Category: Swaad ‘Anu’saar

Categories
Swaad 'Anu'saar

Christmas goodies, fatafat!

Still don’t have a good Christmas giveaway treat planned for your guests? Take heart from these four simple food ideas.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Who doesn’t love Christmas goodies? And when it comes to something better than goodies, it is clearly food! J

Imagine giving away lovely fudge and cookies in beautiful glass jars, all decorated with Christmas ornaments and a small name tag! It’s an ‘Aha!’ moment for sure, but who has the time, right? Not to worry, I will give you quick recipes for delights that will be ready in a jiffy.

Pancake mix: Every one loves a tinge of magic with flour. So why not make your very own pancake dry mix and present it in a jar? All you need to do is put in 300 gms of maida (all purpose flour), 1 tablespoon baking powder, a pinch of baking soda, and 3 tablespoons of castor sugar. To this, add 1 pod of vanilla (slit in the middle) for extra flavouring and some effect. Shut the jar.

Now, on a colorful sheet of paper, write instructions for us: ‘Break 2 eggs and add to this mix, with 200 ml of milk. This will make for a brilliant breakfast for the family after a nightlong Christmas party.’ Don’t forget to write your name on there, too!

Hokey pokey: The traditional hokey pokey has made for a great gift on famous English brunches. But it hokey pokeywould definitely make for a great return gift, too.

Put 100 gm of sugar and 4 tbsp of golden syrup in a thick bottomed pan and stir together. Now put the pan on heat and do not stir. Let the mixture melt and then turn gooey, bubbling into an amber colour, for not more than 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add 1 ½ tsp of soda bicarb and watch the magic.

The syrup will quickly bubble into a fluffy cloud like aerated, orangey gold.  Now quickly transfer the mixture on to a parchment paper or greased foil. To this, add the Christmas flavours you like – some cut raisins, or just a powder shot of cinnamon. Leave until it’s set and the bash it into many big and small crunchy pieces. Pick a nice tin box and line it with parchment paper, then put in the hokey pokey goodies. Shut and then put a tag through a red and green ribbon, and tie around the neck of the tin. Happy present for a Merry christmas!

ice cream cake in a jarIce-cream cake in a jar: Desserts in a jar are a rage nowadays. And they make for great giveaways, especially when the dessert can be ready in 60 seconds.

All you need are some bashed-up Oreo biscuits, some nice chocolate syrup, a few tiny marshmellows, and a rich chocolate sponge cake or loaf. Now, to a tub of vanilla ice cream, add all the above ingredients except for the cake. In a mason glass jar, place a layer of the dense chocolate loaf and then a layer of the rich icecream that has the yummy Oreos and marshmallows in it. Repeat the same layering until the jar is full. Top with chocolate-coated nuts if you wish.

Hot tip: Theobroma and Moshe’s chocolate loaf is perfect for this recipe.

Glittering marshmallow crispies: To a pan, add 50 gm of melted butter and 300 gms of mini marshmallows and mix till there is a smooth slurry ready. Immediately take it off the heat and lightly mix 200 gm of rice krispies to it. Now press it down into a greased pan and smoothen the top. Add some edible glitter and Christmas ornaments. Once cool, cut the kirspies into squares and put in a jar and present.

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy www.goodlifeeats.com, ourkitchen.fisherpaykel.com, downtownbellevue.com)

Categories
Swaad 'Anu'saar

Cheat your tummy this Christmas

We wish you a ‘belly Christmas’ with five easy variations of the most loved Christmas eats and drinks this season. Bon appetit!
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Ho ho ho! Christmas is round the corner. Wondering how time moves at the same pace as Santa’s sledge in the month of December? Me too. That’s why I have come up with the cheat’s guide to celebrating Christmas. After all, what’s a celebration without food? So here’s my guide on preparing yummy food at the last minute for friends, family and of course, Santa himself.

Cheat’s mini quiches. Mini quiches (in picture above) are such desirable finger food on a busy Christmas party night! But you don’t have to sweat over making the pastry and then the quiche. Just a slice of wholemeal bread should do it for you.

Here’s how you do it: take 6 slices of whole meal bread cut with a pastry cutter and pin rolled into a size that occupies 1/3rd of a muffin hole. Brush each slice with a little butter and line the muffin holes with the bread. Now add any ingredients of your choice – small cubes of ham and cheese, green onions, mushrooms and caramelised onion or any other topping you like. Just make sure that there is nice grated cheddar liberally put on the topping. Finally, top each of the muffin holes with lightly whisked eggs. Bake in an oven preheated at 160 Degree Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and the egg topping is just set. Serve hot or cold as per your preference.

Cheese platter. There is nothing like soft cold cheese on a warm Christmassy night. All you need is 250 cheese plattergrams of block cream cheese that is nice and soft, some finely chopped fresh dill leaves and chives, and a spoonful of grated orange zest. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season with some fresh pepper and salt to taste. Now divide the cheese in two equal halves. Put on baking sheets or plastic foils and wrap tight into a roll while twisting the ends. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours and then serve with crackers, lavash and breadsticks. This zesty cheese flavour is only a suggestion from my end – you can go wild with your choice of ingredients that you think would go well with the cheese. It can be roasted garlic, basil leaves, chili flakes and oregano or even strawberry relish and bell peppers…whatever your heart desires.

christmas party wineCheat’s Christmas party wine. While Christmas is the big cause, one cannot deny that the nip in the air also calls for a celebration. When winter dances into our Mumbai, there is nothing comfier than a swig (or several!) of mulled wine. Much on the lines of a hot toddy, mulled wine is a traditional holiday drink. It is made with red wine that is sweetened with various spices. While there is quite a lot of prep work that goes into making a traditional mulled wine, here is my cheat version.

In a cooking pot, take a litre of red wine, preferably Merlot, Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon.  Add a sliced tangerine along with the zest in order to add more flavour. Now put 2 spoons of good quality brandy, 3 spoons of brown sugar, 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks and a pinch of dry ginger powder or grated fresh ginger (optional) and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with the whole ingredients intact for more effect. After all, one’s got to have wine in style.

Cheat’s Christmas party mains: Grilled quick fix chicken. When there is shortage of time, chicken always grilled chickencomes to rescue. All you need is about 2 kg of neatly cut chicken breasts. Now put together 2 cups of sour cream or hung yoghurt, 2 spoons of whole grain mustard, 2 tbsp of cumin powder, freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Drizzle about half a cup of olive oil as well. Give the chicken a good rub with this marinade and let it sit for about 2 to 3 hours. Actually 20 minutes is good enough, but the chicken comes out more tender if you let it stay for a longer time, may be even overnight in a plastic zip bag. Once done, heat the grill or a flat skillet. Drizzle some more oil with a rosemary fig and place the chicken breast. Give it 2 minutes a side and then serve with a relish or sauce of your choice.

Christmas pudding with custardAnd finally, Cheat’s Christmas pudding… No Christmas celebration can ever be complete without a Christmas pudding or cake. But instead of putting in days of labour into a cake or pudding, you can achieve a stylish Christmas dessert in a jiffy. All you need is one kilo of good quality readymade Christmas pudding. Now a night before, simply add 4 big tablespoons of rum or brandy to the pudding. Cover it and wait for magic until the next morning. In the morning or afternoon, make a ready mix custard as per directions on the packet. The flavour should ideally be vanilla, to which you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. Now assemble the dessert with a slice of rum or brandy soaked pudding at the bottom. Drizzle the custard and some assorted candied fruit. You can also top it with a dollop of whipped cream. Serve and watch them go YUM!

Next week, right before Christmas, I’ll serve up some ideas on Christmas giveaways that your guests would go gaga over. Till then wish you a ‘BELLY CHRISTMAS’!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy amomknowsbest.com, www.winebuzz.hk, ezeliving.com, www.kidspot.com.au, janieskitchen.com)

Categories
Swaad 'Anu'saar

Nashta bole toh, sirf Mumbai mein – Part II

We continue with our gastronomical journey to discover Mumbai’s favourite chai and nashta items and what makes them so special.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Part 2

Last week, I outlined a few tea time snack items that Mumbai absolutely loves. In this column, I continue in the same vein.

Mumbai street sandwich: Tired after a meeting and heading to another with no time on hand? There would surely be a sandwichwala just within sight, making an enticing list of gharelu sandwiches. The small tapri will normally have surprisingly high standards of hygiene, with vegetables nicely peeled and ready for dicing stacked on one side. Masalas and chutneys will be placed in steel boxes on the other side, and in between will be an assembly board which would also have butter and cheese sticks on it.

The most famous sandwich is the veg grilled sandwich, stuffed with such popular veggies as tomato, onion, cucumber, beetroot and capsicum that are thinly sliced and placed between three slices of bread buttered liberally. It is served grilled or with a nice helping of mirchi green chutney and ketchup. The other famous street snack in the sandwich category is chutney cheese toast. As the name suggests, it has a slather of coriander and aamchoor chutney on a crisp toast which is then loaded with a mountain of grated processed milk cheese. This is then grilled and then served with some more green and red chutneys.

My favourite chutney cheese toast is to be found next to Matunga station. The guy really puts cheese dil khol ke. For the true blue Mumbai sandwich experience, try Swastik Sandwizza, Santacruz market. Their veggie sandwich has crowds swarming outside this tiny shop to get a bite.

Khaman dhokla: The most known Gujarati snack after jalebi-phaphda is the fluffy gramflour tea time snack, khaman dhokla. Most Mumbaikars relish the khaman or gram flour khaman dhokladhokla with pickled chilies during breakfast or tea time. While the basic garnish is tempered mustard seeds and coriander, there are many inventive versions available with dressings of sev, three kinds of chutneys, and coconut.

You must try khaman dhokla with a strong chai – your day will get a bit lighter. In fact, while on Gujju snacks, the other Mumbai favourite is sev gathiya, which is a deep fried gram flour creation. Mixed with masala roasted dal, it is also known as farsan that is either served with tea or had as an accompaniment with misal pav.

idlis-dosaDosa and idli: There is one more meal between meals that Mumbai happily gorges on, especially in the South Indian part of Mumbai, i.e. Matunga. While the small tapris of these South Indian savories are a common sight everywhere in the city, they take a bit more time to make than the sandwich or the bhel, but it is worth the wait for sure. Put it down to my ‘corrupt’ taste buds, but I think no one makes dosa like Mumbai does, not even the South of India.

I love South Indian food in Mumbai and therefore choose to snack on saada dosa or cheese masala dosa very often. For morning Nashta, it is a plate of idli and crisp vada doused in teekha tangy sambhar. The tapri usually comprises a big rectangular hot tawa on which 4-5 dosas or uthapams are made together. The fermented batter made of white urad dal and rice is loaded in big patelas and kept right next to the fire.

I think the most enjoyable part, other than eating the dosa itself, is to see it getting made. Catch the cook putting a ladleful of batter on the hot skillet and vigorously spreading it into a round shape. I also love the small katories of pumpkin and nariyal chutneys served with hot sambhar along with dosa. This snack is enjoyed well with a nice south Indian kaapi.

South Indian kaapi: The South Indian filter coffee or kaapi as it is popularly called is the best accompaniment to fresh vadas and idlis, or in fact, just about any time of the day that South Indian Filter Coffeeneeds a bit of extra zing. Made from coffee beans coming from various plantations in South India, kaapi is more than just a drink for your breaks or tired evenings. As much as the chai is celebrated as the iconic beverage of India, the kaapi is the ‘cultural icon’ of South India. It is a ritual of sorts to offer coffee to a guest in South Indian households.

Coffee came to India in the 17th century and became a popular beverage under the British Raj. Today, it is so ingrained in our food culture that one can’t think of starting the day without a cup of coffee.

Coming back to South Indian filter kaapi, the only sight that comes to my mind after the strong aroma is the thambi pouring a hot cupful from one steel glass into the other like a juggler. That’s what gives our own Mumbai kaapi the much-loved froth and foam. Try it at Madras Café, Matunga and you shall bid Starbucks goodbye J

With that, I come to the end of my list of Mumbai’s must-try nashtas. Make sure you never let a day go by without relishing one or all in your chai break or while walking through the streets of the city. After all, why go for pizza-pasta when you have Mumbai ka tasty nashta?

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy www.oishiirasoi.com, www.uma-culinaryworld.com, www.vegrecipesofindia.com, heavenlyblisssalonformen.wordpress.com)

Categories
Swaad 'Anu'saar

Nashta bole toh, sirf Mumbai mein

Aamchi Mumbai is defined by its nashta, the street food that serves as a meal between all our other meals.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Part 1 of 2

Mumbai ka chai nashta bole toh Mumbai’s lifeline. A city that never stops loves its food on the go. So let’s take on this gastronomical journey of exploring various kinds of snacks and beverages inspired by the various communities residing in the island city.

Vada Pav: Internationally known as the ‘Bombay burger’ and having gained worldwide culinary accolades, the humble vada pav sits crunchily on the No.1 position of all Mumbai snacks. I am sure there is no need to explain, but for the uninitiated, the vada pao is a brilliant carbohydrate overdose which has a mashed potato spicy patty deep fried in gramflour batter and then put in a freshly baked bun loaded with coriander (green) and tamarind (red) chutney.

The special zing is added by the dry garlic chutney which is famously available only in Mumbai. Vada pav is best vada pavenjoyed with a nice masala chai from the nearby street vendor or if hygiene is your concern, then you can try the vada pav burger at Jumbo King outlets across the city. The other favourites in the pav category are samosa pav, bhajji pav and ussal pav that are devoured and relished especially by the college crowd.

Masala Chai: Chai mein bhi masala? Clearly India is the masala capital of the world. No wonder then, the busiest city of this country thrives on masala, be it Bollywood or chai. While chai has become a worldwide term for many tea aficionados, clearly masala chai stands apart. Found at almost every nook and cranny and every train station this thick milky tea fuels our city.

One would typically see a tea vendor vigorously stirring the aluminum vessel of chai, alternatingly adding an elaichi or kaali mirchi or dalchini to it. You can have half a cup known as ‘cutting chai’ or a full chai. While there is no specific time to enjoy it, the best evening companion for one and all in aamchi Mumbai is its heavenly chai.

brun maskaBrun Maska: No Parsi household can enjoy its leeli phudhina choi early in the morning or evening or in fact any time in the day without the kadak brun (bread) and soft maska (butter). It is not just the Parsis but most Mumbaikars who enjoy this Parsi specialty that comes in the ‘light snacks’ category. Available at most Irani bakeries and cafes, Brun pav is a famously fluffy soft round bread with a hard crust and looks a lot like the soft bun. Freshly baked brun tastes the best with a nice amount of butter slapped on it along with a small drizzle of sugar…yum!

Enjoy it at a famous Irani café ensconced in a corner of a busy Mumbai street. Bite into the crunchy brun while taking in the historical ambience of the café that typically has glass top tables with rosewood lacquered chairs, old time posters of beverages and even international pop stars, a grandfather clock, antique stain glass windows and white and yellow block flooring.

Bhelpuri: Mumbai ki bhel ko kabhi mat bhool. That should be the slogan for our city, ‘cause if Delhi can make a teekha gol guppa, then Mumbai’s robust chatpati bhel puri can give it a good run for its money. Bhel puri is a true chai time favourite because it gives just the right amount of tang, zing and healthy crunch that is easy on the calories and the pocket. A combination of thinly chopped kachhi kaeri (raw mango), murmura (rice crispies), roasted dal, poori (semolina crispy disc) bhel puriand of course, some nylon sev is then tossed in khatti meethi chutneys and served in a cone-shaped newspaper with a sprinkling of fresh coriander. The bhel puri is the pride and joy of every street vendor. It is most sought after at various chowpatties and snack centres.

My favourite is at Swati Snacks, Tardeo. You can also enjoy other ‘sister’ snacks like sev poori, sookhi bhel and dahi batata poori if you have more time and tummy space. Bhel can never be enjoyed with a spoon. Always ask for a crisp poori to enjoy this plateful of nashta.

This is not where our tryst with Mumbai ka chai nashta ends. Wait for Part 2 that will explore the Sindhi sel bread, khamman dhokla, sev gathiya, dosas and vegetarian sandwiches galore, complemented by the South Indian kaapi and Irani butter chai. Toh ho jaaye!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy sailusfood.com, wikipedia.com)

Categories
Swaad 'Anu'saar

Dil cheese kya hai…

It is universally known for being yummy, but it is also possible to create fantastic dishes using a little cheese.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

‘Dil ‘cheese’ kya hai, aap thoda kha hi lijiye!’ is a line inspired by the famous Umrao Jaan song, where the courtesan offers her heart (and later her life!) on a platter. But I like the parody better, especially to satiate the permanent ‘cheesy cravings’ I have.

I am truly mad about cheese. My dear friend Anvita is famous for saying ‘Cheese is the perfect food!’  Combined with wine, fruit and salad, it is the perfect nutrition package.  It is, in fact, a very high quality of protein that consists of the correct quantities of amino acids and calcium, Vitamin A and folic acid. It also has one most dreaded ingredient – Fat. That’s why the weight-conscious steer clear of it. Honestly, a little bit of cheese does of a lot of good – but only a little bit!

On that note, let’s take a look at some delicious cheesy starters:

Cheese platter: Putting lots of cheese together for a party is a good idea. While you can experiment with various kinds of cheese, the safest bet is to put together the known ones like aged cheddar, some Brie, blue cheese and the regular processed milk cheese with flavours. But if you love cheese, like me, then you can experiment with many varieties – be it aged, soft, firm or blue.

Whatever you choose, make sure you have some accompaniments that go very well with the cheeses. For instance, nicely cut green apples, black grapes, cut tangerines, lavash sticks, wheat crackers, pitted black and green olives, some caramelised nuts, a berry jam and may be nice Swiss mini chocolates as well are good ideas. I have been keeping these platters on a special tray that has black board paint on it, where I can write the cheeses’ names and description. It’s a lot of fun putting this one together!peach and blue cheese salad

Blue cheese and peach salad: One of the most controversial, but also a much loved, crumbly member of the cheese family, blue cheese is the main ingredient of this salad (in pic on right). Complimented with peaches, it makes for a dieter’s delight. All you need is 1 tbsp each of Dijon mustard, maple syrup, 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, ½ a cup of canola oil, 2 hearts of fresh Romaine lettuce, 2 peaches cut in wedges, ½ cup of crumbled good quality blue cheese and some nicely chopped chives.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and mustard and then slowly keep drizzling canola oil while whisking regularly. Then season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. Keep aside. In a bowl, put together peaches, lettuce and extra virgin olive oil. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette and then finally add the crumbled blue cheese and chives. The non-veg option is to add 4 slices of good quality bacon to the salad. Yummy!

cheese sticksMozzarella cheese sticks: Perfect for any party, these ‘sticks of heaven’ (in pic on left) are the best starting points for any conversation. After all, it couldn’t get cheesier J. All you need is Mozzarella cheese (cut into sticks), vegetable oil for deep frying, 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tsp of paprika, ½ cup milk, 1 egg, pinch of baking soda, and salt and pepper to taste.

Freeze the cheese sticks for an hour so that when you start frying them, the cheese doesn’t melt and make a mess. Beat the remaining ingredients together until a smooth batter is ready. Now all you have to do is dunk the cheese sticks in the batter and fry immediately. Serve with a nice salsa sauce. Crunch crunch!

Apple goat cheese bruschetta: This one’s dedicated to my recent trip to Paris with my bestie. The French are truly in love with goat cheese that goes exceptionally well with a firm French loaf and fresh green salad leaves. This bread starter is a good precursor to the main meal. You will need: 1/4th cup crumbled goat cheese, 1 peeled and chopped apple, a little fresh thyme, fresh oregano, some ground pepper and thin slices of French bread.

Toss together all the ingredients except for the bread, and keep aside. On an oven tray, place the French bread slices, drizzle some olive oil and toast for 3-4 minutes until they become golden brown.  Now put the goat cheese mixture on top and place it in the oven for a minute or until the cheese is soft.

All in all, there is a lot of cheese to go around in the world and if you are still looking for ‘low fat cheese’ then it’s about time you look for ‘meatless mutton’!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy www.abeautifulmess.com, www.abeautifulmess.com, www.abeautifulmess.com)

Categories
Swaad 'Anu'saar

Detox recipes for the festive season

Now may be a good time to sneak in a bit of detox and heal our bodies the natural way.
anurita guptaby Anurita Gupta

Most Hindus are currently still in an enforced vegetarian state, starting from Shravan. The purpose of Shravan is to help people stay away from pungent foods like onion and garlic and all meats, fish and poultry so that they can concentrate on everything ‘satvik’ (all foods that bring us back to our ‘satva,’ our unique essence). A satvik diet comprises water, cereal, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts, unpasteurised fresh milk and dairy products like curd, paneer, ghee and honey.

Here’s a list of detox satvik recipes that you can try:

Drink up:

ginger-tea– Ginger honey basil tea: Ginger being a natural astringent is at the top of the list of satvik food. Basil (tulsi) doesn’t just have a holy significance, but it is also known to rid the body of chronic ailments. Combine these two with some organic honey and tea leaves. Make a nice brew and enjoy.  All you need is an inch of ginger, 2-3 leaves of basil, a teaspoon of honey, half a teaspoon of tea leaves and a cup of water.

Boil water in a pot. To this, add the tulsi and tea leaves and turn off the flame. Cover the pot with a lid and let the ingredients infuse for 5 minutes. Thereafter, add honey. Strain and serve. This brew is especially good for sore throats and tummy bugs. It is also said that if you have a fresh leaf of tulsi every morning on an empty stomach, it builds your immunity manifold, especially against the common flu.

– Amla and tangerine smoothie: Amla or the Indian gooseberry is known to be the most effective in cleansing our breathing machinery and the heart, and it is very useful in curing hyperacidity, eye and skin-related diseases. It is also knownamla smoothie to delay ageing. Tangerine or the mandarin orange is a very high source of vitamin C, and it helps absorb iron better. Plus, it’s a great antioxidant. The other ingredient in this recipe is curd, which is naturally high in the good bacteria – lacto bacillus – that is great for the stomach, too.

To prepare this smoothie, you will need two big spoons of natural yoghurt (dahi), one big Indian gooseberry de-seeded, and one tangerine, peeled and de-seeded. In a blender, whizz all these ingredients to form a smooth puree. You can also add a bit of honey and flax seeds powder in order to improve the taste and up its nutritive value. Drink up within a minute of making it. This one is a super effective formula for a bug- free tummy and a healthy skin.

Snacks:

– Apple pear and paneer salad: Shravan aside, this salad can be a sure shot hit at the parties. Apple and pear are both rich sources of iron and potassium along with being very high sources of fibre, thereby making them very good aids for digestion and better heart function. Paneer is a fantastic source of unadulterated protein. The dressing of this salad is specifically made in apple cider vinegar that zaps bad cholesterol.

Take one juicy apple and pear, peeled and de-seeded, and 2-3 chunks of paneer. Use some slivers of ginger, honey and mint leaves. In a bowl, cut thin slices of apple and pear, toss them with some hand-mashed paneer and mint leaves. In another bowl, pour 10-15 ml of apple cider vinegar, a little bit of honey, ginger and an optional ingredient of mustard sauce (homemade). Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix. Now drizzle this on the cut fruit and enjoy!

hummus with pomegranate seeds– Hummus with pomegranate topping: Chickpeas are considered satvik and are an incredibly rich source of protein and other minerals. Mixed with tahini made of another satvik ingredient, the ‘white til’, it makes for an amazing detox snack.

Take 250 grams of boiled chickpeas (drained). Keep aside ¼ of the chickpea water. You will also need 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste), 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (til paste), 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. In a blender, put together all the ingredients except the water from the chickpeas. Whizz for 3 to 5 minutes and check for consistency. Keep adding the liquid bit by bit until the mixture is smooth but not watery. Take the hummus out in a bowl, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over it. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds and a good helping of coriander. Enjoy it with a roti made of whole wheat or barley instead of the usual pita bread.

Try one of these recipes along with a liberal helping of raw fruit, lentils, sprouts and vegetables (excluding their root) for a week and see the change not only on the weighing scale but in your skin and mood as well!

Anurita Gupta is a media professional who is passionate about two things – food and radio. Her love for all things food makes her a foodie with a cause.

(Pictures courtesy b4tea.blogspot.com, www.vanilla-and-spice.com, www.ordinaryvegan.net, superfoodprofiles.com)

Exit mobile version