Sprouted Black Chickpea Salad | High Protein

Know What You Eat: Sprouts are considered as wonder foods they are abound with antioxidants, they are full of protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, Black Chickpea very good source of folic acid, fiber, and manganese.  They are also a good source of protein, as well as minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium.This makes them a great food especially for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals.  When served with your favorite raw vegetables or as a side dish in a main course, black chickpea  is extremely low and complete protein food.

Recipe: Sprouted Channa Salad | Black Chickpea

Serves 2                      Cooking time 10 mins                 Preparation time 15 mins

Ingredients

1 C Steamed Sprouted Kala Channa | Black Chickpea

1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Large Tomato, chopped 

1 Medium Cucumber, chopped

1 Medium Beetroot, boiled and chopped

1/4 C Celery, chopped (optional)

1 Small Green Chili, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Chaat masala powder
1-1/2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/4 tsp  Roasted Cumin (Jeera) powder
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves 

Salt to taste

Preparation

• Wash, drain and steam sprouts  
• Add chopped onion, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, celery and other ingredients.
• Mix well.
• Garnish with coriander. Makes a healthy breakfast, or salad for main course.

 AWARDS TIME:

Special Thanks to Sangee Vijay of Typical Indian Cooking for passing me such beautiful awards..I would like to pass these awards to all my fellow bloggers..they all truly deserve it.. Please pick up and post it.."KEEP THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS ROLLING"

                     Sending this recipe to Akheela's food palette series finale rainbow colors.

                         This dish goes to Healthy Living event hosted by Yummy in my Tummy.

Read more »

Cabbage & Split Chickpea Curry/Stew

Know What You Eat: Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A (which comes from its concentration of carotenla oids such as beta-carotene). Polyphenols one of the component of cabbage gives cabbage its rich antioxidant property. The glucosinolates found in cabbage can be converted into isothiocyanate compounds that are cancer preventive for a variety of different cancers, including bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer.Very easy too cook, ready in minutes.So whenever you have a hectic day next time plan onto something like this along with whole wheat roti(bread) & steam rice/quinoa your choice.

 Ingredients:

3 C Cabbage (shredded)                               SUBSTITUTE: bottlegourd, ridgegourd
1 C Split Chickpea(chana dal), pressure cooked/boiled
3 pods Garlic, peeled finely chopped
2 sprigs Curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp Olive/Canola Oil
1 tsp Red chilly pwd
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
1/2 tsp garam masala pwd
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
A glass of water/vegetable stock
Lemon juice & Salt to taste


Directions:
1. Pressure cook chana dal along with pinch of turmeric and salt. Shred cabbage. Keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok, splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, hing and chopped garlic.
3. Now add dal, turmeric, red chilly, garam masala pwd and salt to taste.
4. Add cabbage along with a glass of water/vegetable stock. Bring it to boil.
5. Squeeze in lemon juice and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
6. Serve it with whole wheat roti(bread) & steam rice/quinoa your choice.

Read more »

10-Minute Healthy Peanut Raisin Bar

Know What You Eat:

Your Heart Will Go Nuts for Peanuts:  Heart-healthy Mediterranean diet Peanuts are very good source of mono unsaturated fat, in addition to their monounsaturated fat content, peanuts feature an array of other nutrients that, in numerous studies, have been shown to promote heart health. Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese. Health Study that involved over 86,000 women, have found that frequent nut consumption is related to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating peanuts just 2 or more times each week was associated with a 58% lowered risk of colon cancer in women and a 27% lowered risk in men. In Addition to it, It also help Prevent Gallstones, Protect against Alzheimer's and Age-related Cognitive Decline. It ofcourse is a high cal food, but look at other innumerours benefits..

Raisins: Antioxidant Protection from Phenols The total antioxidant activity of many fruits and vegetables has been found to be exactly parallel to their total phenol content, and raisins take their place in this list right alongside prunes and apricots as an antioxidant-rich fruit. 

Boron for Better Bone Health:  Boron is a mineral that is critical to our health, and has been of special interest in women in relationship to bone health and osteoporosis (bone softening). It is a trace mineral required to convert estrogen and vitamin D to their most active forms. Estrogen levels drop after menopause causing osteoclasts to become more sensitive to parathyroid hormone, which signals them to break down bone. Studies have shown that boron provides protection against osteoporosis and reproduces many of the positive effects of estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women. Raisins are among the top 50 contributors to total dietary boron in the U.S. diet. 

Try this great energy boosting snack any time of day. And it only takes 10 minutes to prepare. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes
Makes 8-12 bars

Ingredients:

1 C raw or roasted peanuts
1 C Raisins,preferably black
1/2 C raw or roasted split gram (dalia dal)
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger OR
1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder* and
1 tsp Pipramool powder*  (A root of long Pepper (A close relative of black pepper) optional
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, preferably black
2 Tbsp honey


Directions:

1.  Grind all ingredients, except for the honey, in a food processor until fairly fine but still having some texture (you don't want it to have the consistency of peanut butter).
2.  Add honey and process just long enough for it to blend in.
3.  Press into a square about 3/4-inch thick on a plate or square pan and refrigerate for about an hour or more.
4.  Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy this guilt free snack.

*Pipramool Powder: A root of long Pepper (A close relative of black pepper) One of the wonderful, warming roots is used in cold conditions, such as osteoarthritis. It also finds use for anorexia, constipation, anemia, body ache, coughing and breathing problems, pharyngitis and vertigo.

*Dry Ginger Powder: (Zingiber officinale) Ginger is used in Asian medicine to treat stomachaches, nausea, and diarrhea. Many digestive, antinausea, and cold and flu dietary supplements sold in the United States contain ginger extract as an ingredient. It has been used for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and joint and muscle pain.

Read more »

Go Nuts For Peanuts..Peanut Sundal/Stir Fry

Know What U Eat: Your Heart will GO NUTS FOR PEANUTS..Peanuts are a very good source of mono-unsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Goes right for MLLA-24, hosted by Diana, event started by Susan, do check her host line-up for MLLA's.

Some heart healthy-peanut-friendly practical usage of peanuts in your daily routine: 

1.To help prevent colon cancer, avoid pickled foods, but enjoy peanuts at least twice each week.

2. Spread peanut butter on your morning waffle, whole grain toast or mid-morning crackers.

3. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter to your morning smoothie.

4. Enjoy a handful of dry roasted peanuts with a glass of tomato juice as an afternoon snack.

5. Combine peanut butter, coconut milk, and ready-to-use Thai red or green curry paste for a quick, delicious sauce. Pour over healthy sautéed vegetables. 

6. Toss cooked brown rice with sesame oil, chopped peanuts, scallions, sweet red pepper, parsley and currants.

7. Having a handful of peanuts as an afternoon pick me up, or tossing some peanuts on your oatmeal or salad.

8. I have heard about a lot of sundal variations using various beans and have also seen in blogosphere..but have tried doing it for the first time..and believe me, its super yummy..Follow this recipe for great anytime snack. OR after school snack for kids..

Ingredients:
1 C Peanuts/Groundnuts, pressure cooked/boiled with some salt
1 medium size onion, diced
3 tbsp grated coconut 
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Urad dal
2 Dry red chillies/green chillies
Few Curry Leaves 
Asafetida (hing) - a pinch
1 tsp Oil 


Method:
1. Clean and wash peanuts and pressure cook them in water under tender. Soaking reduces the cooking time..but it can be also made without soaking which may take upto 10 whistles.
2. Drain excess water and set aside.
3. Heat up the oil and fry the mustard seeds, urad dal, asafetida,and chillies.
4. Now add onion and cook untill translucent.
5. Add the cooked nuts,curry leaves, and coconut and stir for a minute. Check for salt at this point of time. Add if neccessary. Serve warm. Great as anytime snack.

Read more »

Usal Pav Yellow Peas Curry With Bread

Know What U Eat: A family of functional proteins from yellow peas delivers unique nutritional value and excellent functional properties. With 85% protein and a rich amino acid profile, naturally is highly digestible (98%), all-natural. A  very easy to make traditional maharashtrian Usal Pav..enjoyed by everyone in a quick dinner idea, with a little planning and less cooking involved, semi - homemade products used, makes this a very delicious side dish enjoyed with your favorite bread. A Very Happy Women's Day - to all our readers..

Ingredients:

2-4 Pav (Your Favorite Buttered Bread)

1 C Yellow peas, soaked & boiled,

1  Potato,boiled

1  Onion, chopped 

1/4 inch Ginger, chopped

2 Tomatoes, chopped

2 pods of Garlic, chopped

2-3 Curry Leaves

Cilantro, finely chopped 

Juice of 1 Lemon

2 C Water

Spices:

1/4 tsp Red chilli pwd (adjust acc. taste)

1/4 tsp Garam masala 

2-3 pinches of Turmeric pwd

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

2 Tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds,

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds,

Asafoetida, a pinch

For Garnishing:

1 tsp of Date & tamarind chutney / Cup

Scallions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp of Farsan / Cup (mixture of sev, peanuts, fried split dal etc)

Method:

1. Soak yellow peas, for atleast 5 hours, pressure cook it for upto 3 whistles or untill boiled.

2. Chop onion, tomatoes, garlic, heat oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds, as it splutters add cumin seeds, asafoetida curry leaves and onion. Cook untill onion becomes translucent. Now add ginger & garlic. Saute for a minute.

3. Add chopped tomatoes, stir- cook for a while, add all the spices, salt according to your taste.

4. Add boiled peas + water, bring it to a boil.

5. Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

To Serve:

1. For each person, In a separate bowl, add this peas gravy and garnish it with farsan (Sev-mixture), chopped onion/scallions, some lemon juice with sweet date & tamarind chutney. 

2. Enjoy it with Warm buttered Pav (your favorite bread)

Usal Pav goes to "The Combo Event", hosted by Pari

Read more »

Sweet Sesame & Peanut Stuffed Paratha

Know What U Eat: Sesame seeds contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group of special beneficial fibers called lignans, and have been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans, and to prevent high blood pressure and increase vitamin E supplies in animals. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage. For now enjoy these sweet stuffed sesame paratha freshly made and served warm, good for little fussy eaters and a sweet treat for all the rest. It goes directly to Priya's CSW- Sesame.

Ingredients:

1/2 C Brown Roasted Sesame seeds

1/2 C Jaggery

1 Tbsp Roasted Peanuts, coarsely powdered

1 Tbsp Roasted split chana daal, coarsely powdered

1 Tbsp Dry Coconut, powdered/shredded

2 Tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

2-3 tsp of water

Ingredients for Paratha/ Flat Bread dough:

1 C whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp gram flour

1 Tbsp warm canola/olive oil

water as required

Method:

1. Roast the sesame on a pan until light brown, keep them aside.

2. In the same pan roast split pea & peanuts, when cool, grind them in coffee grinder.

3. In the same pan roast the gram flour for about 2 mins. Keep aside.

4. Now add warm ghee to grated jaggery and mix all the above ingredients together to make a soft and mouldable mixture.

5. Grease your hands with oil/ghee and make small balls of stuffing and keep them aside.

For the flat bread dough:

1.  Mix flour, oil. Slowly add little water and make a firm dough. The dough should not be too soft but more on a firmer side.

2.  Divide the dough in small equal balls.

Roll in the stuffing:

1. Then roll out each ball into a not too thin disc or a chapati on a floured board. Like 3 " in diameter should be fine.

2.  Spread the above prepared jaggery & sesame mixture on one round chapati and cover with same size another round chapati. Seal the edges nicely, or else the jaggery will ooze out during cooking and will make the entire thing quite messy....sprinkle a little dry flour on top, then roll out the paratha as thinly and as round as you can, being careful not to break it.

3.  Grease a smoking tava or a griddle with ghee and place the paratha over it, keep a watch turnover when its little golden brown in color, apply ghee on the top and turn over.

4.  Press gently and spread some ghee over this side too.

5.  Keep turning untill parathas turn golden brown or done.

6.  Similarly make the rest of the sweet sesame parathas.  Serve this paratha warm.

Read more »

Baked Spicy Peanuts & Apple, Banana, Kiwi Coconut Shake

Know what you Eat – Peanuts contrary to its name belong to the legume family and are a rich source
of mono unsaturated fat and an array of other nutrients that, in numerous studies, have been shown
to promote heart health. Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E, niacin, folate, protein and manganese.
In addition, peanuts provide resveratrol, the phenolic antioxidant also found in red grapes and red wine.
Apples are a good source of antioxidants and fiber, flavonoids that are good for the heart. You'll get
impressive amounts of flavonoids in the skins and pulp of apples - and these flavonoids have plenty of
tricks up their sleeve for helping protect your heart health. Bananas are a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese. Kiwi is a very good source of Vitamin C  and also a good source of the important fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E. Coconut milk is a good source of a wide range of vitamins, minerals, potassium, folate and other vital nutrients. Almonds are a good source of protein. Raw honey unlike refined sugar doesn’t cause cavitiesand has good medicinal properties.

After school snacks are an important routine in our house and i have to whip up something quick and
easy and nutritious. This is one easy and filling snack. I soak 1 Tbsp of Chia in 3 tbsp of water and serve
this shake on top of the chia gel. Chia gel gives a sense of fullness and is a very good source of omega-3.
This milk shake is very filling and quick to make, you can have this for a quick breakfast too.


Spicy Baked Peanuts

Preparation Time – 10 mins
Cooking Time – 10 – 15 mins

Ingredients

Peanuts – 2 Cups
Split Chick Pea flour – 1/2 cup
Brown Rice flour – 1/4 cup
Red chili powder – 1 tsp or to taste
Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Amchoor powder – 1/2 tsp

Method

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Bake the peanuts for 5-7 minutes in a cookie tray stirring in between till peanuts turn crisp.
3) Let them cool for 5 minutes.
4) Meanwhile thoroughly combine rice flour, chick pea flour, chili powder, salt, turmeric
powder, amchoor powder in a bowl.
5) Now add the cooled peanuts to this mixture and add water little by little, so that the flour is
evenly coated on the peanuts. ( Do not make it runny as the peanuts will turn soggy, just enough
water to coat the flour on the surface of the peanuts).
6) Bake for 10-15 minutes stirring in between, till they are well roasted.
7) Let them cool completely then transfer and store in an airtight container.
Notes - Once out of the oven, they might not look  crunchy, but once they are completely cooled
down they are very crunchy indeed and stays good for at least till 10 days.
I am going to try baking the peanuts with brown rice flour, will update the post once done.
I did bake the peanuts with brown rice flour and i couldn't tell any difference in the taste absolutely.


Apple, Banana & Kiwi Coconut Shake
Cooking Time – none
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Serves – 4

Ingredients

Apple – 1
Banana – 1
Kiwi – 2
Almonds – handful soaked overnight
Coconut Milk – 15 oz
Water – 15 oz
Raw honey or Maple syrup for vegan version – 1 tbsp or to taste
Ice cubes (optional)

Method

1) In a blender, blend the almonds adding just enough water to a fine paste.
2) Now add the chopped apple, banana, kiwi and make a fine puree.
3) Now add the coconut milk, rest of the water, honey and ice cubes blend
evenly and serve.

Notes – Do not remove or strain the fiber from the puree.  Without any cooking involved
the vitamin in the fruits are intact and also with all the fiber, almonds and coconut milk and
with chia gel it is a very nutritious and wholesome well balanced breakfast for kids.

Event Participation

1) The fruit & coconut milk shake goes to Kids Delight Wholesome breakfast hosted by Srivalli.
2) The fruit & coconut milk shake goes to No cook event hosted by PJ of Seduce your Taste buds.
3) This goes to Healthy Sunday Snack hosted by Divya of Dil Se an event run by Pallavi.
4) The baked peanuts go to MLLA-20th helping hosted by Rachel an event started by Susan.
5) Both the dishes go to Food for Seven Stages of Life Healthy Fast food hosted by Radhika
and Sudeshna.
6) This goes to Think Spice Amchoor hosted by Bhagya of ta5tebuds an event started by Sunita.

Read more »

Multi Legume Savory Pancake(Dosai) with Sesame Seeds

Know what you Eat - Breakfast is such an important part of the every day meal and  make sure it is high
in protein to give all the energy to get you going throughout the day. Legumes are so rich in fiber they
give you sense of fullness for a longer time.  Legumes are a valuable part of a healthy diet, because they
are low in fat, do not contain cholesterol, and have a significant amount  of fiber, and are low in sugar and
fat. This is such a wholesome and nutritious pancake, which is  packed with different legumes and the
calcium from sesame seeds. The darker the color of the sesame seed the better nutrition profile it is.
Very suitable for kids, adults and even for people with diabetes and gluten free diet.
If you have a picky child at home, surely the Mom has to be creative to whack the brain and come up
with nutritious dishes. Each and every child is different, some like all colorful dishes some might not
eat slight brown or green ones, that’s why i had to peel the peanuts, had to go for white sesame seeds
instead of black and not include the curry leaves  and cilantro, even though i love them and they give
such a flavor and taste to any dish. You can also add chopped veggies, greens etc to make it even
more nutritious.
Preparation Time – 30 Minutes
Cooking Time – 30 Minutes
Serves - 6
Ingredients
Peanuts – 1/2 cup
Split Moong Dal/Mung Bean – 1/2 cup
Split Channa Dal(Split Chick Pea) – 1/2 cup
Whole Urad Dal( white lentil) – 1/2 cup
Green Chili – 2 or to taste
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Asafoetida – 1 small piece or 1/4 tsp powder
Curry leaves – handful (optional)
Onion – 2 medium sized
Cilantro – chopped 2 tbsp(optional)
Sesame seeds – 4 Tbsp
Oil – 2-3 Tbsp

Method

1) Except the peanuts, rinse and soak the other three legumes together and  soak the
peanut separately overnight.
2) Take handful of peanuts in your hand and roll between your palms so the peanut peel will come out
or if you don’t mind the color of the peel go to step 3 without peeling.
3) Drain all the water from the legumes, add salt, ginger, green chili, asafoetida, curry leaves(add this
only if there are no issue of food color) and grind to fine paste(batter) adding water as needed
at time.
4) Chop the onion into small pieces and mix with batter and add water as needed to get the
consistency little thinner than pancake.
5) Refrigerate and use this batter as needed.
6) When preparing add the chopped cilantro to the batter, heat a griddle(iron and not nonstick
for additional health benefits).  Take a ladle full of batter and spread into a thin circle shape
and take a 1 to 2 tsp of white sesame seeds and  spread on top of the batter and pour a tsp
of oil around the batter.
7) Once one side of the dosai/pancake is well cooked and the batter color has changed on the top
flip it and let the other side get cooked.
8) Remove from the griddle and serve hot with chutney or sambar of your choice. I served
it with Tomato Thokku(Tangy & Spicy Tomato Pickle) and i will post the recipe later.

Notes – If you have the batter ready, it will take a maximum of 30 minutes to make a full breakfast
for 6 people. So even on a time crunchy day, you don’t have to compromise on the your health, but
just prepare this in a jiffy and enjoy.

Event Participation

1) This goes to Cooking with Sesame seeds event hosted by Priya.
2) This goes to Kids Delight – Wholesome Breakfast event hosted by Srivalli.
3) Sending this to Creative Food for Picky Eaters hosted by Sara's corner an event started by Sharmi.
4) This goes to MLLA 19th Helping hosted by EC an event started by Susan.

Read more »

Healthy Sprouted Bhel Recipe

A Spicy Indian quick snack for entertaining

Know what you eat:

Sprouts are good source of Protein, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Folate, Copper and Manganese.

Sprouts also contain an abundance of highly active antioxidants that prevent DNA destruction and protect us from the ongoing effects of aging. It wouldn't be inconceivable to find a fountain of youth here, after all, sprouts represent the miracle of birth.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook / Mixing time: 10 mins
Serves 4-6

Ingredients :

4 C Puffed rice } Or get a readymade bhel mixture from any Indian Grocery Store
2 C Sev ( Bengal gram flour fried noodles )
1/2 C Sprouted & Boiled Whole Black/Red Chana (horse gram)
1/2 C Sprouted & Boiled Whole Mung (Green gram)
1 C Boiled/diced Beet root
1 C Finely chopped Tomato
1/4 C Grated / diced Carrot
1/4 C Diced /Chopped Cucumber
1/2 C Boiled / Peeled/ Diced Potatoes ( I did not used it, optional)
1/2 C Peeled/ Diced Onions ( I did not used it, optional)
1/4 C Roasted Peanuts
1/4 C Roasted Chana dal (optional)
2 tsp Chaat Masala pwd (any brand)
1 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro
Lemon juice to taste
Green chutney & Sweet chutney Acc to taste

Ingredients / Method

For Green chutney:

Cilantro 1 bunch
green chillies 6 nos
salt & lemon juice.
Blend all the above to a fine paste & reserve

Sweet/sour chutney:

1 C Tamarind extract
1/2 C Pitted Dates
1 Tbsp Brown sugar
2 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Chilli Powder
3 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Boil the above till they reduce by half & cool.
Grind /Blend it to smooth consistency.

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in large bowl & serve in an individual plates immediately. Garnish it with sev & cilantro.

Note:
1. Add puffed rice in the end, after you mix everything, to maintain the crunchiness needed in this recipe.
2. For easy entertaining keep all the ingredients in seperate bowls & let the guests help themselves acc to taste. Enjoy this healthy guilt free snack at anytime of the day.


l This is our entry for Sunday Snack Event hosted by Pallavi
l This is our entry for WYF Event hosted by EC
l This dish goes to 15 mins Event hosted by Mahimaa
l This is our entry for My legume love affair 11th helping hosted by Taste with eyes.

Read more »