Instant Qunioa and Pumpkin Handvo

Hello Sweeties!!!! I am too late to do any recap for year 2013 and its almost end of the first month o year 2014. I meant to be regular in posting new recipes, but whatever I made is alreayd on the blog. 

We Maharashtrians celebrate the festival of Sankrant in January. I have so far made Sesame fudge/ Tilgul mau wadya and gul poli twice so far. They get over at the speed of the lightening I feel. So anytime I expect someone coming over, I have to make it again.



Overindulging in such sweets has started making me feel guilty. So to overcome that, I also made this savory Handvo but in  a cake form. I had to finish  a big chunk of red pumpkin, but if you want to save the trouble of pureeing pumpkin, use the canned version, works equally fine. 

You will need;  1 cup cooked Quinoa
**To cook Quinoa, wash the grains in 4-5 changes of water, this will help remove the bitterness, alternatively soak in water, but I find the washing better in removing the bitterness. then double amount of water cook just like rice for 10-15 mins. cool and then fluff, its ready to use.
1/2 cup Coarse sooji/rava
1/2 cup Yogurt
2 cups Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Besan/Chick pea flour
1/2 tsp Citric Acid
1 tsp Green chili paste
1 tsp Ginger grated
1 tsp Red chili/cayenne Powder
1 tspn Cumin powder
1 tspn Corriander powder
1 tbspn Flax seeds
 1 tbspn ENO fruit salt Salt to taste  

Tempering; 3 Tbspn Oil
1 tbspn Mustard seeds
1 tbspn Cumin/Jeera seeds
3 Tbspn sesame seeds
5-7 curry leaves
1 tspn aesofodita/hing
1 tspn Haldi/Turmeric
In a wok, mix the rava/sooji and the cooked quinoa, add in the besan and all the dry ingredients and spices, salt, citric acid red chili and flax seeds, mix well and then add the yogurt and the pumpkin puree and mix well. We need a flowing consistency, so adjust water. I did not need any, as I used little to puree the pumpkin. Stir well and last lastly prepare the tempering. 

In a wok, take the oil, when it smokes, reduce the heat and add the tempering ingredients in the similar order. Pour half of the tempering into the batter, stir well and add the ENO fruit salt and stir once. 

Lastly  prepare the pans for baking. Oil spray two pans and pour the mixture and add the rest of the tempering over the batter and bake in a pre heated oven at 375 degree for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy this healthy snack with a cup of chai or just as is.

Quinoa with Lentils- Protein Powerhouse.

Hello Dearies!!!! Hope you are all sticking to your new years resolutions as February is nearing and this is the time when most if not all of our resolutions go flying out of the window. I for this year, did not make any resolutions. I planned on changing my eating habits for my family's health and benefit and include some if not all of the healthy options. While chatting with some friends, we had an healthy discussion of how vegetarians who eat eggs still lack amounts of good protein that is so essential in the growth of young boys. This got me worried, as my boys are self declared vegetarians. We did not force our eating habits on our kids. They are and will always be free to eat whatever their heart desires. I myself was a hardcore meat and fish eater, but age and influences made a big difference and I turned a vegetarian. But the questions came back to me; really am I not giving the right food, am I hindering their growth?? such questions kind of haunted me pushing me into a guilt mode. I kept reading about Super-food Quinoa since some time. My SIL  praised on how easy it was to really cook it and how versatile it is to eat with salad, curry or even on its own. I was hooked. I went to whole foods to buy some, but being new to this food and the choices available there kind of overwhelmed me. Also the price was not for me for trial and error. I am frugal when it comes to spending. If we use it I do not think twice on the cost. But new food and  price around 12-15$ was  not for me. My search continued until one day I saw it in our wholesale club. The price was less than $7, which works for me for trial and error. I got the packet home and stared at it for a good 3 weeks before it hit me to do some search on the recipes on how to cook with it. I had initially planned on cooking it and mixing in some corn chat as nothing I believe nothing tastes bad with a little chat masala and salt. But my views changed then first time I cooked it with some garlic and rosemary, I had it as is with some flax seed chutney. Even Mr. Ash  gave it a try and he sort of liked it. He still prefers his rice  at dinner. Then we tried in an instant handvo, a famous gujrati snack, which he liked very well. My confidence in this super food is growing now. I am planning on using it in many more varieties which essentially ask for rava or rice. Join me in my search of some quick and easy quinoa recipes. Lets create some Quinoa magic all around us in year 2013.

To Make the Lentils in a slow cooker;

Makes around 3 cups of  Lentils;

You will need;

1.5 cup Lentils/I used Red Lentils/Masoor whole.
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2 inch piece Ginger,chopped
1 tbspn Oil
1 tsp ghee
1 tspn Cumin seeds

3 cloves Garlic,chopped

1 Large Onion chopped

Green chillies,slit 2
2 medium Tomatoes,chopped
1 Tspn Garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Wash and soak the lentils in the same vessel of the slow cooker for approx 8 hours. After the dal is well soaked, drain and prepare the tomato-onion masala.

In a wok, take the oil and the ghee, add the cumin, let it sizzle, then add the ginger and the garlic, add the onions and dash of salt. Let the mixture cook for 2 minutes, then ad the tomatoes and cook till the onion and tomato gets mashed well and oil starts separating from the sides. Add this to the soaked dal. Adjust the amount of water. I added water till an inch above the mixture, adjust the salt. add in the red chili powder, Green chillies and the garam masala. Cover with the lid and start the Slow cooker on High for 2 hours. After it boils, set it on Low and forget about it for a good 6-8 hours.
To Make Quinoa;

You will need;
1/2 Cup Quinoa- I have Organic Qunioa which I got from BJ's.
1 cup water
1/2 tsp Ghee/Clarified butter
1 clove garlic
3-5 curry leaves
1 tsp Cumin seeds/Jeera
Salt to taste

Wash and drain the quinoa in multiple changes of water. This is important as the Quinoa has skin which is bitter and multiple washes help in removing the  bitterness. I changed water 3 times. Keep aside the washed Quinoa to drain.

In a pan, heat the ghee, add the Cumin/jeera seeds, let them sizzle, then add the garlic, and then the curry leaves. When they get fried, add the washed Quinoa and roast for few minutes, Then last add water and salt to taste. Cover with a lid and let cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Take off the stove but keep covered. Fluff after 5 minutes. Its ready to eat. The quinoa tripled in size and after cooking. I ended up with close to 1.5 cups of cooked Quinoa.

Verdict;
 If you like Dalia or cracked wheat, this is similar to that after cooking but nuttier and fuller. The Half cup Quinoa with one cup of lentil soup filled me up and I did not have any other cravings. I had it for lunch and did not mind skipping the mid afternoon snack as I was really not very hungry. So if you trying to eat healthy and also watching your weight, This is a perfect meal in acceptable portion and also healthier than most fad foods which we run to get in health stores.

Donut liked it and is willing to try it in his lunch box,. Munchkin did not care less, he still prefers his rice like Mr. Ash. Phew!!!!! Am I tired or what, pleasing all 3 boys with their choice of dinner.

Fusion Instant Handvo with Quinoa and Flax seeds

 

Hello Dearies!!!! The new year has started with some healthy and unique ways. Quinoa had been on my wish list since long, I got the packet from BJ's, but never got around to making anything. The healthy talk around me about super food quinoa intrigued me, till I saw Manasi of Cook@ Heart make Quinoa Falafel. This got me thinking, if she can make burgers, maybe I can replace it in any rice or rava recipes. Ha Ha... I tried my hand at Instant handvo. Since Munchkin does not like any strings in his food, and he gets suspicious of my tricks, I had to puree the bottle gourd, an imp ingredient in making handvo. But what I got instead was pure bliss. The sourness of the yogurt was balanced with fullness of rava and quinoa. The traces of any bottle gourd were masked with taste and texture. I did not use any water as I had used some to puree the bottle gourd. The addition of the flax seeds with the sesame seeds give it a nice crunch. I am waiting to twist so many of traditional rava recipes, that I might stop buying sooji or rava. I love you Quinoa!!!!

Another major change I did to my diet, was to add half a cup of cooked quinoa to my dinner. I enjoyed it with lentil soup one day and sort of made an instant chili, had it with some chopped peppers and made quick salad. Either ways I liked the nuttyness and the fact that it made me FULL to the brim. IT fills you up guys, so if eating and craving food is the only hurdle in your portion eating, you might like to try adding this to your meal.

You will need;

 1 cup cooked Quinoa
**To cook Quinoa, wash the grains in 4-5 changes of water, this will help remove the bitterness, alternatively soak in water, but I find the washing better in removing the bitterness.
1/2 cup Coarse sooji/rava
1/2 cup Yogurt
2 cups Bottle Gourd/doodhi Puree
1/2 cup Besan/Chick pea flour
1/2 tsp Citric Acid
Salt to taste
1 tsp Green chili paste
1 tsp Ginger grated
1 tsp Red chili/cayenne Powder
1 tspn Cumin powder
1 tspn Corriande powder
1 tbspn Flax seeds
 1 tbspn ENO fruit salt

 Tempering;

5 Tbspn Oil
1 tbspn Mustard seeds
1 tbspn Cumin/Jeera seeds
3 Tbspn sesame seeds
5-7 curry leaves
1 tspn aesofodita/hing
1tspn Haldi/Turmeric

In a wok, mix the rava/sooji and the cooked quinoa, add in the besan and all the dry ingredients and spices, salt, citric acid red chili and flax seeds, mix well and then add the yogurt and the Bottle gourd puree and mix well. We need a flowing consistency, so adjust water. I did not need any, as I used little to puree the bottle gourd. Stir well and last lastly prepare the tempering. In a wok, take the oil, when it smokes, reduce the heat and add the tempering ingredients in the similar order. Pour half of the tempering into the batter, stir wekll and add the ENO fruit salt and stir once. Lastly  prepare the pans for baking. Oil spray two laof pans and pour the mixture and add the rest of the tempering over the batter and bake in a pre heated oven at 350 degree for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy this healthy snack with a cup of chai or just as is.

 I did not bake it till the edges browned. I was marketing this handvo to my kids as some sort of savoury cake. reason was that Donut heard my talk with Mr.Ash wherein I told him I am baking an healthy handvo, which was promptly communicated to munchkin as "she is making that string cake again!!!!!!!!!!"..YIKESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

So I kind of changed my story as this is no handvo, handvo is round, see I baked a loaf of some other healthy stuff, which not only tastes good but is actually good for all!!!