Chicken Khow Suey...Made Healthy

Chicken Khow Suey...Made Healthy

At the outset let me tell you that I replaced the usual Hakka Noodles in Khow Suey with Whole Wheat Noodles. Otherwise I always found Khow Suey a healthy dish with its stir-fried chicken and lots of coconut milk

Ingredients

Chicken – 150 gms

Coconut Milk powder – ¾ cup

Laksa Paste – ¾ cup (adjust according to taste)

Ginger (grated) – 1 inch

Whole Wheat noodles (cooked) – 3/4 cup

Spring onions – 3 stems

Method

Cook the noodles according to instructions on the pack. Drain and keep aside

Cook or microwave the chicken

Cut the spring onion greens and keep aside for topping

Chop the whites and sauté in little oil

Keep aside for topping

Add water to coconut milk powder and make milk

Add 2 heaped tbsp Laksa paste to coconut milk and heat it on low for about 10 mins

Saute the grated ginger in little oil till browned
Add chicken and fry 

Add the remaining Laksa paste and fry well. Keep aside

Serving the Khow Suey

Place the noodles in a bowl

Spoon over the coconut milk

Add chicken and the toppings

Slurp, eat and enjoy this healthy version of Burmese Khow Suey

Health Benefits of Coconut Milk   

According to a study, coconut oil increased levels of good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) without significant increase in levels of bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol

Contains lauric acid which is said to support the immune system

Contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs induce satiety, which eventually prevents overeating

MCTs increase insulin sensitivity.. this leads to better sugar control and promotes weight loss

Promotes health of prostate glands

Has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties

Anti-ageing

Skin glow

Restores dry, damaged hair

Note: You can buy Laksa Paste online or you can find the recipes online. I will post a recipe once I get down to making the paste at home using an authentic recipe.

Prawn and Chicken Layered Biryani

Prawn and Chicken Layered Biryani

This time it was a case of leftover chicken and prawns in the freezer. It was the perfect time to try out this two-layered biryani. I've been wanting prepare this ever since I had eaten it a few years ago. The result is mind-blowing. I don't think I will make plain chicken biryani ever again after this. It will have to be the multi-layered one only.

 This is the easiest possible version of Dum Biryani. Try it! You must if you love good food. And yes, this is not any healthy version. It's what a biryani should be like but I've tried to use as less oil as possible. So there's no oil sticking to your hands. So it's better than eating out but with no compromise on taste!

Rice Layer

Long grained rice – 200 gms

Wash and soak in water for 20 to 30 mins

Heat water and cook rice till just done

Drain and keep aside

Onion Base

Ingredients

Oil – 2 tbsp

Butter – 2 tbsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Baking soda – ¼ tsp

Onions – 4 (medium)

Method

Heat the oil and butter

Add onions and fry

Add salt and baking soda and stir fry till browned

Keep aside

(Baking soda is added for a caramelized effect)

Chicken Layer

Ingredients

Chicken – 250 gms

Fried onions – 3/4 part

Peppercorns - 5

Cloves (Laung) - 3

Cinnamon stick – 1”

Star anise- 1

Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp

Shahi jeera - 1 tsp

Big elaichi (cardamom) - 1

Small elaichi – 1

Salt – 1 tsp

Bay leaf (large) - 1

Haldi – ½ tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tbsp

Curd – ½ cup

Biryani masala (any good brand of your choice or you can make it at home) – 2 tbsp

Method

Heat oil and butter

Add all the whole spices

Fry it and add 3/4^th of the fried onions

Add the biryani masala and fry for a minute

Add chicken pieces and fry

Add curd and mix

Cook for 10 minutes or more till done

Keep aside

Prawn Layer

Ingredients

Prawns (fairly big) - 15 or 20

Fried onions – remaining ¼ part

Tomatoes (medium) – 1

Haldi – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Ghee – ¼ cup

Method

Add the fried onions, tomatoes and haldi to a non-stick pan and mix well

Add little water, cover and cook for 1 minute so that the tomato pieces soften

Add the prawns

Cover and cook for 5 mins

Assemble The Biryani Layers

Soak 1 tsp saffron in ½ cup milk

Take a non-stick pan

Add the chicken layer

Top it with a layer of rice

Add the prawn layer

Top it with another rice layer

Sprinkle saffron milk on the rice

Add melted ghee

Place few mint leaves and cover the pan tightly  

Keep the pan on a tawa

Place the tawa directly on the fire

Let it cook on slow for about 20 minutes depending on the moisture level of the chicken gravy

Serve with sliced onions and curd

Whisky Soda Bread... Mutton Kheema

Spirit Of Diwali

Confession! I'm not a whisky drinker, in fact I hate it. But I love it in my Irish Coffee. And the remaining started going into my baking experiments. I googled recipes to use it up. First I found a recipe for chocolate cake with whisky ganache. Next, I wanted to bake whisky bread. The one I've put done here is a modified one and also a combination of two whisky bread recipes. The best part about using alcohol for fermentation is one doesn't have to knead the dough at all. It's just kind of put together and left to ferment and rise. The dough and the bread doesn't rise much but it's super soft on the inside and crusty on top. And all this with whole wheat bread! What more does one need? So here we go .... 

  
Whisky Soda Bread

Ingredients

Whole Wheat flour – 1 cup

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Butter  (frozen) – 2 tbsp

Buttermilk – ½ cup

Whisky – ½ cup

Method

Mix flour and baking powder well

Add butter  and mix to form crumbly mix

Add baking soda to buttermilk. Let it froth

Add to the flour and mix

Add whisky and form dough

Do not knead too much

Keep in a warm place for about 3 to 4 hours

Shape into any style your want and make designs

Brush with melted butter and bake in an oven preheated at 180 degrees C for about 20 to 25 mins till done

Brush the top with butter again and bake for 5 mins more

Let it cool in the oven

Enjoy this crusty bread hot straight off the oven

Mutton Kheema

Ingredients

Kheema – 250 gms

Onion – 2 large (grated)

Tomato – 1 large (grated)

Coriander leaves – ½ cup

Dill leaves (Suva) – 1 cup (finely chopped)

Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves

Ginger – 1 inch

Green chilies (spicy dark green) – 6

Salt – to taste

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Cumin (Jeera) powder –  ½ tsp

Kasuri methi – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder (haldi) – ½ tsp

Peppercorns – ½ tbsp

Bay leaves (Tej patta) - 2

Oil – ½ cup

Warm water – ½ cup

Add caption

Method

Grind coriander leaves, ginger, garlic and green chilies and salt with half tbsp oil

Apply this paste to the kheema and leave for at least an hour

Heat oil in an iron kadhai

Add bay leaves and peppercorn and sauté for a minute

Add onions and saute till light brown

Add kheema and fry for a few minutes till dry

Add haldi, salt and cumin powder and fry

Add tomatoes and sauté well

Add the dill leaves and mix well

Add water and mix well

Cover and cook till done

Add garam masala and cook covered for further 5 mins

Keep it covered for an hour

Heat it and enjoy it with freshly baked bread, rotis or paranthas

Diwali Eats Healthified

Diwali Eats Healthified

Every Diwali I tell myself that I will not binge on sweets this time. The ones that are sold outside or commonly made in people's homes is everything opposite of what I prescribe in my diet sessions. It's not something I just preach, it's also something that I follow regularly; the occasional cheats are there of course. So I wanted a way out of eating these sugar, ghee, oil and maida loaded goodies. Of course, there's a lot more one can do but given the time constrains I managed to pull off four. 

I chose dates, a natural sweetener... and makhana the superfood for my sweet tooth. For savouries I chose the wholewheat chakli and chickpea sev. A good beginning to low fat and no-sugar festivity.

Dates n Nuts Roll

Ingredients

Dates (deseeded) – 1 cup

Mixed nuts (cut) – ½ cup

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Poppy seeds (Khus khus) – 3 tbsp

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method

Coarse grind the dates in a mixie

Pulse four to five times and then grind

Keep aside

Dry roast the poppy seeds and keep aside

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan and fry the nuts for a couple of minutes till crunchy

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the dates paste in a non-stick pan on low flame with constant stirring

Continue till it becomes soft

Add the nuts, 2 tbsp poppy seeds and cardamom powder

Mix well and keep frying for 2 to 3 mins more till it forms dough like

Switch off the flame

Let it cool for a minute

Moisten your palms with the remaining ghee and knead it like dough and roll out to form a cylinder

Spread the remaining poppy seeds on the counter and roll the cylinder over it

Wrap the cylinder in butter paper or aluminum foil and keep in the frig for at least 4 hours (I had kept it overnight)

Remove and cut into thick slices

Enjoy as a healthy after-meal sweet

Makhana laddoos

Ingredients

Makhana (foxnuts) – 3 cups

Nuts (mixed) – 1 cup

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Jaggery – ¾ cup

Ghee – 2 tbsp  

Method

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a non-stick pan and dry roast makhana for few minutes till crispy

Remove

Heat 1 tsp ghee again and roast the nuts till crispy

Switch off the flame

Cool

Crush ¾ of the makhana and keep aside

Crush the nuts and keep aside  

Melt jaggery in the pan

Add all the ingredients and mix well on slow flame till it comes together

Add the remaining ghee little at a time while mixing

Cool slightly and shape into laddoos

Enjoy as a healthy after-meal sweet

Whole wheat Chakli

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Ginger-Green Chili paste - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Asafetida - ¼ tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Method

Mix all the ingredients

Add oil and mix to form crumbly mix

Add water and makeshift dough

Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for almost 30 mins

Make sure to turn them over after 15 mins

Monitor them well

Let cool in the oven

Lemon Pepper Sev

Ingredients

Besan (chickpea flour) - 1 ½   cup

Rice flour - ¼ cup

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Ajwain - ¼ tsp

Pepper powder - 1 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Asafetida - ¼ tsp

Method

Mix all the ingredients

Add water to form soft dough

Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for almost 30 mins

Make sure to turn them over after 15 mins

Monitor them well

Let cool in the oven

Black Seed Crackers

Ingredients       

Whole wheat flour – 1 cup

Ghee - ¼ cup

Kalonji (Onion seeds0 – 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method

Mix flour, salt, kalonji seeds and ghee in a bowl to form a crumb mix

Make a tight dough by adding little by little water

Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes

Divide the dough and roll out into the desired shapes

Bake in an oven preheated at 180 degrees C for about 20 mins depending on the thickness

Health Benefits of Dates

Rich in fibre; helps to cure constipation

Improves heart health

Contains isoflavones that are known to reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases

helps in weight management

Has beneficial effects on cholesterol levels

Rich source of copper, magnesium, selenium and manganese – all of which are important for bone health

Rich in vitamin K a blood coagulant

Rich in potassium and helps lower blood pressure levels

Energy booster

Rich in vitamin A important for eye health

Contains vitamins C and D that work on skin elasticity and has anti-aging benefits

Rich in iron; promotes blood circulation to the scalp and promotes hair growth

Immune health

Health Benefits of Makhana

Antioxidant rich

Anti-ageing food; helps to prevent grey hair, wrinkles and premature ageing

High in fiber; helps to prevent constipation

Helps the body to flush out wastes and prevent accumulation of toxins

An aphrodisiac – helps in premature ejaculation and improving semen quality. Helps women in overcoming infertility

Low in saturated fats and sodium and high in magnesium and potassium; it helps to control high blood pressure and diabetes

Cures insomnia as it has calming properties

Helps to cure diarrhea and improve appetite

Health Benefits of Chick pea flour

High in fiber - improves blood sugar, lipid and insulin levels

Rich in iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K – all important for bone health

Its high fiber, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B-6 content all support heart health

Contains selenium which prevents inflammation and decreases tumor growth rates

Promotes satiety and decreases risk of obesity

Gluten free

  Health Benefits of Onion Seeds

Helps to in regulate blood sugar

Antioxidant rich

May lower cholesterol levels

Alleviates iInflammation

Could help protect the liver

May prevent stomach ulcers

Indo Chinese Chicken Fried Rice,,,Prawns in Pepper Garlic Sauce

Less-Guilty Chinese Meal

What do yo do when you are dying for a change of taste and have raw chicken, prawns and leftover cooked brown rice? And I forgot to add, all those sauces that I want to finish so I can get a fresh stock!! Had it not been for those sauces nudging me, I would have made a two-layered biryani with prawns forming the upper layer. So Chinese it had to be. I did not want the typical oily fried rice. So the Indo-Chinese Rice seemed an excellent option. Although the original recipe has roasted cashewnuts and raisins. I avoided the nuts to reduce the calories. And raisins only go into my desserts, at the most I don't mind it in my vegetable biryani.

Prawns had to be the pepper garlic variety - my all-time favourite. So here I go. And yes, feel free to add a bit of your favourite sauces or up the garlic, ginger or spice quotient.  So here I go!

Note: However healthy we may try to be by using brown rice instead of white, less oil and stuff, I want to stress on the point that this Indo-Chinese is still not a healthy meal. I have it probably once in two months or so. The bottled sauces are defintely a no-no for regular meals. I like my Indian cooking where I make my masala fresh and grind the spices. This was my cheat meal of the week!

Indo Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients

Chicken (boneless) - 250 gms

Spring onion – 1 bunch (medium)

Capsicum – 2 (medium)

Carrot (chopped) – ½ cup

Garlic (crushed) – 1 tbsp

Ginger (grated) – 1 tbsp

Soya sauce – 1 tsp

Chili tomato sauce – 1 tbsp

Brown rice (cooked) – 1 ½ cups

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste       

Oil – 2 tbsp

Method

Cut chicken into small cubes. Add salt and pepper and little water and cook it

Dice whites of the onions and capsicum into small pieces

Slice carrots into thin pieces

Heat 1 tbsp oil

Sauté ginger for a minute

Add onion, capsicum, garlic paste and salt

Sauté till the mixture becomes soft

Add carrots and mix well

Keep it aside

Heat 1 tbsp oil

Add the cooked chicken along with the stock and the sauces

Sauté it for about 5 minutes

Add rice and mix well

Cover it for 5 minutes for the flavors to blend well

Add the sautéed veggies and the greens of the spring onions

Prawns in Pepper Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

Prawns - 200 medium (steamed)

Spring Onions - 2 stalks

Garlic (sliced finely) - 10 flakes

Soya sauce - 1 tsp

Pepper sauce - 2 tbsp

Peppercorn (crushed) - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

Microwave the prawns for 10 seconds

Heat the oil

Add garlic and sauté

Add onion whites and stir fry

Add the onion greens, sauces and peppercorn

Sauté for 1 minute

Add the lobsters and mix slowly 

Health Benefits of Prawns

Rich in protein, omega-3, vitamins A and E, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus

Has low fat content

High level of zinc - improves immunity

Contains copper, phosphorus, and magnesium – promotes bone health

Anti-oxidants - improves skin health

Anti-ageing - prevents formation of wrinkles, fine lines and crow’s feet

Protects skin against harmful UV rays

Boosts collagen 

Health Benefits of Brown Rice

Helps in weight management

Anti-diabetic

Anti-inflammatory properties

Gluten free

Promotes heart health

Energy booster