Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

Quinoa 1/2 cup
Soaked Chick Peas 1/4 cup
Soaked Green Moong 1/4 cup
Green Chilies 2-4 nos
Shredded Carrot 2 nos
Cranberry
Roasted Almond

*You can add any vegetables of your choice. (Bell pepper, zucchini, corn, olives etc)

Dressing
Virgin Olive oil
Vinegar or lime
Sea Salt or Salt

Method :

1. Pressure cook the chick peas and green moong
2. Wash quinoa well, in a utensil boil 1 cup of water , once its starts boiling add the quinoa and cook on low flame for 10 mins or until water absorbed. Let it sit for 10 mins.
3. In a bowl add quiona, chick peas, green moong, green chillies, shredded carrot, cranberry, roasted almond and the dressing. Toss well and garnish with coriander

Dalia Upma & Rajasthani Lasun Chutney

Dalia Upma

Ingredients

Dalia (Broken Wheat) 1/2 cup
Onion 1 medium
Carrot 1-2
Corn or peas  handful
Ginger 1 inch
Green chillies 2
Water 1 cup

For Seasoning
Oil 1 tbsp
Curry leaves few
Mustard 1 tsp
Urad Dal 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Chop ginger finely. Cut carrot and keep aside.
2. Slit the green chilies into two halves
3. Roast the dalia. Boil the corn
4. In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds once it splutters add urad dal and curry leaves
5. Add chopped onions and saute onion until turns translucent
6. Then add ginger and green chilies
7. Then add carrot and cook for 3-4 mins
8. Add water salt and corn. Bring to boil
9. Simmer the flame add the dalia and stir continuously
10. Cover and cook on low flame until done
11. Serve with Chutney

Rajasthani Lasun Chutney

Ingredients

Whole red chilies 1/4
Garlic 10 - 12
Whole Coriander seeds 1/4 tbsp
Red chilli powder 1-2 tbsp
Tomato 1
Lemon Juice 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water

To temper

Mustard oil

Method

1. Boil the chilies in a pan until soft. Drain the water and keep aside
2. Peel and clean the garlic and keep aside
3. Cut the tomatoes and keep aside
4. Once its cool down in the mixer combine all the ingredients chilies, coriander seeds, garlic, tomato, chili powder, lemon juice ,salt and grind to a paste
5. Heat the mustard oil, when the oil is hot enough switch off the flame pour the lasun chutney and mix well
6. Your chutney is ready and can be had with paratha, roti, dosa , idlies or also can be served as dip for any snack.

Can be stored in a air tight container in the refrigerator upto 10 days

Notes
1. Adjust the spice as per your taste
2. Dont add water 

Vermicelli Upma

Serves 2
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Total Time       : 25 mins

Ingredients

Roasted vermicelli whole wheat 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 5-6
Carrot 1
Beans 5-6 nos
Green Peas (optional)
Onion 1 medium
Green Chillies 2 nos
Oil 1.5 tbsp
Mustard 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Water

Method

1. Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to boil
2. Add the roasted vermicelli to the pot once the water is started to boil, stir for 2 mins with a wooden  to avoid sticking
3. Cook the vermicelli not more than 5-6 minutes
4 Using a colander drain out the hot water once cooked and run it under cold water. This will help to reduce the stickiness. Keep it aside
6. Finely chop carrot, beans and green chillies, slice the onions, boil the peas,
7.  In pan heat oil add mustard once it splutters add curry leaves and green chillies
8.Add the Onion and saute until translucent
9. Add carrot and beans and cook until tender
10. Add the vermicelli and give a quick mix
11. Cover it and keep it on a low flame for 5-7 mins
12. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with your favorite chutney

Notes

1. I used the ready made roasted vermicelli , in case you don't get that you can roast the vermicelli on a low flame. Avoid over roasting
2. I boil the roasted vermicelli as it avoid stickiness and method taste better
3. Dont over cook the vegs -carrot and beans should be crunchy

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

Garlic 2 cloves minced
Onion 1 medium
Cabbage 2 cups
Sambar powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste 4-5 cups
Water

Method

1. Chop cabbage finely or you can shred them too
2. Cut onion into thin slices and keep aside
3. Heat oil in a deep pan add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent
4. Add the  cabbage and saute for 3-4 mins
5. Add salt and sambar powder and mix
6. Add water and cook until cabbage becomes soft and cooked
7. Cool and blend the above
 8. Add more water if required and bring to boil
9. Serve hot soup with some soup sticks

Granola Bars

Ingredients

Oats 1 cups
Cornflakes 1/4 cup
Honey 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar 1 tbsp
Butter 1tbsp
Vanilla Essence 1/2 tsp
Water 1tbsp

 Nuts (around 1/2 cup)
Walnuts
Almonds
Watermelon seeds
Pistachios
Flax seeds
Raisins
Dates
Prunes
Dried Figs
Dates
Dried cranberries

Method

1. In non stick pan dry roast oats and cornflakes until a nice aroma and oats start slightly browning up
2. In case you are adding flax seeds roast them separately
3. Then  roast the nuts of your choice and add the nuts to the oats and cornflakes
4. In the same pan heat the butter until melts. Now add honey, sugar, vanilla essence and water. Heat until the mixture bubbles up
5. Now add the roasted oats, cornflakes and nuts. Mix until the honey is coated to the mixture

6. Transfer to the butter paper and spread using a spoon or a wooden laddle to 1/2 inch thick,straighten the edges to a square or rectangular shape

7. Cover with another butter paper for 10 mins and cut into bars 

8. Store the granola bars and enjoy them any time

Notes

1. Use any nuts of your choice, finely chop them and then roast them. Just keep in mind of the quantity 

2. In-case you don't have brown sugar you can add white sugar

3. After you have cut the bars you can also bake them at 200 C for 7-8 mins. This way the bar will be more crisper and holds the shape better. After you bake then cool it for 30 -40 mins and then store..

Capsicum Corn Sabji

Ingredients

Corn 1 cup
Oil 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Onion 1 big
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp
Capsicum 2 ( Yellow or Green or Red)
Tomato 2
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water 1 cup
Cream or milk 1/4 cup
Kasturi Methi handful

Method

1. Boil the corn kernels and keep aside.
2. Chop the onion finely and grate or puree the tomatoes. Keep both aside.
3.  In a non stick pan heat oil and add cumin seeds, once it splutters add onion and saute for until translucent
4. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes off
5. Add tomato puree and mix for 2-3 minutes  (until the oil separates)
6. Add all the masalas and salt expect garam masala and mix well
7. Add the bell pepper and mix well. Don't cook too much, the bell peppers have to be crunchy
8. Add water and cover for 2-3 mins
9. Now add the boiled corns and mix
10. Add garam masala and mix
10. Then add the cream and give a stir then add kasturi methi and heat for a min
11. Garnish with corainder and serve hot with rotis

Mitho Lolo

Ingredients

Wheat flour 250 gms
Jaggery/ Sugar 80-100 gms (*i used organic jaggery powder)
Water
Ghee 3 tbsp
Cardamon powder 1 tsp
Ghee 5-6 tbsp for roasting

Method

1. In a saucepan boil a cup of water add jaggery on a low flame
2. Let the jaggery dissolve properly
3. The consistency should not be thick or thin. The color should be dark brownish
4. Once done allow let it to cool
5. In a bowl add the wheat flour, ghee, cardamon powder and pour the jaggery syrup little by little and form a stiff dough
6. Take a ball size portion of this dough and take a rolling pin to roll into a circle, the lolo have to be really thick
7. Heat a griddle pan, place the rolled lolo on it. Roast on slow flame on both sides until they become golden brown. Add generous amount of ghee at regular intervals. Since its too thick it will take some time to cook.
8. After removing from tawa add some more ghee over the lolo. (In the olden times once lolo was done we used to dip it in ghee, but today we are very health conscious & we avoid too much of ghee or oil in our food but if you wish to dip you can still go ahead and follow it.)
9. We normally eat it the next day and best to have it with pickle or curd. I also have it sometimes with sindhi papad.

My notes

1. You can add sugar instead of jaggery
2. If using sugar i suggest add cardamon pieces with the sugar and then remove it once the sugar has been dissolved.
3. Few of them do add milk also it but i avoid it