Chilly Chinese Idli

Chilly Chinese Idli


This gorgeous dish is my version of stir fry idli and I would like to call it *Chilly Chinese Idli *. 

I had par boiled some green moong dal for a salad but then I didn't feel like it so instead thought to make idli's out of it in Chinese style using just 1 tbsp ghee and it has come out really well. 

I was tired of eating poha, oats, cornflakes for breakfast so thought to try something yum but healthy and what is better than to temper your idli's with flavours unknown.


Idli's are quite soft and fluffy hence they easily absorbed the flavor of sauces used.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time:10 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients :

1 cup over night soaked par boiled Green Moong dal

1/2 cup Sooji

1/2 cup Curd

1/4 cup water

1 tsp ENO fruit salt

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp salt

7-8 curry leaves

1 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp Heeng 

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp red chilly sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 onion

1 capsicum

1 medium tomato

Method :

1) Churn the soaked dal to a thick paste. Add 2 tbsp water for the consistency.

2) Add sooji, curd, heeng, paprika powder, salt in it and transfer the mix into the greased idli maker for about 2 minutes in the microwave.

3) Cut the Idli's into 4 parts each and keep it aside.

4) On medium flame add ghee and temper it with mustard seeds, curry leaves and onions till golden brown.

5) Add Capsicum, tomatoes to it and toss it for 30 seconds. Add all the sauces and give it a good mix.

6) Add the idli's to the mix and let the vegetable mix cove the idli;s . Sprinkle some ketchup and serve it hot .

Keep cooking, Keep loving :)

Grilled pesto paneer with smokey mushroom & cherry tomatoes

Grilled pesto paneer with smokey mushroom & cherry tomatoes


This is what my brunch looked like today and I swear I licked my plate clean.

I made grilled pesto paneer with smokey mushroom in sweet chilli sauce and pan grilled cherry tomatoes with basil on side . 

I made sweet chilli sauce yesterday and was thinking how would it taste with mushrooms so tried it and it turned out so well. 

The sauce infused Mushrooms with pungent smokey flavour and a sweet tangy after taste while grilled garlic tomatoes did actually melt in my mouth. I just couldn't stop after a bite and finished it all under 2 minutes .

The entire combination of raw pesto paneer along with tomatoes and mushroom was such a Success. A perfect mix of salt sweet sour - S3 or rather S cube. 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time:15 minutes

Serves: 1

Ingredients :

100 grams Cottage cheese or Paneer
3 tbsp homemade Pesto sauce (you can find the recipe in the archives)
2 tbsp minced Garlic
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 cup of white mushrooms
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
few chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp black pepper 
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil / Butter
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilly plum sauce

Method :

For Paneer :
1) Chop the cottage cheese into 2 slices of medium depth. 
2) Sprinkle some salt and black pepper on it on both the sides. 
3) Add olive oil on a low flame and place the cottage cheese cubes. If you have  grill pan then use that for grilling paneer.
4) cove the lid for 5 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Keep checking. Turn off the flame once they Turn brown.

For Sweet Chilly mushrooms:
1) Chop the mushrooms into four parts.
2) On medium flame, 1 tbsp add olive oil and 1 tbsp minced garlic and onion to it. Fry till light brown.
3) Add 1 tbsp soya sauce,1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sweet chilly plum sauce to the mix and stir well. (If you don't have sweet chilly sauce , you can avoid it too. instead add 1 tbsp honey for that sassy flavour)
4) Add mushrooms to it, mix well and cove the lid for 3-4 minutes.
5) When you see the mushrooms have turned half the size and cooked then turn off the lid. 

For Basil cherry tomatoes :
1) Add olive oil in a pan on medium flame and throw in minced garlic.
2) Add cherry tomatoes to it and sprinkle black pepper an salt to it.
3) cover it with the lid for about 5-7 minutes. Keep checking in between.
4) Add fresh basil leaves to it and give it a good stir. 

Serving :

Add pesto sauce on the side and place the grilled cottage cheese carefully on top. cover the cottage cheese with another layer of pesto sauce. give it 30 seconds to absorb the flavour. Add mushrooms and cherry tomatoes on side. 

Serve it hot with either a toast or garlic bread.

Keep cooking, Keep loving :)

Sweet chilly plum sauce

Sweet chilly Plum sauce

I am so happy with my latest food experiment. It's sweet, slightly spicy and tangy to the right amount of thickness and without pectin / any preservative.

I bought a pack of plum for B, and after taking a bite of the fruit he kept it away saying it's too sour.
So in popped an 💡 idea !!!

I thought to try something out of it and well, this just turned out so amazing. I even used this to sauté my mushrooms . And B, ate this with his paratha and was super happy since he hates Jam or any kind of pickle/chutney. 

This could be used as a spread in a sub sandwich or on a toast or used to sauté vegetables . 

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Serves: 1Jar

Ingredients :

4 ripe plum (sweet / sour)
4 tsp Red chilly flakes
1 cup of Sugar
1 Jar of 100 grams

Method :

1) Cut 4 plums In a bowl and add 1 cup of sugar to it. Stir plums until all are coated with sugar.  Let it sit for about an hour.
2)  Pour the mix in a pan and add 4 tsp chilly flakes on a medium heat . 
3) Bring it to boil uncovered, stirring occasionally. Boil until the mixture is bubbling uniformly.
4) Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn the flame off. Make sure it is boiling all over then switch off the flame to keep it cool at room temperature.
5) do the step 4 atleast 4 times . Last time boil at lower temperature , stir it frequently to avoid sticking up and then pour it in the sterilised jar and cover the lid. 

Sterilising your jar :

Start by washing your jars in warm water and soap with their lids. Let them dry in the oven at 200'C for about 10-15 minutes until completely dry.

Filling your Sauce :

1) Transfer your boiling Hot sauce / jam into the Jar using heat proof gloves leaves 1 inch of space.
2) Screw the lid enough to keep a tight seal but don't over tight them since air bubbles need to be able to escape .
3) Put the jar into boiling water with 2 inch submerged in it for 5-10 minutes after tightening the lids to preserve the shelf life and kill any potential bacteria.
4) take it out and turn it upside down and let it cool.

Keep cooking, Keep loving :)

Tomato basil olive bruschetta

Tomato basil olive bruschetta


*Tomato basil olive bruschetta with mozzarella cheese shredding's * along with my chilled tangerine 🍊 fruit infused detox drink 🍹 is the menu for today's evening and B licked the serving tray clean .

Never have I seen him so happy with the food the way he was today. He says and I quote " today is my birthday or what ?" 
I said no- but it's the start of your birthday month so surprise surprise 💕 .

My fridge is always stocked with Homemade Pesto so I thought to use it to make the most loved Italian appetiser .

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time:5 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients :

1 loaf of garlic bread (home baked or store bought )
4 tbsp Pesto sauce
1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped Fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup black olives
50 grams Mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp salt

Method :

1) slice the bread and toast it in the toaster. OR toast it in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.
2) Put a generous slice of pesto on the toast.
3) Add chopped tomatoes, basil and olives to it.
4)Sprinkle black pepper and salt on the toasts.
5) Sprinkle few shredded mozzarella on top and serve it cold.

P.S - If you want to melt the cheese then you could heat it in oven or on convection mode in microwave for about 5 minutes at high temperature.

Keep cooking, Keep loving :)

Keeping greens Fresh

Keeping Greens Fresh

I have always been asked this question by friends and family that how do I manage to keep my mint and coriander leaves fresh and green🌱🍃

Well, to be honest I always had trouble with keeping them from drying out and turning into black or brown colour . 

They dry out so fast that I end up throwing them and wasting so much money all the time. 

So i called up my grand mom and asked her for advice. She said make green chutney and use it as a substitute .

Well, that doesn't solve my purpose so I experimented with something and managed to make them last for more than a week.

I bought a set of 2 kulhaḍ's from Pondicherry and filled each of then with water then placed the stem of coriander and mint leaves into that like a flower bouquet and Covered it with a plastic bag which had few holes in it so the leaves get oxygen as well along with good amount of water and moisture .

They are all green and fresh and I have been chopping of some using my kitchen scissors for garnishing 🌿

Zucchini Mushroom lasagne

Zucchini Mushroom lasagne

 *Zucchini Mushroom lasagne *

This is 💯 % #keto . 
#ketorecipes are a prefect way to lose weight and get ready for the wedding season !

We are always thinking of ways to reduce carbs content from our food and well what better way than to substitute it with vegetables!

It is so yum that you wont even miss cheese or pasta layer.
Butter is a good form of fat and has negligible amount of lactose so its okay to use in your dishes !

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time:30 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients :

1 zucchini 
1 packet of Mushrooms
1 cup sliced red pepper 
1 diced White onion or red 
2 big ripe tomato diced 
2-3 minced garlic Clove
1 tsp dried Rosemary 
1 tsp chili flakes 
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp salt 
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika or kashmiri mirch
1 cup olive oil 
1/2 cup butter 
1 tbsp sugar 
1 egg
1 slice of multigrain bread crushed into powder form
1 tbsp milk 
1/2 cup water

Method :

Put a pan on medium flame and add 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, onions, mushrooms and red pepper to it. 

Add sugar and keep stirring it until slight golden brown. 

Add tomatoes and black pepper powder and cover it. 

Add 1/2 cup of water to it. Keep stirring it occasionally until its cooked and the water is dried.

Add salt and 2 tbsp butter. 
Slice zucchini and squash vertically into long strips like bacon. 

In a bowl add strips, 2 tbsp olive oil, paprika,oregano, salt and pepper. Mix it slowly.
Line the baking tray with butter and spread the salsa mix evenly. Place all the zucchini squash strips evenly layer by layer.

Since we are not using cheese but we want to have that crispy texture so sprinkle some butter and then put hand crushed bread crumbs on top. 
Hand press it evenly and then cook it on 200'C for 30 minutes .
After 10 minutes take the dish out and add the mix of egg, milk, salt and 1 tsp butter on top. Let it bake for that super crispy crust !

Serve hot and try to avoid bread with it because bread is high in carbs and well you have already had your share of that in the form of sprinklers.

Keep Cooking, Keep loving:)

Creamy Pumpkin Basil soup

Creamy Pumpkin Basil soup  

I made Delicious Creamy Pumpkin soup for my Sister when she was Visiting me last week. She keeps complaining about how I cook all this food for B and she can't have anything because she lives faraway.  

So now that she is here on a vacation, I told her that I will do my healthy super foods for you that you otherwise hate but would gulp it all down, without a single frown.

I am trying to swap my dinner of chapati, dal etc with soups and colourful salads to give my body more of vitamins and minerals and less of carbs.

This is a good #keto recipe. 

Macros :

Fat- 8 g

Carbs-10 g
Protein- 2 g

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time:10 minutes

Serves : 2-3 Bowls

Ingredients :

200 g Yellow pumpkin

1 medium size white onion ( Red onion is also okay )

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp Cream

1 tsp fresh parsley

2 cups of water

Method :

1) In a bowl add pumpkin, white onion, garlic cloves and olive oil with sea salt. Mix it and bake it for about 20 minutes at 170'C.

2) Take a Boiling pan and bring to boil 2 cups of water. Once boiled , add the crushed baked vegetables along with black pepper, fresh parsley and basil leaves.

3) Bring it to boil and switch off the flame. 

4) Blend the mixture using a hand blender and bring it to boil again . 

5) Add cream, salt and lemon juice to the mix.

6) Drop in a  tbsp of Butter if you like and serve hot with a toast or sip it just like that.

7) For added flavour you could also garnish soup with fried garlic and fried onions.

P.S - 

If you don't have a microwave or oven then don't worry. 

Boil pumpkin pieces till 1 whistle. 

In a pan, add butter, chopped garlic, chopped onion and stop it till golden brown. 

Then add the pumpkin to it and fry till slight golden. 

Add water, herbs and bring it to boil. Later using hand blender churn it and boil once before serving. 

Serve with a tbsp of cream or butter.

Cream is a good fat so there is no harm in taking that once a while.

Keep cooking, keep loving :)