Beans and Veggy Salad Bowl with Mint and Garlic Vinaigrette

Hello My Dear Wonderful People!!

Shhh.. the baby is asleep ;p …

LOL.. kidding. I think the heat is driving me insane!! lol.. Hey have you heard the Rihanna song “Work”. oh man it is so addictive!! I can’t stop sining it .. haha.. see I told you, its the SUN!! So I have decided, I have got to put up some of my salad recipes, that are so simple and need hardly any cooking really. Now first of all, not all my salads fall under the “Raw” category. Simply cause its very hard for me to jump from a nice bowl of rice and curry to just a basket of vegetables. Nope I am not saying all vegetables are bad, but I will share some later ok :p Now this recipe needs a little cooking for the beans. Which really gives this bowl a boost of flavour and spice. Its just basic Indian spices but just trust me, they all work together!! and will keep you full for quite a long time!!

Now I am sure you did not miss that big slice of mango on both the bowls, yeah baby!! It’s mango season and I am gonna make sure its there on everything I eat. lol.. ok maybe not on eggs. 😛

Both the boys at home absolute love mangoes, so I am quiet sure anything with mangoes would fly at home.

Ingredients for the Salad bowl :-

1. Beans – 2 cups – ( i used double beans but you could use any beans) – used the dry kind but canned will also do
2. Mango – 1 ripe
3. Broccoli –  200 gms florets cut and washed
4. Romaine Lettuce – 6 leaves
5. Red Cabbage – 1 cup ( shredded)
6. Tomato – 1 ( chopped fine)
7. Onion – 1 medium (sliced fine)
8. Garam Masala – 1 tsp
9. Rice Bran Oil – 1 tsp

Ingredients for the Mint Garlic Dressing :-

1. Fresh Mint leaves – 1 cup packed
2. Garlic Cloves – 3 – 4
3. Olive Oil – 1 cup
4. Apple Cider Vinegar – 1/2 cup ( add more or less according to preference)
5. Salt – according to taste
6. Pepper – 1 tsp

 

Instructions :- 

1. For the dressing – with the help of the mortar and petal crush the garlic and mint leaves and set aside
2. In another bottle add the olive oil + apple cider vinegar + salt  and pepper
3. Then add the mint and garlic mash into the bottle and close the lit tightly
4. Give the bottle a good shake to combine all the ingredients. Set aside
5. Soak beans over night in ample water to soak the beans completely
6. Next day pressure cook till soft and tender with salt
7. Set aside to cool down. – (Please skip this step if using canned pre cooked beans)
8. Heat rice bran oil in a wok. Add onions  and tomatoes
9. Once the vegetables have cooled down, add garam masala and the cooked beans
10. Mix well and cover and cook for 5 mins
11. Turn off the flame and set aside
12. In a large pot heat water to boil
13. Add the broccoli florets and turn off the flame. After 5 mins drain the broccoli and rinse in cold water. Set aside
14. Now to assemble the salad in a bowl, arrange the broccoli, romaine lettuce, red cabbage, cooked beans, mango and drizzle the mint garlic dressing

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Sundal – Chicken pea salad with fresh Coconut, mustard and curry leaves

 

Hello my wonderful readers!

It has been so hot in Bangalore I can not begin to describe the heat! When I moved to Bangalore, I remember even in March some morning we would have to wear sweaters to school. But given the heat now, its hard to believe there was a time like that.

This recipe is actually a “Prasadam” also. Ok now a Prasadam is an offering that s made to good and then distributed in a temple or any religious place, between the devotees. Even a fruit or flower offered to god, can be considered a Prasadam. In many home in India, this recipe is made every day, using various kinds of pulses, nuts etc (like peanuts, green gram etc) We make this dish during the summer months, cause unlike many indian dishes, this is low on heat, spice and it is considered a salad. I love how easy it is to make this dish and its easier to polish off 😛 Ok now if you are using chickpeas from the can, then you do not need to soak it overnight and pressure cook it. I buy 2 kilos of these grams every month ( the dry version) So it basically goes into this, or hummus or a North Indian Channa Curry.

Ingredients :-

1. Chickpeas – 1 + 1.2 cup – (if using dried – soak over night and pressure cook for 4 whistles)
2. Coconut Oil – 3 tbsp
3. Black Mustard Seeds – 1 tbsp
4. White Urad Dal – 1 tbsp
5. Dry Red Chilli – 4
6. Curry Leaves – 2 steams
7. Fresh Grated Coconut – 3/4 cup
8. Salt – to taste
9. Green Chillies – 3 (slit into two)
10. Lemon Juice – half of one lemon  ( optional)

Instructions :-

1. In a heavy bottom wok / Khadai heat oil
2. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add the urad dal and dry red chillies
3. When the chillies puff up, add the curry leaves
4. Then add the chicken peas ( if canned drain the water and use)
5. Add the green chillies, coconut and salt
6. Mix well to cover the chickpeas well
7. Turn off the flame and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the chickpeas and mix well
8. Serve right away

 

Moroccan Inspired Meat Balls and Couscous Salad

 

 

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!

It’s Friday and I cannot wait for tomorrow! Weekends have become some thing I treasure so dearly. You would think that wouldn’t make so much of a difference for a stay at home mom right?? But yeah! Weekend = cleaning the place up without going around in circles, making food without worrying if my son is dancing on the dining table, sharing one meal with my husband alone!! and more importantly not having an audience when I have to go to the bathroom! Yes. Weekends are a luxury for a stay at home mom. Also hopefully I will get one post done over the next two days. Some times while I am on Instagram looking at various other bloggers, i can’t believe how they get so much done every single day. Like there’s a photo of their morning jog, then the breakfast, then the outfit of the day and then lunch and then some nail colour they changed and then drinks in the evening, a nice book before bed! How??? Hats off to them.

I get up every morning wishing my son would sleep for 5 more minutes 😛 How come I haven’t heard people talking about how they got their children to brush their teeth. My son refuses to open his mouth. And for some reason if he does open his mouth he make sure he bites onto the brush like its a piece of meat in a Piranha’s mouth. You think he would let it go if  you tried yanking it out right? nooooo way! My mornings start with the most futile activity ever.

This is followed by running behind both father and son to finish their respective breakfasts. Guess who I am feeding and who’s learning to eat on his own. Lol! Oh well. I look at all the things that happen every day and I laugh at how I would get scared when I goofed up at work. Compared to what I do today, the emails and meeting feel like walking on soft, white linen sheets.

So yes, my weekends are days when I have a few moments to myself and those golden moments are so precious to me just like all other working moms 🙂

Enough of my rant (for now)! Enjoy this Moroccan inspired chicken salad with some delicious Couscous salad.

Ingredients for the Couscous Salad 

1. Couscous – 2 cups
2. Water – 2 cups or more (boiling hot)
3. Salt – 1 tsp
4. Cucumber – 2 cups ( chopped)
5. Onions – 1 cup ( chopped)
6. Tomatoes – 1 cup (chopped)
7. Fresh Mint Leaves – 1 cup
8. Parsley – 1/2 cup ( chopped)
9. Garlic – 1 tbsp ( chopped fine)
10. Pepper – 2 tsp
11. Green Chilli – 1 ( slit into two and de seeded)
12. Lime Juice – juice of 1 lime
13. Pomegranate – 1/2 cup
14. Olive Oil – 3 tbsp

 

Instructions :-

1. Take a large bowl and drop the couscous. Now pour as much boiling water as required to submerge all the grains completely. Cover and set aside
2. In another bowl combine all ingredients except the salt and the pomegranate. Make sure you tear up the mint leaves and not chop them so they remain nice and fresh
3. After 10 mins you will see the the couscous come to life! they will bloom and gain considerable size
4. Take a fork and combe through the couscous and finally drop it into the bowl of vegetables
5. Slowly toss the mixture around and season according to taste
6. Finally add the pomegranate seeds to the salad and drizzle olive oil over the top
7. Serve right away

Ingredients for the Meat Balls :-

For the Meat Balls – 

1. Minced Chicken – 1 kg
2. Onions – 2 cups ( chopped fine)
3. Parsley – 1 cup ( chopped fine)
4. Mint Leaves – 1 cup ( chopped fine)
5. Cumin Powder – 1 tbsp
6. Smoked Paprika Powder – 1 tbsp ( add more if you like it hot)
7. Salt – according to taste
8. Pepper Powder – 1 tsp
9. Garlic – 3 – 4 cloves ( crushed)
10. Bread – 2 slices  (powdered in a blender)
11. Eggs – 1 ( whisked well)

Instructions :- 

1. In a large bowl add ingredients 1 to 9. Mix well with your hands to distribute all the spices well
2. Now add the bread crumbs and whisked eggs
3. Line your baking tray with baking paper and set aside
4. Slowly make small bowls of the meat and set over the prepared baking tray
5. Once you are done with all the meat, place the baking tray in the fridge for 20 mins
6. During this time pre heart your oven to 200 C
7. After 20 mins, pop the baking tray into the oven and bake for 30 – 40 mins or till they turn golden brown.
8. During the baking time lets get started with the curry

Ingredients for the Curry :-

1. Onions – 2 cups ( chopped)
2. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
3. Tomato Puree – 1 cup (concentrate)
4. Cumin Powder  – 2 tsp
5. Smoked Paprika Powder – 1 tsp
6. Oil – 2 tbsp ( olive oil)
7. Chicken Stock – 1 + 1/2 cup
8. Parsley – 1/2 cup ( fresh chopped)

 

Instructions- 

1. Heat oil in a pan and when the oil is hot, add ginger garlic paste and onions
2. Fry till the onions are translucent
3. Then add cumin powder and paprika powder
4. Fry just for a min and then add the tomato puree ( add one small tomato cut into small pieces just for a little munch)
5. Finally add the stock and cover and cook for 10 mins
6. By this time you should  have your meat balls ready
7. Add the meat balls and cover and cook for another 5 mins
8. Turn the flame off and add the parsley
9. Serve right away with the couscous salad !! Enjoy

 

Simple Onion Salad / Kerala style / Challaas

My next post is an authentic Kerala style fish fry for which the perfect accompaniment is a “Nadan” salad. Back in Kerala it’s called Challaas. Usually when alcoholic drinks are served with fish fry, Challas is a must. So here it is.

Simple Onion Salad

Ingredients –

Onions – 2 large
White Vinegar – 2tbsp
Green Chilli – 2
Salt – ½ tsp

Instructions –

• Cut onions length wise and green chilli’s into small thin round circles.
• In a bowl add the onions, chilis, vinegar. Toss in the salt and mix it all up nice and well. Serve straightaway or the onion will lose water and it will become soggy .