Tibet Veg. Momos

 

Ingredients

For the filling

Spinach, finely chopped 2 cups

Cabbage, finely chopped 1 cup

Tofu, crumbled 200 g

Spring onions, chopped 1/4 cup

Ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp

Chinese five-spice powder 1/2 tsp

Sesame oil 1 tbsp

Salt to taste 

For the dough

Refined flour (maida) 2 cups

Water 3/4 cup

Salt a pinch

Preparations

Knead the flour, water, and salt into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

Heat sesame oil in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste, and sauté briefly until fragrant.

Add spinach and cabbage, and cook until just wilted. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out excess moisture.

Mix the squeezed greens with crumbled tofu, spring onions, five-spice powder, and salt. Cool completely.

Roll the dough into small discs, place a spoonful of filling in the centre, and pleat into momo shapes.

Steam for 10-12 minutes until the wrappers turn glossy and translucent.

Serve piping hot, straight off the steamer.

 

 

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Crunchy peanut and moong salad

 Ingredients

¾ cup boiled whole green moong

½ cucumber, chopped

½ carrot, grated

½ capsicum, sliced

A handful of cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp roasted peanuts

1 tsp peanut butter

1 tsp grated ginger

Lime juice

A splash of water

Chilli flakes and salt

How to make it:

Whisk the peanut butter with ginger, lime juice, salt, chilli flakes and enough water to make a pourable dressing. Combine the moong and vegetables, toss with the dressing and finish with roasted peanuts.

 

 

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Sesame tofu and vegetable noodles- Anti-inflammatory food

Ingredients 

75 g wholewheat or soba noodles

100 gm firm tofu, cubed

1 cup sliced vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, mushrooms and capsicum

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp sesame seeds

Lime juice

salt to taste 

How to make it:

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Sear the tofu with a teaspoon of sesame oil in a hot pan until golden, then add the vegetables and ginger. Toss in the noodles and soy sauce. Finish with sesame seeds and lime juice.

 

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Fight Fat and Inflammation with This Sauerkraut Recipe

 

 Let's face it, there are two types of people in this world: those who love and those who despise sauerkraut. While it definitely isn't one of the most popular foods out there, it's definitely one of the healthiest. Sauerkraut, along with other types of fermented foods, has many health benefits. Therefore, if you're looking for a great way to improve the way you eat, adding sauerkraut to your meals at dinner time might just be your answer.

One health benefit is that it's great for your digestive system. It's a probiotic, which means that it's packed with all the good bacteria that your digestive tract requires. These good bacteria include Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria - both of which help break down lactose, sugars, and starches which ultimately helps aid digestion. 

However, the benefits are not all stomach-related. Sauerkraut can improve skin conditions, oral health, and vaginal health. Furthermore, it can also prevent allergies as well as help maintain a healthy immune system. If this isn't enough, it can also help with weight loss. 

Whether you are a long-time lover of sauerkraut, or whether you'd like to try it for the first time, below is just the recipe for you. This recipe will give you one gallon of sauerkraut.

Ingredients: 

5 lbs shredded cabbage 

2 tbsp. sea salt or pickling salt 

1 tbsp. caraway seeds 

1 onion quartered 

Method:

1. Mix all of the ingredients, apart from the onion, in a large bowl and let it stand for 10 minutes. 

2. Pack the cabbage mixture into a large glass food container. Place the quartered onion on top to weigh the cabbage down. 

3. Cover the container with a paper towel and secure it using a rubber band. Store in a cool spot and leave overnight.

4. The following day, check the container to ensure that the sauerkraut is completely submerged in liquid. Then, every other day for the next 2 weeks, check in the same way. A layer of scum might appear on top of the sauerkraut - skim this layer if needed. 

5. After a period of at least 4 weeks, the sauerkraut will be ready. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 months. 

 

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Vegetables Come in Many Colors - But Which are Healthiest?

 When we go shopping at the supermarket, we usually choose vegetables in shades that we’re used to seeing, and this is due to a number of reasons, including preference of taste and texture, but what about the health benefits that each vegetable color provides? There are significant dietary differences between red and green red peppers, for example, or between purple and yellow onions, and today we’ll learn about these benefits and find out which vegetable colors are the best for our health. Below are 8 vegetables that come in different colors and we explain what their differences can mean for your health. 

1. Bell peppers
Bell peppers come in three different colors - green, red and yellow/orange. The red and yellow/orange bell peppers are riper than the green ones, so green bells have a more bitter taste than others. They also have the lowest nutritional value, with the red bell pepper having the highest amount of potassium and vitamins A and C. As a result, the red variety is considered to be the healthiest of all bell peppers.

2. Onion

Onions comes in many varieties and colors, the most common being white, yellow, purple and green. Most of us use the yellow onion, but you may want to start adding more purple onions to your diet. This is because they have a higher antioxidant content, making them great for cancer prevention. 

In addition, all types of onions are good blood thinners, but purple is more efficient at this because they contain a greater number of flavonoids. Although green onions can’t be compared to other onions when it comes to cooking, you should know that the green onion has twice as much potassium than other onions, and the vitamin A and C content is significantly higher, but it does not contain vitamin B6 as other onions do.

3. Cabbage

 

If you eat a cup of green cabbage a day you get 3% of the recommended daily serving of vitamin A, but if you consume the same amount of purple cabbage, you will get 19% of the recommended amount of vitamin A per day. 

The same can be said about the vitamin C content of purple cabbage, and in addition, only purple cabbage contains anthocyanin, which is a flavonoid that helps prevent cancer and improve memory. Eating purple cabbage is recommended for those who are on a diet because anthocyanin causes the release of hormones in the body that suppress appetite.

4. Beans 

Beans may not be vegetables, but because they are so popular in cooking, and they come in so many colors and types, it's a food that cannot be left off this list. All types of beans have a high amount of protein and folic acid and a low glycemic index. However, each type of bean has a variety of health benefits, such as, reducing the risk of cancer, lowering cholesterol, and diabetes prevention. 

 

5. Carrots

You can find carrots in many different colors at farmers markets, with the most common being orange, purple and white. Orange carrots contain a high amount of beta-carotene, which helps maintain eye health and improves vision in the dark, but a higher amount can be found in the purple variety. 

In addition, the purple carrot also has anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that remove free radicals from the body and help maintain normal blood flow. Compared to these two, white carrots are considered the least recommended, simply because they do not provide the same health benefits as orange and purple carrots. 

6. Tomatoes

We usually eat red tomatoes, but at various markets and stores, you can also find the black variety, which is considered healthier and more nutritious. Black tomatoes get their color from the anthocyanins found in them, which, as mentioned previously, helps prevent cancer and improves memory. 

This benefit makes black tomatoes highly recommended for people with vascular problems, as anthocyanins contribute to protecting the body against cardiovascular disease. They also have greater numbers of vitamin A and C, so they better contribute to improved vision and reduced inflammation than red tomatoes. 

7. Potatoes 

There are many special varieties of potatoes, but those most frequently used in the kitchen are russet and red potatoes. Red potatoes contain fewer carbohydrates and more protein, which means they are more helpful in weight loss, but if want to increase your iron and calcium intake, you should choose the russet potato - it contains 1.9 mg iron and 14 mg calcium per 85 grams, while the red variety contains only 0.7 mg of iron and no calcium at all.

8. Garlic


White garlic is the most recognized and common variety of garlic, but during certain times of the year, you can also find purple garlic, which is considered to be much healthier. It reduces the amount of insulin that the body secretes, which helps diabetics cope with the disease, has stronger anti-inflammatory properties than white garlic and contains more antioxidants such as, allicin and magnesium, which help prevent the development of cancer cells. For all these reasons, it is not difficult to understand why purple garlic is more recommended than white. 

Conclusion 

When you’re faced with picking vegetables at the supermarket, grocers, or farmers market, choose the ones with darker colors, especially red and purple. The same stuff that gives these vegetables their color also keeps cancer away and improves circulation in the body, which is very important for maintaining health. In addition, they also contain more vitamins that strengthen various systems in our body and are therefore undoubtedly the smartest and healthiest choice.

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Protein and Fiber rich Sandwich without Bread ?!

 Ingredients

Moong dal 1 cup, wash and soak for 4 hours

oats 1 cup

semolina/suji 1/2 cup

oil 1 tbsp + for shallow frying

ginger 1 " chopped

green chillies 1-2 as per taste chopped

onion 1 finely chopped

carrot finely chopped 1/4 cup OR 2-3 tbsp

capsicum finely chopped 2 tbsp 

cabbage finely chopped 3-4 tbsp

peas/ corn boiled and crushed 2 tbsp

beans finely chopped 2 tbsp

coriander leaves finely chopped 2 tbsp

salt to taste chili pdr 1/4-1/2 tsp

turmeric pdr 1/4 tsp

garam masala 1/2 tsp

cheese slices as needed or grated cheese ( optional)

 

Preparations

finely powder oats and suji and put in a big bowl

drain water from moong dal, add to the grinder along with green chilies and ginger, grind to a fine paste using little water if needed, batter should be thick

pour the dal batter over the oats pdr, add salt to taste, can add little jeera, mix well, knead to a soft dough like for roti ( mostly water will not be needed, if need be add little water in the grinder jar and add to knead the batter).

in a kadai or pan, add oil, once hot, add onion, fry till light brown, add rest of the veges, add salt, chili pdr and turmeric pdr, mix well,  cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

mix the veges and see if they're soft, no need to overly cook, just cooked it should be, remove cool and add coriander leaves,garam masala and mix well, in case you're going to use cheese, you may add grated cheese to the veges and mix well, or you can spread it when you stuff the sandwich.

It is better to cook the veges first and set aside to cool, when you can grind the above and knead.

Divide the dough into equal sizes. Take one ball, roll well, dust some flower, and roll into medium thin square roti. In case, you're not able to  make square roti, cut to get desired square shape, add the cut extra dough and mix with the rest of the dough and roll out again.

Cut rolled out square into  half, put filling on one side, you may add some grated cheese or cut cheese slices according to the size. fold the other half to get you sandwich, seal well. Make all sandwiches in the same way, heat a pan add some oil/ butter/ ghee, once hot, place the prepared sandwiches, cook on medium flame, turning sides till crisp or brown as per your choice. Serve hot with chutney/ ketchup.

In case you want to make it for breakfast, you can grind, roll the dough, cover and keep in the fridge, if need be, can even cook the veges and store in the fridge.

 

NOTE- you can add whatever veges your family likes or better adding those veges which normally kids avoid, as making it like this, they'll eat and keep asking for more, so you can increase the quantity of the dal , oats, suji and veges as needed by your family members.

 

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Stir Fried Tofu With Rice

Ingredients

Cooked Basmati Rice - 3 cups cooked

Oil - 3 tbsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 chopped finely

Green Chilli - 2 chopped

Cabbage - ½ cup chopped finely

Beans - ½ cup chopped finely

Carrots - ½ cup chopped finely

Capsicum - ½ cup chopped finely

Salt to taste

Sugar - 2 tsp

Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp or to taste

Vinegar - 2 tsp

For Marination:

• Tofu - 1 cup cubed
• Red Chilli Powder - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Soy Sauce - 1 tsp

 Marinate tofu with the above ingredients for at least 30 minutes,

Preparations

Mix tofu with the ingredients given, Heat oil in a pan, add tofu and fry till golden, drain and set aside.

Now in the remaining oil, add in ginger garlic paste and saute for a min.

Add in onions and chillies and cook them for a min.

Add in all veggies and toss well. Add salt and sugar and saute them for 5 mins or so.

Add in tofu and mix well.

Now add in cooked rice and stir fry for 2 mins or so.

Add soy sauce, vinegar and mix well. Serve hot.

 

 

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Thecha chowmein

Sometimes the heart simply craves street food, even though our health may say otherwise. However, preparing street-style food at home can be a nice compromise at times, and celebrity chef and MasterChef India judge Kunal Kapur helps us do just that, taking to Instagram on May 15 and sharing his easy recipe for thecha chowmein. 

Describing the dish, the chef wrote in the caption, “Thecha chowmein is what happens when fiery Maharashtrian flavours meet your favourite street-style noodles. Think garlicky green chilli thecha tossed with hot, glossy chowmein - spicy, bold, and seriously addictive. It’s quick, punchy, and perfect for days when regular noodles just won’t cut it. The heat hits first, then the flavour keeps building, making every bite better than the last. If you love your food with a kick, this one’s a total game changer.” 

Ingredients 

For thecha

Oil - 2 tbsp

Green chillies - 4

Garlic cloves - 8-10

Peanuts - ¼ cup

coriander leaves- handful

For noodles

Oil - 2 tbsp

Onion, sliced - ½ cup

Carrot, julienne - ½ cup

Capsicum, sliced - 1 cup

Cabbage, shredded - 1 cup

Noodles, boiled - 2 cups

Soya sauce - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Spring onions, chopped - a handful

 

Preparations

To prepare the thecha, heat the wok and then pour in the oil. Add green chilli, garlic cloves, and whole peanuts into the oil. Stir-fry them for three to four minutes.

Take them out and put them in a mortar and pestle. Grind them up well. While grinding, add fresh, chopped coriander. The final thecha should be a little bit grainy.

Once again, add oil to the heated wok. When the oil gets warm, add in the thecha and stir fry for 30 to 40 seconds. Make sure that the thecha does not turn completely brown.

Then add in the thinly sliced onions, julienned carrots, bell peppers, and shredded cabbage. Toss them all in a high flame till the vegetables are cooked.

Gently add the boiled noodles to the wok, making sure that they are not clumpy. Add in soya sauce, salt, vinegar, and chopped spring onions. Toss it well in high heat for at least three to four minutes.

The thecha chowmein is ready. Plate it and enjoy.

 

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Green Salad For Eye Health

 The perfect nutritional addition for a light and nutritious lunch or dinner, and also jam packed with eye-friendly nutrients. The Brazil nuts contain selenium, a powerful antioxidant enzyme, while the walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids that prevent dryness in the eyes and protect the light receptors in the iris.

 Ingredients 

Salad 

• 4 cups cabbage, chopped 

• 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped 

• 2 cups fresh mint leaves, chopped 

• 2 cups peas, frozen or fresh 

• 2 granny smith apples, cubed 

• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped 

• ¼ cup walnuts or Brazil nuts, chopped 

Dressing  

• 1½ servings of Greek yogurt 

• ½ lemon, juiced 

• 1 tbsp honey 

Preparation 

1. Combine the yogurt, honey and lemon juice for the dressing. 

2. In a bowl, combine all the salad ingredients, and add the dressing. 

3. Can be eaten immediately or refrigerated overnight.

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Authentic Vegan Russian Pirozhki

 

Can you Make Authentic Vegan Russian Pirozhki?

 It's actually quite easy to veganize Russian pirozhki. For the best vegan Russian pirozhki, use soy milk in place of regular milk and omit the egg wash in the end. You will also need to make the following tweaks in the filling:

• In the cabbage filling, omit the boiled egg for a vegan cabbage pirozhki
• In the pumpkin filling, omit the feta for one-of-a-kind pumpkin, caramelized onion and dill vegetarian pirozhki. Thats the same advice I give my readers about veganizing my caramelized onion and pumpkin pizza. 
• Omit the butter from the mushroom filling for vegan mushroom pirozhki (similar to my mushroom bourekas)

You can also stuff vegan pirozhki with mixed vegetables, sweet potato or potato filling.

  

 Do you need dipping sauce for Russian Vegetarian Pirozhki?

These vegetarian pirozhki are great on their own! If you're looking for a good dipping sauce, I recommend the sauce from my Ukrainian cucumber salad. It's super simple! All you gotta do is mix equal parts sour cream and mayo, add dried dill, salt and pepper. You can even dilute it with a touch of vinegar if you want a more liquid, pourable sauce. Indians, we can eat with green chutney/ tomato ketchup/ tomato chutney.

Making the Baked Pirozhki Dough Recipe:

First, you have to make the filling. Because this pirozhki recipe uses a traditional yeasted dough, the dough requires time to rise. While the dough is rising, make your favourite filling - or make all three to try them all out!

Make the Dough 

   

 Storage Instructions for Baked Vegetarian Pirozhki

Allow the pirozhki to cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until heated through.

For longer storage, freeze baked pirozhki in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. They will keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake frozen pirozhki at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or microwave for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.

Ingredients for Russian Pirozhki Dough:

1tbsp Active Dry Yeast

2 tbsp  icing sugar

1cup water or enough to cover

1liter milk warmed to lukewarm (around 100-110°F)

a few pinches of salt

½ cup oil 

1kg flour(about 8 cups)

2 tbsp sugar

Ingredients for Mushroom Pirozhki Filling:

2 lb mushrooms/ 800 gm

1onion finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

Ingredients for Cabbage Pirozhki Filling:

2large onions

½head of cabbage

2 hard-boiled eggs

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pirozhki with Caramelized Onion and Feta:

1onion

1pumpkin or squash of your choice

½ bunch dill

100 gm feta

Instructions

How to make Russian Pirozhki Dough:

Combine yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl. Mix together and set aside, letting yeast activate for 10 minutes.

Then in a large bowl, combine ½ the milk, yeast mixture, sugar, salt, and oil. Mix to combine. Begin adding flour in batches; add more flour or milk as needed. Dough should be not too sticky and very soft and elastic. I make this with a Kitchenaid stand mixerf ollow, but you can also easily do it all by hand (see more on this below!). Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a dark, warm but well-ventilated place. Let dough rise for 1.5 hour, or until doubled in size (the dough should roughly fill twice the volume it started with). Mix dough again with spoon or stand mixer paddle, and see if need to add flour. Let rise again for 30 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare filling.

How to make mushroom filling for pirozhki:

Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter. Add onions and cook until colour changes and onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.

Slice mushrooms thinly. Add mushrooms to onions and sautee until mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

How to make cabbage filling for pirozhki: Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs neutral-tasting oil, like Canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until colour changes and onions become golden, about 15 minutes. Chop cabbage into thin strands. Add cabbage to large bowl with 2 TBs water. Put cabbage in microwave for 2 minutes, to soften slightly. Let cool until easy to handle and add 2 TBs of salt. Proceed to massage cabbage until it has softened considerably, approximately 5 minutes. Chop hard-boiled eggs into small pieces. ( can be omitted for vegetarians) Combine cabbage, sauteed onions and hard-boiled eggs. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

How to make pumpkin, caramelized onion and feta filling for pirozhki: Set oven to 400F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone matfollow. Cut pumpkin or squash in half, scoop out seeds and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Place pumpkin face-down on the baking sheet. Pierce skin a few times to let steam escape. Bake until pumpkin collapses fully when poked with a fork, about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Let cool until safe to handle and scoop out pumpkin flesh. Set aside. Slice onion into half-moons. Heat pan to medium heat. Add 2 TBs neutral-tasting oil, like Canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until onions change colour, about 10 minutes. Lower heat and continue cooking until onions fully caramelize, an additional 15-20 minutes. Mix pumpkin, caramelized onions, dill and feta together.

Continue shaping pirozhki: ( I have put the photos how it is shaped before the ingredients) Divide dough into portions: Cover counter with flour, and roll dough out into thin layer. Cut circles using a 3-4 inch round cup or cookie cutter. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over the filling to create a half-moon shape, then pinch the edges firmly together to seal. You can also bring all edges to the center for a round shape. To bake, cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Add a bit of oil. Place pirozhki about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet, and brush each with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water). Bake at 360F for 20-25 min, until golden up top. Remove from oven and cover with a soft kitchen towel until ready to serve. 

 

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