All About Life: Healthy Recipes, Family Wellness, Festival Traditions & Everyday Inspiration

This spinach recipe is loaded with vitamins and iron and the taste of fresh green peas gives it a nice sweet taste.I have also used ginger and garlic which work as an immunity booster especially in winter.Use fresh green peas as they are readily available now.It is a simple and nutritious recipes which can be had with plain chapati or rice along with some dal and veggies. Ingredients: Spinach-3 bunches Green peas-1/2 cup,shelled Onion-1/2,finely chopped Ginger-1/2 teaspoon,finely chopped Garlic-3 cloves,crushed Mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoons Salt to taste Oil-1 teaspoon Cottage cheese(Paneer)-2 teaspoons,grated(for garnishing) Method: -Pluck the tender leaves from the spinach bunch and and wash them twice under running water. -Finely chop the spinach leaves. -Heat a pan and add oil to it. -Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle. -Add onions that have been finely chopped and stir them for 30 seconds and add the crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger to the pan. -S...

This is a nutritious combination of chickpeas and beetroot is very good for kids.It is rich in iron and protein along with some essential vitamins.Beetroot is considered to liver-friendly and is also an immunity booster.I've added some whole spices which not only enhance the flavor of the dish but also add some health-enhancing benefits. Serve it with salad and a bowl of fresh yogurt. Ingredients: Beetroot-3,medium sized Carrot-1,medium sized Chickpeas-1/4 cups Cinnamon-1 big stick Cloves-3 Black pepper-4-5 Mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoons Curry leaves-4-5 Shredded Coconut-2 teaspoons,fresh Salt to taste Oil-2 teaspoons Method: -Soak the chickpeas overnight and boil them with a little salt in a pressure for 3 whistles.Allow it to cool. -Wash the beetroots and carrots and peel them. -Grate the beetroot and carrot or finely chop them. -Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.Let it crackle. -Add the curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds. -Now add the cinnamon,black...

Bajra is the main kharif crop in Thar (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Bajra also known as perl millet is very popular in Rajasthan.Bajra has a good amount of amino acids and is also high in protein.It is also rich in calcium and iron. I have also added some boiled potatoes to make the rotis more tasty.Bajra rotis are eaten in the cold winter months.Serve it with some spicy curry and a bowl of yogurt. Ingredients: Bajra flour-2 cups Wheat flour-1/4 cups Potatoes-2 medium sized,boiled Salt-1 teaspoon Coriander leaves- teaspoons,chopped Green chilli-1 teaspoon,chopped Ajwain(Bishop's weed)-1/4 teaspoon Ghee-2 teaspoon Warm water-1/4 cup or as needed Method: -Boil the potatoes and allow it to cook.Peel the potatoes and mash them properly. -Take a big bowl and add all the ingredients except oil.Add the mashed potatoes too. -Do not add water now.Mash the mixture properly in the bowl and knead it by adding little water to make a little tight dough. -Let the dough rest fo...

Pumpkin is a low calorie vegetable which is high in antioxidants and vitamins A,C and E.Stir fried pumpkin is an interesting and easy to make recipe.I have used garlic and onions along with some spices to make it more nutritious.Pumpkin is a fruit readily available in the market year around and I think it should be included in kid's diet as a super-food. Ingredients:  Pumpkin-250 gms Garlic-2-3 cloves,chopped and crushed Onion-1 small,finely chopped Dry Red chilli-1 Mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds-4-5 seeds Asafoetida-a generous pinch Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon Green coriander leaves-2 teaspoons Salt to taste Oil-2 teaspoons Method: -Wash and cut the pumpkin into small chunks.You can keep the skin if you want. -Take a pan and heat oil and add the mustard seeds,chilli and asafoetida. -Immediately add the chopped onions and stir fry for 2 minutes. -Add the garlic and mix well. -Put the cut pumpkin and cook for 2-3 minutes. -Add the turmeric powder...

We all know that spinach are rich in iron and vitamin K and B.Children and women can benefit immensely from this green leafy veggie.Try and make this easy soup at least 4-5 times a week to get all the nutritional benefits of spinach in your diet.Serve it as an appetizer with some soup sticks. Ingredients: Spinach-4 bunches Tomatoes-1 medium size Ginger-1 small piece Kala namak-1/2 teaspoon(optional) Salt -to taste Lime juice-1.5 teaspoons Cream-1/2 teaspoon(optional) Water-2 cups Strainer Method: -Wash the spinach under running water and pluck the leaves only.Dip the plucked leaves in a container filled wit water.Wash the leaves properly to make sure that all the dirt has been cleaned. -Roughly chop the spinach leaves -Wash the tomato and dice it. -Take the ginger peel out and grate it. -Boil the spinach,tomato and ginger with a pinch of salt and boil till the spinach is cooked. -Add 2 more cups of water to this boiled veggies. -In a mixer jar put all the above i...

This simple combination of potatoes and unhulled sesame seeds makes the recipe tasty as well as nutritious.It's a good way of introducing sesame seeds in kid's diet.The nutty and crunchy tasting sesame seeds are a rich source of copper and manganese and also contain good amount of calcium,iron and other beneficial minerals. Here's a small tip-Always buy unhulled sesame seeds because the mineral content in hulled and unhulled sesame seeds varies significantly.If you compare the calcium and iron content per 1 tbsp serving of both types of seeds,hulled sesame seeds has 5mg calcium and 0.51mg iron whereas the unhulled sesame seed contains 88mg calcium and 1.31 mg iron. Ingredients: Boiled Potatoes-3 medium sized Sesame seeds-4-5 teaspoons Ginger-1 small piece,grated Green chillies-1,finely chopped Kasuri methi-1 teaspoon Cumin seeds-1/4 teaspoon Coriander powder-1 teaspoon Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon Salt to taste Oil-2 teaspoons Green coriander leaves-2 tea...

Masala Chai is a blend of tea and spices.This beverage  has become popular in many parts of the world.Spices like cardamom,black pepper and ginger have several health benefits.A cup of warm masala chai can help you relax after a stressful day and can even keep us warm in the cold of winter.You can add sugar-free or even honey as sweetener. Try this spiced tea with some hot crispy pakoras as evening snacks. Ingredients: Tea leaves-2 tablespoons(I prefer Tata Tea Gold) Milk-1cup Water-2 cups Ginger-1 small piece Green cardamoms-2 Bay leaf-1 small Sugar-free powder-1 small teaspoon Black pepper powder -1/4 teaspoon Cloves-1 Method: -Heat 2 cups of water in a pan and let it simmer on slow flame. -Crush the ginger,cloves and cardamoms in a mortar-pastel and make a coarse powder. -Add this powder along with the bay leaf and black pepper powder to the water and let it boil. -Add 2 table spoon of tea leaves and allow it to boil.Stir well. -Now add 1 cup of milk and b...

This recipe requires no cooking at all.This recipe was in fact suggested by my  son.He loves cheese and  came up with this idea of mixing cheese with pickle and believe me,the combination tastes YUMM! I pack this in his school lunch-box. I mix MTR tomato pickle with Amul cheese cubes.You can mix any pickle of your choice. So here goes the very quick recipe... Ingredients: Amul Cheese cubes-3 MTR tomato pickle--3 teaspoons Method: -Cut the cheese cubes into half and add the tomato pickle to it and mix well with hands. -Tada! Achaari cheese is ready to serve. My Notes: Another interesting combination would be cheese with fresh green chutney .

Tomatoes have numerous health benefits.The lycopene in tomatoes are packed with anti-oxidants and phyto-chemicals along with some vitamins and minerals.Studies have also shown that cooked tomatoes are healthier than the raw ones. This simple soup is tomatoes cooked with some garlic,spices and carrots and is very healthy and quick to make.It is just perfect to keep you warm on a cold day! Ingredients: Tomatoes-4 big sized Garlic-3-4 cloves Staranise-1no Clove-2 nos Black pepper- 3-4 nos Carrot-1 small,diced Milk-1/2 cup Sugar-a pinch Salt to taste Olive oil-1/2 teaspoon Fresh parsley-2 teaspoons Method: -Wash the tomatoes and blanch them in boiling water.Cool the tomatoes and take the skin out. -Take a mixie jar and add all the above ingredients except parsley and olive oil and blend to ame a fine smooth puree. -Heat 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and add the puree.Cook till it becomes a little thick. -You can add a little water if you want a clear soup. -Gar...

Falafel is a famous appetizer from the middle-east which is is popular in many parts of the world.It is usually made from fava beans mixed with some spices,herbs and onions.You can use chickpeas instead of fava beans.Falafel tastes best with pita bread and tahini sauce(Sesame seeds sauce). Ingredients: Chickpeas-2 cups,soaked overnight Fresh parsley-1/2 cup,finely chopped Green coriander leaves-3-4 teaspoons,chopped Garlic-8-10 cloves,peeled and crushed Onions-1 small,chopped Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon Black pepper-a generous pinch Red chilli flakes-2 teaspoons Salt to taste Oil-2 cups,for frying Method: -Soak the chickpeas in water for 8-10 hours or overnight. -Take a mixie jar and add all the above ingredients except oil and blend to make a smooth paste. -Heat 2 cups of oil in a pan and deep fry the falafels taking small portions at a time. -Serve then in pita bread with some cut onions,lettuce and pickled vegetables.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Puffed rice or murmura is made from rice and is a common snacks food in many parts of India.Being a part of bhel-puri which is a popular street food,murmura is also offered as prasad in temples. In this tangy and spicy recipe,I've added grated carrot,tomatoes and diced cucumbers along with some spices and sprouts. Ingredients: Puffed rice/Murmura-3 cups Onions-3 teaspoons,finely chopped Tomatoes-2 teaspoons,finely chopped Green moong dal sprouts-1.5 teaspoon Bengal gram-2 teaspoons Cucumber-2 teaspoons,diced Green chillies-1 teaspoon(Optional) Lime juice-2 teaspoons Sev bhujia-2 teaspoons Roasted peanuts-2 teaspoons Fresh coriander leaves-2 teaspoons,chopped Fresh Coconut- 1 teaspoon,scraped Salt-a pinch Mustard oil-1 teaspoon Method: -Soak the green moong dal and bengal gram over night and boil the bengal gram and wrap the green moong in a damp cloth to sprout. -Take a big container and add all the ingredients except lime jui...

 This is another easy to make recipe with spring onions and crispy fried potatoes cooked in a  garlic and red chilli sauce. Chilli-garlic potatoes is one of my favorite and this recipe tastes great with noodles.You can cut the potatoes into cubes or simple wedges.If you do not have fresh red chillies then use dried red chillies soaked in warm water for at least 30-35 minutes. Ingredients: Potatoes-4 Medium Garlic-8-10 cloves Red chilli-8 Tomato ketchup-1/2 cup Salt-to taste Water -1/4 cup Spring onions-1/4 cups,finely chopped Oil-2 cups for frying the potatoes and 2 teaspoons for cooking Cornflour-3 teaspoons Method: -Grind the red chillies and garlic to make a fine paste. - Mix this paste with 1/2 cup of tomato ketchup by adding 1/4 cup of water to it.Mix well and keep aside. -Peel and cut the potatoes into the desired size and dust cornflour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to it and mix well with hands. -Heat a pan and add 2 cups of oil and fry the potatoes ...