MANGO CHIA SEEDS PUDDING

                       

Ingredients

• 200 ml coconut milk
• 4 tbsp Chia Seed
• 2 tbsp honey or sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 cup Ripe Mango peeled n cubed

Instructions

1. Mix coconut milk,  chia seed, honey and vanilla extract in a bowl.
2. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
3. Mix once again and then refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
4. Take 2 cups of mango and puree it
5. Add some coconut milk chia seed mixture in a serving glass.
6. Top with 1 spoon of puree
7. Top with chopped mangoes.
8. Repeat the layer.
9. Serve chilled.

BENEFITS OF CHIA SEEDS 

• Chia seeds can prevent premature skin aging due to inflammation and free radicals damage.
• Being high in dietary fiber, chia seeds benefits bowel regularity and healthy stool. The rich fiber content in chia seeds also helps people feel more full quicker .
• Chia seeds’ ability to reverse inflammation, regulate cholesterol and lower blood presdure make it extremely beneficial to consume for heart health. 
• Chia seeds can help prevent diabetes. chia seeds can help prevent metabolic disorders like dyslipidemia (excessive fat in the blood) and insulin resistance, which are two factors in the development of diabetes.
• By adding a serving of chia seeds a day, you can help boost metabolism  and burn belly fat as well. 
• Just one ounce of chia seeds has about 18 percent of the recommended daily amount of calcium.  Calcium is fundamental in bone health and helps maintain bone strength and mass.
• Chia also contains boron, which is another essential nutrient for bone health. Boron helps metabolize calcium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus for healthy growth of bones and muscles.
• Chia seeds also rank among the top plant-based  sources of protiens.This is another reason this super seed is great to consume for those trying to put on lean muscle, burn fat and balance blood sugar levels.
• Chia seeds pack a powerful antioxidant punch to help replace some of those nutrients lost when exercising. They’re high in essential minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron and niacin.
• Chia seeds are packed with calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and zinc, it’s no wonder that they’re a top food to help your teeth. 

BREAD FRUIT THORAN

INGREDIENTS

FOR  COOKING

• 2cups Kadachakka/Breadfruit,  cubed (after removing the skin)

• ¼  tsp turmeric powder

• 1 ½ cups water or enough to cook Kadachakka/Breadfruit

• 1 Cup black Channa 

• Salt to taste

For crushing:

• ½ - ¾ cup grated coconut
• 2 small red pearl onions, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic
• 2-3 green chillies, chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• A small pinch of cumin seeds/jeera
  
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilly
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Directions:

• Cook cubed pieces of Kadachakka/Breadfruit,black channa with ,turmeric powder, water and salt, on a stove top, in a sauce pan, until pieces are done and soft, in low-medium heat. To save time, you may also cook in pressure cooker, until the first whistle comes. Then turn off the stove and let it rest till the steam subsides.
• Meanwhile, prepare the coconut mixture. Crush and blend the grated coconut well with finely chopped small onion, green chilies, turmeric powder, cumin seeds and a tinge of salt, put all the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse 1-2 times.
• In a shallow pan, heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, dry red chilly and saute curry leaves for 30 seconds. To this add the ground coconut mixture and mix everything well and cook in medium heat for a minute, stirring occasionally. Now add the cooked pieces of Kadachakka/Breadfruit to this and gently mix everything together and let it sit in low heat for a minute or two. Do a taste- test, adjust the salt and turn off the stove
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

 Benefits of Breadfruit

Rich in Carbohydrates

Breadfruit is rich in carbohydrates, as 1 cup provides about 60 g of this nutrient. Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy, so carbohydrate-rich foods such as breadfruit can be beneficial for athletes and other active individuals.

High in Fiber

One health benefit of breadfruit is that the fruit is rich in fiber. One cup contains 10.8 g of this nutrient. Fiber offers numerous health benefits: it helps promote satiety, aids in digestion and may help reduce your cholesterol levels.

Low Fat Content

Breadfruit is low in fat, as 1 cup contains just .51 g. Due to its low fat content, you might want to include this fruit on a low-fat diet. However, if you deep fry your breadfruit or cook or serve it with sugar and butter, this will considerably increase the fat content.

Low Protein Content

Breadfruit is low in protein, as 1 cup contains just 2.35 g. Although protein offers certain health benefits, eating a low-protein diet can be helpful in some cases. Too much protein may put a strain on your liver and kidneys, so if you have liver or kidney problems, breadfruit is a low-protein option to include in your diet.

High Potassium Content

Breadfruit is rich in the mineral potassium, with 1078 mg in a 1-cup serving. Potassium is vital for your health, as it conducts electrical charges in your body that drive muscular contractions in your skeletal and smooth muscles, including your heart

MANGALOREAN RIPE MANGO CURRY

This Mangalorean recipe is a delightful way to enjoy sweet mangoes with a spicy twist. I guarantee you just cannot stop at one!!
These are slightly special mangoes which I’ve seen mostly down south. Smaller, really ripe, very juicy and are usually referred to as wild mangoes. But for all you folks who can’t get your hands on wild mangoes, just get any small variety of ripe mangoes and this will work. You just need mangoes – lots of them because you will want this curry for breakfast, lunch, dinner.

• Course: Main Course
•  Cuisine :Indian
•  Prep Time: 5 minutes
•  Cook Time: 20 minutes
•  Total Time :25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 8 – 10 Mangoes (Small Ripe Wild)
• 2 green chillies
• 2 tablespoons (Oil)
• A sprig Curry Leaves (of)
• ½ tsp Turmeric (Powder)
• 10 – 12 Peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Fenugreek (Seeds)
• 5 Chillies (Whole Dried Red)
• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 3 – 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 inch Ginger (piece)
• 2 Onions (medium , sliced)
• 2 tablespoons Jaggery
• 2 tablespoons Tamarind (Juice)
• 1 cup water
• Salt (to taste)

INstRUCTIONS 

1. Peel the mangoes and set aside. Squeeze the mango skins and cook mangoes and slit green chillies in a kadai. 
   
2. In a pan, dry roast peppercorns, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, mustard seeds and cumin seeds till a sweet, nutty aroma releases. This should take 3-4 minutes. Be careful to roast the spices on a slow flame, so as not to burn the spices.
3. Grind together the roasted spices, garlic, ginger and onions with a bit of water till smooth.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves. Once they start spluttering add the ground mixture along with turmeric. Saute this paste for 8-10 minutes till you start seeing drops of oil on the sides.
5. Add mangoes along with water and green chillies , jaggery and salt. Bring this to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes till the gravy thickens slightly. Taste and add more tamarind or jaggery as required.
6. Serve hot with some steamed rice. 

HIBISCUS TEA

Learn how to make hibiscus tea which has some amazing benefits. Make this with either fresh or dried flowers and choose to have it as a hot cup of tea or as hibiscus iced tea because either way it’s delicious and really good for you!

Hibiscus tea has a fruity taste and slightly tart in taste, so in case you are not a fan of tart taste you can always add some honey or sweetener of your choice. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups water
• 6-8 dried hibiscus flowers or 2-3 fresh hibiscus flowers
• 1 tbspn lemon juice
• Sweetener of your choice

      METHOD

• Heat up the water to a boil.
• Switch off the heat, add in hibiscus flower (remove the stamens first),  and allow the flower to steep for 5-6 minutes. Strain and add honey or your preferred sweetener.Add lemon juice and the colour of the tea turns into  bright red. Serve hot or chilled.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF HIBISCUS TEA

Steeped floral tea recipes are current favorites for health conscious people these days. Hibiscus tea not only tastes good but it is good for the health. Hibiscus flower is rich in antioxidants and Vitamins like VitaminA, Vitamin C and Vitamin B1 and Iron. Rich in flavonoid glycosides which gives it a deep ruby red color. It helps in lowering of blood pressure and and hibiscus is a great remedy for menstrual cramps. It is also help in people with Metabolic syndrome.

PLEASE NOTE:

Just as with any other medicinal plant, overdosing on hibiscus tea can have some side effects too. It affects oestrogen levels and potentially lower the blood pressure. SO people who already have low blood pressure or are on blood sugar lowering medication should avoid the hibiscus tea.

CHICKEN FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS

• Boneless Chicken Breast cut into thin strips 100 grams
• Rice soaked 1 cup
  
• Oil 4 tablespoons
  
• Spring onions finely chopped 2
  
• Garlic finely chopped 3-4 cloves
  
• Eggs whisked lightly 2
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
  
• White pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
  
• Vinegar 1/2 teaspoon
  

METHOD

Step 1

Cook rice in three cups of water until just cooked. Drain well and cool. Heat oil in a wok, add spring onions and garlic and stir-fry for a minute. Add chicken pieces and stir-fry for two minutes.

Step 2

Add eggs and cook for half a minute, stirring continuously. Add rice and salt and cook for a minute, stirring and tossing continuously.

Step 3

Add soy sauce,white pepper powder and mix thoroughly. Add vinegar, mix well and serve hot

MANGO PANNA COTTA

This dessert is easy to make and has a light, velvety texture. Mango adds a stunning colour and its exotic flavour.Panna cotta is a famous dessert hailing from Italy and translates as cooked cream. It’s a softly set pudding that is firm, but velvety smooth. It’s made in many flavors including vanilla, strawberry, lemon and espresso.

INGREDIENTS 

• Alphonso mangoes puree -1 cup
• Fresh cream -1.25 cup
• full fat milk -1cup
• chopped agar agar strands-4 tspn
• water for soaking the agar agar strands
• sugar - add as per taste
• vanilla extract or essence-1/2 tspn

Direction

1. first chop the agar agar strands in small pieces and soak them in warm water for 10 mins.
2. rinse, peel and chop the mangoes. add the chopped mangoes in a blender and make a smooth puree. keep the mango puree aside.                      
3. mix cream, milk and sugar in a pan or sauce pan and keep it on the stove top. stir with a wired whisk. keep on stirring at intervals while the cream mixture comes to a gentle boil. the sugar should also dissolve completely.
4. Also at the same time, keep the agar agar and water solution on the stove top. keep on stirring the agar agar solution and let it cook till the agar agar strands are dissolved completely.
5. the cream+milk+sugar mixture should just gently come to a boil. switch off the flame.
6. mix the hot agar agar solution into the hot cream+milk+sugar mixture and stir very well with a wired whisk. 
7. wait for about 5 mins till the panna cotta mixture becomes less hot. then add the mango puree and vanilla extract. mix very well with the wired whisk.
8. pour the mango panna cotta in serving bowls. cover the serving bowls with a lid or aluminium foil/plastic wrap. let the panna cotta become warm. then place the bowls in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours till the panna cotta is set.
9. while serving, top with some chopped mango pieces or garnish with mint leaves and serve mango panna cotta chilled.

BROCOLI SALAD

There are so many incredible vegetables that need to be enjoyed, but sometimes making everything come together to actually form a meal can be a little hard. I want to help make things a bit easier for you.Just look at how many delicious things are in this salad! It's an easy way to pack all your favorite summer vegetables into one gorgeous lunch.If you're the kind of salad-lover who craves all the green things, this recipe is for you. 

Ingredients

• Brocoli florets - 1 cup
• Yellow bell peppers- 1/2 cup
• Lettuce leaves-100gms

Dressing

• Vinegar- 1tspn
• Olive oil-3tspn
• Honey-1 tspn
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste 

Directions

1. Blanch the broccoli in a saucepan of boiling water, then rinse under a cold tap. Dry with a paper towel.
2. Remove the seeds from the pepper and cut into small chunks.
3. Cut the lettuce and add it to a salad bowl.
4. Add the broccoli and yellow bell pepper.
5. Mix the dressing ingredients together.
6. Pour over broccoli and yellow bell pepper and lettuce leaves, toss gently.
7. Serve immediately.

Interesting Facts About Broccoli

• Broccoli gets its name from the Italian word “broccalo”, which means “cabbage sprout”.
• The most common type of broccoli is Calabrese broccoli – named after Calabria (Italy), its place of origin.
• If you want to eliminate the smell of broccoli, you can add a slice of bread to the pot.
• California produces almost all of the broccoli consumed in the United States.
• And though available all year round, the vegetable is most nutritious from October to May.
• The American sign language has no sign for broccoli. You only have to spell it out.
• Broccoli was brought to America by Thomas Jefferson. In fact, in 1767, he imported the seeds from Italy and planted them in his own garden.

Health benefits of Broccoli 

• Helps prevent cancer.
• Detoxify your body.
• Improves bone and teeth health .
• Promotes heart health.

CHICKEN TAWA FRY

Pan frying is a form of frying by using of minimal cooking oil or fat, compared to deep frying. In this chicken fry recipe, I am just using little butter to lubricate the pan, no more oil or other fats may be needed. As a form of frying, pan frying relies on oil as the heat transfer medium on correct temperature and time to retain the moisture in the chicken. Because of the partial coverage, the chicken must be flipped at least twice or thrice to cook all sides evenly 

 

Prep time:  1hr with marination time

Cook time: 25- 30 mins

INGREDIENTS 

Chicken -600gms

Curd- 1/2 cup

Lemon juice -2 tbspn

Turmeric powder-1/4 tbspn

Kashmiri chilly powder- 2 tbspn

Garam masala- 1/2 tspn

Ginger garlic paste-1 tbspn 

Salt to taste 

Butter - 1 tbspn

Curry leaves- 10 leaves

INSTRUCTIONS 

Marinate chicken with curd ,salt ,lemon juice and ginger garlic paste .Keep it aside for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes before second marination drain out any excess water released from chicken and curd.

Add turmeric powder, kashmiri chilly powder and garam masala , combine well and keep it aside for 10 minutes.

Heat butter in a iron pan. Add curry leaves and lay marinated chicken pieces n cook on low flame. Serve hot with rice or rotis.