Yogurt Salad ( Raita)

Yogurt/ Curd as we all know is known for many health benefits. Its is a great source of calcium and good active bacteria which is very important for our digestive tract. In India we have many yogurt based salads which we call as Raita. We have vegetable raita, boondi raita and even fruit raita. There are some yogurt salads which are made of only specific fruits like pineapple raita, orange raita and apple raita.

The recipe which I am sharing today is vegetable raita. It can be eaten along with your meal. In India raita is had along with lunch or dinner. It also goes very well with Indian Biryani dishes. So here is a super easy salad recipe.

Ingredients

Curd/Yogurt 1 Cup
Cucumber 1 Small
onion 1 small
Tomato 1 Medium
coriander Leaves chopped 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Roasted cumin seeds powder ( optional)
Red chilly powder ( optional)



Method

Fine chop all the vegetables. Whip the curd nicely. Now add the chopped vegetables to the whipped curd. Add salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar and mix well. If you want it to be sweeter you may add more sugar. People who prefer spicy food can also add a pinch or two of red chilly powder.

Roasted cumin seeds powder can also be added in vegetable raita. Generally we don't put this for fruit raitas.

Enjoy this super easy and healthy yogurt salad with your meal!

Matar Paneer

Paneer is also known as cottage cheese and is used a lot in Indian vegetarian dishes. They are rich in calcium. Many gravy dishes as well as sweets are prepared from it in India. Here is a simple paneer gravy dish made along with peas. This is one of the favorite dishes of many vegetarians as well as non vegetarians.

Ingredient
Tomato 2 Medium Sized
Cashew Nuts - 6-7
Kastoori Methi Dry
Paneer 100 gms
Peas 1/2 Cup
Salt to taste
oil 2-3 tsp
Garam masala powder
Kashmiri red chilly powder

Method
Soak the cashew nut in water for 1-2 hrs. Make a fine paste of soaked cashew nuts and chopped tomatoes. Dont put water while making the paste as tomato itself has lot of water.
Cut paneer into cubes and keep aside.
Now heat oil in pan. add the above paste to it and let it cook for 10 - 12 minutes.
When the paste is roasted well and starts to leave oil, add 1 tsp of dry kastoori methi to it. After that add 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder, peas and salt to it and let it cook for 1 min. Now add around 2/3 cup water to it. As water starts to boil add paneer to it and let it cook for 2-3 mins till gravy becomes little thick.
Enjoy it with Paratha or roti.

Dahi Vada

Dahi vada is a yogurt based dish, generally prepared on the festival of holi in India. This can be enjoyed as desert after food or can also be eaten as snack. The main ingredient of it is Urad Dal also known as black gram and curd. So here is the recipe, do try it out.


Ingredients

For Vada

Urad Dal 1/2 Cup
oil for frying 3/4 Cup
Asafoetida/hing 2-3 pinch
Coriander Leaf - 1 tsp chopped
Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Green chilly (optional)
Ginger 1/2 tsp grated

For Curd and Garnish
Curd 1 Cup
Red chilly Powder 1/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin Seeds Powder 1/2 tsp
Chart masala  ( optional)

Method 

Clean urad dal nicely and soak it in water over night. Now grind it with little water into thick paste. Add hing, chopped coriander leaves, salt, grated ginger, cumin seeds and chopped green chilly (optional) and mix it well.





Now heat oil in a pan. And make small balls of the paste with whole at the centre and dip it in oil, one by one.








Fry it on both the sides on slow to medium flame till golden brown. Many people like to eat vadas like this also. So you can also enjoy fried vadas like this.





Now to make it more soft when you dip it in curd, you can dip it in warm water for 10 - 15mins. Press it softly and see if it has become soft. Now sqeeze extra water gently, if little water remains it okai, nothing to worry.



Now add whipped curd to the soft wada as shown.

Garnish the Dahi vada by sprinkling it with chopped coriander leaves, chilly powder, roasted cumin seeds powder, salt and chat masala.

You can also serve it with emli ki chutney (  tamarind chutney) or simply like this. Enjoy it with friends and relatives.

Jeera Rice with Cashew Nuts

Ingredients

Rice -1 Cup
Jeera - 1 tsp
Cashew Nuts - 7-9
Salt to taste
Biryani Masala
Water - 2 Cup
Ghee or oil - 3 tsp

Method
Heat oil or ghee in a cooker. Add jeera and cashew nuts in the heated oil. Fry for 1-2 mins till cashew nuts start becoming golden. Add the washed rice. Now add salt and biryani masala around 1/2 tsp and fry it for 4-5mins.
Heat 2 cups of water separately and add in fried rice. Now put the cooker lid and wait for 2 whistles. Switch off the gas and wait for sometime till the steam comes put of cooker naturally. this may take 10 -15mins.
This can also be cooked in electric cooker or microwave.
Serve it with any curry.
Note: If you want cashew nuts to be crunchy then fry it golden brown and keep aside. Garnish the rice when cooked with it.

Carrot Salad

If anyone asks you which fruit or vegetable are the best for your eyes, the obvious answer which comes to the mind of most of us is "CARROT". Yes, carrot is indeed an amazing vegetable with a huge list of nutritional benefits. It has vitamins like A, C, K and Potassium. It prevents heart diseases, cancer, eye sight problems, diabetes and the list goes on.

People enjoy eating carrots raw. Some also like to have carrot juice or add it in their salads. Adding carrot in salad is an easiest way to have it in your daily meal. So, here is an extremely easy and quick carrot salad recipe.

Ingredients

Carrot - 2 Medium Size
onion - 1 small
Coriander leaves  4-5 Stems
Lemon
Salt to taste

Method

Grade the carrots. Finely chop onions and coriander leaves. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix everything well.

Enjoy this amazing and extremely easy salad with your main course.

Note: If you want to make it spicy, you can also add chopped green chillies.

Chicken Egg Soup

Chicken and egg are two amazing ingredients for a soup. I usually make this soup for my daughter when she is bored of eating normal egg or when she is having cold. This soup is good for adults as well as kids.

Ingredients
Chicken- 2 pieces
Egg - 1
Cornflour - 1 tsp
onion small - 1/2
garlic - 2-3 flakes
ginger - 1/2 tsp finely chopped
Pepper Powder
Salt to taste

Method
Finely chop ginger, garlic and onion. Keep chicken pieces for boiling along with ginger, garlic, onion and salt. When chicken is cooked, take it out and keep aside. Strain the water and mash vegetables so that its mixes in stock. Now keep it for boiling. Mix cornflour in a cup with little water. When stock starts boiling and cornflour to it. Stir nicely.
Now beat an egg and add to boiling soup. Stir slowly while adding egg.
Check salt and add if required. Add pinch of pepper powder or as per your taste.
Enjoy it hot with friends and family.

Carrot Halwa

If anyone asks you which fruit or vegetable are the best for your eyes, the obvious answer which comes to the mind of most of us is "CARROT". Yes, carrot is indeed an amazing vegetable with a huge list of nutritional benefits. It has vitamins like A, C, K and Potassium. It prevents heart diseases, cancer, eye sight problems, diabetes and the list goes on.
People enjoy eating carrots raw. Some also like to have carrot juice or add it in their salads. Carrot Halwa is an amazing desert made from carrot and milk as two major ingredients. This is one of the favorite deserts in all parties and marriages. The dish is amazing for kids because of its nutritional benefits.

Ingredients
Carrot - 3 Large or 6 Medium Sized
Milk - 1 Litre (Whole milk)
Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Cardamom - 3- 4
Raisin - 12 - 15 pieces
Cashew - 8-10
Almond - 8-10
Ghee - 3-4 tsp

Method
Grate the carrot and keep aside.

Keep the milk for boiling. Once the milk starts to boil, add the grated carrot in it. Let it boil for 40- 50 mins till the milk thickens. Now add sugar, chopped cashew and raisins.

When milk is further solidified, add powdered cardamom. Add 2-3 Tsp of ghee or oil if required and let it cook till milk condenses completely. Taste it and see if you need more sugar.
Garnish it with chopped almond.

Note: You can eat it warm or cold as per your taste. I like it luke warm but my husband likes it cold! It can also be served luke warm with vanilla ice cream.