Avocado Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 Avocado
1 Banana
1 Pear or Apple
1 mug milk (I use soy/almond/hazelnut milk... Normal skimmed milk is fine too)
1/2 inch ginger (optional)
Few mint leaves (optional)

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a blender. I do not remove the skin from Apple or pear. Bring to a nice smooth thick consistency (add a little water if too thick) and serve immediately.

French Carrot Soup

Easy to make and healthy carrot soup.

Ingredients:

• Carrots- 5-6 Orange ones
• Rosemary- 2-3 big sprigs
• Silken tofu 1 cup
• Garlic- 1 big pod
• Ginger- small piece
• Salt to taste

Method:
Wash and cut the carrots into big chunks. I don't always peel them. Steam them in a pressure cooker with little water, Rosemary, salt, ginger and garlic. 2-3 whistles.

Let it cool down. Remove the Rosemary sprigs and grind everything in a mixer with silken tofu. You'll get a silky smooth consistency. Empty the soup into a container in which you can heat it as and when you'd like to have some.

Garnish with a little extra virgin olive oil before eating.

Enjoy!!

Raita Booster

I have been using the Christmas break to try out some new recipes. Also, it's a good time to post some old ones.

Starting with this very simple, easy to make and nutritious Raita recipe.

Ingredients:

• Sprouts (1 cup)
• Finely chopped cucumber (1 cup)
• Pomegranate seeds (1/2 cup)
• Roasted peanuts (1/2 cup)
• 1 green chilli
• Curd (2 cups)
• Rock Salt (kala namak) as per taste

Process:

• Remove the skin of the peanut and break into halves.
• Mix everything together.

Try not to mix too much of the usual Raita spices, since this tastes fresh and best with just green chillies and some rock salt.

Enjoy the fresh flavors !!

Masala Oats Paniyaram

This one is a great great breakfast  meal or lite dinner option - very quick to make, extremely light and very very healthy since this uses lot of veggies and almost no fat! I got this recipe online and made some minor modifications, but end product is so yummy that my sister, who hates the very mention of oats, has finally started eating them!

The below will make close to 27-28 paniyarams. Hence assuming one, if not like my elder brother, eats 8 to 9, this will suffice for 3 people. Those who like more generous quantities can double the ingredient amounts.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup oats (you can use quaker's)
• 1 cup curd
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 3/4 cup mixed veggies (I used carrots, cabbage etc - but you can pretty much use anything you like - beans, peas, corn, lentils etc). If you want to add slightly more veggies, that's also fine.
• 2 tbsp semolina
• 2 tsp rice flour
• 2 tsp chickpea flour
• 1 or 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• Finely chopped coriander leaves
• Some curry leaves
• Pinch of asafoetida
• Pinch of soda
• Salt to taste (I used 1 1/2 tsp)
• Oil - few drops

Method

• Mix oats, semolina, curd, rice flour and chick pea flour in a bowl. Adjust the batter consistency by adding water or butter milk
• Add mixed veggies (you can pulse them for one round in mixer), finely chopped onions, green chillies, grated ginger and curry leaves.
• Add salt and soda.
• Allow the batter to rest for 10-15 mins so that oats gets soaked in curd.
• Heat the appe/ paniyaram pan.
• Add a drop of oil in each mould of the pan.
• If the batter is too thick, you can adjust the consistency of batter once again and spoon out into each mould until it fills upto 3/4th .
• Cook it covered over low flame.
• Flip them in between and cook on other side until they turn golden brown from all the side (takes 3-4 mins each side or lesser)
• Once done serve them warm with chutney of your choice or sauce.

And the dish looks like below and those (like me) who don't know what appe/ paniyaram pan looks like..a picture of the pan is added as well. :)