flour less cake with dark chocolate, fresh cherries, balsamic poached strawberries and loads of love...butter cream icing with hint of coffee | gluten free cake...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 5/16/2013 7:39:00 PM

'Flour less cakes are so easy to put together most new home bakers don't realise. Flour just provides body to the cake and the actual flavors are brought in by other ingredients. Yes the airy and porous character comes from white flour but if you have been away from white flour for as long as me you would love the nuttiness of the whole wheat flour and the rustic character provided by Ragi in the cakes. Nut meals are great substitute for cakes especially if you are baking a dark choc(...)'

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mixed millets pongal : a savory cereal breakfast recipe...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 5/6/2013 6:29:00 PM

'I have been on a roll with millets. There is so much good taste hidden in those small pearls and all these millets take on flavors so well. I have been experimenting with all kinds of millets available for a long time now, earlier it used to be only the recipes that were made at my parental home, but now I make cakes, quiches, pies and even dumplings with millet flours, sourdough breads, rolls and flat breads are common. I know how happy my grandmother would (...)'

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how to make sun dried tomatoes at home...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 5/2/2013 8:04:00 PM

'Sun dried cherry tomatoes are a delight to have in the pantry. Sun dried Roma, plum or heirloom tomatoes have a different taste and texture and all of them can effectively be sun dried easily if you keep a few things in mind. Pick the best quality of tomatoes available and dehydrate them as fast as possible, sun drying is best if you get enough sun and microwave is your best friend otherwise.Sun dried tomatoes or simply dehydrated tomatoes are a condiment I use in many way(...)'

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health benefits of mangoes and a mango granola cereal breakfast : an Indian cereal breakfast...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/29/2013 12:43:00 PM

'Mangoes are healthy fruits and one must not stop eating them for the fear of gaining weight. This is the most real and healthy dessert nature has gifted us. We grow numerous varieties of mangoes in India and markets are flooded with mangoes and more mangoes all through the summer. Most rural populations have better access to good quality tree ripened mangoes than us city dwellers, but we do get our fair share of the king of fruit from all over the country.Mangoes are cleansing (...)'

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how to use soybeans in Indian homes and kitchens : starting with whole soybean, fermenting it and including in some homely Indian recipes...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/25/2013 8:12:00 PM

'Many of my readers and clients have been asking why soybean is not a good choice for vegetarian source of protein. Soybeans have been a traditional food in many countries both in fermented and fresh forms. Raw and green soybeans are called Edamame and can be boiled or roasted to make a nice appetizer. Soy has many health benefits, it is a complete protein with essential amino acids that makes it a valuable protein resource for vegetarians.One of the reasons or co(...)'

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Sushi by Masahiko Saito at The One, Le Meridien...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/18/2013 8:21:00 PM

'Sushi platters are a work of art, a tradition breathing through the best food ingredients and a delicate combination of flavors. Talking of ingredients, it is the freshest of fish imparting the best flavors, though I am yet to have an absolutely fresh slice of tuna or Salmon in my sushi. For Japanese, sushi was a way to use up the fish in plenty, fresh or otherwise. Yes, they even fermented the fish to be used in sushi and other dishes, Japanese have always been pescatarians (fish e(...)'

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popped amaranth seeds, fruit and nut parfait : a perfect recipe for fasting days...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/16/2013 5:00:00 PM

'Amaranth seeds are called Ramdaana in Hindi, we used to have Ramdaana laddoo in our childhood so I was in an impression that it is an Indian grain (pseudo grain). It was later that I found out that the grain was a traditional food for the ancient Aztecs of Mexico and is still a traditional food crop in Africa. This grain has been considered kosher by Hindus as it is used for religious fasting and also as an offering to God (prashad).Amaranth can be the future food crop owing to the (...)'

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a 10 minute recipe of a creamy kasoori methi paneer or methi malai paneer ...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/15/2013 6:54:00 PM

'How many curries you know cook in 10 minutes? This kasoori methi paneer or methi malai paneer cooks in just 5 minutes if cooking for 2-3 people and the rest 5 minutes goes into preparations. A very rich looking, mildly spiced creamy yummy curry that can make a quick meal with chapatis and a green salad on the side. I had it with a fasting platter of Sama ke chawal ki tehri (fried rice made with Barnyard millet) and zucchini and onion raita.ingredients...(2 servings)paneer (...)'

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amaranth leaves and buckwheat flour savory pancakes for navtratri fasting | healthy fasting recipe....

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/12/2013 12:55:00 PM

'Amaranth leaves and buckwheat flour are a combination made in heaven if you are making a savory pancake. A firm, crisp exterior and soft inside of a pancake that takes very little effort to make. Buckwheat is a pseudo grain, a seed actually, that is eaten during navratri fasting and is a good source of minerals, Vitamin B complex, dietary fiber of the prebiotic type and is low on Glycemic index.Buckwheat has been popular in India like a fasting pseudo grain or a grain subs(...)'

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lemongrass and ginger green tea for treating common ailments...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/11/2013 7:12:00 PM

'I am a tea lover, my brews are special to me as I always include some or the other herb to suit the day, the season or just my mood. It helps when I am troubled with work pressure or with a nasty cold or simply a headache. Lemongrass is a particularly favorite herb, may be because I need it more for my constitution and also because I have a lush bush of lemongrass in the garden. So plucking a blade of lemongrass and brewing it fresh with ginger and green tea is as ple(...)'

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sattu or roasted gram flour : a flour that does not need cooking to make a nutritious meal...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/8/2013 8:00:00 PM

'Sattu must be a new name for most of you but don't just be fooled by it's simplicity, it is one of the wonder foods that I know. I am sure you don't need any introduction to chickpeas but roasted chickpeas flour is not a very common ingredient in other parts of the world. The roasted gram flour originates probably from Bihar, but is equally popular in eastern UP as well. You must be curious about the flour if you haven't already tasted it.We normally get roasted chickpeas coated wit(...)'

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interacting with a foodie dad, a celebrity chef and an actor | David Rocco talks about making family meals fun with kids...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/6/2013 8:03:00 PM

'It's always a pleasure to meet celebrated Chefs and foodies so when I was invited for an interactive lunch with David Rocco at ITC Maurya I couldn't resist. After all I am always eager to know what drives people to cooking great food and how they shape up a life around it.One very important observation of mine is, that every single foodie derives inspiration from his or her mother's kitchen. A kitchen where a mother or a parent cooks in a warm environment, is a potential b(...)'

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spinach in my smoothie? How?

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 4/2/2013 5:02:00 PM

'This is what I used to say when I saw many smoothies named grasshopper smoothie or a spinach and berries smoothie. I felt yuck at the mere mention of them. I thought I would never be able to gulp them down though I always appreciated the food value they have.Not that I don't like spinach, but having it raw along with fruits that too all pulped up felt not right. More because we don't get organic stuff too easily here. So whenever there is fresh spinach from my garden, I ma(...)'

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zucchini, cheese and sun dried tomatoes frittata... quick Sunday brunch and chai...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/31/2013 4:23:00 PM

'Fritatta with vegetables is easier than omelets when you want to prepare breakfast or brunch for the family. Adding vegetables like zucchini and broccoli or spinach makes it easier as you don't have to scrub clean or peel the vegetables, just grate or chop roughly and you are set for great tasting breakfast with the flavors of the day. Flavors of the day play a great role on shaping up your mood for the day as well, the fresh seasonal vegetables, any herbs you feel like an(...)'

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fermented foods | white radish pickle or mooli ka achar .....

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/30/2013 8:58:00 PM

'Mooli ka achar or white radish pickle is a nice pickled salad that can be compared to kimchi and saurekraut in it's taste and pungency, as well as in it's probiotic food value.The taste, sourness and the pungency differ with the vegetables and spices used in all these pickled/fermented veggiess but the 3-4 days minimum of fermentation ensures a good dose of probiotic activity in these sour condiments.Strangely, I realised the probiotic value of these traditional foods later in life (...)'

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whole wheat whole orange cake with added wheat bran...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/28/2013 7:45:00 PM

'Whole wheat and added bran make this cake dense and whole orange makes this really fragrant and moist. Whole grain cakes baked without white flour are great with fruits and no one would tell you it tastes healthy. It is yummy, just that.I love baking tray cakes with fruity flavors, orange being an all time favorite of course. Sometimes I add carrots to add more moisture to the cake and supplement the orange flavor with marmalade glaze. This cake was different from that. The orange i(...)'

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my fruity version of Insalata Caprese, more colors more and flavors to make a salad meal...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/25/2013 7:02:00 PM

'A fruity Insalata Caprese. Yes, when you are getting your most favorite fruits of the season you better use them differently for variation. I do consume about 2 kilos of gorgeous Cape gooseberries and one whole large pineapple within a week sometimes. That too along with some strawberries and bananas thrown in during the week. Oh grapes too.I'll tell you how I made this salad for 4 days consecutively last week. Not to finish all the fruits but to experiment with different (...)'

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double textured scrambled eggs with sun dried cheri tomatoes, smoked cheese and parsley ...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/23/2013 8:14:00 PM

'Double textured with the chopped hard boiled eggs and scrambled eggs, fragrant with fresh parsley and tangy hints of sun dried cheri tomatoes.Wait, there is one more exotic flavor into this scramble.That is a smoked cheese, a crumbly dry smoked cheese that Charis had brought to me from Calcutta. It is such a yummy cheese to have in my egg scrambles and even parathas.For the two of us, I used 2 hard boiled eggs and 2 raw eggs, half cup of finely chopped onions, handful of sun dried c(...)'

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strawberry topped double chocolate brownie with a quick chocolate sauce...

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/22/2013 8:22:00 PM

'I baked this strawberry topped double chocolate brownie last week for two cute kids. Their exams were just over and I decided to give them a brownie treat. I had some fresh strawberries and knew that the kids loved them. I prepared a hung yogurt and strawberry preserve dessert for them as well, but they were so glad with this cake that it was had like a meal (kiddie meal obviously) and the hung yogurt dessert had to be packed for them.They just loved this double chocolate brown(...)'

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a Chinese style stir fry salad with soy noodles, spring onions, green garlic shoots, bok choy and red cabbage...a one dish meal..

Author : sangeeta      Blog : healthfood desivideshi      Date : 3/21/2013 9:08:00 PM

'I love one pot meals for the convenience and simplicity. We can always make such meals packed with flavors and colors. Yes, we need to chop more vegetables and cook simultaneously on 2-3 burners, but this meal gets ready within 30 minutes. Even when you chop slowly and your hands tremble when peeling piping hot soft boiled eggs. I find such meals a great cook together exercise too. Like the husband peeled the eggs and arranged them on the plate when I was doing the cooking(...)'

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