sides, just as you would do in pancake. Spray some oil, to make it golden brown.

4. Serve warm with ketchup, or cold with tea/coffee.

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Mixed Vegetable Uthappam(Savoury Lentil & Rice Pancake stuffed with Vegetables) & Cilantro(Kothamalli) Chutney

Know what you Eat - Uthappam is Savoury pancake like dish made out of rice and lentil batter stuffed with vegetables. It is a one pot meal with carb, protein and the goodness of vegetables and coconut. The lentil (Urad Dal) is a bean grown in Souther Asia and is black in color. This lentil is a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. This lentisl are also a good source of two B-vitamins, protein and iron with with virtually no fat. The dehusked lentil is used in this dish and will be available in any Asian Indian store. Brightly colored vegetables are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. Vegetables are a powerful source of antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes.

Cilantro is a good source of Iron and magnesium and is rich in phytonutrients, flavonoids and active phenolic acid compounds, all of which are good for you. They also contain contain an antibacterial compound that may prove to be a safe, natural means of fighting Salmonella, a frequent and sometimes deadly cause of foodborne illness.

Uthappam is savoury lentil & rice South Indian pancake stuffed with vegetables.

Cooking Time - 20 mins
Preparation Time - 10 mins(Excluding the batter)

Ingredients for Uthappam

White Urad Dal(White Lentil) - 1 cup
Boiled Rice(Idli rice - This is not polished white rice and will be slightly brown in color) - 2 1/2 cups
Salt to taste

Batter - 1 1/2 cups
Finely Chopped vegetables packed - 1 cup(Onion, Red & Green Bell Pepper, Grated Carrot)
Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsp
Chopped Coconut pieces - 2 tbsp(not grated coconut)
Grated Ginger - 2 tsp
Finely Chopped Green Chilli - 1 tsp(optional)
Oil - 6 tsp

Method

1) Rinse and drain Urad dal till you get a clear water. Now soak in enough water for 2-3 hours.
2) Rinse and drain Idli rice and soak in enough water for 6 hours.
3) Using a stone grinder/blender grind the urad dal adding the soaked water little by little till you get a smooth fluffy batter.
4) Now grind the rice into a fine paste adding water little by little.
5) Mix the Urad dal batter, Rice batter and Salt and mix them thoroughly.
6) Leave it over night for the batter to ferment nicely, on cold winter days switch on the oven light and leave the batter inside the oven overnight. The heat from the light will make the batter to ferment.
7) I use this batter for making Idli as well as Uthappam and this batter can be served for 3-4 people for 3-4 days.
8) Combine the chopped vegetables, cilantro, ginger, coconut and little bit of salt
9) For making Uthappam, heat a iron griddle once hot take a ladle of batter and on the top spread a handful of chopped mixed vegetables and pour a tsp of oil around the batter.
10) Cover it and cook for 2-3 mins in medium heat and once once side is well cooked and the batter on the top has changed color flip and now cook the other side without covering for a minute.
11) Once well cooked remove and serve with chutney of your choice.
12) I make different chutneys and the one in the photo is cilantro chutney and the recipe is as follows.

Cilantro (Kothamalli) Chutney

Ingredients

Cilantro - 1 bunch
Red chilli - 4 to 6 or to taste
Split Urad Dal - 2 tbsp
Asafoetida piece - small one(don't add lot of it, the food will be flavorful but will give a bitter taste)
Tamarind - Gooseberry sized ball
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Sal to taste

Method

1) Chop the roots of the cilantro, wash, rinse and remove the thick stalks.
2) Now chop the cilantro leaves and thin stalks and keep it aside.
3) Soak the tamarind in little bit of hot water (1 tbsp) and set it aside.
4) Heat oil add mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add asafoetida piece, red chilli and urad dal and saute till the dal slightly browns.
5) Now in a blender grind the red chilli, asafoetida and tamarind.
6) Now add the chopped cilantro and grind for few minutes(may be around 2 mins).
7) Add the roasted mustard seeds and urad dal to the cilantro and quickly grind once again for few seconds.
8) Serve it with Uthappam and enjoy

Event Participation

1) This goes to Dosa Corner event hosted by Padma.

2) This dish goes to MLLA-13th helping guest hosted by Sunshinemom, event started by Susan.

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Fruit Yogurt Parfait - Guitl Free Dessert

Know What You Eat: If you eat fruit on an empty stomach, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit.. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

So....What are you waiting for, jump on, make this guilt free dessert, and take control over your health.

Preparation & Assembling time: 10 mins
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat yogurt

2 Tbsp honey or acc. to taste

1 pinch salt1 pinch black pepper powder

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon juice

1 piece fresh ginger (about 1 inches)

2 C diced fruits cut into 

1/2-inch cubes(papaya,apple,strawberries,orange,blackberries,banana,mango)

1 Tbsp cup chopped fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish

1/2 cup granola or 1 honey-n-oats cereal bar cut into small pieces

1/4 cup nuts (almond, raisins,walnut)

Method: 

1. In a small bowl combine yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and zest; whisk it & set aside.

2. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the ginger (no need to peel) into a small bowl. 

3.Squeeze ginger through a fine-meshed sieve or strainer placed over a medium bowl to get a total of 1/2 tablespoon ginger juice. Discard pulp. To the bowl with the juice, add lemon juice; whisk to combine. Add all the fruits and toss gently to coat.

To serve: Spoon half the fruit and juices among 2 tall glasses or bowls. Sprinkle chopped mint over the fruit. Top with half the yogurt mixture and half the granola. Layer with the remaining fruit, yogurt, and granola.

4. Garnish with mint sprigs and lemon or orange zest....Enjoy this as whole some breakfast or as a guilt free snack !!

Event Participation

This dish goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.

Recipes for the rest of us - Fruits, event hosted by Kamalika.

This goes to EFM June Breakfast series hosted by Srish.

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Powerpacked Multigrain Porridge(Kanji)

Know what you Eat -Finger millet(Ragi) is a very nutritious food with a complex carbohydrate profile and low glycemic index. It is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine which is lacking on staples like polished rice or maize meal. Mung bean, Black chick pea, Broken and roasted bengal gram are very good source of protein. Quinoa is a complete protein food with all the essential amino acids in them. Oats and barley are rich in fiber. Chia seeds are good source of omega 3. Almonds are good source of Vitamin E.

Do you know even Kids experience stress? My elder one will be going to fourth grade from September. When he started preschool, before going to school he would refuse to have any breakfast. If we force him, he would throw up. I tried different things starting from pancake, waffle, toast, cereal, Idli and Dosa. He wasn't a fussy eater, but none of these things would work on a school day. I didn't feel quite comfortable sending him with a glass of milk and then the idea of giving this home made porridge stuck me. This porridge is made in lot of house holds in South India for years and even now. Many of you might me familiar with it , i just added few of the other grains to make it power packed. Now i give this porridge to my daughter every day for breakfast and i also have it some times to get some instant energy. To top it all, my Sister's younger one loved this porridge. She was visiting us with her kids for few weeks and i am posting this one especially for her as she wanted to make some for her toddler.

We got another lovely blog award today. Thanks Vidya for sharing this award with us. In the past few months of blogging we have made so many blogger friends. So can't share this award with five or ten but would like to share this award with all of them. We learn from each other and all of you are our source of inspiration and encouragement.




Ingredients

African Finger Millet (Ragi) - 4 cups
Whole green mung bean - 1/2 cup
Roasted bengal gram(Dalia) - 1/2 cup
Oats - 1/2 cup
Quinoa - 1/2 cup
Black Chick Pea - 1/2 cup
Almonds - 1/2 cup
Barley - 1/4 cup
Chia seeds - 1/4 cup

Method

1) Rinse, drain and soak ragi grain over night in water. Then drain them and tie in a fine muslin cloth. Once ragi starts sprouting, remove from the muslin cloth and spread it out on cotton cloth to remove excess moisture. Sun or shade dry till they are dried. Now dry roast this sprouted ragi till you get a sweet aroma.
2) Do the same procedure for Green mung bean and black chick pea, leave them to sprout. Dry them and roast them till they are well roasted.
3) Dry roast Roasted bengal gram(Dalia), Oats, Quinoa, Almonds, Barley, Chia seeds.
4) Combine all the roasted grains and in a food processor grind them to fine powder and store in a airtight container.
5) I normally keep some outside and all the excess porridge powder in a freezer.

To make the porridge

1) Take 2 tbsp of porridge powder and mix in 1/4 cup of water without any lumps, boil for 5-7 minutes till the porridge is completely cooked. Now add sugar or powdered jaggery and 3/4 cup of milk and mix thoroughly and enjoy.
2) If you don't want it sweet, add little bit of salt and some butter milk and enjoy.
3) To make a thick bowl of porridge add 4 tbsp of porridge powder and use 1/2 cup of water and cook it. Now add little bit of milk to the desired consistency.
4) You can also add roasted cardamom seeds and saffron strands and grind along with porridge powder to get a nice aroma.
5) The variations you can make or endless with this one.
6) This is good even for people with diabetes because of the complex carbohydrate profile of ragi and the power packed protein content of the other grains.

Event Participation

This dish goes to EFM June Breakfast series hosted by Srish.

This dish also goes to My Legume Love Affair - 13 hosted by Sunshinemom and started by Susan.

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Tomato Onion Chutney & Idli(Steamed Rice & Lentil Dumplings)

Know what you Eat - If you are looking for a fat free food Idli(Steamed Rice & Lentil Dumpling) is the top food on the list. Idlis are made from a combination of rice and urad dal which is fermented and then steamed. Both these processes are very good for the digestive system and involve cooking with no oil at all. Most restaurants however use baking soda to speed up getting the idli batter ready and while too much baking soda does destroy nutrients and affects the digestive system in the long run. This is a very popular breakfast item in South India.



Now coming to the nutrition in this food, the carotenoid lycopene found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) is a very useful antioxidant and has cancer-preventing properties. Urad Dal(a type of lentil) is a very good source of dietary fiber and protein. Parboiling rice drives nutrients, especially thiamine, from the bran into the grain, so that parboiled white rice is 80% nutritionally similar to brown rice.

From yesterday's Chole puri from the North we are travelling down to the traditional Idli chutney of South. I always have Idli batter in my refrigerator and this is one of the quick breakfast item on a time crunchy day.

Tomato Chutney

Preparation Time - 1o mins
Cooking Time - 15 mins
Serves - 4


Ingredients

Tomato - 2 big ones ripe and firm but not over ripe
Onion - 1
Red chilli - 4 or to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Split Urad dal - 2 tsp
Asafaoetida powder - pinch

Method

1) Chop tomato and onion into small pieces and corsely grind in a blender along with red chillies(do not puree, otherwise it will become like tomato ketchup).
2) Heat oil, add mustard seeds. Once they stop spluttering add split urad dal, asafoetida powder and saute till urad dal becomes slightly brown.
3) Now add the tomato, onion, red chill paste and simmer in the gas stove for 10 to 15 minutes till the water evaporates.
4) Add salt to taste and serve with hot idlis.

Idli


Ingredients

Urad Dal(whole) - 1 cup
Idli Rice(Puzhungal Arisi/ ParBoiled Rice) - 2 1/2 cups**
Salt to taste

Method

1) Rinse and drain Urad dal till you get a clear water. Now soak in enough water for 2-3 hours.
2) Rinse and drain Idli rice and soak in enough water for 6 hours.
3) Using a stone grinder/blender grind the urad dal adding the soaked water little by little till you get a smooth fluffy batter.
4) Now grind the rice into a fine paste adding water little by little.
5) Mix the Urad dal batter, Rice batter and Salt and mix them thoroughly.
6) Leave it over night for the batter to ferment nicely, on cold winter days switch on the oven light and leave the batter inside the oven overnight. The heat from the light will make the batter to ferment.
7) The trick to get a soft spongy idli is proportion, the grind urad batter and rice batter should be in equal quantity, so based on how much batter you are getting from the urad dal adjust your rice batter.
8) Now use cooking spray and grease the idli plates, thoroughly combine the fermented batter and pour the batter in the greased plates and steam them for 15 minutes on medium heat in a pressure cooker or pan till they are cooked.
9) Serve with Chutney.

Event Participation

This dish goes to My legume love affair twelfth helping event hosted by Annarasa started by Susan.

This dish goes to Delectable Combinations hosted by Kamalika originally started by Sunshinemom.

This goes to EFM June Breakfast series hosted by Srish.

*This rice measurement depends on how much batter comes out from the urad dal, for most of the varieties available in India you can add as much upto 5 cups of rice. But the ones available here i use anywhere between 2 1/2 to 3 cups of rice. The fluffy urad batter and the rice batter should be in equal quantity to get a soft idli. So adjust according to the quality of your urad dal)

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Brown Rice-Buck Wheat-Mung Dal-Quinoa Dosai/Crepe

Know what you Eat: Buckwheat usually thought of as a grain, is actually the seed of a broadleaf plant related to rhubarb. While it is not a true grain, it is used like one in cooking, and it surpasses rice, wheat and corn on almost every measure of healthfulness. Unlike white rice, wheat and corn buckwheat ranks low on the glycemic scale.

The strong nutty flavor of buck wheat was little overwhelming in the multigrain muffin. But in this dosai nobody will believe its presence unless you tell them the ingredients. Now let us get on to the recipe.

Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Serves : 4

Ingredients

Brown Rice - 1/2 Cup
Buckwheat flour - 1/2 Cup
Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Mung – 1/2 Cup
Chia powder – 2 table spoon
Green Chilly - 1
Ginger - 1 inch Piece
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1(medium)
Water
Salt to taste.
Oil

Method

1) Soak brown rice, moong and Quinoa for 2-3 hours.
2) Wash and rinse thoroughly and grind them along with green chilly, ginger, tomato and salt. Add water little by little while grinding, based on the need.
3) Soaking and rinsing the grains is very important or you will get a bitter taste from quinoa.
4) Add buck wheat and chia powder and add water to get dosa or pancake batter consistency.
5) Chop onion to fine pieces and add this and salt (if required) to the mixture.
6) You can also add chopped cilantro to this batter.
7) Now heat an iron griddle, take one big spoonful of batter and make it nice big dosa and pour 1 tsp of oil around it.
8) Once the side is well cooked turn the dosa and make sure the other side is cooked before removing it.
9) Serve it with sambhar or chutney as per your choice.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.

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Quinoa Crepe/Dosa

Good to know - Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a grain; it is actually a seed and related to the spinach family. When cooked, quinoa is light, fluffy, slightly crunchy and subtly flavored. It actually cooks and tastes like a grain, making it an excellent replacement for grains that are difficult to digest or feed candida (a systemic fungal infection). Quinoa is a "supergrain" because it contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles.Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn.Quinoa acts as prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your intestines.


Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Preparation Time : 15-20 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Quinoa - 12 oz
Brown Rice - Handful.
Green Chilli - 1 or 2 to taste
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Tomato - 1 medium sized one.
Salt to taste
Onion - 1 chopped.
Oil

Method of Preparation

1) Soak Quinoa and brown rice overnight.
2) Drain water and grind it along with tomato, ginger, green chilli and salt. Do not add water when grinding, quinoa doesn't need lot of water. If needed add water to the batter after grinding. You can grind the batter and refrigerate and take it and use it when required too.
3) Add the chopped onions and mix the batter well, the batter consistency should be little thin than pancake consistency.
4) Heat an iron griddle and pour the batter and add a tsp of oil around it.
5) After one side is completely cooked, turn the dosai and let the other side also be cooked completely.
6) Serve with sambhar or chutney .

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