Important Information to share

I got this message which spoke about the brain damaging habits, cancer causing food and causes for liver damage. I wanted to share it here as there might be many like me who are not aware of this message. Please share this with your friends and family too..

Brain Damaging Habits:

1. No Breakfast 
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2 . Overeating
It causes harde ning of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution 
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6 . Sleep Deprivation 
Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells..

7. Head covered while sleeping 
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely 
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

The top five cancer-causing foods 

1. Hot Dogs

2. French Fries

3. Processed meat and bacon

4. Cookies, Chips and crakers

5. Doughnuts

CAUSES FOR LIVER DAMAGE:



1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3 . Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil.
   As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver.
Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to 'schedule.'

Pav Bhaji

My dad was the first in my house who made pav bhaji for us. I can say my mom learnt it from him. My dad is a great cook too. He works in a bank and we are used to transfers. So many years he had to manage all by himself and thats how he started to cook. He is a very good cook. When I was in 2nd grade, one day I still remember, he made it for us and it tasted really good. It was a surprise to me that day to see my dad cook such great dishes. Till then I dint know about my dad's culinary skills. From him my mom learnt ;-) heheheh and of course you know how I got it...

I make this very often at home as its very simple. Just combine everything and let it cook. Its done. It healthy also because you can add all possible veggies in it. My mom used this trick to make us eat veggies.

Ok lets get to cooking now...

Ingredients:

Pan de Sal - 1 Pack ( Contains about 18 breads)
Mixed vegetables - 1 cup finely chopped
Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Tomato - 1 big chopped
Oil - 1 tbsps
Salt - to taste
Pav Bhaji Masala - 1.5 tbps
Green Chilli - 1 slit into half
Garlic - 1 tsps finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsps finely chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Lime - 1 Cut into 4 pieces

Preparation

Boil all veggies, mash it and keep it aside

In a pan, heat oil add cumin seeds, green chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for few seconds and add onion. Fry till it becomes transparent. Now add tomatoes and fry for another min.

Add turmeric, salt,  pav bhaji masala, along to mixture and mix well. Let it cook for about 2 mins.

Now add boiled and mashed veggies to the mixture and mix well. Add water according to need and let it cook till the raw smell fades.

This will take about 10 mins. Keep checking in between and add water if necessary. When all ingredients blends well, garnish with cilantro.

Serve it with warm toasted bread along with some fresh onion, lime and cilantro.

I use pan de sal breads or Hawaiian King Dinner Rolls. They are closest to our Indian Pav Bun. Its really yummy...

Sending this to Chaitrali Pathak's Combo meal event and to Vegetarian Foodie Fridays hosted by Melodie

Enjoy your Cooking!!!!

Another Award!!!

I am so happy to inform you that I have got another award today from Sameena Prathap. She has given me this Sunshine award. She is a dentist and is also a great cook. Check out her interesting blog "My Culinary Creations". She has interesting recipes and also lots of information on dental care. In receiving this award, We will have to pass this to 15 blog friends and also link it to the person giving this award. I am very happy to share this award with the following friends. :-)

1. Akheela - http://torviewtoronto.blogspot.com/
2.Ushnish Gosh -http://ushnish.blogspot.com/
3. Santosh Bangar - http://santoshbangar.blogspot.com/
4. shanti Krishnakumar - http://shanthisthaligai.blogspot.com/
5. Roshan -http://roshanscucina.blogspot.com/
6. Pushpa - http://www.simplehomefood.com/
7.Soumya -http://traditional-indian-cooking.blogspot.com/
8. Girlichef - http://girlichef.blogspot.com/
9. Jay - http://tastyappetite.blogspot.com/
10. Akhila -http://akilaskitchen.blogspot.com/
11. Nitu Bala - http://www.nithubala.com/
12. PJ -http://seduceyourtastebuds.blogspot.com/
13. Lav - http://www.lavsblog.com/
14. Christy - http://frugalcrunchychristy.blogspot.com/
15.Priya -  http://mharorajasthanrecipes.blogspot.com

They have all given me so much encouragement through their lovely comments. They are wonderful bloggers themselves. Please check their blog for more delicious entires. Have a wonderful day!!!!

Zucchini in onion tomato gravy

I love Zucchini but never tried to make any dish out of ite. Its one vegetable that was in my list of veggies that I haven't tried. This time, when we went grocery shopping, I bought zucchini and told myself that this time I am going to check this veggie off my "must try veggie" list. Today, when I was thinking about my dinner, this zucchini came to my mind. Thats the story behind my zucchini in onion tomato gravy...

I never thought zucchini would have so much nutrition. When I read about it, it amazed me. Its is rich in Vitamin c and has anti inflammatory properties.

It prevent risk of having multiple sclerosis

Very good for eyes.. It is said to contain sufficient amounts of folate, pottasium vitamin A.

Prevents heart disease and controls cholestrol levels.

Ingredients

Zucchini - 1 chopped into cubes
Onion - 1 medium size , finely chopped
Tomato - 2 small (pureed)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsps
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsps
Garlic - 3 pods choped finely
Garam Masala - 2 tbsps
Turmeric - 1 tsps

Preparation:

Heat pressure pan with oil. Add fennel seeds and garlic. Fry for few seconds and add onions. Fry for about a min.

Add tomato cut into small pieces or puree . Add salt, turmeric, garam masala and mix well.

Now add zucchini, mix well and let it pressure cook for just 2 sounds. If you are not using pressure cooker, you can add zucchini and sufficient water and let it cook in medium low stirring once in a while until it is cooked well.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot chapathi or rice.
Happy Cooking!!!

Sending this to Wholesome Whole food by Michelle

Sprouted Green Gram / Whole Moong Salad

My mom started to make this salad when we found that my dad had diabetes. My dad never takes food at the right time. This is the main reason why he became diabetic. The main cause being his work schedule that restricts him from maintaining regular food habits. But now he tries to maintain a balance in his diet. My mom would pack this salad for him once a week. Thats how we got introduced to this salad. Its a great salad. I never thought sprouted green gram would taste so good. I get so excited when I see the sprouts from the green gram. It gives me a great satisfaction when we eat this salad. I feel as though we are having one bowl full of only fiber and nutrients. My mom sometimes would just pick hand full of fresh sprouted green grams and stuff it inside our mouth even before making the salad. That time though I ate it, I used to complain . But now I realize how good it is for our body.

Nutritional Value

Green gram is a legune which is rich dietary fiber content, protien content, vitamins and amino acids.

Ingredients:

Green Gram - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1/2 chopped finely
Tomato - 1/2 finely chopped
Ginger - 1 tsps chopped
Lime juice - 2 tbsps
Salt - to taste

Preparation:

Wash the green gram and soak it in water . Do this as the first thing in the morn.

In the night, strain the grams . Put them in a clean cloth, tie the cloth and keep it aside.

Next morning when you take out the cloth, you will see sprotued grams.

Now, in a bowl, add sprouted grams, chopped onion, chopped tomato, ginger. Add salt and lime juice. Mix well and serve.

Sending this to Deb's Souper Sundays , Priya's Low Oil Low calorie Event , Susan's My Legume Love Affair and to Girliechef's Hearth and Soul

Delicious Linguine in 10 mins

I was talking to my friend in St. Louis the other day and we were talking about differnet recipes to try. She told me about this recipe that she tasted in an Italian restuarant and my friend and her usband both liked it very much. It was so simple but very delicious - she said. No need for any sauce or any special ingredient. Just couple of right ingredients make the dish as delicious as a restaurant's dish. I tried the same recipe with some twists here and there. Anything spicy, I love it so I added hot sauce turned the dish to needs of our taste buds.  Came out very well and it dint take much time at all.Very simple but delicious meal ready in jus 10 mins.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 2 tbsps
Onion - 1 medium chopped in medium size cubes
Tomato - 1 chopped in medium cubes
Linguine - 8Oz (I used half from 16 Oz pack)
Basil - 1 tbsps chopped to garnish
Salt - to taste
Chilli sauce - 2 tbsps ( Depends on your spice level)
Pepper powder - To taste
Garlic - 2 pods chopped
Cloves - 5
Spinach - 3/4 cup chopped
Parmesan cheese - 1 tbsps grated  to garnish ( I used Mozzarella since I had that)

Serves 2

Cook linguine pasta in boiling water untill tender.  Strain it and keep it aside

In a pan, heat oil, add cloves and garlic. Fry it till for about a min and add onion. Fry for just few seconds. Onions need not be fully cooked.

Add spinach and salt if needed. Mix until spinach shrinks.

Add chilli sauce, linguine, basil and mix everything well and turn off heat.

Add tomato chunks and mix well. Tomato has to get cooked in the heat within the dish.

Garnish with cheese, pepper and some basil before serving. Serve it with garlic bread.

The smell of  fresh basil, pepper with the pasta wooowww!! I loved it. Its really a great dish that is ready in just 10 mins.

Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights by Ruth hosted by Bellini Valli  for this week.

Black Currant - Raspberry Milk Shake

Its pretty warm today in San Diego and I felt kind of dehydrated. Wanted to have a thirst quenching drink. When ever I feel like this, I make some milkshake which is light and not so heavy. Light milkshakes are the best thirst quenchers to me. This time I tired Raspberry black currant milk shake. I had bought dried black currant yesterday. I love to eat it just like that. But today I tried this milkshake. It was very good. Black currant and raspberry made good combination. Very nice color, thirst quenching drink and a light drink...

Nutritional Values:

Black currants have high Vitamin C and E content and rich in potassium iron and other valuable nutrients. Raspberries are also rich in antioxidants.Coupled with this strong B vitamin and mineral content, raspberries qualified as excellent in terms of dietary fiber. This combination of nutrients makes raspberries a great fruit choice for having minimal impact on blood sugars.

Ingredients:

Dried/ Fresh Black Currants - 1 tbsp
Raspberry - 6-8
Milk - 1cup
Sugar - 4 tbsps

Preparation:

Soak the dried black currant in milk for about 5 - 10 mins so that it will be easy to blend with raspberry. If fresh you can use it directly.

Grind the soaked black currants along with that milk , raspberry, milk , sugar in a blender untill frothy...

Serve it cold on a sunny day.

Sending this to Akila's DSWB - B

See you soon....

Bell Pepper Chutney

I went to San Francisco in 2008. My second cousin lives there so we visited her and went around SFO. When we went to her place, she made this red bell pepper chutney... It was very new to me but it tasted really good. Very simple recipe but it was very nice. She made bread sandwich and she used this chutney as the spread. It was so good!!! From then I have been telling all my friends and relatives about this chutney and they all loved it. It has a sweetish tinge but when we combine it with red chilli, it tastes so good...

Nutirtional benefits: (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50)

Bell peppers are rich source of Vitamin C and A. Red bell peppers have protective effect against cataracts. Also they protect against macular degeneration, the main cause of blindness in the elderly. Proctects against rheumatoid arthritis and many more great values. 

Ingredients

Red Bell Pepper - 1 big
Urad Dhal - 3 tbsps
Channa Dhal - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Asafoetida - Pinch
Red Chilli - 2
Oil - 2tbsps

Preparation:

Cut bell peppers into small cubes and fry it in a tbsps oil untill it becomes tender.

In the same pan, heat another tbsps oil and fry urad dhal, channa dhal along with chilli, asafoetida untill golden brown.

Grind the peppers with the roasted dhal along with salt into a coarse paste.

Serve it with rice or roti or make it as a spread for your sandwich. Enjoy cookin!!!!

Sending this to Jagruti's CMT - Chutney and to Akhila's DNSW - B

Avial in a jiffy with vegan version

I was wondering what to make for lunch today and avial came to my mind. I had some veggies precut and stored. This came handy and I was done with my cooking in no time. Very healthy dish, can be had with rice, roti, paratha ... When we went to Munnar, India, I remember in a hotel they served hot paratha with avial. It tasted wonderful and from then avial became my fav dish.

Ingredients:

Mixed veggies - 2 cups (chopped lenthwise)
Coconut oil - 1 tbps
Mustard - 1 tsps
Urad dhal - 1 tsps
Yogurt - 1 tbsps (optional for non dairy consumers)
Curry leaves - 6-8

To Grind:


Coconut - 2 tbsps grated
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsps
Green Chilli - 1

Preparation:

Cook vegetables and keep aside.

Grind coconut, cumin seeds, green chilli into fine paste

Heat the pan and add the veggies. Add salt, turmeric and mix well. Fry for about 2 mins till salt mixes well. Now add the ground mixture to the veggies.

Heat another kadai with coconut oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add urad dhal and curry leaves. When it turns golden brown add it to the veggies.

Just before serving, add a tbsps of yogurt and mix well.

Serve it with just plain rice and papad as side dish.

Vegan version - Just skip the yogurt part. Tastes good without yogurt as well.

Sending this to Priya' Only - Low Calorie Low Oil event
Also to Taste of Pearl City's Anyone can cook Event

Paper Roast Masala Dosai / Masala Crepe

My husband's favorite is Masala Dosai with groundnut chutney. My mom used to make this dosai when we were young. She used to stuff in all possible vegetables and give us. We would also eat it relishing the masaldosai. Today I made simple masal dosai with potato stuffing and groundnut chutney. Wanted to send this to Chitrali's Combo Meal event . This is a simple dish which we will all love.. Just the right combination of side dish makes it taste heavenly... I love crunchy and crispy dosa... Imagine nice yummy masala with it and a great tasting chutney????? Wooowww!!! It tasted great..

Ingredients:

For dosa:
Dosa Batter - 3 cups

For Potato Masala:

Potato - 4
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsps
Green chilli  - 1 slit into half
Salt - to taste
Curry Leaves - 8
Oil- 1 tbsps
Mustard - 1 tsps
Urad dhal - 1 tsps
Ginger - 1 tsps chopped

Preparation of Masala:

Cook potato and keep aside. In a pan , heat oil, add mustard and add urad dhal when mustard splutters. Addgreen chilli, ginger, asafoetida, curry leaves.

When golden brown, add onion and fry till it caramelizes. Now add turmeric, red chilli powder and potato. Fry for a min and add salt. Mix everything well and fry for about 3 mins in medium heat.

When everything mixes well remove from heat.

Ground Nut Chutney:

Roasted Groundnuts - 1 cup (with or without skin. both works fine)

Salt - to taste

Tamarind - Small lime size

Asafoetida - a pinch

Oil- 1 tbsps

Mustard-1 tsps

Urad dhal - 1 tsps

Curry leaves- 6-8

Red chilli - 2

Preparation:

Grind all the above said ingredients into a fine paste with water. You can dilute by adding more water as per requirement.

Season with mustard curry leaves asafoetida and uradh dhal fried in oil. 

For detailed recipe check groundnut/peanut chutney

Masala Dosa:

Heat the pan. When hot enough, take one laddle full of dosa batter and pour it on the center of the pan. Spread it in a circular motion similar to crepe. Drizzle oil around the dosa/crepe

Wait for a 2 mins and turn it to the other side. The base would turn golden brown.

After a minute turn it back and spread the potato filling along the dosa in the center.

Now fold one side of the dosa as shown and then another fold.

Crunchy Masala Dosai is ready.. tastes yummm when you have it with chutney... 

Sending this to Chaitali's Combo meal

Peanut/ Groundnut Chutney

I learnt this chutney form my neighbor. we used to have fun cooking and sharing recipes. She was a very good cook and when I came to US after my wedding, she used to give me hints and help me in recipes. It used to be fun those days. Now she lives in San Francisco and I really miss her food :-( Anyways, we still share recipe over phone. So this one is from my friends kitchen... 

Ingredients:

Groundnuts / Peanuts - 1 cup (with ot without skin. both works fine)

Salt - to taste

Tamarind - Small lime size

Asafoetida - a pinch

Red chilli - 2
Oil- 1 tbsps
Mustard- 1 tsps
Urad dhal -1 tsps
Curry Leaves - 6-8

Roast ground nuts / peanuts in a tbsps of oil untill golden brown.

Grind all the above said ingredients into a fine paste with water. You can dilute by adding more water as per requirement.

Season with mustard curry leaves asafoetida and uradh dhal fried in oil. Tastes great for Dosas, idly, roti. 

Sending this to Jagruti's CMT - Chutney Event