Baked methi pare

• I love to bake since it’s easy and you don’t need to stand near stove.  Have seen lots of recipes for baked pare. Finally i gave it a try too.
• It tasted like khakhara. So if you love your fried pare, this is not  a replacement. But it still taste good and makes a good home-made snack with tea.
• Here’s what i did: I took half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. Added some turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and kasoori methi. Add oil and made dough like paratha.
• Roll and cut into whatever shape you like. I tried to keep little bigger so less work when the time comes to turn them in oven.
• Bake in oven at 350 F . TIme varies so figure your own. Turn them half way.
• I was wondering if it will stay soft but nope it turned out crispy.
• Enjoy your tea and pare !

Buttery butternut squash

• Butternut squash is another wonderful fall vegetable and very versatile. It’s sweet just like sweet potatoes.
• I made a simple curry with some mustard, cumin seeds seasoning and dry spices. And sprinkled little coconut on the top .
• You can also add some yogurt to it and make sweet sour curry.
• I also made some halwa with it. Follow your own carrot halwa recipe but use shredded butternut squash. Makes nice buttery halwa.
• Or find your own recipe to use this sweet buttery squash. You won’t be disappointed.
• Do i need to really spell  out all wonderful benefits of having this in diet?
• Go google….Enjoy !

Acorn squash curry

 

• Nature provides everything we need all the time. In  Fall, there are plenty of pumpkins, squashes which has right things to help us go thro’ season change without any problem. If we just follow nature…
• All winter squashes are hard from outside and hence are hard to peel. Baking is a good option but it takes time.
• I found this easy way to cook them. I cut acorn squash into just 2 halves and then pressure cooked.
• I was hoping to have some pieces but it all became mushy.  Guess i cooked too much. Well, no problem.
• Seasoned with some mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Added only dry spice powders.
• Also added some corn so there’s something to chew in curry.
• Acorn squash has very mild flavour, little sweet and creamy.
• You can use puree in different ways. Be creative…i have plenty of ideas what all i can do with it now.
• Cook fresh whatever way you like but do include it in your diet this Fall.
• Remember “Fresh”. 

Pinto bean soup with seaweed

• I cooked some pinto beans to make mexican and so had cooking water left.  Cooking water is full of nutrition so how can i throw it away? Is cooking water even right word?  You know what am talking abt. That’s all matters.
• I am lazy so  soup has to be quick without fuss. Crack some mustard seeds, cumin seeds in little oil and pour your nutrition rich pinto water in it.
• Now let your imagination guide you and add whatever you fancy.
• I added some  fresh grated ginger, rasam powder, curry leaves.
• Also since it’s fall, we need something that will help with drying fall weather. So i added few seaweed. I have a pkg of seaweed which is basically dried seaweeds and once you add it to water, they will hydrate again.
• Seaweeds are salty so adjust salt after adding them. May be you won’t even need extra salt.
• You know how our present actions decide our future. Same way how we treat our body will decide our health in the future.
• Hot soup in cold weather. What more do  you need at this moment?
• Enjoy  Fall !

 

Breaking navratri fast

• Tonight, i broke my fast. I wasn’t hungry or craving, but felt i was done and after this point, there’s not gonna be any benefit.
• I was debating between khichadi and mung bean soup and finally ended up with mung bean soup.
• Mung bean soup is detoxifying so thought would be good to give 1 last boost to fast.
• Also microwaved some broccoli with little water. Sprinkled little salt. Wanted to add some fiber to meal hence broccoli .
• It was a perfect meal and food tasted so good. Taste buds are sharper after fast.
• Neither broccoli nor mung bean soup tasted this good before. 🙂
• Mung dal khichadi with lots of vegetables will be a good option to break fast too in my opinion.