Healthy Baked Vegetable and Oats Manchurian

Manchurian is a chinese fast food where deep frying of the balls made of  chopped vegetables like cabbage, beans, cauliflower, carrot, capsicum etc. is involved and some corn flour and plain flour are used for binding and giving a crisp texture. Manchurian available outside may also contain some sauces and MSG that may be harmful for kids.

So I came up with a recipe which does not use deep frying, and also no corn and all purpose flour. It is my experiment and cameout very tasty and healthy. I used cabbage and capsicum but any number of vegetables can be used. Also to replace corn and all purpose flour i used rice flour and oats.

Here is the detailed step by step recipe with pics.

Ingredients:
Manchurian balls:
Finely chopped cabbage : 1 cup
Finely chopped capsicum : 1/4 cup
Finely chopped green chillies: 1
Finely chopped garlic : 1 tsp
Chilli powder:  1/2 tsp
Salt : To Taste
Rice Flour: 1.5 tbsp
Oats/Oats flour: As required(for binding the ingredients depending upon the moisture content).

For Saute:
Sliced Garlic: 2 tsps
Slit Green chillies: 2
Tomato Sauce: 2 tsps
Soya Sauce: 1 tsp

 Step 1. Partly/Semi cook all the vegetables in a microwave or steamer and finely chop them. Chopping can be easily done in a food processor.

Step 2. Add chilli powder, salt and rice flour to the chopped vegetables and blend them well.

 Step 3. Now add the required amount of oats depending on the moisture content and mix and make balls out of it.

Step 4. Preheat the oven at 180 C. Take a baking tray and grease it and line with a baking sheet/parchment paper and great it too. Now place the balls on it and brush them with a little amount of oil and place the tray in the preheated oven.

Step 5. After 5-10 min when they are partly baked in the oven take them out and brush with 1 tsp of oil again and place it back in the oven.

Step 6. Bake them until they are crisp on the outside and well cooked from inside. Baking takes sometime time compared to deep frying but they are far healthier.

Step 7. Now they are done. They can be had as it is dry also. But saute them again with some garlic, green chillies and soya sauce and tomato sauce to enhance the taste.
 Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok/khadai and saute the chopped garlic and slit green chillies. 

 Add the manchurian balls. Now add 1 tsp soya sauce and 2 tsps of tomato ketchup.Mix them well.

Healthy baked manchurian is ready to eat now. Try this recipe and let me know the feedback. Share the recipe if you like it.

Instant Oats and Broken Wheat and Corn Vegetable Idli

Idli is generally made by fermenting the batter which takes some time.
Instantly also we can make idli and there are many varieties of instant idlis that can be prepared like oats idli, rava idli, dhaliya idli, ragi idli etc.
This recipe uses Oats and Broken Wheat and Corn and also vegetables like carrot, sweet corn and beans. Ragi flour and other vegetables can also be added to it.
It is very healthy and also can be made istantly without fermenting and contains bundle of fiber and nutrients.Eventhough it is a breakfast recipe it can be had at anytime.

Here is the detailed video recipe:


Ingredients:
Corn and Wheat Dhaliya(Broken Wheat and Corn): 1/3 cup each
Oats: 2/3 cup
Carrots and beans (small chunks), sweet corn: 1 cup (lots vegetables can be added)
dry red chilies: 2
mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curd: 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tsp
 cooking soda/baking soda: less than a pinch

Procedure:
Dry roast dhaliya of wheat and corn on a very low flame in a pan and take it aside. In the same pan dry roast the oats and remove.
Take all the dry roasted ingredients in a bowl and add some salt, curd and adjust the water to soak them and to make the idli batter consistency. Let it rest for 20 to 30 min.
In the mean while, in the same pan heat some oil and add mustard seeds, when the mustard seeds splutter add dry red chillies and fry. Then add the corn and after it is hald cooked add the remaining vegetables and saute lighty.
Add this vegetable mixture to the oats mixture which has been soaking for 30 min. Mix them properly and add a pinch of cooking soda and mix. Idli misture  is ready to be steamed.
Take some water in steamer/idli cooker and let it boil.
Put the idli misture on the greased idli plates and place them in the steamer/idli cooker with boiling water. Let them cook for 10 min and check. Cook until a clean and wet knife inserted comes out clean.Then switch off the flame and let the idlis stay inside for 5 min and remove slowly.
Idlis are ready and can be served with chutney/ sambar.

Baked Gulab Jamun (guilt free recipe without deep frying)

Gulab Jamun is a very famous Indian sweet dessert which is liked by most of the people around the world. It generally involves deep frying in ghee/clarified butter, the balls made of khoya/mawa/thickened wholemilk and soaking in the sugar syrup.
This is a guilt free recipe out of my experiments to provide a gulab jamun which are not fried in oil/ghee. This recipe involves baking instead of deep frying the khoya balls and soaking in the sugar syrup.Here is the detailed video recipe for the same. Try the recipe and share/subscribe if you like.

Mixed Vegetable Bhajia(Rainy Season Tea Time Snack

This recipe includes frying the sliced vegetables of your choice(potatoes and capsicum and green chillies are taken here) and making a snack by mixing with some raw onion and spices. Here is the detailed video recipe.

Moong Dal and Oats Sweet

This is a healthy and easy sweet recipe which is prepared using oats, split green gram and jaggery along with lots of nuts. It can be served as breakfast also.

Ingredients:
Moong Chilka Dal/Split green gram -1 cup(1/2cup is also enough, 1 cup is used to enhance the taste and health)
Oats-1 cup
Grated Jaggery-1 cup(for mild sweetness, 2 cups may be needed for mouthful of sweetness)
Crushed Cardamom - 2
Cashew nuts sliced-1/2 cup
Almonds Sliced-1/2 cup
Ghee/clarified butter-2 tsp
Procedure:
Soak moond dal in enough water for 1 hour. Cook in some water just until soft and keep it aside.
Melt jaggery in water and keep it aside. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a pan and roast the sliced nuts till slightly crisp and add oats and roast them till the raw flavor is gone. Now add the jaggery water and the cooked moong dal to the pan cook by closing the lid till the mixture starts leaving the pan. Add more water if required.
After all the ingredients are combined and cooked well take it off the flame and let it cool and serve.


 

Rich Chocolate Brownie

Rich and easy Chocolate Brownie which can be easily made even by the first time bakers.
Here is the detailed video recipe.

100% Whole Wheat Pizza

Complete recipe for whole wheat pizza from scratch includes making of whole wheat pizza dough, pizza sauce, toppings, base, and baking the pizza.
Watch the video below for detailed recipe

Kadai Paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese curry)

Kadai Paneer is a delicious paneer recipe in which kadai masala is the main ingredient made by dry roasting at slow flame these ingredients: 2tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp jeera, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp pepper corns, 1 tbsp kasuri methi, 10 dried red chillies, kasuri methi has to be added after roasting the other ingredients and after switching off the flame as it may burn due to its thin leaves. These are ground in to coarse powder to make kadai masala which can also be used to make other curries like kadai vegetable etc.

I gave a twist to this recipe by grilling the vegetables in the oven to get the smoky flavor. I ended up with a smoaky flavored kadai paneer which is very tasty.
Here is the detailed video recipe:

Ingredients:
1 green capsicum/green bellpepper diced in to cubes
1 yellow capsicum/yellow bellpepper diced in to cubes
1 red capsicum/bellpepper diced in to cubes 
200 gm paneer cut in to cubes
2 medium sized onions cut in to cubes and leaves opened
8 tomates pureed
1 tsp grated ginger 
1 tbsp of low fat cream
1/2 cup of milk

Kadai Masala: 
10 dry red chillies
2tbsp coriander seeds,
1 tbsp jeera,
1 tbsp fennel seeds,
1 tsp pepper corns,
1 tbsp kasuri methi
1 tsp garam masala

Method of preparation:
Kadai Masala: Dry roast all the ingredients except kasuri methi on a low flame till nice aroma is felt. Then switch off the flame and add kasuri methi and fry with the heat of the pan and the ingredients. Now grind them into a slightly coarse powder after cooled.

1. Slightly saute all the vegetables(all bell peppers and onion) in 1-2 tsp of oil till the oil is coated on them and transfer them to a greased baking tray, sprinkle little salt on it and grill them in the oven at 210-230C till you see some dark spots on them. After they are grilled remove from oven and sprinkle kadai masala on it and keep it aside.
2.  In the same pan add 1 more tea spoon of oil and add the paneer cubes and slightly fry them and sprinkle a little salt and kadai masala on it and keep it aside.
3. For gravy heat 2-3 teaspoons of oil and  add grated ginger and fry, then add 2-3 tsps of kadai masala and fry for just few sec on a very slow flame.
4. Then add the tomato puree and fry until oil separates. Now add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt as per the taste and 1 tsp garam masala .
5. Now whisk 1 tbsp of low fat cream in 1/2 cup of milk until well blended and add to the above cooking puree.
6. Mix and add the paneer cubes and vegetables and close the lid and pour some water on the lid and cook for 8-10 min until oil separates on a low flame.
7. Afetr oil separates, add the chopped coriander leaves and mix. Smoky and tasty kadai paneer is ready to be served iwth roti/biryani/pulao/white rice. 

Homemade Yeast

Recipe to prepare homemade yeast which can be used to prepare jalebi, pizza, bread, naan, kulcha etc wherever the yeast has the application.

Homemade Jalebi(using Homemade Yeast)

An Indian sweet dish made from deep frying spiral shaped fermented batter and soaking in a sugar syrup.
All purpose flour is either fermented for at least 12 hours or made with using yeast.
This recipe uses homemade yeast  to make jalebi. Here is the detailed recipe.

Brown Rice Sweet Pongal with Dates Jaggery

Pongal is a famous Indian sweet dish prepared with rice and the split green gram(with or without skins), and jaggery. Here is a recipe with brown rice instead of white rice and dates jaggery instead of sugarcane jaggery t make it healthy and tasty too.
Watch the video below for the detailed recipe:

Pizza Pockets

 Pizza Pockets are nothing but reformed pizza. Pizza dough is rolled in to pockets shape and the toppings and the sauces are mixed to form stuffing and stuffed in to the pockets and baked in the oven.
These are very healthy snacking recipe and very much liked by kids.
Here is the detailed recipe:

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Pizza Sauce can be easily made at home with very few ingredients available at home. Homemade sauce is very healthy as they do not contain any added colors or preservatives or any chemicals. Also it is very economical and made at very low cost at home.
Here is the video recipe.


Text recipe:
Ingredients:
Tomatoes: 8 tomatoes
Onion-2 medium sized onions grated
Olive Oil-  2 tbsp
Dry red Chillies-6
Pepper powder-
Dried Oregano-
Dried Thyme-
Dry Garlic Powder-
Salt- to taste(around 1 tsp)
Red Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
Gralic sliced: 2 tsp
Procedure:
Heat oil in a pan and  add grated onions and fry till light brown in colour.
Puree tomatoes and dry red chillies and filter if required.
Add tomato puree half at a time and let it fry till it thickens and starts leaving the pan.
Now add chilli powder, salt, pepper powder, and other herbs and garlic powder fry for 2 min and switch off the flame.Pizza Sauce is ready and can be applied on the Pizza base for making pizza.
This sauce can be stored for 2 to 4 days in the refrigerator or can be used on the same day.

Homemade Pineapple Jam

Pineapple jam is a single fruit jam which can be easily made at home using pineapple and sugar.
It gives nice golden yellow colour naturally without adding any artificial colours.
Watch the video below for the details procedure.
Video Recipe:

Healthy Baked Paneer Kofta Curry

In Kofta curry koftas are normally deep fried in oil and lots of cream added due to which it becomes a high fat curry. I have come up with a low fat version of Kofta Curry which is healthy yet tasty.
I call it healthy and low fat because in this recipe we use low fat paneer(cottage cheese), less amount of khoya and koftas are baked instead of deep frying, and almond paste added instead of cream. So this is the healthy version of Malai Kofta.

Video Recipe:


Ingredients:
 Kofta Balls:
2 Boiled Potatoes
1 tbsp Khoya/mawa/thickened milk solids
200 gm low fat Paneer(cottage cheese)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp  garam masala
 Gravy:
5 medium sized tomatoes cut into pieces and pureed
1 big onion paste
1 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp dried kasuri methi
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of almonds soaked and make a paste of it
1/2 tsp garam masala 
1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander leaves
Procedure:
Kofta Balls:
Mash the potatoes, add paneer, khoya, salt and chilli powder, garam masala powder and mix the ingredients to make dough. Add 1 or 2 tsp of rice flour if the moisture content is more and difficult to make balls.
Make balls out of the dough and coat them with a little amount of oil and place them on a baking tray lined with greased baking sheet . Bake them in the preheated oven at 180 C till the balls become brown in colour.
Gravy:
Heat 3 tsp of oil and add onion paste. Fry it till it is brown in colour, then add ginger garlic paste, some salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder fry for a while.
Gradually add tomato puree 1 tbsp at a time and fry till it separates the oil.
Add almond paste and cook for a while. Add garam masala and add a little water to make gravy consistency and let it boil. Add coriander leaves and switch off the flame and keep it aside.
Serving:
Just before serving place the kofta balls in the serving dish and pour the hot gravy on top of it. Enjoy it with rice/roti/pulao/puri/paratha etc.