Easy Recipes Archives - Page 8 of 11

Posted on May 23, 2024May 23, 2024 by Sarika Behal — Leave a comment

Protein Packed Millet Cutlets- Easy Vegetarian Recipe

Cutlets originally was derived from the French favourite cotelette, which evolved into ‘cutlet’ in English. It referred to a thin slice of meat, typically taken from the leg or rib section of the animal. This meat was often breaded and fried, creating a crispy and a flavorful dish.

Cutlets have had quite a history. It came to English shores around 1700s. During those times, dishes with potatoes were considered a novelty. It was introduced in India by the Britishers around 1800s. Thanks to their love for French cooks. When the British came to Bengal, Lord William Amherst started cultivation of potatoes in India. Around those times, the colonial cooks mashed up boiled potatoes and mixed up minced meat to make the neat cutlet.

For the initial years, cutlet remained the privy of the British occupied spaces. Gradually, it made its way to commercial places which even included railway towns and mining colonies. It became so common that even leftover sabjis found its way into becoming a cutlet.

Among several cutlet recipes, this is the one I enjoy the most because, first of all, it is a fuss free recipe, its healthy, gluten free, a flavor bomb and most importantly they are not deep fried. This can be served as an evening snack or in breakfast. Since it is not deep fried and are gluten free, they are also light on you stomach. These are especially great for all the picky little eaters. My little one gobbled them in no time. 🙂

These can also be stuffed inside toasted bread slices. Use your favourite dressing, top it with lettuce, tomato and onions and enjoy a wholesome meal.

Recipe: makes 6 cutlets

Ingredients

2, boiled Potatoes
1/2 cup Indian Cottage Cheese or Paneer
2 tbsps, finely chopped Onion
Handful of Mint Leaves and Coriander Leaves
1 tbsp grated, Ginger
3 tbsps, Millet flour (I used Finger Millet/Ragi Flour)
1 tsp, Dhania or Coriander powder
A pinch, Garam Masala
1/4th tsp Red Chilli powder (optional)
1/2 tsp, Jeera or Roasted Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Amchoor or Raw Mango powder
Salt to taste
Oil/Ghee to cook

Instructions

Mash boiled potatoes in a bowl. To it add grated paneer/cottage cheese, onions, mint and coriander leaves and ginger. These herbs give an amazing flavor.

Now, add all the spices- coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, raw mango powder, garam masala and salt.

In a pan, add millet flour and roast on low flame till it is fragrant. It should take you roughly 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring continuously. Once the flour has roasted well, add it to the potato mixture.

Mix everything very well and form a soft dough. If it feels sticky, you can add more flour. Check for seasoning. Once ok, give it a desired shape. Keep aside

Heat a griddle or tawa on a medium heat. Add a tbsp of oil/ghee. When the oil is hot, gently place the cutlets on the griddle or tawa.

Fry them for 2-3 minutes each side till it gets golden brown on both sides. Do that on a low flame, so that it cooks well from inside.

Serve it with green chutney or ketchup.

Enjoy!!

Protein Content:

Paneer: 10 grams
Potatoes (Large): 5 grams
Millet (Ragi flour): 5 grams

Total Protein: 20 grams

Notes:

You can also use poha/flattened rice flour in place of millets. Just grind raw and dry poha to a powder and use it in place of ragi. Just make sure the poha powder is fine, otherwise the mixture will turn crumbly.
Quantity of flour may change depending on the kind of potatoes or the moisture level in your cooked potatoes.
You can also add vegetables of your choice here, like, shredded carrots, cabbage, boiled peas, spinach.

Posted on May 21, 2024May 21, 2024 by Sarika Behal — 2 Comments

Air Fried Chilli Garlic Potato Bites- Guilt Free Snacking

Summer holidays have begun. Kids are at home. As much as it is exciting with all the play dates, pool parties but sometimes let’s admit it, it gets exhausting too, thinking about snacking options for everyone.

Potato-based snacks are very common and are prepared for various purposes. The market is flooded with fusion snacks made from potatoes. We all love those bite sized frozen snacks because they are quick to prepare and are absolutely delicious. But I have major concerns when it comes to frozen foods.

First of all is the high sodium content. Sodium is widely used as a preservative. I literally get enfolded with guilt if I serve my child packaged food with high sodium. Too much sodium in a child’s diet increases the likelihood of osteoporosis. It can cause calcium to be lost from bones resulting in weak bones.
The ingredients that are used in packaged frozen food are not the same as those in freshly cooked meals. It contains hydrogenated palm oil that has harmful trans-fat.
Preservatives like starch, corn syrup which is made up of glucose are added to these foods to add taste and texture. This increases the risk of diabetes and are noted as carcinogenic substances.
The high fat and sodium content can also increase the risk of heart diseases, BP and high cholesterol levels.

There is no one who doesn’t enjoy convenience. Tossing a packaged frozen food once in while in your shopping cart is not a problem. However, when this convenience becomes a habit, it comes with a huge risk of health problems.

So, lets make fresh and delicious chilli garlic potato bites which I am sure you and your family will enjoy. They are air-fried, so there goes the guilt of deep frying too.

Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes	Cook time: 20 minutes
Serving: 20 bites

Ingredients

4 large Potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 tbsps Rice flour
3 slices of Bread (I used whole wheat)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
1/2 Mozzarella Cheese (optional but recommended)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Take boiled and mashed potatoes in a large bowl or a plate. Break the bread slices into tiny pieces and add to potatoes. Add all the ingredients mentioned above.

Squeeze and mix everything well to form a soft dough. If the dough feels sticky, add more rice flour or bread slice. It will help to absorb the moisture. Check for seasoning.

Now, shape it the way you like it. I shaped some in cylindrical shape but eventually got tired. The easiest is a round shape. So, if you plan to make a lot of these, I recommend a round shape.

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 360 F or 180 C. Brush the basket with little oil and gently add the potato balls. Do not crowd the basket. Do few batches of a single layer. Brush a little oil over the top of each ball. Cook for 4 minutes, shake the basket. Spray or brush it again with some oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes more until golden brown.

Serve with ketchup, chutney or ranch dipping sauce.

Variations

A great variation to this is adding ranch seasoning packet to the potatoes because ranch seasoned potatoes are to die for.
You can make them cheesy by adding a block of mozzarella or cheddar cheese in the center.
To make it more crispy, you can dip these balls in corn flour slurry and then coat them with more bread crumbs.
You can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free bread slices.

Enjoy! Happy Holidays! 🙂

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Sarika Behal — Leave a comment

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 hours	Yields: 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.

Posted on May 6, 2024May 9, 2024 by Sarika Behal — 3 Comments

Healthy Iron Rich Pancake- Kid Friendly Recipe

Kids have limited appetite. Give your child the best nutrition in that little food that they eat. The biggest struggle for vegetarians or vegans is to fulfill their child’s iron needs. While balanced diet here is the key but we all know how balanced it gets with the children especially the ones who are picky eaters.

So, I am going to share with you a simple recipe which has a great balance of protein and iron.

We all make BESAN CHEELAS at home. Sharing with you a simple way wherein you can make the best out that one Cheela that your child eats. 😊 And trust me it comes out delicious and packed with flavours. Also, this makes a great lunch box recipe too.

This recipe requires no elaborate preparations, so don’t need to plan ahead either. Just stir together the ingredients to make a batter, pour it on a hot griddle & cook up a delicious healthy meal.

What is Cheela?

Cheela is a sweet or savory Indian Pancakes made using lentils, cereal or grain flour. They are often made without any leavening agents, so they are considered to be healthy.

What is Besan?

Besan is a Hindi word which means “gram flour”. It is a pulse flour made using channa dal or chickpea flour. So besan cheela is gram flour pancakes. These pancakes are Gluten Free, vegan and nutritious. Gram flour is a fabulous source of protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6. Just 100 grams of gram flour can give you 22 grams of easy to digest natural protein. You can make these pancakes with basic ingredients as well but when you add green leafy vegetables to it, it not only enhances the taste but also makes it wholesome and an amazing source of iron for your kids.

Also the vegetables I have added are all homegrown. If you don’t have enough space, grow them in small pots. It’s no rocket science. Just get a few pots or grow bags, potting soil and seeds from any nursery near your house. Engage your children while planting it. The satisfaction of eating your homegrown organic vegetables is unmatchable. Try it!

Ingredients

Prep time: 5 mins	Serving: makes 3 Pancakes
Cook time: 5 mins

Besan/Chickpea flour: 1/2 cup
Sattu/Roasted Gram flour: 1/4th cup
Semolina/Suji: 1/4th cup
Cumin seeds/Jeera: 1/8th tsp
Bishop seeds/Ajwain: 1/8th tsp
Garam Masala: 1/4th tsp
Roasted Cumin powder: 1/4th tsp
Turmeric: 1/4th tsp
Salt & Black pepper to taste
Chat Masala to taste (optional)
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
Water as required
Chopped Methi (Fenugreek), Spinach, Radish leaves, Mint leaves, Curry leaves & Coriander leaves: 1 cup
Onion: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Ginger: 2” long, grated
Ghee or Oil as required

Method

1 Take Besan/Chickpeas flour, Sattu or Roasted Gram flour (great source of protein) and Semolina/Suji (for crispiness) in a bowl.

2. To this add turmeric, cumin seeds, ajwain/bishop seeds, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, black pepper, salt, chaat masala and coriander powder. Mix it well. Add enough water to make a thin but not a runny batter. Start with 1/4th cup water and the gradually add more as required. Continue whisking until the batter has a smooth, flowing consistency. There shouldn’t be any lumps, so make sure to break those up while mixing the batter.

Tip: Use a wire whisk to whisk the batter. This will ensure that your batter is lump free.

3. Now add chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves, spinach leaves, onion, grated ginger (fabulous food for digestion), curry leaves, coriander & mint leaves. Use the leaves that are in season. All the green leaves are a great source of iron and this is one of the best ways to incorporate this in your child’s and your diet.

4. Keep the batter aside for 10 minutes. Heat a cast iron tawa on a medium to low heat. I have made it on normal tawa in which we make rotis but if you can’t make it on tawa then you can use a non stick pan as well.

5. Brush the tawa with desi ghee or oil. Add generously to avoid dry cheelas because besan tends to soak ghee/oil. Take a ladle or ¼ to ⅓ of a measuring cup full of the batter and pour on the pan. Spread the batter evenly with the back of your ladle to make thin cheelas.

6. Then continue to cook the chilla on a low to medium-low heat until the top begins to set. You can drizzle some more oil or ghee along the edges for a crispy cheela.

7. You can flip the chilla once or twice for even cooking.
Once the base gets golden brown, it’s time to flip the cheela. Cook the other sides till you see golden spots on cheela. You can flip the cheela once or twice for even cooking.

8. Finally, fold it and then serve it mint chutney, homemade ketchup or the way your child likes it.

Enjoy!! 😊

Notes:

If some of the spices mentioned above are not available, feel free to skip them.
Incase you don’t find sattu or roasted gram flour, feel free to skip it and add more besan or chickpea flour. However, sattu is a great source of protein and iron, so it’ll be great if you can get your hands on it.

Posted on May 6, 2024May 9, 2024 by Sarika Behal — Leave a comment

Quick Strawberry and Apple Preserve- Healthy Kid Friendly Recipe

I love making fuss free healthy recipes for my little one. Strawberries have literally become synonymous to preserves and jams. With only a few ingredients, you can whip up homemade strawberry preserves in no time and it’ll keep so well in the fridge for weeks to come!

This delightful homemade preserve is one of my son’s favourite and it is super easy to make. He enjoys it with almost anything – pancake, on a toast, parantha. It takes only 5 ingredients and tastes so much better than the store bought ones which are laden with sugar, artificial colours and preservatives.

This preserve is made in smaller batch without the use of pectin. But this recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch of preserve. If you want the preserves to last longer than three weeks in the refrigerator, you’ll need to process the jars in a hot water canning bath.

Do make this strawberry preserve when berries are in season and I am sure you will love it.
It tastes delicious. It’s healthy and its is ready in flat 20 minutes.

This preserve does not contain any processed sugar. It is not sickly sweet. This is something your child and your family can enjoy guilt free. I have added chia seeds to it for more nutrition and also it improves the texture of the preserve.

Ingredients

Prep time: 5 mins	Serving: makes 2 ounces
Cook time: 15 mins

100 gms Strawberries
1/2 cup Apple
30 gms jaggery powder or unprocessed coconut sugar
1.5 tbsps Chia seeds
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
1/4th cup Water

Method

Chop strawberries and apple finely. Add them in a pan. Keep the flame low. Cook for a minute. Now add coconut sugar or jaggery powder.
Stir till sugar melts. It should take a minute or two.
Now add water. Cook till apple becomes mushy and the preserve thickens. It will roughly take 9-10 minutes.
Once it thickens, add lemon juice, vanilla extract and chia seeds.
Cook for a minute and Voila!!! It’s done 🙂