Moringa /Drumstick Flower Fry

Moringa Oleifera or as we most commonly know it as the 'Drumstick' plant is a native of India. Almost every other neighborhood has at least one of these beauties. Popular for it's edible leaves, fruits and the delectable flowers too.

Absence of any requirement of fertilizer /pesticide in the development of this tree makes it even more popular in today's world. Propagated by branch cuttings as well as seeds, it requires almost negligible care. Turning into a beauty when mature, it imparts aesthetic pleasure along with various health and medicinal benefits.

Rich in antioxidants, protection against arsenic poisoning, cancer, anemia, kidney stones, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, asthma, chronic headaches, ulcers are among the benefits from this wonderful gift from heaven.

Moringa flowers are small and creamy white colored. The younger the flowers are when picked, the tastier they turn out. One has to be very careful while picking them, for as with any other flower, these too are quite delicate and tend to fall off with even the slightest touch.

Apart from other medicinal benefits, these flowers are also rich in amino acids, calcium and potassium. The juices in them help reduce inflammation as well as muscle spasms. Being a good cure for cold, they are used to prepare tea in many places.

Add it to your salad, fry them in oil, add them to any dish or simply sip it as a brewed tea !! The benefits will be yours to reap ;) .

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Drumstick Flowers (can include baby drumsticks also)
• 1 Medium Sized Onion, thinly sliced
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced roughly
• 1 Medium Tomato, chopped finely
• 1 Green Chilly (or more as per taste)
• 1 Tsp Panchphutan
• Salt, as per taste
• Turmeric, a pinch

METHOD

• In a pan, heat about a tablespoon of oil. Add panchphutan and let them splutter.
• Add minced garlic and let it sizzle for about half a minute or till it starts to change colour. Add sliced onions,salt and turmeric. Saute till translucent. Then add tomatoes and saute till pulpy. 
• Add the drumstick flowers. Mix well. Saute on high till well cooked.
• Serve hot as a side dish.

How to cook Quinoa

Quinoa - A complete protein packed with high nutritional values. Name any of the nine essential amino acids; quinoa has it all.
A much healthier alternative to the regular rice and wheat, it has double it's protein content along with substantial amount of calcium, magnesium and vitamins.

Presence of omega-3 fatty acids further ascertain quinoa to be placed among one of the top-sought after heart healthy foods.
For the weight conscious ones, it's high fibre content makes it a slow digesting food, thereby keeping the hunger pangs at bay.

Pronounced as 'keen-wah',  this South American native is quite easy to cook. Three varieties - white, red and black and all cooked in the same process.
Prepare it as one cooks plain simple rice. Soak, boil and fluff. Voila, it's cooked !!



Once cooked the grains become almost double in size and softer, yet retain a slight crunch. Owing to its neutral flavor, quinoa can be used for various different recipes including quinoa upma, quinoa salad, quinoa pulao and quinoa burger.

How to Cook Quinoa:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Cup Quinoa
• 2 Cups Water
• Salt, a pinch (optional) 

METHOD

• Wash quinoa thoroughly. Soak for about 15 minutes.
• Boil water and quinoa in a container. Add a pinch of salt. Simmer. Let it cook till almost all the water is absorbed. It should take around 15 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork to separate any sticky grains.

In minutes tender, round quinoa with a little curly tail is ready!!

Eggless Oil Free Banana Cake

Come summer and fruit-lovers drool at the very thought of welcoming all the exotic tropical fruits, save for one :( - me !! Although my gustatory cells are geared up with all the gusto of a fruit-erian, the olfactory and ophthalmic nerves seem to be on a high alert.. surveying around for any edible items going bad. For, it is also the time when fruits and veggies loose their freshness very quickly.

It is during these days that making a banana cake comes to the rescue. Over-ripe bananas, preferably the ones whose peels having started blackening, make the best cake.
And not to mention, a good excuse ;) for the forgetful lot (me me) who miss devouring the bananas while  still fresh :D !!

Absence of refined flour (maida), oil and sugar makes it a hit among the health conscious while being egg-free for the vegetarians .

A healthy ,vegetarian and filling snack !!

Mash the ripe bananas till pulpy.

Add other wet ingredients and whisk together. 

Add all the dry ingredients

Stir by gently folding. Mix just until well combined.

Pour the batter into a greased oven friendly container. Sprinkle chopped walnuts (optional).

Bake for 60-65 minutes at 160C.

Ta-da... Banana cake is ready !
Let it cool before slicing.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Over Ripe Medium Sized Bananas
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 2 Cups Wheat Flour
• 4 Tbspn Jaggery 
• 1 Tspn Vanilla Essence
• 3/4 Tspn Baking Powder
• 3/4 Tspn Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tspn Salt
• 1 Tbspn Flax Seeds
• Handful of Walnuts, chopped roughly.

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 160C.
• Mash the ripe bananas till pulpy. 
• Add other wet ingredients and whisk together. 
• Add all the dry ingredients and stir by gently folding. Mix just until well combined. 
• Pour the batter into a greased oven friendly container. Sprinkle chopped walnuts (optional).
• Bake for 60-65 minutes at 160C. 
• And, a super healthy snack is ready !

Vegetable Khao Suey

Khao Suey or Khow Suey is a one-pot dish, with its origin from the mountainous states of Burma. Consisting of a lentil base, it is topped with noodles and stir fried vegetables. Protein, carbohydrate as well as vitamins and fibers, all in one dish.

While preparing the dish would appear easy, the art of eating it actually takes away most of the credit for the enhancing the overall experience.

It was while on a business trip, that I had come across this gentleman who took out the time and patience to explain to a bunch of us about 'Khao Suey'. A tale of the bygone days ;) ..
Some of my friends and I had been to this particular restaurant which had an item on it's menu, which was unanimously chosen as the order for each one of us. It was called Khao Suey . None of us had any idea what the name meant exactly but it's depiction was what had allured each of us. To be exact, the pictorial description was that of something which our ophthalmic nerves transferred to our brain which translated it as our very own Indian Maggi with vegetables dish. Probably, then the brain must have triggered the cells responsible for nostalgia, for each of us ended up ordering the so called 'Khao Suey' !

Very soon, steaming bowls appeared and were placed in front. As hungry as we were, we dug into it with the provided forks. I remember us wondering why the chef had not mixed all the veggies up with the noodles and why was the noodles as plain as they could be? It seemed as if they were directly poured from the boiling pot.
We almost swore never to visit the place again and how nothing could ever match our Maggi. One of us even commented that it would have been better to have prepared it ourselves than waste good money over half processed noodles. Anyways. our hunger took over soon and we had started to stir the contents so as to obtain, what we thought, a mix-veg-noodle :D :D .

It was at that time, when this completely bald gentleman (who I guess had overheard all our frustration :( ) approached . With a heavily accented English, he introduced himself and inquired whether we were first time visitor's to that particular restaurant. Upon getting a positive response, he pulled himself a chair and started explaining the name of the dish, the reason behind the name and how it has to be eaten.

It turns out Khao Suey or Khow Suey literally means noodles in coconut milk. He went on further to explain that the base curry was a mix of lentils, broth and coconut milk, hence the name.
Meanwhile, he asked the waiter for a bowl of KS and to re-heat our bowls. As soon as the piping hot bowls arrived, he asked to observe him eat. With one soup spoon in one hand and a fork in another, he scooped a little soup and then placed a few strands of noodles on top of it. A slice of carrot and a bean on it , and then he started to sip the spoon contents .... finally taking the in the rest. And, all this with a big slurrrpy sound. By the end of two spoonfuls, the gravy had started to run down his chin, which with a quick move,he wiped with his napkin.

He slurped and wiped, and so did we as soon as we followed his steps...err hands ;) .

Before taking his leave, he did mention that louder the slurp noise, the better one was getting at eating KS. And, boy! We did agree to that wholeheartedly. Slurp, finish the bowl while the contents are hot (else the noodles lose their charm) and above all, to our embarrassment,do not mix the contents :D.
We parted ways with a content belly, tongue and brain. Happy to have learnt a new art of eating a new dish, discovered a restaurant which served a healthy yet tasty dish and the most of all, gained a new friend !
We ended up dining in this restaurant many a time till we were there ,but never again did we have the pleasure of meeting our friend cum teacher again. Although, his topic does surf up whenever any of us get together.
All that I can do now, is dedicate this page to, as we refer to him as, The Slurp Monk !

Khao Suey

  

In a hot pan, add oil. Add all the chopped veggies and stir fry on a high flame. The vegetables should retain their crispiness. Keep aside. 

Heat water in a pan and boil noodes for 2-3 minutes or as per package instructions. Strain out the hot water and rinse with cold water. Add a tspn of oil and toss to keep the noodles from sticking with each other. Keep aside.

Boil the red lentils with salt and turmeric, until soft. Soak the soya chunks in hot water.
Mash the lentils well and then add the coconut milk. Add about a cup of vegetable broth (else plain water). Mix well and let it boil for about 5 minutes. The final consistency should be broth like.
Heat a pan and add cooking oil. Add the finely chopped green chilly and garlic. Saute. Pour this garlic chilly tempering into the lentil broth. Add the soaked up soya chunks. Let it come to a boil. Switch off flame and keep aside.

In a serving bowl, pour the lentil gravy till almost half filled.

Place noodles. 

Top the noodles with the stir fried vegetables. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and spring onions. Add a dash of lemon to give it a twist.

Khao Suey INGREDIENTS

• 100gm Noodles 

Vegetables, can include the following-

•  3-4 Baby Corn, diced
• 1 Small Capsicum, sliced
• 1 Medium Carrot, peeled & sliced
• 3-4 French Beans, diagonally sliced
• 1 Medium Zuchhini, sliced
• 1 Medium Onion, sliced finely

For the Gravy

• 2 Tbspn Garlic, sliced finley
• 1 Green Chilly, sliced
• 1/2 Cup Red Lentils
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
• Soya Chunks
• Green Chilly, as per taste
• Salt, as per taste
• 1 Tspn Turmeric

For Granish

• Coriander Leaves, chopped finely
• Spring Onions, chopped finely
• Lemon

METHOD

• Heat water in a pan and boil noodes for 2-3 minutes or as per package instructions. Strain out the hot water and rinse with cold water. Add a tspn of oil and toss to keep the noodles from sticking with each other. Keep aside.
• Boil the red lentils with salt and turmeric, until soft. Soak the soya chunks in hot water.
• Mash the lentils well and then add the coconut milk. Add about a cup of vegetable broth (else plain water). Mix well and let it boil for about 5 minutes. The final consistency should be broth like.
• Heat a pan and add cooking oil. Add the finely chopped green chilly and garlic. Saute. Pour this garlic chilly tempering into the lentil broth. Add the soaked up soya chunks. Let it come to a boil. Switch off flame and keep aside.
• In a hot pan, add oil. Add all the chopped veggies and stir fry on a high flame. The vegetables should retain their crispiness. Keep aside. 
• Now that the cooking part is over, proceeding over to the serving: 
• In a deep dish or bowl, pour the lentil gravy till almost half of the container is filled. Then place noodles. Top the noodles with the stir fried vegetables. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and spring onions. Add a dash of lemon to give it a twist.
• Now, sit back, relax and enjoy the piping hot Burmese delight. 
• Slurrrrrrrpp away ..!!  

Spinach Soy

Perhaps the speediest way to cook a spinach curry, this stir fried soy sauce base recipe sure turns out quite tasty and handy when time and patience are running out.

Spinach, being abundantly packed in vitamins and minerals, provides benefits for almost each and every part of the human body.
Starting from the hair, spinach is rich in vitamin A , which in turn helps produce sebum, which keeps the hair moisturized and hence healthy. Vitamin A also helps in improving body tissues. Now, who wouldn't want a head full of healthy hair and beautiful skin ;) .

High iron content also helps prevent hair loss (perhaps a major issue nowadays).
Potassium helps high blood pressure patients lower the pressure while the fiber content makes spinach a favorite among patients suffering from constipation.
Spinach also helps maintain bone health due to the presence of Vitamin K. Further, the chlorophyll enhances cancer prevention to a great extent.

Perhaps, it would be right to say, a bunch of these greenies a day would help keep the doc at bay ;) .

And of course a big thanks to Mr. Popeye... the sailor man ( :D :D ), for making it ever so popular.

Ahh! The countless dishes that the quintessential palak/spinach has provided - Be it the very cheesy palak paneer or the tangy palak kadhi, the finger licking lasooni palak or the palanga besar, each one packed with the goodness of spinach.

A twist from the regular Spinach -
Spinach Soy Curry

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Bunch Fresh Palak/Spinach Leaves
• 4-5 Garlic Cloves, Chopped roughly
• 1 Tbspn Soy Sauce
• 1 Tspn Tomato Ketchup
• 1 Tspn Vinegar
• Chilli Powder, as per taste
• 1 Tspn Freshly Ground Pepper, or as per taste
• Salt, as per taste

METHOD

• In a bowl, add the vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and salt, with 1/4th cup of water. Mix well. Keep aside.
• Wash and clean the spinach leaves. Drain all the water. Heat a pan and add about a tbspn of cooking oil. Saute on a high flame till the leaves wilt. Transfer the cooked leaves to another container and keep aside.
• Add oil (if all the previous oil has been used up). Add the roughly chopped garlic and saute till garlic smell emanates. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
• Add the previously stir fried leaves and the sauce mix. Mix well and let it come to a boil. Add the ground pepper and let it simmer for a minute before turning off the heat source.
• Serve hot. Goes best with fried rice as well as noodles.

Tomato Basil Soup

This dear little lycopene rich fruit has quite a many admirers in the culinary world. Although originating from South America, almost all cuisines, be it Indian, Italian, Mexican or any other cuisine - they all unanimously call out 'tomato'.
Tomatoes have widely found their use as a base in curries, pastas, pizzas to toppings as in salads and bruschettas.

Be it in a cooked version or simply raw, they never seem to cease to impart the health befitting factors. Tomatoes have long been linked to a healthy heart as they help lower cholesterol and triglycerides. The presence of certain phytonutrients further help in protecting the heart.

Moreover, the presence of antioxidants, vitamin C (a whooping 33% in about 180gm of raw tomato) and lycopene have been proven to have high health benefits, especially for women.
Also known to reduce risks of cancer, bone deterioration and Alzheimer's disease.

Confused how to choose a tomato?  The answer is simple - Pick the ones which have a bright colour, especially the ones which are deep red. Next coming to the shape - it should be firm and well shaped. Do not go for the one's which have soft spots or are wrinkly.
Voila! Tomato picking is done :D .

For me, tomatoes are quite an essential ingredient in my kitchen. Not only because of their wide use and health benefit, but mostly 'coz they can simply be munched on raw. No calories equals no guilt.
A dash of any seasoning for the choosy ones :P , and a snack is ready. A surprise visit by friends and a quick tomato snack like bruschetta pomodoro to the rescue.

And, here's one of the simplest cooked tomato recipes, the perfect accompaniment to a chilly evening -
Tomato Basil Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 Ripe Tomatoes
• 1 Onion
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1 Tspn Freshly Ground Pepper
• Olive Oil 
• Cream (optional)
• Lemon Juice (optional)
• Salt, to taste

METHOD

• Chop the tomatoes. Using a pressure cooker, boil for 1 whistle.
• Heat a pan and add olive oil. Add minced garlic and onion. Saute till cooked.
• Blend the cooked garlic, onion and boiled tomatoes to a smooth puree. 
• Simmer the puree. Add salt and water for desired consistency. Add finely chopped basil and freshly ground pepper. 
• Add a drop or two of lemon juice (although optional). For a richer texture, do add cream.
• Serve and sip while hot with a slice or two of fresh toasted bread !! Mmm..