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Walnuts have amazing health benefits.They are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants which are great for the body.Mint leaves  too have numerous health benefits.They are packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants.The combination of mint leaves and walnuts along with garlic makes this dip/chutney super healthy.You can use this dip as a spread on breads and chapatis or simply enjoy it with your meals. Ingredients: Mint leaves-1 cup Walnuts-1/2 cup Lime juice-2 teaspoons Garlic-4-5 cloves,chopped Green chilli-1,finely chopped Oil- 1 teaspoon Salt to taste Method: -Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves and the green chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes. -Now add the walnuts and fry for another 2-3 minutes.Let it cool. -Take a mixer jar and add the roasted walnuts,mint leaves,salt and lime juice and blend to make a smooth paste.

This is a very easy recipe that is nutritious as well as tasty.Red bell peppers  and tomatoes are a great source of antioxidants whereas the green mangoes contain vitamin C. This dip can be served  with tacos,puris,chapatis,idlis,dosas and can also be served with rice. Ingredients: Reb bell peppers-2 Tomatoes-1,medium sized Green mango-2 tablespoons,peeled and grated Green chilli-1 Coriander leaves-2 teaspoons,finely chopped Garlic-2-3 cloves Turmeric powder-a pinch Mustard seeds-1/4 teaspoons Fresh coconut-2 teaspoons,shredded(optional) Salt to taste Oil-1 teaspoon Method: -Wash and cut the tomatoes and red bell peppers. -Take a fry pan and heat 1 teaspoon of oil and all the mustard seeds to it. -As the mustard seeds begin to splutter ass the diced red bell peppers and tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. -Add the garlic cloves,turmeric powder and salt and cook for another 2 minutes.The tomatoes and bell peppers should be cooked properly.Allow it to cool. ...

I got this delicious recipe from a friend.She used the spring onion greens and not the bulbs.The spring onion gives the chutney a nice taste and smell too.You can use this chutney as sandwich spread or simple have it wit rice,puri or parathas. So here goes the spring onion recipe. Ingredients: Spring Onion greens -2 bunches Green mango-a small piece,peeled and finely chopped Fresh scraped coconut-2 teaspoons Green chilli-1 small Salt to taste Oil-1 teaspoon Method: - Finely chop the spring onion greens. -Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and add the chopped spring onions and fry it till they are slightly cooked. -Take a mixer jar and add the fried spring onions and all the above ingredients and blend to make a nice smooth paste.

This dip is very quick to make,super healthy and tastes great with samosa,kachori, parathas ,rice and even momos.This dip stays fresh for atleast 2 days if kept in he refrigerator.Try it and i'm sure you wont be disappointed. Ingredients: Tomatoes-2 large Onion-1/2 medium sized Garlic-5-6 cloves Ginger-1 small piece Green chilli-1  Red chilli-1 Green coriander leaves-3-4 teaspoons Salt-1 teaspoon Method: -Wash the tomatoes and onions and chop them finely. -Chop the coriander leaves and the green and red chilli as well. -Wash the ginger and garlic and peel them. -Put all the ingredients in a mixer and blend to make a nice smooth chutney. -Serve with samosa,kachori rice,chapati,puri or momos.

Mooli or radish has some of the essential vitamins such as vitamin C,vitamin B and some important minerals like manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, copper and zinc.It contains roughage and is also an excellent detoxifier. This mooli recipe is a combination of grated radish in spicy yogurt that has been tempered with some important spices. Ingredients:  White Mooli/Radish-2,peeled and grated Yogurt-2 cups Green chillies-1,finely chopped Fresh coriander leaves-3 teaspoons,finely chopped Salt to taste Sugar-a generous pinch For the Tempering:     Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon Asafoetida -1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds-1/4 tespoon Curry leaves-4-5 Dry red chilli-1,broken Oil-1 teaspoon Method:   -Wash the radish,peel it and grate. Squeeze the excess water out of the grated radish and keep it aside. -Whisk  the curd properly and add salt, sugar,chopped green chillies and coriander leaves and mix well. -Add the grated...

Gooseberries are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C.They are easily available in the market during winter.This chutney can be used as a dip as well as a masala to be added to curries and dals.Use it as a sandwich spread or with parathas to make a healthy and delicious wrap.So enjoy the goodness of amlas in your diet. Ingredients: Amla(Gooseberries) - 8-10 Green chillies-2 Fresh coriander leaves-1 cup Salt-1 1/2 teaspoons Method: - Cut the flesh of the amlas and chop them. -Chop the green chillies and the coriander  leaves. -Take a mixer jar and grind all the above ingredients until you get a fine smooth paste. -Store this chutney in a glass or steel container and refrigerate it. My Notes: This chutney stays fresh for 2-3 days if stored in glass or steel air tight container in the refrigerator.

 This delicious and super healthy yogurt dip has fruits which are a great source of vitamins and anti-oxidants.Yogurt is rich in nutrition and the combination is just perfect to start your day.Serve this raita with rava upma , multigrain cracker or poha . Ingredients Yogurt-2 cups Pomegranate seeds-2 teaspoons Apples-11/4 cups,finely chopped Pineapple-11/4 cups,chopped Bananas-5-6 slices Lime juice-1 teaspoon Rock salt-1 teaspoon Grapes-4-5,seedless Sugar-a generous pinch Roasted cumin powder-1/4 teaspoon Mint leaves-1 teaspoon,finely chopped. Method -Take a bowl and add the chopped apples and add lime juice to it and mix well. -In another bowl whisk the yogurt and add rock salt and sugar. -Now add the grapes,banana slices,apples,pineapple and gently mix. -Keep it in the refrigerator a serve chilled by topping it with pomegranate seeds,roasted cumin powder and freshly chopped mint leaves.

Now that the festivals are around the corner most of us observe vrats and prefer eating food cooked without using garlic or onions or satvik ahaar as we call it.I usually make this chutney during festivals when there is a vrat and we prepare food without garlic and onions. This sweet and sour chutney is rich in iron that comes from the dates and antioxidants from tomatoes.This is a quick to make chutney and tastes great with plain steamed rice or with chapati and parathas. Ingredients Tomatoes-3 medium sized,ripe Dates-4-5,seedless Roasted Cumin powder-2 teaspoon Refined vegetable oil/ghee-2 teaspoons Dry red chilli-2  Panchphoran (Saunf, jeera, methi,kalonji seeds) -1teaspoon Salt -a generous pinch Sugar or Jaggery powder -2.5 tablespoons Water-2 tablespoons  Method -Wash the tomatoes and dice them into small pieces -Soak the dates in water for 10-15 minutes.Wash well and cut them into small pieces. - Take a pan and dry roast the cumin seeds for 3-4 minutes...

Here's another simple and tasty dip recipe.It goes well with chapatis,parathas,rice,tikkis or with salads. You can use hung curd or plain curd to make this dip.Use hung curd if you plan to send this dip in your kid's lunch box.It's healthy and very appetizing.Try it and please give your feedback. Ingredients Peanuts -1cup Ginger-1very small piece Green chilli-1 Salt to taste Curd/Hung Curd-2 cups Method -Roast the peanuts in a pan till a nice a nice nutty aroma comes out.Keep stirring with a spoon or the peanuts will burn.Let it cool. -Take a handful of peanuts and rub then with both the hands to take the skin out.Blow off and take the skin out. -Repeat the above step for the rest of the peanuts. -Take a blender or mixer and add all the above ingredients and blend to make a nice smooth paste. -Delicious yogurt and peanut dip is ready!

The multicolored bell peppers are a rich source of antioxidant,vitamin C and beta carotene.They come in orange,green,yellow and red color.These colorful bell peppers not only provide spice and crunch,they can also be a good source of nutrition for your family's lunch,dinner or breakfast. Here is an interesting recipe of bell pepper dip.I have used all the four colored bell peppers in the recipe. Ingredients Red bell pepper-1 Yellow bell pepper-1 Green bell pepper-1 Orange bell pepper-1 Garlic-4-5 pieces Fresh Thyme-1.5 teaspoon Parsley-1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil- 3 tablespoon salt to taste Method - Roast the bell peppers in an oven or prick the bell pepper with a fork and roast it on gas. -Let the bell peppers cool completely.Take the skin out and cut it into thin slices. -Chop the parsley and thyme. -Chop the garlic pieces. -In a blender add all the above ingredients.Blend to make a nice smooth paste. -Garnish with chopped parsley. -Bell pepper dip...

In my last post I had mentioned about the benefits of curd.Curd is a part of Indian food culture and no meal is complete without a cup of curd.Today,I'll share some easy and quick to make raitas with curd.Please keep in mind that you need to use fresh curd in all the recipes.Raitas are usually used as dips or sauce and are often seasoned with fresh herbs. Vegetable Raita Ingredients : Finely chopped onion-3 teaspoons Grated cucumber-3 teaspoons Finely chopped tomatoes-1 Fresh Curd-1 cup Chopped green chillies-1(optional) Chopped coriander leaves-1 teaspoon Salt-to taste Roasted peanuts-7-8 Roasted cumin powder-1/2 teaspoon Method : Whisk the curd properly and add salt and all the above ingredients except roasted peanuts and cumin powder.Mix well.Crush the roasted peanuts and add it to the raita.Sprinkle roasted cumin powder on top.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Potato(Alu) Raita Ingredients : Fresh curd-1cup Boiled potato-1(medium) Chopped green chill...

In one of my recent posts i had mentioned about Green Cilantro Dip(Green Dhania chutney).Today, I will share some more tasty Indian chutney recipes with you.You can have then with Idlis,Dosas or with your favorite tikkis.These chutneys are easy to make and you will need very few ingredients to make them. Coconut Chutney : You will Need Scraped coconut-1/2 cup Roasted chana dal-3 tablespoons Green chilli-1 Salt- to taste For Tempering Refined oil-2 teaspoons Red chilli-2 Curry leaves-4-5 Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon Urad dal-1/2 teaspoon     Method Put the scraped coconut,green chilli,roasted chana dal and salt in a blender and blend to make a fine paste.Take it out in a bowl. In a small pan add 2 teaspoons of oil and as the pan gets heated add the mustard seeds,curry leaves,urad dal and red chillies.Turn off the flame and pour the tempering on the chutney. ***If you do not have roasted chana dal, you can dry roast the chana dal in a pan for 3-4 minutes and us...

Hummus is a popular dip in the middle eastern countries.It is extremely healthy and packed with vitamins and minerals. Hummus is low in calorie and rich in fiber contents.It's made with chick peas and tahini (sesame)paste and garlic and lime juice.People have different ways of making this dip.No matter how you make it but this dip is certainly a healthy and yummy alternative to other condiments like ketchup and mayo. You will need chick peas-1.5 cups garlic cloves-2-3(or according to your taste) sesame seeds-5-6 tablespoon Lime juice-3 tablespoon Olive oil-6-7 tablespoon Salt Method Soak the chickpeas is water for about 8 hours or you can even soak it overnight. Boil the chickpeas by adding 2-3 teaspoon salt in 4-5 cups of water and pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles. Cool it and take the peel out of the chickpeas. Chop the garlic cloves . In a mixer jar put the chopped garlic,chickpeas,sesame seeds and lime juice.Add olive oil and  blend to make a fine paste...

My son loves this chutney and it's also an easy and quick to make recipe.This healthy chutney when made with garlic makes it rich in anti-oxidants and is great for immunity too.Garlic acts as a powerful antibiotic,especially when eaten raw. The chutney can be spread on bread while making sandwiches,can be eaten with pakoras or simply with hot parathas and rotis. While buying coriander leaves,make sure you buy the fresh variety with no yellow leaves. Wash the leaves thoroughly under running water and cut stems that are thick.Do not throw away all the stems.The stems taste equally good as the leaves. Nutritional Benefits of Dhania(Coriander/cilantro) Green coriander/cilantro leaves are considered to be rich in anti-oxidants and fiber too.They also contain s vital nutrients like folic- acid and vitamin K. Now coming to the recipe part...                                       GREEN ...