‘I don’t need the bread, but it’s nice to do something creative‘. ~ John Goodman. My daily normal Indian meal has no place for yeast bread, I like my chapattis and rice with curries and other accompaniments. But then ‘creative & therapeutic‘ is what baking is to me and I love my breads and cakes for the same reason.

After years of baking I still feel ‘yeast challenged’ every time that I bake something and feel jittery to see the outcome. This month when Abby Dodge asked us to bake a Peasant Boule for #baketogether I instantly grabbed the challenge in order learn more from my fellow food bloggers and bake my own Peasant Boule as well.

I used the regular granulated yeast and mixed the dough with my hands and baked two loaves, one by following the recipe of Abby and the other with some variations to make it a healthy loaf.

I added Oatmeal, Honey, almonds and cranberries to my bake. Both the loaves look fabulous, if APF loaf is light & soft, Oatmeal bread is slightly dense but extremely filling and nutritious to snack upon. Honey gives a wonderful earthy flavor while almonds and cranberries add texture to this Honey Oatmeal Peasant Boule.

APF peasant bread and my Oatmeal loaf behind..rising well.

Honey Oatmeal Peasant Boule

Ingredients;

• 1 cup wholewheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup quick cooking oatmeal
• 2 tbsp. Honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. granulated yeast
• 1 ½ cup warm water
• 2 tbsp. dried Cranberries
• 1 tbsp. Almonds
• 1 tsp. sugar

Light and soft Peasant Boule..

Method; As I used granulated yeast and baked the loaf without stand mixer, the baking process is slightly different from the original.

In a large bowl add the flours, oatmeal, baking powder, salt, honey and mix all the ingredients well with a fork.

Make a well in the centre and pour warm water in it. Add sugar and yeast granules into it. Let it foam for a minute and mix all the ingredients to make sticky dough. Use dry flour or oil to handle the dough if you find it too sticky.

Roll it into a large ball and place it in a greased bowl, cover it tghly with a lid or cellophane sheet. Let it rise for about 45 minutes.

Grease a small round cake tin with butter or oil.

Take out the risen dough and flatten it on a floured surface. Place it in the round greased cake tin and brush it with melted butter. Let it rise again for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 190°C for 10 minutes.

A slice of hearty Oatmeal peasant boule in front and the light APF loaf at the back..

Place the baking tray in the oven and bake at 190°C for about 40 minutes till the top is brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped from bottom.

Oatmeal bread..Dunk it in your favorite soup and enjoy!

Cool it completely and serve it with a hot cup of tea or a creamy tomato and carrot soup. Thanks Abby for introducing me to the intricacies of bread making, am loving my Peasant Boule and will be making it more often.

Do check out some of the delightful Peasant Boules from my foodie friends Jamie,  Barbara , Laura, Karen and many more On Abby’s blog.

Notes;

1. Check the recipe of All purpose Peasant Boule on Abby’s blog.
2. Oatmeal bread with nuts and cranberries is extremely filling and scrumptious loaf.
3. Replace cranberries with raisins or any other nuts of your choice.

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Strawberry is a fruit which brings smile to my face and saliva in my mouth ever time I see a pack in my supermarket. I just love the sight of these vibrant looking, dimpled chin Strawberries wearing curly green caps. As soon as I get my hands on them I start visualizing what will I be making with them…(if there remains some).

When I saw Scones on the Daring Baker challenge of this month by Audax, I knew exactly what I will be using my little babies for. And what a wonderful treat these Strawberry scones are to have it on my breakfast table!

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens! Thanks Audax for sharing some intricacies involved in baking scones and making it a simple and enjoyable treat to bake.

Scones are pretty easy to bake, just that one needs to concentrate a little on the texture of the dough while rubbing the butter with the flour. You can read more about perfect scone making from here. I added strawberries to my scones and replaced half of flour with wholewheat flour.

Ingredients;

• 1 cup wholewheat flour
• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 cup Strawberries
• 2/3 cup yogurt/curd
• 5 tbsp. cold butter
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• A pinch of salt

Lemony Drizzle (optional);

• 1/2 cup powder sugar
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Method; Pre heat the oven at 200 °C and line a cookies sheet. Wash and hull the strawberries and chop them into small pieces. Sift flour and baking powder twice. Take a large vessel and add both the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and mix it well.

Grate the cold butter and pour the dry ingredients into it. Quickly rub the mixture with light hands till it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add yogurt and gently bring in all the ingredients together to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead the dough very lightly 3-4 times. Make a large circle with the dough, use a floured knife and make wedges on it.

Keep the wedges touching each other if you want soft edges and a little far if you like crisp edges as I did to my scones. Galze the scones with milk or sprinkle them with granulated sugar (as I did).

Bake the scones for about 10 minutes till the crust is slightly golden brown and the edges start setting. Take out and let the scones cool a little before topping them with frosting.

Mix both the ingredients for drizzle and pour it on the scones.

Serve these Strawberry scones with the lemony drizzle, butter or any fruits preserve of your choice. Scones are a wonderful way to start your day if you are bored with your routine breakfast and it takes very little time and effort to bake them as well.

Notes;

1. Increase the sugar if you like sweet scones, this recipe is mild.
2. Press the strawberry pieces if they peep out of the wedges.
3. You could even puree the fruit and use in the recipe.

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‘With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy’  ~ Lope De Vega.  And now with my garden not in good shape I no longer live without envying my friend who has a sprawling garden to boast. She inquired about some garden supplies for her farm house which she could purchase on line without much fuss. After a few days of Google search I found out OLX which is a free online platform for classifieds. She was able to access the site from her mobile and could find out what she was looking for in her city with ease. She procured some rare hybrid seeds, organic manure, organic soil and many other useful gardening equipment she was looking for through OLX. In the bargain I found out a wonderful online resource to look out for buying and selling various products in my city.

Some days back when she presented me a few bundles of fresh green fenugreek and a couple of veggies from her farm this is what I cooked. Just as the Khichdi recipe in the previous post there is nothing spectacular in this recipe also, it has the least ingredients and cooks quickly.

But if you enjoy the freshness in your veggies and appreciate the natural flavors of vegetables rather than the overpowering spices in your curries than this is the recipe for you!

Though the recipe is quite simple in itself, the most important thing to take care about is the cooking time which can mar or enhance the taste of the curry.

Ingredients;

(serves 2)

• 2 cups of diced Bottle gourd
• 2 cups of fresh Fenugreek leaves
• 1 small onion
• 1 green chili
• 2 garlic pearls
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Salt as desired
• A pinch of asafoetida powder

Method; Peel and dice bottle gourd (Lauki) in bite size pieces, larger the better as it will retain the nutrients of the veggie. Pick the fenugreek leaves (Methi) removing the hard stalk from it. Wash and shred it slightly. Peel and chop the onion & garlic pearl.

Heat oil in a wok and add the green chili, asafoetida powder, garlic and chopped onion, saute for a minute. Add the diced bottle gourd and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add shredded fenugreek leaves, salt and cook for one minute.

Take off from heat and serve this simple yet flavorful veggie dish hot with Indian flat breads, plain rice or just as a snack. Yes I like to eat it plain without any accompaniment.

This is another version of the same recipe replacing bottle gourd with cassava (is the same as Tapioca with which we make chips) and potato. Use pre boiled potato in the recipe, cassava takes less time to cook.

Though I make this recipe with various alterations, my favorite is fenugreek leaves with bottle gourd. The juicy and succulent bottle gourd matches perfectly with the slightly bitter tasting fenugreek leaves. And yes I don’t forget to share my preparation with my friend, just to ensure a regular supply of such farm fresh products

Notes;

1. Make sure you don’t over cook the veggies, as it will alter the taste by reducing the flavors and juices of veggies.
2. I have tried the same replacing fenugreek leaves with spinach too, but nothing can match the taste of the former.
3. When picking the fenugreek leave make sure to leave a little of tender stalk which has all the juices to make the recipe more scrumptious.

Doesn’t such simple recipes make our lives easy, I love to find out and treasure these recipes from wherever I can. Recipes which could make me slog less but give great results both in terms of taste as well as health. In my recent preparation I used a secret ingredient to make the same, will post the it in coming post

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Do you have a family dish which you prefer at times when you feel lazy to cook but do not wish to compromise on comfort and health quotient? Its Khichdi for my family. A hotch potch medley of wholegrain, millet, lentils and vegetables, Khichdi is an easy &  filling one pot meal and has all the necessary ingredients of a balanced diet which could be cooked quickly without much fuss. Carbohydrates from rice (or any grain), fiber from millet, protein form lentils and vitamins & minerals from veggies make this recipe a complete meal in itself.

Khichdi is the first solid food I was fed by mom and I followed the same meticulously with both my children barring a few days of formula food. This recipe is the one I often make when I am logger heads with time or just plain lazy and need an easy, quick fix meal.

‘Food is the most primitive form of comfort‘, holds true for this humble recipe. A great time savior and a very popular dish inIndia, each recipe of Khichdi takes a distinct hallmark of that family. Most of the winter nights are followed with a hot piping bowl of Khichdi, stir fried veggies, Poppadums and my mango pickle. Oh..and spoonfuls of butter too (Shh..)

The most common method of cooking Khichdi is using just the two key ingredients rice and lentil and cooking the same till it becomes mushy, hence the name Khichdi (means mushy in Hindi). This simple form of Khichdi is introduced as the first food to infants in many houses and is also given to sick and weak people.

Spices and veggies are added to the recipe to make it more rich and scrumptious. But my favorite is always the plain semi liquid Khichdi of rice and lentils with just salt and black pepper in it.

I was a bit hesitant to post a Khichdi recipe here as there is nothing spectacular about this recipe. But then could not resist sharing a few simple tricks and techniques I use to make my Khichdi a delight.

Ingredients;

(Serve 2)

• 3/4 cup white or brown rice
• 1/2 cup Lentils (split green gram)
• 1/4 cup Millet (sorghum or Jowar)
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup mixed vegetable
• 4 cups of water or more

Tempering;

• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. oil
• 1 green chilly
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamom pod
• Salt as desired
• A pinch of Asafoetida

Method; Washa soak the rice, lentils and millets in clean water till you assemble other ingredients for the recipe.

Peel and chop onion and all the veggies you are using in the recipe. Vegetbales such as Peas, potatoes, beans, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, corn and spinach goes well with Khichdi. Slit the green chilly into two.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker or any heavy bottom vessel and add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamon, asafetida powder, green chilly and sliced onion in it. Sauté for a few minutes and add soaked rice, lentil, millet and all the chopped veggies in it.

Pour 2 cups of water and cook for two whistles or till it become soft and mushy. Take off from the flame and slightly mash the cooked content with the back of a ladle.

Pour 2 cups of hot water in the mushy Khichdi and mix everything well. Add more water if you like runny texture

This Khichdi is another version cooked with lentils and couscous (broken wheat or Dalia) in the same manner as above.

My comfort meal...

Serve the Khichdi hot with yogurt Raita and stir fried veggies such as Broccoli, carrot sticks, cucumber.  Add an extra spoon of fresh butter to increase the taste and yum quotient of this comfort ‘one pot meal’.

How do you cook your Khichdi, would love to hear from you?

Notes;

1. Check the Glossary page for translation of terms mentioned in Hindi to that in English.
2. Use a mixture of lentils and various Millet to make Khichdi.
3. Replace green chilly with ½ tsp. of black pepper powder for a different flavor.
4. Many use Garam masala powder to spice their Khchdi.

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Millet – these tiny pearls of wholegrain reminds me of the colorful Love birds we used to keep at home. I and my brother were assigned the job of  feeding the birds with a handful of Bajra (a millet variety) before leaving to school. The same Bajra was also hulled in a stone mortal and pestle by mom to remove the husks and use the grains for making Khichdi and other recipes.

But I am sure mom did not know that these tiny grains are a powerhouse of nutrients and one of the best gluten free foods. I wish she could read all the info regarding Millets and feel proud of introducing millets in our diet at such early stage, thanks mom

Some useful sources to browse for the wholegrain Millet and Millet recipes;

WhFoods 

Millets

Millet recipes 

Health Benefits of Millets;

• Millet are considered as wholegrain and are rich in fiber and phytonutrients which helps against many forms of cancer.
• High in protein Millets are an excellent source of nutrition for vegetarians.
• Magnesium and Vitamin B present in Millets help reduce Blood pressure and control the cholesterol levels.
• The other minerals such as Phosphorous in the grains help in fat metabolism and body tissue repair.
• Complex carbohydrates in the grains make it a low GI food, which is good to control diabetes.

At my moms’ place in Rajasthan we use Millets mainly for making flat breads (Roti/chappatis) and Khichdi (lentil and veggie combo). I was introduced to this easy and healthy porridge by my MIL fromSouth India, where this nutritious drunk is an integral part of the breakfast table and for growing kids in most households.

Easy Breakfast Millet Porridge

Millet powder mix;

• 1 cup Ragi or Finger millet
• 1 cup Pearl millet (Bajra)
• 1/2 cup Sorghum (Jowar)
• 1/2 cup dry corn kernels
• 1/2 cup wheat grains
• ¼ cup green gram
• ¼ cup almonds
• 1 tbsp. soybeans
• 2 tbsp. roasted Bengal gram
• 2 tbsp. Sago/sabudana/cassava pearls
• 1 tbsp cardamom pods

Method; Dry roast all the ingredients except cardamom, almonds and sago, till they turn slightly golden brown and emanates nutty flavor.

Cool and grind all the ingredients into a fine powder, store it in an air tight container. This powder stays good for a year if refrigerated.

Breakfast Porridge 

Ingredients;

(Serve 1)

• 2 tbsp. ground wholegrain flour (recipe below)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk (or water)
• Sugar as required

Method; Mix ground flour in cold milk or water and make sure there are no lumps in the liquid.

Boil 1 cup of water and add the above liquid into it stirring constantly for a few minutes. The mixture will thicken very quickly and start sticking to the bottom. Remove from fire and add sugar in it. Serve hot or cold.

Notes;

1. Avoid wheat in the powder to make it gluten free porridge.
2. You can make the same porridge using just one millet from the ingredient.
3. Make the porridge more liquid or semi solid according to your liking by increasing or decreasing the water content in the recipe.
4. This porridge is a filling ad nutritious drink for adults as well as growing children.
5. The same millet powder can be used to make savory porridge by adding yogurt or curd in the recipe.
6. The millet powder can also be used for baking cakes, muffins, cookies and many forms of flat breads.
7. Try this healthy and nutritious Khichdi with millet, lentils and veggies.

Some useful sources to browse for the wholegrain Millet and Millet recipes;

WWC  Millet round up

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~’The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not’. ~ Mark Twain

And if you thought this is the only way out to lead a healthy-lifestyle, hold back for a few moments and read what these wondrous AFBHLS guests have to say. Yes, most of them cook lavish spreads and indulge in exotic foods yet manage to stay fit. If moderation is the key for some of the AFBHLS guests than recreational activities such as gardening, cycling and yoga does wonders for others.

AFBHLS 2012 series is starting with one another awe inspiring food blogger, Soma  from ecurry. A creative mom, an amazing photographer and a passionate cook who learnt the tricks of trade of cooking watching her mom and grandmother dishing out delectable dishes from their kitchen.

Her recipes resonate the flavors of traditional Indian cooking with a wonderful mix of various herbs & spices. A seasoned cook that she is, she easily transforms any international cuisine to suit her Indian taste buds and can also give a delightful make over to any Indian dish at the same time . She believes that home cooked food is healthy, balanced, comforting and aromatic.

Some of the recipes I could brought from her blog for AFBHLS ;

1. This creamy yogurt  mousse like dessert is pretty easy and somewhat similar to Indian Srikhand, and with rose flavors it is a winner any day.

2. I loved this Hummus tart on her blog and tried it immediately, must say the crisp and flaky crust with herbs, olive oil and grilled vegetables make this recipe a delight.

3. Her obsession with citrus stands pretty tall in this simple yet scrumptious orange and ginger Cake, which tastes better and more flavorful a day or two later.

Here is Soma on AFBHLS with her Healthy-living secrets and a delicious Tofu recipe for you;

Hello friends! I am Soma, living in Texas with my little family; 2 little girls, the love of my life and me.A big thank you to dear Sanjeeta for inviting me over in this awesome series. I am honored to be here to share a bit of life with all of you!

I have been a big foodie from my childhood. I have to confess here that I do feel guilty when I compare my food habits with Sanjeeta’s! Her blog makes me think. To see how Sanjeeta’s recipes are adapted to be nutritious and so very healthy without compromising the taste is very inspiring!

But I do try to do my little bit, to stay within the boundaries and do so more to set an example for my children. While I grew up in a family with many a great cooks and was always around exploring different cuisines, I was taught to eat well balanced meals on the daily life; so I loved my greens and bitter gourds even as child. Yes we indulged, but in occasions. I feel that healthy eating should not take an effort, but should become a part of our life, more like a good habit. And having some basic knowledge is important to make the right decisions. And I do want to instill that in my children.

Here are a few of my (our) Healthy Living Secrets:

1. Our daily meals consist of a balanced combination, as I try to use fresh and seasonal products, and try to opt for whole grains rather than processed food.  My grocery trips are usually to the places that sell local products and to Farmers Market.

2. I cook everyday (well almost). It takes less than an hour to get just cooked hot food on the table, and there is no reason that I should go get pre packaged food. My children have learned the difference between processed grains and whole grains, white sugar and raw sugar, and healthy substitutes and they keep a count of the fresh fruits and vegetables they eat everyday.

3. I do try to maintain a healthy weight which I have done for the past 20 years. The portion of food I consume is measured and is usually pretty small and I rarely “snack”. When I see that I am going even a bit over the normal routine, I do a low or no carb. detoxifying/cleansing diet for a couple of weeks, until I get back to where I should be. The diet by no means is life without eating. Instead it includes a wide variety of fresh uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts and some yogurt. I truly feel good and lightened.

4. I drink a lot of water.  The intake of soda, juice or any other beverage is very limited in my life.

5.  I love gardening and even go for sweeping and mopping the house instead of using a vacuum cleaner, but here is a confession – I hate getting over a treadmill or any other exercise equipment is something I cannot get myself to do. I love taking long walks outside in fresh air.

6. I love dark chocolate. Can I call that healthy?

7. I meditate everyday.

Thank you for having me over. Here is a recipe (and a little bit about it) loved by all in my family!

We did not quite have a love affair with tofu. To tell you the truth I never even heard of tofu before we moved here. I remember my grandma squeeze out fresh soy milk from soy beans. But my familiarity with soy milk stopped right there. The first time I bit into the little white cubes in an Asian vegetable soup in a restaurant, I was still trying to decide if I liked it or not. But I was slowly getting there. I tried it in soups and stir-fries a few times, before I decided to get it home and cook this elusive thing myself. This was many years back. Slowly I found ways to make my family fall in love with it too.

Harissa is one of our very close to heart condiment. You cannot go wrong with the Harissa. It spikes up anything you add it to. So here it is, two ingredients from two corner of the world brought together.

Cooking the marinated tofu on the grill adds a lovely smoky flavor (and don’t you love the grill marks!) and a subtle hint of fried garlic, which is impossible to achieve if this would be cooked in the oven. However cooking it over high heat in an indoor stove top grill pan will have the same smoky flavor. It is a ridiculously easy recipe and takes only little effort if you have the Harissa ready. I have a little jar of this magic paste always ready in my refrigerator.

Harissa Marinated Tofu Skewers

Ingredients:

1. 1 block of extra firm tofu, 14 oz/approx. 395 gms

For marinade:

1. 4 tablespoon Harissa (*recipe below)  (or use as much heat as you can take; Harissa is very spicy)
2. 1 tablespoon oil + some more to brush on when cooking
3. 1 teaspoon lemon juice
4. 1.5 teaspoon dried mint (optional – use if you want a subtle mint flavor)
5. 4 teaspoon corn flour/or chickpea flour/besan
6. salt to taste
7. fresh cilantro (coriander)/or mint to garnish

Homemade Harissa: (makes approx. 3/4 cup)

1. 3/4 cup dried red chilli peppers
2. 1/4 cup  garlic, cloves
3. 1 teaspoon caraway seed
4. 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
5. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6. sea salt  or any coarse salt to taste
7. 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves ( or any other herb you want to use – optional)
8. 2 tablespoons tomato puree (optional… to make it less spicy)
9. 1/2 cup  extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Making the Harissa:

Remove the stems from the chilli peppers if any and soak in water for 15-20 minutes, then drain. Reserve the water. (If you do not want the Harissa too spicy, you may remove the seeds of the chili peppers).

In a dry skillet lightly toast the cumin, caraway and the coriander seeds, only for a couple of minutes until just fragrant. Watch that they do not turn dark or burn. Cool the toasted seeds.

Place all ingredient in a blender or food processor and process it until smooth but not absolutely pureed. OR place all ingredients in a mortar & pound with a pestle until smooth. If it feels too dry, add a few teaspoons of the pepper soaked water, a little at a time, only as much required to make a thick paste. (try not to use any water, as it stays longer in the refrigerator if no water in used)

Store in a clean dry container topped with the rest of the olive oil. Cover and refrigerate. Allow it to sit for a couple of days for the flavors to infuse and mature.

The sauce will stay in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

To prepare the Tofu:

Wrap the tofu block in several layers of paper towels and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes. You should try to have the towels as much water from the tofu as possible.

When you feel the tofu block is considerably dry, slice into thick rectangles/squares; make sure it is think enough to run the skewers through it. Wipe the tofu pieces with a paper towel again.

Whisk all ingredients for the marinade into a smooth paste, except for the oil to be brushed on while grilling/cooking the tofu.

Combine the marinade and the tofu pieces, making sure that each piece is coated well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours; overnight works well.

When you are ready to cook/grill:

If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes.

Skewer the tofu slices into the skewer, two to three in each skewer. Lightly smear a stove top grilling skillet or a skillet with oil, and when the pan is sizzling hot, place the skewers on the pan and cook each side for about 2-3 minutes each, while brushing each side with oil. The skewers may be grilled on the outdoor grill too. Do not overcook; it will make the tofu get tough and leathery.

Serve with any hot spicy chutney or any kind of condiment you want.

If you want to make a meal with it, place the tofu inside Pita or Naan, smeared with your favorite spread, fill in with some greens and wrap it up.

This looks like a perfect Healthy-living routine to me, Soma. Fresh food products, whole grain and drinking plenty of water can never go wrong. And to opt for time tested methods such as low carb diet, detoxifying and cleansing diet combined with gardening, meditation and simple household activity of mopping the whole house when you feel like going overboard need loads of patience, but results are overwhelming. No wonder you are blessed with a great body, creative mind and good health.

Thanks for honoring Lite Bite with your presence and sharing some of your tips on food and healthy living on AFBHLS with us. We all wish you a healthy, wealthy and prosperous life for you and your family.
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~’Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life’ ~Anonymous. Some of them add spices to make it more entertaining while the others enhance, give body and add value to the recipe of life.

Opposites attract…Hmm..yes they do in real life too. I am not a movie person and she hates on-line world, so when we meet we talk everything under the Sun except the above mentioned topics. Celebrity in South India and winner of many national awards Saranya has been a dear friend for past eight years. A passionate dress designer, wonderful cook, cleanliness freak and a dedicated mother of two, she has been one of the most treasured friends of mine. We have seen our children grow together, shared some of our most precious moments, celebrated numerous functions and still continue to guide each other through our thick and thin.

Mom's who cook together

Every year we wait anxiously to co ordinate the New Year celebrations with a few other friends of her. I don’t know to which category should I add these friends of a friend, but I certainly enjoy and look forward to such occasions to celebrate with all of them.

We just need to drop the children to her house, from where she takes on and make sure that the children are comfortable and are sincere in their practice session. They practice their dance moves and drama lines for about 10 whole days.

Fusion dance..

Her love for perfection in anything she does shows up in all the parties we organize. For every year she takes the pains of selecting songs for the children, choreographing and meticulously deciding upon the dress code for the same. And if that is not all she indulges the children with fresh juices and freshly baked cakes. Here are some snippets of the children performing for us.

Shakira' Waka..Waka..

Will share more about this journey of friendship, our cooking sessions and some scrumptious recipes from the party menu in the next post. But for now this is one of the dishes that I cooked and took to the party, for 25 persons. The recipe here is for a smaller portion to make it easy for you to follow, and is a slightly lighter version of the authentic Malai Koftas recipe.

Creamy Malai Koftas

Ingredients;

(serve 4)

For Koftas;

• 2 large potatoes
• ½ cup grated cottage cheese
• 1 carrot grated
• 3 slices of fresh bread
• 1 tbsp. shredded fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp. red chilly powder
• Salt as desired
• Oil to shallow fry
• A few raisins or cashew to stuff the Koftas

For Gravy;

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 2 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 green chilly
• 5-6 soaked cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup fresh low-fat cream or 1 cup whole milk
• ½ tbsp dried Kasuri methi (optional)
• 1 tbsp. oil

Whole Spices

• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. red chilly powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• ½ tsp. cumin seeds
• ½ tsp. Turmeric powder

Method;

Koftas;  Wash, boil and mash the potatoes. Take out the sides from the bread slices and crumble it into small pieces. Add salt, chilly powder, fresh coriander leaves, crumbled bread and knead it into soft and smooth dough.

Take another vessel and add grated cottage cheese in it. Add a pinch of salt if you wish.

Pinch small lemon size dough from the potato mix and roll it into a ball, flatten it slightly and make a small circle.

Add a little of cottage cheese (1/2 tp.) and a cashew or a raisin in the centre. Bring all the sides together to close the circle and roll it again into a ball Make all the Koftas in similar way and keep them aside.

Heat a pan and add a few teaspoos of oil in it. Add a few koftas gently into the hot oil and fry it till all the sides become golden brown in color.

Gravy;  Soak cashew nuts for an hour. Grind sliced onion, tomatoes, and soaked cashew nuts into fine paste.

Heat oil in a wok and crackle cumin seeds, add the above ground paste, diced green chilly, ginger-garlic paste, Kasuri methi and cook for a few minutes.

Add all the spice mix, cover the wok and sauté for 7-10 minutes till the raw smell from the ground paste disappears.

Pour water to the paste if you require slightly runny gravy. Add fresh cream and immediately take off from the flame. If you are using whole milk, cook the gravy for another 5-10 minutes till the milk is absorbed and the gravy becomes creamy in texture.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over it.

Assemble; Arrange the cooked cottage cheese balls or Koftas in a serving dish, and pour the gravy just before serving the dish.

Tried adding extra lights to the picture..

Notes;

1. As you are adding fresh bread slices in making the cottage cheese balls or Koftas, you don’t need any other binding agent to hold the Koftas in shape when shallow frying it.
2. Deep fried koftas taste yum, do the same if you are not worried about the calories, you could also brush the Koftas with oil and bake them for healthier version of the recipe.
3. Milk powder is added to make the Koftas which gives a rich taste to the curry, but you can avoid it and will not find a much difference (I did not find so).
4. Make sure to shallow fry a few koftas at a time, to avoid breaking the koftas.
5. Add grated cottage cheese to make koftas, I avoided it to make the recipe a little lighter.
6. Reserve a few teaspoons of fresh cream to garnish the dish before serving.
7. Do not let the koftas sit in the gravy for more than a few minutes, as they will absorb all the liquid and will make the dish look dry and unappealing.

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Time flies when you are having fun! If year 2010 was more about me and my recipes on Lite Bite, 2011 opened new vistas in terms of my blogging career, personal growth and to treasure some lovely foodie friends across the globe.

The endeavor which started just to keep myself busy while the kids were in school has now taken me completely in its stride. What with hours of browsing ‘how to topics’ on writing, photography, web design, SEO and the likes, apart from trying out  recipes which are lite and just right for good health. And yes, this non techie mom who was even scared to look at the HTML and PHP codes some time back does a little bit of editing on her own now

New year is here and we know it will be another delicious one for all. For many its just another day of a year while for some its time to rejoice and make merry. I belong to the later category and thought of having fun with foodies across the globe sharing recipes & memories from 2011 by organizing yet another virtual party #Welcome2012 on Lite Bite.

#Welcome2012

These Wholewheat Figgy bars recipe would be perfect to welcome 2012 on Lite Bite and to wish all the readers and foodie friends a prosperous and healthy New Year! Thanks for being here, I on behalf of Lite Bite appreciate all your feedback and the unconditional support you gave to us year after year.

Wholewheat Figgy Bars 

Wholewheat Figgy Bars is the first recipe to welcome 2012 on this space, delectable & healthy they are keeping in sync with the motive of Lite Bite – ‘Lite recipes for right health‘. I baked these goodies as a gift to one of my friends during Christmas and everyone at er home loved these figgy bars.

Making figgy bars...

Ingredients;

(makes 10-12 small pieces)

For Crust;

• 1 cup wholewheat flour
• 1/2 cup All purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. butter/vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. powder sugar
• 1 tbsp. milk
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

For Filling;

• 7-8 dried figs
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder

Method; 

To make the crust; Preheat the oven at 190°C.

Sift both the flours, baking powder and salt in a large vessel. Add powder sugar, oil or butter at room temperature and rub the flour with both the hands till it makes small bread crumbs.

Add milk to the above mix and make a hard dough. Cover it with a cling film and refrigerate.

To make Filling;

Wash the dried figs and dice them into fine pieces. Heat a pan and pour orange juice in it.

Heat orange juice in a pan, add sugar and diced figs in it. Cook it at slow flame till the orange juice is dried and the mixture looks like a fruit preserve.

Let it cool completely before using it as a filling for the Figgy bars.

Wholewheat Figgy Bars; Take out the dough from the refrigerator and roll it in a large circle of  1/2 inch thickness. Use dry flour to make the rolling easy.

Spread the fig preserve in the center of the rolled out dough. Fold the dough from one end to cover the filling completely. Cut out the extra dough to make it look like a log and brush it with milk.

Bake the log at 190°C for about 20 minutes, increase the temperature to 210°C and bake for another 5 minutes if you ike crispy brown crust.

Take out the log from the oven and let it cool. Cut it into thin slices with a sharp knife.

Serve these healthy and scrumptious wholewheat Figgy Bars at tea time or as a yummy snack.

Notes;

1. Hard dough will be tough to handle but will give you crispy crust, increase the milk to a few more drops to make a soft dough which is easier to roll.
2. I used Tropicana orange juice as I could not see fresh orange in my refrigerator.
3. Increase the sugar in the filling if you like more sweets in your goodies.
4. The filling of Figs and orange juice in the recipe makes a perfect spread for bread and chapattis.

The Year That Was – A Quick Recap of 2011

1. Awesome Food Bloggers Healthy-Living Secrets or AFBHLS

Spaghetti with Eggplant, Basil, & Breadcrumbs Pic. courtesy; Edible Mosaic

Awesome Food Bloggers Healthy-Living Secrets or AFBHLS series is by far the best of ventures in 2011 on Lite Bite. The series is to bring forth some of the awe inspiring food bloggers and share their experiences on food, recipes and health.

Marla, Faith, Deeba, Shulie, Annapet, Simone, EA Stuart are some of the awe inspiring guests on AFBHLS for year 2011. Don’t forget to check out this space for many more wonderful AFBHLS guest to come in 2012!

 2. First Virtual Party On Lite Bite with a Molten Lava Cake

chocolate molten lava eggless cake

 3. A Few Healthy Truffles as Gift to the Wonderful Writer Duo – Jigyasa and Pratibha of ‘Cooking with Pedatha’

4. Nostalgic Visit to Hometown and Mom’s Scrumptious Recipes

6. One of the Healthy Recipes of 2011 on Lite Bite – Finger Millet and Chocolate Cake

Finger Millet & Chocolate Cake

 7. Another Healthy Trial – Eggless Vegetable Quiche

Healthy Eggless Vegetable Quiche

2011 has been a wonderful year both in terms of blogging career and personal growth. I take this opportunity to thank all the readers of Lite bite who always encouraged with their positive comments giving me a chance to improve and take Lite Bite to higher levels. And hope to get your constant support and love in the coming year as well.

Happy 2012 to all, may the year bring prosperity and good health to everyone!

“And please make it 100 plus cookies’ added hubby dear hurriedly. “We have been browsing loads of scrumptious recipes on your wife’s blog for long but nothing has come to us, is she really making all those that we see in the pictures, sir?” was the query from one of the co-workers from his office which made me go for this marathon baking session. When your reputation as a food blogger is at stake numbers hardly matter

After pondering over the quality vs quantity of the numerous recipes I had in mind, I zeroed upon these Lemony Shortbread. These cookies are quite simple to bake and can be easily transformed into exotic treats with very little efforts & variations, and stays good for many days so that you can make them ahead of time.

These shortbreads or Nankhatai as we call them in India are buttery and melt-in-mouth crumbly cookies. The recipe is quite simple with just three main ingredients to go in it, flour, butter and sugar with all the three in almost equal proportion. I added Pistachio powder in the cookie dough and a few drops f lemon extract which gave a wonderful nutty taste with a delightful citrus flavor to these shortbreads.

I normally use the standard proportion of equal quantity of flour, sugar and butter ratio for making crisp & crumbly Nankhatai. But this time I added a tbsp. yogurt to the dough which in turn helped me reduce my butter in the cookies. And I did not find a big change wither in the texture or the taste of the cookies.

Ingredients;

(makes 24)

•  1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup semolina
• ¼ cup fine Pistachio powder
• ¾ cup or little less butter/ghee
• 1 tbsp. yogurt/curd
• 1 tbsp. coarse pistachio powder to garnish
• A few saffron strands (optional)
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• A few drops of lemon extract or ¼ tsp. lemon zest

Method; Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.

Add flour, semolina and pistachio powder in a large vessel and mix well.

Take another vessel and add butter/ghee, powder sugar, baking powder and yogurt in it. Whisk all the ingredients for 10 minutes till the mixture is light and fluffy.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry flour mix, add lemon extract or lemon zest, saffron strands if using and knead all into smooth and soft dough.

Take out small piece of dough and roll it into small balls, flatten it slightly and press a little of coarsely ground pistachio powder in the center.

Make all the cookies in the similar way and arrange them in a baking tray leaving a little gap between each cookie.

Bake the lemony shortbread at 180°C for about 15 minutes or till the sides start to turn golden. These goodies will be mostly white in color when fully baked.

Pack these Lemony shortbread in decorative boxes for a wonderful gift to your friends and family. I have reached half way through my cookie marathon, wish me luck to complete the task. My Christmas cakes are in the oven and will probably post the recipe with the celebration at a friends’ house in a couple of days

Happy festive greetings, have a fun filled merry Christmas to all!

Note;

1. If you wish to skip the yogurt in the recipe, increase the butter in it to form a soft dough.
2. While rolling the cookies you will find lots of cracks in it, ignore it if it does not hamper the baking process and retain the shape.
3. If you wish to make saffron Nankhatai, just dissolve a few strands of saffron in warm milk and add it to the dough.
4. Try a variation of orange Nankhatai using orange extract or orange zest.
5.  Chickpea flour is also added to the flour mix to make Nankhatai, replace semolina with chickpea flour (besan).
6. These cookies stay good for many days and make a perfect gift option.

Join the virtual celebrations at ‘Welcome 2012‘ hosted by Lora and Sanjeeta kk. Am sure with the list of amazing attendees already on board this is going to be an enormous fun filled virtual party!

Check out the detail here and mail us quickly.

This recipe goes to Cookie event on Suma’s Blog.

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A sugar free Date Brownie…at the time when you wish no one talked about diet and all that you need is to indulge & make merry! Oh yes, even I am gearing up for my festive baking, eagerly waiting to share my goodies with friends. This recipe  was there in my mind for long and I just thought of sharing it for the year before I take a plunge with you into my sinful indulgences

These brownies are slightly cakey in texture as there is no chocolate, less butter and zero sugar in the recipe which gives any brownie that characteristic gooey texture. Many would not even like to call it a Brownie with no traces of  chocolate, cocoa and sugar in it, ..but then what is in a name

Whatever be the name these Date brownies are just perfect for those looking out for something light with less sugar and healthy to eat. Denser than a cake and lighter than  a brownie these easy to bake goodies make a wonderful tea time snack. I often use ready to use Date syrup available in the market, but am using homemade date syrup for this recipe.

Ingredients;

(makes 10 small pieces)

• 3/4 cup wholewheat flour
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 2 tbsp. yogurt/curd
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder (optional)

Method; Grease a flat baking tray with oil or lay a parchment paper greased with a little oil. Preheat a 8×8 baking tray at 190°C for 20 minutes.

Add chopped dates in warm milk and leave it for 10 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder and coffee powder (if using) in a large vessel.

Grind the soaked dates along with milk to make a fine paste. Add oil and yogurt to the date paste and stir well.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

Pour the batter in the baking tray, spread it evenly and sprinkle a little sugar crystals.

Bake the batter at 190°C for 15-20 minutes or till done. At times a toothpick inserted may not come out clean from a perfectly baked Brownie.

Take out the baking tray and let it cool completely before slicing the brownies.

These tiny slices may not be like your usual brownies but believe me they are so good for you

Simple and quick to bake thee sugar free Date Brownies are a favorite to me and hubby dear and the kids eat them only if they are left with no other choice

Notes;

1. Sprinkle sugar crystals on the batter before baking for a crunchy top and to give sweetness to the recipe.
2. These brownies are not the usual sweet and gooey ones, add 2 tbsp sugar in the recipe if you like sweet and increase the milk by 1 tsp.
3. Use high quality sweet dates which are soft and juicy for better results.
4. Dust the brownies with sugar powder or frost it with icing sugar to add sweetness to the recipe.
5. Add walnuts or small chunks of dates for that extra crunch in the recipe.
6. Avoid coffee powder if baking for children, add cocoa powder instead.
7. Chocolate chips in the batter will tempt your kids to have a bite.

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