Whole Wheat Upma Recipe

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Upma Recipe:

Whole wheat rawa - 2 cups
Coconut - 1 cup, freshly grated
French beans - 1 cup, sliced lenghtwise, par-boiled
Cauliflower - 1 cup, small florets, par-boiled
Paneer (cottage cheese) - 1 cup, cubed
Green peas - 1/2 cup, par-boiled
Onion - 2, finely chopped
Tomato - 1, big, finely chopped
Green chili - 3, chopped
Curry leaves - 10 - 12 nos.
Green coriander - 1 cup, finely chopped
Lemon - 1 no
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt, as required

Method for Whole Wheat Upma Recipe:

In a heavy bottom pan, dry roast whole wheat rawa until it turns slightly golden in colour and smells good. Once done add to this 4 cups of boiling water. Cook the whole wheat rawa and allow it to simmer.

Heat oil in another non-stick pan, add to it mustard seeds. Add chopped onions, green chilies, curry leaves and fry well.

Add to this chopped tomatoes and continue to saute. Add all the vegetables and mix well. Add salt and sugar. Mix well.

Add whole wheat rawa, ghee and mix well. Cover and cook for a minute. Garnish with chopped coriander and grated coconut. Squeeze lemon juice over it and serve hot.

Almond Soup Recipe: Memory Enhancer

Haven't we always been told by our grandmas and moms about eating almonds first thing in the morning to boost memory. Well almonds (badam) are one of the best known Brain-friendly foods and can help enhance the brain function. So I wish to share this brain enhancer recipe of almond which can definitely prove out to be helpful for you as well as your children. Include this soup in your daily breakfast or any time snack.

Ingredients for Almond Soup Recipe:

Almonds - 15
White stock - 3 cups (recipe followed)
Butter - 2 tsp
Flour - 1 tbsp
Hot milk - 1/2 cup
Almond Essence - 2 drops (available in super markets)
Cream - 2 tbsp (freshly beaten)
Salt, as required
Pepper, as required (freshly ground)

Method for Almond Soup Recipe:

For around 10 minutes keep the almonds soaked in hot water. Drain and grind them to smooth paste, keeping 2 or 3 almonds aside. Use little white stock while grinding for smooth mixture.

Slice the rest of almonds into thin slices and bake them in the microwave oven till crisp. Set aside.

Mix the almond paste with the whole white stock and stir well. Set aside.

In a non-stick pan, heat butter. As soon it melts add to this flour and saute on slow flame. Ensure no discoloration of flour.

To this add the almond paste and mix well. Allow the soup to boil with continuous stirring.

Add the milk to this soup and along with add the almond essence, salt and pepper. Check the flavours and allow the soup to simmer for 5 more minutes.

Finally remove from heat. Add in the cream and mix well. Serve hot.

Recipe for the White Sauce:

Dice mixed vegetables including potatoes, onions, pumpkin and cabbage to make up 2 cups of vegetables. Pressure cook the vegetables with 5 cups of water until softly cooked. Blend the mixture and strain. You get around 3 to 4 cups of white sauce.

Tofu Burji Recipe

Tofu (Soya Paneer) cooked up with Indian spices to make out for a complete healthy breakfast and good start for your day.

Ingredients for Tofu Burji Recipe: 

Tofu (Soya paneer) - 200 gms, grated
Onion - 1, small, finely chopped
Tomato - 1, finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Mint leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4th tsp
Green chili - 1, finely chopped
Salt, as required
Oil - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Method for Tofu Burji Recipe:

In a pan, heat oil and saute onions till soft and pink.

Add to this chopped tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, chopped chili, salt and coriander leaves. Stir fry for 3 minutes on low fire.

Add grated tofu and mix well. Cover the pan and continue cooking for 5 more minutes on a low fire.

Uncover the vessel and raise the flame. Add mint leaves and pour in the lemon juice. Mix well and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot with brown bread or multi-grain bread.

Please note: Try adding vegetables like capsicum, green peas, potato or any other vegetable of your choice as a variation.

Wholesome and balanced breakfast suggestions

I wish to put forward a list for you with varied suggestions for wholesome and balanced breakfast. This list will give you ideas about planning breakfast meals by including everything that a wholesome breakfast should include. Once you go through this list you will be able to plan your own breakfast by including these or something similar with the same contents for a wholesome and balanced breakfast. Here's the suggestions for a wholesome and balanced breakfast:

- Whole wheat toast with eggs (scrambled or sunny side up) with juice or even a low fat milk/soya milk.

- Whole grain cereal or multi grain cereal with fruit servings and low fat milk/soya milk

- Boiled egg Sandwich on whole wheat toast and fruit juice.

- Oatmeal with raisins and almonds along with low fat milk/soya milk and fruit servings.

- Low fat yogurt with fruit or a smoothie with granola bar.

- Whole wheat Khakhra (crisp Indian roti) with peanut butter and fruit servings.

- Banana smoothie with spinach and any other fruit.

- Grilled tofu and vegetable Sandwich on a whole wheat toast.

- Paneer Bhurji / tofu bhurji with whole wheat bread or whole wheat roti and fruit slices.

- Stir fried vegetables Indian style (Pav -bhaji) with whole wheat bread and onion slices

- Idli with Sambhar and chutney

- Upma with potatoes, peas, onions, carrots and tomatoes with lemon, low fat milk / soya milk, and fruit servings.

- Dry fruits and nuts with yogurt  or low fat milk / soya milk

- Theplas (fenugreek or coriander) with low fat yogurt, dry garlic chutney or margarine spread along with fruit servings.

- Vegetable parathas with minimal oil served along with yogurt and fruits.

- Vegetable low fat cheese Sandwich on whole wheat toast along with low fat milk.

- Baked beans on whole wheat toast with fruit juice or whole fruit.

- Mushrooms in white sauce along with sunny side up eggs, vegetable stir fry and whole wheat toast

Please note: Whole wheat toast can be replaced by multi-grain bread. Fruits juices refer to home made fresh fruit juices. Diabetics should avoid sugar and canned fruit juices.

Momos Recipe

Ingredients for Momos Recipe: 

Refined flour - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt, as required

Ingredients for the filling:

Mutton / Beef / Chicken mince - 100 gm
Garlic - 2 flakes chopped
Ginger - 2", finely chopped
Cabbage - 2 tbsp, finely shredded
Mushrooms - 5 / 6, finely sliced
Carrot - 1, finely shredded
Green chili - 2, finely chopped
Soya sauce - 1 tsp
Salt, as required

Method for Momos Recipe:

Mix all the ingredients for the filling and set aside.

Place the refined flour in a bowl and add the oil and salt. Add enough water and knead into a firm dough. Cover and keep aside for about 30 minutes,

Once again knead the dough and divide the dough into 12 equal sized balls. Roll out each ball into 6 cm flat round on a well floured surface. Place some portion of the prepared filling on one half of the round and cover the other half on it to cover. Seal the ends by pressing them firmly on each other. Repeat the same with the rest and arrange each of them on a steamer leaving inch apart distance between each.

Steam them for 20 minutes. Once done, remove in the serving plate and serve with hot garlic sauce or tomato chili sauce.

Please note: You can prepare these momos with vegetables only if you don't wish to add the chicken or mutton. 

Egg Fu Yung Recipe

Ingredients for Egg Fu Yung Recipe: 

Boneless fish - 1/2 cup, cut into long slices 1/2 inch each
Eggs - 6, slightly whipped
Mushroom - 200 gm, sliced
Onions - 2 large, finely chopped
Green peas - 1/2 cup, boiled
Oil - 3 tbsp
Sherry - 1 tsp
Salt, as required
Pepper, as required

Method for Egg Fu Yung Recipe:

In a fry pan heat oil. Add onions and mushroom. Saute.

Add to this fish slices, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

In a bowl add the mushroom onion mix with eggs.

Heat other fry pan. Add oil and pour over the egg mix.

Allow the mix to cook like an omelette. Garnish the egg mix with boiled peas.

Serve hot.

Please note: You can add shrimps in place of boneless fish. If Sherry not available add white wine.

Vegetable Cutlet Recipe

This recipe also serves as an excellent breakfast variety, kids recipe or can be eaten as a all time snack.

Ingredients for Vegetable Cutlet Recipe: 

Carrot - 2 no, parboiled
Potatoes - 3 large, boiled
Onion - 1 finely chopped
French beans - 100 gm, parboiled
Green peas - 1 cup, parboiled
Ginger - 1"
Garlic - 5 flakes
Green Chili - 2 nos
Semolina (Rawa) - 3 tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Salt, as required
Oil, for shallow frying

Method for Vegetable Cutlet Recipe:

Grind parboiled green peas, carrots and french beans to rough paste. In a bowl mix the vegetable paste with grated boiled potatoes.

Grind green chilies, garlic and ginger into fine paste. Add this paste too in the vegetable mixture.

Add to this sesame seeds, salt, corn flour, 1 tbsp semolina and chopped onion.

Mix well and divide the portion in small balls. Give them desired shapes and coat with the rest of semolina on both sides. Shallow fry in a deep pan until golden in color.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup and green chutney.

How to make a whole wheat pizza base at home

To make whole what pizza base at home follow the below given steps:

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Pizza base:

Wheat flour - 1 cup
Yeast - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Water - 90 ml, warm
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Method for Whole wheat pizza base recipe:

Take the wheat flour in a bowl. Make well in the center of the dough.

In a small bowl mix yeast with 30 ml of water and sugar. Pour this mixture in the well that you made in the center. Mix well.

Add more water, olive oil, sugar and bind it into soft dough.

Cover the dough with a muslin cloth and keep aside for 1 hour to prove.

Shape the dough into round disc and rub oil all over it.

Bake the pizza base for 15 minutes at a temperature of 190 degrees C.

Artypeggio Recipe - Pizza with Aubergine toppings

A delicious pizza topped with aubergine.

Ingredients for Artypeggio Recipe:

Pizza base - 1, around 10 inches
Aubergine (Brinjal) - 1, sliced thinly
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 flakes, chopped
Pizza Sauce - 3 tbsp
Sundried tomatoes - 8 pieces
Capers - 10 pieces
Mozzarella Cheese - 100 gm, grated
Parsley - 1 tbsp

Method for Artypeggio Recipe:

In a pre-heated oven bake the aubergine slices along with garlic. Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil before baking. Bake them at a temperature of 250 degree C. Do take care that you dont overcook the aubergine. Once done set aside and allow to cool.

On a baking tray place the pizza base and prick the pizza with a fork.  Spread the pizza sauce on thr base. Sprinkle 3/4th portion of cheese on the pizza base.

Place aubergine slices, sundried tomatoes and capers on the pizza.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the toppings.

Grill the pizza in a pre-heated oven for 5 to 6 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Once done sprinkle the pizza with parsley and red chili flakes. Serve hot.

Mushroom And Tomato Quiche Recipe

Ingredients for Mushroom And Tomato Quiche Recipe:

Ingredients for the crust:

Wholemeal flour - 1 and half cup
Cheese - 1/4th cup, grated
Water - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp, powdered
Butter - 1/2 cup
Salt, as required

Ingredients for the filling:

Mushroom - 100 gm, sliced
Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 100 gm, crumbled
Cheese - 100 gm, grated
Curd - 3 tbsp
Tomato puree - 2 tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
White pepper - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Salt, as required

Method for Mushroom and Tomato Quiche Recipe:


Method for preparing the crust:

Melt butter and pour over the flour. Rub well so that the flour attains breadcrumb consistency.

Add water, sugar and cheese to the flour and bind the dough little stiff.

Roll out and spread out on a round tin. Bake the pastry in oven at a temperature of 200 degree C for around 15 minutes.

Once done remove and keep aside to cool.

Method for preparing the filling:

Mix mushroom, tomato puree, curd, cornflour, white pepper, cumin powder, cinnamon powder, ajwain, salt and paneer with half of the mentioned cheese.

Top this filling on the prepared crust. Spread the  remaining grated cheese on the top of the filling.

Bake the crust for around 15 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees C.

Please note: Other than baking the crust in a big round tin, you can try using small round tins if desired.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe

Vietnamese Spring Rolls is a healthier option and can be served as a breakfast or a any-time snack. Very wholesome and tasty. Follow the simple recipe below to make the best Vietnamese Spring Rolls ever.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ingredients for Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe:

Carrot - 2, grated
Bean Sprouts - 2 tbsp
Red Radish - 1, grated
Vinegar - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Spring Onions - 5 to 6 stalks cut lengthwise
Mint leaves - 2 tbsp
Glass Noodles - 50 gm
Iceburg Lettuce - 2 tbsp, chopped roughly
Vietnamese Rice Paper  - 1 large
Salt, as required

Method for Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe:

In a bowl, take all the vegetables and mix them with salt, sugar and vinegar.

Add warm water to a large flat plate and soak the rice paper in it until it gets a little slippery texture.

Place the rice place now on a clean, wet cloth and place all the vegetables in a row over it. When done, roll the rice paper and tuck the ends inside the roll to make it resemble a big sausage.

Cut equal pieces of this roll and place in a serving dish in a upright position. Serve with Vietnamese Sauce.

Tip: Vietnamese Spring Rolls is a healthier option and can be served as a breakfast. Always serve with the Vietnamese Special Sauce. The above quantity makes around 6 rolls.

Try Vietnamese Special Sauce Recipe

Fat free Dosa Recipe

Fat Free Dosa

Ingredients for Fat Free Dosa Recipe:

Urad Dal - 1 cup
Rice - 2 cups
Oil, 1 tbsp
Salt, as per taste

Method for Fat Free Dosa Recipe:

Soak urad dal and rice separately for at least 8 - 9 hours. Grind each of them separately till smooth.

In a large bowl, mix the urad dal and rice paste together and add salt. Mix well and allow to ferment overnight.

Heat a non-stick pan. Spread the batter fast in a circular motion. Cook on both sides until the edges are crisp.

Serve hot

Tip: No oil is needed if you cook the dosas in a non-stick pan. Dosas are South Indian Breakfast variety and taste good with chutney and sambhar.

Try other Healthy Dosa Varieties:

Ragi Dosa

Mushroom Pancakes Recipe

Mushroom Pancake

Ingredients for Mushroom Pancakes Recipe:

Ingredients for the filling:
Mushroom - 100 gm
Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Green Chili powder - 1, chopped finely
Pepper, as required
Salt, as required
Oil, as required


Ingredients for Pan Cakes:

Milk - 150 ml
Flour - 125 gms
Eggs - 2
Ghee - 10 gm/2 tsp
Salt, as required

Method for Mushroom Pancakes Recipe:

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients meant for pan cakes, except ghee. Mix the batter well into a pouring consistency.

Heat a non-stick pan, add little ghee and pour 1 tbsp of batter. Tilt the pan for the batter to  coat evenly. Cook well on both sides and remove from pan. Do the same with the rest of the pan cakes. Set aside.


For the filling, heat oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped onions, chopped mushrooms and turmeric powder. Saute. Sprinkle pepper, salt and continue to stir. Cook for 5 more minutes until mushrooms are done.


In a serving plate, place a pancake, place one tbsp of filling. Roll the pancake and serve immediately.


Tip: You can also add tomato sauce to it before rolling. Serves as a good breakfast or tea-time snack. Ideal for kids and adults. Healthy option.

Savory Corn Waffles Recipe

Savory Corn Waffles

Ingredients for Savory Corn Waffles Recipe:

Corn meal - 175 gm
All - purpose flour - 75 gm
Baking Powder - 1 tbsp
Egg - 1
Milk - 150 ml
Cream-style Corn - 100 gm
Green Chillies - 1 - 2, finely chopped
Capsicum - 2 tbsp, chopped
Salt, as required
Sugar - 1 tbsp (optional)

Method for Savory Corn Waffles Recipe:

For making savory corn waffles, in abowl mix corn meal with the baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.

In other bowl, add eggs to the milk and whisk. Further add cream style corn, green chili and chopped capsicum.Whisk gently.

Add the corn meal mixture to the egg-milk mixture and stir well until blended.

Take a waffle iron, pre-heat and grease. Pour the above prepared mixture and cook for 5 minutes until the waffles look golden and crisp.

Serve immediately.

Tip: Sugar is optional in this recipe. The preparation time is hardly 20-25 minutes and they taste very good. The waffles made with above said mixture serves around 5-6 people.

Dahi Wada Recipe

Dahi wada

Ingredients for Dahi Wada Recipe:

For Wada you will need:
Urad Dal - 100 gm
Green Chillies - 1, chopped
Ginger - 1", chopped
Salt, as required
Oil, for deep frying

For the Dahi you will need:
Dahi (Curd/Yogurt) - 1 kg
Ginger - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 - 2 finely chopped (optional)
Salt, as required
Sugar, as required

For the baghar (seasoning):
Curry leaves - handful
Red chillies - 4 - 5
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

For garnishing you will need:
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - handful, chopped
Roasted Cumin powder - 2 tsp

Method for Dahi Wadas Recipe:

For preparing wadas. soak the urad dal overnight and grind to a smooth paste. Add salt, chopped green chillies and ginger. Mix well and drop spoonful of the batter in hot oil and deep fry until golden brown.

Out of the 1 kg Dahi, Mix 2 tbsp Dahi (yogurt) in  l glassful of water to make diluted buttermilk. Immerse the golden fried hot wadas in this buttermilk and keep for two minutes. Squeeze the gently and keep aside.

Blend the remaining Dahi with little water until its smooth enough. Add chopped ginger, green chillies, salt and sugar to it and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and as they splutter add red chillies and curry leaves. Pour the baghar on the dahi. Mix well.

In a serving bowl, place the wadas  at the bottom and pour the dahi over it. Garnish with roasted cumin powder, red chili powder and chopped coriander.

Refrigerate for a while and serve chilled.

Tip: This recipe of dahi wada tastes amazing. Try it out. You can also use dahi without the baghar, but baghar adds flavor to it. Dahi / Yogurt can be made sour or sweet. I prefer sweet, so I add sugar. Remember the Dahi should be fresh and not very sour.

Hungarian Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Hungarian Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients for Hungarian Cabbage Rolls Recipe:

Pork Mince - 130 gm
Onions - 100 gm
Oil, as required
Cabbage Leaves - 200 gms
Canned Tomato Soup -  200 ml
Rice - 100 gm, soaked
Salt, as required
Pepper, as required

Method for Hungarian Cabbage Rolls Recipe:

Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix pork mince with salt, pepper and rice. Add to this the sauted onions. Mix well.

Take the Cabbage leaves and steam them until soft. Separate leaves from one another.

Wrap the meat mix in each cabbage leaf and roll over to make role. Place each roll in a pot. Pour tomato soup over the rolls and add enough water to cook. Cover and cook for around 10 minutes.

Serve once done.

Tip: Minced pork is what Hungarian Cabbage Rolls originally has. Minced pork can be replaced with minced lamb. One can also make it with minced chicken for a change. Since minced chicken cooks easily, don't add too much water. Could make a good breakfast dish.

Ragi Dosa Recipe

Ragi Dosa

Ingredients for Ragi Dosa Recipe:

Ragi Flour - 500 gm
Onions - 25 gm, finely chopped
Green chillies - 10 gm, finely chopped
Curd - 250 gm
Urad Dal - 100 gm
Salt, as per taste
Oil

Method for Ragi Dosa Recipe:

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients mentioned above to make a batter of pouring consistency.

Heat a no-stick pan and add a little oil. Pour a ladleful of batter in the pan and tilt the pan all over to evenly spread the batter.

Cover and cook till done. Serve hot.

Tip: Ragi Dosa is a specialty of Karnataka, India and is very wholesome food. Adding oil is your wish. If you wish to avoid oil completely, then on a non-stick pan it is absolutely possible. Serve the Ragi Dosas with chutney and Sambhar. If you wish, you can eat it with jaggery for a change. In that case add a little ghee to the dosa and then eat it with jaggery. This preparation serves 5 - 6 people so in case you want cook for less people just take only half of the measurements mentioned above. Are easy to cook and preparation time is just 20 minutes.

String Hoppers Recipe

String Hoppers

Ingredients for String Hoppers Recipe:

Raw rice - 50 gm
Salt, as required
Water - 100 ml

Method for String Hoppers Recipe:

Wash the raw rice and grind it. Cook this ground rice paste with the 100 ml water and allow it to cook, till it forms a white mass. Add the salt.

Knead the dough and make small balls. Put the balls in a regular Sev Press and press them directly into a muslin cloth or a steel plate. Steam it for around 3 - 4 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Tip: For pressing the string hoppers, you can use the regular sev press that you use in Diwali for making sev. But you also get a String Hopper Press in the market. However you may be making it once in a while, I suggest you use the Sev Presser, specially the disc meant for fine sev and remove the hoppers by it. Serve it with the Seeni Sambhol or any other curry. For Kids you can just sprinkle a little sugar and grated coconut and serve as a tasty snack.

Also try:

Hoppers

Seeni Sambhol Recipe

Seeni Sambhol

Ingredients for Seeni Sambhol Recipe:

Shallots (smaill onions/Madrasi Onions) - 500 gm, chopped
Coconut - 250 gm, grated
Dried Red chilli - 150 gms
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Salt, as required

Method for Seeni Sambhol Recipe:

Grind shallots, dried red chilli and salt to a fine paste.

Mix the paste with coconut milk and lemon juice. Mix well.

Serve.

Tip: Seeni Sambhol doesn't require cooking and hence is very easy and instant. Seeni Sambhol goes well with rice, Nir Dosas and even with Hoppers. This preparation serves four and is easily prepared in just 20 minutes.

Hoppers Recipe

Hopper topped with egg

Ingredients for Hoppers Recipe:

Rice flour - 500 gms
Coconut milk - 200 ml
Salt, as required
Yeast - 10 gm

Method for Hoppers Recipe:

In a bowl, mix the rice flour with salt as required by you. To this mixture add the coconut milk and yeast. Mix well, it makes a fine batter.

Keep this batter aside for around 45 minutes.

Heat a pan, add oil and when heated, add a ladleful of batter. Tilt the pan for the batter to spread all over the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook till done. The hoppers are to be cooked only from one side which is touching the pan. Don't try and turn them.

Serve hot.

Tip: Hoppers could be cooked in around 10 minutes, once the batter is done after adding yeast. You can serve hoppers with any curry, gravy or even Seeni Sambhol. Alternatively eggs can be added to the hopper, for a change. Now to do this, as soon as you spread the hopper on the pan by tilting it, allow a minute and then break an egg on it. Cover and cook. This measurement given cans serve 4 for breakfast.