DIET SPECIAL 1 - "DIET DAL"

The SLIMMING POTION my mom made

All my earlier posts have been on dishes which caress and pamper the dessert cravings . From lassi to 1 minute mug cakes, all have proven to fulfil the sweet cravings.

However, before I bring to you, my post on different flavours' basket of  1 minute mug cakes, I thought of doing a DIET special post, inspired by my Mother.

My mother has been insisting on eating healthy and diet food for so long . But I had a notion that Healthy diet food is congruent to tasteless food ; until my mom took up the challenge of preparing a dish (I call it the slimming potion) which would be tasty, easy to prepare But devoid of even a single drop of oil.
She fulfilled her task with brilliance and created a protein rich "diet dal" without oil, yet retaining the flavor and taste.

Here, I share with you, her recipe of The Slimming Potion which would be a delight for diet freaks and would be a vital part of the diet routine followed by people trying to lose weight or struggling to maintain the perfect figure.Now, dieting does not necessarily have to mean traumatizing oneself with bland, tasteless food

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup green gram lentils (khada moong dal)
• 1 big onion chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder 
• Salt (To taste)
• 1 green chilly chopped
• 2 cups Water
• Coriander leaves for garnish

RECIPE:

• Soak lentils (dal) for 2 hours at least. 
• Heat the pressure cooker well. (Caution: DO NOT Burn)
• Add onions in the hot pressure cooker and saute until you get the aroma of cooked onions (It won't take much long as the cooker was hot ) Note: Don't wait onions to change color to brown
• Add tomatoes and chilly
• Add soaked dal
• Now, add the spices, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
• Add water 
• Now close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook.
• After 1 whistle, cook for 10 to 15 minutes more on simmer
• Once cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot 

NOTE:

• Protein rich diet helps in losing weight fast and effectively. It is a vital part of many diet plans. Hence, it is very helpful for people on diet . Especially vegetarians

TIPS:

• Use non stick utensils for easier cooking
• Lemon juice can be added to the dal before serving.

Enjoy the diet!!!

INSTANT ,MICROWAVE EGGLESS MUG CAKE

EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF 2-Minutes NOODLES BUT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT 2- minutes CAKE!!!

Have you ever had the late night cravings for cakes and felt helpless and sad due to the absence of the dessert !!!

Its time to say goodbye to such gloom, It is here to fulfill all your cravings...

MUG CAKES are here to save us !!! 

It's a miracle; it's a solution to several of our usual problems 

It is EASY TO BAKE; comes together almost instantly . It takes only 2 minutes to cook (I know it is unbelievable that we can bake a CAKE in just 2 minutes!!)

It is baked in the MICROWAVE; No oven required 

It is made just in a MUG; no extra utensils, trays or tools are required

There is NO problem of dealing with the LEFTOVERS  as it is perfect for one!

Also, The recipe I am about to share with you are all EGG LESS ; Now even the people who don't have egg can indulge in the mug cake.  

The idea of Mug Cakes was amazing.. And I have not stopped experimenting with it ,ever since I have heard about them.

Here is a hack for making perfect ,delicious and moist Mug Cakes.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons of Melted Butter /  1 and 1/2 tablespoons of oil
• 3 tablespoons of Condensed Milk
• 4 tablespoons of Milk
• 3 tablespoons of  All purpose Flour (Maida)
• 1 tablespoon of Cocoa Powder
• 1/8 teaspoon Baking Powder
• A pinch of Baking Soda

Flavor based Extra Ingredients:

CHOCO CHIP MUG CAKE 

• 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (Can add more, according to taste)  

NUTELLA MUG CAKE

• 1 tablespoon of Nutella

RECIPE:

1 VERY LARGE SERVING

CHOCO CHIP MUG CAKE :

• Add the dry ingredients in the microwave proof mug
• Mix the ingredients with a fork
• Now add the melted butter
• Add condensed milk followed by milk
• Now , mix the ingredients all together until they come together 
• Mix the content until the lumps are gone . Caution: Do not overmix
• Add the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
• Give it a light mix
• Put the Mug in the middle of the microwave 
• Cook for 2 minutes 30 seconds in the microwave at high power settings.( 600 W Microwave)
• If higher power microwave is used, reduce the time of cooking . Caution: Do not over cook , else the cake loses its moisture.
• Check if the cake is cooked with the help of the toothpick
• Serve hot 
• Enjoy with ice cream or chocolate syrup 

A piece of  homemade choco-chip mug cake

NUTELLA MUG CAKE:

• Add Melted butter/oil to the microwave proof mug.
• Add condensed milk followed by milk.
• Mix the ingredients together until they blend together.
• Now add the dry ingredients, that is, flour followed by cocoa powder , baking powder and baking soda.
• Mix the ingredients all together until they come together 
• Mix the content until the lumps are gone . Caution: Do not overmix
• Add 1 tablespoon of Nutella ( More nutella can be added for more dominant nutella flavor, according to taste) 
• Give the mixture a light mix
• Put the Mug in the middle of the microwave 
• Cook for 2 minutes 30 seconds in the microwave at high power settings.( 600 W Microwave)
• If higher power microwave is used, reduce the time of cooking . Caution: Do not over cook , else the cake loses its moisture.
• Check if the cake is cooked with the help of the toothpick
• Serve hot 
• Enjoy with ice cream or chocolate syrup 

NUTELLA MUG CAKE

The Mug Cakes are in fashion nowadays. They are gaining a lot of popularity over cupcakes and muffins, as they are convenient and easy to make without compromising on the taste or texture.

Do try these recipes ! Enjoy and please share you experience in the comments below.

VARIATION:

For all the health freaks out there , These cupcakes can be made healthier !

The All purpose flour can be replaced with the wheat flour (Easily available in every household and is used for making chapatis) 

Just take care of few points:

• Sieve the wheat flour before mixing the ingredients together ,for better results
• Do not over microwave while cooking. It takes lesser time to cook in comparison with the mug cake made from all purpose flour.

Recommended time for microwaving is just 2 Minutes in high power of 600W Microwave.

CHOCO CHIP WHEAT MUG CAKE

TIPS:

• This is perfect for unexpected Company
• Top with Whipped cream or chocolate syrup or have it with ice cream, for breathtaking culinary experience 
• It serves as a perfect evening or late night snack with a cup of coffee.
• If you have to reheat the cake before consumption , DO NOT heat the cake in microwave directly. Sprinkle some milk on the cake (not a lot) and then heat in the microwave to maintain it's softness and moisture.

NOTE:

• Make sure the Mug you are using to cook in is microwave proof
• A lot of people face a problem of getting chewy , spongy or dry cakes. This is due to over cooking of the cake in the microwave or by mixing the ingredients too much.                             Avoid it by not over mixing the ingredients. 
• Solution : Mix them until all the ingredients come together and no lumps are left.                                       Also, Cook the cake for the mentioned time initially. If still not cooked cook in                           intervals of 15 seconds until cooked. (Check the power of your microwave and cook                   accordingly)
• Extra sugar (preferably ground white sugar) can be added for increased sweetness according to taste

MANGO SHRIKHAND

Homemade Mango Shrikhand

SUMMER is my favorite part of the year. It is bright, sunny ,bubbly and full of energy and positive vibes. Also, it is associated with the delicious and scrumptious seasonal fruit .... The tastiest, yummiest, most delicious fruit ever ... Yes it is MANGO!!!

I can be 100% accurate in stating that it wins the "yummiest fruit" competition luxuriantly. 

The summer season has come to its end this year and what's the better way to bid farewell than to celebrate its vigor and vibrancy with a dish made of Mango , and indulge in AamSutra (Mango pleasure).

Hence, I tried my hands on "Mango shrikhand" .

Shrikhand has a unique taste and an amazing texture. It is like a "desi custard"!!! Till I tried it myself, I thought it would be too difficult to make it at home . However on the contrary, it is very easy and can be made easily at home with minimum ingredients.

If you are like me ,who loves shrikhand but is not satisfied by the packaged shrikhand in the market; here is an easy to make recipe for your own Mango Shrikhand 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 (1.5) cup hung curd
• 1 Mango - chopped
• 3-4 Cardamom crushed
• 1/4 cup of Sugar or Sugar to taste
• A pinch of saffron

RECIPE:

       Serves 4

• Hang around 500g of curd at home using clean kitchen cloth until most of the water is drained. This would give about one and half cup of hung curd.
• Grind the chopped mango until paste of the mango pulp
• Grind the sugar 
• Soak a pinch of saffron in little bit of milk to get the bright yellow color and for its enhanced fragrance
• crush 3-4 cardamom to powder
• Grind mango pulp, sugar, cardamom powder and soaked saffron together using a mixer.
• Mix the paste with hung curd by hand until completely mixed, to get the perfect texture.
• Finally, garnish with a few strands of saffron and freeze for some time (At least half an hour) before serving.

NOTE :

The taste of Mango shrikhand differs highly on the quality and type of Mango used.

Ripe Alphonso or Langda or Malda variety of Mango if used, gives the shrikhand a great taste.

SUGGESTIONS:

Mango Shrikhand of Hangyo (A company from Mangalore, Karnataka) is delicious , and one should definitely try it.