Interesting take. Complete meal in a bowl. Peanuts and black gram for protein, veggies for fibre, chickpea nuggets for texture, puffed rice and rice poppadom for carbs, gut health from tamarind chutney. Beat the heat in style and with flavor!

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup boiled black chickpea or black gram or kala chana
2. 1/2 roasted peanuts
3. 1 cup puffed rice
4. 1/2 cup diced cucumber
5. 1/2 cup diced tomato
6. 1/2 cup boiled peas
7. 1/2 boiled potatoes
8. 1/2 cup chopped carrots
9. 1/2 loosely crushed poppadom (optional)
10. 1/2 cup chickpea nuggets or riata boondi
11. 2 tbsp tamarind chutney, can swap for lime juice.

Method:

1. Take a bowl and add everything except the tamarind chutney and poppadom.
2. Add the tamarind chutney and mix.
3. Add poppadom just before eating.
4. Savour!

Spinach and cottage cheese rolls/ Wraps Potato and egg rolls/ Wraps

 

This big Hello Monday recipe will give you a massive lift. It has high fibre, protein, flavor and texture. You can use ur leftovers to make this too, just like I did 🤪. Whole wheat chapatis used here. Not to forget, 100% budget and toddler friendly. Hope this gives you some fun ideas for an exhausting weekday in 46 degree Celsius heat!

Spinach and cottage cheese rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sauteed spinach
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 whole wheat chapati/ tortilla

Method:

1. Take the tortilla, layer the spinach and cottage cheese and roll. Eat..
2. That’s it 🙂

Potato and egg rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites beaten well
• 1 boiled potato, sliced
• 1/2 tsp oil
• 1 whole wheat tortilla/ chapati
• veggies of choice to add to the omelette

Method:

1. Heat a pan on high heat, add the beaten egg white with veggies and make an omelette
2. Remove from pan. Add the potato slices and let them crisp up a little around the edges
3. Take the tortilla, add the omelette and potato slices, roll and enjoy
4. All done 😛

PS: I have used no dressing or spread because I think the ingredients are enough and do-not need to be smothered in anything. Feel free to add if you fancy.

Grilled Chicken Platter

This one pan wonder is perfect for busy weeknights. Everything on this plate is locally sourced and this was ready to eat in 15 mins. Only used paprika (degi mirch) and salt. Used mustard oil for marination and cooking. Doesn’t get any easier than this.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 sliced onion
• 1/2 peas, boiled
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1 tsp lime juice (fresh)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika/ degi mirch
• 1 tsp mustard oil for marination and 1 tsp for cooking

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken for 7-8 mins in lime juice, salt, paprika or degi mirch powder and mustard oil.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan and add mustard oil. Let it smoke. Then add the mushrooms and onions and saute on high flame for about 3-4 mins. Remove on to the plate.
3. Once the chicken has marinated, add the pieces in the same pan. Cook for about 3 mins on each side and they should be sizzling and done.
4. Serve on the platter with tomatoes and peas and its done.

Mango Summer Salad with crushed Peanuts

This is a salad that can be easily put together with commonly available summer veggies. Exotic is inexpensive. This is loaded with antioxidants because of the mango and helps with the protein and flavor quotient because of the peanuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango, diced. The variety used here is Safeda but you can use whatever is available
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 beetroot, diced
• 1/2 carrot, diced
• 2 tbsp roasted crushed peanuts
• 1 tsp juice of a fresh lime
• Few mint leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Just mix everything together except the peanuts.
2. Serve on a plate
3. Add the peanuts on top of the salad just before eating.
4. Enjoy with a fine cocktail or lemonade.

Split wheat is an excellent whole grain choice which can be made sweet or savoury. This food plate can be eaten anytime and completely guilt free. There are so many versions of this too. Today we used veggies and cottage cheese. Do try and tell us if it made you stronger for the day.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup split wheat or daliya (raw)
• 1/2 cup chopped vegetables of choice
• 1/2 tsp chopped or grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp whole cumin (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp grated cottage cheese (optional)
• 1 tbsp mustard oil (use any oil of choice)

Method:

• Dry roast the split wheat in a pan until fragrant.
• Remove from the pan.
• Now add oil to the pan. Once hot, add the cumin and ginger.
• After about 20 seconds, add the chopped veggies and stir fry for about 2 mins.
• Then add the roasted split wheat and mix everything together.
• Add water, salt, turmeric and mix well.
• Once the water starts boiling, cover and cook on low flame until the water dries out. The daliya or split wheat should be soft by now but not mushy. It should take about 7-8 mins for this process.
• Switch off the flame and enjoy piping hot.

Kala Chana Kebabs (Black Gram Cutlets)

Kala Chana or Black Gram is from the Chickpea Family. It is a very high source of protein and fibre. They are gluten free and vegan. This a typical make ahead recipe. You can feed an army with this, on a budget and without any guilt. We don’t need a lot of ingredients either. We just need to mix everything and cook in a basic frying and serve with condiments of choice..

PS: The plate in the picture is a personal favourite for me.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup boiled black gram/ kala chana
2. 2 tsp ginger garlic and chilli paste.
3. 2 tbsp chopped coriander
4. 1 tbsp chopped mint
5. 1 boiled potato
6. Salt to taste
7. 1 tsp garam masala or Indian all spice or curry powder
8. 2-3 tbsp oil for shallow frying

Method:

1. Blitz the kala chana in a blender or food processor to grind to a coarse-ish paste. It shouldn’t be a puree.
2. Add all other ingredients except the potato and oil.
3. Finally grate the boiled potato and knead everything together.
4. Break into palm sized balls and flatten to form discs.
5. Heat a heavy bottom frying pan, heat about 2-3 tbsp oil in it. Place the discs in a flat sequence and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side turning gently from time to time.
6. Ready eat.

Note:

1. Soak the kala chana overnight. Then pressure cook to boil For faster cooking, boil the ginger, garlic and green chilli with the kala chana.
2. These cutlets are pretty soft, hence called kebabs. Deal with them gently.
3. We enjoy this with a mint and raw mango chutney but you can choose whatever you like.

Power Roast Snacks

This is a simple recipe, involving a handful of ingredients , but all of them powerhouses of nutrition. This is usually always made ahead of time in large batches and has a shelf life of up to 1 month. You don’t need any extra oil or special seasoning, simple salt will do. This is just one of the many things we learn over the course of time from our grandparents..these serve well has snacks or breakfast items.. just add a glass of milk or some yogurt to go with about 1/2 cup of this mix and you are all set for the day.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups raw fox-nuts.
2. 1 cup raw peanuts
3. 1/2 dry coconut cut into pieces

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan/ skillet, preferably cast iron and heat it.
2. Once warm, add the peanuts and roast on a medium low flame until crunchy. Remove in a large bowl and leave to cool.
3. Then, add the fox-nuts and roast for 5 mins. They will just start to turn crunchy at this point. At the coconut pieces and then roast together for another 5-7 mins.
4. The coconut should start browning and the fox-nuts should have a ring to it by now. Remove from the pan and add to the bowl with the peanuts.
5. You’ll notice that peanuts and coconut will have released natural oil. Add salt at this point to taste and toss everything.
6. Let this come down to room temperature and store in an airtight container. Enjoy at will.

PS: This is a great salad topping as well. It is unconventional but it works brilliantly with everything.

Whiskey Sour

In the weekend mood, sharing a well tested recipe for a mind blowing cocktail. The only trick for this recipe is to get fresh lime juice. So, here we go

Ingredients:

• 30 ml fresh lime juice
• 30 ml sugar syrup (1 tsp sugar dissolved in 1 tsp water)
• 60 ml good quality whiskey/ bourbon/ blended scotch
• 1 egg white
• Ice for shaking and serving
• A lime wedge for garnish

Method:

• Combine all ingredients in the shaker but donot add ice.
• Dry shake them for 25 seconds.
• Fill the shaker with ice now and shake further for 60 seconds.
• Pour into a chilled glass over ice. Garnish with the lime wedge
• Enjoy 🙂