Tag: healthy

More Pondering

On By lavinamehraIn MusingsLeave a comment

It has now been over a week since I launched my blog and website. All of the last week went by in the excitement of picking up a new technology and social media skills. I thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming how best to convey all that’s on my mind. The more I think about it, the more I feel that it is quite a task to be able to connect to people through writing. I am glad I am giving it a shot, though not sure how much time it will take for me to learn this craft. This is one thing I have not done much of in my life so far.

When I ponder over some reactions from family and friends on the blog, I feel, maybe I have not fully accomplished articulating my drive behind this initiative.  It is really not the recipes that I want to share,lavina masand mehra it is through the recipes that I wish to talk about some quick cooking methods, the urge to optimize time in the kitchen, and the zeal to save energy – both fuel and human. And through all this, to make this planet more green, use energies smartly, and squeeze more time out of our busy lives for the family to create some special moments and memories. Moments that are lost do not come back – गुज़र जाते है॑ जो पल वो फिर नही॑ आते, so we must seize the opportunity to enjoy precious moments with our loved ones. And, the best thing about memories is that we make them. So we need to find time to continue to create more memories. If my blog can help you save some time in your kitchen (to start with), it will be a feat for me.

Another reflection that I would like to share at this time is that being creative with cooking is not just replacing one ingredient with an alternate one, or decorating or garnishing the dish differently each time. What it really means to me, is to be able to connect things. Some salty flavour mingled with a sweet or sour flavour, or a regular bland soup infused with a spice or herb can do the trick to tingle ones tastebuds. Creativity requires one to be bold and use ingredients from conventional recipes in an unconventional one, or experiment with something different and unique. Just like some people simply follow fashion trends and others create trends. Be the trendsetter not the follower. With confidence and creativity you will have won even before you have started.

I will continue to jot down more of my thoughts as I look at reorienting my posts and work on sharing my underlying thoughts for this initiative. I genuinely appreciate all the valuable advice and feedback some friends have offered and would love to continue receiving more.

Cocothai curry-गरीथाई करी

On By lavinamehraIn Less than 10 minutes Quicker RecipesLeave a comment


SERVES: 3-4

Why this recipe?

Gluten Free , Quicker than any quick recipe. Just 3 Steps

COOKING TIME: 6-8 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds(white til seeds)
1 tablespoon of Thai curry paste (Red, Green or Yellow)
1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream
500 grams of mixed frozen vegetables or fresh mixed veggies

STEP 1. Put sesame seeds in heated oil. Stir for 30 seconds and add thai curry paste to it.

STEP 2. Thaw frozen veggies in microwave for 2-3 minutes or steam fresh veggies with a cover in microwave for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 3:Add coconut milk, thawed frozen vegetables and salt. Keep it on the heat for 2-3 minutes with lid covered. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes with lid covered.

HANDY TIPS:thumb_IMG_0381_1024
1. You can add boneless chicken or any other meat to make it a non-vegetarian option.
2. This preparation can be served as a soup, a topping on grilled veggies or meats or as curry to go with rice or with roti, naan or bread.
3. Bring your creative side to play and add some flavourful herbs like lemon basil, rosemary, cilantro or dill.
4. If you do not have readymade curry paste, make a paste with ginger, green chillies and fresh curry leaves or coriander leaves for a green curry.

Luscious Indian baby pumpkin-पश्छिम के बेसनी टिंडे

On By lavinamehraIn 10 minutes or more recipesLeave a comment


SERVES: 2-3

GLUTEN FREE, HIGH IN PROTEIN AND FIBRE

Why this recipe? How is it green? How am I contributing to making this earth green by following four steps or less recipes?

Using Pressure Cooker will take 8-10 minutes whereas it will take 20-25 minutes in a regular pan.

You save: 70% of fuel energy and 10 minutes of your precious time that is about 5 to 8% of the total time you spend in kitchen on an average (assuming you spend a total of 2-3 hours in a day in the kitchen)

This is a completely gluten free recipe that is a delicacy from Western India.

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons jeera (cumin)
1 pinch of hing (asafoetida powder)
1 big tomato chopped
1 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)
½ kilo tinda (baby pumpkin), each cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ tablespoon haldi (turmeric powder)
½ teaspoon garam masala (all spice)
1 square inch of frozen chopped green chilli
2 square inch of frozen grated ginger or 25 grams fresh ginger
100 ml or 1/2 glass of water
Dhania (coriander) leaves for garnish

STEP 1. Put asafoetida powder and cumin seeds in heated oil and let it brown.
STEP 2. Add chopped tomatoes and besan (chickpea flour), sauté it with tomatoes for 2-3 minutes for chickpea flour to roast. This will take 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3. Add all of the rest of ingredients and 1/2 glass of water before you close the pressure cooker/pan lid.
STEP 4. Let it whistle 1 time (4-5 minutes) and open the cooker after all steam is released (it might take 5-7 minutes). Add garam masala and coriander leaves as you serve.

HANDY TIPS:baby pumpkin

Asafoetida has a very unique flavour, the recipe will still come out fine, even if you decide not to use it.

Always wait for the steam in pressure cooker to release by itself. This is a safety precaution as well as retains all flavour of the food.

CRUMBLED COTTAGE CHEESE (paneer)-पनीर का कीमा

On By lavinamehraIn Less than 10 minutes Quicker RecipesLeave a comment


Why this recipe?

GLUTEN FREE- LOADED WITH CALCIUM -QUICK TO MAKE

This is a quicker than any quick recipe.  Takes 4-5 minutes to cook and come out yum.

This recipe saves you :  your precious time and provides a nutritious option, more so if you even make the cottage cheese at home. https://fourstepsorless.com/2016/04/06/quick-home-made-cottage-cheese/

Gives you a chance to be creative -add any ingredients like nuts, raisins, peas or mushrooms.. really depends on how innovative you can be..

SERVES: 3-4
COOKING TIME: 4-5 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tablespoon oil
2 green (elaichi)cardamom
2 cloves (laung)
2 strings of spring onion chopped small
2 medium tomatoes (cut in small pieces)
½ kilo paneer (cottage cheese) broken up or grated
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1 inch of frozen chopped green chill (optional)
10-15 craisins or raisins (optional)
Coriander leaves

STEP 1: Put cardamom and cloves in heated oil, add tomato and red chilli powder as soon as these get brown (will take 20-30 seconds) and cover the pan to simmer for 2 minutes.
STEP 2. Add spring onion, paneer (cheese), salt and turmeric powder, sauté and let it simmer for 2 minutes for flavours to permeate.
STEP 3. Add coriander leaves before you serve.

HANDY TIPS:thumb_IMG_0017_1024

Make sure you do not overcook paneer (cheese) as it tastes best when soft and moist.

You could be creative and add a few raisins, craisins or nuts of your choice to the recipe.

 

Replace Cream with Milk-हलकी फुल्की सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn TipsLeave a comment

Most exotic rich Indian recipes suggest using cream, butter and butter oil (ghee) but all of these can be replaced with more healthier and easily available alternatives. For example, in a conventional Butter Chicken or Daal Makhani recipe replace cream with milk to make the gravy creamy. For Daal replace water with milk and for Butter Chicken increase the amount of nuts (almonds or cashews whatever you are using).

Revive that creative side in you and try using coconut milk once in a while to give that distinctive flavour to a routine recipe.

Tender Tip-नरम सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn TipsLeave a comment

Tenderize meat (lamb, pork or beef) with lemon juice for half an hour before cooking, it will come out unbelievably soft and tender.

Frozen Advice-बर्फ़ीली सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn Tips15 Comments

In your daily cooking, consider replacing some fresh vegetables with frozen vegetables. Frozen veggies seal in more nutrition, colour and flavour as a result of quick freezing process (QFP) at the time of their packing when they are appropriately ripened and nutrition packed. Most fresh veggies are picked before they ripe, they may show signs of ripening by the time they reach the grocery shelf from the farm. They are however not as nutritious as they would have been if they were on the plant for longer.

Frozen veggies should be steamed or microwaved or pressure cooked to retain all nutrients. Never boiled or blanched.

IMG_0104

Browning Tender Veggies-एक सलाह – लेनी हो तो लो

On By lavinamehraIn Tips1 Comment

Some tender veggies like cauliflower breaks away in the cooking pan as soon as it softens . To get the right colour and texture of the finished recipe for such ingredients, cook at highest heat level for first 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep turning the ingredients occasionally so that some pieces get brown even though not tender or cooked fully. After you get the right colour and burnt flavour, alternate the heat to low to let the ingredients get tender and fully cooked. You may want to add a few drops of water when putting the heat at low to help tendering process and finish up the recipe.

Value Your Time-एक सलाह चाहो तो ले लो

On By lavinamehraIn Tips2 Comments

Try using all the stove burners at the same time. Plan the use of burners in a way that the recipe taking the longest time is put on the burner first, and other recipes follow in descending order. This will result in all your cooking finishing at the same time and you can spend the saved precious time doing something else you love to do.

That Creative Streak-कुछ अलग करने की सलाह

On By lavinamehraIn Tips1 Comment

On the day you feel creative –  Give a shot to this advice.

You can change the flavour of a regular recipe, caramelize ingredients by adding 1/2 teaspoon sugar to warm oil in the pan, once sugar melts and the drops becomes brown put in vegetables or other ingredients to cook.