Chai Latte is easy, tasty and so good for your health. Here is my version of Masala Chai.
I am using loose leaf tea from Tea affair (vedicteas.com) for this video and if you are using it..you dont need any spices but for regular tea.. if you add the spices listed below, you get this amazing tea latte.
You can make your own Tea Masala At home too. Follow our recipe for great tasting tea.
Ingredients/ Method
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 tsp loose leaf tea of your choice or 1 tea bag
Sugar as desired
2 green cardamom
2 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
4 black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp Fennel seeds
small piece of ginger
– Heat water and add all spices. Let them simmer. Add tea and milk. Bring to boil and let simmer until desired color is achieved. Serve hot.
This is an easy recipe which shows how to prepare Instant Idli batter at home using Sooji/Rava ( Semolina/Cream of Wheat) and yogurt. You can then prepare these crepes instead of vegetable idlis to enjoy as a snack, for breakfast or for the road.
Ingredients/ Method
1 cup Sooji/ Cream of wheat
1 cup yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup water
Spices as per your taste. 1 tsp Salt/ 1 tsp red chilli pwd ( or for milder version- Paprika)/ 1 tsp dry mint powder (Pudina powder)
1 -2 cup of veggies of your choice. I add: Peppers, onions, carrots and spinach. Mushroom is a good one to add. My mom adds tomatoes which I am not too found of them in this batter.
Prepare the batter with Yogurt, sooji and water. Add veggies. Add spices and then cook for 5 mins on a skillet with a little bit of oil. Enjoy with tomato chutney.
Do you like Ricotta? How about trying this delicious, flavourful Ricotta- Peas dish which goes well with any kind of flatbread or simply enjoy it on its own 🙂 This recipe is for 1- 2 people.
Ingredients/ Method
1/2 cup Peas
1/2 cup Ricotta
small piece of onion chopped
1/2 cup of tomatoes chopped
3-4 garlic cloves chopped
1-2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt per taste
1/2 tsp red chilli pwd/Paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric (Haldi)
Optional- 1/4 tsp garam masala or seasoning pepper
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves
– Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and mustard seeds. Saute some onions/garlic/ Peas. Add spices. Add tomatoes. give few more mins for all flavours to mingle. Add ricotta. Mix well. Add pepper. Garnish with coriander/cilantro leaves and serve with roti or your fav flatbread.
Navratre is an Indian/Hindu festival which lasts for 9 days and lot of people fast during these 9 days ( can fast 1 day or whole period) eating a special diet. This simple Potato dish is one simple recipe that is allowed to be had during these 9 days. Here is how we make it 🙂
Ingredients/ Method
2 tbsp oil
1 Large potato or 2-3 small/medium size potatoes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
1/2 tsp rock salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried ginger ( Sund)
2-3 tbsp Yogurt
Method: Heat oil in a pan and add seeds. Add potatoes. Mix well and add spices. Cover and cook for 5-6 mins. When almost done, add yogurt and let cook further for 2 mins. Then turn the heat off and serve potatoes. They taste delicious on their own and make for a great side dish as well.
This is a super simple protein rich pancakes recipe which are not only healthy but taste good too. I make these plain for the kids and load them up/ make them a bit spicy for myself ( Check my spicy lentil pancakes recipe.) You can enjoy them with any chutney of your choice but my kids like them with Dahi 🙂
Ingredients/Method
1-2 cups of Mixed Dal/Lentils
Water for soaking the lentils and grinding them to make a coarse paste
Salt/Asafoetida/roasted cumin powder/paprika to add into the batter
desi ghee/oil/butter for cooking batter on a skillet.
Soak lentils overnight or at least 6-8 hrs. Grind to make a coarse paste. Then spice it up and cook on a hot skillet until both sides turn golden brown. Serve with Coconut Chutney (Recipe) or mint chutney ( Recipe).
Roasted chickpeas are not only healthy but they taste great as well. Easy to prepare, these chickpeas are perfect for munching on or as a homemade gift for your friends/family for the holidays.
Ingredients/ Method
1-2 cups boiled or canned chickpeas. I boil mine. I simply soak them in the water overnight and pressure cook them for 2-3 whistles.
Adjust the spices as per the quantity you are cooking. If you plan on storing these, roast the chickpeas first then add spices. If you plan on eating them right away or fairly soon, go with the way I am cooking them.
In a bowl- add 2 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice. Stir- in chickpeas. Then add spices- 1 to 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 to 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook in a preheated oven at 425 F for 30-40 mins or until desired crispiness is achieved. Also try our Honey Cinnamon Roasted chickpeas recipe.
If you are looking for a cool edible gift idea that you can do yourself then look no further than simple, homemade, tasty – Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas. Easy to prepare, these chickpeas are perfect for munching on or as a homemade gift for your friends/family for the holidays.Check out more of our Snack Ideas here.
Ingredients/ Method
1-2 cups boiled or canned chickpeas. I boil mine. I simply soak them in the water overnight and pressure cook them for 2-3 whistles.
Completely rinse and dry them. Roast them at 400 F for 20 mins. If they are on abaking sheet lined with aluminium foil, they will crisp up quickly. Once they are a shade darker than original and crispy, coat them with honey, coconut oil. cinnamon and nutmeg ( While the chickpeas are still hot) . Roast for 10-15 more mins and then serve warm or let cool, put in a pouch and give out as a gift 🙂 You can prepare two pouches.. One sweet and one salty. Here is a recipe for spicy roasted chickpeas.
Delicious, healthy, Vegan Sweet Potato Mash dish inspired from Punjabi cuisine. It is great to enjoy with a toast, flatbread, on sandwiches or even as a dip. If you love bright and bold flavours of Punjabi cooking then do try our: Punjabi Parantha, Punjabi Chickpea Curry and Punjabi Fish Pakora Recipe
Ingredients/ Method
2 sweet Potatoes – Boil and mash them.
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (Methre) – These lend that unique flavour to the dish.
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 small chopped tomato
1/2 tsp seasoning pepper. Optional 1/2 tsp garam masala (or curry powder)
2-3 tbsp oil
Spices- Salt, Turmeric and Red chilli powder/ Paprika
– Get sweet potatoes ready (boil, peel and mash them)
– Heat oil in a pan and add cumin and fenugreek seeds. Let them sizzle and add onions and ginger. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder
– Fry for 2-3 mins and add sweet potatoes. Mix well. Add tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 mins. Season with pepper/ garam masala and serve warm.
In this recipe, we make these super yum Kabobs with Burgol, boiled potatoes, various spices and greens (mainly spinach and baby Kale chopped)These are easy to prepare, great for potlucks and store well too.
Burgol or Bulgur is a grain from the ancient Middle East; from there it spread quickly around the world. Bulgur is wheat berries that are partially hulled, steamed, then cracked and dried. Often confused with cracked wheat, both look the same, however, Bulghur is steamed (precooked) unlike cracked wheat. Bulghur is gritty and flaky and used primarily in Tabbuleh or Tabouli (a typical Lebanese salad). Bulgur is also commonly used as a meat substitute.
Ingredients/ Method
1 cup Burgol/ Bulgur wheat
4-5 boiled/mashed potatoes
2 cups chopped greens – Spinach/Kale
2-3 tbsp oil for pan frying. You can deep fry these as well.
Spices I used- salt, garam masala, seasoning pepper, red chilli powder (or paprika), garlic salt and curry powder. Adjust quantities as per your liking.
Mix everything well and then form small patties. Pan- fry both sides on a skillet until golden brown. Outside will be crispy and inside soft but cooked. Enjoy it with chutney of your choice.
Bulgur is a quick-cooking form of whole wheat that has been cleaned, parboiled, dried, ground into particles and sifted into distinct sizes. Bulgur is a nutritious, versatile wheat product with a pleasant, nut-like flavor and an extended shelf-life that allows it to be stored for long periods. Bulgur is high in fiber and rich in B vitamins, iron, phosphorus and manganese.
Often confused with cracked wheat, bulgur differs in that it has been pre-cooked. In contrast to cracked wheat, bulgur is ready to eat with minimal cooking or, after soaking in water or broth, can be mixed with other ingredients without further cooking. Bulgur can be used in recipes calling for converted rice (and it’s more nutritious than rice).
The many spellings of bulgur can be confusing too: bulgar, bulghur, burghul, just to name a few. Here we prepare a delicious Pilaf with this tasty grain.
Here I show you, how to prepare simple bulgur Pulao at home for a delicious lunch. Also check out how to make tasty vegan kebabs using Bulgur Wheat.
Ingredients/ Method
1 cup cooked Bulgur wheat
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup of veggies of your choice
(Peas, corn , mushrooms
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves.
Method:
Cook Bulgur Wheat, just like rice. It cooks way quicker than rice. Set aside.
Heat some oil in a pan. In hot oil, add cumin and mustard seeds. Fry some onions. Add salt and Chilli powder.
Fry veggies. Stir them well.
Add bulgur. Mix thoroughly. Add lemon juice and cilantro leaves and enjoy.