nitu didi

HEALTHY METHI PALAK PANEER (FRESH CHEESE IN SPINACH N FENUGREEK)

Posted on May 23, 2013 by nituchugani

Palak Paneer is a real popular dish in most desi restaurants. There are many many recipes online on how to make this. Each restaurant has their own “special” palak paneer recipe. I love to experiement in new ways of cooking. I am always on a quest of making a dish healthy and accessible to everyone. Paneer is a home made cottage cheese made from whole cows milk and can be substituted with tofu or store bought fresh cheese. Do try this “different” recipe of mine and give me your precious feedback.
INGREDIENTS FOR 3-4 HUNGRY :
Paneer made out of 2 litres of milk (this is how i make it)
2 cups of chopped spinach (i used my magical scissors)
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of chopped ginger
2 red tomatoes blended with 3-4 green chillies (chillies are optional), i used my bullet
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
salt to taste
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil( or can use butter or ghee)
1/2 cup of chopped coriander leaves
METHOD:
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic and sautee till the garlic changes color. Then add the ginger and sautee for a few seconds. Add the kasuri methi (fenugreek leaves) and the pureed tomatoes with salt and turmeric powder. Cook till the tomatoes are done ( it will take about 5 minutes ) and the oil separates (thats when you know the tomatoes are cooked). Now add the chopped spinach and coriander leaves and cook for few minutes. Add a bit of water and bring the whole sauce to a boil. Add the paneer cubes and cook for another 2-3 minutes taking care not to overcook. Check and correct seasoning and serve with naans , parathas or rotis. This is my healthy version of a palak methi paneer. I do have other versions on the blog, so you can check them out.
NITU DIDI TIP: If you want a smoother sauce, just cook the sauce, cool it and blend it. You can also add some whole milk or cream to the sauce, but then it won´t be healthy! You can also sprinkle some garam masala powder just before serving.
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HOW TO MAKE PANEER

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Paneer | Tagged kasuri methi, paneer, spinach, vegetarian | Leave a comment

SPICED SPROUTED BEAN SALAD

Posted on May 20, 2013 by nituchugani

Sprouts are very healthy and low in calories too. I was very thrilled i managed to sprout beans on my own at home without using any fancy equipment. All you need is a thin muslin or cotton cloth, the beans ofcoruse and thats it! If you can buy your sprouts thats fine too.
To sprout beans:
Wash beans till colour of the water runs transparent. Soak the beans overnight in water . Next day drain off the water and leave in a clean soft muslin or cotton cloth . I wrap the beans in the cloth and keep it on a plate. Leave it for 24 hours. If you see the cloth dry, just wet it slightly under the tap (this depends on the kind of climate). Leave it for 2 days, wetting it every 12 hours till the beans are sprouted. Now you can use your sprouts to make a salad!
INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD
Sprouts
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Spring onions
Coriander leaves or parsley
Capsicum
Radish
Lemon juice
Salt
Extra virgen spanish olive oil
Pinch of sugar
Chaat masala (this is the one i used…i love it)
METHOD:
Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. Mix all together. Whisk the extra virgen olive oil with lemon juice, salt, sugar. Pour ontop of the salad. Sprinkle with chaat masala. Toss well and serve.

NITU DIDI TIP: The vegetables can be added acording to your choice. For Jains please omit the onions and radish
HEALTH BENEFITS OF SPROUTS:
Some of the vitamins that sprouts contain include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin K. Apart from this, it is also rich in minerals such as Iron and calcium.
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Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Jain recipes, Lentils, Salads, Tupperware Food, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged salad, sprouts, starter, Vegan, vegetarian | Leave a comment

GRAM FLOUR DUMPLING CURRY (GHATTA CURRY)

Posted on May 17, 2013 by nituchugani

Todays recipe comes from a dear friend Kavita Durgani from calcutta. “Ghatta” is a dumpling made from gram flour (besan). Gram flour is very popular in many desi dishes. Gram flour also known as chickpea flour is gluten free and is good for diabetics. This is an innovative recipe so do try it out.
INGREDIENTS
200 gms Gram flour (chickpea flour/besan)
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp Ghee or oil
250 gms Yogurt (curds)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Oil
METHOD:
Mix besan while adding 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp. coriander powder and ghee or oil
Make a stiff dough. Make 5-6 thin and long strips of the dough.
Put these strips in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Cut these gattas into small pieces.
Strain the yogurt through a strainer. Add 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp red chilly powder, 1/2 tsp. dhaniya powder and turmeric powder to the curd. Mix well.
Add the gatta pieces. Heat oil in a pot. Fry some cumin seeds and curry leaves and then add the beaten yogurt with the ghattas in it.
Cook it for 5-7 minutes while stirring continuously till it comes to a boil.
Simmer the flame and cook for another 5-7 minutes.Turn off the gas. Finally heat up a teaspoon of oil and add some chilli powder to it, pour it over the curry. Serve gatta curry with rotis.
Thank you Kavita Durgani!!!!!
NITU DIDI TIP:
For vegans you can make a tomato based curry and put your dumplings in

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Gluten Free, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Vegan | Tagged dumplings. ghatte, gluten free, gram flour, Vegan, vegetairan | 6 Comments

ARROZ MELOSO CON PESCADO (SPANISH STYLE RICE WITH FISH)

Posted on May 16, 2013 by nituchugani

I must share this little story with you so you can understand the recipe. Arroz meloso means a creamy rice which is a cross between a rice cooked normally and a soupy rice. My daughter just loves the way my dear friend Adela cooks her spanish style rice (be it a paella, a soupy rice or a creamy rice) my daughter just loves it. I kept on wondering what i do wrong that she never seems to appreciate my rice as much as she does Adela´s. Well the other day i went to the market to buy some fresh fish and came across some lovely cubes of swordfish and some calamari rings. I bought them and then thought of making this spanish style rice for my kids. I recall the way Adela makes her rice and decided to do EXACTLY the same! I tell you my kids ate the whole pot which was enough for an army! I now realise what made this recipe so delicious: a good sprinkle of spanish paprika and a few strands of saffron. I did not even use any food coloring for this rice. Now enough of a story and lets get down to basics “the recipe”!!
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 HUNGRY:
500 grams of cubed fish
250 grams of calamari rings, cut up
2 red tomatoes grated
1 whole pod of garlic peeled and chopped ( i used my GARLIC PRO)
3 fish stock cubes (this is what i used)
2 cups of long grain rice (not basmati, or jasmin or any fragrant rice)
salt to taste if needed
1/2 teaspoon of spanish paprika powder
8 strands of Nitu Didi Pure Spanish Saffron
4 tablespoons of a good spanish olive oil
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a pan and then add half the chopped garlic and when it starts changing colour add the fish pieces and cook on high heat till the fish starts getting a bit brown. Then add the calamari and cook for five minutes and then add the rest of the garlic. Add the grated tomato and cook till the tomatoes are done. Then add the paprika and the saffron. Add the rice and give it a stir for a few minutes. Add 3.5 cups of water and the fish stock cubes and when it comes to a boil taste and correct seasoning by adding some salt if necessary. Cook till rice is done (20 minutes approximately) , adding a little more water if necessary. The rice should be a little creamy and that is achieved by adding a little extra water. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
NITU DIDI TIP.
If you cannot get calamari you can also add prawns instead. Add the prawns when the rice is half cooked .
Want to win some saffron??
Do enter my saffron giveaway!!! HERE

Nitu Chugani

Posted in Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Rice is Nice, Saffron | Tagged fish, rice, saffron, seafood, spanish | 2 Comments

SAFFRON GIVEWAY FOR MAY

Posted on May 16, 2013 by nituchugani

Pure Spanish Saffron GIVEAWAY!

By Nitu Didi in collaboration with www.masalaminds.com

TO ENTER:
1. You need to be a new member on MasalaMinds.com who signs up after May 15th, 2013
2. Sign up with your facebook account on www.masalaminds.com
3. Write 5 ORIGINAL reviews on food products which have not been reviewed on the site so far (here is an example of a reviewhttp://www.masalaminds.com/content/vodka-caramelo). Each review should be at least 70 words or more.
4. Email nitudidi@hotmail.com your masalaminds.com user id and names of products reviewed.

5. Contest ends on the 25th of May,2013.

6. 5 writers with best reviews as judged by masaminds.com team will EACH be sent a box of Nitu Didi Pure Spanish Saffron by registered airmail to the mailing address provided by them. For all your biryanis, paellas, sweet dishes, cakes and cookies, use saffron and see how delicious it is!!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

TOFU/PANEER IN CHILLI GARLIC SAUCE

Posted on May 14, 2013 by nituchugani

I have time and time again written about the goodness of tofu. It is bean curd and is low on fat and calorie content making it very healthy. You can use paneer (indian fresh home made cheese) as a substitute for most tofu recipes. I literally made this recipe in less than 10 minutes. Its delicious and can be eaten as a main dish with steamed rice or as a side dish.
I also have the recipe on how to make home made tofu with a video tutorial
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of firm tofu , cubed ( i wrap my tofu in a kitchen towel overnight to remove all its moisture so that it does not break while cooking)
1/2 cup of diced white onion
1/2 cup of diced green or red capsicum or a bit of both
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 tablespoons of soya sauce
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1/4 cup of chilli garlic paste ( i used THIS)
a splash of hot sauce (if you like it spicy)
METHOD:
In a good quality non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) heat the oil and brown the tofu cubes . While the tofu is browning
mix the sauces together. Once the tofu is browned add the onions and capsicum and toss for a half a minute and then add the sauces and cook till the tofu and veggies are well coated with the sauce. If you like you can add a bit of water and boil it. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot with steamed white rice.
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can also add chopped spring onions and green chillies to this recipe at the end.
To buy my ceramic pan CLICK HERE
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HOW TO MAKE TOFU

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indochinese | Tagged indochinese, paneer, spicy, tofu, Vegan, vegetarian | Leave a comment

EGGLESS HEALTHY CREPES

Posted on May 12, 2013 by nituchugani

My daughter just loves crepes…sweet , salty, with a filling or just plain with some honey, she can eat crepes anytime. I make them with white or whole wheat flour and they are delicious. I have already put up various crepes recipe on the blog but today i am just putting up a simple vegan one with the video tutorial showing you the consistency of the batter and how to cook the crepes.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons of oats (powdered, i used my bullet)
6 tablespoons of whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
water as needed
METHOD:
Combine the oats with the whole wheat flour and add salt and enough water to make a batter of running consistency.
Heat a non stick frying pan on medium heat and put spoonfulls of batter in it spreading it out. Cook on one side and then flip and cook on the other. Make all the crepes this way.
You can eat them with any topping or fill them with any filling.
To buy my bullet do send me an email at nitudidi@hotmail.com
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NITU DIDI TIP: To make sweet crepes just add some sugar and flavoring of your choice to the batter
HERE IS THE VIDEO TUTORIAL

Posted in Breakfast, Crepes, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Healthy Options, Magic Bullet, Quick Recipes, Vegan | Tagged crepes, eggless, oats, Vegan, vegetarian | 2 Comments

RISOTTO DI FUNGHI (VEGAN RECIPE)

Posted on May 10, 2013 by nituchugani

I wonder why i dont make risotto more often? One can experiment so much with this recipe and one does not have the fear of the rice being overcook :p giggles 😛 Jokes apart, today my son asked me why a risotto tasted so buttery and creamy and if it was possible to make one without any of that buttery creamy taste. I immediately thought of something and came up with this! I know many of you will say a risotto is not a risotto without the butter, cream and cheese…and yes that is correct in a way…but what if one does not like the taste? There are many risotto recipes online if one wants to follow the normal risottos. I always try to do something different so here you are! The taste was awesome, in fact i myself was surprised by how good and light it was! So…here is my take on a total fat free vegan risotto!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of rice, i used ordinary rice (you can use Arborio rice if you have it… or any rice will do except a fragrant rice like basmati or jasmine rice)
1 cup of assorted mushrooms, you can use white mushrooms, portobello, oyster mushrooms etc etc
1 stalk of celery, chopped fine
salt to taste
a good sprinkle of lemon pepper ( this is just adding a bit of spice)
2-3 cups of vegetable stock (or any stock you have handy)
METHOD:
In a non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) just put the mushrooms and cook them on medium heat till they release their juices. Add the chopped celery and the rice. Mix well and add a little of the stock and cook till the rice absorbs the stock, then add a little more, and cook again. Keep on adding the stock bit by bit till the rice is done and the texture is creamy. If you add the stock all at once you will not get the desired creamy effect. This is the way risotto is cooked. The normal recipe usually has the vegetables sauteed in butter, and then you add the stock, finishing off with cream and parmesan cheese. This is a lighter version for all of you.
NITU DIDI TIP:
I just used assorted mushrooms and celery but you can use any kind of vegetable you want such as : carrots, asparagus, corn on the cob, brussel sprouts, etc etc. If you like you can add non dairy vegan milk or cream to this to get a more authentic risotto. We loved it just the way it is.
To buy my ceramic pans CLICK HERE

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For my video on how to make seafood risotto see below

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Low Cost, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes, Rice is Nice, Vegan | Tagged eggless, italian, jain, mushrooms, risotto, Vegan, vegetarian | 3 Comments

EGGLESS SANDWICHED COOKIES

Posted on May 9, 2013 by nituchugani

This recipe needs no write up! Its not even mine (giggles!!!) My friend Sonia Perez made this and sweetly sent me the recipe because i got soo excited when i asked her if it had “eggs” and she said no!! So for all of you… with love from Sonia Perez!
INGREDIENTS :
200 grams of butter at room temperature
120 grams of white sugar
360 grams of all purpose white flour (maida)
1 tablespoon of vanilla flavoured sugar (or a few drops of vanilla essence)
1 tablespoon of water
a pinch of salt
and ofcoruse NUTELLA to sandwich them with 🙂
METHOD:
Mix the butter, sugar , salt and vanilla flavoured sugar or the essence till well blended. Add the flour and mix it well. You will need to work it with your hands till it forms a dough. Put the dough into plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. After that time using some dry flour roll the dough into 1/2 cm. thickness and cut into cookies with a cookie cutter. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking tray with butter or wax paper and place the cookies on the tray leaving some space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes without letting them get browned. These cookies harden when cooled. Once cooled thoroughly spread some nutella on one cookie and sandwich with the other!
Yum yum yum!!!!

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Jain recipes | Tagged biscuits, cookies, eggless, jain, nutella | 2 Comments

ROASTED BELL PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SALAD

Posted on May 8, 2013 by nituchugani

This healthy salad originates from my city of Valencia. It is called “escarraget” and is made by roasting red bell peppers, and mixing it with salted cod fish then splashed with olive oil and and lots of garlic. I have made a “vegan” version of this substituting the fish with eggplant. This recipe comes with a video tutorial so you can see exactly how it is done. This salad is best made a day in advance and ofcoruse you need to use a good quality of extra virgen olive oil. It is delicious, healthy, and makes an excellent sandwich filling, or even a topping for canapes. Just sit back with a drink and enjoy this salad.
INGREDIENTS:
Red bell peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Extra virgen spanish olive oil ( you can see the pretty spanish lady holding her bottle of oil in the video)
and salt to taste
METHOD:
Put the peppers and the eggplant in an oven tray and bake on high heat till they get roasted, I prick the eggplant before i roast them so that they dont burst while baking. Once they are baked thoroughly i leave them in the oven with the heat off to cool so that its easier to peel. Once cooled thoroughly i carefully reserve all the liquid thats come out while roasting. This is very flavourful and can be used in your cooking. Carefully peel the peppers and eggplant and then with your fingers tear them into strips. Place them in a bowl. Add some chopped garlic, salt and a very generous splash of extra virgen olive oil. Mix well and refrigerate. This tastes amazing with time and the spanish actually top it with olive oil so that they can dip their bread in it.
NITU DIDI COOKING TIP:
If you want to make it the valenciana way, just soak some dried cod for 24 hours changing the water every 6-8 hours. Rinse it, and then just shred it and add it to the salad and omit the salt. Like my recipes??? Do DONATE
HERE IS THE VIDEO: