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Soya Palak

The combination of Soya nuggets and Spinach is very healthy with added nutrition from Soya proteins. Soya is an excellent source of protein including all amino acids, being the only vegetable whose protein is complete. It is also a good source of calcium, vitamins, omega-3-fatty acids and dietary fiber. Benefits of Soya include promoting heart health with LDL cholesterol (Bad Cholesterol); preventing Cancer and alleviating menopausal symptoms.

Dried Soya Nuggets available in the market  ~  Soaked Soya Nuggets

Soak Soya nuggets in surplus water overnight. The next day, squeeze them, drain the water and put the squeezed nuggets in a dry bowl. Add fresh cool water to it and again squeeze them, drain the water and put them in a bowl. Repeat this about 8 times, until there is no lather in the water when you squeeze them while washing them up. This is important, otherwise the lather in soya will cause severe flatulence. So, be careful there.

Likewise, Spinach or Palak, the most common green leafy vegetable is rich in iron, hence valuable for the treatment of anemia. It is also full of various antioxidants and vitamin A,B and C, folate, potassium and ample dietary fiber. Including Spinach regularly in your diet also improves eye health and fights against cancer.

Soya palak along with Rice and Lemon Dal ~ My Lunch plate

Wash the leaves thoroughly and pat them dry before you chop them to ensure that there are no pesticides.

I prepare this curry quite often in my house as a replacement for Palak Gosht. The Soya nuggets that I have used here taste yummy paired with spinach. They are available at various food stores very commonly.

Soya Palak – Spinach with Soya Nuggets

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak – 300 gms, chopped (Fresh or frozen)
Canola oil – 1 tbsp
Yellow onion – 1, large, finely sliced
Dried Soya nuggets/Soya Vadi – 3/4 cup
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 1 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin seed powder – 1 tsp
Roasted coriander seed powder – 1 tsp
Tomato – 1, large, finely chopped

Method:

-In a pan, add the sliced onion and stir fry it for a few seconds. Add the soya nuggets and fry them along stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
-Add spinach and the remaining ingredients. Pour in half cup water and mix well. Cover the lid and let it cook until the spinach is tender. Serve warm.

Go Unplugged: Earth hour, a worldwide voluntary movement initiated by WWF in the year 2007, to raise global awareness against climate change, is 1 day, 5 hours and 18 minutes from now, depending on where in the world you live. Be sure to participate by turning off all non-essential lights and electrical appliances for an hour on March 28, 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, that is tomorrow ~ www.earthhour.org

Remember it is not only at the Earth Hour to do our part to save the earth, we have to be conscious all the time and practice ways to save our earth for a healthier, safe and cleaner place to live. Teach your kids to always shut down lights when not in use. It is one thing my parents have always taught me. Contributes a lot in conserving energy.

Also, head over here to watch the very pleasant Hyderabadi culinary celebrity – ‘Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum’, the niece of Salar Jung III, dishing out a wonderful TAMATAI MURGH. Enjoy the video!

Luv,
Mona

Butterscotch Mini Loafs

The beautiful aroma that fills my house when I bake these beauties revs up my appetite for them. These beautiful mini loafs are perfect for breakfast along with a cup of warm coffee or tea, or you could also enjoy them as a snack. Children will especially love these butterscotch mini loafs, as well as adults.

Butterscotch Mini Loafs

Just put all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and mix them well using a rubber spatula until everything is well blended together, and pour the batter into the moulds to get perfect results. There is no need for an electric mixer or a food processor for the mixing.

Butterscotch chips

Stock up your pantry with chocolate, white chocolate and butterscotch chips. They come extremely handy when baking to flavor up the goodies.

Butterscotch Mini Loafs

Makes – 8 mini loafs (I have used a mini-loaf tin, instead you could use use around 20 muffin cups)
Source: Cakes – 1,001 recipes from around the world

Ingredients:

All-Purpose flour – 2 cups
Baking powder – 2 1/2 tsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Granulated sugar – 1/4 cup
Butterscotch chips – 1 1/2 cups
Milk – 1 cup
Butter – 4 tbsp (1/2 stick), melted
Egg – 1, large, lightly beaten
Honey – 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract – 2 tsp

Method:

-Preheat the oven to 400°F.
-Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and butterscotch chips. Make a well in the center and pour in milk, butter, egg, honey and vanilla. Mix well with a rubber spatula until you get a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the mini loaf pan, filling each 3/4 full.
-Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool the muffins on racks.

Luv,
Mona

Sheekh Kawab Series~II

Sheekh kawabs are quite interesting and fun finger foods to prepare, and very versatile too. I love to mix and match and play with a variety of ingredients to flavor the sheekh kawabs and alter the tastes deliciously for a change. I had also posted an another version of sheekh kawabs a few months back. The main ingredients in todays version of sheekh kawabs are dhaniya/cilantro and hari mirch/green chillies, lending a faint tangy yet fresh flavor to them. These kababs are sure to whet your taste buds.

My lunch plate – Khushka with Khatti dal and Sheekh Kawab
(Plain boiled rice with sweet and sour lentil soup and Meat Kababs)

Marinate the meat in the spice mixture for atleast 6-8 hours or overnight for the best results, so that it absorbs all the flavors and the meat gets tender. One of my close friends S was telling me that she sun-dries the peels of very raw young papaya and once completely dry, powders them to store in jars in cool dark place at room temperature. It has a long shelf life. She added that she uses about a pinch or two of this powder as a tenderizer for the meat and leaves it to marinate for delicate melt in mouth kawabs. This I thought is a useful tip to share with my readers.

Sheekh Kababs – Minced meat Kebabs (II)

Makes: 15-18, enough for a large gathering

Ingredients:

Dry roasted and powdered Cumin seeds/Zeera – 1/2 tsp
Dry roasted and powdered Coriander seeds/Dhaniya – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies/Hari mirch – 8, roughly chopped
Lean Lamb meat – 900 gms
Thick yogurt – 2 tbsp
Chopped blanched almonds – 1 tbsp
Turmeric/Haldi – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Egg -1, large
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Khoa – 1 tbsp
Raw papaya skin paste – 2 tbsp
Roughly chopped Cilantro/Kothmir – 1 cup, loosely packed
Lemon zest – 1/2 tsp

Kawabs ready to be grilled

Method:

-Wash and cube the meat into bite size pieces. Add the meat to a food processor along with all the other ingerdients and pulse until the meat is minced and completely mixed with all the other ingredients. Put this mixture into a mixing bowl. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
-The next day bring it back to room temperature. Dip your fingertips in a little canola oil and smear you palms with it. Take a large lemon size ball of the meat mixture in your hands and shape it into a sausage. Insert a metal skewer into it to make hole all the way through it. Enlarge the hole by rotating the kawab a few times around the skewer. Remove the skewer and place the Kawab on a baking pan lined with aluminium foil. Keep repeating until the whole mixture is finished.
-Preheat the oven to 350°C. Place the baking tray uncovered in the middle rack. Turn the kawabs once after 15 mins. Let cook for a furthur 15 mins. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: For a simple meal, serve these kawabs warm along with Khatti dal and Khushka. You could also serve it along with Dalcha, Baghara khana and a salad for a party meal, or simply along with a chutney as a snack.

Luv,
Mona

Puran ke Laoz

Chana dal, or split bengal gram are an essential item among Pulses in Indian cooking. The other dals most commonly used by indians in their everyday cooking are Toor dal or Split pigeon pea, Masoor dal or Red lentils. These three pulses or dals are the basic source of protein intake in an Indian, chiefly vegetarian diet. Mostly savory dishes are prepared out of dals, but a few of the sweet dishes like the one I am writing today are my favorites.

Chana dal and a block of Jaggery/Gud

My Ammi prepares the following halwa a lot. It brings back many sweet memories from my childhood. It is a simple meetha, which everyone will enjoy, and it is healthy too. It has got chana dal which are rich in proteins, ghee which has got many health benefits and lots of nuts to add flavor and richness.

This meetha is quite subtly sweetish in taste. Once this meetha is done, it is spread out evenly on a flat greased dish and left to set until cool. It is then cut into diagonal pieces, hence called laoz. You can always add more sugar or khoa for flavor according to your preferences. The prepared chana dal or split bengal gram paste is called as ‘Puran’. It is also used as a stuffing for Parathas, just like Aloo Parathas, to prepare ‘Mitthi Roti’, and also as a filling in the ‘Halwa/Puran Puri’ which are the halwa stuffed deep fried pastries/puri which I will write about soon. Khoa and nuts are added to the Puran for that purpose.

An Indian Kadai

It is better to prepare this meetha in a non-stick heavy bottomed kadai or saucepan, so that it wont stick to the bottom and burn. A kadai is a deep Indian kitchen utensil. It is wok shaped, has thick walls, usually used to for deep frying purpose. Mine is a new addition to my kitchen utensils, recently gifted to me by my MIL.

Puran ke Laoz – Bengal gram Halva

Ingredients:

Chana Dal – 1 cup
Sugar – 75 grams
Jaggery – 40 grams
Powdered cardamom pods – 1/4 tsp
Khoa – 3 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachio, almond, pine nut) – 1/8 cup
Slivered nuts – for garnish

Puran ke Laoz – Bengal gram Halva

Method:

-Soak the dal for about 3-6 hours in surplus cool water. Later, drain and wash the dal. Pressure cook the dal in fresh cool water, until it is soft. Let cook until there is little or no water left. Once cool, puree it to a fine paste in a blender.
-Grease a stainless steel thali or any swiss roll tin with a little oil/ghee. Keep aside.
-Put the paste into a non-stick Kadai at medium heat. Add the powdered cardamom powder, ghee, jaggery, sugar and khoa. Mix well and keep stirring continously and let it cook until it thickens, no longer sticks and leaves sides of the pan. It will take around 20 minutes (time depends on the amount of water in the paste). Once done, stir in the chopped nuts. This is the Puran. Put the puran on the greased thali or swiss roll tin and spread it evenly to a thickness of 1 cm or half inch. Flatten the surface using a flat spatula. Once a little bit cool, put it in the refrigerator for an hour to serve later.       

You can store these meetha stacked in an air tight food storage box for upto a month.

Luv,

Mona

Chuqandar ka Halwa

Chuqandar, in Urdu, also called as Beetroot in English are one of my favorite veggies. This nitrate rich, gorgeous root vegetable is best eaten as a salad, roasted, boiled or steamed and then seasoned lightly for added flavor. They are high in fibre, calcium, potassium, folate, antioxidants, vitamin A and C, minerals and other micro nutrients and quite low in calories. They are also used to treat hypertension and hence maintain a healthy cardio vascular system.

Beetroot – Chuqandar

Be careful when you are working with these ground vegetables, as its juices tend to stain whatever comes in contact, like your hands, chopping board etc.

Beetroots are also commonly referred to as Sweet Beets, as they are very sweet in taste. They have a unique earthy sweetness in them, and are hence perfect for halwa or a dessert to serve on special occasions.

Serves – 2 to 4

Chuqandar ka Halwa - Beetroot Dessert

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 1, medium sized, washed, peeled and coarsely grated
Fat free Half and Half cream – 1 cup
Sugar – 4 to 5 tbsp or according to taste (the amount of sugar depends on the size and sweetness of the beets)
Ghee – 1 tsp
Finely slivered blanched almonds+pistachios – 1 tsp
Raisins + chopped walnuts – 1 tsp

Beetroot Dessert -Chuqandar Halwa

Method:

-Heat a thick bottomed non-stick saucepan at medium heat and add the grated beetroot.
-Pour in the cream and let simmer uncovered on low until most of the cream has been absorbed by the beetroot. Keep stirring it occasionally.
-During the mean time, heat ghee in a pan at medium heat and throw in the prepared dry fruits and nuts. Roast them until they turn golden brown. Reemove from heat and keep aside.
-Add sugar to the cooking beetroot and let cook for a furthur 5 minutes or until the halwa is thickened.
-Serve warm or cold garnished with the roasted dry fruits and nuts in ghee.

I am sending this royal halwa over to RCI-Lucknow cuisine.  

For some more ideas on how to use beets, head over to the healthnut blog.

Luv,
Mona

Qaeema Bhari Mirch

Warm and sustaining dishes that comfort the soul are dear to everyone living in nippy cold weather conditions who is literally sick and tired of bearing the cold winds and seeing the huge piles of snow as white sheets everywhere covered on the vast ground, and waiting eagery to see sun and some color around.

I usually turn to cooking homely and comforting dishes quite often during this season of the year. Qaeema bhari mirch is one such dish and I had prepared it with a day old left over Masaaledaar Pudine Wala Qaeema as the stuffing for some sweet long peppers which we enjoyed along with some warm store brought Afghani bread.

Qaeema Bhari Mirch - Peppers stuffed with Spicy Minced meat

Qaeema is so versatile. I usually prepare a good amount of Qaeema, and use it in sandwiches, to prepare spring rolls, haleem, as a filling for samosas or aloo cutlets and even as a stuffing in various vegetables, etc. Peppers stuffed with spicy minced meat is a sure sight at most of the party/dawat menus. My Ammi prepares the best of its kind. The peppers are filled with Qaeema and slow cooked on dum until they are soft and served warm.

You can even use Saada Qaeema or whatever dry Qaeema you have leftover as the filling for the peppers here.

Halved and cleaned long sweet red peppers ready to be stuffed with Qaeema

During my recent visit to the grocery mart, I happened to spot a few very fresh looking long sweet red peppers which I brought home. These peppers were really sweet in taste. You can use any kind and color of peppers that you like as long as they are thick enough, boat or bell shaped to hold the stuffing inside. 

Qaeema Bhari Mirch – Peppers stuffed with Spicy Minced meat

Ingredients:

Masaaledaar Pudine Wala Kheema – 1 Recipe
Bell Peppers (or) Long sweet peppers – 5
Tomato ketchup – 4 tbsp

Method:

-Wash the peppers and pat them dry with paper towels.
-If you have long bell peppers, cut them horizontally (and keep the other halves aside), so that they form into boat shaped containers in which the Qaeema can be stuffed. Or else, if you have bell-shaped peppers, remove the tops, 1 inch from the stem end, and keep the tops aside. Remove the seeds and membranes carefully and discard. Dice the tops of the peppers into tiny pieces, discard the stem, and keep the chopped pepper tops in a bowl.

Sweet Long Red Peppers stuffed with Qaeema and arranged on a tray 

-Stuff the Masaaledaar Pudine Wala Kheema into the peppers and arrange them on a tray.
-In a bowl add tomato ketchup, and the finely diced pepper tops into the remaining Qaeema and mix well. Keep aside.
-With the rack in the middle position, preheat oven to 450°F.
-Spread the qaeema mixed with ketchup evenly in a baking dish. Carefully arrange the stuffed peppers on the qaeema, so that they do not touch each other and cover the dish with aluminium foil. Keep the dish in the oven and let cook for 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft and well cooked. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: Pulao/ Baghara Chawal or Roti of your choice.

Luv,
Mona

Spring rolls

Indo-Chinese cuisine is every Hyderabadi foodie’s favorite. Infact all Indians love this fusion food. You are bound to come across many small Indo-chinese restaurants and food stalls at every corner in Hyderabad.  

Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are an another appetizer items that is predominantly being seen at the menu tables at most of the Hyderabad weddings nowadays. I for one like this finger food immensely and miss those that are served at the Hyderabadi weddings. They are so delectable and have a unique taste.

These spring rolls are my take on them. They are simple to prepare and enjoyed as a snack by all age groups. They can also be served at Iftaar during Ramadhan.

Spring Rolls

Makes-22

Shredded carrots - 3/4 cup
Shredded green cabbage - 1 cup
Shredded cooked boneless Chicken (or) finely diced cooked Shrimp (or) cooked Minced meat/Qaeema - 1 cup 
Spring onion stalks – 3
Salt – to taste
Black pepper – 1/4 tsp
Egg wash -1 egg, lightly beaten along with 1 tbsp water
Thawed Spring rolls wrappers – store bought
Canola Oil – to deep fry

Clockwise from top – Taiwanese green cabbage, carrot,
green onions, shredded chicken

Method:

-In a large pan, pour 1/2 cup water, and add the shredded carrots, cabbage, spring onions and chicken/shrimp/qaeema. Cover and let cook for 8 minutes. Drain and reserve the water for later use. Put the drained vegetables in a bowl, add salt and black pepper and toss to mix well.

Pictorial tutorial to help you wrap up a Spring roll

-Gently seperate the spring roll wrappers from the pack. Place a wrapper on a flat surface with a ponited edge towards you. Keep the rest of the wrappers under a dampened towel. Place about 2 tbsp of the filling in the lower third of the wrapper. Moisten the edges with egg wash. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up and over the filling to enclose it and form a cylinder. Fold the right and left sides of the wrapper into the middle. Then roll the wrapper tighty up to the top. Make sure the roll is tightly sealed and the filling completely enclosed from all sides. Arrange them all, seam side down on a platter. Continue making the rolls until the filling is completely used up.
-Deep fry the prepared rolls in hot oil until lightly browned. Serve them once cooled along with your favorite dip.

I am sending these rolls to Sunday Snacks-Grab and go event and Meals on Wheels event.  

Luv,
Mona

I Feel Terrible

I feel terrible to helplessly watch those dying Palestinians. They are being brutally massacred every minute.

I feel sad and disgusted as the world has become just an onlooker to the slow genocide happening there. Is it so burdonesome for us all to show mere humanity?

I weep in my Salah, beg my Allah for mercy, everytime I think about those people, the everyday havoc they are going through.

No Medical aid, no protection, no proper food or water supply, no income, no job, no permits, no proper fuel supplies, no electricity, no roof to keep safe yourselves and your family…

I am not able to sleep or eat properly, enjoy any of the luxuries that Allah has bestowed me with alhamdulillah after apprehending the situation there in Palestine.

Let us all stand united against Israeli siege to Palestine. Let us all be Pro-Justice and play our part in bringing a little hope to the innumerable homeless families in Palestine. Let us all Pray, Support, Volunteer, Donate, Do whatever possible for Palastine as much as possible everyday and spread the word.

Let us raise our hands to pray to our God for mercy, justice and peace.

(Note: I have been receiving some racist comments from a few people repeatedly on this post. Comments have been closed for that reason)

Mona.

Home made Yogurt, Dahi

Preparing yogurt, the wonder food-a natural antibiotic, at home is quite a simple task. Yogurt is one of the essential ingredients in Hyderabadi cuisine. Its sweet-sour flavor is used in marinating the meats, and to prepare gravies for curries. I often prepare yogurt at home and use store brought yogurt occasionally.

Homemade Yogurt

To prepare yogurt you can either use full fat whole milk or skimmed milk, it is your wish. The proportion I use to make Yogurt is 1 tablespoon of starter yogurt to every 1 litre of milk.

Homemade Yogurt/Dahi at home:

Makes-2 cups

Boil 2 cups of milk stirring frequently in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour the milk into a bowl. Set aside for a few minutes. Wait until the milk is just lukewarm, you should be able to tolerate the heat of the milk on your finger for about 20 seconds or a thermometer inserted should read between 105-115°F (if the milk is too hot or cold, yogurt/dahi will not properly set). Pour about 2 tsp of the lukewarm milk into a cup, add 1/2 tbsp of thick plain yogurt/dahi to it and uniformly mix it. The added yogurt is called as the starter yogurt. Pour this mixture into the lukewarm milk and gently stir to mix well. Cover and keep aside for it to ferment in a constant warm and dark place where it not disturbed at all for around 8 hours or overnight. Once set, refrigerate the yogurt to store. The longer the yogurt is stored, the sourer it becomes.
Always save some yogurt as it can be used as a starter for the next batch.

Tip: As I live in a place where the temperatures are usually very chilly during winters, what I do is put the bowl of lukewarm milk on a heating vent and add the yogurt starter, mix it well and cover the bowl with a lid. Wrap the bowl in a towel and leave it to set, undisturbed, for about 8 hours or overnight. You will get thick and creamy yogurt by morning.

In places where it is warm and humid, making yogurt is quite easy and does not require much attention. You can cover the bowl with the yogurt starter and leave it on your countertop, undisturbed for it to set around 8 hours.

Luv,
Mona