Healthy Mixed Fruit Skewers – Kids Recipe

                                 Happy ” 4th of July”
    We recently went for ” Pick your own fruit farm”. It was really fun to pick fresh fruits directly from the farm. There we got fruits like strawberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. So I made this creative fruit skewers for a evening snack. This is fun and healthy snack/dessert, easy and quick to make and a nice treat to eyes. You can serve plain or drizzle with some honey or serve it with a bowl of heavy cream.

     Ingredients

             3 Whole Strawberries
             6 Banana Slices
             6 Blueberries
   6 Cherries
   3 Blackberries
             3 Cantaloupe Pieces
             3 Wooden Skewers

Method

Wash the fruits in a cold running tap water.

Slice the banana and cut the cantaloupe into triangle shape.

Slide the fruits onto skewers one at a time and they are ready to go.

An alternative is to freeze it for 2hrs and serve it with a bowl of heavy cream..

Tips

On outdoors you can grill it in the rack of barbeque, after that drizzle it with some honey and toasted nuts.

You can have some marshmallow in between the fruits on skewers.

    Healthy Benefits of Mixed Fruits

Blueberry : High in anti-oxidants, reducing belly fat, good for digestion, heart and brain.

Strawberry : Boosts immunity, good for eye health, fight cholesterol and cancer.

Blackberry : Prevents cancer, good for skin, eye, digestion, diabetes and bones.

    Banana : High in fiber, lowers the blood pressure, high in potassium, high in nutrient absorption.

    Cherry : Good for arthritis and heart, prevents cancer, memory booster.

    Cantaloupe : good source of vit A, beta carotene and vit C. Good for lungs health.

Mini Methi Poori / Methi Puri Recipe – Indian Breakfast Dish

Puri / Poori is a deep fried puffed bread, generally made with wheat or maida, salt and water. Additionally, in this recipe, I used fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) from my garden. Here the dough is then kneaded, rolled out into a circle and then deep fried in a hot oil. It tastes great if eaten hot, puffed up with a crispy outside and a moist inside. Though it starts to lose its puffiness and becomes chewy, when cold, poori is still tasty when eaten that way . It is often served for weekend breakfast. Good accompaniment for poori is potato based curries, dal and channa masala.

     Ingredients

           1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
           1/2 Cup of Maida / All Purpose Flour
           1/2 Cup of Methi/ Fresh Fenugreek Leaves, chopped
           1/4 Tsp of Ajwain / Omam
           1/4 Cup of Milk
           2 Tbsp of Oil
         2 -3 Tbsp of Water
           Salt to taste
           3 Cups of Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying

Method

In a medium size bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, maida, ajwain, chopped methi leaves and salt. Add oil and milk, mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined. Gradually add water, to form a dough that holds together.

Knead the dough in the bowl until the dough is smooth about 5 mins. The dough should be moderately stiff.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside for 15 mins. In a clean counter top, roll the dough into a rope and divide it into 12 – 14 equal portions.

Roll each portion into a ball. Flatten the balls with a rolling pin and roll into a circles ( Small or big) about 1/4 inch thickness.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until it reaches 350 degree F.

Test for readiness by placing a small piece of dough into the hot oil. If the bubbles rises to the surface immediately, it is ready. Place the circles into the hot oil, one piece at a time. The dough will sink to the bottom, but immediately rises up.

Use light pressure with the back of slotted spoon to submerge the dough until it puffs up. Then, turn it over to brown on second side.

Once it is done, remove the poori with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining dough. Serve immediately or keep it warm until ready to serve.

Tips

If you find your dough is sticky, add a tbsp of flour and knead it again.

Always cook poori in a medium heat.

If the oil is too hot, the poori will brown too fast, may remain doughy and uncooked inside.

You can add grated ginger, red chilly powder for a different twist to the taste.

Health Benefits of Methi or Fenugreek Leaves

Lowering Diabetes I and II

High in dietary fiber and Vitamin C

Lowers serum cholesterol.

Improves digestion.

Fenugreek leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals and good source of protein and Iron.

Rajma Capsicum Curry

Kidney beans is also called Rajma, is a well known pulse that is extensively used all over the world in the preparation of variety of dishes, particularly in dishes like rice, curries, salad or toppings. Kidney beans are rich in iron, protein, fiber and other minerals. Consumption of this beans gives you a healthy heart.

Coming to Rajma Capsicum Curry recipe, this dish is made from kidney beans(Rajma). You can use dried rajma or canned variety to make this curry. If you prefer to cook with the dried variety, soak the beans in water for at least eight hours, boil in a pressure cooker or crock pot, until they turn very soft. This Rajma Capsicum Curry is easy to make with the simple ingredients, delicious in taste with hot chapathi or phulka or naan. Try this Rajma Capsicum Curry recipe and let me know your feedback.

Preparation Time : 30 Mins
Cooking Time – 20 mins
Serves -2

Ingredients – Rajma Capsicum Curry

1.5 Cups of Cooked Rajma/ Kidney Beans
1 Small Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum)
1 Medium Onion, Finley Chopped (About 1/2 Cup)
2 Medium Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tsp of Fresh Ginger, Minced
1/2 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
2 Medium Size Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
1.5 Tsp of Red Chilly Powder / Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp of Garam Masala
Salt to taste
1/4 Cup of Cilantro (Coriander Leaves), Finely Chopped
1/2 Tsp of Cumin (Jeera)
2 Tsp of Vegetable Oil

Method – Rajma Capsicum Curry

Heat the oil in a skillet or a pan over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and fry until the lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 seconds.
Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 mins.
Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, garam masala, red chilly powder and salt, cook until the tomatoes and bell peppers are soft, about 5 mins.
Add the Kidney beans(Rajma) and 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens and a sauce forms, about 10 mins.
Add more water if prefer a thinner sauce. Transfer the beans to a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and onion, and serve hot with chapathi or naan or phulka.

Tips

You can add green chilly for more spicy taste.
You can use dried kidney beans or canned beans to make this curry.
Use butter or ghee to get a rich taste of curry.
You can also add dried methi leaves for a different twist to the dish.

Health Benefits of Rajma( Red Kidney beans)

Kidney beans are high in Iron and protein, it has eight essential amino acids in it.
The darker the color of the beans has higher, the anti-oxidant content.
Maintains the blood sugar.
Good for brain.
Improves bowel Movements
High in magnesium and fiber helps in lowers the blood cholesterol levels.