Oatmeal Cookies with white chocolate and cherries

Oats have a well-balanced protein than other cereals. Oats contain plant chemicals which have been associated with protection from disease like cancer. They contain a good balance of essential fatty acids, which are linked with longevity and general good health. Oats are high in amino acids which are essential proteins that help facilitate optimum functioning of the body. Oats are a good source of essential vitamins such as thiamin, folic acid, biotin and vitamin E. They also contain zinc, selenium, copper, iron  and magnesium.
Little wonder that oatmeal and this multigrain cookie can hardly be called a cookie as it has all the healthy nutrients essential for breakfast.  In my house all other cereals are forgotten when I bake these yummy cookies. Not just the breakfast even the post supper dessert is cold milk and this cookie.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup cooking oil, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla essence, ½ white flour, 1 ½ cup wheat or multi grain flour, 2 cup oat meal(ground), ½ cup rolled oats, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt,  1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks, 10 cherries canned or frozen.

Method:
Cream together oil, sugar and brown sugar with egg beater(electric egg beater if possible).  Add eggs and vanilla and beat some more till it is creamy  and smooth.
Mix flours, oatmeal, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Put these into the creamy mixture only three or four tsp at a time. Take a strong wooden spatula to mix the flours with the creamy blend. Now add white chocolate to the mixture.  At last cut cherries into small pieces and mix with the rest of the dough.
Make golf ball sized cookie dough balls and place them two inches apart on a non greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degree F (220degree C) in a pre heated oven.
Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.   

Corn Salad

Corn on the cob or corn kernels make a great snack.  Corn is full of nutrients necessary for our body.  One serving of corn is packed with calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. The high amount of fiber present in corn helps lower cholesterol levels and also reduces the risk of colon cancer. Corn, if consumed in moderate quantities, has been seen to be beneficial for those suffering from diabetes.

Being rich in folate, corn helps the generation of new cells, especially during pregnancy.

Those suffering from anemia have shown positive effects after consuming corns.

Corn has been found to be helpful in treating kidney problems, including renal dysfunction. Regular consumption of corn, in moderate quantities, has been associated with better cardiovascular health.

Here corn has been turned into a delicious salad with only one tsp of olive oil and lemon juice. On any summer evening you can use this colorful salad as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of boiled corn, 1 medium onion , 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, juice of one medium lemon, 1 tsp olive oil,  5 black olives sliced(optional), 1 tsp chaat masala, salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Drain water of the boiled corn and put it in a glass bowl.
Chop onion, cucumber, tomato into small pieces and add to the corn bowl.
Sprinkle chaat masala, salt and pepper on the corn. Add slices of black olives.
Drizzle olive oil and juice on the top and toss it well.
Chill it for half an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Oil Free Lemon Cake

This cake is baked without any oil and yet you don’t notice that this is oil free sponge. Lemon glaze makes it real yummy. This makes a perfect coffee cake.

 
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 cup white flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp lemon essence,  juice of one medium lemon, ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp sugar

Method:
Take a big pan fill it with hot water. Take another bowl and put ½ cup sugar and eggs in it and place this bowl in the hot water pan. Beat eggs and sugar till they are creamy in the consistency. Take the bowl out of the hot water pan.
Add white flour little by little and mix well with a wooden spatula. When flour is well blended, add lemon essence and mix again.
Grease a small cake mold, pour the cake batter and bake at 200 degree C(300 degree F) for  35 minutes or till wooden stick comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and leave in the mould for 10-15 minutes. Take it out on the wire rack and let it cool off.
After an hour, take juice of lemon, ½ cup of water and 2 tbsp of sugar in a small pan and cook over a medium flame.  Pour this mixture over the cake.  Before serving sprinkle some powdered sugar for decoration.

Bitter Gourd cooked two ways

Stir fry bitter gourd
Bitter gourd is the most bitter of all culinary vegetables.  It’s a tropical vegetable probably originated in South-East Asia.  Although bitterness of this vegetable might turn some folks away but it can sweeten the life due to its disease preventing and health promoting compounds.
Bitter gourd is popularly called Karela in India.  It is very low in calories but very rich in dietary fiber.  Bitter Melons are rich in iron, beta carotene, twice the calcium of spinach and, twice the potassium of bananas, and contain Vitamins A, C, B1 to B3 and Phosphorus.
As for its medicinal value, Bitter Gourd has been reported to have hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in treating diabetes.  It has anti malaria properties also. Bitter gourd is a blood purifier and hence works well in case of minor skin disorders.
Such nutritional vegetable when cooked  loses its bitterness to a large extent.  Bitter gourd known as karela in Hindi is a very popular side dish on any dinner table in India. It is cooked in two ways, as a stir fry chips with onions and as stuffed karelas. 
Stir fry chips is a dry vegetable and this is a quick and easy version which is often made in our house, when we do not have enough time for making stuffed karelas.  The ingredients used are similar in both these recipes, except for the method of cooking.

Ingredients:
5 or 6 medium bitter gourd(karela), 3 or 4 medium onions chopped julienne, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red pepper, 1 tsp amchoor powder(dry mango powder, salt to taste, 2 tbsp mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic.
Method:
Cut bitter gourd into chips(not too thin) and put them in a plate and sprinkle some salt and toss it.  Leave this aside for 5-6 hours. On a hot summer day you may leave this in the sunlight for one hour of so.  This process helps in taking the bitterness out of karelas.
When you are ready to cook, wash these salty karela chips under the running water, squeezing them in between so that salt and bitterness both get washed away.
Heat oil in a pan, put a clove of garlic, when garlic turns black, take it out and discard it.
Bring flame to medium and stir fry the karela chips for 5-7 minutes or till they turn reddish brown. Take them out of the pan.
Now sauté the onion in the left over oil in the pan.   When onion turns golden brown, add fried karelas to it.
Add coriander powder, turmeric, red pepper, amchoor powder and salt. Cover the pan for two minutes. Uncover and serve hot with parantha, or chapatti.




Stuffed Bitter Gourd (Bharwa Karela)
This recipe has been in my family for generations.  The stuffing of the karela makes this a real yummy dish. I remember when I made it for the first time for a party at my sister’s home, my brother in law put them away and refused to serve them to guests.  He said he would eat only two per day and that way they will last for at least 10 days.

Since these karelas are cooked in mustard oil, they can last 10 days easily in the refrigerator.  For this recipe you need karelas which are palm size. 
Just scrape the ridges of the karela very lightly and put a slit in the middle length wise. Rub some salt on these and put them aside for 4-5 hours or in the scorching sun for two hours.  When you are ready to cook these wash them under the running water.  Squeeze every piece of karela gently to wash off salt and bitterness.


Ingredients for stuffing:
2 medium unripe mangoes, 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp anise, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 green chilies(optional), salt to taste,  1 tsp mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic

Method for stuffing:
Peel off raw mangoes, make small slices of the pulp part and discard the stone.
Grind together mango slices, coriander seeds, anise, turmeric, green chilies and salt in a blender.
Heat mustard oil and put a clove of garlic till it turns black. Discard the garlic and cook the stuffing blend on the slow flame for five minutes or so. Put it aside.

Ingredients :
Washed karela, ½  tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of garam masala or curry powder, 2 tbsp of mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, put a clove of garlic and discard it when it turns black.
Reduce flame to medium and stir fry karelas till they turn reddish brown.
Turn off the flame and take karelas out in a plate. Let them cool off for a couple of minutes.
Now fill these karelas with the prepared stuffing, pressing at times with your thumb so that more stuffing can fit in.
Once all the karelas are stuffed, turn on the flame on slow. Put karelas into the pan and cook them for five minutes or so. When they turn little stiff, sprinkle garam massala and turn off the flame.
Enjoy with Nan, Parantha or tandoori roti.

Aam Panna(Unripe mango drink)

Mango is called the food of Gods in Hindu mythology.  It is not just the taste but the presence of essential nutrients which bestow the title king of fruits to Mango. Ripe mango is eaten as it is but the raw mango can be used for preparing numerous dishes. Unripe or raw mango is a good source of vitamins B and C which is beneficial in maintaining good health and immune system.

Raw mango is beneficial in treating gastrointestinal disorders. It guards you from the negative affects of excessive hot temperatures. Heat stroke leads to extreme exhaustion and weakness which can be treated with raw mango drink called “panna”.  It is very easy to make this delicious drink. 

Ingredients:
4 medium raw mangoes, water 5 cups, sugar 8 tbsp, black salt 1 ½  tsp, roasted cumin powder 1 tsp., Mint leaves 5 or 6(optional)

Method:
Wash and peel off raw mangoes.  Boil them in a pressure cooker for 5-7 minutes.
Once they cool off, take out the pulp from the stone of the mango and blend it well in a blender.
Cook this on a slow flame by adding sugar and salt . Turn off the flame and add cumin powder.
When it cools off, bottle it and put in the refrigerator
While serving put crushed ice, ½  glass of panna drink. and pour some cold water over it.
Decorate with two mint leaves. 
Now put your feet up, fill your glass with this refreshing drink on a hot summer day and just chill.
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Aloo Chaat

When I was a little girl, my Mom would not let me eat Aloo Chaat from the street vendor, as I was prone to tonsil problem .  Once in the sixth grade, I was caught red handed by my Mom when I was having this in my recess period from the street vendor. Little did I know that Mom would visit my school that very moment.  After the scolding session my Mom made the best Aloo Chaat at home.  Since then this dish holds a very special place in my heart and I call it my comfort food.

Aloo Chaat  is a street food from North India.  It is prepared by frying potatoes in oil by adding spices and other ingredients.. The word "Aloo" means potatoes in Hindi and the word "Chaat" is derived from Hindi word "Chatna" which means licking.  In fact this savory dish is so delicious that it is hard not to relish it and lick your fingers or even your spoon.

It is a good snack or an appetizer which can be served as a potato salad or a light meal. It is made from boiled and fried cubed potatoes served with  spicy yogurt and green and sweet chutney. There is hardly anyone in India who is not familiar with this yummy dish. It is a versatile dish that can be prepared in varied ways in different regions across the country.

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Ingredients:
4 big potatoes or 5 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into small cubes, 1 ½ tbsp cooking oil,  medium size heavy  non stick pan,  2 cups plain yogurt, ½ tsp black salt, ¾ tsp roasted cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp paprika or red pepper, ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp chaat masala,

Method:
Heat oil in a non stick pan and fry cubed potatoes till golden brown and crispy. If we use heavy non stick pan for frying it will consume less oil. After frying take potatoes out on a paper towel so that extra oil get soaked.
Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it by adding water and all the spices. Take out fried hot potatoes in a plate, drizzle a tbsp or two of yogurt on the top.
Now sprinkle a tsp of green chutney and 2 tsp of sweet chutney on the top and garnish with pomegranate and serve.
Note: Recipe of green and sweet chutney is in the Papri Chaat blog.

Black Chickpeas Salad

Black chickpeas also known as Bengal gram is one of the most nutritious of legume family. It is very high in protein and it is one of the earliest cultivated legumes, almost 7500 years old remains have been found in the Middle East.
Chickpeas make nutritious and healthy diet. It reduces cholesterol, prevents constipation and helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. Daily consumption of Chickpeas reduces risk of coronary heart disease and iron deficiency; helps stabilize the blood sugar levels. 100g of Chickpeas has 364 calories. Calories from fat are 51.
Black chickpeas make a very good vegetarian or vegan dish. In India it is cooked as a curry with potatoes. I have made salad out of cooked black chickpeas which is delicious as well as nutritious.

Ingredients:
Black chickpeas 1 ½ cup, 1 medium onion, 1 medium size cucumber, 1 medium tomato, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp cooking oil, ¼ tsp asafoetida,  1 tsp cumin seeds,  1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp dry mango powder(Amchoor), 1 big green chilly(optional), salt  to taste.

Method:
Soak black chickpeas overnight. Next day boil them in a pressure cooker.  By soaking them overnight it will take almost half the time in boiling.  They should be really soft and tender when you press between finger and thumb, once cooked.
While chickpeas is boiling, peel and chop cucumber and onion into small pieces.  Cut tomato and green chilly finely.
Once chickpeas is cooked and excess water is drained, cook them.  Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida and cumin seeds.  When cumin stops spluttering,  add boiled chickpeas, coriander powder, mango powder and salt.  Cook for a couple of minutes or till all the excess water evaporates. Stir them and take them out in a glass bowl.  Mix chopped onion, cucumber, tomato, green chilly and juice of a lemon. Toss it and enjoy as an appetizer or as a side dish.