Carrot Cake (Eggless Version)

It's a healthy cake without butter and icing.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Wheat flour - 1/3 cup
Baking powder - 3/4 tsp.
Baking soda - 3/4 tsp.
Carrot - 180 gm
Light brown sugar - 2/3 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp.
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp.
Walnuts - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp.
Oil - 1/3 cup (low fat oil)
Golden raisins - 1/4 cup
Flax Seed powder - 1/2 tbsp.
Warm water - 1 tbsp.
Plain yogurt - 1/4 cup
Orange juice - 2 tbsp.

Method:
Mix the flax seed powder and the warm water. Whisk well for 30 seconds. After 10 minutes, the flax seed mixture will become thick and viscous.
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the brown sugar, grated carrots, raisins and walnuts and mix well. In another bowl lightly whisk together the oil, flax seed mixture, vanilla extract, yogurt and orange juice. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients and pour the liquid ingredients. Gently, stir till combined.
Pour batter into a lined and greased 8 inch cake pan (I adjusted with my old cake pan). Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C  for about 25 to 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy this healthy cake.
Source-Magazine

Sent off to Umm Mymoonah's "Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431", Pari's "Only Kids Delight" event and Siri's "Healing Foods-Carrot" event hosted by Suma.

Read More

Sprouted Green Peas Stuffed Parathas

Ingredients:
For dough:
Wheat flour - 3 cups
Salt (to taste)
Water (to knead)

Method:
Mix the flour with salt. Add water and knead into a soft dough. Cover and keep aside.

For peas stuffing:
Ingredients:
Sprouted green peas - 1.5 cups
Green chilli paste - 1/4 tsp.
Ginger (minced) - 1/2 tsp.
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
Flax seed meal - 1 tbsp.
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Oil

Method:
Boil the peas with required salt. Strain the peas. Grind them without adding water. Heat oil in a pan and add the ginger and green chilli paste. Saute for a minute. Add the ground peas and saute. Now add all the powders and mix well. Add salt and flax seeds meal. Remove from heat. Add coriander leaves and keep aside. When the stuffing is warm, make key lime size balls and keep aside.

Divide the dough into balls of equal size. Roll out into a small circle. Place the stuffing in the center and fold from all corners and seal it. Roll out into a thin circle from the sealed side. Continue with remaining balls.
Heat the tawa and place the parathas. Add little oil and cook on both sides. Serve with raita or any side dish.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event and Cilantro's "Global Kadai-Indian Flavoured Flatbreads" hosted by Sandhya Hariharan.

Read More

Paneer Pulao

I actually wanted to make Paneer Tikkas but I changed my mind. The dish may taste bland, so serve and eat with some favourite side dish.

Ingredients:
For Rice:
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Olive oil - a few drops
Lemon juice - from half a lemon

Method:
Rinse the rice till the water runs clear. Soak the rice for 20 minutes. Pour the water in a deep pan and bring it to a boil. Add all the ingredients (discard the soaked water) and cook the rice. Strain the rice and keep aside. Remove the bay leaves.

Green peas:
Sprouted dry green peas - 1.5 cups

Method:
Boil the peas with little salt and keep aside.

Paneer Tikka

Ingredients:
Paneer cubes - 400 gm
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Kasoori methi - 1.5 tsp. (crushed)
Dry mint leaves - 1.5 tsp.  (powdered)
Hung solid curd - 4 tbsp.
Tandoori masala - 1 tsp.
Red food color - a few pinches (optional)
Olive oil
Lemon juice - a few drops
Capsicum - 2 (diced)
Onions - 2 (diced)

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl except paneer, capsicum and onions. Take another bowl and add the capsicum and onion pieces. Take some masala and mix with onions and capsicums. Now coat the paneer with the remaining masala. Place the bowls (covered) in a refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
Grill the paneer, onions and capsicum. As there was a power cut, I had to shallow fry the paneer with little olive oil. Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated onions and capsicum. Fry them in high flame continuously. When they become dry and roasted add the boiled green peas. Fry for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Presentation:
Mix green peas mixture with rice and paneer. Or place a ladleful of peas mixture in the centre of the plate. Spread the rice on top or around the peas. Sprinkle the paneer on top or whatever.
Serve with any raita or hot side dish.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

Read More

Sprouted Green Gram Pakoda

Ingredients:
Sprouted green gram (fresh) - 2 cups
Rice flour - 1 tbsp.
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Onions - 1/4 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1/4 tsp. (minced)
Green chilli paste - 1/4 tsp.
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (finely chopped)
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Grind the green gram without adding water. Combine all the ingredients except oil. Take a ball from the batter, pinch and drop into the hot oil. Fry them till they turn golden brown in color in medium low flame. Serve hot with some ketchup.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event and Umm Mymoonah's "Iftar Moments: Hjiri 1431".

Read More

Sprouted Green Gram Rava Khichdi

Ingredients:
Rava (fine) - 2 cups
Sprouted green grams - 1 cup
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Onions - (chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
Oil - 2 tsp.
Ghee - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Green chillies (long) - 2 (sliced)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Cinnamon - 2
Cloves - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Urad dal - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida -  a pinch
Lemon juice - from half Indian lemon
Coriander leaves -2 tbsp. (chopped)

Method:
Melt the ghee in a kadai and add the rava. Fry in medium low flame. After 3 minutes, remove from heat and place the rava in a plate. In the same kadai, add the oil and then mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, cinnamon, cloves, asafoetida. When mustard crackles, add onion, green chillies, ginger, sprouted green grams, sweet corn, tomatoes one by one and saute. Pour 4 cups of water, turmeric powder, salt and stir. Bring it to a boil. Add the rava and stir without lumps. Mix well till the rava becomes thick. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in between. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve hot with a favourite chutney or sambar.

Sent off to Umm Mymoonah's "Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431" and Priya's "Let's Sprout" events.

Read More

Tomato Coriander Shorba

Yesterday while shopping, we visited this restaurant 'Moti Mahal Deluxe'. One of the food items we ordered was the tomato shorba. My dot loved the shorba and asked me to make some at home. Said it's exactly tasted like the one in the restaurant. So, here it is (after surfing through the net).

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 4 (chopped)
Onions - 1.5 (diced)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (chopped)
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.
(I use Everest brand)
Cloves - 3
Bay leaves - 1 (big) or 2 (small)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Water - 4 to 5 cups
White pepper powder - according to taste
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp. (chopped)
Olive oil

Method:
Heat oil and add cloves, bay leaves and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds sizzle, add diced onions and saute. Pour water. Add tomato pieces, ginger, kashmiri red chilli powder and salt. Bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Bring the soup to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the coriander leaves and white pepper. Serve hot.

Sent off to Umm Mymoonah's "Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431" event.

Read More