Quinoa and Lentil Salad

This is my "own" recipe that I created. It is so healthy, yummy and a filling dish. A "must try" recipe.

Ingredients:

Organic Quinoa (can buy from COSTCO, TruRoots Brand) 1/2 cup
Brown lentils soaked (over night ).1/2 cup
Moong (Green dal) daal soaked (over night ).1/2 cup
Onion- 1 small
Red, Orange and yellow peppers.
Extra virgin Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp, if you need more sour taste, can add an extra spoon of vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash the Quinoa thouroughly. Cook quinoa , like Rice , in rice cooker. Cool and set aside.

Boil the lentils and Moong separately on stove, for 10 minutes. Drain away excess water and cool.

Dice the onion, peppers into small pieces. Toss the diced mixture, in a mixing bowl, along with vinegar and Oilive oil. Now add the cooked and cooled, lentils, moong and quinoa. Add salt to taste.

Mix thoroughly. Enjoy!!

Coconut Milk Pulav

This is my favourite rice dish ever. It dates back to my school days and the proud owner of this recipe is one of my school buddies' mom, who used to pack a separate box for me, every time she made this rice.

I have tailored the recipe to suit fast track moms, who cannot spend more time in kitchen:-) The preparation time , rather, time in front of the cook top is just 5 mins.

Ingredients:

Canned coconut Milk (can buy it in Indian Store) - 1
1 small onion
Mint leaves -4-5
Green chillies - 5-6
Cloves-2, cardomom-2, Cinnamon stick -1/2 inch, bay leaves 1-2
1 tsp oil, salt to taste, cilantro for garnishing
Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Method:

Dice onions and slit the green chillies. Take a heavy saucepan, add oil, add all the spices, followed by chillies and onion. Add mint leaves and fry for a minute.

Now add the Basmati rice, fry for 1-2 minutes and turn off stove. Add salt to taste.

Transfer mixture to rice cooker. Now, add coconut milk (in the ratio of 1:2, for rice). The idea is to cook the rice in coconut milk. If too thick, can add water.

Mix thoroughly and cook in rice cooker.

Garnish with Cilantro, and add a few fried cashews(optional), and server hot with Onion Raita. Goes well as Ala carte, too, with any North Indian side dishes.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1. Veggies- Pineapple (1/2 qty ), beans, carrots, peas, cabbage, capsicum, onion,broccoli, baby corn (the canned ones), green chillies (2-3), basil(5-6 leaves) and cilantro
2. 2 tsps oil.
3. Sirachi red chilli sauce ( can get it in any Indian Store too)
4. White Vinegar- 1tsp
5. Cashews(optional).
6. Basmati Rice - cooked and set aside.
7. 1tsp sugar, salt to taste


Method:

Dice the pineapple into small pieces. Take half of the diced portion and add water, and sugar and bring it to boil. Cool thoroughly and blend the mixture. Set aside.

Dice all the vegetables. Slit cut the green chillies .

Take a shallow pan. Pour in the oil. When heated, add the diced onions, along with the slit chillies and basil. Then add capsicum, cabbage, beans, carrot, cabbage ,broccoli, baby corn and peas in order. Fry the vegetables, on medium flame, until tender but not very soggy. Now add the remaining pineapple pieces , followed by red chilli sauce and vinegar. Finally add the blended pineapple mixture and fry again for 2 minutes. Add salt.

Remove from stove. Mix well with the rice.

Fry the cashews golden brown . Garnish with cut cilantro. Server hot.

Enjoy with Raita, or Red chilli sauce/vinegar and jalapenos.

Chinese Fried Rice

This is my version of chinese fried rice. Try it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Choice of veggies:
Fresh beans, carrots, peas, cabbage, baby corn, broccoli, onion, capsicum (green peppers), sprouts (that you get in chinese markets).

Thai chillies - 2

Cilantro for garnishing

2 tsp oil

1 tsp Soy sauce (any sauce that you can buy in LION/Ranch markets)

Sunfried Asian fried rice seasoning

1 tsp Sirachi red chilli sauce

1 tsp White Vinegar

Rice - Basmati or Jamine or regular

Method:

First cook the rice with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of oil in rice cooker. Cool it and keep aside.

Dice all the vegetables. Put the oil in a shallow pan , when heated, add the diced onion with chillies. Fry till brown and add the other vegetables. Fry the vegetables on medium flame, until tender and crisp.

Lower the flame, now, add the red chilli sauce and vinegar, followed by the fried rice seasoning. Turn off stove. Then add soy sauce. Salt to taste Mix thoroughly.

Cool and then mix with the cooked rice. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with red /green chilli sauce or jalapenos marinated in vinegar.

Veg Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1. Veggies- Beans, carrots, peas, cabbage, capsicum, onion,broccoli, baby corn (the canned ones), green chillies (2-3), jalapenos(1/2) (optional) and cilantro
2. 2 tsps oil.
3. Powdered pepper and salt.
4. Cashews(optional).
5. Basmati Rice - cooked and set aside.

Method:

Dice all the vegetables. Slit the green chillies and jalapenos.

Take a shallow pan. Pour in the oil. When heated, add the diced onions, along with the slit chillies. Then add capsicum, cabbage, beans, carrot, cabbage ,broccoli, baby corn and peas in order. Fry the vegetables, on medium flame, until tender and crisp but not very soggy.

Remove from stove. Now add, pepper powder and salt to taste . Mix well.

Set aside for 1/2 hour.

Fry the cashews golden brown . Now add the cashews and rice to the cooked mixture. Mix well. Garnish with cut cilantro. Server hot.

Enjoy with Raita, or Red chilli sauce/vinegar and jalapenos.