HOW TO MAKE SPICY RED KIDNEY BEAN SOUP

Hello ,


This time how about a healthy spicy 'Red kidney bean soup' it is so full of flavors and full of nutrients. I tasted this soup when i was in Lithuania,it was tasty and filling ,I searched lot about the recipe, I didn't get it anywhere . I tried with the help of my 'taste buds memory' , Bingo ! it matched (not fully though).

Kidney beans are so rich in fiber ( both soluble and insoluble fiber ) much recommended for Diabetics, It has one more awesome quality  that it can detoxify Sulfites( which gets accumulates in our body through preservatives of food), Molybdenum present in beans does it for you.


Preparation time :30 Min
Serves :2

INGREDIENTS :

1 Cup of Red kidney beans 
1 Medium sized Onion Diced
1 large Tomato
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp of grated Ginger

  1 tsp of Cumin seeds
 2 -3 pods of Coriander leaves
1 tsp of Basil powder
1 tsp of Origano powder
1-2 Tbsp of Soy sauce
2-3Green Chilly
2 tsp of Ghee or Butter

STEP-BY-STEP:

1. Pressure cook 1 cup of  soaked ( soaked for 5-6 hours) Kidney beans ( I cooked for around 5 whistles )  or  you can use baked canned beans .
   
2. Take a pan heat it ,Add 1 tsp of butter or ghee, Add Jeera (cumin seeds),Garlic, Onion, Ginger saute till the Onion turn translucent .Add Tomato , Basil powder (or add fresh leaves , if you have) , Oregano powder, Soy sauce and coriander leaves. Stir and saute for 2 min .
   
3. Let the mixture cool down , Grind it sauted mixture to a paste like consistency  similarly grind the cooked beans .
4. Heat the pan again add 1 tsp of Ghee or Butter , 2-3 Green chilly or chilly flakes   (according to your spice requirement) saute it , add grinded beans and mixture ,Add salt according to the taste. Heat it till the boil. 
   

Serve hot with slice of lemon and Bread.  Voila !! Soup is ready  ! 

Enjoy it for dinner or snack time on chili fall days  . Please do share your comments below .

5 REASONS WHY GHEE IS GOOD AND BENEFICIAL FOR YOU THAN OTHER COOKING OILS

Hello !

Yes! you heard it right ! Ghee is beneficial and good for your health than any other cooking oils .
 You will know why and how by the end of this post!

Ghee has thousands of year history and great importance for its medicinal and nourishing properties in Ayurveda.
Ghee made out of grass-fed Cow's milk lots of amazing properties. In India we use Ghee in almost every cuisine . Which gives dish a great taste and aroma! for babies the first food we start is mashed rice with Ghee! Many research have showed that Ghee made of grass-fed Cow's milk has  good quality fats which play vital role in  brain's  development in early age .

What is Ghee ?
Ghee is made from butter of Cow's milk, By simmering the butter till the milk solids present in butter separates and caramelizes, Which gives nutty taste and flavor to ghee. Depending on flavor they want ,in India  we add fenugreek seeds, turmeric or beetle leaf to butter while simmering  which imparts more flavor to Ghee.

Clarified butter is not Ghee. Nowadays in market hydrogenised vegitable oils packed and being sold as Ghee.


1: Ghee has higher smoke point 252 C , which is so ideal for cooking . More the smoke point lesser the free radicals produced while cooking(smoke point is where the basic structure of molecule breaks and it looses its basic property) ,  Olive oil has lower smoke point than any other  oil, when it is heated it releases toxins which is obviously not good for you. It is good to use olive oil without heating it much.

2:Contains soluble Vitamins and easy to Digest:  Ghee is rich in Vitamin A , Vitamin E and has traces of Vitamin K . Vitamin A and E act as anti-oxidants. As i mentioned before Ghee and mashed rice is the first food for babies ,as it is easy to digest as Ghee has properties to boost digestive power by enhancing the metabolism. Ghee has so much sacred value in India.

3:Good for Heart , has Anti-Cancerous properties: Studies shows that when Ghee consumed in moderate levels  do not harm heart . The Ghee contains conjugated linoleic acid which has been shown to decrease serum LDL (low density lipoprotein or Bad cholesterol) [1] . Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) [2] is a well know anti-carcinogenic agent and off-course Vitamin A and E are powerful Antioxidants which helps fighting against carcinogens. 

4:Ideal fat suppliment for children:  As Growing children need more calories, saturated fats in Ghee can provide needed energy. As mentioned in Ayurveda it helps in brain development in early age of the growth. While making Ghee from butter it breakdown lactose , so kids with lactose intolerance can also consume Ghee.   

5: Tastes better than other vegetable oils, It has nutty flavor gives nice aroma and taste to the food, it is pure (you can make Ghee at home) has so many good qualities. People are now looking back and understanding the importance of real food.Ghee is one of them , good qualities of Ghee been ignored by modern industry.  

Note:  Moderation is the key for good health. 1-2 tsp daily is ideal for adult and 2-3 tsp for children. 

So when are you starting cooking with Ghee ?



References :
1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3215354/ 
2:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3510893/

TURMERIC-ALMOND GOLDEN MILK

Hi !!

Today ,I am introducing a great healthy and immunity booster for people of any age group. The Turmeric-Almond Golden milk , yes ! Golden milk because it has wonderful golden qualities, a great drink for immunity boosting , nourisher and sleep inducer.


Wondering why it is good for you :
It has Turmeric : In India we use Turmeric so widely ,most of our cuisines contains Turmeric.It also has thousands of year history.The main component of turmeric is ,which is powerful Anti-inflammatory and Anti-oxidant .
Almonds: Almonds have Mono saturated fats which helps in lowering heart diseases and rich in Vitamin E , Magnesium, Potassium.
Cardamom: It has great importance in Ayurveda to treat , Digestive problems, Bad breath, Detoxing.Acts as Anti-oxidant.
All these good things in glass of milk can benefit you in many ways.It has no bad cholesterol or sugar it is simply full of flavours and nourishment , you have this as snack in-between meals or have it before sleep. The most awesome thing about this recipe is you can make the powder and store it for a month , just mix it in hot milk and add some honey! it is ready to drink !! how cool is that. So let us start with the recipe:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of Almonds
1 1/2 tbsp of Turmeric powder
1 tbsp of Cardamom

Step-by-Step:1: Dry roast the Almonds for 1-2 Min , it makes easy to  make powder  2: Let the roasted Almonds cool down in powder making  jar of grinder add Almonds, Turmeric powder and peeled  Cardamom. 3: make it fine powder and store it in dry and air tight jar . To make Golden milk : 4:Heat a cup of skim milk . 5:Add a 1-2 tsp of powder and 1/2 tsp of honey(if you want ,  you can add sugar to taste).  Click here to print the recipe Enjoy!!

WHOLE WHEAT- OATS PITA BREAD

Hello !

I am here with a healthy version of  'Pita Bread'  which is made of whole wheat and oats !! yes! , I have tried whole wheat Pita bread , it was good but became more chewy after sometime , but with oats it made some magic , oat's slimy nature adds softness and keep them soft when you store them for few days.

Pita is a soft , slightly leavened flatbread baked from wheat flour . It is used in many mediterranean , Balkan and Middle Eastern countries . Pockets of Pita can be filled with variety of fillings , Falalfel , salads etc.

I chose this bread because it has no butter,very less oil, healthy , filling , which can be packed for lunch with variety of fillings , easy to carry and eat it on the go .

So lets start with this WHOLE WHEAT- OATS PITA BREAD  Recipe :

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/2 Cup whole wheat flour .
• 1/2 Cup Dry Roasted Oats powder
• 1/2 tsp of instant dry yeast
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 tsp Oil ( olive or canola oil)
• 1/2 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp sugar

STEP-BY-STEP :

1. Dry roast Oats for 2- 3 Min  , roasting makes easier to powder it.
   
2. Mix whole wheat flour and Oats powder, Salt, Sugar in one bowl.
3. Mix the instant yeast in half cup of warm water , keep it aside for 10 Min.
4. Mix activated yeast and flour mixture, make a dough out of it.
   
5. Smear oil surface of the dough , cover it with kitchen towel ,keep it aside for 1 hour 30 Min.
   
6. Make 4 equal parts of dough make balls and flatten it .
   
   
   
   
7. Preheat the oven at 180 deg centigrade.
8. Put flattened dough on the baking tray , bake it for 7-10 Min.
   
9. You can see the puffed pita bread inside the oven , if you want it little crispy , bake it little more till the surface turns brown.

Note : Sometimes some bread won't rise as expected , but there will be pockets in it . Just you need to open it with help of knife.

You can also make it on stove top if you don't have oven at home.

Enjoy !! Healthy Pita bread with your Favorite filling, please comment below :)

EGGLESS-WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Hello !!

I  am here with another healthy and yummy recipe of  'EGGLESS-WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE MUFFINS' . My son turned two this month , Yes ! there was celebration , I had some guests who don't eat Egg , even i don't eat Egg ,I tried these , they were so soft , fluffy,  moist and yummy .So let's start  with the recipe :

Baking time : 20 min 

Serves : 12 muffins 

INGREDIENTS : 

• 1 Cup Whole wheat flour 
• 1/4 Cup Canola oil 
• 1/4 Cup  + 1 tbsp Sugar  
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 2 1/2 tbsp Coco powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice 
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• pinch of salt 

3 tbsp of Strawberry Jam to make filling in the muffin (optional)

STEP-BY-STEP :

1. Sieve Whole wheat flour , Coco powder, salt, Baking powder together to mix it evenly.

1. In aseparate bowl mix Canola oil , Lemon juice , Sugar , Vanilla extract ,Milk , keep it aside.
   
2. Mix wet ingredients to dry ingredients to make batter.
   
3. Mean while preheat the oven at 200 deg Celcius.
4. Put muffin paper to Muffin tray .
   
5. Put  3/4 tbsp batter to each muffin paper
6. Add Strawberry jam in the center of the muffin batter.
   
7. Cover the jam by  3/4  - 1 tbsp of batter in each muffin paper.
   
8. Put it in the oven for 20 - 25 min .
9. Insert a toothpick , if it comes out clear then muffins are ready to take out.

 Enjoy!!! Please share your comments below .

Happy Baking !

MAKE THESE 10 CHANGES TO CONVENTION HAIR WASHING TECHNIQUE TO ACHIEVE MORE BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY HAIR!!

Hello !!

I am here with some great tips of washing hair without making it dry and frizzy !! washing your hair daily makes your hair to loose its natural oil and shine , makes it dull and dry .So lets follow these some simple and effective tips of washing hair to achieve more healthy hair !!!

1. Don't wash your hair daily ! yeah it only damages your hair , reduce it to twice a week .Research says that when you wash your hair often it takes out natural oil from your scalp ,scalp  tend to produce more oil to balance the loss. So it is better to wash twice a week.It saves your time too :)
2. Oil your hair before every wash , Apply warm coconut oil before bed ,if  you're washing it in the morning , if you are washing your hair in the night , then apply oil before bath leave it 30 - 45 Min then shampoo and condition. Oiling makes your hair shinier and healthier!! 
3. If you're washing your hair in hard water at the end , rinse it with bottle of soft water or use Chelating shampoo , which can reduce dryness of hair after wash.
4. Use Sulphate-Free Shampoo for colour treated hair . 
5. Dilute shampoo before using it , Diluting helps in easy and even spread on your scalp ,apply shampoo on your scalp work towards tip . you can dilute it in some squeeze bottles and store excess for next use. If you are using medicated/Anti dandruff shampoo ,lather and keep it for 2-3 Min for best results.
6. Try to avoid hot water to rinse your hair , heat is not good for your hair , Be kind to your hair and use warm water for rinsing.
7. Do not apply Conditioner to dripping wet hair , just take out excess water from your hair and then apply conditioner ,so that conditioner is not diluted , Hair can get conditioned perfectly.
8. Use old cotton dupatta or t-shirt instead of towels , it is more gentle on hair than towel , keeps your hair frizz free.
9. Avoid blow dry whenever possible,Because heat is not good for your hair!!
10. Treat your hair with some head massage once in a week  , it not only improves blood circulation , good for hair texture and scalp health . To know more about oils which are  good for your hair check out this post .

Make these simple changes and enjoy healthier hair !! XOXO :)

SIMPLE AND INSTANT CARROT WHEAT DOSA/CREPES FOR BABY/TODDLERS

Hello ,

We Mamas are always in search of easy , instant and healthy recipes for our little ones . Here I am stating series of easy and healthy Dosa/Crepes ideas for you. First is tasty and simple 'Carrot Wheat Dosa' . My son is 16 month old now , he likes it ,most importantly eats it every time  I make it :) So lets start with the recipe :

Ingredients :

1. Grated Carrot 1/2 cup
2. Wheat flour 1 cup
3. Garam masala 1 tsp
4. Salt to taste 
5. Butter or ghee 2 tsp
6. Water 3/4 cup

Preparation time : 5-7 min .

Step-by-Step:

1. Grate the carrots , Heat the pan to sauté the grated carrot with 1 tsp of butter/ghee .

2:Mix all sautéd carrot , wheat flour, Garam masala ( if you dont have Garam masala , you can add any other spices like pinch of chilly powder or pepper powder to taste ) , salt and water mix and make a batter of medium consistency.

3: Heat a non-stick pan to make Dosa , wait till pan is medium heated pour the batter spread evenly on pan . Add 1 tsp of butter/ghee . Flip it wait till it turns light brown on both side.

4: Now, Dosa is ready! cut into small pieces and serve with tomato sauce or any chutny according to your kid's taste.

Enjoy !! XOXO :)