Priya's Page

Blueberry Frozen Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 02:03:00 +0000

Blueberry Frozen Treats

What if I tell you that these lovely frozen treats take just 5 minutes to be ready. I mean, I take longer to wear a lipstick! Yes, presenting another quick dessert using Blueberries. These tiny, round blue-purple berries produce amazing result when used in any recipe. Studies have also proved that having blueberries helps improve memory. So it is highly recommended for children as well. They have the highest antioxidant capacity among all fruits as well.

These berries can be whipped into a smoothie, baked into muffins or you can make a popular summer treat Rose flavored Blueberry Popsicle besides just enjoying them raw. They all taste good.
Today I chose to make Blueberry Ice cream (no ice cream maker needed).

It literally took me 5 minutes to make it. They only wait time is when it is in the freezer. So if you have some sudden guests over or your child is being fussy with his meal, present them this colorful treat and I am positive that they would love you for serving this!

Ingredients
1 cup washed blueberries
2 cups of blueberry fat free curd
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Orange zest for sprinkles

Method

Wash the blueberries well.

I used this blueberry curd.

In a blender, add all the ingredients except the orange rinds.

Blend it all together to make a smooth paste.

Empty it into a container with lid.

Freeze the box for an hour atleast.

Take them out before serving, scoop out the required quantity.

Serve them with some orange zest sprinkles for that extra zing effect.

Pleasantly surprise your friends and family with this colorful summer treat. Be prepared for some ooooos and aaahhhs from your guests. This dish is a winner! After all who would want to pass on a dessert like this which is healthy as well. Well that could be our little secret. Do not tell them what is in it! :)

Quick fix Vegan Pasta made in Almond sauce!

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 01:06:00 +0000

Quick fix Vegan Pasta made in Almond sauce!

White sauce pasta is yummy but unhealthy and I am not a big fan of red sauce pasta. So yes, that leaves me in a soup! So I have made peace with myself and only succumb to making vegetable pasta salad with no sauce. Here is the proof - Wholewheat Spaghetti with Veggies, Edamame and Mushroom Pasta salad and Pink Spaghetti with veggies.

However when I made Roasted Almond Butter the other day, I started to think of different ways to use it in my cooking.

I fell in love with this vegan butter. It is nutty, flavorful and and creamy. I spread them on toasted burger buns and used them for Edamame and Carrot Burgers. They were perfect!
After using them in the burger recipe, I still had some leftover butter. So the crux of this small story is that I chose to make a creamy pasta (finally) using the leftover almond butter. Win -Win situation for me! So here is my version of a quick fix, creamy, low fat, no sauce, vegetarian pasta.

Ingredients
1 packet of any whole wheat pasta
2 tbsp of Almond Butter
2 tomatoes roughly chopped
7-8 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp dill leaves
1 onion
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
1 tbsp chilly sauce/Sriracha sauce
Red Pepper flakes as required
Salt as required

Method
Heat a grill pan, spray some olive oil and grill the tomatoes and garlic together. Allow it to cool.

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions.

Grind the grilled tomatoes, garlic along with the almond butter.

This is the sauce that we will use for the pasta.

In a pan, warm the olive oil. Saute the bell peppers for 2 minutes.

Add the sauce and the pasta along with salt. Season it with chilly sauce and pepper flakes.

In the grill pan, saute the onion and sesame seeds.

Sprinkle this over the pasta along with some chopped dill leaves.

Now stop drooling and go make yours while I enjoy mine! :)

Some notes
Feel free to add any veggies you like.
You can also sprinkle some cheese on top.

Edamame and Carrot Burgers served with Almond Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 22:47:00 +0000

Edamame and Carrot Burgers

served with Almond Butter

I love burgers! Well, who doesn't. I love cooking up innovative burgers to give them an edge overs others. Of course, they are healthy and nutritious so I am very particular as to what goes in them. I like using never heard combinations while making the patties. Like the time I made Eggplant and Chickpea Burger. I quizzed my friends over what was in it and they were pleasantly surprised to know that it had eggplant!

As a vegetarian, I keep looking for more protein rich foods to include in our diet. Edamame fits the bill. It is a good source of protein, iron and calcium, naturally gluten free, contains no cholesterol and is low in calories. So yes, including edamame in your diet is a good thing to do. I pick up this from stores which is ready to eat. You can find recipes on my blog where I have used this. You can check them here - Edamame and Spinach soup, Edamame and Mushroom Pasta salad, Sesame flavored Beetroot and Edamame Parathas and Hara Bhara Pulav.

I have used Roasted Almond Butter in this recipe. I think it adds a nutty flavor to this veggie burger. Feel free to use the regular butter if you wish. But I suggest, you give this Almond butter a try. I can assure you, you will love it!

Now coming back to this recipe, let me share with you the process of getting it ready onto the dining table for your family! :)

Ingredients

2 cups cooked Edamame

1 cup grated Carrots

1 cup brown bread crumbs

4 tbsp. oats powder

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. ginger paste

½ cup chopped spinach

½ cup Dill leaves, chopped

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1 cup onion greens

3-4 tbsp. Sriracha sauce

Salt as required

Whole wheat burger buns

Fat free goat cheese

Mustard sauce as required

Oil as required

Black sesame seeds for sprinkle

Some Lettuce leaves, slices of onion and tomato

Dollop of Almond butter

Method

It's really simple. Coarsely grind the edamame in a food processor.

In a mixing bowl, add the edamame and carrots.

Now add the remaining ingredients like - ginger, garlic, spinach, half of the bread crumbs, dill leaves, cilantro, oats powder, salt, sriracha sauce and onion greens.

Mix it all well. Make medium size patties.

Roll each of them over the remaining half of the breadcrumbs.

Refrigerate them for 30 minutes. This helps in binding.

Sprinkle some cooking oil over a grill pan. Cook these patties evenly on both the sides. Sprinkle some sesame seeds as they cook just give it an additional flavor.

Now comes the assembly part.

Warm the burger buns for 15 seconds in the microwave. Smear some almond butter on both sides of the bun.

Place one lettuce leaf on one of the bread. Plaice a Patti over it. Add some tomato and onion slices on the other bun. Sprinkle some cheese.

Add mustard sauce and some more sriracha sauce if you wish. Close it and take a bite! :)

These can be even made in advance prior to a party or a game night. Woo your guests with these burgers while you gorge on them as well.

Homemade Turmeric Powder

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 19:55:00 +0000

Homemade Turmeric Powder

Turmeric is native to India. It has lot of medicinal properties besides being used extensively in our cooking. It is also used during religious functions in India. It's considered very Pius in Hindu tradition. I have seen my mom use in nearly all her recipes.

I have always bought the turmeric powder from the store, even when I was in India. Since I started my food blog, I have begun to experiment with cooking a lot. I have started to make spices at home. Just recently I made Garam Masala which was a huge hit on my blog as well as my home. So this time I chose to make organic Turmeric powder at home. I had heard horrendous stories about the ones available at stores, that they add color to make it look more authentic, it's not organic, etc etc. Hence I knew that I had to make it myself to be genuine.

This is fairly the most simple recipe I have made. It is just a 3 step process. Boil - Dry - Grind! However it spreads across a week! Let me tell you how.

Ingredients
1 pound Turmeric roots yields 1/4 cup of powder. So choose a quantity you want.

Method
Wash the roots thoroughly. Boil water in a pan, immerse these roots and let it boil for 45 minutes.

Drain the water. Now you need to work with gloves and disposable plates and it could stain your hand and utensil. Chop the roots once they are cooled down. Place a kitchen towel over a disposable plate to soak in excess water. Spread the chopped roots over it.

Do not crowd them, use multiple plates if needed. Spread them out evenly. You need not keep it in sunlight all the time. A well lit, ventilated area by he window should do the job. Leave it for a week. Keep tossing it every other day.

Over the week, you will notice the roots completely shrinking and getting dried up. That is what we want. I forgot to take a pic post the week. Apologies!
Grind these dried roots to a fine powder using a stainless steel mixer grinder. If you use a plastic/glass grinder, it could stain it. If using the latter then immediately wash it off to avoid staining the vessel.

The aroma in your kitchen will reaffirm why you did this! It is just so pure and authentic. It looks or tastes nothing like store bought. I am so glad I made it.

Preserve this in an air tight container and it stays good for months. Use them in seasonings, curries, gravies, smoothies or any other way you like. Enjoy!!

Roasted Almond Butter - It's Vegan!

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 22:37:00 +0000

Roasted Almond Butter - It's Vegan!

Also known as Nut butter, is made from grinding almonds.So of course this is vegan. It is a fairly simple process to make this butter and is ready within 5 minutes using just 2 steps. Roast and grind!
I love working with Almonds. They are so versatile. I have made Almond Milk, Hummus made from Almond Pulp and also made an Indian chutney - Tomato Almond Chutney.

Making it at home is preferred as store bought ones will contain preservatives. I would check the label first. Anyways, making it at home is just a 5 minute task so why wouldn't you?
Now let me tell you some health benefits of eating Almond butter. It is high in mono-saturated fats, provides dietary protein and is also an excellent source of vitamin E despite being calorie dense.

This butter can be creamy or crunchy. You can choose to roast the almonds before grinding or use them raw. I chose to roast them. This quickens the grinding process and also gives the butter a more nutty flavor. You can choose to flavor the butter by adding honey/maple syrup to give it a sweet taste. I prefer the other way. Salty is it!

Ingredients
2 cups of Organic Almonds
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp any Vegetable Oil

Method
Roast the almonds in a hot pan for 2 minutes.

Cool them. Grind them in a food processor. I use Cuisinart DLC-2011CHB Prep 11 Plus 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless and I love it.

The key to this is that you must keep grinding the almonds. It would take 2-3 minutes till it is done. Add the other ingredients while grinding. Refer the pictures below to understand the stages of grinding.

This is the last stage. It is done now.

Store it in a glass jar. The butter will get firmer as it settles. Refrigeration is recommended for it to last for months.

Uses of Almond Butter
- as a sandwich/burger spread
- healthier way to thicken a gravy
- in baking
- substitute it for regular butter in any recipe

Coffee flavored Figs and Dates Popsicle

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 19:26:00 +0000

Coffee flavored Figs and Dates Popsicle

I am so happy with myself. This is my creation and I am totally in love with it. I am not a big fan of regular coffee but I love cold coffee instead. I have been wanting to use cold coffee in some form in my recipe. This weekend while grocery shopping, we stumbled upon some fresh figs. I have never used or even had figs before so I decided to buy them just to challenge myself. Since today morning I have been thinking of a way to use these figs. Browsed many recipes for some ideas however I wanted to try something new.

Before we get into the recipe that I finally made, I would like to enlighten my readers about the health benefits of figs. They are low in calories. They contain dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. There are lots of recipes we can make using figs. I have made Figs Almonds and Banana Smoothie. They make a very good power breakfast option.
Coming back to today's recipe, I decided to blend figs with coffee and dates to enhance its flavor and to try something new. This can even be had as a milkshake. I chose to convert them to Popsicle!

Ingredients
6-7 figs cut in half
5-6 pitted dates
1 cup fat free milk
2 tbsp coffee powder/cold coffee mix

Method
Blend together figs, dates,milk and cold coffee mix.

You need not strain this mixture. Grind it finely. Pour it into popsicle moulds.

Freeze it for minimum 6 hours. Remove them from the mould by running it over some warm tap water.These Popsicles have a distinct coffee flavor which when blended with figs and dates, make it even more tasty. I enjoy them as mid morning snacks. It is a cool way to beat the summer!

Multigrain Crepe (contains Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Oats, Brown rice and lentils)

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 19:58:00 +0000

Multigrain Crepe (contains Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Oats, Brown rice and Lentils)

I am reinventing Adai as Multigrain Crepes. Adai is traditionally a fermented crepe using lentils and rice. Originating from the south of India, this crepe is different from dosa as it has more lentils in it and is thicker. Conventionally it is enjoyed with some jaggery however I prefer to eat it with the Idli Chutney powder/Gunpowder and sesame oil. This makes for a great breakfast or lunch/dinner option.

My memory of enjoying Adai goes back to my childhood where we relished this dish as part of our weekend meals. My mum would start making them and it was my responsibility to serve it to my dad and bro one by one. Let me tell you here that these crepes are addictive though very filling. You do not realize how many you have actually eaten till you can't even get up from the chair! Now I empathize with my mom as it is pretty time consuming to make these crepes in large quantities. So the more number of people the more crepes you land up making. Phew!

Like I mentioned earlier, Adai is mainly made with lentils and rice. This time however I decided to give the traditional Adai a healthy twist. I had recently purchased Chia seeds from Whole Foods and had been wanting to use it in my recipes. It was just perfect that I chose to use it in this one among other healthy ingredients. Though this doesnt impact the authentic taste of Adai, it just makes it more nutritious and a wholesome meal.

Ingredients
1 cup Chana Dal (Bengal Gram)
1 cup Urad Dal (Skinned split black lentils)
1/2 cup Moong Dal (Split yellow lentils)
1 cup Brown rice
1/4 cup Oats flour
1/4 cup Flax seed powder
3 tbsp Chia seeds
7-8 dried Red chillies
1 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped Cilantro
Salt
Water as needed
Oil as needed

Method
Take a big vessel and soak the chana dal, urad dal, moong dal and brown rice in water overnight or for 10-12 hours. Drain out the water and this is how it would look.

Grind these along with the red chillies, salt and asafoetida to a coarse paste by adding water as required.

The batter should not be very runny or thick. Add the chia seeds, oats flour and flax seed powder. Mix it all well.

Now add the chopped onions and cilantro. Check salt and consistence, add if required.

The batter is ready. This need not be fermented and you can make the crepes immediately.

Heat a flat skillet (the one used to make pancakes/dosa). Add a dollop of the batter over it and spread it to make a thick circle.

Pour little oil around it and let it cook evenly for few minutes. Flip it and cook the other side as well.

Serve them hot with any Carrot & Peanut Chutney/ Lettuce Chutney/ Tomato Almond Chutney/Sauce/Gunpowder.

Homemade Garam Masala

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 04:33:00 +0000

Homemade Garam Masala

Yea, I finally made it!!! All the spices being roasted emitted an aroma in my kitchen which was so worth the effort. I have never been content with store bought ground masala. I feel they are not genuinely made, they have added preservatives, artificial color and flavors. So it was just about time that I made it in my own kitchen.

Indeed this is one of the easiest dry spice powder I have made considering that I have made a couple of them being from South India - Sambhar powder/ Rasam Powder/ South Indian Curry Powder and Idli Chutney powder also known as Gunpowder. I have recently made Turmeric powder at home as well. The recipe will be here soon along with the others.

Just to give you some history about Garam Masala. It is a blend of different spices. The kind of spices used may differ from region to region, personal taste and sometimes also ingredient availability in the kitchen ;) It is commonly used seasoning in most of the Indian cooking and it surely does enhance the flavors when added to any dish. It is a very strong spice powder and usually needs to be used in small quantities in any recipe.

It is a 2 step process. You need to dry roast all the whole spices and then grind them together to a powder. This can be made in advance and stored in a airtight container for months. Ensure that it doesn't catch any moisture. Feel free to experiment with the whole spices, add or delete as you may wish. These spices elevate the body temperature hence need to be used in moderation.

This recipe makes 400 gms of Garam Masala approximately.

Ingredients
100 gms of Cumin Seeds
50 gms of Cardamom Seeds
60 gms of Coriander Seeds
60 gms of Peppercorns
20 gms of Cinnamon
20 gms of Cloves
20 gms of Bay Leaves
4 Nutmeg, broken (optional)

Method
Preheat the skillet. It should be hot enough to roast the spices but be careful to not burn them. Dry roast all of the above ingredients individually. Keep stirring continuously.

Allow them to cool.

To remove the Cardomom husk, put the roasted cardomom in between a paper towel. Press it with a rolling pin lightly. Refer the pictorial below to get an idea on how it is done.

Once all the spices have cooled down, using a Cuisinart DLC-2011CHB Prep 11 Plus 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless, ground it all to a fine powder. Your Garam Masala is ready to be used. Enjoy its flavors in any dish knowing very well that it is authentic since it is homemade with Love!

Some recipes where you can add this are - Mutter Paneer, Baby Corn Mushroom Peas Masala, Oriental Egg Fried Rice, Cilantro Pot Rice, Mutter Dhingri and Egg Biryani. There are many more recipes in my blog. Do not forget to check them as well.

Oriental Egg Fried Rice served with a Fried Egg

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 20:22:00 +0000

Oriental Egg Fried Rice

served with a Fried Egg

It was my husband's birthday and he declared that we celebrate it for the whole week. By celebrate, he meant, I cook all his favorite dishes through the week! :)
So in the list was - Chinese fried rice and Egg Biryani. Since I had already made Egg Biryani recently, I chose to mix up his wish and make an Oriental Egg Fried Rice instead! Win Win situation for both of us. Since this was something new for my blog as well. ;)
It is a running joke in my home these days that I only cook for my blog. Since I do not like to repeat my dishes as it doesn't offer anything new for my blog.

We have a favorite local Chinese take away which is our go to every weekend. We both just love their fried rice and curry tofu. So here, I have tried to replicate the same flavor for the fried rice. In place of curry tofu, I have tried this - Tofu cooked with Sesame seeds. Love this!
I have intentionally not added lots of veggies as I wanted to keep this simple and have the main ingredient - egg, to empower the dish. This recipe is very simple and easy to make.

Ingredients
2-3 eggs
2 cups of cooked rice
2 Bell Peppers, finely chopped
6-7 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp of red pepper flakes
2 tbsp of chilly garlic sauce
1 cup boiled green peas
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder/Homemade Garam masala
Salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Method
In a wok, heat the oil. Please ensure the wok is heated up well to enable the frying of the veggies. Do not make it very hot as it could burn them.Add and fry the garlic for a minute. Now add the bell peppers and green peas. Cook for another two minutes. Add salt.

Now crack the eggs and add them to the wok.

Scramble the eggs quickly by mixing it all swiftly. Add the chilly garlic sauce. Mix well.

Add the chilly flakes, garam masala and cilantro.

Mix it all well. Check salt and add if necessary. Finally add the rice. Mix it well.

The rice is now ready. You can serve it with a fried egg.

This is a mildly spiced egg fried rice which surely satisfies all your cravings!

Broccoli Paratha

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 21:59:00 +0000

Broccoli Paratha

There are generic parathas and then there is this paratha - Broccoli Paratha! This is totally a fusion dish. I mean, in India, people have just begun using broccoli since the last few years..at-least the people I know, including me. In fact I first time used broccoli when I moved to US two years ago. I like the taste of it. So far I had only used it in pastas, soups and salads. You can check them here - Pink Spaghetti, Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup and Sesame flavored grilled tofu & veggies.

I keep doing mystery box challenge with myself. My mystery box is my fridge. In my weekly grocery shopping, I pick up some random fruit and vegetable only to figure out later what I would make out of it. Hence when today I noticed a broccoli lying quietly in there, my mind started to think of various possibilities with it. That is when it struck me, why not make a stuffed paratha using it. Since I wanted to make it flavorful, I added potatoes and green peas to the filling. Sharing the recipe with all of you. Hope you like it.

Makes 7 parathas.

Ingredients
For the Filling
1 broccoli
2 boiled potatoes
1 cup boiled green peas
1 onion
3-4 green chillies
4-5 garlic cloves
Half inch ginger
2 tsp Homemade garam masala
1 tsp dhania jeera powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp sev
Salt

For the paratha dough
2 cups wheat flour
2 tbsp oats flour
2 tbsp flax seed powder
1 tbsp chilly powder
Salt and water as required
1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp Ghee to make the paratha.

Method
To make the dough
I use this food processor. I love it. The dough becomes very soft and it is super easy to knead.

You can find it here - Cuisinart DLC-2011CHB Prep 11 Plus 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless.
Add the flour, salt, oats flour, flax seed powder and chilly powder.

Knead into a soft dough by adding water slowly.

Rest the dough for 15 - 20 minutes.

To make the filling
In the same food processor, pulse the broccoli florets to small pieces.

Shred the onion, garlic, green chillies and ginger together.

Mash the potatoes and green peas together.

In a pan, heat the oil. Temper the mustard and cumin seeds.

Add and fry the onion mixture for 2-3 minutes.

Add the broccoli and mix well.

Cook it covered for 3-4 minutes, till the broccoli is well cooked.

Add the spices - turmeric powder, garam masala, dhania jeera powder and salt.

Fry for another minute. Take it off the heat.

In a mixing bowl, add this mixture once its little cool, add the mashed potato mixture, cilantro and sev. Mix it all up.

Shape them into medium sized balls.

To make the stuffed paratha
Make small balls of the dough.

With a rolling pin, flatten the balls to make a small circle, using dry flour.

Place 1 spoon of the broccoli mixture in the center.

Close the paratha.

Sprinkle dry flour over it and again roll it to a circle using the rolling pin. Be careful to not press harder else the filling will come out.

Heat the skillet/tava. Place this uncooked paratha on it. Smear some ghee over it and cook it both sides.

This is how it will look.

Serve it hot with some sauce or Roasted Garlic and Tomato Raita or Minty Cucumber Raita. I served it with Fusion Gravy.
Since broccoli is one o the low calorie vegetable, rich in minerals, fiber, vitamins and anti-oxidants, it makes this dish even more healthy and nutritious. It being delicious is an added bonus.

Fusion Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 22:23:00 +0000

Fusion Gravy

This is really a fusion dish. I mean, it has something from every cuisine. The black beans which are widely used in American foods, the hummus which is Mediterranean, pasta sauce from Italy and Indian spices! This is one of my creations and I am very satisfied with the result.

The reason for this creation - a very practical one - had to empty my fridge since we leaving for a vacation soon. I was little skeptical before actually trying it out. In my head, I was pondering over the outcome. I knew I could not get it that wrong because the pasta sauce has tomatoes and garlic which are the base of most gravies. Adding the hummus will give the gravy a rich and creamy effect. Since it contained beetroot, carrots, chickpeas and spices it will surely add to the flavors of the dish. Once I was convinced in my head, I went ahead to make it! :)

Ingredients
2 cups boiled black beans
1/2 cup red sauce used in pasta
1/2 cup carrot & beetroot hummus (recipe link shared below)
2 tbsp chole masala
1 tbsp dhania jeera powder
Salt as required
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp oil

Method
In a pan, heat the oil, temper the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the pasta sauce and cook it for 2-3 minutes.

Now add the Carrot and Beetroot Hummus along with 1 cup water.

Mix it well. The gravy will be rich and creamy. It will also have a bright and natural red color to it. Cook it for 3-4 minutes. Now add the chole masala and dhania jeera powder. Mix it well and cook it for another minute.

It's time to add the black beans and cilantro. Mix it lightly and cook it for 2 minutes.

Remember to check salt before adding, because the hummus, pasta sauce and the beans will have some amount of salt in it. Serve this with brown bread/roti/naan. All the flavors blend in very well of the sauce and hummus. The chole masala gives it an Indian touch. This red gravy dish has no artificial color in it. The beets from the hummus give it the natural rich color.

Paruppu Usili Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 03:24:00 +0000

Paruppu Usili Curry

This curry is made in just 1 tbsp of oil! There are a couple of processes involved in making this curry. This can be eaten along with sambhar or rasam rice. It is a combination of green vegetables and lentils making it rich in protein and carbs. This is also a popular dish from South India. It is also served in weddings due to its popularity. It is a very simple dish but very tasty.
I made this curry today along with Paruppu Rasam. It is a good combination. Try it and let me know.

Ingredients
1/2 cup tur dal
1/2 cup chana dal
4-5 dried red chillies
Half inch ginger
5-6 curry leaves (optional)
2 cups string beans, finely chopped
3/4 cup green peas
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of hing
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal
1 tbsp oil
Salt as required

Method
Soak the chana dal and tur dal for 40 minutes. Strain the water and coarsely grind it along with red chillies, salt, ginger and curry leaves.

Now you need to steam this paste. You need to use Idli cooker. I have this one -
Butterfly Idli Cooker with 6 Plates. I love this cooker as it comes with 1 Mini idli mould as a bonus.
Grease the moulds with some oil. Make small balls of the ground paste and place them on the moulds.

Steam this for 10-12 minutes. Let it cool down. Remove the steamed dals and break them into pieces. Keep this aside.

Wash and boil the beans and peas together along with some salt and turmeric powder.

Strain the water and keep this aside.

In a pan,heat the oil. Temper the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal.

Add hing and the steamed dal pieces. Mix well. Cook for 5-6 minutes.

Now add the green beans and peas. Mix lightly and take the pan off the flame.

Now add the cilantro and mix well. Serve it hot with sambhar/rasam rice.

Paruppu Rasam

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 02:24:00 +0000

Paruppu Rasam

Rasam and South Indians go hand in hand, well we literally have our hands in them! ;)
For those who do not know what Rasam is, it's made with lentils and spices. It is thinner than soup and is had with rice and any curry. It is tangy to taste. For us it is our "Chicken Soup for the soul". We have it when we are sick too, because its nutritious, rich in protein and easy to digest. It tastes best when hot and is very easy to make.

I personally believe that our mothers can make the best rasam. Our entire home would be so aromatic whenever my mom was making rasam. My MIL makes very good rasam too. There are many variations to make it. Today I made one called Paruppu Rasam. This rasam does not require you to boil the lentils prior. The whole thing about making rasam is about timing. You need to know when to switch off the gas. Over cooking the rasam takes away the taste. So you need to be alert and careful.
Actually I also made Paruppu Usili curry today and I used part of the the ground dal to be used in that recipe to make this rasam. You can find that here - Paruppu Usili Curry

Ingredients
1/4 cup tur dal
1/4 cup chana dal
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 small ball of tamarind/imli
1 tbsp dhania jeera powder
2-3 dried red chillies
Pinch of hing
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp rasam powder/sambhar powder
Half inch ginger
5-6 curry leaves
Salt as required

For tadka
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds

Method
Soak chana dal and tur dal for 40 minutes. Drain the water. Grind the dal, red chillies, ginger and salt. You can add curry leaves as well. Coarsely grind this.

You can use this paste in another recipe too which can be enjoyed with rasam rice. Check it here -
Dilute this paste with 1 cup water.

Soak the tamarind in hot water for 15 minutes. Press the tamarind to remove its juice and throw away the pulp. Pour this juice into a pan. Add 2 cups of water, rasam powder, turmeric powder, dhania jeera powder, hing, tomato and salt.

Cook it on medium flame. Bring this to a boil. Add the diluted paste.

Mix well. Cook it on medium. Take the pan off the flame as soon as you start to see froth.
Add the cilantro.

Give tadka of mustard and cumin seeds in ghee.

Pour this over the rasam.

Mix it well. Serve this hot with rice or just drink it as a thin soup. It is mildly spicy and tangy.
Keep checking my blog for other varieties of rasam which I will post shortly.

Carrot and Beetroot Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 05:15:00 +0000

Carrot and Beetroot Hummus

The more I have it, the more I love hummus. This Mediterranean dish is an absolute favorite in our house. Over time, I realized that I can play around with its flavors by mixing it up with different ingredients. Just the other day I made Hummus from Almond Pulp and it was yum. I had Almond pulp as leftover from making Organic Almond Milk, Since then I have been wanting to try other flavors in hummus.

I had reserved half a Beet and few carrots to make soup this week. However I decided to convert that to a Hummus recipe.

I like my hummus to be spicy and garlicy. This time I wanted to add an Indian tadka to it. In fact what I made today was a cross between Moroccan and Indian cuisine. Added lots of spices to reduce the sweetness from beets and carrots.

It is a very easy and quick recipe. Not to forget, healthy and nutritious too. I have used all basic ingredients which are easily available at home to make this recipe. Hummus can act as dips, sandwich or burger spreads , they can even be added to pasta instead of sauce. There are many recipes that can be made using hummus.

This hummus is very creamy and spreads easily. Its flavorful and spicy. You can experiment with it by adding spinach, edamame, avocado, etc. Here is my version of Carrot and Beetroot Hummus.

Ingredients
1.5 cups of boiled chick peas
1 beetroot peeled & roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic cut in half
2 carrots peeled & roughly chopped
1 tbsp dhania jeera powder
2 tbsp chilly powder
2 cloves
1 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
5 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Method
Take a grill pan. I use this one - Lava ECO Enameled Cast-Iron 10 x 12 inch Grill Pan,Slate Black because this one is dishwasher safe..sorry I prefer kitchen utensils and pans which are dishwasher safe, so that life becomes easy. :)
Anyways, drizzle oil over the pan and grill the beets, carrots and garlic.

The veggies need to be well grilled and charred. You can sprinkle some salt as well. Keep tossing them so that they get cooked from all sides. Once done, keep them aside to cool. The veggies will become more tender by now.

Now we need a food processor, I swear by this one - Cuisinart DLC-2011CHB Prep 11 Plus 11-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless. After my Indian brand mixer was broken, I was in hunt for a good mixer grinder which caters to Indian food as well. After much research, I finally got this one. It has a dough switch and makes dough easily. I also have used it to grind dosa/idli batter, chutneys, hummus, shred veggies, etc. I am surely content with it so far.
In the processor, add the boiled chickpeas.

Add all the spices - garam masala, chilly powder, dhania jeera powder, lemon juice, sesame seeds, cloves, ginger paste, cinnamon powder and salt.

Blend it well in the processor. Keep adding olive oil to smoothen the paste. Now add the grilled beets and carrots.

Blend them all again together. Keep mixing it at intervals. Add olive oil as required. Check salt.

It should be a hummus spread consistency. It's now ready. Scrape it out from the bowl onto a serving dish. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over it. Serve it with some baked chips, pita bread, veggies or crackers.

This is a very creamy and rich hummus. It is high in protein as well.

I have a bonus recipe for my readers today. Just a sampler on how you can use hummus in other dishes as well. Here I have made Hummus flavored Deviled Eggs. It is a very simple recipe and quick recipe. This is a nice breakfast option as well.

You need to cut the boiled egg in half, scoop out the yolk carefully into a bowl. Add hummus and olive oil to the yolk and mash it well. Scoop this back into the boiled egg. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over it and eat them!

I had some filling leftover, i just shaped them into small balls, dipped them in besan batter and deep fried them. Made Egg Pakodas out of them. However I didn't really like the taste of it as it had only the yolk with hummus. That was just a trial recipe and since it didn't turn out as expected, I chose to not share a picture of it.

Otherwise, the Hummus in itself is good. You can keep it refrigerated and use it for a week. I have made another recipe using this hummus. You can check it here - Fusion Gravy.

Personalized Wedding Invite

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 20:46:00 +0000

Personalized Wedding Invite

Weddings are fun! The hard-work that goes into making it a success is even more fun. There is lot of hustle bustle behind the scenes. The couple is busy planning many things. It is very easy to get flustered or overwhelmed. Today, times have changed.

We don't just hire a photographer for the wedding day anymore. The role of a photographer has increased, it spreads across pre and post wedding shoots. There are fancy props used for photo-shoots, the pictures turn out to be more fun and lively than the ways wedding pictures looked back then. Same way, the wedding invites have also evolved. It is no longer the standard printed wedding cards. Couples want to make the invites personal too. There are Save The Date videos which are creatively designed to suit the personality of the couple.
I have been making short films for some time now. I recently made a wedding invite video for my brother's wedding. He coaxed me into it. He wanted me to make something original and creative. Here is the video I made. I own this video. If you looking for making such creative invites for any occasion, you can contact me for orders.

Gift a Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 19:22:00 +0000

Gift a Painting

Paintings are a very important aspect in home decor. They talk about the owners personality, add a new dimension to your house and make it even more beautiful. Paintings also make a great housewarming gift or a perfect way to take it along when visiting someone's house for the first time.

The gift becomes even more special if its handmade. Choose from these designs or if you need anything different, I can do that too. These are painted on canvas and framed to give it an aesthetic look.

For avid travelers

For Lovebirds

For nature lovers

For Crafty hearts

For moody days

For Heartbeats

Each one is unique and can pep up any room. They blend well and add a personal touch to your homes.

Contact me for any orders.

Valentines Day Gift for your Spouse

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 18:38:00 +0000

Valentines Day Gift for your Spouse

We all love this day don't we! There are many gifts available in the market but nothing beats gifting something homemade for your loved ones. Since its made with love it makes the gift more personal and special. I made this gift box for my husband. I didn't want to fill it up with stuff, but keep it selective. There are just 3 items in the box. The box is covered in red paper. The lid is personalized. I have also made a moving heart greeting card along with it. On the inner side of the lid, I wrote him a poem.
The box is compact, oozes love and is a feel good gift!

It is small gestures like these which take your relationship ahead. So if you too are looking for something like this to gift your spouse, do contact me. I can customize it according to your needs.

52 Reasons why I Love You - A new year gift for your Spouse

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:36:00 +0000

52 Reasons why I Love You - A new year gift for your Spouse

It was new year's eve. I wanted to gift my husband something special to mark the beginning of the new year. Since we have 52 weeks in a year, I wanted to make something correlating to that. So I came up with an idea to make a customized and personalized jar letting him know why I love him. I have 52 reasons to back it up with.

It was a fun project as I had to be creative in coming up with 52 reasons. It obviously cannot be repetitive and needs to convey exactly what I feel. So it was little challenging to keep coming up with different reasons at one time as your mind just stops thinking. Finally I did manage to make this personalized jar with my reasons in it! I tied a twine around each slip of paper. I kept this colorful by using different colors of paper.

I was excited to present this to him. On January 1st, I placed this on his bedside and waited for him to wake up and spot this. It was a fun morning. He was very happy to see this gift. He loves gifts which are personalized and home made. He patiently read each one of it. I noticed the smile on his face every time he read a reason. My gift did serve its purpose.

I can make one for you, customize it to your need and occasion. Contact me if interested.

Toddler Birthday Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:07:00 +0000

Toddler Birthday Gift

Anaya is a bright, fun loving and cute little toddler. She is my friend's daughter and it was her 3rd Birthday. I wanted to gift her something fun. I made this goody bag for her. Got her a reusable goody basket. She stores her toys in them today!

This personalized gift basket has some toys, chocolates and products for her to use. She was excited to get this turtle basket filled with goodies.

You can order this too. Customized to your needs.

House Warming Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 15:44:00 +0000

House Warming Gift

One of my friend's sister recently moved from India to They are a family of three with a young toddler. While talking to my friend, she told me that she wanted to do something special for her but couldn't come up with anything. That is when an idea struck me, I offered to make her a house warming gift.

Remembering the time when I was new to this country and home, I went shopping for some goodies to put in my basket. I was working on a budget so had to hunt different stores, looking for suitable stuff. By end of the day, I was content with the things I had got. Sent the pictures to my friend as well for her approval. She loved them all.

After personalizing them, I printed the labels and created my personalized good box. I had to keep it compact as it had to be shipped.

I couldn't wait for it to get shipped. Sent my friend the final pictures of the gift. She was amazed and happy. The gift was shipped. Now comes the waiting game. I was impatient. I wanted to know the reaction of my friend's sister when she gets the parcel. finally I got the happy call. She and her family were thrilled to get this welcome gift. She told that me that it has all the things she can use and thanked me profusely. Her daughter loved it too.

Happy customer - Happy me!

Contact me for any such personalized gifts. It can be customized to your needs.

Gift for a New Born

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 14:56:00 +0000

Gift for a New Born

Our friends recently had a baby boy - Ayaan. He is adorable. He looked so small and serene. I am sure his parents see the other side of him ;)

Actually his birth marked the occasion of me starting Laksh Creations. I intend to make personalized gifts for all occasions. I cater to orders across USA with a small shipping fee. This was the first gift I made under this start up. So it is extremely special to me.

Since I had decided to make a gift basket for the new born, I began talking to my friends who are moms and tried to find out what brands they use, they feel safe about, the kind of things they need, the stores they frequent, etc. Since this hamper was for the child than the mom to use, I had to do the research accordingly. Once I had my list ready, I went shopping! That was fun. Since I am not a mom yet, it felt different shopping in the baby aisles. It felt good.

Next came the moment to personalize them. I also got a basket and some ribbons for decoration. I tried and tested some rhymes to put up on the bottles. After many edits, my labels were ready and printed. I put up some colorful pop ups on the basket, tied my ribbon and my basket was ready.

Filled the basket with all the goodies and it was ready! My friends were pleasantly surprised to know that it was a handmade gift from us. The mom was very happy with the goodies in it and said all of them were very useful for a new born baby. It made my day!

Taking orders for the same, it can be customized according to your need. Message me here if interested.

Cheese Corn Toast

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 03:56:00 +0000

Cheese Corn Toast

It was the end of the week, my groceries were well used this week and by end of it I only had some potatoes and frozen corn in my fridge. So I knew had to make something using these 2 as my core ingredients. I have made Supremely spicy Mushroom Toast and Hummus flavored Chickpea Toast before.

Cheese Corn Toast will turn out as you choose to make it. You can add sprouts, egg or any other vegetable, mix and match with corn and they all will taste good. This is one of the basic recipes and is fairly simple to make. Corn and potatoes are a killer combo though when mixed with the right spices. You can have them for breakfast or as an evening snack. Also good for small parties. You can cut them in strips and serve them as fingers.

Ingredients
1 cup boiled corn
2-3 potatoes boiled and mashed
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp chaat masala
1 tbsp chilly powder
2-3 green chillies minced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup fat free cheese
4 bread slices
2 fat free cheese slice
Salt

Method
Coarsely crush the boiled corn.

In a mixing bowl, add the corn, chilly powder, chaat masala, salt, cheese, butter and onions.

Add the potatoes

Add the green chillies.

Now add the cilantro and spinach.

Mix them all up and keep aside. Take bread slices, apply some butter on them.

Spread the corn mixture over one slice and a cheese slice over the other.

Close the sandwich with the other bread.

There are many Panini makers in the market, However I like the one I have. I had seen this at a friend's place and decided to buy the same. You can get it here - Hamilton Beach 25460 Panini Press Gourmet Sandwich Maker Heat the Panini maker -

Brush some oil on both sides and place both the sandwich in it.

Cook it till it turns golden brown.

Serve them hot with some tomato sauce or chutney.

Oats and Flax Seed Idli

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 20:30:00 +0000

Oats and Flax Seed Idli

I am a South Indian, I have lost count on how many Idlis I would have had in my life. However I still crave for more and more. Guess it's now in my blood! Idlis are like staple food for us. We have it for breakfast, meals, when we sick, in weddings, when travelling long distance or just as a snack. We can have them anytime. They are mainly made of rice and dal. However over the years there have been many variations to this. We have added vegetable paste to make it colorful, tried to make it using brown rice instead of white and even used different flours to get similar results. Have you checked my Pink Idli recipe yet - Beetroot stained Idlis? However the cooking process remains the same. They are still steamed and enjoyed hot on the plate. They digest easily and they are just yum.

College dorms, hostels, street side, subways, outside colleges and offices, at railway stations, bus stands, tourist places, you will find them everywhere. It is surely hard to miss it. Most of us begin the day with an Idli. All of us would swear by the fact that our mother makes the best Idli. She makes it soft and delicious. I remember, in college, the day I used to have idlis in my tiffin, I never got to eat even one! My friends would finish it up in class itself, even before the break time. I used to be upset over this. So my mom started giving me more idlis in tiffin. However it still didn't help. I still had to settle for a thepla or a paratha while my friends enjoyed my dabba. Any outing, any overnight stay, any potluck, my menu was fixed. I had to get idlis made by my mom. She used to make around 100 of them sometimes to feed all. They still remember the taste of my mom made idlis and cherish it.
Today as I try out a new version of her idlis, I cant help but reminisce those days.

Surely my today's post is dedicated to my beautiful mother. That's her. It is an old, faded picture of hers taken before she was married. Ain't she pretty? She taught me everything..and not just about cooking but about life!

Now before my post starts to sound like an essay about idlis or my mom, let me bring you back to this particular recipe. After trying some versions of making more healthy idlis ( hah..like its possible..they are already healthy!), I decided to make them without using any rice. I substituted them for oats. I added some veggies too. You will have to trust me when I say that they turned out very good. I just loved the taste. Hubby was happy too.

Ingredients
2 cups oats flour
1 cup rawa
1 cup curd
4 tbsp flax seed powder
3 carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup boiled green peas
1/ 2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp oil
4-5 minced green chillies
1 tsp baking soda/eno fruit salt
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp chana dal
Half inch ginger
Pinch of hing
Water for batter

Method
In a mixing bowl, add rawa, flax seed powder and oats flour.

Add salt, curd and grated carrots. Mix them all well

In a pan, heat oil, temper the mustard and cumin seeds. Then fry the urad and chana dal. Add green chillies as well.

Add this to the flour mixture.

Now add water to give it a batter consistency. Add the cilantro as well.

Mix it all well. Add more salt if needed. This batter does not need any fermentation and is ready to use.

I have this Idli cooker which is really cool as it comes with a bonus mini idli stand. You can get it here -
Butterfly Idli Cooker with 6 Plates Grease the idli mould with little oil. Add the baking soda and mix well. Now pour the batter into the mould.

Steam the idlis in the idli cooker for 10 - 12 minutes. Once done. allow it to cool. Sprinkle some water over it and using a spoon, scrape it out of the mould carefully without damaging the shape.
Serve them hot with any chutney or sauce. I served them with Carrot and Peanuts Chutney.

You can try some of these chutney options as well - Lettuce leaves chutney, Spicy Tomato and Almond chutney and Cilantro Lime Hummus sauce.

Hope you like my Idli caterpillar! :)

Carrots and Peanuts Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 23:10:00 +0000

Carrots and Peanuts Chutney

My MIL came to my rescue today. I planned to make Oats and Flax Seed Idli today. However just my luck, I ran out of cilantro and coconut to make the chutney to go with it. While talking to my MIL, I shared my dilemma with her. She asked me what I had in my fridge to which I replied, "Oh, just some carrots left!" Her response was, "That is it then, why don't you make carrot chutney instead." Really, carrot chutney! I had never heard of them before. It sounded strange but then she got me thinking.

When I asked her if she had a recipe, she just told, "You would know what to do." I hung up with a smile on my face. Yes, I think I now know what to do. I mixed a couple of ingredients regularly used to make chutneys and blended the carrots in. I love the color of this one. It is bright orange and it's sweet and spicy to taste. The peanuts in it bring in a flavor of their own. This chutney can be a great accompaniment with Dosa, Idli or Vada. I didn't tell KR what was in the chutney. He was pleasantly surprised to know that I had used carrots this time!
I have tried some unconventional chutneys before - Lettuce leaves chutney, Cilantro Lime Hummus Sauce and Spicy Tomato and Almond Chutney. Now this one adds to that list as well. :)

Ingredients
3 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Half inch ginger
3-4 dried red chillies
1 tbsp roasted chana dal/daliya
2 tbsp crushed peanuts
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp urad dal
Pinch of hing
Oil
Salt to taste

Method
In a pan, heat the oil, add the red chillies and chana dal. Fry them for a minute.

Then add the onion, ginger and garlic. Fry them for another 2 minutes.

Now add the carrots, tomato and salt.

Mix it up and add the peanuts.

Cover the pan and cook this till the carrots are done. Allow this mixture to cool and then grind it to a smooth paste in a food processor. Add water if required.

It's time for tadka. In the same old pan, heat 1/2 tsp oil, temper the mustard and cumin seeds. Then add the urad dal and hing. Fry for a minute.

Add this tadka over the chutney.

Mix it up and serve.

Tofu cooked with Sesame Seeds and Peanuts

noreply@blogger.com (Cookilicious) — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 03:18:00 +0000

Tofu cooked with Sesame Seeds and Peanuts

If you need to cook up a meal within fifteen minutes than this can be your go to recipe. Its super quick and super easy to make. Just toss them all together and your happy meal is ready. The peanuts and sesame seeds add the right amount of flavor to this dish and make it aromatic. This is also a no onion no garlic recipe. For those who don't prefer tofu can substitute it with paneer or potatoes. I have made stir fry before using tofu. You can check them here - Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry in Hoisin Sauce and Sesame flavored grilled tofu and veggies .
This tofu was lying in my freezer for sometime now. It's strips of marinated tofu. I had planned to add it in salads but never landed up using it.

I had some salad mix from Walmart which contained shredded cabbage, carrots and broccoli. So I decided to toss them into the pan along with the tofu just to increase the volume and make it more healthier.

Overall it turned out well, however it's a little dry for a vegetable dish, so feel free to add in some sauce if you like
This was a meal for KR and he surely did love it. With just few ingredients, you can cook this up. Lets get down to how it's done now.

Ingredients
1 cup tofu cut n cubes/strips of tofu
1 cup shredded veggies of your choice (I used cabbage,carrots and broccoli)
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 green chillies, minced
1 tsp amchur powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp dhania jeera powder
2-3 tbsp crushed peanuts
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Cooking Oil spray

Method
In a pan dry roast the peanuts.

Let them cool down. Coarsely grind them.

Since I was using Tofu strips, I had to cook them first. Heat a pan, place the tofu strips on it. Spray some cooking oil. Cook both sides as per the instruction on the box.

Cut them in cubes and keep them aside.
In another pan, add the oil, fry the sesame seeds and green chillies for a minute.

Now add the shredded veggies along with some salt. Mix and cook them uncovered for 4-5 minutes.

Once the veggies are done, add all the spices - dhania jeera powder, amchur powder, peanuts and pepper powder.

Mix and fry it for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the cut tofu. Lightly mix them up.

Check the salt and add if required. You can sprinkle some cilantro over it for garnish if you want to. You can enjoy this dish as it is like a salad or eat it with some bread.

Its crunchy, healthy and tasty!