Tandoori Chicken (Fat free)

Tandoori Chicken in one of my favorite foods. I have very strong memories about this food. Shere Punjab was one of my favorite dhabas in South Delhi,near Kalkaji- a neighborhood where I spent some time growing up. Eating out in Dhabas which represents typically Punjabi foods available on road sides in and around Delhi, is very common. These dhabas have the best Lassis, Chole Bhatures and Dal Frys in the world. Back in the day when I was living in India, & when my digestive system was wayyyy better, I loved to eat out whenever I got a chance! :) The opportunities were very limited because my mom always wanted us to eat home cooked meals . Anyway this Shere Punjab had the most delectable Naans and Tandoori chicken served on a bed of onions, pickles and lemon. Aaah!
Now,I try to make tandoori chicken quite a lot and serve it along with rice , daal or soup and some salad.Its really simple to do. I make it without any oil or butter or ghee.The ovens that we have here are a blessing.. I use it all the time for baking and broiling other than storing my pots and pans!
You'll need-

Yogurt and Tandoori masala
Chicken( I use boneless skinless chicken breast ...a bit expensive coz it takes the bad stuff out)
cilantro, green chillies (for that extra kick :))
ginger paste, garlic paste

Mix all the ingredients in a ziploc bag or a plastic bag or a glass bowl..I used my baking pan. Let the mix sit for half to one hour. I was out of time as always so I let the mix party for 15 minutes..

In the oven...set it to broil ( till cooked...broil on both sides. you may have to turn the pieces after about 10 minutes..and cook for another 10 minutes) Keep an eye on the broiler... By the way, my house was smelling like Shere Punjab!

Thora namak mirch lagake aur nimboo nichore ke.......
Oye balle balle!! :)

Eggplant Tofu- Not the Panda Express style!

Panda express ! the very thought gets my mouth drooling! The taste of Orange Chicken or Eggplant tofu is hard to forget. Ordering chinese takeout everyday may not be a good idea since the food is loaded with oil.Finding alternatives is in my opinion the best way to enjoy some favorites.So I tried another variation of the Eggplant tofu. It is best when served over fried rice .
Ingredients~

Eggplant,Onions,Garlic,Tomatoes

Tofu,cut up and dried (on a paper towel)

Soy sauce( low sodium), red chilli powder, non stick spray, sesame oil, olive oil,red chili and sugar

Coat the pan with some non stick spray and lighty fry the tofu. Coat a bit of red chilli on tofu to give it a nice color.

In another skillet add a table spoon of olive oil and fry the onions ,garlic, eggplant, some red chilli powder in that order. Keep this on high heat to cook the eggplant and then once coated with the oil, add some soy sauce and tomatoes...Cook for a couple of minutes and keep stirring ...the next ingredient to go in is some sugar( 1 or 2 tsps) The soy sauce takes care of the salt so be careful if using more salt.

After a few minutes its time to add the tofu and remember stir carefully or else the tofu might break .
If at this point you see that the eggplant looks dull, add some non stick spray to the skillet.

In the end drizzle some sesame oil (optional) .It helps to bring out the flavor !
Must admit though that my kids are not a big fan of eggplant...so I added a lot of cayenne to the tofu and it was very good! :)

Vegan Sandwich

This sandwich is super easy because it is made by assembling some ready to eat ingredients.
A brief note about the ingredients-
Ciabatta bread - Freshly baked available at Trader Joe's .This is a simple bread which can be baked at home as well. If you are out of time, its a good idea to get one!
Meatless Meatballs- Available in the frozen aisle of T. Joe's .Its a good staple to have in the freezer and can be used in a lot of ways
Veggie Cheese Slices- Available at any local grocery store..very mild
Ketchup
Olive oil to toast the Ciabatta
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Or any other veggie you like!


Heat the oil in a pan or grill and toast the bread on both sides to brown the sides. Ciabatta bread is a sour bread and reminds me of the taste you get after biting into Dosa ..
Microwave the meatless meatballs for 3 minutes.Sprinkle them with a little water before microwaving to keep the MMB moist.Keep piling the layers with whatever you got.And.....

Don't forget to enjoy every bite!!!
Weightwatcher points are 6

Lauki/bottlegourd

Lauki or bottlegourd is very popular in Indian cooking. It is used in a variety of ways and one of the simplest ways is in this recipe. Lauki juice is one of the best raw foods available and can give the much hyped wheatgrass juice a run for its money. I have made the vegan version of this veggie.
You'll need

Bottle gourd-skinned and chopped

Bori or Vadi - made from lentils available at any Indian store. However this is optional and you can use shrimp intead. Skip it altogether if you don't have it.

Another very staple spice in the bengali kitchen available at any indian store..called the Panch phoron translates as five spices. The red chilly ofcourse needs no introduction!

Heat oil and add the spices..1 tablesoon for 1 medium lauki. I used two of these.When the seeds start to crackle, dump the chopped lauki. Stir quickly,cover the pan and reduce the heat.

Add the vadi or shrimp and let it cook further for 4 or 5 mintutes. You can tell they are done when they look all mushy. Don't forget to salt it! I made this really simple because I was targeting the kids. You can glam it up with green chillies or coconut milk in the end! Very tasty when served with hot steaming basmati rice...Picture that !!:)

Microwave Karela Chips

Here's my next quick recipe for cooling foods. This is a recipe originally done by mom-in-law. She happens to be an excellent cook. As a kid I hated karela or ucche as we call it in bengali and remember my little brother sneak the ucche under his plate so that mom couldn't see. However as strict as my mom was I do realize that it was for our good.Karela or bittergourd is excellent food for the liver. Its easily available at any Indian or chinese grocery store.My mom would usually fry the ucche or make many other variations.But this recipe is very easy to do. First you need to chop the karela as finely as possible. Here's what you need...



I used 4 whole karela(s)
A non stick spray or olive oil (2 tablespoons)
turmeric
salt to taste

In the microwave . 15 mintutes till crisp...DONE!!! Yummy!

Ghol/Buttermilk/Lassi

Ghol is a bit different from Lassi. The latter is made with lots of yogurt. For Ghol the proportion of yogurt is much less.
you'll need~

2 tablespoonfuls of yogurt (store bought or home-made)
1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
2 tsp of sugar
a pinch of salt
2cups of water
Use a blender to mix...
You may use ice
This is a very light drink and can be enjoyed by anyone who is prone to stomach related problems.
Its a 0 point drink for people watching calories if made with splenda. Served in a fancy glass may enhance the taste :)

Cooling foods on Summer Solstice

"Mommy my stomach hurts!" were the words I heard yesterday from my 4 year old . He looked in pain and was very sad. I knew something was not quite right and rushed him to the physician. After a few rounds of throwing up , the doctor's diagnosis was stomach flu. In India usually its the jaundice that we feared as kids where we got bland food for days to recover. I tried to recollect what my mom would make for me to feel better when I was little. Ghol(buttermilk),lau (bottle gourd) and Karela(bitter gourd) on rice, super light and very soothing!
So I thought I will share these recipes with you.....

Father's Day....

Father's day is on June 21st...Such celebrations are a phenomenon of the recent times and is not only popular in the US but has caught up back home. As I surf the internet there are so many pop up websites for sending flowers or gifts to India. As tempting it may look, I know my father couldn't be happier if he saw that I take care of the "father" in my household on that day. I thought why not start a day before and fix something yummy . So I made a very weight watcher friendly Palak Paneer which is loaded with butter and cream if you eat out and can be 9 points per serving but if make at home can cost you less in terms of calories. This preparation is 5 points per serving and to top it all, really quick and easy.

Ingredients~



Paneer -store bought or home-made (whole bag)



Spinach -frozen or fresh (Whole bag )



Peas- frozen or fresh (1 cup)

Onion(1/2 cup finely chopped)
tomatoes(2 chopped)
ginger paster( 1 tsp)
garlic paste(1 tsp)
Olive oil( 1 tbsp)
salt to taste
and some very simple spices


turmeric, bay leaf, red chillies
You could spice it up by adding cayenne pepper



Heat wok, add oil, bay leaf and red chillies, chopped onions, ginger ,garlic, paneer and fry till golden brown. Should take about a minute. Add some tomatoes and keep stirring ...reduce heat (another minute)



Add spinach and peas and cook for about 2 minutes. It helps to thaw the spinach in the microwave for 2 minutes and its ready to go.


Done! Serve with warm low carb tortillas or hot chapatis .
Take out time - 20 minutes..
At home- 10 minutes

Easy Pasta for Saturday's lunch

This saturday I felt much relaxed than usual as school is closed for summer. We all got to sleep in and before I knew it was time for lunch. Since kids had piano lessons, I thought pasta would be quick and easy. I tried a vegan version of this pasta recipe today. There's no recipe to begin with... I believe in using simple and easy to pronounce ingredients...
So I found a box of pasta, some mushrooms, a block of tofu,broccoli sitting in my refrigerator. And here's what I did with them....






Boiled some pasta and broccoli in separate pots and added salt .Pasta is done in 8 minutes and broccoli takes about 4 minutes.










Some more ingredients




Heat the wok with olive oil, add garlic, turmeric, red chillies, tomato ketch-up ,tofu,mushrooms, broccoli and pasta...In that order...You could spice it up by adding some cayenne pepper.





Mix the pasta with the veggies .....squeeze some fresh lemon juice and....




...Enjoy ...:)

Raisin Scones

Every morning I wake up smelling butter and coffee from a bakery which is right next to my house. The scones that they bake everyday are very popular as I see even the neighborhood cop's car parked in front of the cafe . I presume that he is there for the scones and coffee .I have bought some myself many times and have found craving more. That's why I thought of baking the scones at home based on the memories of after taste. My kids enjoy baking a lot especially when they get to sample the fruits of their labor.It makes me comfortable to know that the ingredients added are the best I could find at the time.



Here's what you need : 3 Cups of all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick of cold butter
3 tbsp of sugar
1/2 cup raisins and walnuts-optional
1/2 cup milk(low fat)
1/2 cup low fat yogurt or 2 eggs
Method Mix the dry ingredients
Chop the butter in small cubes and freeze before hand
Incorporate the butter in the dry mixture. Roll out into a 9 inch circle. Fill the insides with raisins.Roll into a log.
Cut up in triangles.
Brush the top with butter and sprinkle sugar or splenda
Bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown. 20-25 mins.
Don't forget to preheat the oven! I have to admit I ran out of baking soda! Let's hope the scones are none the worse for it.