Peanut Chaat Recipe / Peanut Salad


          Chaats are Indian snack, which are so addictive. There are so many varities of chaat can be made. One among them is Peanuts chaat, they are yummy snack made with peanuts, onion, carrot, salt and pepper. In India, you can see this kind of chaat in beach stalls, street side stalls and food cart, sold in cones made of newspaper. This peanut chaat is delicious, rich in protein and low in fat. This can be served as an evening snack. Also check the recipe for boiled peanuts.


      Ingredients

         1 Cup of Boiled Peanuts
         1 Medium Size Carrot, Grated
         1 Medium Size Red Onion, Chopped
         1/2 Cup of Cucumber, Diced
         1 Medium Size Tomato, Chopped
         1 Green Onion (Spring Onion), Chopped
         1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
         1/4 Tsp of Black Pepper
         1/4 Tsp of Chaat Masala
         Pinch of Black Salt
         Coriander Leaves (Cilantro), Finely Chopped
         Salt to taste


      Method

  • In a bowl, add boiled peanuts, chopped onion, chopped tomato, diced cucumber, black pepper, chaat masala, lemon juice, black salt and salt. Toss well with a spoon.
  • Finally garnish it with chopped coriander leaves, grated carrot and chopped green onion.


     


     Tips

  • If you don’t have chaat masala, just add salt and pepper.
  • You can add chopped green chillies and red chilly powder to this snack for more spicy taste.
  • Add any vegetables or fruits of your choice like grated beetroot or cabbage or mango.
  • Be careful while adding salt because boiled peanuts has already salt in it.




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.





Cucumber Raita / Cucumber Yogurt Salad



          Raita is a cucumber-yogurt salad used in Indian cuisine as a cooling balance to the spicy dishes like biryani. This is so simple and easy to make dish. I really love this raita because of its cooling properties. Best accompaniment for raita is biryani. Also you can use it as dip for pita chips  or potato chips.

     Ingredients

           1 Medium Sized Cucumber, Diced
           2 Cups of Yogurt / Thick Curd
           1/4 Cup of Red Onion, Finely Chopped
           1/4 Tsp of Roasted Cumin Powder
           Pinch of Kala Namak / Black Salt
           1 Green Chilly, Finely Chopped
           2 Tbsp of Coriander Leaves, Chopped
           Salt to Taste

     To Temper

           2 Tsp of Oil
           1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
           1 Sprig of Curry Leaves
         

     Method

  • Wash and peel the cucumber skin. Chop them into pieces. Keep them aside.
  • Roast the cumin seeds in a medium heat for a few seconds until nice aroma comes. Powder it in a mortar and pestle.
  • In a bowl, using whisk, whip the curd/yogurt until smooth and creamy.
  • To the yogurt bowl, add chopped onion, cucumber, green chilly, roasted cumin powder, black salt, coriander leaves and salt. Mix well with a spoon.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, after it splutter, transfer this to the yogurt bowl. Mix well.
  • Serve immediately with biryani or cover and refrigerate it for 15 mins to allow flavors to blend.



    Tips

  • You can add red chilly powder or pepper powder instead of green chilly.
  • Adding mint leaves gives you great flavor.
  • You can also make raita without adding the tempering.
  • Greek yogurt tastes great for raita.
  • You can add grated or diced cucumber for making raita.



    Health Benefits of Cucumber

  • Keeps the body hydrated.
  • Rich in vitamin A and B
  • Good for skin, joints and teeth.
  • Aids in digestion and weight loss.
  • Stimulates hair growth.
  • Fight against cancer.