Low carb recipes 2 (Cake)

This is an answer to people who are on  a diet but still have sweet cravings. A very simple yet delicious cake made with whey protein, eggs, virgin coconut oil, stevia, chopped walnuts ,ripe banana and yogurt.

Ingredients (dry)

Oats flour 1 cup

Whey protein 2 full scoops

Stevia 1/2 tsp

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Baking soda 1/2 tsp

A pinch of salt

Wet ingredients

2 whole eggs

2 mashed ripe bananas

2 tbsps thick plain yogurt

1 tsp virgin coconut oil

1 tsp butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

Procedure

Beat eggs, stevia, oil, butter and yogurt,vanilla essence until fluffy.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add mashed bananas. Mix well.

Put in a greased mould and bake for 30 minutes in a pre- heated oven.

Slice when cold and keep it in the fridge way out of your sight. Have a small slice with your lunch or dinner platter or can have with tea in the evening. Remember  here we are talking about a dieter’s sweet cravings.

Crispy Air Fried Okra

Air fryer is a boon for weight watchers and diet conscious people. Its been almost five years and I have tried cooking almost everything in the air fryer. My girls are mostly on low carb diets and that’s what inspired me to try new vegetable side dishes to complete the otherwise protein rich platter.
To try today’s dish my ingredients are:
250 gms of longitudinally slit okra into four
4 tbsps of rice flour
1/2 tsps each of turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, dried mango powder and salt to taste
1 tbsp of oil.
Procedure:
Cut each okra into four long pieces after cutting off the top. Coat the okra with the spices,salt and oil. Put it in the air fryer basket and set the air fryer at 200 for 10 mins. After 10 mins shuffle the okras and let it cook for 5 mins. Your dish is ready to serve.

Pressure Cooked Whole Cauliflower

Also known as gobi musallam is one of the tastiest vegetarian recipes and can be served as a centre piece on your dining table.
I have made its steps fairly easy for beginers .
Ingredients
Whole cauliflower 750 gms
Tomato puree 200 gms
Curd 100 gms
Bay leaves 2
Turmeric powder 2 tsps
Curry powder 1tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1/4 tsp
Kasoori methi 1/4 tsp
Onion paste 200 gms
Cashew paste 100 gms
Tomato sauce 1 tbsp
Ghee 2 tbsps
Oil 1 tsp
Water 1/2 cup
Salt to taste.

Serves 6

Procedure

1. Make paste with 1 tsp turneric powder, 1/4 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp of oil and keep aside.
2. Wash the cauliflower thoroughly under running water and check carefully to get rid of any dirt or small insects trapped inside.
3. After which apply the paste on the cauliflower and ensure it is coated wirh the spices.
   4.Turn on the flame of the gas on high and place the spiced cauliflower on the flame directly and roast it carefully on all sides to get charred marks all over.
4. Keep it aside.
5. Put the pressure cooker on medium flame and add bay leaves , onion paste, tomato paste and cashew paste. Fry it very well.
6. Then add all the powdered spices and fry.
7. Now add tomato sauce and curd and fry.
8. Add salt and fry and add the whole cauliflower. Make sure to coat it with the masala on all sides.
9. Add water and then put the cauliflower with the flower side down.Put the lid and cook on low flame for two whistles. After which turn off the gas.
10. After removing the lid turn the cauliflower upside down inside the cooker and then bathe it with the spices and juices released while cooking.
11. Now add ghee, kasoori methi and fry till the masala dries up.
    Serve.

FOOT LONG SANDWICH

This is very warm evening snack that takes care of even your dinner, if you are a poor eater, of course.It has rustic feel to it and can be packed as a lunch too. The ingredients I added are the ones that I had in my fridge so leave it to your imagination and palate . One foot long sandwich would suffice for an interesting evening snack for three .

Ingredients

1. 1 Garlic bread from my local bakery
2. Iceberg lettuce torn roughly
3. 5 Cherry tomatoes roughly chopped
4. 10 Green or black olive slices
5. Few roughly chopped barks of cheddar cheese
6. Sweet onion dressing
7. One ripe avocado roughly mashed with one tsp of lemon juice ,olive oil and salt
8. 2 sliced jalapenos for heat
9. 2 eggs scrambled on the fire with a dash of milk, pinch of pepper and salt and few chopped spring onion greens.

Procedure

1.Cut the garlic bread into two horizontal halves keeping one end of the bread attached.

2. Spread sweet onion dressing on both the halves on top of which make a bed of lettuce leaves.
   3.Spread scrambled eggs, mashed avocado,cheddar barks, olives, jalapenos,cherry tomatoes layer by layer.
   4.Generously drizzle sweet onion dressing.
   5.Take a sandwich paper or cling wrap and wrap the whole sandwich tightly.
   6.The idea is to not let the ingredients spill out of the sandwich while eating.
3. Cut the sandwich into number of pieces you want to.
   8.Wrap it in a sandwich paper before serving.
4. Yummy and absolutely visually delightful presentation.

COMFORTING SOUP

COMFORTING SOUP
SERVES 2

Ingredients

1. 500 ml of Stock (vegetable/ chicken/ seafood)
2. 2 tbsps of garlic, carrots, spring onions, pakchoy or cabbage, sweet corn kernels, green or red chillies.
3. 10 medium sized fresh prawns deveined and cleaned
   4.One egg white
4. 1 tsp of butter or oil
5. 2 tbsps light soy sauce
   7.1 soup cube
6. Salt to taste.
   Procedure

Finely chop all the vegetables .Take oil in a wok and on high heat add garlic and chillies. Saute and before it burns add prawns and saute. Then add all the veggies one by one. Stir fry for a minute and add the stock, soy sauce and the soup cube as well. Reduce the flame and do not cover it. If you cover, the veggies will lose their colour and crunch. Cook for two minutes and add egg white by sitirring the soup with a fork as you add the egg white. Add salt only if required because the stock, soup cube and soy sauce would already have added enough salinity. Serve hot.

Beetroot Delight

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This recipe is one of my favourites. When it comes to beetroot, people especially children don’t seem to like it. But the preparation I am sharing with you now, is one of the best tasting vegetarian food ever. This is also offered to Gods in temples in South of India. I have added a few things of my choice in this recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 beetroots (peeled and grated)

1 green chilli chopped very fine

2 tbsps of freshly grated coconut

1 tbsp of oil

1/2 a tsp of mustard seeds

1 tbsp of mixed pulses like chana dal, split urad dal and tur dal

A pinch of asafoetida

2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped

Salt to taste.

Procedure

Take a shallow pan with lid and put it on the flame.

Add oil and once hot, add mustard seeds. Let them crackle and then add asfoetida and chopped garlic.

Now add the mixed dals and then add grated beetroot. Saute and now cover and cook for ten minutes on low heat. Don’t add water.

After 10 minutes remove the lid and mix everything and now add grated coconut and green chillies.

Mix everything well and let it cook uncovered for a few more minutes. You can add red chilli powder if you want it hot because beetroot tends to tender a sweet taste which is why it isy not like by many.

This is usually served with plain rice. If there are leftovers, this can be used as an excellent colourful dip or raita when combined with hung curd or thick creamy yogurt.

Daliya(Broken Wheat) Khichdi

This is very filling and has all the benefits of dal, wheat and vegetables. It is normally had with dahi as accompaniment and of course, ghee. Today is Ashok Shoshti for Bengalis that is the sixth day of Chaitra Navratri. Women fast on this day for the welfare of their children. But since I cannot observe fast rigidly, I came up with this idea. Soak Daliya and yellow split mung dal overnight. In the morning, add cumin seeds, hing, red chillies, cinnamon stick and bay leaf in hot oil. Add whatever veggies you like. I added, green peas , carrots and potatoes. Saute well and the add tomatoes. Add haldi, garam masala powder, dhania powder, salt and when everything blends well, add soaked daliya and dal. Add water, pressure cook for two whistles. Your healthy khichdi is ready.

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Sauteed Vegetables with Garlic and Sesame Seeds

This colourful vegetarian dish is my personal favourite. It is simple, yummy, healthy and filling and also can be a complete meal if fish, chicken or any protein is included in the platter.

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You can take any vegetables of your choice. I took french beans, carrots and baby corn and cut them into small pieces. Chop garlic very fine and once your oil gets hot, add garlic and the add all the veggies. Stir well and cover and cook on medium heat for three minutes. Remove the lid, stir and now add salt, pepper powder and sesame seeds. Stir fry and serve hot. I do not want to lose the crunch of the vegetables. Hence the hurry!

Healthy Wholewheat multiseed and multi millet Roti

This recipe is a result of many experiments over months. I needed a nutritious roti to manage my hunger pangs and this recipe helped me quite a lot.

I happened to find a packet of multi – millet aata and picked it up. The recipe started taking shape and I gradually incorporated new ingredients . It worked and I found this to be a feelgood recipe. The crunch comes ftom the seeds and softness from curd.

Wellness Potion (Durga Puja and Navratri Special)

It has been long since I posted my last recipe. This one is very close to my heart and has had enough trials and tribulations in the past.

The name has been coined by me and this has been my tried and tested friend for over 30 years. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I mention that I never use any synthetic cleansers on my face. The much needed glow before any occasion comes from this wellness potion.

This is vegetarian and can be had steaming hot if you really want to shed the extra kilos along with the glow on your skin or chilled if you are just looking for the glow.

I make it in batches which serves a family of four for two days. The number of glasses of water added depends on how many people needs to served and over how many days. Though it is always advisable to cook and have it fresh every day but because of some constraints if it is not possible, it can be frozen in separate containers and can be had everyday. To get maximum results start having fifteen days before the occasion.