BOILED EGG SANDWICH

 The boiled egg sandwich is a sumptuous breakfast recipe of bread sandwich with hard boiled egg and oil free eggless mayonnaise. The combination of these two yields a lucious creamy filling in between two bread slices. EGGS are among the healthiest foods you can eat.

They are rich in:

* High-quality protein.

* Healthy fats.

* Many essential vitamins and minerals.

* Eggs can help you lose weight because of their high protein content, which keeps you full longer.

* That protein may also slightly increase your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories.

* If you want to lose weight, eat eggs as part of a healthy breakfast with fruits and vegetables.

Healthy egg salad sandwich served on wheat bread/ multigrain bread. Here I have used multigrain bread. The classic egg salad is made with hard boiled egg, mayonnaise, chopped onion greens (chives ), finely chopped capsicum, finely chopped celery or coriander stems, curry powder and black pepper. If you do not prefer/ like mayonnaise , substitute it with hung curd or Greek yogurt.Greek yogurt  has lower calories, lower fat and higher protein making it very diet friendly. Plus it’s super creamy, so it creates a rich consistency that we all know. A dash of pepper give the peppy taste to your sandwich.  The curry powder used in the egg salad give your simple egg salad a special zing and gentle spicy lift. The chives and celery gives the egg salad a nice crunch, which is so good. The egg salad is quick and easy meal option and  can be used in a sandwich, in a tortilla wrap, with a side of crackers or in lettuce cups. It’s inexpensive and easy to make. It turns out creamy and delicious every time! You can make it a day ahead if you want to pack it to eat on the go! So do try this easy no oil, ready in just 5 minutes sandwich recipe. Classic egg salad sandwich is the comfort food of and one of my favorite breakfast/ lunch.  

📌📌 Watch the video recipe here 👇👇

INGREDIENTS : 

1 hard-boiled large Egg, peeled and chopped 

1 teaspoon Oil free, Eggless Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped Celery (see notes )

1 tablespoon chopped Green Onion or Chives

1 tablespoon chopped Capsicum

1 pinch Curry Powder/ Garam Masala Powder 

Salt to taste

1 pinch Black Pepper Powder

2-3 teaspoon Coriander Chutney

2 slices white, wheat, multigrain ( toasted or plain)

METHOD :

For making egg salad -

STEP 1 - To hard boil the eggs, use a small pot to boil just enough water to cover the eggs. Carefully add the eggs to the boiling water and cook for 12 minutes. Let cool then peel and chop it.

STEP 2 -  In a small mixing bowl, mix together the  celery, capsicum and onion greens. 

STEP 3 - Add in mayonnaise.

STEP 4 -  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and curry powder to taste. Mix with a spoon.

STEP 5 - Now mix in the chopped hard- boiled egg.

STEP 6 - Egg salad is ready.

Assemble the sandwich- 

STEP 1 - Toast your bread slices without any butter / oil. 

STEP 2 -  Spread green coriander chutney on both slice of bread.

STEP 3 - Spread the egg mixture on top and put another slice of bread on top.

STEP 4 - Sandwich is ready to serve.

STEP 5 - Cut into triangles and ready to serve.

Serve the egg sandwich immediately.

NOTES : *This recipe is for a one egg sandwich and makes only one sandwich. 

* If you would like more egg salad in your sandwich, or if you are making more sandwich, you can easily scale up this recipe.

* Using perfectly boiled egg is very important to make great tasting salad. Avoid overcooking the eggs as it affects on the taste and texture of the salad. 

* The egg salad filling can also be prepared up to a day ahead and kept refrigerated. Wait to assemble your sandwich until just before eating.

* To avoid a soggy egg salad sandwich, make your sandwich by laying a piece of lettuce over the toast, adding the egg salad, layering another piece of lettuce, and topping with the bread. 

* A typical egg salad demands for mayonnaise as it gives a creamy texture to the salad. Here I have used homemade oil and egg free mayonnaise. I will update the recipe soon on my blog.

* If you don't like / prefer mayonnaise, then you can substitute with low fat hung curd / Greek yogurt.

* Fresh herbs like celery, chives go well in this recipe. However, what is available locally, you can use it. 

* I don't have celery, so I have used coriander stems.

* You can add veggies of your choice or available with you.

* Black pepper is used for heat but you can substitute it with chilli flakes.

* Feel free to stir in some different seasonings, such as smoked paprika or Italian seasoning for an additional flavor boost.

HEALTHY JOWAR CHILLA

 Jowar is loaded with protein, carbohydrate and dietary fibre which promotes growth and development, it is an ideal cereal in weight watcher’s diet. Jowar is globally known as the “new quinoa” for its gluten-free and whole-grain goodness. It goes by the name of Sorghum in English, It has many words in different states, namely, Jwar in Maharashtra, Cholam in Tamil Nadu and Jonna in Andhra Pradesh. Jowar is ground into flour that is used to make Rotis, bhakri, cheela, dosa, etc.In India, jowar is a staple food item. Jowar or sorghum is prized as a healthy alternative to refined flour or all-purpose flour, this fibre-rich millet is cultivated extensively in India. In recent times  jowar is gaining popularity among fitness enthusiast as a healthy substitute for wheat grain. It can be consumed as a whole cereal or ground into flour. Jowar is loaded with protein, carbohydrate and dietary fibre which promotes growth and development, it is an ideal cereal in weight watcher’s diet and also regulates diabetes. A member of the millet family, Jowar is receiving worldwide attention as people shift away from refined wheat products which are not considered a very healthy option. Wishing to know what health benefits this godly ingredient carries along? Here we are, with comprehensive nutritional information about Jowar (source Google ) ----->> 

# It is a gluten-free whole grain, is considered an excellent alternative for people who suffer from ‘gluten intolerance‘ and it is rich in nutrients as well. So swapping wheat with Jowar has been found to reduce symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, headaches, etc.

# The fiber in jowar helps keep the bowels moving, which prevents constipation. It is also associated with lower levels of bad cholesterol, protecting the body against the onset of cardiovascular diseases.

# Being a complex carbohydrate, Jowar is digested slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar. So it’s a great diet choice for diabetics and people who want to lose weight.

# Because it contains high levels of magnesium, jowar helps maintain calcium levels in the body, which is great for bone health.

# It has a much higher concentration of dietary fiber when compared to other cereal grains. So a single serving contains more than 12 grams, contributing to 48% of the daily recommended fiber intake.

With a variety of seasonal vegetables, these pancakes are great for a healthy and quick breakfast idea and also an all-day-breakfast meal! With this there are so many health benefits of consuming jowar. So try to add it into your diet. It is quick, healthy, tasty, easy to prepare, economical too.

 INGREDIENTS :

 1 Cup Jowar Atta (millet flour) 

 1/4 Cup Gram Flour /Besan ka Atta

1/4 Cup Onion, chopped

 1/4 Cup Spinach/ Palak (see notes )

2 tablespoon Capsicum, chopped

1/4 Cup Carrot, grated

1/4 Cup Cabbage, chopped finely

2 tablespoon Spring Onion, chopped

2 tablespoon Coriander leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 inch Ginger, grated

2 Green Chillies, chopped  (see notes )

2 teaspoon roastetd Cumin / Jeera Powder 

1/2 teaspoon Ajwain/ Carrom Seeds

1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

Salt as per your taste

Water for making batter (approx 1-1/2 Cup )

2 teaspoon Desi Ghee

1/2 teaspoon Oil ( for greasing tawa )

METHOD : 

STEP 1 - Add millet flour in a large bowl.

STEP 2 -  Add gram flour to the same. 

STEP 3 -  Further, add  all the spice powders and salt and mix it well.

STEP 4 - Add carrom seeds and sesame seeds..

( Crush carrom seeds in between your palms and then use it. )

STEP 5 - Then add chopped veggies and give it a nice stir. 

STEP 6 - Add half a cup of water and whisk it well. 

STEP 7 - Now, add more water little by little ( around 1 cup ). 

STEP 8 -  Mix it into a lump free and pouring consistency batter. 

STEP 9 -  Heat an iron tawa on medium heat and grease it with oil. (Drizzle few drops of oil on hot tawa and wipe it using a tissue paper.) (see notes ) Lower the flame to low.

STEP 10 - Now, pour the ladleful of  mixture onto a heated flat-pan (tawa) and swirl to spread into a circle.

STEP 11 -  Cook it for 2-3 minutes or until golden in colour on medium flame.

STEP 12 - Once it's done from one side, flip it and cook from the other side. 

STEP 13 - Smear half a teaspoon of ghee and allow it to cook for a minute. 

STEP 14 - Flip it over , smear ghee and let it cook for half a minute from the other side. 

STEP 15 -  Now, flip it back to check if it is cooked. 

STEP 16 - Once done, remove it from the pan and place it on the plate. 

STEP 17 - Serve hot with any chutney, curd and enjoy.

Serve it with your favourite pickle, ketchup or chutney.

 NOTES : *Make sure to chop the vegetables evenly, as one vegetable should not overpower the taste of the whole chilla. 

* You can add veggies of your choice. 

* I used spinach but feel free to use whichever greens are available.

* Seasoning the griddle / tawa  helps to make the tawa non-stick.

* Batter will stay good in refrigerator for upto 3 days.

* More green chillies can be added according to one's requirement of spice.

* Ensure to make the mixture not too thick or thin and of pouring consistency.

EGGLESS BROOKIES / BROWNIE COOKIES

 Have you ever had a tough time deciding between brownies or cookies? Try this Brookies recipe which is a delicious combination of brownies and cookies. These soft and chewy brookies are eggless and easy to bake! The Brownie Cookie/ Brookies recipe is a chocolate lovers dream come true. These brookies are crusty outside with a rich soft brownie texture on the inside. Cracked top, dense and with so fudge like texture they taste just like brownie.This cookie is rich, soft and decadent. Use a good quality chocolate (chocolate chips work well too), ideally with 70% cocoa content for a darker intensity. Every now and then kids deserve a treat ! After 1-1/2 years of this Corona Period, few days back, my daughter went to Pune for her classes and I want to send her something new and interesting stuff. And as I mentioned many times that she's a die hard chocolate, brownie fan and that's the reason I absolutely love making and eating chocolate desserts  at my place. I was damn sure that this would get me loads n loads of virtual hugs n kisses from my daughter. And yes I wasn’t wrong. These chocolatey brookies was soft , gooey , chewy and fulfilled both her chocolate as well brownie cravings ! And the best part is my house was smelling like heaven while baking these cookies. These brookies come together very effortlessly with very simple ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen . These brookies come together very effortlessly with very simple ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen . So if you like brownies and planning to try on some brookies, you’ve just found the perfect recipe .

INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour 

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar 

1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder 

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder 

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter 

1 pinch Salt 

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence 

1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate 

2 tablespoon Chocochips 

2 tablespoon Milk

METHOD:

STEP 1 - In a bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.

STEP 2 - Add butter, sugar and vanilla essence in another bowl and mix well.

STEP 3 - Now add butter-sugar mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.

STEP 4 - Add milk as the per quantity given. You can add more if needed to make a dough.

STEP 5 - Add dark chocolate and make a smooth dough.

STEP 6 - Cling wrap/ cover the bowl and let it sit in the  the dough in refrigerator for about 25 - 30 minutes so that it becomes easier to make balls out of it. 

STEP 8 - Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep ready.

STEP 9 - After 30 minutes, the dough looks little firm and easy to shape.

STEP 10 - Divide the dough into equal size balls. Place them about 2 inch apart on the lined bakingt ray because they spread while baking. 

STEP 11 - Place some chocochips on the balls.

STEP 12 -  You can keep the tray again in refrigerator for 10 minutes, if you dont wish your brookies to spread much.

STEP 13 - Bake in pre-heated oven  at 160°C for 10-12 minutes in oven. Do not feel that they are undone if they look soft. Don’t worry once they cool ,they will turn crispy. 

STEP 13 - Leave them for 10 to 15 minutes on the cooling rack and allow them to cool completely .

 Immediately serve them or you can transfer and store the cooled brookies in an airtight container . Enjoy !! 

NOTES : *You can scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop on the baking tray lined with parchment paper.

RASAM VADA

 Hello everyone, hope you are having an incredible day today. Today, I am sharing how to make the a special dish , udpi style RASAM VADA. One of my most favourite recipes. I think this is the right time (season )to share the Rasam Vada recipe with you all.  Rasam Vada is a popular snack or starter which is filling and light on the stomach. You can’t eat breakfast at night or dinner in the afternoon – but snacks? that you can eat anytime of the day! Along with tea, after school or at a birthday party – snacks are every foodie’s ultimate favourite. Rasam is one of the healthiest South Indian dishes you will ever have.This dish is incomplete without rasam powder. You can easily get rasam powder at any local store or online. But for this recipe,  the Rasam Powder recipe I used here is completely homemade and so do check the recipe of how to make perfect rasam on my blog. Vadas are made crisp and soaked or dunked in spicy hot rasam. Healthy snacking is the best way to satisfy your munchies without the worry of to many added calories. Udpi style Rasam Vada is one of the most favoured of current trending foods in the world.  It is accepted by millions everyday. It is simple but something different, extremely crunchy with a wow taste factor. The same vada you can have with Sambar too. So that’s your 2 in 1 recipe. So enjoy.

Take care while preparing these and follow the steps given down below. Scroll down to the notes section to read out the tips. Enjoy your weekend with this Rasam Vada.

INGREDIENTS:

For RASAM :

1 small Lemon Size Tamarind

3 Tomatoes, medium size

2 tablespoon Tuwar Dal [pigeon pea]

1 teaspoon Salt [according to your taste]

1 sprig Curry Leaves

1 pinch Asafoetida

Chopped Coriander Leaves

Ingredients For Grinding: (RASAM MASALA POWDER ) :

1 teaspoon Ghee

2 teaspoon Coriander seeds

2 teaspoon Tuwar Dal

1 teaspoon Peppercorns

1 -2 Dry Red Chillies [adjust your spice level]

2 Kashmiri Red Chillies [optional for colour]

1 sprig Curry leaves

½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Ingredients for Tempering :

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Few Curry leaves

1 teaspoon Ghee

For Vada :

1 Cup  Urad Dal / White Lentil 

Water  (for soaking & grinding)

2 tablespoon  Rice flour 

1/2 inch Ginger , grated 

2 Green Chillies, chopped finely

few Curry leaves  (finely chopped)

1/2 Cup freshly grated Coconut

2 tablespoon Coriander  (finely chopped)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Oil  (for frying)

METHOD : 

Let’s Make The Rasam Masala Powder:

STEP 1 – Heat a pan on low flame, add ghee and the grinding ingredients. Do not add cumin seeds.

STEP 2 – Roast it till the dal turns golden brown in colour.

STEP 3 – Transfer the roasted ingredients in a plate and let them cool. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves to it.

STEP 4 – After cooling completely, add the ingredients to mixer pot and grind to a fine powder. Keep it aside.

Preparation For Making Rasam:

STEP 1 – Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice.

STEP 2 – Wash and soak the tuwar dal for 15-20 minutes.

STEP 3 - Then pressure cook the tuwar dal for 2 whistles.

STEP 4 – Cool completely and then mash dal nicely and keep it aside.

STEP 5 – Cut 1 tomato finely and puree remaining 2 tomatoes. Keep them aside.

How to Proceed:

STEP 1 – In a vessel, add tamarind juice/ pulp along with chopped tomato, salt, curry leaves and asafoetida and mix well.

STEP 2 – Add tomato puree to the mixture and mix it well. Keep it on the flame.

STEP 3 – Allow the rasam to boil for about 5 minutes on medium flame or till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.

STEP 4 – Add smashed dal and mix well. Now mix 2 cups of water and allow the rasam to cook for about 5-6 minutes on a low to medium flame.

STEP 5 – Finally, add ground masala powder and mix well and when the rasam gets froth, remove from flame. No need to boil at this stage.

For the tempering :

STEP 1 – Heat small tempering pan with ghee. Then add few curry leaves, mustard seeds and let them crackle.

STEP 2 – Add this tempering to the rasam and mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander.

STEP 3 – Your rasam is ready, Keep this aside.

For  Making Crispy Vada :

STEP 1 - Wash and soak 1 cup urad dal in 3 cups of water for 1½ hours.

STEP 2 - Rinse thoroughly and drain the water. 

STEP 3 - Transfer the soaked urad dal to a blender or food processor.

STEP 4 - Blend until a smooth, thick paste forms. Add only 2-3 teaspoon water while blending.

STEP 5 - Transfer the urad dal batter to a large mixing bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons rice flour. (I missed adding rice flour, so I added it later )

STEP 6 - Mix well making sure everything is well combined.

STEP 7 - Use your hands and beat the batter. To make it more easy and fast, I have used a hand beater. We need to beat it for atleast 2-3 minutes. It helps the batter to become airy and light. (see notes ) 

STEP 8 - Add grated ginger and chillies, a few chopped curry leaves, grated coconut,  chopped coriander and salt. (added rice flour )

Again whisk it for a minute and your batter is ready. (see notes )

STEP 9 - Heat sufficient oil in a pan. 

STEP 10 - Now, dampen your hands in water, shape the batter into small balls with finger tips and drop into the hot oil while the flame is set to medium.

STEP 11 - Fry the vada on medium heat until golden and crisp.

STEP 12 - Drain the vada on kitchen paper / absorbent paper, to remove the excess oil.

STEP 13 - Ready to serve. 

STEP 14 - Finally, put hot rasam in a serving bowl, put few number of vadas in it and garnish it with some chopped coriander and grated coconut and relish.  

Serve it hot with a cup of tea or filter coffee.

NOTES : * The batter looks so thick before beating. After beating, it becomes more light and airy.

* After beating the batter, avoid mixing the batter with a spoon. Let it be the way it is. It helps to retain the batter airy.

* It's totally optional to use hand beater.

* Drop the vada into the hot rasam right away or soak for 2 hours, or until the vada has absorbed all  of the rasam.

 * Do not add more water while grinding urad dal as we need a thick batter.

* Adding ghee while tempering enhances the taste.

* Cook vada on medium flame after dropping the vada in hot oil. Otherwise, it wont get cooked inside properly.

* You can use store bought rasam powder (2 tsp) in place of freshly ground in case you are lazy to grind powder.