Healthy Protein Foods

Mixed Lentil Biryani

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. basmati rice
1/2 lbs. mixed lentils of your choice
1 big onion finely sliced
1 teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.
1/2 oz. mixed cloves, cardamoms and bay leaves
4 teaspoons unsalted butter

For Decoration
1 medium tomato sliced finely
4 thick green chilies slitted
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1 oz. roasted cashew nuts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Soak the rice and lentils separately for a few hours. Heat 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, add whole spices, onion ginger and garlic paste and fry until soft. Add lentils, salt and spices and fry until dry. Add rice along with enough hot water to stand 1-inch above the level of the rice. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until rice is tender and dry. Remove from fire. Heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter separately and remove from fire. Add cumin seeds and fry till they crackle. Mix in tomato, coriander and chilies and cook until soft. Pour over rice along with the cashew nuts and cook until soft.

Dhokla

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. par-boiled rice
1/4 lbs. toor gram
2 oz. each of Bengal gram and split skinless black gram
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
2 oz. sour yogurt
A pinch of asafetida
1/4 teaspoon soda bicarbonate
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt and chili powder to taste

For Decoration

4 oz. grated coconut
1oz. chopped roasted cashew nuts
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon oil

Soak rice and lentils separately for a few hours. Grind to a smooth paste in a blender. Mix in soda bicarbonate, salt and yogurt. Set aside for 4 to 5 hours. Add turmeric powder and oil. Place in a greased dish. Steam in a steamer for 15 to 20 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into neat cubes. Put in a serving plate. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and add mustard seeds. When they crackle pour over dhokla. Decorate with the remaining ingredients and serve with chutney or ketchup of your choice.

Dosa

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. par boiled rice
1/4 lbs. mixed dals like split green gram, split black skinless gram, split Bengal gram
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 lbs. grated cheese
Tomato ketchup as required
Salt to taste

Soak dals and rice overnight; drain out the water and grind to a thick paste. Put into a bowl. Mix in soda bicarbonate and salt, add enough water to form a thick batter. Cover bowl and set in a warm place for a few hours so batter rises. Grease non-stick pan lightly with oil. Take the batter in a round ladle and spread into a thin round shape. Heat on medium heat covered for two minutes. Uncover put little oil over the edges and turn over. Cook until both sides are crisp and golden. Spread ketchup on the dosa and sprinkle with grated cheese accompanied with coconut chutney.

Vegetable Vadas

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. mixed lentils like split black skinless gram, green gram and Bengal gram
1/4 lbs. mixed vegetables like cabbage
and carrots finely grated
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
2 tblsps, chopped coriander leaves
2 dry red chilies, finely sliced
Salt to taste

Soak lentils for a couple of hours in water. Drain out water and grind to a smooth thick paste; mix in the remaining ingredients. Take 2 tablespoons of the paste and put on a greased plastic sheet. Form into a round shape. Make a hole in the center with your finger then slowly slip the vada into smoking hot oil. Fry till crisp and golden. Serve with chutney of your choice.

Khichdi

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. rice
1/4 lbs. green gram
50 grams roasted cashew nuts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon black pepper corns
4 tablespoons clarified butter
1/4 liter milk

Soak dal and rice for a couple of hours separately. Heat the clarified butter, add the drained out dal and fry until dry, add the rice, turmeric powder and salt, mix well. Add milk along with enough water to stand 1-inch above the level of the rice. Cook over a slow fire until rice is tender and dry. Place on a plate. Heat the remaining clarified butter and add cumin seeds and pepper corns. When the seeds stop crackling remove and pour over the khichdi. Decorate with cashew nuts and serve hot.

Vada

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. split black skinless gram
2 green chilies, minced
2 tablespoons sliced coconut
Handful of sliced coriander leaves
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt to taste

Soak dal in water for about 6 hours. Drain and grind to a paste. Mix in remaining ingredients. Form into small vadas or round pattice on a clean cloth. Make a hole in the center of each vada or pattice and deep fry to a golden brown color. Serve with sambar and dosa chutney.

Sambar

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. split pigeon pea
1/2 lbs. tomatoes
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1oz. finely sliced coriander leaves
2 oz. coconut paste
1 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard
and sesame seeds
1/4 oz. curry leaves
A big pinch of asafetida
4 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon jaggery or molasses
Salt and chili powder to taste.

Roast and grind together

1 teaspoon each of coriander and cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon each of mustard
and fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
3 red chilies

Cook dal with chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt until soft. Stir well. Mix in the ground spices and coconut. Heat 4 tablespoons oil and fry asafetida, curry leaves, cumin, mustard and sesame seeds. When the seeds stop popping, pour into the sambar. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving. You can also add a teaspoon of jaggery or molasses if you prefer a sweet and sour taste.

Plain Idli

Ingredients

1 lbs. parboiled rice
1/4 lbs. split black skinless gram
Pinch of soda bicarbonate
Salt to taste

Wash and soak the rice for 1 hour. Strain out the water and grind coarsely. Soak dal for few hours and grind till it is light and frothy. Mix the rice with the dal and a little water to make it into a thick batter; add salt and a pinch of soda bicarbonate. cover and set aside for a few hours in a warm place until the batter becomes spongy. Fill the greased idli moulds half full with batter in the idli stand and steam for 10 minutes in the steamer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve piping hot with sambar and dosa chutney.

Vegetable Idli

Ingredients

1/2 lbs .boiled vegetables like carrots, French beans, green peas and potatoes
1/2 lbs. par boiled rice
Juice of 1/2 coconut
2 tablespoons Each of split black skinless gram and Bengal gram
2 tablespoons green chilies
1 oz. coriander leaves
inch piece of ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt to taste

Soak the rice and dals in coconut milk for 3 hours. Grind to a paste blender along with remaining ingredients with the exception of the vegetables. Mix in the minced vegetables and a sufficient amount of thin coconut milk to make a thick batter. Set aside for 1 hour. Grease the idli moulds lightly and pour a spoonful of the batter in the mould. Place this idli stand in the steamer and steam for 10 minutes or till a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with piping hot sambar and coconut chutney.

Chutneys

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

1/2 lbs. fresh grated coconut
2 ozs. coriander leaves
2 ozs. mint leaves
1 big tomato
2 green chilies
1 teaspoon grated ginger and garlic
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
Salt to taste

For garnishing

1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dry red chilies broken

Grind coconut to a paste with all the above ingredients. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and add mustard seeds and chilies and fry until they crackle. Pour over chutney.

Dosa Chutney

Ingredients

1/4 lbs. grated coconut
4 green chilies
1 teaspoon grated ginger
5 teaspoons Bengal gram
5 curry leaves
3 tablespoons coconut water
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 to 4 whole red chilies broken
Salt to taste

Fry Bengal gram and grind with all ingredients with the exception of mustard and red chilies into a paste. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the mustard seeds and chilies. Pour over chutney and serve.

Yogurt Chutney

Ingredients

1/4 lbs .coconut
2 oz. black gram
2 oz. coriander leaves
4 green chilies
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon. cumin seeds
1/4 lbs. yogurt
1 tablespoon oil
Handful of curry leaves
Salt to suit the taste

Heat 1tblsp oil and fry black gram, mustard seeds and curry leaves to a golden brown color. Grind the black gram along with all the above ingredients to a paste and mix into the curds.

Make your own Sambar Masala

Ingredients

4 oz. whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1oz. red dry chilies
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Dry roast all the whole spices till they emit a good aroma. Mix together the remaining ingredients Powder and bottle.