Radish and Tomato Salad

Radish or mooli has long been used in Indian households. This  is known to rest of the world as Daikon. . Grown underground, this white tuber is packed with nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants that can not only add years to your life but can help you fight diseases like cancer and diabetes. Here are nine reasons why you should include this edible root into your diet.
Reduces your risk of cancer
Cancer is a highly feared disease, but unfortunately it is not very uncommon these days. Radish contains phytochemicals that have anti-carcinogenic properties. Additionally, they have vitamin C which helps keep your body and cells healthy, thus keeping cancer at bay. 

Keeps your blood pressure in check
Radish has anti-hypertensive properties that help control hypertension or high blood pressure. Containing potassium, radish helps in countering the ill-effects of a diet high in sodium thus keeping your blood pressure in check. (Read: Eat radish to beat high BP)
Good for diabetics
Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas is responsible in the absorption of glucose. Diabetics are either unable to absorb the insulin their body produces or unable to produce insulin at all. Because of this, they cannot eat sugary or starchy foods. High in fibre, and with a low glycaemic index, diabetics can enjoy radish as it doesn’t cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Beats cold and cough
If you’re prone to constant cough and cold, it might be a good idea to include radish in your diet. The vegetable has anti-congestive properties which helps in clearing the mucus formed in your throat. Additionally, radish also improves your immunity which keeps infections that lead to cold and cough at bay!
Helps you recover from jaundice
Radish is powerful when it comes to eliminating toxins. This helps keep your liver and stomach in mint condition. What makes radish effective in controlling jaundice is that it helps regulate the amount of bilirubin in the blood and increases the oxygen supply within the body. This helps keep a check on the destruction of red blood cells caused by jaundice.
Fights constipation
Most people will have battled constipation in their life and it is definitely not a pleasant condition to be in. Radish has a high fibre content which helps clear the food stuck in your colon. Additionally, it helps facilitate the secretion of bile which again is good for your digestive system.
Helps with weight loss
Radish is extremely low in calories, and the fibre content in them leaves you feeling fuller. With a single 100 grams serving containing just 16 calories, radish can be a part of any weight loss diet.
Relieves the sting of an insect bite
Insect bites can be very irritating and if not treated, they can lead to further complications. Radish has anti-priuritic properties which makes it an effective cure for such bites. Radish juice can also be used to bring down inflammation, reduce pain and soothe the bitten area.
Keeps you looking younger
Containing vitamin C and antioxidants, radish can be eaten to prevent your skin from free-radical damage. You can even apply crushed, raw radish on your skin as it has cleansing properties.

All these properties make radish a must-buy next time you go grocery shopping. I love radish salad so does H.

This is an oil free, gluten free and vegan salad.  Healthy and filling.
Ingredients
1 large Radish shredded
1/2 Teaspoon ginger thinly sliced
1 Tomato finely chopped

2 Teaspoon lime juice
1 Green chilly finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves  finely chopped
Salt and Chat Masala to taste
Method
Shred the radish with hand shredder or food processor.  Add salt, chat masala, ginger, green chilly, tomato, coriander and lime juice to the shredded radish.  Mix well.  Refrigerate if not going to use right away.  Serve as a side dish with your favorite meal.

Labels: Healthy, Pure Veg, Radish, Salads, Tomato, Vegan, Gluten free, Oil Free

Malaiwale Aloo with Kaju / Creamy Potatoes with Cashewnuts

As usual whenever I visit a restaurant, first look at the menu card and browse through it thoroughly before ordering.  I seen this dish on the menu card and instantly decided, to order this dish.  I loved it.  Came home and try to replicate this dish, it turned out awesome.   

This is a creamy, rich, delicious crispy fried aloo made with cashewnuts . It is a restaurant style dish. This dish is so yummy that we loved it and now it is regularly made at my place.

Sending this to BM#54, Special Theme - BM Moderator's Choice. 

Ingredients
3 Large Potatoes - Washed and skinned
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Pure Ghee
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Large Onion - finely chopped
2 Green Chillies - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Chilly powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 Medium Tomatoes - finely chopped
1/2 Cup Malai
10 - 12 Cashewnuts pieces - soaked in water for 10 minutes
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
1 Tablespoon Coriander - finely chopped

Method

Chop the potatoes in long thick wedges, add salt and mix well and keep aside for 5 minutes. Fry the potatoes, till light brown.

In a pan heat the ghee, add the cumin seeds, when they splutter add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the green chilles, tomatoes, turmeric powder and chilly powder, fry till oil starts leaving the sides. Then add the malai, potatoes, cashewnuts, salt to taste and fry well.   Add 1/2 cup water and cook till it comes to a rolling boil. Switch off flame, garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 54
Labels: Potato, Cashewnuts, Healthy, Main course, Blogging Marathon

Vegetable Puffs

Here's a simple snack for a party. Takes hardly any time to put together, and totally delicious. These can be prepared well in advance and kept.

I have lot of memories associated with Vegetable Puffs. My mom used to get this for me very often. I like both the sweet and savoury version. Nowadays I make this puffs often using homemade puff pastry sheet, making them at home gives you a different joy that just cannot be explained. I made these for a party in my house and they turned out superb with crispy outer layer and delicious filling.

Ingredients:

1 Pastry sheet
4 Potatoes
2 Carrots
1/2 Cup Beans
1 Onions – finely chopped
4 Green chillies –  finely chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Coriander- Cumin powder

A pinch of Garam masala powder
1 Tablespoon Coriander leaves – finely chopped
Salt as required
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Take a pastry sheet from freezer and thaw for 30 minutes.

Boil the potatoes,peel and cut into small pieces or mash them lighlty .

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions fry till translucent, then add the beans, carrots, green chillies and fry for  few mintues.  Add turmeric, salt, coriander cumin powder and fry well.  Cover and cook till veggies are cook.  Then add mashed potatoes and fry for 3 -4 minutes.  Take down from flame add the garam masala powder and coriander leaves.  Mix well and keep to cool.

Slowly unfold the pastry sheet and cut into  square pieces. Roll each piece with rolling pin to make it little thinner.

Put about 2 tablespoons of vegetable filling in each of them, applying little water over the edges.  Fold the puff and lightly press the edges.  Arrange them in a tray (do not grease the tray) and lightly brush them with milk.

Bake in a preheat oven to 180  degree. Place the prepared puffs on a baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Tastes good when warm with tomato ketchup.

Linking this to Srivalli's Come , join us for breakfast event and her Blog Anniversary Mela

Labels: Starters, Blogging Marathon, Pure Veg, Puffs

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 51

An InLinkz Link-up

Manchow Soup: Indo - Chinese Food

March 31, 2014

Indian-Chinese food is very popular in India, and is my favorite. I enjoying watching the street side food joint cooking noodles, fried rice,soups etc., in a wok over high flame.  In India we have adapted seasonings and cooking techniques of Chinese cuisine to our taste and style.  Here is a vegetarian version for Manchow Soup. This soup is  transparent and you can see all the vegetables. This soup thickens because of cornflour; no cream is added to it. Since soup is my dinner, I make it even more healthy by not adding fried noodles or boiled noodles to it. Its not that I do not eat noodles, love them but avoid them in my night dinner. Also, I have not add mono sodium glutamate (MSG) or ajinomoto in my soup. If you like MSG add it in your bowl of soup about 1/4 teaspoon).

Ingredients
1 Teaspoon chilli oil
1 Teaspoon Coriander chopped

1 Teaspoon Spring Onion Whites, chopped
1 Teaspoon Garlic, chopped finely
1 Teaspoon Ginger, grated
1/4 Cup Assorted Vegetables, finely chopped
2 Cups Vegetable Stock or 2 cubes of vegetable soup mixed in 2 cups water
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Chili Sauce
Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper Powder to taste 

1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1/2 teaspoon Vinegar 

For garnishing
Spring Onion Greens, chopped
Chili Oil
Crispy Noodles

I used vegetables- 2 French beans, 1/2 a Carrot, 1Capsicum, 2 leaves of Cabbage and 3 tablespoons sweet corn kernels. I just put all the vegetables except the corn in the chopper and chopped them finely. They get cooked faster and the soup is easy to make. I even chop the white of the spring onions, ginger and garlic in the chopper.  These gadgets make our cooking a lot easier and less tiresome.

To make

Chili oil
Heat 1/4 cup  oil in a pan on high flame till smoking point, add to it 5-6 broken dry red chilies & switch off heat. Allow to cool. Strain use this ‘chili oil’ as and when required.  This oil does not turn rancid for 2 to 3 weeks.

Crispy Noodles
Boil a packet of Chinese noodles along with a tsp of oil & salt until just about 50% cooked. Let it drain completely on the strainer & spread them on dry cloth & let them dry for 15-20 mins. Then sprinkle some corn flour over them and deep fry in hot oil till just about golden-brown & crispy. Drain on absorbent paper & allow to cool. Use it to garnish soups or eat it as a snack. Can be stored in airtight container for a week. ( This I avoided to make the soup healthy). You can avoid this process totally, now in the stores fried noodles are available.

Method
Heat oil in wok on high flame, then add spring onion whites, garlic,ginger ,coriander, sauté few seconds & add the vegetables stir fry 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, chili sauce, mix well, add salt, sugar and  black pepper powder to your taste let it boil.  Then add the cornflour paste ( mix cornflour in 2 tablespoon water ) and  cook, stirring continuously till it thickens. Finally add vinegar, mix & remove from heat.  Transfer to bowl, sprinkle chili oil on it, garnish with spring onion greens and crispy noodles, serve hot.  As I am writing this post, am enjoying the bowl of  Manchow Soup.  Do try this recipe and post your comments.

Labels:  Healthy, Pure Veg, Soup, Vegan, Continental Cuisine, Chinese, Manchow Soup 

Cantaloupe Strawberry Cooler

March 20, 2014

Its really refreshing to have alcohol-free drink on a hot summer day and this is just an apt drink to cool down the heat. I opted not to strain this juice because it blends up very smooth, but it's up to you if you want to strain the final result. Serve as-is for a concentrated, fruity drink or lighten it up by cutting it with a bit of sparkling water.

Ingredients
1/4  Cantaloupe
4      Strawberry's
Dash of chat masala

Method
Wash and skin the cantaloupe. Scoop out the seeds. Chop the cantaloupe and strawberry's into cubes and put it into a blender . I did not strain this juice but used along with the pulp. If you want less pulp, use a hand juicer with a strainer. Blend the cantaloupe and strawberry's into a blender again along with ice cubes and a dash of chat masala. The chat masala in this juice gives you a tangy and sweet taste. If you want it more cooler add ice or just keep it in the freezer for 15 minutes then have it. This juice is delicious and refreshing. Do give it a try.

Labels:Juices, Healthy, Pure Veg, Vegan,