Spicy & Tangy “Bagara Baingan” from the Rice Bowl of India-Andhra Pradesh

Feeling

Blue!

Pep up yourself with brinjal Treat......

Everything that exists in this universe has a purpose to fulfill. As they say “Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”

In simple terms what has been perceived beautiful need not be perceived as such from the other person point of view. Unfortunately in India, we are often taught or rather instilled with some prescribed set of good things as opposed to bad things and you are expected to follow the same common league. However, I always tend to get attracted towards the less fortunate league or rather to things which have not been in use by the common crowd. You must be wondering why am I giving all this gyan?

For some unknown reasons you would come across very few households in India who would like the idea of proliferating the use of “Brinjal” for daily dietary requirements. I have never heard of anybody talking about the nutritional benefits of incorporating brinjal in your daily food habits.

Most of our elderly people believes that Brinjal doesn’t have any nutritional value and like it’s Indian name (baingan)..It is a vegetable without any benefits ( बे+गुण )….However I tend to detest. This vegetable is quite diverse and more versatile, both in the garden and in the kitchen, than you might think. It has been around for many centuries, used in cuisine of many countries. Harvesting at the correct time, and preparing properly, ensures the best flavor.

Eggplant is thought to have originally come from India, with records of it cultivated in China in 500 B.C. It was eaten in Asia and the Middle East for centuries, with the Arabs and Persians taking it to Africa in the Middle Ages. Eggplant reached Italy in the 14th century, but it was not eaten much in Europe until at least the 1700’s. Grown in Europe for its purple, star-shaped flowers and colorful fruits, Europeans didn’t eat it for several reasons. In addition to the bitter fruit being unappealing, they considered them dangerous.

Today you’ll find eggplant used in cuisines of the world including Greek moussaka, Middle Eastern baba ganoush, Italian eggplant parmigiana, French ratatouille, and Asian stir-fries and curries. In addition to vegetable gardens, they make colorful additions to ornamental borders with their diversity of fruits. They come in a range of sizes from small to large; a range of shapes from pea-like to egg-shaped to long and slender; and a range of colors from the traditional royal purple to shades of rose, green, yellow, and white.

                          

Health Benefits of Brinjal

1. Eating brinjals roasted on fire after putting some salt into it cures excessive phlegm and wind humor of the body.

2. Soup made up of brinjal and tomato increases the appetite and helps in digestion.

3. Eating soft brinjal after baking it on fire and with raw sugar on empty stomach in the morning, cures the enlarged spleem due to malaria.

4. Taking soft and baked brinjal with honey in the evening helps in having a sound sleep. Using it for some days cures insomnia.

5. The use of brinjal destroys the stones in its initial stage.

6. If brinjal is taken in its mashed form or as soup with asafoetida and garlic, it cures flatulation.

Some Important Facts about Brinjal

Brinjal is not beneficial for person having excessive bile humor and one who has acidity problem. Pregnant woman should avoid its use. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, all parts of the plant can be used to stop intestinal bleeding. The fruit of the plant is used as an antidote in cases of mushroom poisoning.

Now when we know that it is an excellent vegetable with lots of important vital nutrients, it is indispensable for me to share an interesting recipe of “Bagara Baingan”

It is a delectable dish made with small brinjals in a medley of peanuts, sesame seeds, tamarind and Indian spices.

At the outset, I do not claim that this is an authentic “Bagara Baingan” recipe. But sometimes, one must deviate from the norm and suit one’s own palate and that of one’s weirdest mood. This recipe has an interesting anecdote attached. I happened to cook it without even trying it once before. This dish was the result of some small colorful brinjals occupying my fridge without any other competitor. It was the only available vegetable for me to cook for the day :) I heard about this recipe before but never tried until I succumb again to my usual basic instinct of cooking unknown variety of dishes. But I wouldn’t be me and you wouldn’t be hearing this story if I followed time tested wisdom (there is a thought)

Ingredients

For the curry

·         500 gms small aubergines

·         1 tsp cumin seeds

·         tsp turmeric powder

·         4 tbsp oil

·         salt

Masala paste

·         2 medium sized onions, chopped

·         2 cloves garlic (optional), chopped

·         1 inch ginger, chopped

·         2 tbsp raw peanuts

·         2 tbsp white sesame seeds (til)

·         1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)

·         1 tsp coriander seeds

·         1 tsp cumin seeds

·         2 inch stick of cinnamon

·         2-3 cloves

·         1 bay leaf

·         tsp peppercorns

·         1-2 black cardamom

·         1 lemon sized tamarind ball

·         3-4 green chillies, chopped

·         2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, chopped

·         1-2 cups water

Method

1.      Heat a tava and roast the dry spices– everything mentioned in the masala paste except for ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves and tamarind. Remember all the dry stuff has to be roasted….. no wet stuff :)

Dry Roasted powder

2.    When the spices become a light brown-a lovely aroma of the roasted spices will fill your kitchen.

3.      Once the spice mixture cools down then add this mixture with the rest of the ingredients ginger, garlic, green chillies, 1 tbsp coriander leaves and tamarind in a grinder.

4.      Grind to a smooth paste with some water.

slit brinjals

5.      Put slits across the aubergines and soak them in salted water for 15-20 minutes.

6.      Drain after 15-20 minutes. In a pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add the aubergines and 1 tsp salt. saute over low fire for 8-10 minutes.

7.      In another pan or in the same pan heat the remaining oil. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.

8.      Now add the masala paste and start to fry it.

9.      Continue frying the masala paste

Masala Paste

10.  This is how the masala paste looks after frying for 15 minutes.

11.  Add the turmeric powder to the paste.

12.  Mix the turmeric powder with the masala paste.

13.  Fry the paste for about 20-25 minutes till the oil starts to float on the surface. And now add the cooked aubergines along with 1¼ cups water.

Frying the paste

14.  Mix and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

15.  Add more salt if required. Remember we already added salt to the aubergines while sauting them. garnish with coriander.

16.  And serve hot with, phulkas or steamed rice. It goes best with rice though!

Final Look of my Purple Delight

Lean Beans Savory Bites

Few years ago, I was excited to discover that a hormone named "leptin" [its name comes from the Greek word 'leptos' which means 'thin'] controlled the human appetite. There was an incredible excitement over this discovery and the dieting world including aspiring lean souls like me thought that The Answer for all weighty issue is within our reach :)

Unfortunately, leptin from outside sources has thus far been a huge flop. Leptin is made by our body's fat cells. When the cells realize there is enough nourishment available, [meaning you're not starving yourself by dieting!] they release leptin into the bloodstream which has two important effects:

* Your appetite declines …
* Your metabolism is boosted and thus calories are consumed more quickly …

This revelation forced me to find out about the outside sources that can increase the leptin levels in my system. Knowing my capabilities, I am finally contented with an easy solution. Plant based low-fat foods help to keep leptin levels high – while fatty foods, like animal products, suppress your leptin supply. And guess what? Beans are only 2-3% fat which means they raise your leptin levels and reduce appetite, while causing your metabolism to work harder and faster. So here comes the mantra for staying lean: Include the intake of your beans in your daily diet and it works amazing if you combine a good variety of lentils together.

Beans are loaded with nutrients that our bodies crave(Vitamin Calcium, potassium and folate). There are all kinds of beans available for most any palate … unless you're one of those unfortunates that really detest beans. Sorry about that.

For instance, my least favorite bean is the “Black eyed bean” (lobiya). I don't dislike it, I just prefer other kinds and fortunately there are a myriad of choices.

Healthy beans are so outstanding that only green vegetables come close as a valuable food source. My latest discovery is to know the Startling difference between a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of beans. In fact, if you'd like to reduce your calorie "price" by 10%, add an extra 14 grams of fiber. This means that if you eat 2,000 calories per day, and add 28 grams of fiber to your meals, those calories will only "count" as 1600. Isn’t it cool to know?

Today I’ll be sharing my recipe of “lean bean savory bites”

This recipe is the result of my unending attempts of finding a better and viable way of consuming lentils in a different form as opposed to the conventional and usual “Daal” recipes. So here comes my coolest and quickest recipe ever shared.

Vibrant Ingredients

Ingredients:-

200 gms of mixed boiled lentils ( I have used chickpea, black chana, kidney beans,chana daal and dry green peas)

½ cup deseeded finely diced cucumber

2-3 finely chopped tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 table spoon chopped ginger
½ tsp chopped and deseeded chilly
Finely chopped coriander leaves
Few sprigs of mint leaves
One cup tamarind pulp
½ cup normal sev used for garnishing and to give a crunchy bite (crisp Bengal gram salty bites)

Dry Spices Used

½ tsp dry mango powder
1tsp black salt
1/3 tsp chaat masala
Normal salt as per taste
½ tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
2-3 pinch of Hing(asafoetida)

Method:-

Churning and Mixing

The method is the simplest part of the whole recipe. Just transfer all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl before giving it a good assortment so that the aroma of spices remains intact and uniformly colored. You have to ensure that the seasoning is right and apt so I suggest you to keep tasting it before you dish out your final outcome. You will be thrilled to see the colorful final output. Just make sure you garnish it well to make it more appealing and to get that drooling effect. It is very simple but you will have to spend some time in collecting all the ingredients in the correct shape and size.

Tip: You can use rice puff along with the sev to make it crunchier! Add it just before serving.

Final colorful treat

Happy tasting and stay lean and have beans :)   

Instant Oats Delight

As per my standard stretchable time, I am finally here with my recipe of “Oats delight”.

I keep promising myself to improve my deliverables for timely blog update but like any other pro performer; I keep breaking my old records. I can only hope to set a new standard by maintaining timeliness sometime in near future.

As they say- Never let it go till you want to change paths….

Well, I already shared my love for oatmeal in my previous blog post and also the obvious reasons for the same.

All around the world, Oats are overlooked as the breakfast food but there are plenty of ways to include this yummy grain throughout the day. Dishes prepared with oats are not only delicious but also helps to reduce your hunger and thereby helps in the weight loss by sticking to your diet plan. This takes place because oats are good source of fiber and form gels to fill you up. The emptying of stomach is delayed by these gels so you don’t feel starving hastily. As well, oats help to reduce bloating and cholesterol at some extent. They are also rich in thiamine and iron.

Since I am working and constantly juggling between my professional and personal life balance, I do not find quality time to sit and bake a whole lot of breads/cookies using oats. I had to find my own ways to incorporate oats other than the usual cereal/baked methods. One of the easiest and tasty ways of using these nutrition powerhouses is to try my enchanting “Instant Oats Delight”

Ingredients:-

Instant Oats-1 cup (Saffola oats i am using)
Wheat Rava-1/2 cup (if u want u can use white rava)
Curd-1 cup
Water-3/4 or as required
Carrot -1 (grated)
Mustard Seeds-2 tsp

Green Chillies-2 tsp (finely chopped)
Hing-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-few

1/2 tsp chana daal
1/2 tsp urad daal
Eno fruit salt-pinch

Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil-to grease idli plates and for seasoning


Method:-

Dry roast oats for 3 minutes and set aside. Cool it completely then grind it to a fine powder.

Dry roasted rava and oats powder

Dry roast rava till nice aroma rises.It may take 3 to 4 minutes, and then set aside. Transfer to mixing bowl

 Add a tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,let it splutter then add curry leaves,hing and grated carrot, green chillies,urad daal, chana daal and coriander leaves. Sauté till raw smell of carrot leaves.

In the mixing bowl add oats, rava, add curd, salt, baking soda, eno fruit salt and sautéed tempered carrot mixture. Add required water to make a batter consistency of our normal idly batter.

Batter

Grease the idli plates with little oil. Gently put the batter on idli plates with ladle.Steam it for15 minutes or until done.

You can serve it directly with your preferred dip but I like to present it slightly tossed with little amount of oil in the frying pan with the usual stuff used for tempering to give it a crisper bite.

Yummy Oats Delight

Happy Tasting and savor the food for life!

My new found love-Oatmeal and my effort to stay healthy!

Until recently I thought staying healthy is something which is god gifted and you can only maintain your weight provided you have a fast metabolic system. While it's true that metabolism is linked to weight, it may not be in the way you expect. In fact, contrary to common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain. Although your metabolism influences your body's basic energy needs, it's your food and beverage intake and your physical activity that ultimately determine how much you weigh. I always knew that I have a strong willpower and if I decide to do something, I attain it without faltering a bit. So, one fine day I decided to let go off my weight and try leading a healthy life for the sake of many beautiful things around me. I come from a family where everyone loves to eat and invite others for a tasty meal. Both my parents were diabetic so it was always prevalent in my mind somewhere that I should be careful about myself.

Not that I was very bulky but I just wanted to shed some unnecessary load. I started my Journey in March 2011 by finding an appropriate nutritionist for myself who can guide me about the appropriate ways of eating healthy food and the best food that suite my body type. I was very lucky to find one nutritionist who acted as a superb help in introducing me to a world full of healthy and tasty food. I always thought that healthy food doesn’t really taste good but she totally broke my existing myth and changed my perception about the eating and staying healthy. Today I can happily say that I lost 10-12 kgs in three months by changing my food habit and I am proud to continue the same status by following some basic rules.

What I learnt from the whole experience is that, in today's hectic world, cooking has become a luxury, while eating out is seen as a necessity. This is unfortunate, however, for, there are many benefits for people who cook their own food at home.

One benefit is that cooking at home allows people to de-stress. During the weekdays, people have to rush from home to work and then to run other errands. By taking the time to cook food, people can slow down their schedule and go through the step-by-step process of creating food from scratch.

Another benefit of cooking is that people have more control over what they eat. They can choose what ingredients to use, how to cook the food, and how much to cook. This allows people, for one thing, to save money by only cooking the food they need instead of eating out and being forced to pay for food they may not eat. Also, by having control over the food they consume people can also eat healthier. They can use the best and the freshest ingredients and ensure that their food is properly cleaned and prepared. In restaurants, on the other hand, people can never be completely be sure that fresh ingredients are used or that healthy ingredients are used.

Like any drug, if you abuse it you suffer the consequences, but when used properly, food can...

• Give you the energy you need to get through your days and still have energy to spare.
• Help to eliminate or at least greatly reduce mood swings. This was a big one for me. I saw my moods level right out.
• Significantly reduce hunger pains and cravings. Great news when you want to lose weight.
• Reduce the risk of serious and not-so-serious disease. More and more illnesses are being linked to the food you eat on a regular basis. Proper nutritional habits are your best insurance policy.
• Reverse existing health challenges. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of the most common health challenges. By properly using food, you can greatly improve - if not eliminate - these two conditions.
• Sharper mental focus. Rather than walking around in a fog, imagine being alert and focused as you go through your day.
• Reduce overall body fat.

My Golden Food Rule:

1. Eat a moderate amount of high-fiber carbohydrate at each meal. Eat lots of fibrous veggies, a small amount of high-fiber fruit (apples, oranges, berries) and if you eat processed carbs, make them high-fiber as well. Oh, and eliminate any beverages containing sugar. Personally, I rarely get more than 40 percent of my calories from carbs. Often it's around the 30 percent mark.
2. Eat protein with every meal and most snacks. Again, for me personally, I get about 30-40 percent of my calories from protein - usually paneer, beans, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt.
3. Eat fat. Forget everything you've ever heard about low-fat eating being the healthy way to go. Your meals and snacks should include a healthy dose of fat. Ideally, it should be mono or polyunsaturated fat, but some animal fats certainly won't hurt. My fat intake stays pretty steady at about 30 percent from day to day.
4. Eat 5-6 meals, evenly spread throughout the day. You've heard it before, you'll hear it again. You may as well accept it. Eating two or three meals won't cut it. Eating small meals throughout the day prevents overloading your body with more carbohydrate than it can handle, which in turn controls blood sugar levels
5. By far one ingredient which I think is high in nutritional content and works like a magic is oatmeal. It is absolutely magical and you can substitute it for everything in the world. Use it as a binding agent or a topping ingredient and it works perfectly. You can invent your own little recipes with it.

Now days, I am on a spree inventing new recipes with oatmeal, starting from the appetizers to the main course. Can you imagine you can make amazing drinks out of oatmeal? Yes, it does sound weird but it’s true. Initially, I thought oatmeal is good for making porridge and a healthy substitute for ailing patients :)

Health and Nutrition Benefits of Eating Oats

·         Oats comprise of one of the best sources of Inositol, which is very important for maintaining blood cholesterol level. In other words, eating oats regularly can help keep your cholesterol in check.

·    They contain very high levels of calcium, potassium and magnesium, coupled with Vitamin B-complex. All these vitamins and minerals are very essential for the nervous system.

·  Cooked oats can help relieve fat from the body, while unrefined oatmeal can reduce stress.

· Because of the high fiber content present in oats, they are said to be helpful in preventing bowel cancer.

·  Since oats have lots of fiber, having them regularly can help cure constipation.

·    If consumed on a frequent basis, they can help lower the chances of having heart disease.

·  Apart from being a good source of protein, oats also provide vitamin E, zinc, copper and iron to the body.

·  They have also been proven to act as an effective anti-depressant. In other words, having oats can calm you down and help treat depression as well.

·   Oats, with more soluble fiber than any other grain, can slow down the digestion process and provide an extended sensation of fullness. This makes them good for people who want to lose weight.

·  If you eat regularly, the rise in blood sugar level gets spread over a longer period of time. This helps prevent many of the complications associated with diabetes.

·   Oats contain phytochemicals (plant chemicals), which are believed to protect the body from chronic diseases, such as cancer.

So the question is: If I know how magical oatmeal is? Then I should share the wonderful recipes made out of oatmeal with all my friends. My first creation can be attributed to the family of appetizers and I have already gone through the christening ceremony for this particular recipe and you can call it “Oats Delight”- Some can prefer to call it Oats Kebab(like my adored husband) My mum in law thinks that it somehow taste like rava idli. I was very happy when it came out very well – soft, tasty and filling and less time consuming.

Watch out for this space for the recipe of Oats Delight and many more oats dishes to follow.

Till we meet again don’t forget to savor the food for life!

Food for Life !: Guilt Free Kebab (Myversion of Dahi ke Kebab)W...

Food for Life !:

Guilt Free Kebab (Myversion of Dahi ke Kebab)

W...: Guilt Free Kebab (My version of Dahi ke Kebab) When I first heard about Kebabs made from curd, I was a bit hesitant to try consi...

Guilt Free Kebab (My version of Dahi ke Kebab)

When I first heard about Kebabs made from curd, I was a bit hesitant to try considering my limited noble experiences with vegetarian kebabs. The only motivating factor was my love for curd- I simply love curd and any food item that has curd in it, grabs my attention. From the childhood we have been told about the positive effects of including curd as an important part of our daily meal.

I have decided to name it guilt free kebab especially to highlight the positive effects of using yogurt as the main ingredient for the kebabs.

You will find this recipe as an integral part of the menu for almost all Indian restaurants. However the taste differs and the cooking style too. I have developed my own healthy version for these delectable tangy kebabs to make it light and perfectly balanced with the addition of simple aromatic spices.

Usually the common condiments used for this recipe is onion and cashew nut but I chose to try a variation without the use of onion and cashew nuts. I use the shallow fry method as opposed to the usual deep fry method.These tangy kebabs that are a Mughlai specialty taste as unusual as they sound. Paneer is used to balance the tanginess of the curds and besan is used to help bind the ingredients. Traditionally ghee is used for frying kebabs however oil has been used in this recipe. You can mix a few spoons of ghee with the oil to provide a lovely flavor. To add extra zing to the recipe, I prefer to use roasted almond chopped.

Here are the ingredients for the recipe:

1)500 gms of hung curd- You need to hang 1 kg of yoghurt in a muslin cloth for almost 4-5 hours to get a thick sticky resulting mixture. I usually hang the curd overnight to completely get rid of water in the curd.

Hung Curd

2)300 gms grated paneer

3)8-9 raisins

4)1 tsp of grated ginger

5) 3-4 tsp Besan(Gram flour)- you have to adjust the use of besan as per the consistency of the paste/batter. You have to add more besan if you find your batter too thin.

5)1 tsp of ajwain seeds

6)1 tsp of haldi

7)1/2 tsp homemade special aromatic garam masala powder

8) 1 tsp grounded coriander powder

9) 1-2 tsp green chilies as per taste

10) ½ tsp turmeric powder

11) Finely chopped coriander leaves

Mix all the ingredients together to get a thick batter. You need to make small disked shape kebabs from the batter. Use wet hands to shape the kebab ( you might find the better a little sticky). 

Batter for the Kebab

The final step is to shallow fry them on open frying pan. You have to be careful of the flame. Ideally you have to fry them in medium flame and keep a watch to ensure that the kebabs are not burnt and it retains the original brown kebabish color. You can serve these with any green chutney (preferably mint and coriander)

Shaped Kebabs ready to be fried

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Final look