Paneer red chilly picks

Paneer red chilly picks 

Ingredients 

Paneer cubes marinated in red paste (250 gram),
Onions (2 medium sized)
Tomatoes ( 2 medium sized)
Tooth - picks
Green bell pepper (1 medium sized)
For red paste : ginger, garlic,  lemon juice,  red pepper powder,  pav-bhaji masala, cumin powder,  chat masala, salt to taste.

Steps
1.  Add 2 table-spoons of oil in nonstick pan.
2.  Saute onions,  bell pepper and     tomatoes till they become translucent.
3.  Remove all the above from pan into a plate.  Put all marinated paneer cubes in red paste into pan.
4.  Roast paneer cubes well on both the sides.
5.  Poke using tooth-picks into onions,  pepper,  tomatoes and paneer cubes with the order of your choice and prepare delicious PICKS and arrange to make a mouth watering starter.

Til Gud Laddu for dearest Bappa!!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया!!मंगलमुर्ती मोरया!! आला रे आला गणपती आला!
Ingredients :
Pea_nuts 1 bowl
Roasted til 1 bowl
Gud (grated) 1/2 bowl
Ghee 3-4 table spoons

Grind well and make laddu.  it's as simple as that. Above proportion makes around 21 small sized laddus.

Rava (Sooji) Shira / Halwa...for SATYANARAYAN Puja!!

Rava (Sooji) Shira / Halwa...for SATYANARAYAN Puja!!

Ingredients

 
1.  Rava (Sooji) 1 bowl
2.  Ghee 3/4th bowl
3.  Warm Milk 1 and ½ cup 
4.  Sugar 1 bowl
5.  Chopped cashews, almonds and any dry-fruit of your choice
6.  Powdered cardamom

Steps

 
1.  Heat the ghee in a broad kadhai or pan, add the Rava (Sooji) and sauté on a slow flame till it turns golden yellow, and stir well continuously.
2.  Add the milk, mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes.
3.  Add the sugar, cardamom and chopped dry-fruits and mix well. Cover and cook on a slow flame for 5-8 minutes.

4.  Garnish, with cardamom powder and some more dry-fruits.
5.  Offer this NAIVEDYAM to Bappa and enjoy with friend and family!!

    

Ukdiche Modak

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया!!मंगलमुर्ती मोरया!! आला रे आला गणपती आला!!

friends, here's the most special Prasadof Bappa!!
I am very happy as I could successfully prepare delicious ukdiche Modak.
The success lies in making the Ukad that is the steamed rice floor with appropriate amount of boiled water. The recipe is the same traditional one. So skipping the same.
ENJOY THIS DELIGHTFUL SWEET MODAK!! Bappa Moraya!!



Instant Gulab-jamun for BAAPPA!!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया!!मंगलमुर्ती मोरया!! आला रे आला गणपती आला!!

Friends! here is the most awaited festival of Maharastra....Let us keep all calories and weight related issues aside and enjoy Ganapati Prasad as ALL IS FAIR IN FOOD AND FESTIVAL......

Wheat floor (Ata) Shira / Halwa

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया!!मंगलमुर्ती मोरया!! आला रे आला गणपती आला!!

Friends! here is the most awaited festival of Maharastra....Let us keep all calories and weight related issues aside and enjoy Ganapati Prasad as ALL IS FAIR IN FOOD AND FESTIVAL......

Wheat floor (Ata) Shira / Halwa...

Ingredients

 
1.  Wheat floor 1 bowl
2.  Ghee 3/4th bowl
3.  Warm Milk 1 and ½ cup 
4.  Sugar 1 bowl
5.  Chopped cashews, almonds and any dry-fruit of your choice
6.  Powdered cardamom

Steps

 
1.  Heat the ghee in a broad kadhai or pan, add the wheat floor and sauté on a slow flame till it turns golden yellow, and stir well continuously.

2.  Add the milk, mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes.
3.  Add the sugar, cardamom and chopped dry-fruits and mix well. Cover and cook on a slow flame for 5-8 minutes.

4.  Garnish, with cardamom powder and some more dry-fruits.
5.  Offer this NAIVEDYAM to Bappa and enjoy with friend and family!!

    

Veg momos

Friends
Here is a famous Tibetan recipe that I specially like as it is oil-free and light. Veg momos steamed and stuffed with onions,  cabbage,  carrots,  bell pepper,  garlic, paneer,  ginger and green chillies.
The best part is you can vary stuffing contents and their proportion as per your choice!

1. Make dove of maida and let it rest for 1 hour.
2. Prepare stuffing with ingredients shown in picture above.
3. With the given sized dove you can make around 25 momos.
4. Steam the stuffed momos in idli cooker or modak pan.
5. Serve with shejvan chutney or sauce as you prefer!

Moong Dal Pakoda

Friends,
It is raining and a holiday is cherry on the cake so let us enjoy crunchy moong Dal Pakoda. Without any further prolonged description let me write the recipe.

1. Soak moong Dal for 3_4 hours.
2. Drain the water and wet grind Dal with garlic, green chillies, Kari leaves, ginger,  coriander,  cumin powder and salt to test.
3. Fry crunchy Pakodas and enjoy rains!

jowar bhakri Kala / bhakri tadka

Friends,
I am sure most of you need to manage leftover food. This is one of the favorite dish made of leftover Jowar Bhakri in many homes in Maharashtra. It is my favorite too. Sometimes we prefer to cook a couple of extra bhakris so that it could be utilized for a delicious breakfast dish.

Recipe:
1. Grind bhakris in grinder. Avoid fine grinding.
2. Make tadka with a 2 table spoons of oil, Mustard seed,  Kari leaves and hing. Add some pea nuts if you like. You can use green peas ( mutter) or sweet corn kernels also as per your likings.
3. Add finely cut onions,  fry till golden brown,  add finely cut tomatoes,  mix well.
4. Finally add grinded bhakris,  cover the pan for 5 minutes,  garnish with coriander and serve.

Palak corn shorba / soup

Dear friends try this and full your,stomach with healthy soothing soup that sets your stomach. It is simple, ready to cook in 15 _20 minutes, low calorie and last but not the least yummy!

Ingredients :
Palak 1 bowl
Onions 2 medium sized
Butter / ghee 2 table spoons
Black pepper 1 tea spoon, salt to taste.
Fresh corn kernels half coup.
Cornflour 2 tea spoons mixed in water or milk.
Cream to garnish ( optional)

Steps:
1.  Put butter or ghee in pan.
2.  Add chopped onions, cover the pan for 5 minutes till onions become translucent.
3.  Add  palak, corn kernels and cover the pan again for 5 minutes. Let it boil.
4. Blend the above boiled mixture well to a fine consistent liquid.
5. Filter the liquid and add mixture of cornflour and boil again for 5 minutes.
6. Add salt to taste,  black pepper and serve by adding cream if you wish.

Nutritious Sprouted Moong Salad

Friends, hope all have enjoyed the latest long weekend! So here is A dish that will not only set your stomach but also very nutritious. Hope you will also prefer the same to start a healthy day!


1.  Soak moong for 5-7 hours.
2.  It will be sprouted in 12 hours.
3.  Take finely cut onions,  tomatoes,  carrots,  cucumber,  coriander and fresh curd.
4. Mix all ingredients well.
5. Add salt to taste and some chat,Masala, lemon juice

Diet special- Protein-n-fiber-rich cooked veggies

Friends, Today’s dish is dedicated to all my diet conscious friends! Isn’t it an issue close to our heart. While reading humorous material on healthy food I came across a funny quote……. “I need to start eating healthier, but first I need to eat all the junk food in the house so it is not there to tempt me anymore!! It is really a challenge to keep healthy eating habits. It is not a one day, or a one week’s job, we need to develop an attitude of eating right which is the most difficult thing! Anyways there are better advisory authorities to recommend healthy food. I just wish to share my favorite dish when I suddenly wake up one fine day and get frustrated by the weighing scale reading ;)  So please try this and give me feedback. I hope you will like it. Cooked veggies packed with fiber and proteins. You will love to see the colorful refreshing ingredients. Just to share some facts about colorful food please read this: Red (tomatoes and bell pepper) are rich in antioxidants lycopene and anthocyanins, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Green (mutter / peas and bell pepper) are good for your eyes, bones and teeth, and their vitamin K content helps your blood to clot properly.  Orange and yellow ( Carrots and bell pepper) are rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A, a nutrient that not only improves night vision, but also helps keep your skin, teeth and bones healthy. They also contain folate, an antioxidant that prevents neural tube defects in unborn infants.  White (mushrooms, baby-corns, paneer and onions) are high in dietary fiber, helping to protect you from high cholesterol, and antioxidant-rich flavonoids, such as quercetin. They may also lower your risk of stroke, according to a group of Dutch researchers who published a study with the American Heart Association in 2011. After the veggies are cooked, add 2 table spoons minced fresh oregano, 2 table spoon chill flakes, 2 table-spoons of black pepper powder and salt to taste.  Its a full meal in itself. Have this generously and treat yourself with the rich nutrients with very low caloric value.  If you wish to make it as "subji" then add some chat masala or any masala powder of your choice, and it is ready to be served with roti / chapati / phulka / paratha or even rice!!! Diet special- Protein-n-fiber-rich cooked veggies Ingredients 1 Green, yellow and red bell pepper (1 each) 2 Fresh mushrooms(approximately 1 bowls) 3 Finely sliced carrot(1 medium size) 4 Finely sliced tomato (1 medium size) 5 5-6 baby corns 6 Fresh paneer cubes 7 Green peas 8 Sliced onion (1 medium size) 9 2 table spoons minced fresh oregano, 2 table spoon chill flakes, 2 table-spoons of black pepper powder and salt to taste.   Cooking time 30-40 minutes Steps 1 Put a table spoon of oil in pan. 2 Add sliced onion. After onion turns golden yellow add all other ingredients. Cook all the ingredients. 3 Before serving, add 2 table spoons minced fresh oregano, 2 table spoon chill flakes, 2 table-spoons of black pepper powder and salt to taste.   Tips Use of olive oil will add to health value of this dish!

Kids' Tifin special Palak Dosa (Spinach dosa)

Dosa flavored with Palak (Spinach)    This reminds me of one ad that I have seen in which a boy yells at his mother saying, “Pizza main Baingan??? Koi nahi dalta….” Moms are always after feeding nutritious meals for their kids. In doing so, we try to add different veggies in various dishes. I found one way of adding palak (Spinach) to one of the kid’s favorite dishes that I am posting today. I have tried this as a mid day snack and my kids loved it. I hope you too find it good! Palak Dosa / Spinach dosa Ingredients 1.   Rice (1 bowl) 2.   Urad dal (1/2 bowl) 3.   Palak (Spinach- grinded into a fine puree (1 bowl) 4.   Butter to fry. Salt to taste. Steps 1. Soak rice and Urad dal separately in water for around 5-6 hours. 2. Grind rice and urad dal together and allow fermenting.  3. Add palak (spinach) puree to the grinded mixture. 4. Prepare medium size dosas (pancakes) on a fry pan. Add a little butter while frying to taste! 5. Serve with a chuney, pickle or tomato sauce of your choice.

Fresh colorful salad to soothe your stomach!

Dear friends,
Had a spicy and heavy food this week-end? Have this salad to soothe your stomach! I am sure it will say thank you to you for detoxification.

It is made up of fresh Cucumber, carrots, cabbage, and dry mango (kairi).

1. Take chopped cabbage, carrots,cucumber and tomatoes.
2. Grate dry mango to have tangy flavor.
3. Grind 3-4 green chilies, fresh coriander leaves and curry leaves for dressing.
4. Mix well all the above and put some lemon juice.
5. Have this salad generously by skipping Sunday dinner and experience the effect.
6. Your stomach will say a B...I....G thank you to you!!

Pastry dressed with ice-cream, dry-fruits and chocolate sauce!

Pastry dressed with ice-cream, dry-fruits and chocolate sauce 

Dedicating a special dessert on my beloved father's birthday !

Dear God,

Take a bunch of flowers in Heaven and place them in my father's arms. 
Tell them that they’re from me.
Tell him that I love him and miss him

I remember him every day because that is easy,
but there’s an ache within my heart because I’m missing him today.
Tell him that everything is fine and I smile, because I know my father is with me as I am walking the path of life!

I cook and I know that there is nothing gr8 about it!!

     Friends, we have many beliefs and dis-beliefs and I wonder how firm we are with these. Let me share an interesting incident happened to me few years back. I had a lecture at 8 a.m. and it was around 8.30 a.m. and students were still dropping in. Our college location is bit harder to reach with a public transport and few years back it used to be quiet an annoying task to reach college that too in early morning hours.  I am somewhat liberal to my students in case of timings for first lecture as I have seen few students losing their lives while traveling to colleges on bike. I have scary experiences that prevent me to take any action on my staff and students against late arrivals.

     Apart from this, being a teacher and because I was discussing a critical topic in class, I angrily asked them justification or clarification about why they were late.  They defended with their own reasons but I continued saying that what do you all have to do to come to college. Just get up in time and be ready to come. Look at us, being working ladies we get up early in morning, cook food, make our kids ready for school……bla bla….What is your problem? Do you care for grocery…vegetables and all at home? Do you cook? One student calmly answered… Yes mam! I cook. I care for grocery…vegetables and all things that are required at minimum to run a house. I curiously asked him how? He answered that he along with his elder brother stays in a flat. He was from a village in district nearby.  His brother was working. It was hard to spend money on costly food in city like Pune out of limited earnings of his brother. Both of them used to cook according to turns. He said that it is economical and healthier option instead of having spicy food outside.

    Since then I think twice while scolding students on attendance issues. Different incidents have taught me that “LIFE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT EXAM. WE FAIL TO JUDGE PEOPLE BECAUSE WE FORGET THAT EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT QUESTION PAPER”.   

Kid's tifin Specail-Beat Root-Paratha

Recently, different professional institutions, including the one where I am working supported a noble cause of blood donation that was supported enthusiastically all over the city. I was driven by seeing the tremendous response from the youth about blood donation. I also wanted to join however, knowing that my hemoglobin level has always been a disappointing affair since my childhood. Although I reached the camp in order to join the donation process. I was rejected as was expected due to low HB. I have suffered the consequences of low iron and hemoglobin levels in my blood since my childhood. When I discussed my problems with our family doctor, I realized that I was one of over 10, 00,000 million people in India who experience these consequences of anemia on a daily basis and don't even bother. I further learned that majority of women in the country are victim of anemia. It is shocking fact that, anemic children suffer from learning deficits that they cannot recover from!!

   I realized this fact intensely when I imagined the same for my daughter. Fortunately she does not have HB deficiency but this is the right time for me to prevent anemia at least in her case.  Since then I desperately took up the task of maintaining HB level normal. This has cured my problem too to a great extent. 

  Friends, it is however very difficult to eat beat root on daily basis, that too for children. So I have identified some interesting recipes of beat root. One is “Beat-root Paratha". The paratha looks interesting and tempting because of its unique color. The most important thing is that you contribute greatly to prevent anemia among your children!! 

Beat Root-Paratha
Ingredients	1.    Grated medium size beat roots  (2 in numbers)
	2.    Multi grain / or Wheat Aata (approximately 3 bowls)
	3.   Chat masala / dry mango (Amchur) - 2 tea spoon, cumin powder- 2 tea      spoons, Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	30-40 minutes
Steps	1.	Mix well the grated beat-root and all ingredients well to form a dove.
	2.	Let the dove rest for 20 minutes.
	3.	Prepare medium size bolls and roll the parathas.
	4.	Heat Tawa, spread the rolled out paratha. Flip after well cooked on both sides. While cooking apply some oil. Don’t use too much oil for cooking. Let the paratha be cooked with low oil. It remains soft, so no need of much oil.
	5.	Serve with special Tomato Koshimbir (raita) that is a perfect combination with Beat-root flavor.
	6.	Or you can serve with a chutney / Tomato sauce or any pickle of your choice as well.
Tips		In this paratha I don’t use other flours such as Besan (Gram flour) or Jowar flour as I have chosen a Multigrain Ata only. Like Kaddu paratha, I don’t use Garlic, Pepper and other Masala as I aim to maintain the sweetness of beat-root. To absorb Iron in the beat-root, our body needs some sort of C vitamin source, that can be found in RAITA / KOSHIMBIR made with CURD , TOMATOES and a pinch of Aamchur powder as ingredient in paratha

Special Lunch made for my childhood friends !!

Had an awesome Saturday with my childhood friends. Cooked a special lunch for them The most beautiful reason in treating such a close friends is the pure love, care and informal mode of communication. I am happy that everybody enjoyed the food and liked it !!

Dedicated specially to my childhood friends !!

A baingan masala, Aloo-dum, Frid-Dal, Peas-Carrot Pulav, Gulab-jamun, Amras-Puri, A special mango delight drink and Dahi-vade !!

Kid's tifin Specail- Kaddu / Lauki / Bottle-guard paratha

Dear all,

Now the schools are open and all parents (especially moms ;) have become busy !! The major headache is to choose the best possible recipe that kids will like and the ultimate expectation is their empty (finished) tifins !!

However there are many interesting stories about how kids f...i...n...i....s...h their tifins or how they manage to finish it !! So friends this month FOODITIVITY presents recipes that kids love or may like to have. Please try and give feedback.

Lets start with sequence of parathas !! Today's speciality is "Kaddu-Paratha" or "Bottle-guard -/ Lauki-Paratha". I have seen people hardly liking Kaddu / Bottle guard. However its health benefits can not be overlooked. 

Ø  Helps the liver function.

Ø  Helps cure jaundice and reduces graying of hair. 

Ø  Reduces fatigue 

Ø  Helps fight constipation, 

Ø  Recommended in the treatment of acidity, indigestion and ulcers.

Ø  Best weight loss foods 

Ø  It is rich in, thiamin, vitamin C, zinc, iron and magnesium

Ø  Prevents tooth decay.

Kaddu / Lauki / Bottle-guard paratha
Ingredients	1.    Garted medium bottle guard / Kaddu / Lauki  (400-500 grams)
	2.    Aata / Wheat flour (approximately 2 bowls)
	3.    Jowar flour ( approximately 1 small bowl)
	4.    Besan / gram flour ( approximately 1 small bowl)
	5.    8-10 garlic buds, small piece of ginger, Green chilies, fresh coriander            leaves, curry leaves for fine paste.
	6.   Chat masala / dry mango (Amchur) - 2 tea spoon, cumin powder- 2 tea      spoons, Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	30-40 minutes minutes
Steps	1.	Mix well the grated bottle-guard / lauki / kaddu and all ingredients well to form a dove.  Don’t add water while mixing.
	2.	Let the dove rest for 20 minutes.
	3.	Prepare medium size bolls and roll the parathas.
	4.	Heat Tawa, spread the rolled out paratha. Flip after well cooked on both sides. While cooking apply some oil. Don’t use too much oil for cooking. Let the paratha be cooked with low oil. It remains soft, so no need of much oil.
	5.	Serve with a chutney / Tomato sauce or any pickle of your choice.
Tips		Green masala paste, can be replaced by red variation with red pepper powder, haldi etc.