I am trying to switch to a healthy diet these days. After discussing with some of my friends, I tried couple of healthy replacements to white rice like quinoa, brown rice etc. But the thing we all liked the most is cracked wheat. So instead of using white rice/basmati rice, I use cracked wheat for our daily meals. It goes very well with all the gravies/dals, in pulavs, pongals/ khichdis etc. I remember few years ago, aayi mentioning she uses this to make a kind of congee(Pej). I never thought I would start using it so soon – to be very frank, I did not think we would like it when I saw it first time.
Ingredients: 1 cup cracked wheat 1 cup vegetables (corn, green beans, green peas, carrots) 1/2 cup onion 1 tea spn ginger garlic paste 1/2 tea spn red chilli powder 1/2 tea spn coriander powder 1 tbl spn grated coconut(optional) 1/2 tea spn cumin powder 1 tbl spn lemon juice Ghee/Oil Salt
Method: Heat ghee/oil and fry onion, ginger-garlic paste. When the onions turn translucent, add vegetables, cracked wheat, coconut, chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder, salt. Fry very well for 2-3mins. Add 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Cook in pressure cooker – for about 3-4 whistles. Take off the heat. Add lemon juice and mix well. Serve hot.
Serves : 2 Preparation time : 25mins
Pictorial:
Don’t know why I took so long to post this recipe. I have been always a huge fan of kheema . It all started during my college days in Belgaum. My pacchi (mom’s sister) makes a killer mutton kheema. I absolutely loved it. Although I do not prefer eating mutton, that must be the only dish I truly loved.
When I moved to Bangalore, I started making this regularly with ground chicken. Then we moved to US and I forgot everything about it. I think that was because V is not a big fan of kheema. But then one day, about a year ago, I remembered it and started searching for ground chicken here. I couldn’t find it anywhere. Then one day, one of my colleagues pointed me to it. Immediately I tried this recipe. It came out so well.
Ingredients: 1 lb ground(minced) chicken (or mutton) 1 tea spn ginger paste 1 tea spn garlic paste 3-4 green chillies 3-4 strands coriander leaves 1/2 cup onion 1/2 cup potatoes cut into thin pieces 1 tea spn chilli powder A pinch turmeric powder 1/2 cup tomatoes 3 cloves 2″ cinnamon 1 tea spn shah jeera 2 cardamoms Oil Salt
Method: Make a paste of ginger, garlic, green chillies and coriander leaves. Apply this paste to ground(minced) meat and leave it aside for about 30mins. Heat oil and fry onion. Add potatoes, turmeric, chilli powder, tomatoes. Let it cook for few minutes. Now add the chicken, salt and let it cook. Make a powder of cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, shah jeera. Add the powder to chicken. Cook for a min and take off heat.
Serves : 3-4 Preparation time : 30mins
Pictorial:
