Mexican Bean Salad (Red Kidney Bean Salad)

Red Kidney Beans also called as rajma in India, has numerous nutritional value. Click here to read the innumerable benefits of Red Kidney Beans.It is quite popular in Italian and Mexican cuisine as Mexican Beans. I chose to use this in my vegan salad. This salad makes a great starter,snack or main course and are just crunchy.This is made in Italian style seasoned with Italian Herbs.

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

1. Red Kidney Beans- 1 Cup
2. Carrot - 1/4 cup(chopped)
3. Cucumber - 1/4 cup(chopped)
4. Tomatoes -1/4 cup chopped)
5. Onions(White or Red)-1/4 Cup(chopped)
6. Lemon Juice-1/2 lemon
7. Salt to taste
8. Pepper-2 tsp
9. Dried Parsley for Seasoning
10. Olive Oil- 1 tbsp for drizzling
11. Water for pressure cook-3 Cups

Method

1. Rinse and soak the beans in water, fully immersed for overnight-minimum of 12 hrs.

2.  Drain the soaked beans and pressure cook with a tsp of salt and water for 3-4 whistles. 

3. Drain the beans and add them to a bowl. Reserve the stock for using it in soups or for any other gravy cooking. It is very healthy and hence do not discard it.

4. Add all other veggies,lime juice,needed salt, pepper,olive oil and parsley. Toss gently.

5. Mexican salad is now ready to be munched on. :)

Navaratna Salad (Sprout Bean Salad)

This is a protein packed healthy salad which is also made during navarathri days as "Sundal". Each of these ingredients is made as separate sundal on each day of navarathri. I have combined all the ingredients into one sundal and hence called Navaratna(9 gems). This salad is very low in calories making it a healthy mid evening snacks.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1. Sprouted green moong - 1 tbsp
2. Green peas - 1 tbsp
3. Black eyed beans /brown karamani - 1 tbsp
4. White eyed beans/white karamani - 1 tbsp
5. Small Black channa/chickpea - 1 tbsp
6. Small White channa/chickpea - 1 tbsp
7. Red Kidney beans/Rajma- 1 tbsp
8. Lima Beans/mochakottai  - 1 tbsp
9. Peanuts Raw - 1 tbsp

Tempering

1. Mustard- 1 tsp
2. Urad dhal - 1 tsp
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Coconut grated - 2 tbsp 
5. Green chili - 1 big
6. Hing- a pinch
7. Curry leaves - 3-4

Method 

1. Soak all the legumes (except sprouts and green peas) in water overnight.

2. Pressure cook all legumes together for 3 whistles with needed salt. Drain the legumes after pressure cook. Reserve the stock for cooking soups etc.

3. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard and hing. Once the mustard starts crackling, add other  tempering ingredients and saute for a minute on a medium low flame. 

4. Now add the tempering to the bowl of cooked sundal and mix well.

5. Healthy Protein Bowl is ready to be eaten:):)

Notes,Tips & Add-On's

• You can use your choice of pulse/legumes. Anything you use is definitely a healthy option.
• You also get readily available navaratna sundal packet at any supermarket with combination of 9 legumes. I used the readily available packet here.

Whole Wheat Bread Upma

When it comes to bread, we always eat it either as sandwich or toast, but there is an interesting recipe that you can make with bread which forms a wholesome breakfast or an evening tiffin. I had some left over wheat bread at home and didn't really know how to use them. That is when my husband came up with this idea of bread upma. Here, I list below my version of bread upma.

Serves:2

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Bread- 6 slices (sides removed)
2. Bangalore Tomatoes-2 (finely chopped) 
3. Green capsicum - 1/2 of small capsicum (chopped)
4. Onion-1 large (roughly chopped) 
5. Butter - 1 tbsp
6. Mustard seeds-1 tsp 
7. Cumin seeds-1 tsp 
8. Sugar - 1 tsp
9. Hing-pinch 
10. Coriander leaves-1/4 cup chopped
11. Curry leaves-4
12. Green Chili -1 (chopped finely)
13. Turmeric-1/2 tsp 
14. Red Chili Powder-1 tsp 
15. sambar powder - 1 tsp (optional)
16. water-1/4 cup 
17. Oil - 1 tbsp 
18. Salt to taste 

Toast the bread on tawa with some butter

Turns golden brown and crisp

Cut them to cubes

Saute Vegetables

cook with covered lid

Mix the sliced bread with sauteed veggies

Method

1. In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing.

2. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and green chilies and saute for a min on a low flame.

3. Add onions and saute until they become translucent.

4. Add the tomatoes, capsicum and saute well. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, sambar powder, sugar and required salt - saute well.

5. Add water and cover the lid and cook tomatoes until they become soft and mushy.

6. Toast the bread sliced with butter until they become crisp. Chop the bread into cubes or you can roughly tear into small pieces.

7. Now add the chopped bread slices to the above mixture and mix gently. Ensure the bread slices are uniformly coated with the mixture and blended well.

7. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.

8. Yummy Bread Upma ready:) Serve with combination of tomato ketchup and red chili sauce. Tastes yum...!!!

Notes,Tips & Add-on's 

1. You can add any vegetables of your choice like red bell pepper, grated carrot etc.
2. You can also add a tsp of tomato ketchup and red chili sauce before mixing the bread. This also tastes equally awesome.

Flattened Red Rice Upma (Red Poha)

I had consulted one dietitian at my office for a better diet option to have a low fat alternative which i can have as a dinner. She suggested this flattened Red Rice or the Red Poha. Generally, the white aval or white poha is consumed as a staple diet in Maharashtra. This is easily digested and forms a filling and satisfactory breakfast recipe. A better and healthy substitute to this is Red Poha :) Now we have a double healthy treat, isn't t?? Let's look into some of the health benefits of this Red Poha.

Benefits

• It is rich in fiber which increases the bowel movement.
• Highly rich in Iron content and hence,increases the hemoglobin in blood.
• Aids in quick digestion.
• Highly low in calories and aids weight loss

Ingredients

1. Red Poha- 1 Cup
2. Carrot - 1 (chopped)
3. French beans- 5 (Chopped)
4. Onion-1 (chopped)
5. Tomato- 2 small or 1 big (chopped)
6. Green Chili - 1 slit
7. Urad dal-2 tsp
8. Mustard seeds-2 tsp
9. Curry leaves - 4-5
10. Coriander leaves for garnishing
11. Oil-3 tsp
12. Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
13. Salt as needed

                                              

Method

1. Soak the red poha in medium hot water for 10 mins and cover it. Use the required amount of water that is needed just to immerse the poha completely. Don't use excess water as it may drain the nutrition content from the poha.

2. In a pan,add oil. Add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal and saute on a medium flame.

3. Add curry leaves, green chili and saute with a pinch of asafoetida.

4. Add onions and saute until they are transparent.

5. Add tomatoes and saute for min.

6. Add all other veggies and saute for 2 mins on a low flame.

7. Add needed salt and cook the veggies with closed lid for 5 mins.

5. Add the fluffed up poha to the pan with some more salt if required and mix gently.

6. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with chutney or raitha.

Notes,Tips & Add-on's

1. You can add any vegetables of your choice like red bell pepper, green capsicum, baby corn etc.