Category Archives: Recipes- Side Dish

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Chicken Saagwala /Palak (Spinach) Chicken

Category:Healthy Indian Recipes,Indian Dietitian Online,Lunch Box Recipes Healthy Indian,Recipes- Side Dish Tags : 

Palak chicken or Chicken saagwala is a not just a great tasting dish but the addition of greens(spinach) increases the nutrient content of the dish. Palak is loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals and is also:

  • low in calories
  • good source of iron, but to be absorbed by the body you need to team it with a source of vitamin C (like squeezing a dash of lime over the dish, or having a citrus fruit after your meal).

Ingredients for Chicken Saagwala: Serves 4

  • Chicken: 800 gms (with bones or boneless)
  • Palak (spinach): 1 big bunch ( washed, blanched and pureed)
  • Onion: 1 big (cubed)
  • Tomatoes: 3 medium (cubed)
  • Ginger: 1″ (grated)
  • Garlic: 3-4nos.(chopped)
  • Green chili: 1-2 nos. (use more if you want it spicier)
  • Red chili powder: 2 tsp
  • Coriander powder: 1tbsp
  • Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala: 1 tsp
  • Bay leaf: 1 no.
  • Pepper corns: 3-4nos.
  • Oil: 2tsp
  • Salt: to taste

Method:

  1. Heat one teaspoon oil in a kadai ,add the onions and green chillies and stir fry till translucent.
  2. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute, then add the tomatoes and stir till the tomatoes are cooked.
  3. Switch off and cool. Once cooled, puree in a blender.
  4. Heat another teaspoon of oil in the kadai, add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and pepper corns.
  5. Add the tomato+onion puree, the spice powders(red chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala) and fry till the raw smell disappears and the oil leaves the sides.
  6. Add salt and the chicken pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add the palak puree, mix well and cover and cook on low flame till the chicken is cooked.
  8. Serve hot garnished with rice and dal or roti.

Note: If you want it a little creamier, then mix a tablespoon of whole wheat flour(atta) in 1/2 cup milk and add this mixture after you add the palak puree (step 7), mix well and then cover and cook.

Palak Chicken

Chicken Saagwala /Palak Chicken 

 

 


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Paneer Butter Masala (Healthy version)

Category:Healthy Indian Recipes,Indian Dietitian Online,Recipes- Side Dish Tags : 

Love the taste of Butter masala, but dread the loads of butter that goes into it? Fikar not-here is a low-butter version which cuts down the calories of this dish drastically without altering the taste too much (yes-it doesn’t taste like the restaurant version, simply because it’s not dripping with butter).

The trick here is to make the dish with less oil/butter and then add extra butter just before serving.

Panner butter masala-low fat

Paneer Butter Masala (low fat)

Ingredients for Paneer Butter Masala (low-fat): Serves 6

  • Paneer: 500gms (cut into cubes),
  • Tomatoes: 3 medium (cubed)
  • Onion: 1 big (cubed)
  • Ginger: 1″
  • Garlic: 2-3 (chopped)
  • Green chili-1 no. (or as per taste)
  • Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp (add more if you want it spicier)
  • Coriander powder: 1 tbsp,
  • Cumin powder: 1tsp
  • Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
  • Bay leaf: 1 no.
  • Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
  • Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
  • Milk: 1/2 cup
  • Coriander leaves: 2tbsp (chopped)
  • Oil: 2tsp
  • Butter: 1-2 tsp
  • Salt: to taste

Method:

  1. Heat one teaspoon oil in a kadai, add the cubed onions, slit green chili and stir-fry till the onions turn translucent.
  2. Add the grated ginger and the chopped garlic and stir fry for a minute, then add the tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally till the tomatoes are cooked.
  3. Switch off and let it cool. Once cooled, put the contents into a blender and blend till you get a fine puree.
  4. Heat another teaspoon of oil in the kadai, once hot add the cumin seeds (jeera), bay leaf and turmeric powder.
  5. Add the puree, and spice powders (red chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala) and cook on medium flame stirring constantly till the oil leaves the sides.
  6. Lower the flame and pour the milk to the cooked tomato+onion puree stirring constantly till it starts to boil.
  7. Add the salt and the paneer pieces and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  8. While serving, mix the butter and then top with chopped coriander leaves.
  9. Serve hot with roti or rice.


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Kadhi(Yogurt curry)

Category:Healthy Indian Recipes,Indian Dietitian Online,Recipes- Side Dish Tags : 

Kadhi is one of our favourite dishes, and something which reminds my hubby of his mother’s cooking(which is a HUGE compliment)! It’s a quick dish and I usually make it on days when I have to cook in a rush. It’s a combination of curd(yogurt) and chikpea/gram flour,which means nutritionally it’s loaded with calcium(yogurt) and protein(gramflour) . The actual Indian recipe has ‘Pakoda’ (a deep fried item made with a combination of gramflour,onions,chillies) but you could however,add the Nucchina Unde/Steamed lentil ball,the recipe was sent to me by my friend Suma. These could be added to the gravy,just before serving.

Kadhi(Yogurt curry):Serves 4
Ingredients:

  • Curd/Yogurt: 2 cups
  • Besan/gram/chickpea flour: 2 tablespoons(make a smooth paste with cold water)
  • Ginger+garlic paste: 1 teaspoon
  • Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
  • Jeera/Cumin seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
  • Methi/fenugreek seeds: 1/4th teaspoon
  • Hing/asafoetida: a pinch
  • Turmeric: 1/4th teaspoon
  • Coriander/Cilantro leaves: 2 tablespoons(finely chopped)
  • Salt: to taste
  • Oil: 1teaspoon
  • Water:2-3 cups

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a non-stick kadai/wok.
  2. Add the mustard,cumin and fenugreek seeds. When the mustard starts to pop,add the turmeric,hing and the ginger+garlic paste.
  3. Fry for a minute and then add the curd and stir for another minute.
  4. Add the besan/chickpea paste and 2-3 cups of water,salt and stir.
  5. Cook till it starts to boil.
  6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
  7. Serve hot with rice.

Note:I add the pakode( fried chickpea flour batter fritters) or steamed lentil dumplings or sometimes falafel after cooking the kadhi so that it doesn’t break. 


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Kala Channa Rasam ( Brown Chickpea rasam)

Category:Healthy Indian Recipes,Indian Dietitian Online,Recipes- Side Dish Tags : 
Kala channa/ kadale rasam doesn’t actually have any kala channa but is made from the water left over from boiling the kala channa/ brown kadle. When using the channa for a dry sabzi like Manoli kadle or usali, instead of throwing the water, you can make another dish out of it. Moreover, making dal/sambar as the gravy dish will make the meal too heavy with too much protein. The kala channa/ kadle rasam then becomes the perfect side dish for the meal.
Ingredients for Kadale rasam:
  • Kala channa/kadle water: left over water after pressure cooking
  • Tomatoes:2-3 (pureed)
  • Garlic: 3-4 (skinned and smashed)
  • Rasam powder:2- 3tsp (according to taste)
  • Turmeric: 1/4tsp
  • Green chillies:1-2 slit in half
  • Cilantro/coriander leaves- finely chopped
  • Salt: to taste

Tempering:

  •  Mustard seeds: 1tsp
  • Cumin/jeers seeds: 1tsp
  • Urad dal: 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves: 8-10
  • Hing/asafoetida:a pinch
  • Oil: 1tsp

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a pan, then add the mustard seeds,cumin and urad dal.
  2. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the hing, curry leaves, turmeric and the slit green chillies and smashed garlic and stir for a few seconds.
  3. Add the tomato puree, the rasam powder and salt and stir or 5-6 minutes.
  4. Add the kala channa water , salt and mix well.
  5. Let it boil, then let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
  6. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
  7. Serve the kala channa/ kadle rasam with rice and the

Click here for the Kadale Manoli recipe


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Kadale Manoli (Tendli/Kovakkai with brown channa)

Category:Healthy Indian Recipes,Indian Dietitian Online,Recipes- Side Dish Tags : 

Another favorite Mangalorean recipe is the Manoli Kadle-made with Ivy Gourd(tondekai) called ‘Manoli’ in Tulu (one of the languages spoken in Mangalore) ‘tondli‘ in Marathi, ‘tendli‘ in Konkani ‘tindora‘ in Hindi and ‘kovakkai’ in Tamil. ‘Kadle’ is the brown channa/kala channa (brown garbanzo beans) that is traditionally used but you could substitute it with kabuli channa (chickpeas/garbanzo beans) if you don’t have the brown variety.
Ingredients for Kadale Manoli:(serves 4)

  • Brown/kala channa:3/4th cup soaked overnight and pressure cooked till soft (Don’t throw away the extra water after pressure cooking-it is used for making kala channa rasam)
  • Tondli-250gms(cut into long strips or thin rings)
  • Grated coconut-2 tbsp.
  • Red chilly powder-2-3 tsp( or according to your spice tolerance)
  • Coriander powder: 1 tsp
  • Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
  • Garlic: 2 big/ 4-5 small(peeled and smashed just before adding to tadka/tempering)
  • Tamarind paste-1/4tsp
  • Mustard seeds: 1tsp
  • Urad dal: 1tsp
  • Curry leaves-10
  • Hing/Asafoetida -a pinch
  • Dry red chillies: 1-2(broken into half)
  • Salt: to taste
  • Oil: 2 tsp

Method:

  1. Heat the oil is a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal and let the mustard pop.
  2. Add the broken dry chillies, curry leaves and then the smashed garlic. Saute till the garlic gets a slight brown color.
  3. Add the turmeric, hing and the chopped tondli and fry for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the cooked channa, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and about 1/2-1 cup water.
  5. Cover and cook till the tondli is soft,then add the tamarind paste. Mix and let the water evaporate.
  6. Add the grated coconut and mix.
  7. Serve the manoli kadle with hot rasam (recipe in my next post) and rice.

Note:
1)You can also use the dry dessicated (unsweetened) coconut available at grocery stores. Rehydrate it by adding it to hot water for 5 minutes. Strain and then add.
2) Use extra water when you pressure cook the kala channa-then drain the water and you can make rasam with it.
The manoli kadle, and the kala channa rasam combo goes together and is eaten with rice.

Click here for the Kala Channa Rasam Recipe

Kadale Manoli and kala channa rasam

Kadale Manoli and kala channa rasam