Plantain & Blackbeans Veggie Patty

Good to know:

Believe it or not, plantain is one of the healthiest foods in the world in terms of its nutritional value.The nutritional value of plantain is even greater than that of its closest relation banana. When cooked, the fruit is extremely low in fat, high in fibre and starch. It is very low in cholesterol and salt too.A typical average size plantain fruit after cooking contains 50 – 80grams of carbohydrate, 2 – 3 grams of protein, 4 - 6 grams of fibre and about 0.01 to 0.3grams of fat.
It is very rich in potassium, and it is commonly prescribed by doctors for people who have low level of potassium in their blood.The potassium in plantain is very good for the heart and helps to prevent hypertension and heart attack. It is also rich in magnesium,vitamins A, B6, and C which helps maintain vision, good skin, and build immunity against diseases. Cooked unripe plantain is very good for diabetics, as it contains complex carbohydrate that is slowly released over time.

** Plantain is also cooked boiled. This is much like boiling potatoes. You place the pilled plantain in a pot and had water to it and allow to boil for about half and hour until tender.


Ingredients

4 Medium sized raw plantain pressure cooked (boiled) peeled & mashed

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained, rinsed & roughly mashed

1 cup red,yellow,green bell pepper, finely chopped celery & carrot

1 tsp Ginger-Green Chillis paste or to taste

1 Tbsp chopped coriander

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp garam masala powder, or oregano as per taste

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tsp lemon juice or amchur powder

Salt to taste

Method

1 Rinse and drain black bean thoroughly and let it drain compeletly without any water.

2 In a food processor chop finely bell peppers, celery, carrot.

3 Now add ginger, green-chilli and coriander, pulse it for few seconds untill everything is mashed or blended.

4 Now add plantain, black beans and just pulse it for few seconds so that all the ingredients are mixed together,make sure the black beans doesn't become a puree but is mashed and combined nicely.

5 Divide the mixture in to patties and bake in preheated oven to 375 degrees.

6 Bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Serve it with green coriander chutney/ketchup

Note: These patties can be also used in veggie burgers, instead of potatoes, plantains are used in Jain religion as they also have a very high nutritional value as above. Plantains can almost replace potatoes in every recipe.

l This is our entry for My legume love affair 11th helping hosted by Taste with eyes.

l This is our entry for Sunday Snack Event hosted by Pallavi

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Super Quick & Healthy Mix Vegetable Stir Fry

No "one a day", switch to a healthy treat everyday.

Know What You Eat:

Nutritionally, water chestnuts are a good source of potassium and fiber, low in sodium, and fat is virtually non-existent but is high in carbohydrates, one can easily replace them with low carb bamboo shoots.

Carrots: good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Manganese.

Green /Red Pepper: This diet-friendly treat has no fat, cholesterol or sodium and is excellent source of vit Cvery few carbohydrates.

Zucchini: A favored jewel of the summer is good source of Thiamin, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid, very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, C,B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Cooking Time : 6-8 mins

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

1/2 C Diced Paneer / Tofu

4 C Mix Vegetables (Carrot,Brocolli,Zucchini,Cauliflower, Water Chestnuts,Bell peppers, Yellow Corn,Baby Corn) Washed & Diced in similar pieces.

For Seasoning:

1 Tbsp (EVOO) Olive Oil

3 tsp Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Dried Coriander Pwd

1 tsp Turmeric Pwd (optional)

3 tsp Taco Seasoning Mix

1 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in large non- stick skillet / kadhai.

2. Add all the vegetables, now add sesame seeds & toss it well, then add all the seasonings except salt. Put the flame on high and cook it for 5 - 6 mins for that crunch needed in this recipe, you can cook more if desired.

3. Add salt.

4. Mix it very well. Serve Hot. I would just eat them alone.....Works great as a side dish with Plain Rice / Indian flat bread / or with any other main course.

This is our entry to 15 minutes cooking hosted by Mahimaa.

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Super Healthy Black Bean Burger

Nutritional Info - CHIA the magic seeds are a boon to people with diabetes The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. This is one of Nature’s perfect foods, containing essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fiber, protective antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and more.

In this burger recipe instead of the usual bread crumbs used for binding, powdered chia is used which makes this a super food.

Cooking Time : 20 - 30 min

Preparation Time : 10-20 min

Serves : 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cubed red,yellow,green bell pepper, finely chopped celery, carrot and mushroom

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Onion powder

1/2 tablespoon Oregano powder

1-2 Green Chillis or to taste

1/2 Cup of Powdered Chia (Add additional if required)

1 tablespoon cumin powder

Salt to taste

Method to make Burger

1) Rinse and drain black bean thoroughly and let it drain compeletly without any water.

2) In a food processor finely chop bell peppers, celery, carrot and mushroom.

3) Now add the Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chilli, cumin powder, salt and blend for a minute.

4) Now add the black beans and just blend only once so that all the ingredients are mixed together.

5) Make sure the black beans doesn't become a puree but is mashed and combined nicely.

6) Mix the powdered chia until the mixture is sticky and holds together.

7) Divide the mixture in to patties and bake in preheated oven to 375 degrees.

8) Bake about 10 minutes on each side.

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Badam-Carrot-Moong-Pumpkin Kheer

Nutritional Info - Pumpkin is rich in potassium a nutrient that helps maintain blood pressure and kidney function.

Cooking Time - 20 min

Preparation Time - 2o min

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Carrot - 3 (big ones)
Pumpkin chopped – half the quantity of the chopped carrot pieces
Badam/Almonds – handful
Moong – handful
Saffron – pinch
Elaichi powder – pinch
Jaggery – ½ cup
Milk(Boiled and cooled) – ½ cup
Ghee – ½ tsp
Broken cashew – 1 tsp
Water

Method of Preparation

1) Place moong, almonds in a vessel and pour little bit of water just to cover these two. On top of moong and almonds place the carrot and pumpkin pieces, pinch of saffron and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
2) Switch off and once it is cooled transfer it to a blender and blend them into a puree adding little bit of water.
3) Pour the puree in a vessel along with water to the desired consistency, jaggery powder and elaichi powder and simmer them till the jaggery is thoroughly combined.
4) Switch off and pour the boiled and cooled milk.
5) Chill and before serving garnish with ghee roasted cashew and serve.

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Celery Tomato Carrot Soup

Nutritional Info - Lycopene, the carotenoid responsible for tomato's bright red and orange colors is associated with lower risk of both macular degeneration and several types of cancer. If it's lycopene you are after,the cooked tomatoes contain two to eight times more than raw. Now let us go ahead with the recipe and have a nutritious and delicious soup.




Cooking Time : 20-30 min
Preparation Time : 10-15 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Celery - 4 Sticks (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 big (chopped)
Carrot - 2 big (finely chopped)
Scallion - 4 stalks (finely chopped)
Mint - few
Onion powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil/Ghee/Butter - 2 tsp
Water

Method of Preparation

1) Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the chopped celery and carrot and leave it for a few minutes till they are 1/2 cooked.
2) Now add the tomato pieces and cover the vessel and stir in between. Leave it for a few minutes till all the vegetables are cooked.
3) Switch of the stove and let the vegetables cool down.
4) Once the vegetables are cooled completely, transfer them to a blender and blend thoroughly till they become a puree.
5) Heat the rest of the oil and sauté the scallion and mint and transfer the pureed contents to the pan and add water to the desired consistency.
6) Add the onion powder, garlic and salt and stir and leave and switch of once the soup starts bubbling.
7) Now add pepper powder and the soup is ready to serve.

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Carrot Salad

Nutritional Info - Carrots are very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Manganese.

The latest health findings say one third of our daily food should be raw. But we do get bored by eating the same lettuce and spinach salad everyday. So I make different salads every day to make the meal interesting and this is one of the easiest salads to make.

Cooking Time - 2 min

Preparation Time - 10-15 min

Serves - 4 

Ingredients

Carrots - 2
Tomato - 1/2
Bell Pepper small - 1/2
Scallion - 2 stalks
Salt
Lemon - 1/2 (or according to taste)


Tempering

Oil - 1tsp

asafoetida powder 1 pinch

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Garnishing

Cilantro

Method of Preparation

1) Peel and grate carrots, cut tomato, bell pepper and scallion into small pieces.
2) Add salt, squeeze lemon juice.
3) Heat a tsp of oil and add mustard seeds and once it splutters, add the hing powder and add it to the salad.
4) Mix everything and garnish with cilantro.


Note - If you want your salad to be little spicy you can slit a green chilly after adding mustard seeds leave it for a minute and add hing and add it to the salad.

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