This is an Indian vegetable korma with nuts, paneer cheese, and an adjustable list of vegetables. It is in a tomato-cream sauce as opposed to the usual yogurt based sauce. ‘Navratan’ means ‘nine gems,’ so choose nine of the vegetable, nuts, and paneer ingredients; you can leave out the elements you don’t want to use, or add them all so it is ‘ten gems’ if you wish.” I love this recipe as it is super easy, also it can be made as rich and fancy as you want. Personally I like my dishes to be light, have to admit though the Cashews and raisins give Navratan korma a different dimension altogether.

Korma–a very old style of curry which can be traced back to the Mughal invasions of India and Pakistan in the early 16th century–is meant to be mild (in most cases…there are exceptions) and is flavored with a combination of nuts and cream (coconut milk in southern part of India).  In some instances they may also have yogurt (the older recipes especially) and be cooked dum-style for a long time over a low heat.

So go ahead and try my twist on this classic recipe, let me know how you like it.

Richa

If you are like me and a big fan of mung sprouts and tired of eating it as salad, or lightly sauteed with peanuts (moms style)  Sprouted mung tikki  is your recipe. Its gluten free, super healthy, you can eat these cutlets as an appetizer, or even make it as burger patty if you desire. I love to eat it just the cutlets, mung sprouts are very filling and protein rich. I can’t resist listing benefits of mung sprouts…. Mung beans — a type of small, green legume in the same plant family as peas and lentils — is a high source of protein, fiber and antioxidants. Mung beans are a high source of nutrients including: manganese, potassium, magnesium, folate, copper, zinc and various B vitamins.

NOTE : Soak the mung beans overnight in bowl, drain the water and put in the mesh basket for the mung to starting to sprout. You can buy sprouted mung from Indian sores also, I like to sprout my own.

Richa

Happy thanksgiving everyone, I am sharing my Tandoori Gobhi recipe which makes a excellent centre piece for thanksgiving dinner. All my vegetarian friends this one for you

Cauliflower is by far the most cooked vegetable in our house. I roast it, steam it, fry it, mash it, pickle it, and even it eat it raw. I pretty much buy a cauliflower on every grocery store trip. There are so many different ways to eat cauliflower, it’s a super versatile vegetable. But of all the ways to cook it, I think whole roasting it is by far the most visually stunning way to cook a cauliflower.Bringing the whole cauliflower to the table on a pretty platter makes for an amazing centerpiece to a vegetarian meal. I especially love to slice into the cauliflower and see the creamy white inside in contrast to the crispy yellow exterior.

Richa

Coconut Burfi or Nariyal Burfi is one delicious and easysweet perfect for any occasion or festival. This coconut burfi is very easy to prepare in less time and it taste just delicious.   Festival Season  in full swing now with Karwachauth and Diwaliaround this coconut burfi can be very handy recipe. Made with minimal ingredients it’s a treat, just not for festival we can prepare this for kids snacks box or to satisfy some sweet craving.

I normally make more of coconut ladoo which is another easy, no-cook recipe made with only 2 ingredients desiccated coconut and condensed milk, just melt in mouth ladoo and this coconut (nariyal) burfi my mom used to make for every Diwali other festivals, birthday etc.  I made this after long time for a change from my usual coconut ladoo. You can try this easy burfi for Karwa Chauth or Diwali.

If you look for easy sweet recipes which can be done in jiffy than this is for you specially during Diwali when we are busy with preparing so many other things. This coconut burfi stays good for almost a week so you can prepare in advance and keep it or you can store this burfi in fridge too. This coconut burfi are pure white since the brown part of coconut skin is not used, so you have to grate coconut taking care of that if not the burfi won’t be in white color like this.

NOTE:
Note on Fresh Shredded Coconut: Please shred only the white part of the coconut meat being careful not to scrape out the brown outer skin, (Alternately you can also use dry shredded coconut you get in stores). The brown part is hard and does not give a smooth mouth feel for the burfi. So spend time to get rid of the brown skin.

Richa

Ladoos is one of my favorite, my mom makes amazing Ladoo. Everytime she is here she makes them for us, so when a friend requested me to make Aatte ke Ladoos, I was more than eager too make since I was out of Ladoo. I have followed moms recipe and added gond which gives a nice crunch to the ladoos which I love:). Gond is not required ingredient so if you want you can make them without too. Aate ke Ladoo is healthy and instant, kids really love these Ladoos . I use these ladoos in alternative of protien bars, after my runs I take one Ladoo and it replenishes my energy. I prefer my boys eat Ladoo with milk rather than the cookies which have zero nutritional value

Note : Ladoos can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for a month and refrigerated for 2-3 month.

Richa

Paneer Tikka Masala, a marinated paneer cubes grilled to perfection and then cooked in creamy and spicy gravy, is delicious in every bite. The burnt taste of paneer marinated in curd and spices gives it a delighting flavor. It is a paneer tikka prepared with delicious spicy gravy. In my house only half of the paneer  grilled makes it to the pan for curry, its so tasty that  This recipe has two different stages; 1) prepare tikka and 2) prepare gravy and describes how to make tikka on gas stove and on grill also .

Paneer Tikka masala is often confused with Paneer butter masala, I would say they are close cousins, as their basic ingredients being same however in tikka masala the paneer is marinated and  grilled which gives it a smokiness and adds to layers of flavors. Personally I love Paneer tikka masala among all the paneer curries.  This paneer gravy dish that pairs great with roti, naan, kulcha or jeera rice or plain biryani.

Richa

Today I am bringing to you Lehsuni Paneer recipe, recently someone mention garlic paneer, and since I love garlic flavor decided to give this a try . This recipe is little different as it has the same rich taste with half the calorie in the traditional paneer recipe. For me cooking on a daily basis is more challenging. You need to come up with something exciting, something different but at the same time it cannot be too rich, both in terms of ingredients and price. Don’t you think so? Anyways, Here’s a new recipe which you can make on a regular basis for lunch or dinner. Lehsuni Paneer is by far one of the best curries I have ever had! It is super easy to make and is healthy too. With coconut milk creating a creamy yet light texture, so you can enjoy it guilt free. I promise, is better than that you would get at any top-notch Indian restaurant. Paneer is something that I store in my freezer all the time. Just like eggs, it’s my last resort. My boys love methi chicken, and since they like the taste of Methi (fenugreek) though of trying the lighter version of paneer methi. 

NOTE : You can use tofu for this recipe too it takes really good too.

Also the onion, garlic and ginger mixture can be pre-made and can be used for diff curries. (trust me its a life saver sometimes)

Richa

Gajar ka halwa is probably one of India’s most popular traditional desserts that is adorned by everyone. Gajar halwa is a delicious dessert preparation made with grated carrots, milk, sugar and dry fruits. Gajar is a hindi word for carrot. There are may different ways to make this mouth watering delicacy. One of my most pleasant memories attached with winters in India is a bowl of piping hot Gajar Ka Halwa. As we sat cuddled in our quilts, the hot sugary delight was our perfect companion. Gajar halwa is served in almost all restaurants in Delhi during winter.

Richa

You’ve probably heard that you need about eight glasses of water a day for adequate hydration. But perhaps the most important belly benefit of proper hydration is how it helps maintain your body’s proper fluid balance and guard against water retention. It also helps prevent constipation, which can cause bloating.

We call it Sassy Water, in honor of its creator Prevention nutrition director Cynthia Sass, and because it’s a heck of a lot perkier than plain old water. But the ingredients aren’t just for flavor: The ginger also helps calm and soothe your GI tract. Even more important: The simple act of making this Sassy Water every day will serve as a reminder during the 4-Day Jumpstart that life is a little bit different, and that things are going to change. It will help you focus on the task ahead: Getting a flatter belly once and for all.

The Sassy Water Recipe

2 liters water (about 8½ c)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 med cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 med lemon, thinly sliced
12 sm spearmint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight. Drink the entire pitcher by the end of each day.

Richa

Dahi Vadas are lentil dumplings topped with a spicy savory yogurt and tamarind chutney. These are great as a side dish for a formal dinner or served as a chaat. Dahi vada are made using wash urad dal or moong dal or with a combination of both dals (lentils)using different proportions of dal. Dahi vada is a popular street food in North India. It is also known as Dahi Bhalla, it can be served as appetizer or with the main course. It tastes best when served chilled. It is ideal to serve for parties as it can be prepared day before and stored in refrigerator. Dahi Vada is a sure crowd pleasing  recipe.

NOTE : You can make the dahi vadas in advance and freeze them before soaking in water. When ready to use, soak as many as needed in hot water for about half an hour, then change the water to room temperature and soak for another ten minutes

Richa