Chickpeas Salad

Chickpeas are high in fibre and protein and they have low gylcemic index. This can help control your weight keeping you full the whole day.
Including 3/4 cup of chickpeas in your diet every day can help lower bad cholesterol which reduces the risk of heart disease.

INGREDIENTS

Chickpeas cooked  -  1 cup
Carrot chopped  -  1/2 cup
Dates or dried plums chopped  -  1/4 cup (I used dates)
Almonds chopped  -  1 tbsp
Cumin powder  -  1tbsp
Lemon juice  -  2tbsp
Olive oil  -  4 tbsp
Honey  -  1 tbsp
Pepper powder  -  1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped  -  1 tbsp
Salt  -  to taste.


METHOD

To make the dressing, in a bowl mix together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin powder, pepper and salt. Keep it aside.
In another bowl combine chopped carrot, chickpeas, chopped dates, coriander leaves and almonds.
Gently toss everything together.
Then add the dressing all over and mix well.
Serve with brown bread toast.

Vegetable Oats Puttu

INGREDIENTS

Oats  -  2 cups
Carrot chopped  -  1/4 cup
Cabbage chopped  -  1/4 cup
Onion chopped  -  1 small
Coriander leaves chopped  -  2 tbsp
Grated coconut  -  as required
Salt  -  to taste
Water

MEHOD

Add the oats in a bowl with required salt and mix well with the hands.
The add chopped carrot, cabbage, onion and coriander leaves and mix well sprinkling 2 tbsp water. (Make sure not to add too much water as water might become sticky).
The mixture should be a crumbled one.
In the puttu kutti (puttu maker) fill in the grated coconut and oats mixture alternately.
Steam until it is done.
Serve hot with pappadams.

Tindli in Tamarind Sauce

I always used to make Tindli fry and that is my husband's one of the favorite side dish. But then i thought that I must make something different with this vegetable,so tried this recipe and it came out really well.

INGREDIENTS

Tindli  -  250gms
Onion sliced  -  1 small
Cumin seeds  -  1 tsp
Tamarind paste  -  1 tbsp
Red chilli powder  -  1 tsp
Turmeric powder  -  1/4 tsp
Garam masala  -  1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped  -  1 tbsp
Salt  -  to taste
Oil


METHOD

Slice the tindli vertical and mix it with sliced onions.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the tindli until it is light coloured.
Then heat little oil in the pan and burst cumin seeds.
Then add tamarind paste and mix well.
Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup water and allow it to boil well.
Then add the fried tindli and cook for 2 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice / roti.

Coriander Wheel Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

Bread slices  -  4 slices
Coriander leaves chopped  -  1 cup
Grated coconut  -  1/4 cup
Roasted peanuts  -  1 tbsp
Garlic cloves  -  2 nos
Ginger  -  1" piece
Green chilli  -  2 nos
Lemon juice  -  1 lemon
Amul lite butter
Salt  -  to taste


METHOD

Slice the corners of the bread and wrap it in a wet muslin cloth to keep the bread soft and moist for about 30 minutes.
Grind the coriander leaves, grated coconut, peanuts, garlic, ginger, green chilli, lemon juice and salt to make a coarse paste.
Spread some butter onto the bread slices.
Then spread the coriander paste on top the bread slices.
Then gently roll the bread slices.
Then wrap it tightly in a tissue paper and cover both the ends.
Then again roll it into a moist cloth.
Leave it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Repeat the same for the rest of the bread slices.
After one hour, slice the rolls like a wheel.
Serve with tomato sauce.

Cilantro Pesto Pasta

INGREDIENTS

Pasta  -  1 cup
Cilantro (Coriander)  -  1 cup
Walnuts  -  1 tbsp
Olive oil  -  1 tbsp
Garlic  -  1 clove
Green chilly  -  1 nos
Salt  -  to taste


METHOD

Pesto Sauce:
Put cilantro, walnuts, olive oil, garlic and green chilly in a blender and blend to a paste.

Pesto Pasta:
Prepare the pasta as per the pakage instructions.
Toss the pasta with the pesto sauce, add salt and mix well.
Serve with vegetable salad.

Dal Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS

Toor dal  -  1/2 cup
Tomato  -  1 nos
Onion chopped  -  1 nos
Carrot chopped  -  1 small
Beans chopped  -  few
Garlic chopped  -  2 cloves
Pepper powder  -  1/2 tsp
Salt  -  to taste
Olive oil


METHOD
Put the dal along with tomato in the cooker upto 3 whistles and allow it to cook.
After it is cooled, put it in a blender and blend well.
Then heat olive oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and saute well.
Then add all the veggies and saute well.
Then add in the blended dal and mix well.
Add pepper powder and salt to taste.
Allow the dal and veggies to boil little.
Serve hot.

Iced Green Tea with Lemon and Ginger

During the days of summer, sipping a a glass of cold iced tea is a heavenly experience.
Studies show that drinking green tea may help fight cancer and heart disease,so savor this iced drink.

INGREDIENTS

Water  -  2 cups
Green tea bag  -  2 nos
Lemon juice  -  from 1 lemon
Honey  -  2 tsp
Crushed ginger  -  1 small piece
Ice  -  few cubes

METHOD

Boil water and immerse the green tea bags in it for about 5 minutes.
Then remove the tea bags.
Add lemon juice, honey and crushed ginger to it and mix well.
Add few ice cubes or refrigerate it for about half an hour.
Drink and enjoy.

Sprouts Salad

Moong sprouts salad is a very easy as well as healthy salad recipe. Sprouts are nutrition superstars loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

INGREDIENTS

Moong sprouts  -  1 cup
Onion finely chopped  -  1 small
Carrot finely chopped  -  1 small
Cucumber finely chopped  -  1 nos
Lemon juice  -  1 tsp
Pepper powder  -  1/2 tsp
Salt  -  to taste

METHOD

Once the Moong sprouts are ready rinse them well in water.
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Refrigerate for half hour.
Serve.


Servings: 2 persons
Calories: 60 cal