Sprouted Moong Dal Curry

Recently, my husband has decided to go on a complete protein diet in order to lose weight. He is completely off carbohydrates, and that keeps me thinking which protein to cook every day for him. I came across this particular dish at a friend's place and found it to be very healthy, nutritious and also delicious. So decided to give it a try.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 cups sprouted whole green moong dal

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1/2 can of coconut milk

juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• In a vessel, add sprouted moong dal and enough water (around 4 cups) and bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cook for about 30 minutes till the dal is tender.
• Now, add the red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then taste to adjust seasoning.
• In a pan, roast some cumin seeds, hing and mustard seeds on medium heat and add this to the dal.
• Serve hot with rice or chapattis.

Baingan Bartha

Today I am going to share with you all an interesting recipe. This is very easy to make. It can be made in a lot of different ways but the real flavor comes from roasting the brinjal. Although, some of you might not like the look of it, believe me, it is really delicious and goes very well with phulkas or chapatis.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 2 - 3

Ingredients:

1 medium sized long eggplant / brinjal / baingan

1 cup onion finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes finely chopped

2 tbsp of crushed garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

salt to taste

oil

Method:

• Rub a little oil all over the brinjal and roast it in the oven at the highest temperature for 20 minutes. You can also do this over a flame. (By rubbing oil over the brinjal, the skin comes out easily)
• Heat some oil in a pan. Add some cumin seeds and garlic and saute for a minute or two.
• Then add the onions and green chillies and saute for a while. You need not brown them.
• Then add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder and mix it well. Add salt to taste.
• Add tomatoes and chopped coriander and allow it to cook on slow flame for about 3-5 minutes.
• Then slowly separate the brinjal pulp from the skin, chop it and add it to the tomato onion mixture and mix it well.
• Check the seasoning and serve hot with phukas or chapatis.

Note: Some people also like to add boiled peas to it but it tastes good as it is.

Rich Rum Fruit Cake

I wanted to try a different fruit cake this Christmas and hence was looking for the perfect recipe. Finally, while browsing through various interesting blogs on the internet, I came across this particular recipe which really caught my attention. I wanted to give it a try. I must say that I have found the perfect Christmas fruit cake which is so moist and delicious.

Here is the link to this recipe http://www.ecurry.com/blog/desserts/rich-rum-fruit-cake-for-a-very-merry-christmas/

I am sure you all are going to enjoy this Rich Rum Fruit Cake as much as I do.

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite Indo Chinese soup. I order it all the time at restaurants. This soup hardly takes any time to make if you have ready chicken stock with you. But, I wanted to make the stock at home. The homemade stock gives the soup a nice taste.

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Stock:

1 small packet of chicken drumsticks (about 12 small pieces)

1 cup celery chopped

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 carrots diced

1 onion diced

salt to taste

4 cups of water

1 can of cream style sweet corn

1/2 cup of cooked shredded chicken

1 egg beaten

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp of green chilli sauce

2 tbsp of hot and sweet chilli sauce

2 stalk of green onion diced

3 tbsp of corn starch dissolved i a little water

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp chilli flakes

salt to taste

Method:

• Put all the ingredients for the chicken stock in a pressure cooker and close the lid and cook on medium heat for 2-3 whistles or until the chicken is cooked.
• Strain the liquid from the cooker in a large bowl
• Keep the cooked chicken pieces and separate the chicken from the bone, shred it nicely and discard the veggies.
• In a big bowl, combine the stock with the cream style sweet corn.
• To this add, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, all the sauces and bring it to a boil
• When you see it boiling, add the shredded cooked chicken to it.
• Then add the beaten egg slowly and keep stirring until the eggs form fine threads in the soup.
• Finally, add the cornstarch and you will see the soup thickening.
• Let it cook for 2 minutes and then you can take it out and garnish it with some sesame oil, green chillies soaked in vinegar and diced green onions.

Note: You can make the vegetarian version by using vegetable stock and using cooked vegetables instead of shredded chicken.

Rose Cookies

The holiday season is on and soon it is going to be Christmas. Love this season, especially here in Canada. It is so beautiful to see the houses and malls decorated and also the experience of a white Christmas. Simply amazing!!! This year I decided to start my Christmas sweets by making rose cookies first. This is something that I have tried for the first time. I remember my mom making this for us every Christmas and they were so delicious and crispy that most of it was over the minute she made it :)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Makes: Approx. 50-60 rose cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 kg all purpose flour (sieve and keep it aside)

1 tin of coconut milk

3 eggs (beaten well)

350 gms of finely powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

a pinch of salt

oil for deep frying

Method:

• Mix the coconut milk and the sugar together in a bowl. Make sure that the sugar has dissolved well in the coconut milk.
• To this add the beaten eggs and mix well.
• Then, add the salt, vanilla essence, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder
• Finally, add the all purpose flour little by little, thereby mixing the batter well with the spoon in order to ensure that no lumps are formed
• The consistency of the batter should be neither too thick or too thin. If you find it too thick, you can adjust the batter by adding a little water to it.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and while doing that, insert the rose cookie form (easily available in the specialty stores) in the oil and let it heat simultaneously.
• When the oil and the form is hot enough, take the form out from the oil and dip 3/4th of the form in the batter and quickly dip it in the hot oil moving it slightly. You will see the batter leaving the form.
• Repeat the procedure again quickly and fry them for 3-4 seconds on either side and take them out and drain the oil from the rose cookies.
• Always make sure that the form is hot enough before dipping it into the batter, else it won't hold the batter.
• Crispy rose cookies are ready to eat.
• Store them in an airtight container.

Corn Bread

This is my sister's recipe. She gave it to me last Thanksgiving and it turned out really good so thought of sharing it with you all. Corn bread is one of the popular American thanksgiving dishes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

11/3 cup sugar

8 oz melted butter

4 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups butter milk

2 cups cornmeal

2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

Method:

• Mix sugar and melted butter in a bowl.
• Beat the eggs and add it to the sugar butter mixture and fold it well.
• Add baking soda to the buttermilk and mix it with the above mixture
• Finally, add the cornmeal and the flour and mix well till you see no lumps. It should be a smooth batter.
• Grease the parchment paper and pour the batter in the tin.
• Bake it 375 degree F for 30 -40 minutes
• Let it cool and then cut it into pieces and serve.

Pumpkin Pie

We had our thanksgiving in Canada on 11th October but, I could not put up any recipes then as I was busy studying for a short term HR course. So, I thought of putting it now, as my American friends are celebrating their thanksgiving tomorrow.

This recipe is not my original. It was written on the E.D. Smith pumpkin pie tin. But, for all those who can't find this particular brand of pumpkin pie mix, you can simple use this recipe with any other brand.

I made this recipe for the first time and it came out really good. My friends enjoyed it and my daughter simply loved it.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Baking time: 50 minutes

Serves : 8

Ingredients:

To make 1 pie:

3 eggs

398 ml (1/2 can of 796 ml) of E.D. Smith Pure Pumpkin (you can use any other brand too)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup(175 ml) evaporated milk

1 (9 in/23cm) unbaked home-made or frozen deep dish pie shell

Method:

• Beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl.
• Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; stir until well combined.
• Blend in milk. Pour filling in a pie shell.
• Bake at 425 degree F (220 degree C) for 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F (180 degree C) and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes, longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool and serve.