Yoghurt based recipes - Raitas

Raita:

Raita is  basically a preparation using curd or yoghurt . It is easy to make, very nutritious, versatile and goes well with rice varieties like pulav as well as with paratha or chappathi. You can prepare different types of raitas using a variety of vegetables and fruits.

You can  try variations. For example, you can spice the raita with chilli powder and roasted cumin powder. You can use chopped green chillies also. It will be fun to experiment with different combinations and decide what suits you best.

Onion tomato raita :

This is one of the easy raitas to make. To make this you will need:

Plain yoghurt or curd  -  2 cups
Finely chopped onions and tomatoes -  3/4 cup
Finely chopped coriander leaves -  1 tbsp.
Chopped green chillies -  1 or 2 depending upon how spicy they are.
Salt  - 1/4 tsp ( adjust according to your taste)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1tsp.

Take the yoghurt in a bowl and whisk it till smooth. Add the chopped tomatoes, onions, coriander leaves and salt and mix well.
Heat oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add the chopped green chillies and fry a little. Add it to the yoghurt  mixture and mix well. Serve the yoghurt cold with rice or chappathis.

Spinach raita :

To make spinach raita, you will need:

Plain yoghurt -   2 cups
Finely chopped blanched spinach leaves - 1/2 cup
( the spinach leaves should be washed and then blanched by immersing them in boiling water for about 20 seconds and immediately plunging them in cold water. This will soften the leaves and at the same time the green color will be retained. Squeeze out the leaves and then chop them fine.)
Finely chopped green chilly - 1
Salt  - to taste
Freshly ground pepper  - 1/2 tsp.

 Mix all the ingredients with the well beaten yoghurt along with pinch or two of sugar. Serve chilled.

Cucumber raita:

A 'cool' raita ideal during summer. To make this you will need:

Plain yoghurt - 2 cups
Finely chopped cucumber pieces - 3/4 cup ( I prefer chopping the cucumber fine as grating will make it mushy)
Chopped coriander leaves  - 1/2 tsp.
Salt - 1/2 tsp ( more or less as per taste)
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp.
Roasted cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.

Mix all the ingredients with well beaten yoghurt and serve chilled.

Yoghurt based recipes - Lassi

As I said earlier, yoghurt  has several health benefits and it is very easy to incorporate it into your daily diet. It can be used to make smoothies, raitas, lassi, buttermilk and so on.

Lassi : 

 Lassi is a drink  made with yoghurt and it is  refreshing and cooling especially in summer. It is also a very welcome drink after a spicy meal .

 A simple sweet lassi is made by blending together plain yoghurt, sugar and ice cubes to a pouring consistency and serving it chilled. There are so many variations which we can introduce by choosing ingredients that are suitable.

Mango Lassi:

To make mango lassi you will need:

Sweet fibreless mango peeled and cut into pieces    -2 cups

Natural yoghurt   or curd                                     -  2cups

Rose water   ( optional)                                     -   1tsp.

or Cardamom powder (optional)                         -    1 pinch

Sugar                                                                -    1 tbsp ( more or less depending on the sweetness of the                                                                                                                                      mango)


 Blend together the mango pieces and sugar in a blender, then add the yoghurt and rosewater. Blend again to get a smooth consistency. If you want it thinner you can either add some milk or water while blending. Serve chilled. You can garnish it with a few small pieces of mango if you wish.

Papaya Lassi :

Papaya is well known for it's health benefits. Click on the following link to read more about it.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47

Papaya lassi can be made exactly the same way as mango lassi. In the above recipe substitute papaya for mango. Make sure that you remove the papaya skin properly, even a small piece of it can make your lassi bitter!  You can also try honey instead of sugar. 

Mint paratha

To make mint parathas you will need:
1. 1 cup  wheat flour
2. 1/2 cup besan ( bengal gram flour)
3. 2 tbsp. curd or plain yogurt
4. 1 cup chopped mint leaves
5.1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
6. 1 or 2 green chillies finely chopped
7. 1/2 tsp.cumin seeds
8.  1/2 tsp salt or according to taste
9. 2 tsps.sunflower or any vegetable oil.

   Mix all the above in a bowl and make a dough adding small amounts of water. Keep the dough covered for a couple of hours. Knead it well and divide  into lemon sized balls. Roll each ball into a round  and  if you wish, fold it in four  and then  roll it again to make a round paratha. By doing this , you will get a softer paratha.Otherwise, you can just roll each ball into a round paratha. Heat a pan or tawa , smear it with some oil and put the rolled paratha on it. Turn it over and cook both sides till brown spots appear. You can add some drops of oil on both sides as you cook it.
Serve hot with dal , raita or simply with curd and pickle.

Yoghurt - the wonder food

Yoghurt or 'Curd' as we call it, is an integral part of an Indian diet. No meal is complete without having some form of yoghurt like curd, raita, lassi or buttermilk.
The health benefits of yoghurt are well known. Yoghurt contains plenty of useful bateria which promotes digestion and colon health. It is also a very good source of calcium and vitamin D essential for healthy bones and teeth and for prevention of osteoporosis. It is  used as a natural skin care product to get a soft and glowing skin. Yoghurt is an ideal milk substitute for those who are lactose intolerant because bacterial fermentation of milk during yoghurt making converts the lactose into lactc acid.
 If you are buying yoghurt off the shelf, look for those containing 'live cultures' or 'active cultures' of the useful bacteria.  Many commercial brands are heat treated after the fermentation process to increase shelf life and this kills the useful bacteria in them. They are made from 'live cultures' no doubt, but they don't contain them anymore and therefore do not have the benefits of natural yoghurt.
 It is very easy to make natural yoghurt at home in a tropical country because of the warm temperatures. Even in colder places it is possible to make yoghurt  by keeping the culture in a warm place to set.

Making yoghurt at home:

It is  a simple process that  does not require any fancy equipment or ingredients. First, boil the milk(say 4 cups) and then cool it to around 35 to 40 degrees C. This means that the milk should be very slighltly warm or tepid. Add 1 tbsp.of plain  yoghurt ( having live culture bacteria) which you may have at home..This is important because it  introduces the fermenting bacteria into the milk. You can also use a 'starter culture' available in the market to begin with. Mix well and then close the vessel and leave it in a warm place for 6 to 8 hrs without disturbing or shaking it. Your yoghurt will be ready by then. In summer you don't have to look for a warm place. Leaving it in a normal place will be enough. But in winter, you will have to keep the vessel in a warm place like in front of a room heater or  in a "turned off" oven which is warm. Once set, you can store the yoghurt in the refrigerator, left outside it will turn sour very soon. If you use whole milk you will get thick set yoghurt. You can also use semi skimmed milk for lighter yoghurt.

Yoghurt is so versatile that you can use it in so many different ways.

Quiz on healthy eating

 I came across this quiz on healthy eating which tells you how healthy your eating habits are.  Why don't you try it?
Click on this link:


http://healthyeatingquiz.com.au/

Lady's finger in yoghurt

 
   This is a very easy to make recipe using yoghurt or curd.This preparation is called 'Vendakkai Thayir pachadi' in Tamil  .The North India version is called 'Bhindi Raita'.

To make this you will need :

Lady's fingers chopped into thin slices   -    1 cup

Plain yoghurt or curd                            -     1 cup
( should not be sour)

Grated coconut                                    -      1 tbsp.

Green chillies                                        -     1 or 2

Mustard seeds                                       -    1 tsp.

Oil                                                         -    1 tbsp.

Salt                                                       -     1/2 tsp. or according to taste



  Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped lady's finger. On medium heat cook ,stirring often . Add salt and continue to cook till the pieces are brown. Remove and keep it aside on a paper towel to remove excess oil, if there is.
 Take the yoghurt in a bowl, beat it to make smooth, do not add any water. Add a pinch or two of salt and keep it aside. Grind the coconut ,green chillies and 1/2 tsp. mustard into a smooth paste and mix this paste with the yoghurt.  Heat the remaining mustard seeds in a little bit of oil, let them splutter and add to the yoghurt. Add the lady's finger pieces ( just before serving ) and mix well.

Note: If you add the lady's finger to the yoghurt just before serving, the pieces will remain crunchy and taste better.


RAITA :

  This is easier than the South Indian version. Skip the coconut and just add finely chopped green chillies to the beaten yoghurt along with salt. Rest of the recipe remains the same.

Lady's Finger stir fry with onions and tomatoes

                         
Another easy to prepare dish with okra . The addition of garlic,onions and tomatoes gives it a different flavour making it a suitable side dish for rotis and naans. To make this you will need:


Lady's fingers (okra) cut into small pieces
 of around 1/2 inch thickness                           -   2 cups
Onions chopped                                             -  1 cup
Garlic  chopped                                              -   3 to 4 cloves
Tomtoes (ripe but firm) chopped
into small pieces                                              -   2
Chilli powder                                                  -  1/2 tsp to 1 tsp
Jeera powder (cumin powder)                         -   1 tsp.
Dhania powder( coriander powder)                 -   1 tsp.
Turmeric powder                                            -   1/2 tsp.
Salt                                                                 -  1 tsp.
Cumin seeds                                                   -   1 tsp.
Oil                                                                  -   1tbsp.

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed or non stick pan. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute or  till they turn brownish. Now add the chopped garlic and onion and fry till they become transluscent, no need to brown them. Add the ladies finger, stir for a while, reduce the heat, cover and cook for a few minutes. Remove the lid, add turmeric powder and salt and continue to cook without the lid , stirring in between to ensure even cooking. Now add the chilli, cumin and coriander powders ,stir and let it cook for a few more minutes. The okra pieces will be soft and greenish brown. The tomato pieces should be added last . Switch off the stove, when the tomtoes are soft ,but not mushy. Serve hot with rice, naan bread or rotis.




                                                           

                                                          

Lady's finger ( Vendakkai in Tamil ) fry

Lady's finger or Okra can be cooked in many ways. One easy method is to lightly fry them.

For Okra fry you will need :

Ladies finger cut into small pieces (1/2 inch thickness) -  2 cups
Mustard seeds   -   1/2 tsp.
Split urad dal      -  1 tsp.
Oil                     -   1 tbsp.
Salt                    -   1/2 tsp or as per taste
Turmeric powder -  1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder & Coriander powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp.each.


Heat the oil in a thick bottomed  pan and first add the mustard seeds. When it starts spluttering add the urad dal and fry till the dal turns light brown. Add the ladies finger pieces and stir so that they get evenly coated with oil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for a few mns., stirring a couple of times in between. Now, sprinkle the salt and turneric powder and continue cooking without covering.( If you are using chilli powder and coriander powder add them also.) Cooking on medium heat , stirring in between which is necessary to ensure that the pieces turn brown evenly.  This type of preparation tastes best with rice.

Okra or Lady's Finger - power house of nutrients.

Okra or Lady's fingers is a vegetable which has several health benefits. It is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This vegetable helps in reducing blood sugar level and cholesterol. The mucilage content in this eases constipation and promotes colon health. Being high in folates ( one of the vitamin Bs), it is recommended during pregnancy. Regular intake of this vegetable is good for increasing the bone density also.

But many people dislike this vegetable, because of it 's mucilage content which makes it slimy if not cooked properly. This is one of those vegetables not suitable for boiling, but tastes awesome if lightly fried .

It is also very imortant to wash the vegetable and wipe dry before cutting.



                         

Home made Chocolate Fudge

This is a very easy recipe to make fudge if you have a sweet tooth. You will need:


Plain flour  -  1cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder  - 2 tablespoons
Milk powder (optional)          - 2 tablespoons
Crushed or flaked almonds     - 1/4 cup
Sugar                                    -  1 cup
Water                                   -  1/2 cup
Butter or Ghee                      -  1 tablespoon


Keep a thick bottomed saucepan on medium heat, add the butter or ghee and then add the flour. Stir continuously for about 4 to 5 minutes to remove the raw smell. Take it off the heat, transfer to a plate and let it cool.. Add the cocoa powder, milk powder and almonds to the flour and keep it aside. Grease a tray and keep it ready. Now add the sugar and water to the saucepan ( I prefer to use a non stick type) and heat on a medium flame to make sugar syrup. This is the most imporatant step becuase the consistency of the syrup will decide how the fudge will be. Keep stirring the syrup till it reaches a 'one string' consitency - when you test a drop between the thumb and forefinger it will form a thin string and be sticky .This will take around 5 minutes on medium heat. Take it off the heat, immediately add the flour mixture and keep on stirring till the whole mixture forms one mass. Transfer it to the greased tray, flatten it and allow it to cool. Take a greased sharp knife and cut it into squares while it is cooling. Separate the pieces once it is cooled.

Note: If the sugar syrup is too thin, the fudge will not set. If it is beyond 'one string consistency'  the fudge will be hard and brittle. Well , all that is needed is a couple of practice sessions to make you confident!

Easy Avocado dessert

 The health benefits of Avocado is well known. I have talked about the amazing fruit earlier in this blog. Here is an easy to make recipe using Avacados:

You will need:

Ripe avocados          -  3
Sugar                        - 2 to 3 tsp. ( more or less according to taste)
Milk powser             - 2 table spoons
Vaniila essence         -  A few drops


   Scoop the flesh from the fruits into the jar of a blender . Add the milk powder, sugar and vanilla essence.  Blend together for a minute  till you get  smooth consistency. Scoop into individual bowls, chill thoroughly  and serve! Enjoy the nutrtious and easy dessert!

Back again....

Coming back to my blog after a long long time. I do not want to come up with excuses, but I want to make sure that I will reactivate my blog with full vigour. So, here we go.....