Vegetarian Chow Mein

Chow mein is a Chinese dish of stir- fried noodles, of which there are many varieties. Authentic chow mein is generally made of soft noodles, whereas chow mein in Westernized Chinese Cuisine may also be made from thin crispy noodles.

Chow mein is also common in Indian to vegetarian diets, there is an Indian variant, vegetable chow mein, which consists of noodles with cabbage, bamboo shoots, pea pods, green peppers, and carrots and spices such as ginger. It's fried together in a pan or a wok; you can also add any variety of vegetables including broccoli, onion, baby corn, asparagus and capsicum, as you like.

Missing the variety of summer vegetables? Canned and frozen vegetables, combined with some fresh vegetables, as in this recipe, can help keep eating vegetables tasty throughout the winter months.

I give below the recipe for veg chowmein. You can the change the spices it your own liking:

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Chinese Noodles or Noodles ---------- 1 pkg (400 g)
~ Green peas, strings removed ---------- 1/2 cup
~ Onion Sliced ---------- 1
~ Capsicum Sliced ---------- 1
~ Cabbage Shredded ---------- 1
~ Carrot Sliced ---------- 1
~ Beans Chopped ---------- 1/2 cup
~ Fresh ginger, finely chopped ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Garlic cloves, finely chopped ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Oyster sauce ( optional) ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Light Soy Sauce ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Dark Soy Sauce ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Vinegar --------- 11/2 tbsp
~ Chili Sauce ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Pepper Powder ---------- 1/4 tbsp or to taste
~ Oil ---------- 3 tbsp
~ Salt to taste

METHOD:-

1:- Bring the 8 cup of water and 1/4 tbsp of salt to boil. Add noodles and cook in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes or according to package directions, strring occasionally. Take care do not overcook.
2:- Strain Noodles through cold water 2-3 times and drain water, add 1 tbsp of the oil into the noodles, then toss to avoid sticking and set aside.
3:- Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 10 second and then add sliced onions and stir-fry, untill golden brown or transparent.
4:- Add all other vegetables, green peas, capsicum, cabbage, carrot sliced, and beans and stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
5:- Add vinegar, chili sauce, dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, and oyster sauce and stir fry for a minute. Add salt and pepper and mix well.
6:- Now add boiled noodles and continue to stir fry and mix well over medium high heat for a minute or till well mixed.
7:- Serve the vegetable chowmein hot.

Note : According to taste vinegar, soya sauce, oyster sauce and chili sauce can be increased or decreased, as you like.

Indonesian Potatoes With Onion and Chilli Sauce

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Potatoes, cut into wedges ---------- 4 large
~ Oil ---------- to deep-fry + 1 tbsp
~ Spring onions, cut into sliced ---------- 3
~ Sugar ---------- 1½ tbsp
~ Dark soy sauce --------- 2 tbsp
~ Salt ---------- 1/2 tbsp or to taste
~ Fresh red chillies, sliced ---------- 2

METHOD:-

1:- Heat sufficient oil in a wok, add the potato wedges and deep fry till lightly browned.
2:- Drain and set aside on absorbent paper.
3:- Heat one tbsp of oil in another wok and add spring onions and sauté for a minute.
4:- Add sugar, dark soy sauce and salt and mix well.
5:- Add fried potatoes and fresh red chillies. Mix and cook for a minute.
6:- Serve hot.

This is a very yummy vegetarian dish.

Home-Style Mixed Vegetable Soup

Mixed vegetable soup is very nutritious soup, which is very healthy as it includes many kind of vegetable. It is a very essential and vital soup for the kids, especially those children who don’t eat much vegetable. It is very simple to prepare and a healthy and perfect soup.

I make this soup whenever I have fresh vegetables at home. Also my favorite recipe as I do not like the taste of corn starch or any other thickner in my soup. You can add other fresh vegetables like green beans, spring onions, beetroot or use all or as many varieties of vegetables as you wish, or if you have only a few.

The mix vegetable soup is some thing little different soup then the normal mixed vegetable soup. This is an easy-made, low fat, low calorie and high fiber soup. This tastes even better then the normal one and it is also the healthy one for every one. Just try it and enjoy this tasty soup.

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Potato, diced ---------- 1 medium
~ Bottle gourd (doodhi/lauki), diced ---------- 100 grams
~ Finely Chopped beans ---------- 1/4 cup
~ Finely Chopped Cabbage ---------- 1/4 cup
~ Cauliflower florets ---------- 1/4 cup
~ Onion, thickly sliced ---------- 1 medium
~ Capsicum ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Green peas ---------- 1/4 cup
~ Carrots, diced --------- 2 medium
~ Tomatoes, quartered ---------- 4 medium
~ Fresh ginger, chopped --------- 1/4 tbsp
~ Garlic, minced ---------- 1 pod
~ Cumin seeds -------- ½ tbsp
~ Black peppercorns ---------- 12-15
~ Fresh cilantro, chopped ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Sugar --------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Oil ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Salt to taste

METHOD:-

1:- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and black peppercorns. When the cumin seeds begin to change colour add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for two minutes.
2:- Add carrots, potato, bottle gourd, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum and green peas and stir well.
3:- Add salt and mix. Add 6 cups of water, cover and cook until the vegetables get soft.
4:- Add tomatoes and continue to cook, covered, till all the vegetables are completely cooked. 5:- Strain and reserve the liquid. Cool the vegetables and then puree in a blender.
6:- Transfer into a deep pan, add the reserved liquid and adjust consistency. It should be quite thick or as you like. Bring the soup to a boil. Adjust salt, add sugar and stir for a few seconds.
8:- Serve hot. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Jeera Aloo (Cumin Potato)

Potato is one of the most universally liked vegetable, young child to the oldies, potato dishes are equally popular among all.

Jeera Aloo is a typical North Indian dish, probably made in thousands of homes every day. Potatoes are sauteed with Cumin seeds to make the mouthwatering, Jeera Aloo. It is most delicious potato dish and can be prepared within a few minutes. Cumin seeds add flavor and exciting aroma to the potatoes. Easy to make and quick too, it goes equally well with rotis or parathas.

So here is a simple jeera aloo or cumin potato. Come and taste with us. This recipe goes like this-

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Potatoes, (boiled, peeled, and diced into "1" inch pieces) ---------- 6 large
~ Grated Ginger ---------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Garlic finely chopped ---------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Oil ---------- 4 tbsp
~ Cumin seeds ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Red chilli powder ---------- 1/2 tbsp or to taste
~ Coriander seeds, crushed ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Roasted cumin powder ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Dry mango powder (amchur) ---------- ½ tbsp
~ Asafoetida (hing) powder ---------- a pinch
~ Whole red chilli ---------- 1
~ Chilli sauce ---------- 1 1/2 tbsp
~ Turmeric powder ---------- 1/4 tbsp (optional)
~ Garam masala powder ---------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Fresh coriander leaves, chopped ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Salt to taste

METHOD:-

1:- Heat oil in a large frying pan, over a high flame. When it is hot, add the asafoetida (hing) powder,and almost immediately add the cumin seeds and whole red chilli (broken into pieces).
2:- As they sizzle up then add garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute or until golden brown.
3:- Now add the turmeric powder (optional), red chilli powder, crushed coriander seeds, roasted cumin powder and dry mango powder. Stir well for a few seconds.
4:- Then lastly add the diced potatoes and stir carefully till the masala covers all the potato cubes well. simmer for a minutes, over medium low heat.
5:- Add salt, garam masala powder and add the chilli sauce; mix well and turn off the flame.
6:- Add coriander leaves and stir.
7:- Serve hot with chapatti, poori, parathas or rice .

Bengali Dum Aloo - Spicy Potato Dish

This is quite simple and easy and it tasted great!

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Potatoes (small, round shape) ---------- 12-15
~ Onion, chopped ---------- 1 big red
~ Ginger, chopped ----------- 1 tbsp
~ Garlic cloves, minced ---------- 2-3 big
~ Tomato (small), finely choped or paste ----------- 2
~ Green chilies ---------- 2-3
~ Cumin ( jeera ) seeds ---------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Asafetida powder --------- a pinch
~ Bay leaves (Tej Pata ) ---------- 4
~ Cloves ---------- 2
~ Black peppercorns --------- 6
~ Green cardamoms ( elaichi) ---------- 4
~ Brown cardamom ---------- 1 big
~ Cinnamon stick ---------- 1 piece
~ Tamarind paste ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Cumin (jeera) powder ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Coriander powder ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Red Chilli Powder ---------- ½ tbsp 0r to taste
~ Garam masala powder ---------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Ghee(clarified butter) ---------- 4 tbsp
~ Turmeric powder ----------- 1 tbsp
~ Coriander leaves (chopped) ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Salt --------- 1/2 tbsp or to taste
~ Sugar (optional) to taste ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Ghee or oil for deep-frying

METHOD:-

1:- Boil the whole potatoes in the pressure cooker. When half-done remove them from the cooker, let them cool. Then peel them.
2:- Heat the oil in a wok or deep saucepan and fry the potatoes. When the potatoes are golden brown, drain on a paper towels and put them aside.
3:- Make a masala powder of clove, green cardamoms, brown cardamom, black peppercorns and cinnamon stick. Keep aside.
4:- Make a mix paste of onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies and keep aside.
5:- Make a paste of tomatoes. Keep aside.
6:- Heat the ghee in a pan. Put bay leaves, jeera seeds, Asafetida powder and they crackle, add the masala powder and fry well for few seconds.
7:- And then add mix paste (onion, ginger, garlic, and green chillies paste) and fry for 2-3 minutes or till transparent.
8:- Then add Tomato paste and cook in sim for 5 minnutes. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and coriender powder and stir fry for a few minutes. Then add tamarind paste and salt and mix well.
9:- Now add fried potatoes and stir well and sim for 5-8 minutes, till the gravy mix into potatoes. Add sugar and garam masala powder.
10:- Spread some ghee ( about 2 tbsp) before removing it from the wok.
11:- Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot, fluffy pooris.

This was so typically different from other gravies that we prepare. This is very spicy vegetable. Adjust the spiciness based on your preference.

Mixed Mithai Kulfi

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Milk ---------- 6 cups
~ Malai peda ---------- 5-6
~ Kalakand ---------- 5- 6 pieces
~ Rasmalai ---------- 5- 6 pieces
~ Barfi ---------- 5- 6
~ Kaju katli ---------- 5- 6
~ Gulab jamuns ---------- 6 - 8
~ Sugar ---------- 1/2 cup or to taste
~ Roasted almonds, roughly chopped ---------- 12 - 15
~ Saffron a few strands

METHOD:-

1:- Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan, when bring to a boil, add sugar and simmer, for 15 - 20 minutes or till reduced to few thickened of the original quantity.
2:- Crush all the ingredients, malai peda, kalakand, rasmalai, barfi, kaju katli and gulab jamuns and add in a blender. Add a little milk and mix untill well blended.
3:- Now this mixture, transfer into a deep bowl and add the thickened milk, and mix well.
4:- Pour the mixture into kulfi moulds. Sprinkle saffron strands and almond pieces on each.
5:- Screw the lids on the cones and keep them in the freezer for 4-5 hrs or till well to set.
6:- Once set unmould and serve immediately.

Fruit Smoothie

This is a great shake before a workout or on a warm summer afternoon. It will quench your thirst, fulfill that hunger, and give you a boost of energy.

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Banana, chopped ---------- 1
~ Pear, chopped ---------- 1 medium
~ Melon, chopped ---------- 1/4 medium
~ Almonds, blanched ---------- 10-15
~ Strawberry jam ---------- 4 tbsp
~ Milk, chilled ---------- 2 cups
~ Yogurt ---------- 4 tbsp
~ Crushed, ice ---------- 1 cup

METHOD:-

1:- Take banana,pear, almond,and milk in a smoothie maker and blend till smooth.
2:- Add melon yogurt and strawberry jam and blend again till smooth.
3:- Add crushed ice and blend once more.
4:- Pour into glasses and serve immediately and enjoy!

Balushahi (Indian Sweets)

Balushahi is one of the most delectable traditional sweetdish of India. This dessert is made especially during the festival of Diwali and Holi. This is very delicious and my favourite sweetdish.

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Refined flour (maida) ---------- 1 kg
~ Soda bicarbonate ---------- ¼ tbsp
~ Pure ghee (clarified butter) ---------- 200 gm + to deep fry ( about 1 kg )
~ Curds (yogurt) beaten ---------- 300-400 gm
~ Sugar - 800-900 gm
~ Water to make a thick sugar syrup ---------- 6 cups + for kneading
~ Milk ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Pistachios crushed ---------- 1/2 cups for garnish

METHOD:-

1:- Firstly, mix refind flour (maida) and soda, sieve it together into a bowl.
2:- Then rub in 200 gm ghee (clarified butter) into the flour mixture, till it resembles breadcrumbs.
3:- Add curds (yogurt) and, then add very little water to obtain stiff dough, if required and knead into soft dough. Cover it with damp cloth and keep aside in a cool place for forty-five minutes.
4:- Make small round balls from this dough. Press to flatten a bit, and make a slight dent in the center of the ball with your thumb (this is the traditional balushahi shape). Keep the balls covered.
5:- Heat sufficient ghee (clarified butter) in a deep and heavy bottomed pan, on a medium-level. When it is medium hot, put in the prepared dough balls and deep fry on very low heat, untill they are golden brown.
6:- Drain the excess ghee by placing it on a paper towels and keep aside, allow to cool to room temperature.
7:- Prepare for sugar syrup, heat together sugar and 6 cup of water, till it reaches a two-thread string consistency. Midway through, add milk to the cooking syrup so that the scum rises to the surface. Carefully remove this scum and discard.
8:- Remove the syrup from heat and soak the fried balushahis in the warm syrup for thirty minutes.
9:- Gently remove the balushahis from the sugar syrup and place on a serving plate.
10:- Garnish it with chopped pistachios. Serve when the sugar has hardened.

The delicious Balushahi is ready for the celebrations!

Masala Nuts

This is a perfect SNACK anytime of the day with a cup of hot tea!

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Almonds ---------- 20
~ Pistachios ---------- 20
~ Cashewnuts ---------- 20
~ Walnuts ---------- 20
~ Whole red chillies ---------- 5-6
~ Whole black peppercorns ---------- 5-6
~ Star anise ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Dry mango(amchur) powder ---------- 1/2 tbsp
~ Black salt ---------- to taste
~ Honey(optional, as you like) ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Butter or ghee(clarified butter) ---------- 2-3 tbsp

Method:-

1:- Heat ghee(clarified butter) or butter in a heavy bottomed pan, on a medium level, till hot. Add the almonds, pistachios, cashewnuts and walnuts and fry them under low flame, till they are golden brown. Drain them on a paper towels and keep aside.
2:- Break the dry red chillies, remove seeds and add black peppers, star anise, dry mango powder, black salt and put them in a blender and grind to a powder.
3:- And now take the masala powder in a bowl. Add the fried nuts, honey(optional). Toss with hand,untill masalas are well blended with nuts.
4:- You can adjust salt and spice to taste.
5:- Now this snack is ready to eat.Serve.

Chilly Paneer Vindaloo

INGREDIENTS:-

~ Paneer ---------- 500gms

FOR BATTER:-

~ Soya Sauce ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Garlic, chopped or paste ---------- to taste
~ Maida (refined flour) ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Corn flour ---------- 2 tbsp
~ Water ---------- 1/2 cup
~ Black pepper ---------- 1/4 tbsp
~ Green chili,Chopped ---------- 1 or to taste
~ Salt ---------- to taste

FOR GRAVY:-

~ Ginger,garlic paste ---------- 1 tbsp
~ Tomato Puree ---------- 3 tomato
~ White vinegar ---------- 1 little tbsp
~ Salt ---------- to taste
~ Black pepper ---------- to taste
~ Soya Sauce ---------- 4 tbsp
~ Corn flour ---------- 1 or 2 tbsp to taste,for batter(optional)
~ Green chillies,Chopped ---------- 3
~ Spring onion ---------- 3
~ Sugar ----------1/4 tbsp
~ Oil ---------- for frying

METHOD:-

1:- Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes.
2:- Mix the ingredients for the batter,dip the paneer peices in it and deep fry them.3:- Take out the paneer pieces on a paper towels and drain out the excess oil.
4:- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and put spring onions(white part of the spring onions,cut into thering).When brown add ginger and garlic paste,green chillies and stir for a while.
5:- Add tomato puree and stir for a while.
6:- Add corn flour(mixed with water to make a paste),if do you want thick gravy(optional).
7:- Add salt,black pepper,sugar,white vinegar,soya sauce and mix well.
8:- And now add the fried paneer top this gravy.
9:- Garnish it with spring onions(green part of the chopped onions) and serve hot.

Apricot Pineapple Smoothie

Apricot is known for so many health benefits.Fitting fresh or dried apricots into your diet plan as much as possible will be beneficial to your health and your weight.

Fresh Apricots are an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, E, potassium, and iron, as well as being a great source of beta-carotene. In fact, 2-3 apricots will give you nearly 50% of your daily value of Vitamin A. Apricots contain no fat and a small amount of carbs (about 8g of carbs for two apricots, 2 of those being from dietary fiber).This is wonderful for cleaning and maintaining a healthy colon.Apricot Pineapple Smoothie recipes are an excellent addition to a healing and cleansing program.

this tasty Apricot Pineapple Smoothie makes a great tasty drink recipe. This non-alcoholic drink is very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS: -

~ Pineapple, crushed ---------- 1/4 cup
~ Apricot, diced ---------- 1 fresh
~ Strawberries ---------- 6
~ Banana ---------- 1/2
~ Water ---------- 1 cup
~ Orange flavoring(optional) ---------- 2 drops
~ Low-fat milk or soy milk(chilled) ---------- 1/2 cup
~ Low fat yogurt ---------- 1 cup
~ Ice, crushed ---------- 1/4 cup

METHOD:-

1:- Add all the ingredients, Pineapple, Apricot, Strawberries, banana, yogurt, water and milk in a smoothie maker or a blender and mix untill well blended.
2:- Add crushed ice and blend again once more.
3:- And then add orange flavoring(optional) and mix well.
4:- Your delicious apricot pineapple smoothie is ready.
5:- Pour into a glass and enjoy!