Jul 5, 2021 | Drinks
Watermelon Rose Lemonade.
When we long for cool drinks in summers, we usually make home-made drinks like these rather than falling prey to store-bought sugary sodas. This one is so quick and refreshing and sure a summer delight.
I use rose syrup instead of sugar to make this, but replace that with sweetener of choice and in the desired quantity. Since the watermelon is sweet too, you wouldn’t need too much sweetener in this.
How to make this –
Ingredients – Makes 1 litre.
4 cups (1 ltr) watermelon juice – freshly squeezed
3 tbsps rose syrup
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 tsp rock salt
3 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp black pepper – preferably freshly ground
Method –
In a mortal pestle, muddle together mint leaves, rose syrup, salt, cumin and black pepper.
Mix in the juice well. Taste and adjust flavours.
Let it sit in the refrigerator for 15 mins to chill.
Serve with garnish of mint leaves and watermelon chunks.
Enjoy!
If you like this watermelon rose lemonade recipe, do let me know in the comments below or connect with me on my Instagram or Facebook handles.
You may also like to try –
Matcha lemonade
Jul 4, 2021 | Mains, Snacks
Broccoli & Mushroom Stir Fry.
This is a terrific combination of my favourite veggies. Sundays are for lazing around. Although a lot of people love to cook elaborate on Sundays, I somehow cannot spend too much time in the kitchen on Sunday. I am always on a lookout for delicious and quick snack/meals.
This yummy stir fry is great on it’s own as a snack or a perfect accompaniment to the main dish. It tastes wonderful without any additional sauce but I usually like to make Balsamic vinaigrette for my share. The husband loves it as is.
To make this, clean and chop broccoli and button mushrooms into bite sizes. Then in a pan, heat cold pressed sesame oil, add garlic and red chilli flakes, and then the broccoli and mushrooms. Stir fry on medium high for a few minutes. Add aromatics of choice, I use thyme. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top it up with some toasted sesame seeds and roasted peanuts and enjoy! The detailed recipe with measurements and for balsamic vinaigrette is in the recipe card below.
If you like this vegan broccoli & mushroom stir fry recipe, do let me know in the comments below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handles.
You may also like –
Oven roasted garlic vegetables
Harissa roasted veggies with tahini dressing
Broccoli & Mushroom Stir Fry
Arpita Darooka
Vegan snack or to be served as a side with the main dish.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Global
- 200 Gms Broccoli
- 200 Gms Mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp Sesame oil preferably cold pressed
- 1.5 Tsp Red chilli flakes
- 5-6 Cloves Garlic Minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper To taste
- 1/2 Tsp Thyme Fresh
Garnish
- Sesame seeds Toasted
- Peanuts Roasted
Balsamic Vinaigrette (optional)
- 1.5 Tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tsp Maple syrup
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Heat sesame oil in a flat edged pan. Add red chilli flakes and garlic. Sauté for a minute.
Add in the broccoli and mushrooms and shake the pan to mix. Do not stir. Let it cook on medium high flame for 10 mins. Keep shaking the pan at intervals.
Add in the thyme and let it all get charred for another 3-4 mins. Add salt and pepper (add this only if not using the balsamic vinaigrette).
Garnish with sesame seeds and roasted peanuts (highly recommended)
Serve with the balsamic vinaigrette (optional).Enjoy!!!
How to make Balsamic Vinaigrette
Keyword Broccoli and mushroom stir fry, healthy recipes, quick recipe, Vegan
Jul 2, 2021 | Mains
Foxtail Millet Bowl With Chickpea Paneer Curry.
My dinner looked like this last night. A gorgeous combination of Indian superfoods. My bowl comprised of perfectly cooked foxtail millets, white chickpea and paneer curry in coconut milk, black chickpea tikkis and onion and lemon wedge on the side. Oh, so good!
This meal is full of proteins, fibre and health. We rarely discover our Indian superfoods and fall prey to the western marketing. If we start acknowledging and reading about it, we would be surprised to know the treasure our Indian food has to offer. This is one such simple attempt to include millets in our meals. Also, working on lot more ideas to cook with millets.
This came together really easy. I had some soaked white chickpeas but that wasn’t sufficient enough to cater to two of us. Pressure cooked that while I prepped the onion, tomato and coconut milk gravy. Added a few paneer cubes and chickpeas and the curry was sorted. Put the soaked millets to cook while I grounded the sprouted black chickpeas, added some crumbled paneer, Indian spices, green chillies and coriander. Made them in shape of patties and roasted them in a flat pan with minimal cold pressed sesame oil. Garnished the meal with lemon wedges and onions on the side. Are you drooling yet?
If you like this foxtail millet bowl with chickpea paneer curry recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle.
You may also like –
Black eyed beans curry
Foxtail Millet Bowl with Chickpeas & Paneer Curry
Arpita Darooka
Healthy, protein and fibre rich meal.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Meals
Cuisine Indian
Chickpeas & paneer curry
- 1/3 Cup Chickpeas Soaked overnight
- 100 Gms Paneer (cottage cheese) Tofu for vegan option
- 1 Tbsp Oil I use cold pressed sunflower oil
- 1 Tbsp Ghee use oil for vegan option
- 2 Pcs Onions - small Chopped
- 3 Pcs Tomatoes - medium Crushed
- 1/4 Cup Thick coconut milk add 1/4 cup extra if using thin milk
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 2-3 Pcs Green chillies Chopped
- 1 Inch Ginger Grated
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 4-5 Pcs Curry leaves
- 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 Tsp Red chilli powder
- 1.5 Tsp Coriander powder
- 1 Tsp Roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 Tsp Garam masala
- 1/2 Tsp Amchur powder/anardana powder
- 1/2-3/4 Tsp Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1/8 Tsp Kasuri methi
- 1/8 Cup Coriander leaves Chopped
Foxtail Millet
- 1/2 Cup Millet soaked for at least 4 hours
- 2 Cups Water
- Salt to taste
Black Chickpea Tikkis
- 1/2 Cup Black chickpeas/kala chana Sprouted and boiled
- 100 Gms Paneer (cottage cheese)
- 1/4 Cup Coriander leaves Chopped
- 1 Inch Ginger Grated
- 2-3 Pcs Green chillies Chopped
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Tbsp White sesame seeds
- Salt to taste
Chickpeas & paneer curry
Heat oil and ghee in a pan (only oil if vegan). Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sauté for a minute.
Add chopped onions and sauté until it turns golden brown. Add the crushed tomatoes. Let it cook until it releases oil. Add coconut milk. Mix and let it cook for 2 mins.
Add the dry powdered spices except garam masala and kasuri methi. Add salt. Add 1/2 cup water. Mix. Add boiled chickpeas and paneer/tofu cubes. Cover and cook for 10 mins on low flame. Stir a couple times in between.
Add coriander leaves, kasuri methi and garam masala. Take it off the flame.
Keyword Chickpeas and paneer curry, fibre rich, Indian vegan, protein rich meal
Jul 1, 2021 | Condiments and spices
Sirka Pyaaz | Pickled Onions.
A staple condiment served with Indian meals. This is a perfect accompaniment with the rich Indian food and balances the palatte well with the required acidity. A popular condiment in served complimentary in most of the Indian restaurants serving North Indian food. In my family, however we even relish it with simple dal chawal.
To make this, shallots or pink onion slices are preserved/pickled in salt, sugar and vinegar. After a couple of days of making this, the onions/shallots absorbs the salt, sweet and tang and thus makes up to be a delicious condiment.
How to make pickled onions?
I have a simple, easy and quick recipe to make this at home. Peel half a cup of shallots or slice 2 large onions. In a pan, add together 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp salt. Bring it to a boil. Let it cool down to room temperature and then pour it over the onions/shallots in a jar. Refrigerate it for at least 2 days in an airtight jar for the onions/shallots to absorb the flavours. Enjoy!!!
If you like this Sirka Pyaaz | Pickled Onions recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle.
You may also like –
Marwari Hot Garlic Chutney
Dried Plums Chutney
Sirka Pyaaz | Pickled Onions
Arpita Darooka
This is a perfect accompaniment with the rich Indian food and balances the palatte well with the required acidity.
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 6 minutes mins
Course Condiments, Pickles
Cuisine Global, Indian
- 1/2 Cup Shallots or 2 large onions sliced
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup White vinegar
- 1 Tsp Salt
Peel a cup of shallots or slice 2 large onions.
In a pan, add together 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp salt. Bring it to a boil.
Let it cool down to room temperature and then pour it over the onions/shallots in a jar. Refrigerate it for at least 2 days in an airtight jar for the onions/shallots to absorb the flavours. Enjoy!!!
Keyword condiments, pickled onions, sirka pyaaz
Jun 29, 2021 | Condiments and spices
Dried Plums Chutney
This one is a spicy, sweet and tangy chutney. I have added a few fresh plums along with soaked dried plums (see pic below) to make this delicious chutney. I love my parathas for breakfast and this pairs so well with them.
This works great as tart fillings, for sandwiches, or as I meantioned earlier, with Indian parathas. It works wonders on just a plain toast on a lazy weekend morning. I also use it as dipping sauce for my snacks.
The natural sweetness of soaked dried plums gets balanced with the tart of fresh plums. The magic of flavour is in the Indian spices that is used in making it. This condiment is made with dried plums, fresh plums, Indian five spices, chilli powder, salt, dried mint, and jaggery (optional). At my place, we love this chutney a bit chunky so I don’t blend it every time. I have added the step in the recipe card below if you prefer the chutney smooth than chunky.
If you like this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle.
You may also like –
Marwari Hot Garlic Chutney
Dried Plums Chutney
Arpita Darooka
Guilt free fruit condiment, naturally sweet, tangy and spicy.
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Soaking Time 8 hours hrs
Course chutney, Condiments, Jam
Cuisine Indian
- 1 Cup Dried plums
- 1/4 Cup Fresh plums
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 2-3 Pcs Green chillies Chopped
- 1/2 Tsp Ginger Grated
- 2 Tbsp Dried mint Crushed
- 1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds/jeera
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds/rai
- 1/2 Tsp Nigella seeds/kalonji
- 1/4 Tsp Fennel seeds/saunf
- 1/4 Tsp Fenugreek seeds/methi
- 1/4 Tsp Asafoetida/hing
- 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/2 Tsp Red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp Jaggery powder Optional
- 1 Tsp Lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Basil seeds soaked for 1 hour
- 1 Cup Water
Soak Dried plums overnight in enough water. Next day de-seed the dried plums.
Chop fresh plums, green chillies.
Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida, cumin, mustard, nigella, fennel and fenugreek seeds. Once these crackle, add green chillies and ginger. Sauté for 30 secs.
Add the dried, soaked and de-seeded plums and the fresh plums. Let it cook on low flame until it releases juices and turns soft. Add water and cook for another 5-7 mins. At this stage, if you like smooth chutney instead of chunky, then take it off the flame, cool it a bit and then using an immersion blender, blend it to desired consistency. Take it back to the flame.
Add the powdered spices, dried mint and salt. Mix well.
At this stage taste the mix and add jaggery only if required (dried plums once soaked are sweet enough, I also used sweet fresh plums to avoid additional sweetener).
Cover and cook until it reaches the desired consistency (approx 2-3 mins). Take it off the flame. Add lemon juice and soaked basil seeds.Let it cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Enjoy!!!
Keyword dried fruits chutney, dried plum chutney, Plum chutney, spicy and sweet condiment
