Hi there - wherever you are, I hope you and your family is safe and well.
Past 12 months have been really strange, affecting all our lives, with all of us trying to adjust to the new normal. While there has been a lot of hardship, one good thing to come out of this is renewed interest in cooking and eating healthy.
This weekly newsletter, which will come out every Thursday, is my attempt to bring all my expertise to you, so that you can continue on your discovery of the joys of cooking.
Sign-up below for free
Lets get started …
Closer to Home //
Amla - Indian Gooseberry - The Super Food
The winter season is at its peak and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables are available in the market.
The best way to understand the local and seasonal produce is to visit your local farmers market and lay your hands on fresh from the farm local and seasonal produce.
Eating local and seasonal produce is not only beneficial to our body but also cooking seasonal and local foods are more delicious and flavour full. That is one of the reasons why regional food tastes best cooked in that particular region even when you are following your grandmother’s recipe.
One of my personal favourite of the present season is Amla also known as Indian Gooseberry and Indian markets are flooded with this wonder food at the moment.
This low caloric yet packed with nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, copper and high in both soluble and insoluble fibre and rich in antioxidants has been used widely and for a long time been used in Ayurveda for treatment of many ailments.
Besides all these great health benefits it is a very versatile ingredient to work with. You can juice it and make power packed juice for your breakfast which will keep you going for the entire day.
You can cook it as vegetables for your lunch or dinner, preserve it as pickle or make a dessert or as an after dinner candy.
Here are couple of my favourite recipe using the amazing super-food.
Amla Green Apple Juice with fresh Basil and Honey
Ingredients : Amla (100gms), Green Apple (100gms), Fresh Basil (3-5gms), Honey (1tbsp), Baby Spinach (50gms), Water (50ml)
Wash and de-seed the Amla.
Wash and core the apple and cut into bite size pieces.
Wash spinach and roughly chop into small pieces.
Add Amla, Apple, Spinach and fresh Basil in a blender jar.
Add water and blend till a smooth paste is formed.
Strain the juice and finish with honey and serve immediately.
Amla Chutney
Ingredients : Amla (50gms) - de-seeded and cut into bite size, Coriander (25gms), Chopped Basil leaves (10gms), Chopped onions (50gms), Chopped Garlic (1tbsp), Chopped Green Chillies (1tbsp), Sugar (1tbsp), Salt, Lemon Juice (1tbsp), Water (1/4 cup)
Put all the ingredients into a blender Jar.
Add water and blend into fine paste.
Add Salt and Sugar.
For more amazing things that you can make with Amla, reach out to me.
#
OnePotRecipes // Pasta with Tomato Sauce
In present times when your movements are curtailed and you are not sure whether it is safe to eat outside or not, you are looking for something delicious, nutritious and a complete meal, without spending too much time in the kitchen, away from your beloved Zoom calls.
I will be bringing you a series of #onepotrecipes where by using smart gadgets and ingredients, you can dish out a wholesome delicious meal with minimum efforts.
The first dish in this series is your favourite pasta with tomato sauce and of-course you can add some chicken if you want. It is a complete meal and you can prepare it in about 20 minutes
You can cook this dish in a pressure cooker, a rice cooker or even in a microwave.
Ingredients : Pasta Penne (75gms), Olive Oil (1tbsp), Chopped Garlic (1.5tbsp), Chopped Onions (3tbsp), Chilly Flakes (1/4tbsp), Diced Chicken (50gms), Fresh Basil (1tbsp), Tomato Puree (4tbsp), Fresh Tomatoes - cut into quarters (1), Oregano (1tbsp), Olives (1/2tbsp).
For topping : Chedder or Parmesan Cheese Cubes (50gms), Chopped Parsley(5gms)
Put all the ingredients into a microwave bowl.
Cover with a lid.
Microwave for 7 minutes.
Mix well.
Microwave for another 7 minutes.
Mix again.
Microwave for 5-7 minutes.
Dish out the pasta topped with grated cheese and chopped parsley and serve hot.
Yes - its that simple. For instructions using a Cooker - reach out to me.
Tip of the Week
How to maintain green colour of green leafy vegetables while cooking.
The green colour of a vegetable is because of the chlorophyll in it.
Green leafy vegetables when boiled on slow fire or when you start your cooking with cold water release an acid which turns the green chlorophyll black. However these acids are volatile and when you cook on high heat or add boiling water these acids evaporate immediately without discolouring your vegetables.
So the correct technique to boil the green leafy vegetables is :
Select a large pot with plenty of water.
Bring the water to boil.
Add the green leafy vegetables and keep stirring them allowing the volatile acids to evaporate quickly.
You may also add a pinch of soda bicarbonate / baking soda to neutralise the volatile acids.
Once your vegetables have been cooked and drained out refresh with cold water to stop the cooking process by the heat which is still there in the vegetables.
And that’s all for this week - write back to me on what would you want to see more of in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile make sure you share, clicking the button below.
Looking forward to your newsletter! Woukd love your feedback on mine too. 🙏🏻💖 #spices https://spicejourneys.substack.com/
Absolutely Wonderful..