Kickstart your mornings with this healthy granola recipe !!

New year always comes with new resolutions and healthy eating always tops my list(sad that being a foodie there are more cheat days for me than healthy ones :(  

I always try to bring healthier alternatives in our daily diet and love making homemade stuff.The recipe which I am sharing today is one such thing which we usually buy from stores without realizing its loaded with added sugar and preservatives.Well this recipe has a story of its own.Last year we went to Bali for holiday and while visiting one of the super mart grabbed a pack of granola for snacking.The flavor was coconut and granola and we loved it so much that we bought another pack to enjoy it after coming back.I thought I will be able to find this flavour in India but tried and couldn't get anything even similar.

So then I thought of trying it on my own and yes it did work..tastes almost same and since then I have been making it in  batches and its get over in a couple of days ;P

You can have it with milk /yoghurt or just simple snacking it tastes amazing !!

Ingredients 

1 cup oats
1 banana mashed
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pumpkin/melon seeds
2 tsp honey
1 tsp oil

Method

Preheat oven to 150 degrees. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and spread it evenly on a baking tray.You can leave aside half of the coconut flakes because they brown pretty quick.
Bake it for 30 mins and keep turning it over every ten minutes so that it doesn't  get burn and cooks evenly.
Mix in the remaining coconut flakes and allow it to cool.You can play around with your choice of dry fruits.
Store in an airtight container and enjoy !!
Trust me it won't last more than 1-2 days...both my son and hubby fight over it !

Super Healthy Mushroom & Walnut Soup !!

I love  homemade soups...the fact that most of the soups are healthy gives a nice feeling that at least you are having something nutritious.
Most of the people think that making soups is difficult and time taking ..but let me tell you its easier than curries and if you use the right ingredients together it turns out to be healthy and yummy at the same time.
Here's an easy and delicious recipe,there is no flour and no cream in the recipe yet it turns out delicious and creamy.

Mushroom & Walnut Soup

Ingredients 

200 gms Mushroom
1/3 cup chopped walnuts 
1 small Onion
1 spoon Butter
1-2 cloves Garlic
1 cup Milk
Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Method 

Take butter in a saucepan.Add chopped onions and garlic and saute till its pink.Add chopped walnuts.Cook for a minute and then add mushrooms,salt and pepper.Add little water and cover it to cook for about 5-7 minutes.Add milk and cook for another 5 minutes.
Let it cool down and blend it,Serve it hot with a toast or soup sticks.You will be amazed by the thickness of the soup.Forget flour and cream and try this healthy Mushroom Soup.

Divine and delicious ~Gnocchi with Red pepper sauce !

Coming back to blogging after more than an year...not that I was not cooking up anything special but was just too lazy to pen it down ...I am back now  !!

Off late we have been only eating gnocchi in Italian places.Having seen the MasterChef contestants make it from scratch I have been wanting to try gnocchi for long.

Let me tell you its no rocket science and super delicious and yummy.

Go ahead try this easy and yumm recipe and let me know how you liked it.I made my favourite red pepper sauce..you can even serve it with cheese or pesto sauce..If too lazy then you can even pan fry with pepper and oregano..you will love it for sure !

Gnocchi with Red pepper sauce 

Gnocchi 

Ingredients 

3 Large potatoes
1 Egg
1 & 1/2 cup Plain  Flour
Salt

Method

Boil the potatoes and grate it  to get a perfect mash.Add egg ,salt and plain flour.Mix it well to form a dough.

Bring a pan of water to the boil.Split the dough and make small oval balls.Boil it in batches for about a minute or until they bob to the surface.

Leave it to cool.

Red pepper sauce

Ingredients 

2-Red bell pepper
5-6 cloves of garlic
Salt
Oregano
Olive oil
2 cheese slices
Basil leaves
Chilli flakes

Method 

Grill bell pepper on gas flame till it becomes charred.Grind it after removing the seeds with garlic cloves.
Take a spoon of oil in a pan.Add the grinded sauce along with salt,pepper,oregano.Add cheese and basil leaves.
Add chilli flakes.

Heat some butter in a pan.Pan fry the gnocchi and then serve it along with the sauce.

Enjoy it with your loved ones!
See you soon guys..till then happy cooking !!

Warm & Comforting Pumpkin Soup

I am a fan of soups not salads...so when it comes to healthy and low cal food I prefer soups..and there is nothing better than a huge bowl of  homemade warm soup.Most of the people think its pretty difficult to make soups at home but let me tell you its easier than making a curry and that too without oil /butter. Just a few spices and right ingredients add a good amount of flavour without the need of any preservatives. My little one has also started liking my soups ..he just needs his favourite corn in all the soups and it becomes a corn soup for him :)

I usually make vegetable or tomato soup but this time I tried Pumpkin soup which turned out to be great and has become a weekly affair on our dinner table.Very simple to prepare with a handful of ingredients. Enjoy it with a sandwich or toast and your dinner is sorted.

Ingredients

1/2 kg pumpkin(peeled and chopped)
1/2 Onion(sliced)
2-3 cloves of garlic
5-6 black peppercorns
2-3 cloves
1 Bay leaf
1 spoon of butter

Method

Heat a spoon of butter in a grill pan and dump all the ingredients.Let the pumpkin get a nice char and then add salt and  cover and cook till its soft.Cool it down and blend it till smooth.Sieve it through a strainer.Add water/veg stock to get the desired consistency and simmer it in a pan for sometime.Add seasoning if required.Garnish with a dash of cream or butter.
Serve it with toast or breadsticks!!


Enjoy the rain not with pakodas but with this soup this time !!

Coconut Rice-Perfect accompaniment to Rajma/Curry

As a foodie I love experimenting and improvising with new combinations of ingredients and recipes.. and traveling to different countries and places has actually helped me  learn new recipes and new techniques.

Its been more than two years in Hyderabad and I truly believe its a foodie's heaven not only because of its rich food heritage but also because of the variety of cuisines and restaurants the city has.

Thanks to my colleagues I get to taste at least one Hyderabad delicacy everyday.

Cooking is all about sharing and learning...so during one of such foodie conversation my colleague shared this recipe with me and I have already made it twice in a week. Very simple yet flavourful is this Coconut Rice. Its a perfect accompaniment to your Rajma/Daal Makhani coz its very mildly spiced and the freshness of coconut goes well with the spicy curry.

Ingredients

1 Cup Cooked Rice

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2-3 Peppercorns

1 Dry Red Chilli

1 Small Onion Chopped

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut

1 Bay leaf

4-5 curry leaves

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. Ghee

Method

In a wok add 1 tbsp. Ghee.Add Bay leaf,curry leaves,dry chilli and mustard seeds.Let it splutter and then add peppercorns,ginger and garlic.Add onions and fry till pink.Add cooked rice and mix it lightly.Season it with salt and add fresh coconut.Cook it for a minte or two and switch off the flame.

Your coconut rice is ready to serve.I had it with Rajma today and it was purely a match made in heaven.

Enjoy !!

Weekend Brunch Recipe~Maska Chicken Pav

There are days when a foodie's mood changes ...you plan  to cook something and then you change your mind...and then you end up  cooking  something entirely different and most of the times better than the original plan :)

So I usually plan grocery for a week and then I had these pav buns  to make some pav bhaji...but then I didn’t feel like having that ..So  just checked by refrigerator and found my fav red bell pepper and  leftover chicken from the curry made last night.

So here comes the recipe of Maska Chicken Pav! Its a very simple recipe and is perfect for breakfast or brunch !!

Recipe

So you just take boneless chicken pieces and marinate in a mixture of curd,tandoori masala,ginger garlic paste, red chilli,dhaniya powder,salt and oil. Marinate it for 4-5 hours and then grill it on a pan. Now cut it in small chunky pieces and keep it aside. Slice red bell peppers and toast it in the same pan for about a minute.Take some green coriander chutney and some ketchup.Slit the pav into slices and apply butter .Place green chutney on one and ketchup on the other slice. Stuff in the chicken pieces and red bell pepper ,close it, press it and toast the sandwich on a pan.

Enjoy it with cuppa !!!

Delicious way to use leftover pav bhaji-Dabeli !!

Leftovers are always a problem in the kitchen...coz u don't want to eat the same thing again!!And there are few dishes where we always end up with leftovers...one such is Pav Bhaji!

This recipe was given by my friend Tashi..during one our wtz app conversation she shared this recipe and I make it very often.Infact hubby likes it more than pav bhaji...so there are days when I make pav bhaji for making this dabeli !!

It may not be the authentic dabeli but we just love it as it is and its a great way to use your leftover pav bhaji!!

Here s how you can make it

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Leftover Bhaji

2-3 tbsp. Green Coriander Mint Chutney

2-3 tbsp. Imli sweet chutney

3 tbsp. Sev/Bhujia

1/4 cup Grapes / pomegranate

1/4 cup Peanuts

3-4 Pav

Method

Spread little butter on the paav and toast it lightly on the pan.You can omit butter depending on your choice.Spread leftover bhaji on one slice .Take the other slice and spread green chutney and imli chutney.Then add pomegranate ,add peanuts and sev bhujia and put everything together.

The combination of all these ingredients make it realy tangy and yumm and very easy to put together as well.

Try this with your leftover bhaji and let me know how you liked it !!

Till we meet next enjoy and wish you all a very happy Holi !!