Eyes are the most dynamic and sensitive of organs, and it is vital that they receive a larger amount of care and nutrition, like our other limbs and organs. As we first consume with our eyes, our #FitKitchen paid special care to include options to garnish these aforementioned #FitRecipes.
Keeping up with the current need of working from home (WFH), and the extended use of social media for communication, the #FitKitchen brings to you a few delectable recipes that are nutritious and are a healthy way to nourish your eyes and vision. These #FitRecipes are super easy to make and range from snacks, to sweets – can be paired or enjoyed on different occasions. We hope you give these a shot and let us know what you think – we read Everything! Happy cooking!
1. Carrot Halwa
Ingredients list: (Serves 4 people)
- 1 kg of carrot
- 300 ml whole milk
- 3 - 4 tbsp of ghee
- 200 gm jaggery powder
- ½ tsp of Cardamom (eliachi) powder
- 3-5 Cashews
- 3-5 Almonds
- 3-5 Raisins
- 3-5 Pistachios
Procedure :
- Wash and grate the carrots fine
- Heat a wok and add 3 tbsp of ghee. Heat the ghee and sauté the carrots in ghee for 15 minutes on low flame until they are almost cooked
- Add milk gradually, on a low flame, while stirring to cook the carrots for another 10
- Add jaggery powder into the mixture, gradually, and keep stirring to incorporate the ingredients. Cook the mixture on a low flame for another 8 - 10 minutes
- Add cardamom powder and switch the flame off. Cover the mix and set aside
- Take 1 tbsp of ghee and fry chopped dry fruits till golden brown
- Garnish the halwa with dry fruits before serving. This super delicious halwa can be enjoyed hot or cold!
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2. Yellow Cucumber Chutney
Ingredients list: (Serves 6 people)
- 1 kg - yellow cucumber (dosakaya)
- 2 medium sized onions
- 2 - 4 tbsp groundnut oil (or any other variety of oil)
- 8 - 10 green chilies, sliced (adjust as per taste)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 4 - 5 garlic pods
- 1 tsp tamarind paste (optional)
- 4 tsp Salt (adjust as per taste)
For Tadka:
- 2 tsp groundnut oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai, black)
- 1 tsp split black gram dal
- 1 tsp bengal gram dal
- 4 - 5 garlic pods
- 2 red dry chilies
Procedure:
- Peel the dosakaya/yellow cucumbers and onion. Dice them into small pieces and keep aside
- Take a pan and add 1 tbsp of oil to it. Heat the oil on medium flame and when the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, sliced green chilies, and 4 – 6 crushed garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute and set aside
- Add 4 tsp of salt and tamarind paste to the above mixture and blend it into a thick paste
- Saute the diced cucumbers and onions in 3 tbsp of oil. Set aside to cool
- Blend the cooled cucumbers, onion and the thick paste in a blender
Tadka:
- In a heated wok and add 2 tsp of oil on a medium flame. Add the spices – cumin, mustard seeds to the hot oil. Once they splutter, add the red chillies, Bengal gram, black gram, garlic cloves and fry them thoroughly on low – medium flame, without burning
- Add this tadka to the cooled dosakaya and onion paste
- Mix well and serve immediately with rice, rotis, or with snacks
- The chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for use at a later stage
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3. Hara bhara kebab
Ingredients list: (Serves 4 people)
- 250 g or 3 large bunches of spinach leaves
- 60 g or 1 cup of green peas (soaked)
- 100 g potatoes, peeled and diced
- 60 g or 1 cup of gram flour (besan)
- 4 - 5 tsp of olive oil
- ½ cup of chopped fresh coriander (dhania) leaves
- 5 green chilies, slit
- 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp garam masala powder (optional)
- 4 tsp of Salt (as per taste)
- 1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar
Procedure:
- Pluck, rinse, drain the spinach leaves to clean them thoroughly
- Boil potatoes and green peas in 2 separate pots of water until they are soft. Drain the water and keep the peas and potatoes aside
- Note: the texture should not be mushy
- Dry roast the gram flour on a low flame until it becomes aromatic
- Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste. Cook it for a few minutes until the raw flavor is lost
- Then add green peas, chilies, garam masala, and salt and cook for few minutes
- Add spinach to the above mixture and sauté for few minutes.
- Note: that the spinach should be drained completely to avoid excess moisture
- Add coriander leaves to the mix above, and cook it for a few more minutes until all ingredients are well cooked and incorporated. Set the mix aside to cool
- In a blender, blend the mix into a medium coarse paste, without adding water
- Mash the potatoes and add them to the above blended paste
- Add gram flour to the above mixture and mix it into a thick dough. (Do not use water). Add vinegar or lemon juice as per your taste. Note: that the consistency of the dough should be thick
- Split the dough into medium sized balls and press them into patties
- Heat 3 tsp of oil in a pan and shallow fry the patties on a low flame
- Flip and cook both sides till they turn golden brown
- Hara bhara kebabs are ready and are best served hot with ketchup/ chutney/mayo!
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This recipe was adapted from the original: https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/hara-bhara-kabab-recipe/
4. Curry leaves podi
Ingredients list: (Serves 6 people)
- 50 g or 2 cups of fresh Curry leaves
- 8 - 10 dry red chilies (as per taste)
- 3 tsp seasoned ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tsp of split black gram dal
- 1 tsp Bengal gram dal
- 1 tsp of Coriander seeds (dhania seeds)
- ½ tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 4 - 5 garlic cloves
- 3 - 5 tamarind pieces
- ½ tsp of turmeric powder (haldi)
- 3 tsp of Salt (as per taste)
Procedure :
- Take a deep bottomed pan and heat 3 tbsp of ghee
- Add black gram dal, Bengal gram, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, dry chilies and turmeric. Sauté the spices for 3 - 5 minutes on low flame to avoid burning
- Add curry leaves and salt to the pan. Cook for another 4 - 5 minutes on medium flame
- Turn the flame off and keep the mix aside to cool
- In a blender or using a mortar pestle, mince the garlic cloves coarsely
- Add the garlic cloves and tamarind pieces to the curry leaves mixture and grind them into a fine powder
- Curry leaves podi tastes best when served with Idly/Dosa/Upma/rice preparations
- Store in dry, air tight containers at room temperature for longer use
Note :
- Please adjust the amount of spices and chilies as per your personal taste
- If using tadka ghee, or a flavored, lower the amount of spices to accommodate the additional seasoning from the ghee