Green Kababs

"Shami Kababs" are prepared with cooking lamb with lentil and spices. The cooked meat is processed to a smooth dough which is then shaped and roasted. To make the kababs healthier i'm using some of my favorite greens like spinach ,cilantro and mint. These roasted kababs are very rich in protein and excellent to stuff in sandwiches or eat with plain rice and dal.

Green Shami Kababs

What you'll need is
1 lb lean Beef or lamb cut in small pieces
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 cup spinach chopped
1/2 cup mint chopped
1/4 cup Chana Dal(Yellow split lentils)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin and coriander powder
2 whole Cloves and Cardamon
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger root or 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
EVOO for roasting the kababs

To make the Green Kababs
Soak the lentil in cold water for an hour.
Clean meat by running it through cold water and squeeze any excess water. pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix all the ingredients besides oil in a pressure cooker or a skillet. Cover and cook for 12 minutes in a pressure cooker and about 40 minutes in a covered skillet. When the meat is tender , cook on medium high flame until all the water is dry.
Blend in to a dough consistency. Make round or diamond patties .
Heat a non stick pan on medium low flame.

Roast the patties on both sides now add a tablespoon EVOO and let roast until light brown on both sides.

Serve with Rice and lentil soup or make a sandwich.

Health nut substitute
If you don't like whole spices in your kababs add a teaspoon of garam masala instead(Powdered cinnamon cloves cumin and cardamom)

This protein rich recipe has been sent for the Protein Rich Contest


Green Baked Kababs
Baked kababs have no lentils in them just minced meat and blend of spices. Again i'm making these kababs greener by using herbs and spinach.Eat with salads or rice, these kababs can be part of your healthy and protein rich diet.

1 lb minced lean Beef or lamb or chicken
1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
1/2 cup spinach finely chopped
1/2 cup mint finely chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin and coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala(Powdered cinnamon cloves cumin and cardamom)
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt


To make the Baked Kababs
Preheat oven to 400F.
Clean meat by running it through cold water and squeeze any excess water. pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix all the ingredients besides oil in a mixing bowl. Keep aside for few minutes . take the bamboo skewers and stick the meat mixture. Brush your Kababs on skewers with a little EVOO. Too much could break the kababs .Line your cookie sheet and lay the skewers on the sheet.

Bake for about 8 minutes. Turn once and bake for another 7 minutes before serving with tangy Mint Chutney.





Tangy Mint Chutney

What you'll need is

2 cups chopped mint leaves
1 teaspoon tamarind
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chilly (or more depending on you taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon EVOO

To make the chutney
Blend all the ingredients to a smooth consistency. Serve with kababs .




Posted by Yasmeen at 7:12 AM

Green Pancakes(Dosa)

Green Pancakes(Dosa)
Greens make your life better . Green pancakes are made using Whole Green Moong Lentil. This lentil is packed with nutrients like calcium , iron and above all much needed fiber.

Ingredients you'll need is
2 cups Whole Green Moong Lentil
1 inch ginger root peel and chopped
2 green chillies(exclude if you want a milder flavor)
1 big Onion chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO)

To Make the Green Pancakes
Soak the lentils in water over night.
Next morning blend all the ingredients in a processor. Use a cup of water to make it consistency just right to pour and spread.
Heat the non stick pan on medium high. Pour one ladle of batter right in the middle. Spread by making circles. Leave it alone for 2-3 minutes. Flip and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. It takes longer to cook a green dosa than a plain dosa.

Now flip again add some chopped onion ,fold the dosa and serve with ginger chutney.


To make Ginger chutney
2 medium plum tomatoes halved
1/2 inch ginger root peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 table spoon EVOO

Heat EVOO and saute all ingredients for 8-10 minutes until tomatoes are tender. Blend and serve with any Indian pancakes(Dosa) or Rice cakes(Idlis)

Health Nut Substitute
Yellow moong Split lentils can also be used ,which have lesser fiber.

This is my entry for Sangeeth's Eat Healthy :Calcium rich Event

Sweet Lentil Balls(Urad Laddu)

These are my favorite kind of laddus because they are more nutritious than any other kind of laddu(boondi or rava or coconut laddu). Because its high in calcium its good for your bones . The sweetness can be varied, i like making it lightly sweet for low sugar snacking.

Ingredients you'll need are
2 cups Urad lentil
1 cup powdered Sugar
1 cup clarified butter(Ghee)
2 green cardamom

To make the Laddu
Roast and Blend
Roast the lentils in a pan at medium low flame until lightly brown. Use a coffee grinder or heavy duty grinder to grind the lentil to a smooth flour along with cardamoms.
Shape the Laddu
Melt the Ghee .Take a big bowl and mix together the ground flour and sugar and add the ghee while its still warm ,slowly mixing and combining the flour mixture. Knead until smooth and make balls and set on a tray to cool. Store in air tight container ,it lasts for months.


This Calcium rich Ladoos are my entry for Sangeeth's Eat Healthy :Calcium Rich Event

Thank You !

Thank you for the vote.Your choice has been recorded.

Back to the Carnival.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Dark Chocolate Cookies
Not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And standard chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavoniods. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavoniods.
There have been many studies linking cocoa and dark chocolate with health benefits. The darker chocolate with the most concentrated cocoa will of course be the most beneficial for your health.




Ingredients you'll need are
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 Organic egg
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cups high-quality dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cherries

To make these cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour,cocoa powder, baking soda,chocolate chips, salt and set aside.

Whisk egg ,butter and sugar together for a minute .Mix in to the flour mixture until well combined

Place onto parchment-lined or greased baking sheets, allowing space for the cookies to spread. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.

Garlic Herb Crackers

Garlic Herb Crackers
Yes ! Crackers can be home made and healthy too. When i tasted the "Kellogg" brand of bran crackers , I knew its was the best kind of snack in the market. Made few changes to the original bran recipes added few other favorite spices.

What you'll need is
1 cup All purpose flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder or rosemary or thyme or coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon dry garlic powder(or 1 clove fresh grated garlic. Gives more intense garlic flavor)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoon Olive oil or vegetable oil

To make these unique crackers
Preheat oven to 400 F

Mix all the ingredients until well blended. Knead the dough to a smooth consistency.
Divide the dough in to 4 portions. take one portion at a time and roll in to thin sheet. Place on a greased(with butter) baking sheet.Cut the rolled dough on the sheet in to squares. Prick using a fork to prevent the puffing of crackers.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes while keeping a close eye . Don't wait till the cracker turn dark brown. Light brown is the just the right color to get a flavorful crackers.Repeat the same for the remaining portions of dough. Cool on rack before storing in a tight jar.

Spiced Up PopCorn

Ingredients you'll need are
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 cup popping corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

To pop your corns
Combine all the spices in a bowl and keep aside. sprinkle the blend over hot corn
Heat oil in deep pot over medium high heat. Add corn kernels. Cover and shake the pan every now and then to keep the kernels moving. When the popping sound stops remove from heat. Sprinkle the spice mix hot corn and Serve.


These snacks are my entry for Hima's Sunday Snacks Event

Kali Mirchi Gosht

Kali Mirchi Gosht was regular on our weekend lunch with rice and Khatti dal,an immense favorite in my family.Intensely spiced with fresh Peppercorns(kali mirchi) and green chillies,Mom's Kali Mirchi Gosht was the best,this is her simple recipe.

Ingredients
2 pounds lamb(white fat trimmed)
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon Peppercorns(Kali Mirchi),freshly ground
2 green chillies
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Cumin and coriander powder
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
few mint leaves
2 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil

Method
Clean meat by running it through cold water and squeeze any excess water.Pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix all the ingredients including oil in a pressure cooker or a skillet with lid. Cover and cook for 12 minutes in a pressure cooker and about 40 minutes in a covered skillet. Remove the lid and saute on high heat until most water is dry. Serve with Rice and dal.

Spicy Tomato Soup(Rasam)

Spicy Tomato Soup(Rasam)

Rasam is another Spicy South India Soup. Usually consumed in the second course of a heavy lunch. In a typical three course South Indian lunch , rice is served with a curry and sambhar in the first course. In the second course Rasam is served with rice and the last course is fresh home made yogurt with rice. I just love south Indian food,totally satisfying and filling.

Ingredients you'll need are
2 big Plum tomatoes
1 small onion
2 Garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon Chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Rasam powder(Easily spotted in an Indian Store)
1/2 teaspoon salt
For Tadka(Tempering)
1/2 teaspoon mustard and cumin seeds
2 Dry red chillies
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

To make this Second course Soup
Add 2 cup of water in a pot along with the ingredients besides tadka ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain in a bowl and return the soup in the pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes .Prepare the tadka(just like we did for sambhar) ,pour it in the soup. Serve with rice, rice and only rice.

Health Nut Note
Eating too much starchy white rice is not a part of healthy diet. Its important to control your portion of rice . Instead of using just white rice ,try mixing some brown rice.

Spinach Fenugreek (Palak Methi)Lentil Soup

This is a simple soup with goodness of Lentils and Spinach. Tastes best with plain Flat Bread(Paratha) or Pita Bread.


Ingredients you'll need are
1/2 cup Moong Lentil
1 cup chopped Spinach

1/4 cup Methi(fenugreek) leaves,chopped
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
2 small cloves Garlic
1/2 teaspoon mustard and cumin seeds
2 Dry Red Chillies
1 sprig curry leaves
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make this Simple Soup
Wash and Soak lentil for few minutes.

Cook the lentils in a cup of water ,turmeric ,salt and greens(Spinach and Fenugreek) until lentils are tender. May take 8-10 minutes in a pressure cooker or 20 minutes in a cover skillet. Now mash the cooked lentil mixture. Add another 1/2 cup of water or more if you like it more diluted.
Tempering the lentil soup
If you are from Middle east you probably will eat this soup without the tempering(Tadka).
Indians will rarely eat a lentil soup without the "tadka"
To prepare Tadka, heat EVOO in a smallest pan you have in the kitchen. Add the seeds ,peeled garlic, curry leaves and chillies. When the mustard seeds start to splutter you'll know the time is right to mix this tadka sensation in the lentil mixture.

Serve warm with your favorite kind of parathas or pita.

Health Nut Alert
Tadka can sometimes make you sneeze. Its could be because of the chillies used in the tadka , its just means your tadka is potent.

This is my entry for Sangeeth's Eat Healthy :Calcium rich Event

Spicy Lentil Soup(Sambhar)

Love your heart eat lentils. lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber ,folate and magnesium. Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein-all with absolutely no fat.

If you are from India, you probably make lentils everyday. Sambhar's spicy flavor goes best with rice and rice cakes(idli). It has goodness of lentils and heat from spices which gives it a subtle taste of nature's best.


What you'll need is
1/2 cup Yellow Split Lentil(Tuvar\toor Dal)
1 Medium sized Carrot sliced
1 medium Plum Tomato chopped
1 cup green pumpkin or squash or zucchini cut in cubes
1/2 onion or 2 shallots
1 big Clove of Garlic
1/2 inch Ginger root or use 1/2 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste.
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Red chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon of Cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder
1 tablespoon of tamarind paste in 11/2 cups of water
1 sprig of Curry leaves
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(Methi)
1 teaspoon Salt

To make this spicy Soup
Cook the Lentils
Wash and Soak lentil for 10minutes

Use a pressure cooker(it saves lot of time) to cook the lentils.. Add a cup of water and soaked lentils along with salt and turmeric. Let cook on medium flame for about 10minutes. Now mash the cooked lentil and set aside.
Cook the veggies and mix in the mashed Lentils
Heat Olive oil in a saucepan on medium high .Slice the onion and saute in EVOO for a minute along with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add minced ginger and garlic saute for another minute before adding rest of the spices ,vegetables and tamarind juice. Simmer till vegetables are tender then mix in the cooked mashed lentils. Simmer for another 5 minutes and smell the aroma filling in every corner of your home.
Get the rice ready and serve with this hot spicy Soup with a curry on side.


Health nut Tip
Don't get intimidated by the long list of ingredients. To make life easy use a teaspoon of "Sambhar or Rasam powder" and eliminate 3 ingredients(Cumin powder,coriander powder and chilly powder)

Health Nut Note
Eating too much starchy white rice is not a part of healthy diet. Its important to control your portion of rice . Instead of using just white rice ,try mixing some brown rice.

More Tasty Lentils Recipes

Calming Chicken Soup

Calming Chicken Soup
Nothing can be more calming that a bowl of hot chicken soup when you are feeling sick and blue. It helps by rejuvenating your dehydrated body due to cold and flu.
Making chicken soup can be time consuming but you'll be glad you made it.

Ingredients you'll need are:
2 lbs skinless Chicken cut in medium pieces
1 big Chopped Onion
1 big Carrot
1/4 cup peas
1 cup Chopped Broccoli
4 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger root
Sea Salt and pepper as per your taste.


To make the Soup
Trim fat as much as you can from the chicken pieces.
Fill a big pot with water and warm it on medium high flame. Drop the chicken pieces and chopped onions. Peel ginger and garlic, grate them and mix in the pot of water.Add some salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for at least an hour on medium low flame. Slow cooking keeps chicken tender.
Drain all the water in a big bowl. Separate the chicken from bones and keep aside in a bowl . Put the water back in the pot and now add finely chopped vegetables .Simmer till vegetables are tender. Mix in the shred chicken and serve hot with some cooked whole grain pasta.

Health nut Addition
Use a quarter cup of barley along with the vegetables to add to the recipes nutrition.

Veggie Rice(Pulov) with Tomato Chutney

Veggie Rice(Pulov)
Cooking vegetable along with rice makes your meal filling and nutritious. Consider using some brown rice. Mix some brown rice in white rice. Did you know that difference between brown and white rice is same as difference between whole wheat flour and all purpose?. While milling the brown rice in to white rice, most of the vitamins ,minerals and fiber are lost and so are many of the nutritive benefits of Rice. Try brown rice for a healthy wholesome change from starchy white rice.


Ingredients you'll need are

2 cups Rice
1 medium onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup peas
1 cup french beans cut
1 cup Broccoli or cauliflower florets
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
some mint leaves and cilantro chopped.

To make the Pulov
Wash rice and soak it for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a skillet on medium high flame. Add chopped onions ,whole green chillies and cumin seeds. saute for a minute and add ginger garlic paste. saute for a minute with turmeric and other spices. Add the cut vegetables and cook for couple of minutes. Drain the water from rice and add in to the skillet and cook until rice turns pearly. Now add 2 cups of water and chopped mint and cilantro. Cover and cook until all water is dry(brown rice takes relatively longer to cook). Serve this flavorful rice with Tomato Chutney.

Health nut Substitute
Using Green Whole Moong adds fiber for your recipe

Tangy Tomato Chutney
Ingredients you'll need are
2 Plum red Tomatoes finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon each of mustard seeds and cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
Salt to season
few curry leaves
1 or more green chillies or dry red chillies
1 table spoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make the chutney
Heat EVOO in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Wait till you hear spluttering of mustard seeds. Add crushed Garlic cloves, chilles and saute for a few seconds. Add rest of the spices and tomatoes. Cover and cook until tender. Serve with Pulov ,Khichdi or Parathas.

Lentil Rice(Khichdi) with Sesame Chutney

Lentil Rice(Khichdi)
Combining lentils with rice provides a wholesome meal. Mix some brown rice in white rice. Did you know that difference between brown and white rice is same as difference between whole wheat flour and all purpose?. While milling the brown rice in to white rice, most of the vitamins ,minerals and fiber are lost and so are many of the nutritive benefits of Rice. Buy some brown rice and mix with white rice while cooking rice.


Ingredients you'll need are
1/4 cup yellow Moong Lentil
1 1/2 cups Rice
1/2 cup Brown Rice
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 green chillies
some mint leaves

To make the Khichdi
Roast the lentil in a pan at medium flame until lightly brown.
Wash rice and soak it along with roasted lentils for 15 minutes.
Heat EVOO in a skillet . Add chopped onions ,whole green chillies and cumin seeds. saute for a minute and add ginger garlic paste. Roast for a minute with turmeric. Drain the water from rice and lentil . Add in to the skillet and roast until rice turns pearly. Now add 2 cups of water and mint leaves. Cover and cook until all water is dry.
Serve with Till(Sesame) Mint Chutney and Onion Omelet

Health nut Substitute
Using Green Whole Moong adds fiber for your recipe


Till Mint Chutney
Sesame seeds are full of nutrients . It has good source of manganese copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. Sesame Seeds have a cholesterol-lowering effect and prevents high blood pressure . It also has been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage.
Ingredients you'll need are
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup Mint leaves
1 teaspoon tamarind soaked in water
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 or more green chillies
1 table spoon EVOO

To make the chutney
Roast the sesame seeds until lightly brown.
Blend all the ingredients together with roasted sesame seeds . Add 1/4 cup of water to make a smooth chutney.


Onion Omelet
What you'll need is
1 medium Onion finely chopped
2 large Organic Eggs
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chilly powder
1 green chilly chopped
1 tablespoon Mint or Cilantro chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO)


To make Onion omelet
Heat a non-stick pan on medium flame.
Meanwhile mix all the spices with chopped Onions in medium bowl. Break eggs in to onion mixture and whisk for few seconds until you see tiny bubbles. Drizzle EVOO around the heated pan. Pour in the egg mixture. Let the eggs set before flipping that takes about 2 minutes. Flip and let cook for another minute before serving.


Serve the Chutney and Omelet with Khichdi

Meat Wheat Porridge(Hyderabadi Haleem)

Delectable Haleem is originally a persian recipe and is commonly prepared during ramadan. This spicy protein rich recipe can be lengthy to prepare but does give you a lot of protein power.
Ingredients You'll need are
2lb Lamb or chicken(boneless) cut in cubes
11/2 cup Haleem Wheat or 2 cups of cracked wheat
1 tablespoon Ground spices like cloves, cinnamon ,coriander seeds and cumin seeds(Garam Masala)
1 cup Chopped cilantro and mint
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup Crispy fried onions for garnish
1/2 lime juice
2 green chillies
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To make the Haleem
Soak
Soak Haleem wheat for 24hrs ,,change water every 6 hours or.For cracked wheat soak overnight .
Marinate
Next day marinate the cleaned meat(trim any white fat) with grated ginger garlic ,salt,red chilly powder,garam masala and turmeric.
Cook
Heat a tablespoon of Olive oil in a pressure cooker and add the marinated meat. Roast for couple of minutes and add the soaked wheat along with 2 cups of water.Cook 10 minutes at medium high flame. Another 40 minutes at medium low.Turn the heat off. Wait another 10 minutes before opening the lid. Let cool slightly.
Grind
Then coarsely grind it using an immersion blender or food processor.
Simmer
Then Pour it in to a heavy bottom skillet and add the chopped greens ,lime juice and some more water.simmer until the blisters start . Garnish with crispy fried onions,roasted cashews or almonds and lemon wedges.


More from Hyderabadi Kitchen
Kachchi Lamb Biryani
Lamb Biryani(Pakki)
Fish Biryani
Lentil Biryani(Qubooli)
Bagara Baigan
Double Ka Meetha

Say OK to Okra(Okra Curry,Gumbo,Stuffed Okra)

Say OK to Okra
Love Okra for its rich source of many nutrients like calcium,potassium, vitamin A and few other including fiber and folic acid.
The stickiness of Okra is the goodness of Okra. Its helps binding excess cholesterol and toxins in body. Its fiber makes your intestines job easier and prevents constipation .Get smart and substitute Okra with the expensive fiber supplements.

Don't over cook or until its crispy. Might as well as eat french fries instead of eating okra brown and crispy. Cook on low heat and until its still green.

Ingredients you'll need are
1 lb Okra (Frozen works well too)
1/2 medium Onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1 clove garlic
1/2 inch ginger root or 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 tablespoon EVOO
Few curry leaves.

To make an Okra curry
Chop the Okra.
Heat oil in a non stick skillet(preferably) and add the curry leaves,chopped onions along with mustard seeds.saute for a minute before adding minced ginger and garlic . Wait few seconds to add turmeric and chilly powder along with the chopped okra. Cook a minutes without cover on medium high flame and toss them occasionally. Cover and let cook for another 15-20 minutes on medium low flame.

Serve with Rice or Flat Bread(Paratha)

To Make Okra Tomatoes(Gumbo)
Besides the above ingredients you'll need 1 big plum tomato and 1 whole onion.
Proceed by cutting okra in big slices. Similar to above method saute onions spices along with tomatoes. Then add a cup of water and okra. Simmer for few minutes before serving with rice.


Stuffed Okra

Ingredients needed
10-12 Whole Okra,with top cut (Frozen works well too)
1/2 medium Onion Sliced
1/2 cup gram flour(Besan)
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder or 1/2 teaspoon rasam powder.
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 tablespoon EVOO
Few curry leaves.

Method
Wash and cut the top end of okra. Let dry in a colander. Slit across to make room for stuffing.
Prepare stuffing by mixing together the gram flour and spices .Add some water to combing the flour with spice. Stuff the okra with this mixture and keep aside.

Heat oil in a non stick skillet(preferably) and add the curry leaves,stuffed okra and sliced onions.Turn occasionally ,cover and cook for about 15 minutes until okra is tender. Serve with rice or flat breads.


These three okra recipes are my entry for Sangeeth's Eat Healthy :Calcium rich Event

Splendid Spinach Lamb

Spinach matches no other green in its splendid list of nutrients.
Spinach is the richest known source of protein of all plant foods. The keys to the benefits of spinach for bone health comes in the form of Vitamin K, Vitamin A and magnesium.
It is vastly superior to carrots in terms of eye-beneficial nutrients such as beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. spinach contains a greater range of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients than you will find in most commercial multi-vitamin/mineral supplements. Spinach proves to be a powerful anti cancer agent.

If we all can start loving Spinach like Popeye ,amazingly it'll not only make us super strong but also protect us against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time.

When shopping for lamb, select "Halal" lean cuts and use low fat cooking methods such as roasting, broiling, grilling, braising, or stewing.. Lamb is a good source of Iron and protein. lamb and other red meats, when eaten in moderation, can be part of a healthy diet.

Ingredients you'll need are
1/2 lb of Spinach
1/2 lb of lean cut Lamb
1 small onion
1 small tomato
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger root or 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil

To make the Curry
Clean meat by running it through cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and keep aside for few minutes.This helps kill any bacteria on meat.
Heat a skillet or pressure cooker on medium high flame. Add Olive oil ,chopped onions and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute and add the minced ginger and garlic . Now add the meat ,chopped tomato and chilly powder. Add half a cup of water and cover . let cook in pressure cooker for about 10 minutes or skillet about 40 minutes on medium flame. When the meat is tender add the chopped spinach. Cook for few minutes and serve this green delight with rice or bread.


Health nut Substitute
To get the serving of vegetable with meat , you can use zucchini ,cabbage ,green french beans ,squash or any vegetable of your choice.

This is my entry for Sangeeth's Eat Healthy :Calcium rich Event

Curry in a Hurry

Preparing curries with tender vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli can be as easy as it can get.
Cauliflower is by far the best source of Vitamin K which is vital for bone health.More on nutrition of Cauliflower and broccoli

What you'll need is
1/2 lb Broccoli or Cauliflower florets
1 small onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Chilly powder( or more as per your spice tolerance level)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
few curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon each of mustard and cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil


To make the simplest curry ever
Heat Olive Oil in a Pan on Medium high. Add onion, mustard seeds,curry leaves,cumin seeds and saute for a minute before adding the spicy duo minced ginger and garlic. Add the golden spice turmeric ,coriander powder and the chilly powder along with the florets. cover and cook for about ten minutes. Cook for few more minutes if you don't like it crunchy. but if you are like me you'll just cook for about 8-10minutes . Serve with rice and flat bread(parathas). And taste one of the simplest curries in the Indian cuisine.


Health nut note
Veggies like eggplants and cabbage can be prepared in similar way.