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Easy 5 – Minute Sweet and Spicy Mango Salad Dressing

Salads don’t have to be boring right? So get ready to tantalize your taste buds with a burst of vibrant flavors! Our Mango Salad Dressing recipe is here to elevate your salads to a whole new level of deliciousness. Made with ripe mangoes and a handful of simple ingredients, this dressing is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and refreshing. Whether drizzled over fresh greens, grilled chicken, or seafood, it adds a delightful tropical twist to any dish. Let’s dive into the recipe and discover how to make this irresistible dressing that’s sure to become a favorite in your kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small green chili, seeds removed and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:

Prepare the Ingredients:

Peel the ripe mango and remove the flesh from the pit. Dice the mango into small pieces.

Blend the Ingredients:
In a mixer grinder or food processor, add the diced mango, garlic, minced green chili, fresh coriander leaves, salt, pepper and olive oil. Start blending the ingredients on low speed and gradually increase the speed to create a smooth paste.

Once the mixture is well blended and has a smooth texture, stop the mixer. Taste the dressing and season with salt and pepper according to your preference.

Adjust Consistency:
If the dressing is too thick, you can add a little water or more olive oil to achieve the desired consistency. Blend again briefly to incorporate. Transfer the mango dressing to a clean, airtight container. Seal the container and store it in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions:
Use the mango dressing to enhance the flavors of your favorite salads. It pairs well with fresh greens, sliced vegetables, and even fruits like strawberries or avocado. You can also use this dressing as a dip for your favorite snacks, such as vegetable sticks, pita chips, or grilled chicken skewers.

Drizzle the mango dressing over your salad just before serving or use it as a dipping sauce for your snacks.
Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This dressing is a game changer and can take your salads to next level. Hope you liked this simple mango salad dressing recipe 🙂

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A protein packed summer special buttermilk sattu

Sattu is finally getting the long awaited attention! Sattu is considered a nutritious food. It is a rich source of protein, Sattu powder mixed with buttermilk is a natural and a potent protein shake. According to health experts, it is rich in protein, fibre, calcium, iron, and magnesium. It prevents dehydration and reduces body heat. Below is the step by step recipe of sattu buttermilk.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sattu powder
1 cup buttermilk (chach)
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon black salt
Finely chopped coriander leaves, onion, and green chilies for garnishing


Instructions:

In a jar or bowl, mix together the sattu powder and buttermilk until well combined.
Add the roasted cumin powder and black salt to the mixture and stir until everything is evenly distributed.


If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can blend the mixture in a blender for a few seconds. Taste the sattu buttermilk and adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding more black salt or roasted cumin powder according to your preference. Pour the sattu buttermilk into serving glasses. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, onion, and green chilies.

Serve chilled and enjoy your refreshing sattu buttermilk!

You can make your own sattu at home or you can buy from numerous brands available online as well as offline. In case you are looking for a homemade, preservative free and authentic experience, without getting into hassle of grinding your own, you can always explore Masala Monk’s Sattu Mix, which ships all over India.

Do try the recipe and let me know in comments how it turns out. If you end up adding your own twist and experimenting, let me know as well – maybe I will try it that way and see how it feels.

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Braided Coconut and Banana Bread- Bread making made easy

This Braided Bread Recipe will help you make beautiful bread with golden brown crust and soft, moist and delicious crumb. The flavor of this bread is mildly sweet. The sweetness comes from banana and coconut milk. 

Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade bread is for you. It’s the perfect beginner recipe. This recipe makes one loaf, no bread machine and no mixer required!

There’s something so warm and comforting about homemade freshly baked breads. If you haven’t tried bread baking before, I insist that you do. It becomes a culinary experience that is worth the effort! Freshly baked bread, made with pure ingredients, straight out of the oven is one of life’s greatest pleasures. There is something special about kneading the bread with your own hands and watching in anticipation as the dough rises into a perfectly baked loaf.

I baked this bread for the first time in 2021 after taking a month long break from social media. The time was highly stressful for me so I didn’t feel like making anything out of the routine. This was the time when both my parents had Covid and I was extremely worried. It was when they completed their 14 days of quarantine and were absolutely fine then, I immediately got the urge to bake something nice, comforting and something that gives me absolute joy.

So now, without further delay, let’s jump to the recipe.

Prep time: 3 hoursYields: 1 9-inch loaf
Cook time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 350 grams Wheat Flour (I used 200 grams Wholewheat and 150 grams All purpose flour)
  • 2 tbsps Castor Sugar/Honey
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsps Milk powder (optional)
  • 2 small or approx 150 grams overripe Bananas, fork mashed or blended 
  • 1/2 tbsp Instant yeast
  • 40 grams Unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 70 ml Warm Coconut milk (depends on the flour. Some brands of flour need extra liquid)
  • 2 tbsps Shredded coconut 
  • 2 tsps Vanilla extract
  • Dark Chocolate Chunks (optional): as much as you like

For egg wash

  • 1 small egg
  • 1 tsp cream

Method:

  • In a bowl mix yeast and sugar/honey. Add half warm coconut milk. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes or till it gets foamy. I like to do this step even if the yeast is instant, just to be sure that the yeast is still active. Make sure the coconut milk is warm and not hot.
  • In another large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, egg, milk powder, banana & vanilla extract.
  • Once the yeast is foamy, add it to the flour. Bring it all together with a silicon spatula or wooden spatula. Gradually add rest of the coconut milk and bring everything together. The dough will be sticky at this point.
  • Dust some flour if required (otherwise avoid) and knead the dough well for 10-15 minutes. Keep adding butter in batches while kneading the dough. The temptation to add more flour will be quite strong at this step but you must resist adding more flour. Keep working with the dough. It will come together and eventually will not be sticky. Be patient!
  • Once done kneading, grease the dough and bowl with some butter. This will prevent the dough from drying out while proofing. Cover and allow it to rise for 1.30 to 2 hours or till it the dough doubles in size. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
  • After the first proof, punch the dough down. Add & mix chocolate chunks. Knead for 1 or 2 more minutes. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
  • Roll each piece into a long rope of about 13 to 15 inches. Place the 3 ropes parallel to one another.
  • Pinch the top of the ends together. Braid the dough loosely tucking all the edges under the braid.
  • Lift the bread gently and place it on a well greased 9×5 rectangular loaf pan. 
  • Cover and allow it to proof for another hour. Once ready to bake, prepare the egg wash. Just stir together the egg and the cream. Brush the egg wash over the dough. Refer notes.
  • Add shredded coconut on top. This is optional but toasted coconut tastes great and adds to the nuttiness.
  • Heat the oven 10 minutes prior to baking at 180C. Bake for 25 minutes or till the top has browned. 
  • Let the bread cool on the baking pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove to a wire baking rack to cool to room temperature.

Notes:

  • How do you know the first rise is done: This can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature and moisture in the dough. Check your dough. If it has doubled in size, it’s good for second proofing. Generally speaking, a warm, humid environment is best for rising bread.
  • How do you know your bread is ready for baking? To check that your dough has risen to its full capacity, gently press a fingertip into the surface – if the dough springs back, it means the gluten hasn’t developed fully, so you can leave it for a little longer. If the indentation left by your finger remain, it means the gluten has stretched as much as it can and the dough is ready to bake. Don’t leave it any longer or the air bubbles will start to collapse and your bread will be dense.
  • You can bake this bread with All purpose flour alone but I do not recommend baking it with just whole wheat flour. The bread will come out very dense.
  • You can also refrigerate the dough after first proofing for 12 to 18 hours. It will slowly proof in the refrigerator. This will intensify the flavors further.
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Honey Infused Garlic- Ancient Immunity Boosting Recipe

Garlic infused honey is a combination that has been used in many cultures for centuries and is still popular today. In Ancient Egypt, honey was often combined with garlic to create a remedy for a variety of ailments. In many parts of Asia, garlic and honey were combined to make a remedy for sore throat. In India, garlic and honey are used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems.

When it comes to immunity boosting foods, you don’t have to look too far. Your very own kitchen is a storehouse of ingredients that can help you nourish every day.

This garlic infused honey is great for cough, cold, viral infections, stomach flu, digestive system and to boost your immunity. I have been giving garlic infused honey to my little one since he was 3 years old, especially when there’s a change in season. Few months back I suggested this remedy to my helper whose 4-year-old kept catching cold every now and then. It has been over 5 months now she hasn’t had any cough or cold. Since then, I have suggested this remedy to many mothers and the feedback has been amazing. It has helped many kids to recover from cough & cold much faster. 

What makes garlic powerful?

Garlic has been used for centuries not only for culinary purposes but also for medicinal purpose. Garlic was found in Egyptian pyramids and ancient Greek temples. Ancient medical texts from Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and India each prescribed medical applications for garlic. It contains allicin which makes it anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Cooked garlic is beneficial but nothing, I repeat, nothing compares to raw garlic. Garlic when cooked loses many of its beneficial enzymes.

Benefits of Honey

Honey is a sweetener made from nectar collected from flowers. It is a natural preservative and is used in many recipes for its sweet flavour. Raw honey is full of enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, and acts as an antioxidant to fight off free radicals. It is antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes to boost immunity which is especially important when fighting an illness.  

If you want to benefit from this recipe then it is imperative that you buy raw, unpasteurised honey. Look for words Raw & Unpasteurised on labels and not Organic. 

How to prepare it?

Ingredients

  • Raw honey 150 ml
  • Garlic 7-8 cloves
  1. Take honey in a glass bottle. 
  2. Mince 7 to 8 cloves of garlic and mix it in honey. Alternatively, if you don’t want to add minced garlic, you can use whole garlic. I added minced garlic because my child can’t eat garlic. He might puke his bile juices out. 😄
  3. Let it remain infused for 2 to 3 days. Then you can consume it.

How to consume it?

You can have it either first thing in the morning or before bed time. In the Middle East, locals take a glass jar, fill it with honey and add slivers of garlic to it. They eat one or two pieces every morning. 

What you should know before consuming it?

  • If garlic on an empty stomach gives you a burning sensation, try having it 30 minutes after your breakfast or at night. 
  • If raw garlic makes you feel gassy and acidic then this may not be for you. 
  • If you have IBS, check with your doctor before consuming raw garlic. 

Notes:

  • Make sure the garlic is completely submerged in honey. If it is not, then it will catch mold. The trick is to add 1 or 2 tbsps of water on top. This will ensure that garlic doesn’t come on top.
  • In a few days or weeks, you will notice tiny bubbles forming on the surface. Hooray!! The infusion has fermented.
  • Stick to the quantity mentioned above or your infusion will not ferment. Too much honey or too less garlic could be the reason that the infusion did not ferment well.
  • Store this infusion in a cool place. It will last you many months. The older it is the better.
  • You can easily double or triple the recipe depending upon your requirement.
  • The flavor will continue to develop overtime. The pungent taste of garlic will mellow down and honey will become runnier than before.

Enjoy good health! 🙂

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Fresh Basil Pesto- Vegan Recipe

One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of fresh herbs that are in my kitchen garden. There’s something so satisfying about plucking fresh herbs that you grew with so much love.

Pesto is not only delicious but super healthy too. It is a great source of Vitamin K, Vitamin E & Vitamin C. It is highly rich in antioxidants that helps fight free radicals. In fact, it helps to reduce your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and cancer risk. Also, high in unsaturated fat, it is great for your heart health and for your kids healthy weight gain.

What is a pesto and how you can use it?

Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh sweet basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese. While pesto may seem fancy and gourmet, but homemade pesto is very easy to make. It will literally take you 5 minutes. Just a few blitz in the food processor and it’s done. The flavor of sweet basil is between sweet and savory, with hints of mint, star anise, and pepper.

Pesto can be used to make grilled sandwiches, as a pizza sauce, spaghetti, salad dressing, eggs, grilled vegetables. Now you get the idea, so you can get creative and use it to create different things.

Once you’ve made the classic basil pesto recipe, try changing it up! In this recipe, I swapped the pine nuts with cashews and pumpkin seeds. 

Recipe: makes 1 cup of Pesto 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups tightly packed Sweet Basil
  • 1/4th cup Cashews
  • 1/4th cup Pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4th cup Olive Oil
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice (taste and adjust)

Method:

  1. In a food processor combine, cashews, pumpkin seeds, salt & pepper. 
  2. Add lemon juice, basil leaves & garlic. Give it a nice blitz. 
  3. Now with the food processor running, keep adding olive oil little by little till everything comes together. Do not add water. Pesto is suppose to be a coarse paste and not a smooth one. 

Pesto recipe variations

  1. If you want to make it nut free, you can add hemp seeds or sunflower seeds or a combination of both. It gives a nice nutty flavour without the use of nuts. 
  2. Add Parmesan cheese if you want to make it rich & cheesy. Be mindful of salt if adding parmesan.
  3. You can use different herbs. You can try pesto with mint leaves, coriander leaves or fresh carrot leaves. You can also try combination of basil with mint leaves or basil with coriander leaves.
  4. You can also add roasted red bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes for that extra punch.