This Tofu Matar Masala recipe is a take on the classic and very popular North Indian dish – Matar Paneer. Matar Paneer Gravy one of the popular paneer recipes from Punjab. The combination of peas and soft paneer (cottage cheese) in mildly spicy tomato gravy is a perfect lunch or dinner recipe. It can be served with roti or plain paratha or hot poori.
Tofu Matar Masala
For this recipe, I replaced the paneer with tofu and it tastes delicious. This recipe has a lot of spices, there is coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, chili powder, and some red chili flakes. The only change I made while making curry is the addition of little greek yogurt (Whisk the yogurt thoroughly before you add it to the curry). Yogurt makes curry richer in flavor and it mild the hotness of spices.
Tofu Pea Curry
Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is a component in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines. Tofu can be soft, firm, or extra firm. It has a subtle flavor and can be used in savory and sweet dishes. It is a good source of protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium, and phosphorous.
I just love the combination of tofu, peas, and yogurt in this curry. This recipe is hearty, creamy, delicious, fresh, super easy, rich, versatile, mouthwatering, and kids approved as well. My son Reyansh always enjoy this curry with plain paratha.
My Favorite Curry
Ingredients:
Extra firm Tofu in Cubes – 200 gms Frozen Peas – 1 cup Greek yogurt – 1/4 cup Finely chopped onion – 2 medium Tomato puree – 2 large Finely chopped garlic – 4 Finely chopped ginger – 1 inch Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Ghee or oil – 3 tbsp Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Coriander powder – 2 tsp Sabzi masala – 1 tsp Few finely chopped coriander leaves Dry red chilli flakes – 1 tbsp Dried powder of coriander leaves – 1 tbsp Finely chopped green chili – 1 Salt to taste
Healthy Lunch Recipe
Method :
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
Add chopped onion and saute until translucent. Then add ginger, garlic and cook for 8 – 10 minutes.
Lower the flame and add yogurt. Cook for 5 minutes.
Then add chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric, sabzi masala, red chili powder, green chilli and salt. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 6 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Add tofu and peas. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for another 6 minutes with 1 cup of water, while stirring occasionally.
Garnish with dry red chilli flakes, dried powder of coriander leaves Serve hot garnished with coriander with rice or plain paratha or hot poori.
Whole Green Moong Dal With Spinach is a healthy dish made from Lentils (Dal) & Spinach (Palak). This delicious recipe is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and tempered with basic Indian spices. This whole green moong dal is one such curry which has only a few spices and is perfect for a simple lunch or dinner.
Palak Dal
Hari sabut moong (whole green gram) is healthy, high on fiber, good for digestion, and easy to cook as well. This small, oval-shaped green bean is widely used in Indian cuisines.
Hari sabut moong (whole green gram)
Dal is excellent for healthy bones and also aids in weight loss. Dal or lentil is one such versatile ingredient that is bursting with protein and weight-loss friendly fibers. Dal is an indispensable part of Indian cuisine. It is high in protein level and also keeps the heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels.
Perfect Lunch
Dal Palak is a healthy combination of lentil and spinach. The dish is also liked by kids and is a great way to include green leafy vegetables in your diet.
Whole Green Moong Dal With Spinach
Spinach is a green, leafy vegetable with a high nutritional value. You can have it raw in salads, steamed, blended in a soup or sauteed with other veggies. It is a very versatile ingredient that can be used in many ways. For me, the best way to add spinach is to cook with lentils and beans. Earlier, I shared recipe spinach with rajma and my son loved it.
Palak Dal | Rajma with Palak
Palak Dal | Whole Green Moong Dal With Spinach | Tasty Lunch Recipe With Green Gram & Spinach
Whole moong dal cooked with spinach is a healthy combination of lentil and vegetables. This is a great way to get your greens and protein in your meal. Paired with a hot steaming bowl of rice or any Indian flatbread, it is a soothing and tasty side dish for lunch or dinner.
Put soaked whole green gram with 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, in a pressure cooker. Mix them well and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
Remove stems from the spinach and wash thoroughly in running water. Blanch in salted boiling water for two minutes. Now transfer boiled spinach into ice-cold water to retain the green color. Squeeze out excess water and grind it into a smooth puree (Add lemon juice while grinding). Keep It aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep non-stick pan and add cumin seeds.
Allow the seeds to crackle. Then add chopped onions and saute on a medium flame until translucent. Now add ginger, garlic, green chili, and cook for 5 minutes on the medium-low flame.
Then add chopped tomato and cook until they’re soft. Then add red chili powder, coriander powder, kitchen king masala, salt, and cook until masala leaves oil on low flame.
Add boiled dal in a prepared masala and cook for 5 minutes on the medium-low flame.
Now add puree spinach and cook on low flame for 5 minutes.
Then add one butter cube and mix them well. Close the lid and cook dal for 2-5 minutes on high flame.
Yummy dal is ready to serve. Serve with plain white rice.
Juicing isn’t exactly difficult, but if you want to get the most out of your citrus fruit and your money – as possible, here are a few kitchen tricks to make sure you never waste any.
Fresh Oranges
Fresh juices are packed with soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are easily digestible and quickly absorbed. Drinking a glass a day will boost your health, give you more energy, detoxify your body. Fresh juice makes citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges are the most often used fruits in drinks.
Refreshing Orange Juice
There are several different ways you can get fresh juice from citrus fruit and it takes just a few minutes. There’s nothing better than a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. But it’s often not that easy to extract all the juice, and squeezing oranges can quickly become a muscle-building exercise.
Fresh Orange Juice
Orange juice is one of the best known and preferred beverages around the world. It is incredibly accessible and easy to make, as you only need to squeeze a few fresh oranges. This fruit’s sweet and citrus taste makes it the perfect refreshing drink for hot summer days.
Ready For Microwave
Rolling the citrus fruit on a firm countertop is the most common method for juicing. By rolling it will break the membranes around the capsules in the fruit’s flesh that hold all of the juice. Today I am sharing the easiest method how can you get maximum juice – Microwave Method. Microwave orange for a few seconds before juicing and done.
Microwave for 20 seconds
Allowing orange to reach room temperature before juicing will significantly increase the juice yield. If you refrigerate orange, set it out for at least thirty minutes.
Orange – My Favorite Fruit
For a quick warm-up, cut oranges and arrange them on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 20 seconds and it is done !!
Microwave Method
Freshly squeezed orange juice has will find their way into countless drink recipes and the best part no need to add sugar while making smoothies. Besides smoothies, you can use orange juice in baking as well.
I love it when my house is filled with the scent of something baking. Weekends are the perfect time to create a new recipe, and maybe even make something that you can enjoy throughout the week ahead. These super healthy, moist, and tasty Oats Chocolate Brownies are perfect for weekend baking. These brownies are not only egg-free but also contain absolutely no whole wheat or all-purpose flour and I used oil instead of butter.
Weekend Baking
The best part about this chocolate brownie – it is super moist and oats make them super healthy. In this brownie, I used two types of oats – Old Fashioned Oats and Quick Cooking Oats to give it more nutritional value. Topping with choco chips, coconut flakes, roasted melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds gives a perfect crunch.
Oats – Full of fiber
Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They’re a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. A simple yet satisfying eggless chocolate brownie that makes a healthy breakfast or snack option or can be served with tea or coffee. Earlier, I baked Nutty Oats Chocolate Cake with the combination of whole wheat and oat flour on my birthday. It turned out super moist and tasty. You can replace oats flour with whole wheat or all-purpose flour in baking.
Baking with Oats
What is the difference between old-fashioned oats and quick-cooking ? Steel-cut or old fashioned oats have a coarser, chewier texture and nuttier flavor than rolled or quick oats. They also take longer to prepare, with average cooking times varying 15–30 minutes.
Old Fashioned Oats
Quick oats or quick-cooking oats are rolled oats that go through further processing to decrease cooking time. They’re partially cooked by steaming and then rolled even thinner than old-fashioned oats. They cook within a few minutes, have a mild flavor and soft, mushy texture.
Quick Cooking Oats
Both have been flattened with large rollers, but quick-cooking oats are cut into smaller pieces first. As a result, quick-cooking oats cook faster, and they offer a more delicate texture to baked goods and desserts. If you want a heartier texture, use old-fashioned oats because it has more fiber than quick-cooking oats.
Super moist brownies
These brownies are extra-moist and super tasty. It’s uniquely delicious and most people haven’t tried it before and chocolate lovers do try this. I think the best part is the topping that adds a sweet crunch that pairs so well with these extra moist brownies.
I try to add oats to pretty much everything – dosa ,uttapam, idli, chilla or cookies. Then why not in baking ?. These brownies are simple to make and have all the qualities you want in a brownie. They’re rich, fudgy, moist, chocolatey, and delicious too.
Ingredients: Old fashioned oats flour – 1 cup Quick cooking oats – 1/2 cup Cocoa powder – 1/4 cup Brown sugar – 3/4 cup Greek yogurt – 3/4 cup Oil – 1/4 cup Baking powder – 1 tsp Baking soda – 1/2 tsp Choco chips – 1/4 cup A pinch of salt
Nuts Mix: The mix of roasted sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, coconut flakes – 1/2 cup ( 2 tbsp each)
Method :
For oats flour, add steel cut oats (1 & 1/4 cups) and quick cooking oats to a mixer and blend until fine powder.
Dry Ingredients: Mix oats flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and keep it aside.
Wet Ingredients: Now add greek yogurt, brown sugar, oil, to mixer and blend until smooth.
Now mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients well.
Put prepared batter into a greased square pan. Sprinkle nuts mix over batter and with help of spatula press nuts gently.
Tab the pan on a countertop to release any large air bubbles.
Put pan into the preheated pressure cooker and bake it for 1 hour.
Oats Chocolate Browines
Tips:
Don’t demould quickly allow it to cool down completely.
Cover brownie with kitchen towel for half an hour before slicing.
Adjust sugar according to your taste.
Baking time may vary.
If prepared batter looks dry, add 2- 4 tbsp of milk.
If baking in Oven: Bake in the preheated oven at 180 deg Celsius or around 360 Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. The baking time may vary. So keep checking after 40 to 45 minutes.
Cooker baked browines
Pressure Cooker Method: Grease the baking tin with oil and dust it by sprinkling whole wheat flour over greased surface evenly. Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin.
Important Notes:
Use the baking tin of 6 inches in diameter, so that it can easily get into the pressure cooker.
Use a 5-liter pressure cooker. It should be big enough to hold the baking pan.
Baking Tin should be made of Aluminium.
If baking tin comes into direct contact with the base of the pressure cooker, it can burn ( overbake ) the cake. So use pressure cooker container which has big holes in it or any aluminum small stand.
No gasket and whistle are needed. Remove them before baking.
Don’t add water to the pressure cooker.
Chocolate lovers do try this recipe
How to Bake In A Pressure Cooker?
Heat the pressure cooker on high heat for 2 minutes. Use sea salt or sand as a layer inside a cooker. Put a steel stand on a layer of salt or sand.
Now put the cake tin containing the cake batter ( Do not put water inside the pressure cooker).
Close the pressure cooker lid and do not put the whistle on the lid. Remove the gasket (rubber ring) from the lid.
Lower the flame after 2 minutes. Let it bake for 50 -60 minutes on low flame. After 60 minutes check cake with a knife, if the mixture does not stick, it means the cake is done.
If batter still sticks to knife then again bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid immediately.
Fresh garlic powder is great way to sprinkle on a kick of savory flavor to any dish. Making homemade garlic powder at home is super easy and it will taste so much better than the commercial version. Homemade garlic powder is actually a great, because it’s 100% pure garlic and the flavor intensity is so rich.
Fresh garlic powder
There are four easy steps to make homemade garlic powder – Peeling, Slicing, Drying, and Grinding.
How to peel garlic easily? One of the easiest ways to peel garlic. First, separate the cloves of garlic. Second, submerge the garlic cloves in a bowl of warm water (not boiled) and let them sit for 15 minutes.
The heat will easily get rid of the tight skin of the garlic. Remove the cloves from the water and the skins should pop off more easily.
How to slice garlic ? Using a sharp knife, cut your cloves into thin slices. Try to keep the slices all the same thickness, so they cook evenly.
How to roast or dry garlic ? Put garlic slices on the baking tray and out tray in the microwave to dry the garlic. Microwave garlic (250 gms) high power for 18 minutes.
Stir and shake the pan every 2 minutes and continue cooking until it crumbles easily in your hand. Watch it closely, because garlic goes from dry to burned quickly.
How to grind garlic ? Let the dry cloves cool completely then place them into dry blender or food processor and grind it into a fine powder.
Wait for 2 minutes or tap the lid of the grinder after processing for the powder to settle before you open the grinder’s lid.
How to store garlic powder? Transfer the dry powder to a glass jar or other lidded container and store it in a cool dark place. Homemade garlic powder stays good for up to 6 months when keep in a refrigerator.
Knoflook Poeder
Homemade Garlic Powder | Microwave Method
Garlic – 250 gms
Fresh Garlic Powder
Method:
Soak garlic cloves in a bowl of warm water (not boiled) and let them sit for 15 minutes. Peel the skins from the garlic.
Slice your garlic cloves into thin slices.
Put garlic slices on the baking tray and out tray in the microwave to dry the garlic.
Microwave garlic (250 gms) high power for 18 minutes. Stir and shake the pan every 2 minutes and continue cooking until it crumbles easily in your hand.
Watch it closely, because garlic goes from dry to burned quickly.
Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes is a condiment or spice consisting of dried and crushed (as opposed to ground) red chili peppers. The most popular use for this spice is as a pizza or pasta topping as well as in tomato sauce. It is also used in pickling, chowders, gumbos, sausage. They are also great in cream and cheese sauces, omelets, and marinades.
Red Pepper Flakes
Red chili flakes perfect for dashing over pizza or any other food for a bit of zing and flavor. You can sprinkle them over anything it will give you a nice pop of heat and flavor. And, the great thing about making them at home is super easy.
Dry Red Chilli
How to make homemade red chili flakes? Two Methods – Pan and Microwave
To start with, clean dry red chilies and remove the stalk.
Dry Roast – Pan Method : Heat the pan nicely and add dry red chilies, no need to roast for a long time. Dry roast red chillies till it turns slightly browned.
Put roasted chillies into a dry hand mixer jar.
Pulse it 3-4 times, don’t over do. Spread it on a plate, cool down completely then store it in a clean glass container.
Dry Roast – Microwave Method
Yes, really – It’s really easy and quick. Just in 6 minutes and it’s done.
Take 50 gms of dry red chili in a baking tray or microsafe plate.
Microwave them on high powder for 6 minutes. Check them every 60 seconds to make sure that they don’t get burned. Then allow roasted dry red chili to cool down completely then transfer to a dry grinder. Make a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in a dry and cool place.
Ready in 6 Minutes
There are alternative methods to drying chili peppers like food dehydrators and even hanging the chilies in sunlight for a few weeks. They work too, but the oven is the quickest and easiest method.
How to make homemade red chili flakes? Two Methods – Pan and Microwave
Useful Tip : Be careful when handling chilies. Avoid contact with anything but the soap after handling chilies. Also not to take a big whiff after opening the lid of food chopper. If you are sensitive to working with hot peppers, also wear gloves while handling, and avoid touching your face until you’ve thoroughly washed your hands.
This eggless rich and moist Zucchini cake is my favorite way to eat vegetables. The zucchini makes the cake so moist you would never even know there is a vegetable in it.
Zucchini Chocolate Cake
This cake is not only egg-free but also contains no all-purpose flour or maida and uses oil instead of butter. It’s a perfect way to use up an abundance of zucchini in a dessert. The moisture in the zucchini lends itself to making the most perfect, moist chocolate cake. It tastes delicious – Chocolate lovers do try this ….
Eggless Cooker Cake
Zucchini has such a mild flavor that it pairs beautifully with everything from cinnamon to chocolate. When zucchini is in season, there’s so much to bake with it. In baking, zucchini as an ingredient similar to bananas or applesauce. It adds a wonderful texture and moistness to baked goods like bread or cakes.
One of the fabulous foods of summer is zucchini chocolate cake made with fresh zucchini. It’s a fabulous way to use up all that extra zucchini. Adding the zucchini gives this cake an awesome moist and fluffy texture. The added nutrition is just a bonus.
Vegetable Chocolate Cake
Ingredients : Whole wheat flour – 1 cup Shredded zucchini – 1 cup ( squeezed and dry ) Cocoa powder – 1/4 cup Brown sugar – 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup Greek yogurt- 3/4 cup Oil – 1/4 cup Baking soda – 1 tsp A pinch of himalayan salt Chocolate sprinkles & crushed pistachios for topping
Tea Time Healthy Cake
Method :
Dry ingredients: In a bowl sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add shredded and squeezed zucchini. Mix them well and keep it aside.
Wet ingredients: In a mixer add brown sugar, curd, and oil. Blend them until smooth.
Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Put prepared batter into a greased baking pan.
Sprinkle topping over cake and with help of spatula press topping gently. Tab the cake pan on a countertop to release any large air bubbles.
Put the cake pan into the preheated pressure cooker and bake it for 1 hour.
Kids Approved Cake – My son Reyansh loved it
Tips:
Don’t over mix the prepared batter.
Don’t demould quickly allow it to cool down completely.
Baking time may vary.
Brown sugar can be replaced by white sugar.
If cake batter looks dry, add 2- 4 tbsp of milk.
If baking in oven: Bake in the preheated oven at 180 deg Celsius or around 360 Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. The baking time may vary. So keep checking the cake after 40 to 45 minutes.
Chocolate Vegetable Cake
Pressure Cooker Method:
Grease the baking tin with oil and dust it by sprinkling whole wheat flour over greased surface evenly. Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin.
Important Notes:
Use the baking tin of 6 inches in diameter, so that it can easily get into the pressure cooker.
Use a 5-liter pressure cooker. It should be big enough to hold the baking pan.
Baking Tin should be made of Aluminium.
If baking tin comes into direct contact with the base of the pressure cooker, it can burn ( overbake ) the cake. So use a pressure cooker container which has big holes in it or any aluminum small stand.
No gasket and whistle are needed. Remove them before baking.
Don’t add water to the pressure cooker
No Oven Cake
How to Bake In A Pressure Cooker?
Heat the pressure cooker on high heat for 2 minutes. Use sea salt or sand as a layer inside a cooker. Put a steel stand on a layer of salt or sand.
Now put the cake tin containing the cake batter ( Do not put water inside the pressure cooker).
Close the pressure cooker lid and do not put the whistle on the lid. Remove the gasket (rubber ring) from the lid.
Lower the flame after 2 minutes. Let it bake for 50 -60 minutes on low flame. After 60 minutes check the cake with a knife, if the mixture does not stick, it means the cake is done.
If batter still sticks to knife then again bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid immediately.
Mad About Cooking 