Spinach, Potato, Mushroom stir fry

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mushroom, Potato, Spinach, spinch potato mushroom veg fry, veg fry

I had got all of them in little quantity and I wanted to finish this, so made a mix veggie fry.

Ingredients:

Spinach : 1 cup

Potato : 4 (I used red potato’s small one)

Mushroom : few

Red Onion : 1/4 of a large

Cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Black pepper powder : 1/2 tablespoon

Salt : 1/2 teaspoon

Olive Oil : 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder : 1/4 teaspoon (optional)

Method:

Clean spinach and keep aside.

Cut mushrooms and potato lengthwise.

Chop the onions.

Heat oil in a pan.

Add cumin seeds. Once they crackle add the onions. Let them turn translucent.

Add turmeric powder(optional).

Next add the potato’s and mushroom. Let it get cooked for 5 to 6 mins.

When they both are 50% done add pepper powder and salt.

Let it cook for few more mins, when they are around 75% done, add the spinach. Mix well and cook.

Spinach will reduce in quantity. Mix well and serve hot. 🙂

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How to choose a Watermelon

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How to choose a watermelon, watermelon, Watermelon for summer

Last time on our list to purchase was watermelon, as its scorching hot in Irvine. This weekend we made a quick trip to Las Vegas , both me and my husband got totally dehydrated by roaming around 🙂 After coming back the refreshing thing was to eat watermelon 🙂 I read an article somewhere, I don’t remember where, it was about how to choose a watermelon. Yes it had helped a lot. I could get tasty melon’s 😀

• Always choose a melon which has proper strips.
• The ending lines should merge at the center of the Melon and should be visible distinctly.
• Don’t get those where these lines are smugged/distorted at the center.
• Try getting those where the lines are thin at the center as well.
• These would have better taste. Also you can tap on the melon and you should get a better sound.
• Beware of the wax which is used to ripe the fruit, try avoiding those fruits.

Hope everyone enjoys this 🙂

Versatile Blogger Award

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Awards, Versatile Blogger Award

Ok here is this The Versatile Blogger Award…..I have been nominated by Lori creatingbeautyinthekitchen.wordpress.com and Nataly kittencrafts.wordpress.com , Its feels very nice when you are nominated for an award. As Lori mentioned it makes us feel encouraged 🙂 It is a great pleasure for me, thanks you very much ladies 🙂

Lori’s recipes are Gluten free dishes , looks wonderful and healthy. Nataly’s craft section , I just love her crafts and the beading. They look amazing 🙂 Again thanks ladies and I am as well trying to learn from all of us around….

7 facts about me:

More than anything in this world, I love to sleep in my grandma’s lap who is a great cook.

I drink around 3 liters of water a day

I can’t hold my anger for a long time with my husband 🙂

I love Banana’s, at least 1 per day is a must for me

I am a tea addict

I love to travel and visit places

I am trying to decorate my house these days 🙂

My Nominations: ( in no particular order)

1. Madraasi – a tamilian tales 

2. BridgetCrafts25

3. CokkiesandSangria

4. Cooking With Volga 

5. Try Small Things

6. kookycookyng

7. theblondetressedrunner

8. justasillysomething

9. heythatsmyrecipe

10. suescraftyblog

11. Health Matters with Alexis Mathews

12. Healthy Girl

13. Adeleson’s 365

14. Ghee is Good

15. Food for the Soul

Congrats to all the nominees 😀

***To my nominees – If you choose to participate then post the award badge on your blog, share seven things about yourself and nominate 15 other bloggers!

 

 

 

Pomegranate and dates smoothie

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Pomegranate and dates smoothie, Pomegranate smoothie, smoothie

Pomegranate is another gem of fruits well known for its medicinal values. It aids in digestions and weight loss. Many a time in the morning I used to have only pomegranate juice for my breakfast.  It helps stomach upsets, menopausal hot flashes, hemorrhoids, conjunctivitis, osteoarthritis, lowers blood pressure, stimulates the immune system, wards off the flu, reduces inflammation, reduces risk of heart disease and lowers cholesterol. It boosts immunity as well.

Dates is another weight loss food. They are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants and the essential minerals potassium and magnesium.  Both dates and pomegranate have high Iron content which is very good for health specially for ladies…

And here is my fruits Thursday 🙂

Ingredients:

Pomegranate : 1 medium

milk : 100ml

Dates : 2 to 3 (seeds removed)

Cashew : 3

almonds/walnuts : 3

Method: Just remove the pomegranate seeds, put them in a blender. Add milk, dates, cashew, either almonds or walnuts. There is no need for sugar in this as the fruit itself has the required sugars and dates gives the sweet taste. Blend it well. Grind for 3 to 4 mins, and filter the seeds from the smoothie and serve.

Top Five Foods to Make Your Skin Glow

Avocado Paratha

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Avocado, Avocado Paratha, Indian Flat breads

Avocado a super fruit is a nutritional powerhouse providing numerous potential health benefits. I love the rich creamy texture and taste of this fruit. This is fruit with healthy fats, proteins and dietary fiber. For many days I wanted to prepare this paratha an Indian styled dish, today finally got time to prepare this. These crispy paratha are very tasty, here is how I prepared it..

Ingredients:

Avocado : 1 Medium

Whole wheat Flour : 1 cup

Cilantro leaves : 1 tablespoon finely chopped

Garlic : 2 large finely chopped

Thai Green chili : 1 small finely chopped

Black Peppercorn powder : 1 teaspoon

Cumin Powder : 1 teaspoon

Curry Powder : 1 teaspoon

Lime Juice : 1 tablespoon

Oil : 1 tablespoon ( I used Olive oil)

Butter : little

Salt : 1 tablespoon

Method:

Choose a fully ripe Avocado, remove the pulp and mash it well with a potato masher. Make it to a fine paste. Add green chili, Peppercorn  powder, cumin powder, Curry powder, lime juice, garlic, cilantro leaves, oil, salt and mix well with the mashed avocado. All of them should blend well. No need to add water, as avocado itself would be easy to mix. Now slowly add wheat flour and mix with this paste. Keep adding and mixing. There would be no need of water. Make it to a consistency as normal paratha dough. All the flour will mix well with avocado and stick well.

 

Next make balls out of this dough. Then roll the balls dusting a little flour into round shape with a rolling pin. You can do it the similar way like the Pizza base. It can be a little heavy.

Heat a griddle and place the rolled out dough on it and cook for a minute.When bubbles start appearing , now flip it over to the other side. Apply butter over in this side. let it cook for a minute. Flip and apply butter this side as well, let it cook for a minute, you can see brownish color dots.

Serve it hot with Yogurt , pickle. Enjoy the healthy paratha 🙂

 

 

Spinach Lentil Gravy

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Spinach Gravy, Spinach Lentil Gravy

As usual we had got a big packet of spinach 3 Lbs for just 4$, it was very fresh and nice. Great deal so I couldn’t stop myself from buying the pack. I would always do the Andhra style dish with this. Now I tried a little different one. Here it is…

Ingredients:

Spinach : 4 cups, chopped finely

Lentil/Toor Dal : 1/2 cup

Garlic : 6 pods

Red Onion : 1/2 finely chopped

Gree Chili : 1

Turmeric powder : 1/4 teaspoon (optional)

Salt : 1 teaspoon

To season:

Oil : 1 table spoon

Red Peppers : 2

Mustard seeds : 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Cumin seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida : a pinch (optional)

Method:

Wash the lentils and keep it aside. Clean the spinach. Mix both in a pan, for 1/2 cup of lentil and 4 cups of spinach I used 3 cups of water. Add turmeric powder optional. Add the green chili. Let it boil, if needed add more water. Lentil must turn very soft and tender, at this time spinach would also blend well. I used pressure cooker, so I cooked till 6 whistles. Let it cool for around 1/2 an hour.

Once it cools, add salt to it. Put it in a blender and grind it to a fine paste. Now heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, red peppers and asafoetida. Let it crackle. Finely chop the garlic. Now add the onions and garlic. Let them turn translucent. Now add the paste to this. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve it hot with rice. It tastes awesome and digests very fast.

Beetroot Pudding/ Halwa

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Beetroot, Beetroot Halwa, Beetroot Pudding

Beetroot is a dark red vegetable with an acquired taste. It has been linked with better stamina, improved blood flood and lower blood pressure. Here is an Indian styled sweet dish, I tried this for the first time and it came out really well.

Ingredients:

Beetroot : 1 cup grated

Milk : 1 cup

Sugar : 3 tablespoons

cardamom powder : 1 teaspoon

Clarified Butter/Ghee : 3 table spoon

Cashews : few

Almond: few

Raisins :few

Method:

Heat 1 teaspoon Ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, choose a pan which is quite wide. Add the cashews, almond, raisins once they turn little brown, take them out separately. Add 2 more table spoons of ghee, in the pan and put the grated beetroot. Cook for 5 to 6 mins , till the raw smell of the beetroot goes of. Next add the milk. It will take around half an hour till the milk gets blended with the beetroot and gets evaporated . Next add the sugar, I used brown sugar. Sugar would also leave water. Mix well leave it for 5 mins. Stop the heat, add the roasted cashew, almond, raisins, mix it and let it cool. You can put it in refrigerator and after half an hour serve it cool. It tastes very good, give it a try 🙂

 

Avocado Smoothie

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Avocado, Avocado Smoothie

South Indians have this tendency and urge to eat food that doesn’t require a lot of chewing, basically a little lazy 😛 I am no exception to it. Rice is the staple food for us and it doesn’t require chewing and easy to eat. There were days when I used to eat just rice with Yogurt mixed without any vegetables.

Actually that took a toll in my health, I got sick ,very fat, without nutrition I was weak. I couldn’t climb stairs. No physical exercise. Every one just made fun of me. I never used to care for my health. It took some time for me to realize it. By that time I had grown really fat.  I was a 5 footer with 155 pounds 😦

But I tried correcting myself by exercising every day. But did not correct my food, a big mistake again. Just exercise will not help. I realized this as well very late. Nevertheless I found it that both physical exercise and proper way of eating is the right way. After this yes I did slim down. I started practicing every Thursday with fruits and milk. Yes at first it was hell. I used crave for food and get exhausted. But slowly I adapted it. Now I am enjoying it. I feel very light after every Thursday when I do this fruits day.

Avocados are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, K, folate, and B6. Half an avocado has 160 calories, 15 grams of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and only 2 grams saturated fat. One globe contains more than one-third the daily value of vitamin C, and more than half the day’s requirements of vitamin K. Check this smoothie that I prepared with avocado.

Ingredients:

Avocado : 1 medium

Milk : 200 ml

Honey : 1 tablespoon

Cinnamon Powder : 1/8 teaspoon

Method:

Cut and slice the avocado, scoop the pulp out, add milk, honey and cinnamon powder and put it in a blender. Blend it to a smoothie, If you need you can add some more milk or water. I prefer honey rather than sugar as honey is much healthier than sugar. Enjoy this healthy smoothie dear friends 🙂

Zucchini Rice

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Rice Variety, Zucchini, Zucchini Rice

My hubby had potluck in his office , so I had to prepare food just for me….Its kinda boring when we have to eat alone, I usually dont like it, but I have to 🙂 , in the afternoon till 1’o clock I had this oscillation to prepare food or no. Finally found one Zucchini left out in the refrigerator, so I decided to prepare a fast recipe. And I enjoyed this.

Ingredients:

Basmathi Rice : 2 cup

Zucchini : 1 medium sized ( shredded with the skin)

Onion : 1/2 thinly sliced

Green Chili : 1 (Slit)

Black Pepper corns : 1/2 teaspoon (powdered)

Cumin Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon stick : 1 small

Cloves : 2

Garlic : 1 pod thinly sliced

Ginger : small piece grated

Butter : 1/2 tablespoon

olive oil : 1 teaspoon

Salt : 1 teaspoon

Method:

Wash the rice and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves, once they start crackling, add the onions let it turn translucent, add ginger and garlic. After 2 mins, add the shredded Zucchini, butter and cook for 3 minutes. Next add the black pepper corn powder and salt. Next add the rice and mix well. Let it cook with the Zucchini with out water. After 3 mins, add 1:2 ration of rice to water and cook. It cooks for the usual time, I prepared it in pressure cooker, cooked it for 3 whsitles and the taste was very good. Do give it a try 🙂