Sprouted green gram salad

Ingredients:

Sprouted green gram-1 cup
Oil-1 tsp
Onion-1/2
Tomato-1/2
Lemon-1 tbsp
Chat masala-1 tsp

Method:

1. Soak half cup of green gram in water overnight.
2. Wash them well and drain off the water.
3. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with a lid.
4. Wait for 24-36 hr for the sprouts to appear.
5. Heat oil in a pan. Roast sprouted green gram on a small flame till soft. If you like, you can conpletely skip this step and eat the sprouts raw.
6. Squeeze lemon juice and add chat masala.
7. Serve with onion and tomatoes!

Methi matar malai

Ingredients:

Methi leaves-2 cups
Frozen green peas -1 cup
Heavy cream-1 cup
Salt-to taste
Oil-1 tbsp+1 tsp
Turmeric-1/4 tsp (optional)

For paste:

Onion-1 medium
Green chillies-4 small
Garlic-4 cloves
Ginger-1 in
Cashew-1/4 cup
Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and cook onions till soft.
2. Make a paste of sautéed onions, cashews, ginger, garlic, green chillies and cumin seeds in a food processor.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and add the paste. Cook until the raw smell goes away and oil separates.
4. Add methi leaves along with 1/2 cup of water and cook for 5-10 min.
5. Add peas and cream and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
6. Adjust the consistency of the curry by adding more water if needed and check for salt.
7. Serve hot with roti, naan or paratha.

Roasted crispy chickpeas

Ingredients:

Dry chickpeas-1 cup
Oil-1 tsp
Salt-to taste
Chilly powder-to taste
Chat masala-1 tsp
Amchur-1 tsp

Method:

1. Soak chickpeas overnight. Wash and pressure cook on a medium flame for two whistles.
2. After the pressure is gone, station the water and spread chickpeas on paper towel.
3. Allow them to dry.
4. Turn on the oven to 400F. Bake chickpeas in a single layer for around 45 min till crisp.
5. Transfer them to a bowl. Add oil along with the spices and combine properly.
6. Serve delicious and healthy crisp chickpeas immediately. They will lose the crisp with time.

Pesarapappu upma

Ingredients:

Pesarapappu-1/2 cup
Sooji-1 cup
Water-7 cups
Salt-to taste

For tadka:

Oil/ghee-1 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Curry leaves-10
Green chillies-5
Cashews-15
Peppercorns-5
Urad dal-1 tbsp
Hing-pinch
Gjnger-1/2 in chopped

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, cook Pesarapappu with one cup of water on a medium flame for two whistles. Wait until pressure goes.
2. Heat oil in a small pan or tadka pan. Add ginger and cook for 30 sec.  Now add urad dal and roast until it starts to turn red.
3. Then add cumin, mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
4. Now add cashews, curry leaves, hing and green chillies and roast till cashews turn golden brown.
5. Transfer the tadka to the pressure cooker with cooked dal.
Note: You can also make tadka in a separate big pan and make upma in that but if you have a tadka pan, you can make upma in pressure cooker to avoid using multiple pans.
6. Now add 6 cups of water, salt and allow the water to boil.
7. While the water is boiling, dry roast sooji until it starts to turn brown.
8. Now add roasted sooji to the boiling water slowly by mixing to avoid lumps.
9. Cook for 5-10 min. Turn off the flame when the sooji is cooked and reaches to a desired consistency.
10. Serve hot with pickle, yogurt and sugar.

Ragi laddu

Ingredients:

Servings: 20-30 laddus

Ragi flour-1 cup
Oatmeal flour-1/2 cup
Flax seed powder-1/2 cup
Sesane seeds-1/4 cup
Dates-25
Almonds-20
Cashews-20
Figs-10
Walnuts-20 halves
Ghee-enough to make laddus

Method:

1. Heat a pan and dry roast ragi flour, oat flour (grind quick oats into powder and use that) separately on a small flame until nice aroma comes out.
2. If you already have store bought ground flax seed powder, use that directly else roast flax seeds and make powder.
3. Slightly roast almonds, cashews and walnuts. Keep them aside.
4. Now roast sesame seeds till they start to turn brown.
5. Transfer roasted almonds, cashwes, walnuts, dates and figs into a food processor. Chop them into a coarse powder.
6. Combine ragi flour, oat flour, flax seed powder, toasted sesame seeds, nut powder in a big bowl.
7. Melt ghee in a small bowl and add enough mix and make small laddus out of it.

Note: You can make all laddus at once by adding enough ghee to the flour mix or do it in small portions. I prefer to do in small portions for freshness. You can store the flour mix in an airtight container.

Hara bhara kabab

Ingredients:

Spinach-1 bunch
Potatoes-5 medium
Besan-3 tbsp
Peas-1 cup
Cilantro-1/2 cup
Green chillies-3
Ginger garlic paste-1 tbsp
Garam masala-1 tsp
Amchur-1 tsp
Salt-to taste
Oil-1.5 tsp plus for making kababs

Method:

1. Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Do not over cook the potatoes. Peel off the skin, mash and keep them aside.
2. Blanch spinach in boiling water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and run it through cold water. Keep it aside.
3. In a pan, dry roast besan till nice aroma comes out. Transfer into a bowl.
4. Heat oil in the same pan. Saute ginger garlic paste till the raw smell goes away. Add green chillies, peas and cook till soft.
5. Add garam masala, amcgur and salt and mix well.
6. Blend blanched spinach, peas mix and cilantro to a fine paste.
7. Mix mashed potatoes, besan and blended puree and keep it aside.
8. Make lemon size balls with the kabab mix and flatten them out as desired.
8. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a tawa and cook the flattened balls on both side till brown. Cook them on a very small flame otherwise, they will get burnt.
9. The time it takes to cook depends on the size. Enjoy these delicious and healthy kababs with ketchup. You can also make burgers with these patties.