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December 7, 2016 Recipes

Recipes with Pumpkin

In my earlier post on ‘Pumpkin‘, I mentioned about nutritional benefits of Pumpkin. The following are recipes with Pumpkin…

Pumpkin Soup with A Savory Granola Topping

creamy vegan pumpkin soup with spiced savory granola pumpkin soup #Pumpkin #Soup

Ingredients:

3 ham/prosciutto slices, excess fat trimmed (chicken ham can be substituted)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped.

4 cups (1 litre,) chicken stock

Savoury Granola Topping

1 egg white, lightly whisked

45 gms rolled oats

100 gms pumpkin seeds

75 gms sunflower seeds

40 gms flaked almonds

50 gms white or coloured quinoa rinsed, drained

1 tbsp. black chia seeds

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt and pepper as needed

Cream for garnish

Method: To make the savoury granola topping preheat the oven to 180c. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the egg white, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, quinoa, chia seeds, sesame seeds, honey and cumin seeds in a medium-sized bowl and toss to combine. Spoon the mixture in a thin layer over the lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the prosciutto on a baking tray and bake for 5-7 minutes until crisp and chop coarsely. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium flame and add the onion and cook, stirring, until it softens. Add the pumpkin, carrot and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes until the pumpkin and carrots are very tender. Cool and place half the pumpkin mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan. Repeat with the remaining pumpkin mixture. Heat on a low flame, season with salt and pepper as needed.

Divide the soup into serving bowls. Top with a dollop of cream and sprinkle with prosciutto and granola.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

400 gms butternut pumpkin, seeded and coarsely chopped

300 gms self-rising flour

250 gms castor sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 large eggs

125 ml vegetable oil

125 ml milk

1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp. flaked almonds

Butter and honey to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line the base and sides of a 10cm x 21 cm loaf tin with baking powder, allowing the sides to overhang.

Steam the pumpkin for 10 mins or until tender. Set aside and cool slightly, transfer to a small bowl and mash until smooth. You need about 1 cup of mashed pumpkin for this recipe.

Meanwhile combine the flour, sugar, ginger and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs, oil and milk in a jug and pour into the flour mixture and add the pumpkin puree. Use a wooden spoon and stir until combined, pour into the lined tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds and almonds on the top.

Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To serve, cut into slices, toast under a grill and serve with butter and honey.

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December 5, 2016 Food

All You Ever Wanted to Know About a Pumpkin

In Hindi, pumpkin is called kaddu but the universal word pumpkin comes from the British Pumpkin which came from the British Pumpion which came from the French word Pompon, which came from the ancient Greek word Pepon which was also a word for a large melon. The American tourists changed it to pumpkin which is the word used today.

Pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy smell, the seeds, the leaves and even the flowers. Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are edible and excellent nutrient -rich snack and can be easily found in grocery stores all over the world. In the United States and Canada, pumpkin is a popular Halloween and Thanksgiving staple often made in a pie or a dessert cheesecake.

In the Middle East, pumpkin is used for sweet dishes; a well-known sweet delicacy called halawa yaqtin. In India, pumpkin is cooked with butter, sugar and spices in a popular dish called kaddu ka halwa. Pumpkin is also used in South Indian cuisine for preparing sambar. In India, pumpkin finds itself being used in vegetable curries as well as a masala sabzi like aloo bhaji during Navratri. In Thailand, small pumpkins are steamed with custard inside and served as a dessert. In Vietnam, pumpkins are commonly cooked in soups with pork or shrimp. In Italian cuisine, it is used along with some cheeses as a savoury filling with ravioli. In Japan, small pumpkins are served in savoury dishes, including tempura. In Australia and New Zealand pumpkin is often roasted along with other vegetables and served as an accompaniment to roast meats. In the South- the western United States and Mexico, pumpkin flowers are popular and are used either for garnishing or dunked in a batter and deep-fried.

lantern from pumpkin — … Jack-o’-lantern | by wwarby

Pumpkins are generally carved into decorative lanterns called Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween season in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, was found in Mexico. Today pumpkins are grown all around the world for a variety of reasons ranging from agricultural purposes (such as animal feed) to commercial and ornamental sales. Of the seven continents, only Antarctica is unable to produce pumpkin; the biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Canada, Mexico, India and China. As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year. The top pumpkin-producing states are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

Mini pumpkins at farmers market — A bunch of “mini” pumpkins at an open-air farmers’ market.

Nutrition and benefits

In a 100-gram amount, raw pumpkin provides 26 calories and an excellent source of pro-vitamin A beta-carotene and vitamin A (20% or more of the daily value). Vitamin C is present in a moderate amount and no other nutrients are in significant amounts. Pumpkin is 92% water, 6.5% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat, and 1% protein. However, pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein, minerals, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Because the vegetable is low in calories and rich in dietary fibre, it is one of the food items recommended by dietitians in cholesterol controlling and weight programmes.

A cup of cubed pumpkin contains almost twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which promotes good vision, especially in dim light. It has also found to slow the decline of retinal function in those with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disorder that can lead to blindness, as per researchers from Harvard. And as a bonus vitamin A also helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth and bones.

Pumpkin seed oil is full of Phyto-oestrogens, which research shows are beneficial for preventing hypertension. Pumpkin seeds are rich in trypot-phan, the amino acid that contributes to helping the body make serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter that helps you relax and unwind. Not only do pumpkin seeds promote better sleep but the serotonin will improve your mood as well.

So, pumpkin laced desserts and lattes won’t quite cut it for a healthier you, but it will certainly make you feel happy and give you a smile, but , adding pumpkin chunks to your roasted vegetables medley, or a healthy soup, or a sprinkling pumpkin seeds with your daily breakfast cereal or your salads or a healthy pumpkin energizing smoothie every morning will perk you up and you will see a healthier you new year is approaching and the party season starts soon, and we all have to fit into those shimmering sexy new clothes so start the pumpkin binge, have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner- get innovative.

Did you know?

The American pilgrims were known to make pumpkin beer. They fermented a combination of pumpkin, persimmons, hops and maple sugar to make this early colonial brew.

In early colonies, pumpkin shells were used as a template for haircuts to ensure a round and uniform finished cut. Because of this practice, New Englanders were sometimes nicknamed “pumpkin heads”.

Stay tuned for recipes with pumpkin.

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December 2, 2016 Recipes

Recipes with Curry leaves

In my earlier post, I covered curry leaves and its benefits. The following are 2 delicious recipes to try out.

Curry leaf chicken

Ingredients:

1 piece cinnamon

2 cloves

3 cardamoms

1 tsp each fennel and cumin seeds

1 tbsp. peppercorns

1 cup loosely packed curry leaves + 20 more curry leaves

3 tbsp. oil

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

3 green chillies halved

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 cup sliced shallots or small onions

1 tsp salt

1 tsp coriander powder

250 gms boneless chicken

Method: Dry roast the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cumin and fennel seeds and peppercorns, until aromatic (for about 2 minutes) Add the cup of curry leaves and continue sautéing for two more minutes. Cool, and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, fry the garlic and ginger paste for two minutes, stirring continuously. Add the green chillies and sauté for a minute. Add the turmeric powder and stir.

Add the onions or shallots and salt and fry until the shallots soften. Add the extra curry leaves as well as the ground masala and fry until well incorporated. Lastly, add the coriander powder and the chicken and stir fry and continue cooking until the chicken is soft and tender and cooked through.

curry leaf chicken recipe — curry leaf chicken

Chicken 65

Ingredients:

750 gms boneless chicken

Marinate for 30 minutes with ½ tsp tandoori colour,

2 tbsp. brown vinegar,

4 tbsp. red chilli sauce,

1 tsp garam masala, salt, chilli powder and sauf powder,

2 tbsp. fried browned onions,

2 tbsp. tomato ketchup,

4 tbsp. plain yoghurt,

2 tbsp. corn flour,

1 cup oil,

40 curry leaves chopped,

6 whole red chillies,

1 tbsp. each chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste,

1 tsp each, jeera (cumin seeds) and kalonji (Nigella) seeds.

Method:

Heat the oil, fry the curry leaves, chillies, ginger and garlic paste until browned. Add the chilli powder, jeera, and kalonji seeds and when sizzling and golden add the chicken and cook until cooked and has a glossy sheen. Add more oil while cooking if needed.

curry leaf recipe-Chicken 65- By Amiyashrivastava [GFDLhttp://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons — curry leaf recipe-Chicken 65

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November 30, 2016 Food

How best to use curry leaves in your cooking?

Curry leaves or kadi patta, as it is also known, is a staple in Indian dishes. The curry leaf is humble when compared to fancier aromatic herbs like cilantro, coriander, thyme, rosemary etc., but curry leaves add that pizzazz and a powerful punch and flavour to any dish they are added to.

Curry leaves are a common and extremely easily available seasoning that has not received its proper status in the international culinary world as it is a lesser known seasoning in the Western world. It always plays the part of a supporting hero in a dish rather than the star of the dish.

Curry leaves have a spicy, lemon like and bitter flavour that cannot be replicated with any other ingredient. Curry leaves are best in flavour when used fresh. Dried curry leaves have virtually no fragrance and taste and a common misconception is to substitute curry powder. The truth is that curry powder has no curry leaves, it is, in fact, a melange of different spices.

Occasionally, I have experimented using curry leaves with my roast meats instead of traditional herbs like rosemary or thyme and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted great with roast chicken! Also, a light tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves with plain grilled fish is also delicious. But then I am quite a fan of the curry leaf. It also pairs well with roast potatoes and sour cream.

The curry leaf tree starts small but grows quite tall with a trunk, often reaching a height of about 13-30 feet. The leaves grow with about 11 or 21 leaflets to a branch. The plant also produces small white flowers, which can self-pollinate to produce small shiny black berries or fruits containing a large viable seed. Though the berry pulp is edible- it has a sweet but medicinal flavour- in general, neither the pulp nor the seed is used for culinary purposes.

Try including curry leaves in your day-to-day daily cooking and please don’t discard the leaves whilst eating but eat them for a healthier life. Also, encourage your children to eat curry leaves for all their health benefits so by the time they are old enough they will have been habituated to eating curry leaves daily.

Properties and benefits

Properties and benefits of #curryleaves

Because of its aromatic properties, curry leaves have vast uses in soap making, body lotions, potpourri, room fresheners, body fragrances, perfumes, bath and massage oils, aromatherapy, spas, incenses’ and hair treatments. The essential oil found in curry leaves are believed to slow down the greying of hair.

The plant has been extensively used in traditional medicines in eastern India. The essential oil extracts from the leaves and seeds have antibacterial and antifungal properties. The root and bark are also used for medicines as they are a stimulant.

The health benefits are innumerable as curry leaves are packed with carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E. Curry leaves help your heart function better and fight infection and enliven your hair and skin with vitality.

As curry leaves are a rich source of iron and folic acid, which is mainly responsible for carrying and helping the body absorb iron as curry leaves are a rich source of both the compounds, it is one stop natural remedy to beat anaemia.

Not only do curry leaves help in lowering the blood sugar levels, but also help to keep them in check for a few days after the administration of curry leaves. Curry leaves help your blood sugar levels by affecting the insulin activity of the body and reduces one’s blood sugar levels.

The type and amount of fibre contained within the leaves plays a significant role in digestion and altering the way your body absorbs fat, thereby helping you control your weight. Since weight gain is one of the leading causes of diabetes, curry leaves treat the problem of the root.

Curry leaf juice is supposed to be good for digestion as well as aiding in controlling acidity. A decoction of curry leaf root and ginger is beneficial for stomach aches. Curry leaf paste mixed with buttermilk is very effective for a stomach upset.

Curry leaf juice with cardamom powder is said to be a home remedy for urinary problems.

Curry leaf powder with lemon juice and a little jaggery is a natural remedy for controlling morning sickness. Dried curry leaves consumed with hot water or milk help to cure chronic anaemia.

Stay tuned in for recipes with curry leaves.

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