Quinoa Idli
Quinoa is a healthy grain rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants and vitamins. It is essential to incorporate whole grains and seeds in your daily diet. There are lot of Indian dishes you can make using quinoa. Idli is one of the staple Indian breakfast dish. It will be a great start for your day after having these super healthy Quinoa Idlis. Preparation time: 12 hours Cooking time: 15 minutes Yield: 25 to 30 idlis Ingredients: Quinoa – 1 cup Par boiled rice – 1 cup Whole urad dal – 1/2 cup Fenugreek seeds (methi) – 1 tsp Salt to taste Method of Preparation: Wash and soak rice, quinoa for 4 hours. Wash and soak urad dal for 1.5 hours. Soak everything separately. Grind urad dal separately. Sprinkle water in between. Batter should be light and fluffy....
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Quinoa Salad with Corn and Beans
Quinoa is a nutritional whole grain or seed rich in protein and low in fat content. One cup of cooked quinoa has about 8 grams of protein. It is great source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals which are essential for growing and repairing body tissues. You can cook quinoa just like rice with 1:2 ratio water. Boil until it becomes fluffy. The salad that I have made today is so easy and it takes only few minutes to put together. You can have this salad warm or chilled. It is light and filling, also perfect for your lunchbox. I was looking for a nice and easy recipe for quinoa salad and a friend of mine forwarded this recipe. I tweaked it a bit to satisfy my taste buds and it came out so...
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Fried Quinoa
Quinoa is a healthy wholegrain and you can substitute it for rice in many recipes. Fried Quinoa (rice) is very easy to make, delicious and a great source of nutrition. It is also suitable for the 28 days detox diet that I have written about. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes No. of servings: 3 Spice level: 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Cooked Quinoa – 2 cups Garlic – 4 cloves Minced ginger – 1/2 tsp Vegetables – 2 cups (red bell pepper, broccoli, snow peas, carrot, green peas and carrot) Green onions or spring onions – 2 to 3 Low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos – 1 tbsp Hot sauce or Sriracha sauce – 1 tsp Canola oil – 1 tsp (can use cooking spray) Sesame oil – 1/2 tsp (optional) Salt and pepper to...
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Quinoa Oat Muffins (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
I was looking for a healthy and delicious muffin recipe with whole grains for my 28 Day Weight Loss and Detox Diet. This recipe caught my eye in Pinterest and I decided to give it a try. I made a few changes to the original recipe and the output was delicious. I have used all gluten free ingredients. It definitely satisfies my sweet cravings and it is guilt free. When you are on this diet, do not eat more than one muffin per day. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Yield: 9 muffins Ingredients: Oat flour – 1.5 cups Instant oats – 1/4 cup Oat bran – 1/4 cup Cooked Quinoa – 1/3 cup Almond butter – 3 tbsp Agave nectar – 3 tbsp Sugar substitute – 3 packets (I used stevia) Canola oil – 3 tbsp...
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Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie (Gluten and Dairy Free)
If you are looking for a delicious, dairy/gluten free smoothie then this is perfect for you. I have used almond milk which is very nutritious and has a nutty flavor. This is also perfect for the 28 Day Weight Loss and Detox Program that I have written about in our blog. Ingredients: Strawberries (fresh or frozen) – 10 to 12 (washed and cleaned) Kiwi fruit – 2 (wash and peel the skin) Almond milk (gluten free) – 3/4 cup Agave nectar – 1 tsp Ground flax seed – 1 tbsp Method of preparation: Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend till everything is smooth. Transfer it to a serving glass and you can top it with chopped fresh fruits. You can add a few ice cubes to the blender along with the other...
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Rice Porridge – Puzhungal Arisi Kanji
Parboiled Rice Porridge called Puzhungal Arisi Kanji in tamil is a healthy and delicious porridge which is perfect for both adults and kids. This is generally served when people fall sick. It is easy to digest, good for health and easy to make. Parboiled rice is used for making this dish. If you like it savory, you can substitute sugar and milk with buttermilk and salt. It is also perfect if you are diabetic. I always have the rice powder handy so that I can make this porridge for a quick breakfast or if I am sick. You can also add palm sugar or honey to this porridge. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes No. of servings: 2 Ingredients: Parboiled rice – 1/2 cup For Porridge: Parboiled rice powder – 4 tbsp Milk – 1 cup Sugar...
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Oats Pongal
Oats Pongal is a healthy South Indian breakfast dish. This is a wonderful way to incorporate oats in your daily diet. It is nutritious and very easy to prepare apart from the fact that it tastes very close to the original Ven Pongal. This fiber and protein rich breakfast dish can be served with sambar/chutney. You can use gluten free oats if you are on a gluten free diet. If you want to avoid dairy, substitute ghee with oil. Try this wonderful dish at your home and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal… Cooking time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 4 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Rolled oats – 1 cup Split moong dal – 1/2 cup Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tbsp Choped ginger – 1 tbsp Cumin seeds – 3/4 tbsp Crushed black pepper...
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Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus
Hummus is one of my favorite spread or dip, be it the plain hummus or the flavored ones. Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus is my favorite sandwich spread. I am a huge fan of Panera’s Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and they use this spread for their sandwich. Apart from using it as a spread you can also serve it as a dip with freshly cut vegetables, pita bread and chips. Enjoy the simple and healthy Hummus dip. Ingredients: One 15 oz can of chickpeas (or 1 cup of dried chickpeas) Jalapeno peppers – 2 Cilantro – 3/4 cup Garlic – 2 cloves Olive oil – 1/4 cup Tahini sauce – 3 tbsp (recipe follows) Lime juice – 2 tbsp Salt to taste Method of Preparation: Drain and rinse chickpeas from the can. Add all the ingredients except olive oil and lime juice in...
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Homemade Granola
Homemade Granola is a mixture of rolled oats, nuts and dry fruits with oil, maple syrup and sugar. It makes a healthy breakfast or a snack or a topping in your ice cream or Greek yogurt. This is a basic granola recipe and it is very easy to make. Make your own cereals with your favorite mixture and mix it with cold or warm milk or munch as a snack. I have added all my favorite ingredients in my Granola. You can also include seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower seeds and other dry fruits such as dates, prunes and berries. If you start making your own cereals or granola bars you will never go back to the store bought ones. Believe me and give it a try!!! Ingredients: Rolled oats – 2 cups Slivered or sliced almonds – 3/4...
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Tortilla Soup
I am a huge fan of Tortilla Soup. Tortilla soup topped with corn tortilla strips and a little bit of sour cream is soul satisfying. This is a tomato based soup of Mexican origin which usually has chicken stock cooked with tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. But I have made a vegetarian version and tweaked it a bit to satisfy the vegetarian taste buds. Okay! Now I will tell y’all what inspired me to prepare this soup. I love the Mexican Gumbo from Qdoba, which is a fast food restaurant in the United States serving Mexican style cuisine. The foundation of this dish is Tortilla Soup, Cilantro Rice and Beans. My friend usually gets the Tortilla Soup alone and that’s how I got to taste this soup once and I loved it. I used to make it now...
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Simple Brussels Sprouts Fry
Brussels Sprouts are leafy green vegetable and they look like a small cabbage bud. They are rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are rich in vitamin A and C and said to contain sinigrin, which protect against colon cancer. Learn more about Brussels sprouts from Wikipedia or here. Today I have prepared a simple fry in Indian style which can be served with rice and sambar or rasam or even as a salad with chapathi. Do not over cook the vegetable since it will become too soft and releases an odour which some people may dislike. It is not ideal for people with thyroid dysfunction to eat this vegetable on a regular basis, although a reasonable intake once in a while wouldn’t hurt. Preparation time: 25 minutes No. of servings: 3 to 4 Spice level: 2.5 out of...
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Fusilli with Spinach and Arugula Pesto
Fusilli is spiral shaped pasta and is widely used . I have made a Spinach Arugula Pesto inspired by Giada’s Spicy Pesto. I have tweaked it according to my taste and it was creamy and delicious. If you like it more spicy add more jalapenos. I blanched spinach and arugula since I thought I may not like the raw taste of it and I was right. You can also add some basil leaves if you have. You can avoid cheese and use brown rice pasta to make it healthy. I hope you all like this dish. Preparation time: 40 minutes No. of servings: 5 to 6 Spice level: 2 out of 5 Ingredients: Arugula – 1 and 1/2 cups Spinach – 2 cups Avocado – 1 One and half jalapeno pepper with seeds (adjust to taste) Sun dried tomatoes –...
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Tomato Dal – Lentil and Tomato Soup
Tomato dal is a simple and tasty lentil dish popular in South India. It is a healthy, gluten free and protein rich dish and complements roti and rice. Also, Wish you all a Happy Thiruvathirai and Arudhra Darshan… You can check the recipe for Thiruvathirai Kali, which is the traditional dish for today. Ingredients: Toor dal – 1 cup Asafoetida – a pinch Oil – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Curry leaves – 5 to 6 Dry red chilies – 2 Garlic cloves – 5 Chopped ginger – 1 tsp Green chilies – 4 Finely chopped onions – 1/2 cup Large tomatoes – 2 Method of preparation: Pressure cook dal with a tsp of oil, a pinch of asafoetida and salt until cooked and slightly mashed. Heat oil in...
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Mixed Dal Curry – Mixed Lentil Soup
This is a protein packed lentil soup with no oil. This is a quick and simple recipe. And this is suitable for the 28 Day Weight Loss and Detox Program. I have used four types of lentils (dals) in this recipe. Lentils are a good source of protein and fiber along with folate, vitamin B and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%). I have added whole masoor dal, green split pea, split pigeon peas and channa dal (bengal gram) along with spinach. This is a healthy and tasty dal or soup. You can serve it with brown rice or white rice or roti along with a salad. Here you go… Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 5 to 6 Spice level: 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Whole Masoor...
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Pesarattu – Healthy Mung Bean Crepe
Pesarattu is a type of dosa or crepe from the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It has moong dal (muzhu pasipayaru), green chilies, ginger and salt. It is a protein packed and fiber packed dish and is suitable for the 28 Day Weight Loss and Detox Program. You can serve these crepes or dosa with chutney or Idli podi (spicy lentil powder). Ingredients: Whole green moong dal or green gram – 2 cups Grated ginger – 2 tbsp Green chilies – 3 to 4 (adjust to spice level) Salt to taste Oil or cooking spray Method of Preparation: Wash and soak whole moong dal in water overnight. Next day, drain the excess water and reserve the drained water. Grind it along with ginger, green chilies and salt to a fine batter (like the consistency of dosa batter). You can grind it in...
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