Lentils pancake/crepe or adai.

 A south indian breakfast or tiffin item, made wholesome and healthy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy beans
1/2 cup chana or chana dal (Bengal gram)
1/2 cup whole moong (green gram)
1/2 cup whole chowli (black eye peas/cowpea)
1/2 cup brown rice.

For grinding:
1 large onion
1 bunch of curry leaves
2 red chillies--dried (can use green chillies if preferred )
A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
Rock salt or sea salt as per taste.

Procedure:
Soak all the legumes and rice together, overnight.

 


Grind them together with the onion, curry leaves, salt, chillies and asafoetida.

Heat up a thick iron tava/pan.  When hot enough, pour a tablespoon full and make into a dosa/crepe/pancake.

Cover with a lid.  The steam will make sure the dosa/adai doesnt stick.

Flip and roast the other side till slightly brown.
Serve with coconut chutney.

Recipe for the chutney shown here:
Ingredients:
1/2 a coconut shredded.
1/2 cup roasted chana (bengal gram without the skin)
1 red chilli
pinch of salt
1/2 inch of ginger

Grind them together with a bit of water.  (I skipped the water to make a drier version of the chutney as this was to be packed for school tiffin)

This is a high-protein, gluten-free and oil free vegan snack.  Can be had as breakfast as well.
Since all the ingredients used are organic and whole, the fiber content makes it more satiating and the nutrients get released in a sustainable fashion into the blood stream. 
Safe for diabetics, those with hormone imbalances, and cholesterol issues.

Eggplant/Baingan in peanut gravy

Baingan or brinjal or eggplant--that vegetable that most of us hate!
As a child I was told Roses were covered with thorns because they were delicate.
I figured, baingan was covered with thorns, because we arent meant to touch them!
(Yes, I had the good fortune to grow up in a home surrounded by farms! )

Transitioning to the vegan lifestyle did nothing for my relationship with the humble eggplant.
It was the organic lifestyle that forced me to look at this little vegetable as a potential friend.
We took our time to befriend each other resulting in searching online and researching in the kitchen all kinds of recipes, which would be tasty as well as can be converted into whole, no oil, no sugar.
And then we hit the jackpot with this one.
So here I present,
The Baigan in Peanut Gravy!

Ingredients:

Baby baingan - 12  nos

For grinding:

Peanut - 1 cup

Coconut (grated) - 1 cup

Red chillies- 4 nos (more if you like it spicy)

Curry leaves- Few

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Salt- As reqd

Amchur(dry mango powder)(if not available use tamarind paste/water) - As reqd

Process:

Step 1. Heat a thick bottom steel/iron pan. Add peanuts, roast till it becomes slightly brown, add jeera, urad dal and red chillies. Roast for a few seconds till urad dal turns brown.

Step 2. Add grated coconut and roast till light brown.You will see the mixture become a little bit oily.

Step 3. Add all the ingredients except brinjal, curry leaves and amchur/tamarind paste/water and roast for a few seconds. Turn off stove.

Step 4. Wait for it to cool and then grind the mixture without water. 

 

Step 5. Slit brinjal/baingan so you can stuff the above ground mixture into the brinjal. There would be extra mixture left for the gravy.

Step 6. Put on a steamer and steam the stuffed brinjal for a few minutes.

Step 7. In a thick bottom pan (you can use the one in which you roasted the masala),  add the remaining ground mixture and tamarind water. Bring to a boil. 

 

 Slowly slip in the steamed brinjals one by one, taking care not to spill them or open them up.  Cover it with lid and cook for 5-10 mins. 

Step 8: Put the stove off, and garnish with curry leaves and cover with a lid.  The flavor of the curry leaves will seep into the curry. 

Our Brinjal Peanut Gravy is ready to be served.

Goes well with brown rice, chapatis, bhakris, or whole wheat brown bread.

Papaya Pineapple Green smoothie

Is it possible to get addicted to something healthy?

If it is, would you call it bad?

For me the latest "addiction" is the morning smoothie.

I have been trying out various combinations, and most times the results have been yummy.

 General rules to keep in mind when it comes to mixing up smoothies:

1. Sweet fruits and sweet sour fruits can go together.
2. Sour fruits are a category of their own.
3. Fruits and vegetables never go together.
4. Once in a while can add soaked nuts to create texture, and dried fruits for sweetness.
5. Green leaves can go well with fruits or vegetables.
6. Melons can be combined with other melons only.
7.  While fruits like bananas and papaya can be used every day, its wise to keep pineapples and watermelon as "treat" options.
8. Pulpy fruits form the best base for green smoothies.

 Today's green smoothie :

Recipe:
1/2 a medium sized papaya (very ripe)
1/2 a small sized pineapple
1 bunch of fresh curry leaves.

 Process:
Blend them together.  No sieving.
Tastes best if the fruits have spent sometime in the refrigerator!

Wishing all a very healthy start to your day!