Easy Lentil and Veggie Kofta Curry

Lentil and Veggie Kofta Curry

Working from home has become the norm in the last year. It has its advantages because you don't have to commute and you can spend more time with family. The downside is that everyone in my household has been home for school or work and we had to figure out how to work cooperatively. It's been tough but we are working on it. 

One thing is for sure...working from home means more time to cook and experiment. In the beginning, we didn't do take out and cooked mostly at home. We tried to cook meals that weren't too fattening so we don't gain too much weight. 

We are constantly looking for new ingredients and recipes to refresh our meal plan. If you ever dined at IKEA, you'd know that they are known for their "balls" on the menu. Whether it is Swedish meatballs, chicken meatballs, or Veggie balls.  

Frozen Huvudroll Vegetable balls

The picture above is of the Vegetable balls, which are made from pea protein and vegetables. The serving size is 5 balls with 7 grams of protein in each serving.  

We incorporated these veggie balls and made curries; specifically kofta curry. The balls are the koftas so there is minimal preparation of the koftas. The most you have to do is make the gravy for this dish. It's so tasty. We wished we bought more of these Vegetable balls bags so we make this curry again. You won't be disappointed. 

Ingredients

• 15 frozen Huvudroll Vegetable balls*, microwaved for 1 to 2 minutes
• 1 cup Crushed tomato (alternately you can use 1/4 cup tomato paste)
• 1 medium onion, diced and crushed for few pulses
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (or as per taste)
• 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 cup heavy cream*
• 1 cup water (or as needed)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or as per taste)
• 1/4 cup Fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil (Vegetable, canola, coconut, or as per taste)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Procedure

1) Heat oil in a saucepan or a saute pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and when cumin sizzles, add crushed onion and stir fry it until transparent. Now, add chili powder and stir for about 10 seconds. Next, add ginger-garlic paste and garam masala. Stir again for another 30 seconds. Follow up with crushed tomato (or paste) and sugar. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 

2) Add the vegetable balls into the gravy and cook under a closed lid for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the balls to soften and absorb some spices.  Now, add water and salt, mix into the gravy and bring the curry to boil, mix in the heavy cream and cook for another couple of minutes. 

3) Remove from stove, transfer into the serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with naan, roti, rice, or quinoa. 

Quick Tips

• You can substitute heavy cream with coconut cream, nut cream, or evaporated milk. Please note that the consistency may be a little different depending on what you use.
•  You can substitute the Huvudroll with other vegetable balls if there isn't an IKEA close by. Check out our other kofta curry recipe. 

Air Fried Tandoori Tofu Chops

Do you remember our posts on 'Evolution of the Kitchen Gadgets'? Just like humans, even kitchen gadgets go through evolution. They get better with time and easier to use. 

We recently acquired an Air Fryer to reduce the amount of oil used to 'fry' or make our favorite dishes. Who wouldn't want to make restaurant-quality food at home? Below is one of our favorite Tandoori Tofu appetizers with our new kitchen toy. 

We hope you like it as much as we do. This appetizer is easy to make and requires few ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 6 oz Extra Firm Tofu
• 2 Tbsp Tandoori paste
• 3 Tbsp thick yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• Few sprigs of fresh coriander, finely chopped (optional)

Procedure

1) Drain the water from the yogurt tub and dab the tofu block gently patting it down on a towel. Place the block on a small towel or paper towel and microwave it for 45 seconds to 1 minute (based on your microwave wattage) and dab the oozed water again. Cut the tofu into 1" cubes. 

2) In a bowl, add tandoori paste, yogurt, and oil. Mix well. Add the cubes into the bowl and gently toss the cubes to be coated with the paste. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours. 

3) Line the Air Fryer tray with parchment paper and transfer the marinated tofu cubes onto the parchment paper and align them in a single row, not touching each other. 

4) Set the Air Fryer temperature to 325°F and timer for 20 minutes. Insert the tray and air-fry for the set time. When done, transfer them into a serving tray and sprinkle some chopped coriander. 

Quick Tips

1. We made it in an air fryer that is a combo (toaster and air fryer). If using a standalone air fryer, adjust the temperature and time accordingly.

Garam, Garam Air Fried Samosas by Meagan

We love working with guest bloggers and readers who enjoy Indian cuisine as much as we do.

Meagan is a self-taught chef that has worked in many different types of professional kitchens. Growing up with traditional American Southern food, she didn’t really know about food from other cultures. She ate mostly unhealthy, fried, salty foods. When she was an adult, she got a job at a bagel shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Learning how to make omelets, assorted cream cheeses, and making the perfect latte catapulted her into the food industry. She found she was very interested in cooking and started working towards growing her skills and knowledge in the kitchen. It has been 11 years, and she continues her journey of learning as much as she can about food, flavor, and cultures around the world. Indian food is one of her many favorites!

Meagan has tried samosas at restaurants, but this was her first time making them herself! She tries to keep her food relatively healthy most of the time. Her air fryer saves her from having a kitchen that smells like frying oil, so she uses it whenever she can.  

We hope you enjoy Meagan's Samosas made using the air fryer.

Ingredients for the Samosa Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup avocado oil*
• ¼ tsp black cumin, toasted
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp water

Ingredients for Potato Filling

• 2 medium potatoes
• ¼ cup peas (blanched)
• ½ tsp ghee
• ½ Tbsp ginger, minced
• Pinch of asafoetida
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cumin, ground
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped

You will also need

Extra oil for rolling dough Pastry Brush & Rolling Pin Water for sealing samosas

Procedure 1) Boil potatoes until just done; so, a fork can go through. Crumble potatoes and set aside. Add ghee, ginger, and spices to a pan until it sizzles, saute for about 30 seconds, stirring, add peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add mixture to potatoes along with vinegar and stir well. Set aside to cool. 2) Mix together flour ingredients, except water. Rub the flour well for a few minutes to mix the oil in well. The dough should be able to hold shape and not crumble when it is ready to add water. Mix in the water a little at a time to make a stiff dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. 3) Knead the dough to smooth, cut into three pieces, and roll into balls. Cover remaining dough while rolling out each piece. Oil the rolling area and flatten a ball, drizzle oil on ball. Roll ball into an oval shape about 8 x 6 inches. Cut into two parts, this will be two samosas.

4) Take one part and add water over the straight edge, joining edges to make a cone. Press down carefully to seal the cone from the inside also.

5) Add cilantro to potato filling and mix well.

6) Fill the cone with potato masala and gently push filling inside the cone. Brush water on both remaining edges bring together, and seal, pinching the edges together. Cover to keep from drying while working on the others.

7) Once finished, turn on the air fryer to 350. Brush or spray samosas generously with avocado oil. Bake in the air fryer for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown.

Quick Tips

-  If avocado oil is not readily available, you can use substituted with ghee or canola oil. 
- If baking in the oven, turn on the oven about 10 minutes prior to forming samosas.

We thank Meagan for sharing her love of Indian cooking with us. Like these vegetarian Samosas, follow Meagan: on Twitter and on YouTube.

It's a New Year with New Foodie Possibilities

Happy 2021 everyone! 

Here's to starting a new year with delicious and healthy foods. 

Don't you want to dive into this wholesome stuffed pita goodness? 

The pitas are filled with fresh vegetables and fruit and sprinkled with a chutney made from herbs. These cute stuffed pitas can be enjoyed as an appetizer or an entree. It depends on how hungry you are! 

Check out the recipe below and let us know how you liked it in the comments section. 

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" long thin slices
• 1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
• 7 to 8 oz (200g) firm Tofu
• 2 oz Pepperjack or Feta cheese, grated or crumbled
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 to 3 green chilies, cut finely or crushed
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup mint chutney (or as needed)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Whole wheat Pita

Procedure

1) Cut out the portion of tofu from the block and gently press it between your palms to squeeze water. Press various sides. Alternately dab the tofu block on the towel folds to absorb water.

2) Heat oil in a skillet and add chilies and ginger garlic paste, onions followed by Green pepper. Sprinkle some salt and toss well, then cook under a closed lid on medium for 1-2 min. Add carrots and mix well, and continue to cook under a closed lid for another 2 minutes.

3) Crumble the tofu and add to the pan and sprinkle the remaining salt and toss well for another minute and remove from heat. Mix in the cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

4) Cut the pita in half and open the pocket and fill it in with the Veggie-Tofu mixture. Spoon in the mint chutney on the top and enjoy!

5) The mixture fills 3 whole pita or 6 pita pockets. 

Happy Eating!

Quick Note

• Can use crushed red pepper instead of green chilies. 
• For a greater taste, mix the mint chutney into the veggie blend instead of topping.

All-in-One Cheesy Pepper Cups

Although I started my vegetable garden later than expected this year, I managed to grow some delicious vegetables like sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. 

One of my favorite ways to cook sweet bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow-colored ones) is by stuffing and then baking them. The flesh gets soft when you grill or char it and then you can stuff it with whatever you want. 

I've made this dish several times but never wrote the recipe down. My mom nudged me to share it since I'm always at her back to write all of her recipes so I can make them at my leisure. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. 

Ingredients

• 3 Bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow can be used) 
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 10 oz mushrooms (Baby Bell or white button mushrooms), chopped
• 1 tomato (vine or plum variety), finely chopped
• 8 oz fresh spinach* leaves
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp salt (adjust salt as per your taste)
• 1.5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup cooked rice* (plain or brown)
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or mozzarella cheese)

Instructions

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add ginger-garlic paste and onions. Saute them until the onions are translucent, and then add garam masala, turmeric powder, and chili powder. Mix well. 

• Reduce the heat to low-medium and add mushrooms. Cover with lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms reduce in size. Remove the lid and add tomato and salt and cook for a few more minutes. Next, add spinach and cook uncovered until the leaves are wilted and the mixture is not as watery. 

• Lastly, add the cooked rice or your favorite carb like quinoa or brown rice. Mix well and remove from heat. 

• Chop the bell peppers in half so you end up with 6 halves (or cups) so they can be stuffed. Then place them on a dinner plate, season each pepper cup with a little salt, and microwave them for 4 to 5 minutes. Let them cool down. 

• Grill/char the halves on a griddle or flat pan to your liking. Transfer the pepper cups to the desired baking sheet/dish safe to use in the oven. Sprinkle cheese into each of the grilled pepper cups. 

• Scoop about 1/3 cup of stuffing into each pepper cup. You can stuff as much as you want. 

• Sprinkle the top of each stuffed pepper with more cheese. 

• Preheat oven to 350 °F and bake peppers for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

• The stuffed peppers are ready to be served. I can easily eat one to two pepper halves for lunch or dinner. 

Quick Tips

1. Frozen spinach can be used but make sure that you pick up frozen spinach leaves. 
2. You can substitute with quinoa as well. 
3. You can make the stuffing, while you are preparing the bell peppers.  
4. I sometimes add some cheese to the stuffing to hold it together. 

I like using red, orange, and yellow bell peppers because they have a sweeter flavor than the green ones. Add some cooked lentils or legumes to increase the nutritional value of this recipe. I like making this dish because it is heart-healthy and you can use up whatever vegetables and/or rice you have on hand for the stuffing. 

Please feel free to share your comments about this recipe. Let us know if you end up making it or have any questions. 🙏

🎊🎉🎇 Happy Holidays 🎇🎉🎊

Season's Greetings

 

May the timeless message of Christmas fill your heart and home with joy now and throughout the coming year.

Lime and Coconut Rasam

Rasam is a South Indian dish that is typically eaten with rice. Did you know there are 25 variations of rasam? A well-known rasam that is offered in most Indian restaurants is Mulligatawny soup (made with pepper). 

How many rasams can you name? Which ones have you tried? We like eating rasam because it is warm and soothing. It is not a seasonal dish and can be enjoyed throughout the year. 

Below is a recipe for Lime and Coconut Rasam. We hope you enjoy it. 

 

Ingredients

- 1 Plum tomato, diced into cubes

- 1 Tbsp Coconut Milk Powder (or 2 to 3 Tbsp of unsweetened coconut milk if coconut milk powder is not available)

- ½ Tbsp Madras Rasam Powder

- 1 lime, juiced

- ½ Tbsp Salt

- 400 ml Water

- Finely chopped Fresh Coriander for garnish

Ingredients for Seasoning (Taalimpu):

- 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ½ tsp Whole Cumin seeds
- A pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)

Instructions

1. Blend together tomato, coconut powder, rasam powder, and water to mix well. (Hint: mix the coconut powder with a little bit of water so when it is mixed into the tomato sauce, it doesn't clump). 
2. Transfer the mixture into a (2qt) medium saucepan and add salt. Bring the rasam mixture to a boil on medium heat (approx. 5 to 7 minutes). Continue to boil for another 2 minutes and remove from heat. 
3. Add the lime juice and mix well. 
4. In a smaller saucepan (tadka pan), heat oil on low-medium heat. When you feel the heat on your palm, add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add hing. After about 1-2 minutes, remove from heat, and add directly to the rasam. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or as soup with croutons.

Quick Tips

• If using unsweetened coconut milk from a can, please make sure to mix the contents before use. 
• Instead of using a blender, cook the tomatoes with little water for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave, and add it to the coconut powder paste. Mix the rasam powder, water, and salt and continue from step 2. 

Carrot and Almond Kheer

There's just a week left of 2020! Who is ready to say Goodbye to this year and say Hello to 2021? 

We are going to take the next 7 days to reflect and think about our goals for next year. This year has been tough on everyone.  Thank you for your continued support. 

Check out this quick and easy kheer made with carrots and almonds. It is gluten-free and not much sugar. 

Ingredients

- 200g (or 7 oz) of carrots

- 1 cup of milk

- 25g or slightly less than 1/4 cup of granulated sugar

- 6 to 7 cardamom pods, seeded and powdered

- 2 Tbsp Almond flour (or use 7 to 8 almonds, soaked and skin removed)

- 3 drops of Vanilla extract

Instructions

• Wash and peel the carrots and then slice them into 1/2" thick pieces. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 4 minutes. Transfer the cooked carrots into the blender*, add milk, sugar, cardamom powder, almond flour, vanilla extract, and blend into a smoothie consistency.  

• Pour into a microwaveable bowl and heat it for 2 to 3 minutes depending on your microwave until the kheer (pudding) bubbles up. 

• Serve hot. 

Quick Tips

- We used the Vitamix blender and blended the ingredients on Smoothie mode; about 90 seconds. 

- For a creamier taste, you can use whole milk or 2 Tbsp of heavy cream. 

Tip Six - Boost Nutrition with Food Pairings: Dal Chawal (Rice and Lentils)

 

Dosakaya pappu with rice and crispies

Dal Chawal is considered to be basic food for Indians who consume a good amount of both rice and lentils. However, did our ancestors know the importance of this food pairing?

All over India, it is a commonly practiced combination among rich and poor eaten with love or times when vegetables are not available or too expensive to buy them. Little did we know the nutrition pack and health benefits of this pack. Even though we make it and eat it routinely, these facts might make us give this poor man's food a little more appreciation next time we eat it.

Lentils fall into the category of legumes and have a row of seeds enclosed by a fibrous shell. Whole grain rice is rice that has the germ, endosperm, and bran intact, and as a result, is considered a whole grain. Let us consider their health benefits in various ways.

1. Digestive Health

Legumes such as lentils are high in dietary fiber at 16 grams per cup; whole-grain brown rice contains just 2 grams in a cup. Fiber is either soluble or insoluble. Lentils contain a higher amount of insoluble than soluble fiber, and whole grain rice contains more soluble than insoluble. Eating the two together gives you a good balance of each. Soluble fiber forms a gel in the stomach, helps reduce cholesterol, and promotes stable blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber creates bulk in the stool, which helps it pass easily and prevents constipation and other intestinal disturbances.

2. Stable Blood Sugar Levels

The glycemic index, or GI, is a chart that ranks how fast a carb-containing food elevates blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods cause a slow increase in blood sugar, which, in turn, gives you stable energy levels. High-GI foods cause a fast spike in blood sugar, which leads to a fast rise in energy, usually followed by a sudden "crash," or dip in energy. High-fiber complex carbs, such as lentils rank low on the glycemic index GI = 21 - 32 (<55). Whole-grain brown rice is in the middle-level (56-69) with a value of 68 whereas white rice falls in High Index at GI of 73. Low-GI foods have been shown to help keep type 2 diabetes under control and they also aid weight loss, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A ranking of 55 or less out of 100 is considered low. Together consumed, rice and lentils fall in the low GI category even with white rice (lacks other nutrients removed during polishing).

3. Stronger Integumentary System

The integumentary system consists of the skin, hair, and nails. Protein is a key macronutrient needed for integumentary strength, and it also helps with immune function and muscle growth. Amino acids are known as the building blocks of protein. Foods that have all the essential amino acids present are called complete proteins. Foods that lack one or more essential amino acids are called incomplete. Pairing two incomplete protein foods together, such as lentils and whole grain rice, will form a complete protein. This is important if you happen to be a vegan or strict vegetarian.

4. Energy Production & Disease Risk

Lentils and Brown rice have B-vitamins useful for digestion and minerals like manganese which are important antioxidants that help absorb free radicals that are responsible for inflammation, heart disease, and aging.

So feel proud of eating rice and lentil combined Indian dishes, like Khichdi, Pongali, Pabiyyam, Undrallu, and Sambhar rice (Bisibelabath). As well as rice with dal (prepared lentil dishes) with tomato, spinach, spinach and green mango, gongura or long gourd, etc. 

Pongali

 

South Indian Khichdi

Undrallu

Gongura pappu

Spinach and Green Mango pappu

Dosakaya pappu

You can check out the recipes of these dishes by clicking the name or by visiting our Recipes page. Be well and healthy everyone. 

*Reference: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-lentils-whole-grain-rice-2159.html

Gluten Free Diwali Sweets - Badam Burfi (Almond Treats)

Are you excited about Diwali as much as I am??

🪔 Diwali, the festival of lights, is just days away. Every year, we celebrate this holiday with family and friends, yummy dishes, and desserts. 🪔

🪔 This year, it will be a bit different because of COVID-19. We are only celebrating within our family and keeping the group small. However, I'm still planning to make yummy dishes to enjoy the festivities. 🪔

My sister and I 💓 classic Indian sweets like Kaju Katli or Kaju burfi which is made with cashews. I never thought 🤔 about making the nutty burfis at home. 

Almond Burfi

My mom decided to give it a try. Instead of making Kaju burfi, she made Almond burfi. She also wanted to make a sweet that is easy and requires few ingredients and calories 😀. 

Costco to the rescue 👍! She found Almond flour at Costco and made the sweet without making the flour herself. Read below to see how easy it is to make this yummy dessert. 😋

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups Almond flour (we used Kirkland brand)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup room temperature water
• 1/4 cup Mavva/Kova (milk powder) optional if not use 1&1/2 cups of almond flour
• 6 to 7 cardamom, seeded and powdered
• 1 tsp of ghee (clarified butter)
• 4 to 5 pistachios, finely chopped 

Procedure

1) Heat water and sugar and cardamom powder in a medium non-stick saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. 

2) Slowly add the almond flour, mavva, and ghee and stir continuously until the water is absorbed and the mixture is not sticking to the fingers when tested. It took about 9 minutes until the mixture came together. 

3) Remove from heat and immediately press the burfi dough onto wax paper evenly that is rubbed with ghee to help make it non-stick. Make sure there aren't any bumps. Use a rolling pin gently to press down and adjust to even sides to a rectangle shape.

4) Then, sprinkle the pistachios all over pressed burfi dough and press them down gently with the rolling pin. We evened out the edges so we could cut burfi dough into diamond shapes (as shown below). 

5) Cover the cut burfis with wax paper and put it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to set. Then place the burfi pieces onto your favorite plate or serving dish and enjoy! 

🪔 From my family to yours...Diwali Mubarak 🪔

Tip Five - Boost Nutrition with Food Pairings: Carrots or Sweet Potatoes with Plant fats

Carrots are orange because they are rich in beta-carotene which gives them their trademark orange color. But I was surprised to learn that sweet potatoes are also rich in Carotene. Both of these vegetables contain many healthy nutrients in addition to fiber. 

Let us consider their health benefits:

Carrots are crunchy, tasty and in addition to beta-carotene, they are a good source of fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. In addition to these nutrients, carrots are weight-loss friendly due to low calories, reduce risk of cancer, and improve eye health with Vitamin A formed from beta carotene in our body. Carrots also contain a 241% DV, a daily value of Vitamin A.

Carrots contain pectin which is a soluble fiber that can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down our digestion of sugar and starch. It can also feed the friendly bacteria in our gut leading to improved health. It can also impair the absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract, lowering blood cholesterol. The insoluble fibers in carrots are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin which reduces the risk of constipation and promotes regular bowel movement.

Sweet Potato:

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes may be one of nature's unsurpassed sources of beta-carotene which raises the blood levels of vitamin A particularly true in children. Betacarotene is an antioxidant that protects our body from free radicals (which damage DNA and trigger inflammation) that are linked to causing cancer, heart disease, and aging. Therefore eating antioxidant-rich foods is good for your health. A 100g serving of sweet potato consists of 769% DV, a daily value of Vitamin A.

Like carrots, sweet potatoes also contain a soluble fiber called viscous fiber that absorbs water in our gut and softens the stool. The insoluble fibers add bulk and also get fermented by the bacteria in the colon release short-chain fatty acids that feed the cells of the intestinal lining and keep them strong and healthy.

As we have seen here both carrots and sweet potatoes are rich in betacarotene that forms into Vitamin A to boost our eye health. But beta-carotene absorption is boosted in our body when these vegetables were eaten along with some plant fat as it is a fat-soluble nutrient.

We propose to pair carrots with hummus (or some type of fat like peanut butter) as an excellent snack, the oil content in hummus from the sesame paste will help absorb more beta-carotene.

For sweet potatoes, it is a better option to saute or steam them and cut into pieces and pair them with nuts like sunflower or pumpkin seeds to enhance the carotene absorption. Cooking reduces the beta-carotene but it can retain 70% of this nutrient and still considered an excellent source.

So next time you are at a supermarket, remember to grab a few carrots or sweet potatoes or both to help boost your health in many good ways.

Tip Four - Boost Nutrition with Food Pairings: Vitamin C and Plant-based Iron

Spinach with Vitamin C (Orange or lime juice)

Iron is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in many bodily functions. A diet lacking in iron can result in low energy levels, shortness of breath, irritability, headaches, dizziness, or anemia.

Iron can be found in two forms in foods - heme and non-heme. Heme iron is only found in animal products, whereas non-heme is only found in plants. The recommended daily allowance/ intake (RDA/ RDI) is based on a person's gender and life stage.

-Post-menopausal women and men, 8mg/ day

-Mensurating women, 18g/ day

-Pregnant women 27g/ day

Non-heme iron tends to be less easily absorbed by our bodies than heme iron. Hence the RDI for vegetarians or vegans is 1.8 times higher than for meat-eaters.

To best absorb non-heme iron (plant-based), we need to pair it with a source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps break the iron down into a form that the body can more easily absorb. Absorption will be much greater if both the nutrients are in a single meal. 

Spinach provides many health benefits but very few calories. About 3.5 oz (100g) of raw spinach contains 2.7mg of iron or a 15% daily allowance. Leafy greens, such as Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, and beet greens contain between 2.4 - 6.4mg of iron per cooked cup. For example, 100g of spinach contains 1.1 times more iron than the same amount of red meat and 2.2 times more than 100g of salmon.

Below is a salad recipe that pairs the non-heme goodness of plant-based food with Vitamin C enriched food:

 

Spinach and Orange Salad

Baby Spinach                2 cups packed

Orange (any type)         10 - 12 wedges de-skinned

Olive oil                        1 tbsp

Black pepper                  To taste or 1/4th tsp.

Walnuts (optional)        10 - 12 pieces

Place spinach in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, add pepper, and garnish it with orange wedges and walnuts. Toss well and serve. You can also make a colorful salad with spinach and sliced strawberries that have a good amount of Vitamin C (a 3.5oz contains 59mg of Vit C or 98% daily value). Other combos: Broccoli with bell Peppers, chickpeas with tomatoes.

Who would have thought these simple ingredients would make such a yummy salad. We couldn't wait to share it with all of you. 

We hope you are enjoying our tips on food pairings to boost nutrition. Keep posted for more tips. 

Poornalu - A Gluten Free Festival Sweet

Yummy Poornalu!

Today is Durga Ashtami. It is celebrated with great passion and fervor, all over India and especially in West Bengal. 

Ashtami marks the eighth day of the Navratri and on this auspicious day, devotees observe rigorous fast, feast, and worship Goddess Durga who symbolizes 💪 strength. A celebration of traditional culture and customs, massive idols of Goddess Durga are installed throughout India while enormous puja pandals are set up at various places for devotees to visit and worship.

 

Poornalu (or Boorelu, as known in Telugu-speaking regions) is a traditional Andhra sweet that is most commonly made for festivals like Dussehra, Varalakshmi Puja, Ugadi, etc, and also served at weddings. With the advent of milk-based sweets, the popularity of traditional sweets has dwindled in the past few years. Lately, sweets like Poornalu are making a comeback along with the interest in traditional cultural habits.

This Poornalu recipe was passed down to my mom from her mother who learned to make it from her mother-in-law. I love learning about these dishes because it is a way for me to learn about culture and family history. This year has been especially difficult because my maternal grandmother passed away at the end of March. She used to visit us during the festival season and shared stories about the festivals and the food. She was a vivacious spirit. 

Below is the recipe for this sweet. Hope you like it as much as I do. 

Ingredients for the lentil filling (this makes 22-25 lime sized balls)
- 1 cup channa dal or yellow split peas

- 1/3 cup grated coconut (optional)
- 1 cup grated jaggery 
- 10 to 12 cardamom pods, seeded and (powdered with a pinch of sugar)


Ingredients for the dough
- 3/4 cup urad dal (husked black gram dal), soaked for 5-6 hours or overnight, and ground to a thick fine paste
- 1/4 cup rice flour

- A pinch of salt

- A pinch of baking soda

Ingredients for frying

- 3 cups of vegetable oil

Procedure
1) Pressure cook channa dal with plenty of water until dal is soft but not soupy. Using a colander, drain the excess water. Transfer the dal into a flat container and mash well until it is in paste consistency.

2) Add the jaggery, coconut, and cardamom to the dal paste into a non-stick pan and keep mixing under low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes together (approx. 10 minutes) without sticking to the walls. Transfer it into a container and cool it for 15-20 minutes. 

3) Grease a plate with 1/2 tsp of oil, and make lime-sized balls of the lentil mixture and arrange them on the plate without any of them touching each other. 

4) Mix the rice flour, salt, and baking soda into the ground urad dal paste and add water as needed to loosen it to a pancake batter consistency. 

5) Heat oil in the frying pan on medium heat, when heat it felt to your palm placed safely at a distance above the oil, drop a small amount of dough into the oil. If the dough rises up to the surface of the oil quickly, the oil is ready for frying. 

6) Take a lentil ball and dip in the coating dough well to cover all over and gently drop it into the oil. Continue this step with an additional 3-4 balls coated and gently dropped into the oil. After a couple of minutes when the oil bubbles subside on the Purnalu, turn them over and continue to fry them to golden brown color. Using a slotted ladle, collect them from the oil, and let the oil drain further by placing them into a strainer. In a couple of minutes, transfer them onto a flat serving dish. Continue these frying steps with the remaining lentil balls. 

7) Serve them hot to experience the crunchy coating. 

Quick Tips

- Brown sugar can be substituted for jaggery; if jaggery is not readily available. Keep in mind, it will have a slightly different taste. Adjust the brown sugar as per your taste. 

- Store-bought dosa dough can be used instead of making your own coating batter. 

- Cold Purnalu can be reheated in the toaster oven for a better taste; just dab the oozed-out oil after heating. 

- Dry coconut can be substituted if fresh coconut is not available.