Monica's Archives

Hing or Asafoetida has many medicinal uses. The most common problems of the stomach like gas, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, intestinal worm infection, and flatulence can all be treated with this magical ingredient. It has both anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties that help in alleviating these kinds of health issues. Today, I am giving you the recipe of Hing ka Achaar (Asafoetida pickle) which you can take along with your meals and can enjoy its benefits. It is a spicy, sour, and tasty pickle. Ingredients: Kaccha aam (raw mango)                 - 1.5 kg (cut in thin small pieces) Salt                                                   ...

Bhindi(Ladyfinger) is a vegetable that is mostly eaten in summers. To add a crunch to the vegetable, we can make bhindi pakoras which are crispy from outside and soft from inside. These delicious pakoras are mostly taken with dal chawal (rice and lentil). Ingredients: Bhindi (Ladyfinger)                                  - 250gms Grated paneer (cottage cheese)          - 100 gms Besan (gram flour)                                      - ½ cup Soda bicarb                             ...

Ingrdients for salad: Macroni                 - ¾ cup Peanuts                   - 2 tablespoons Oil                           -   ¼ spoon Green capsicum     – 1-2 spoon Yellow capsicum – 1-2 spoon Red capsicum          -1-2 spoon Cucumber                 - ½ ( cut into semicircles) Ingredients for dressing : Olive oil                    - ¼ cup White vinegar      - 1 tablespoon Lemon juice         -   2 spoon Onion       ...

Once I visited one of my friends for lunch. I enjoyed the lunch, as she had made many delicious dishes but masala Mirchi was outstanding. I took the recipe from her and have made it many times. If you love to have spice and crunch in your food, then this recipe is for you. It is a very easy and quick recipe that can be taken as a side dish. It goes well as a condiment with simple Indian meals like dal-rice, curd-rice, vegetable pulao and even with roti-sabzi. I used to even have them with pakoras. It also goes well with stuffed parathas or plain parathas. Ingredients: Green pickle chilies – 200gm Amchur powder (Dry mango powder) Red chili powder Saunf (fennel seeds) Heeng ( asafetida) Salt Mustard oil Method: ·          Wash the chilies and wipe them using a cotton cloth. ·          Make a slit in the center of each chili using a knife. ·  ...

Today, we will be making Badam sharbat with black pepper which is in concentrated form and can be refrigerated for up to a month. It has numerous benefits. Almonds are very beneficial in the following: ·          Health building gives strength and stamina, strengthen muscles ·          Improves hair growth and prevents premature hair fall ·          Reduces risk of heart diseases ·          Reducing cholesterol ·          Treating anemia ·          Constipation ·          Skin problems ·          Improving memory ·          General weakness ·          Osteoporosis, etc...

Whenever you feel like having salty, cheesy popcorns, try this cauliflower popcorn. You can snack on this with your hands, warm or at room temperature. The herbs add loads of flavor and the yeast tricks your taste buds as if you are having Parmesan cheese. Ingredients:        (makes one cup) Cauliflower                      - 1 (cut into bite sized pieces) Extra virgin olive oil       - 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast            - 2 tablespoons Fresh Oregano                - ½ teaspoon (chopped) Fresh Thyme                   - ½ teaspoon (chopped) Garlic powder          ...

It is not unusual to get hungry between meals. Snacking doesn’t have to be an unhealthy habit. Snacking is often mindless, autopilot eating. When we feel hungry, we munch on mostly unhealthy snacks which are mostly easily available, and after eating regret of eating high calories and unhealthy snacks which can result in weight gain. Often, snacks are not eaten because you are hungry, but because you are bored or are simply used to munching while you engage in certain activities. The key is planning ahead to make sure you have some healthy foods available. A better way to snack is to optimize the timing of healthy snacks between your meals. Intentional small snacks help you regulate your blood sugar throughout the day. Here are some healthy snack options which may help you in guilt free munching: Ø   1 cup strawberries Ø   1 hardboiled egg Ø   A handful of almonds (10-15 ) Ø   ¼ cup of dried cranberries Ø   2-3 carrots’ sticks with 1 tablespoon of...

Mushrooms are edible fungus that can provide several important nutrients. The many kinds of mushroom have varying compositions and nutritional profiles. Today, let us talk about oyster mushrooms which have numerous benefits especially being low in calories and high in fiber. Here is a quick look at why oyster mushrooms are so good for us. Oyster mushrooms are: Ø   Low in calories Ø   Fat free Ø   Cholesterol-free Ø   Gluten-free Ø   Very low in sodium They are high in: Ø   Protein and fiber Ø   Iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorus and selenium Ø   Vitamins B1, B3, B5 and B12 Ø   Vitamin C & vitamin D Medicinal properties: Ø   Cholesterol lowering Ø   Anti-oxidant Ø   Anti cancer At times, it becomes difficult to get fresh mushrooms, so I got a very nice product - mushroom powder. It can be used as per your requirement. It can be used in your soups, curries, rice, pasta, noodles etc. It gives...

Ingredients:   makes 1 medium bowl Moong dal (yellow)              – ½ cup (soak for 1 hour) Tomato                                   - 2 (cut in small cubes) Carrots                                  - 2 (cut in small cubes) Capsicum                              - 1 (cut in small cubes) Cabbage (finely chopped) - 1 cup Apple                       ...

Ingredients: ( makes 2 bowls ) Green capsicum                   - ½(chopped) Red capsicum                     - ½ (chopped) Onion (medium)                  - 2(cut in cubes/long stripes) Brinjal   (small)                    - 4 (semi-circles) Boiled potatoes                    - 3(cut in pieces) Zuchini                                  -   ½ ( semi-circles) Garlic                               ...