Healthy living

Guys, spring is here!!! Even though it does not feel like spring at times...But not to despair!! It will get warm soon enough! We have to now get our bodies ready for summer!! We are always on the look out for healthy snacks: snacks that are not processed, low in calories and replenishes & rejuvenates the body. One such snack is Guacamole. Made out of ripe avocados, they are filling,nutritious  and flavorful and cooling! Avocados are known as butter fruit in India.  There are many versions of guacamole. Some make it chunky, some smooth, some add tomatoes and garlic while others don't. I have the good fortune of working with quite a few Hispanics and therefore learn authentic Hispanic dishes. This particular version of guacamole comes from a coworker of mine. I first tasted her guacamole at a workplace event that we had and the foodie in me was impressed to say the least. I loved the freshness of the guacamole and that there was no overpowering taste of one single ingredien...

Have you ever thought of making idlis using cornmeal? Yes, it is possible and is absolutely delicious! It is especially useful if you have not soaked your lentils for regular idlis and want to make idlis next day for breakfast. These idlis can also be made instantaneously without any fermentation! How cool is that?? You can make it with or without adding any vegetables into it. I like to add some peas and carrots into the batter . Some people also use chopped green chillies and grated ginger. I don't like that in my idlis. I would rather pair it with a spicy chutney. Also, I want my kids to eat this and they don't like it if there are chillies in it. This is a easy recipe wherein there is no grinding involved. Yogurt/curd is used to make the batter. A pinch of baking soda is added. The batter is allowed to ferment for 2-3 hours. I like to make mine at night and leave it on the countertop, ready to be steamed in the morning. If you want to make it instantaneously, use eno fruit ...

My household likes eggs in any form: scrambled, boiled, omelette.. You name it. We love the curried version: jhatpat egg curry, tangy egg curry, egg chilli.  At times, I make the Curry with the Mangalorean style sauce which I usually reserve for fish or chicken as I often feel that I don't have to labor that hard to cook eggs. Today was one of those days when I craved for the Mangalorean style sauce. Traditionally this is made with freshly grated coconut. I have made this using coconut milk. You can use whichever method is convenient for you based on availability of ingredients. Servings : 4-6 Prep time: 15-20 mins Cook time: 15-20 mins Total time: 30-40 mins Ingredients: Boiled eggs: 6 Coriander seeds: 2 tsp Cumin seeds ( jeers): 1 tsp Red chillies: 4-6 medium Methi seeds( fenugreek): 4-6 seeds Black pepper corns: 1/2 tsp Tamarind: marble sized ( if using tamarind concentrate, use 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp Onion: 2 medium-sized, chopped Garlic:  3-4 cloves Coconut oil:...