Shatabdi wala cutlet :P

So here I am..in Shatabdi..yet AGAIN! :):)

I must mention that these visits back home (yes that is what I STILL call it) are so nostalgic but no matter how much I love them, the fact that I have to wake up at 4 kind of kills the feel (buy never mind, it lasts only till the time I am served 'Upma Cutlets' in the train.

Believe it or not, when I wake up at 4, to catch my train, just thinking about the cutlets going to be served makes it all worth it :P

I have tried these at a lot of places but just cannot get the same taste. I know a lot of you might think, what is so great about such unhealthy cutlets (considering the fact that they are served in TRAINS-oh yes WE earn soooo well, we travel ONLY in flights - point I shall elucidate later in the post) for now lets talk about THE cutlets.

Let me try and put the ingredients what I THINK are in it

- Rawa
- mashed vegetables (let us count on potatoes too please)
- NO chillies
- salt and black pepper
-fennel
 And then there  is a layer covering the mix, which i feel has to be made from rice flour dough

For me the USP has to be the lack of spices. Yes, you read it correctly.
I feel the fact that there are no spices, you can actually feel the original taste of the 2-3 key ingredients. Considering this is breakfast (lets forget stuffed aloo parathas with Lassi for a day - please please please) i think its Perfect! But it time, they should start serving atleast 4!!!!! How I Love them :D

Shall post detailed recipe once i get it perfect.

Now let us talk about the flight stuff. yesssss! So what if i at times LIKE a train journey? Pammi aunty has no business pointing out , ' Haye ni Mrs. Puri (my MOM) kudi vaaste flight nai karayi? Haye BECHARI!!!

[oh my god, Mrs. puri, you did Not get a flight booked for your daughter??? Awww poor girl]

Yea. Whatever. Fine.

The moment i reach back Delhi I shall try and make these AGAIN(considering i had a detailed conversation about these 'Oh So Special' cutlets with an aunty seated nearby and she had a LOT to talk about a LOT of stuff).

Oh god...she has still some more stuff to talkni about. Let me get back to her.

SEE YOU SOON. Bye!!

Evernote Food 2.0

Evernote has an application, Evernote Food, that acts as a perfect travel accomplice for a foodie. While it was earlier just an app for chronicling your meals and food you love, it has evolved to a new avatar, Evernote Food 2.0, that also helps you find great new restaurants, documenting how to make cherished family recipes, places you could discover, capture, apart from giving a way to share your life’s most memorable moments in food.

Check out the Video.

Saffola Masala Oats Chaat (Peppy Tomato)

So in continuation to my last post, here is recipe of a dish I tried making post getting the Saffola Masala Oats goodie bag.

This is a 5 min quick healthy chaat.

Yes you read - HEALTHY! Remember healthy can be unbelievably tasty!! The Other Side ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Saffola Masala Oats - Peppy Tomato
• Chopped vegetables 
• 4 spoons - capsicum
• 4 spoons - beans
• 1/4th cup peas
• Tomato sauce
• Salt
• Basil
• Black Pepper
• Garlic - chopped, 1/2 spoon
• Chilly Flakes
• Oregano
• Gram Flour 4 tablespoon

Recipe:

• Mix 1 packet Saffola Masala Oats Peppy Tomato with gram flour and water to make a dough
• Make a chapatti from that dough
• Put some olive oil in a pan and cook the oats chappati (it has to be thicker than usual chappatis, sort of a pancake)
• Toss and Turn until golden brown
• Simultaneously heat 2 tablespoon of oil . Add Garlic and chilly flakes to it and in a pan and saute all vegetables
• Once cooked add basil, oregano and black pepper as per taste 
• Break the chappati into pieces (try equal pieces, though i cut it randomly :P )
• Mix chappati and vegetables in a separate bowl (be careful of not breaking the pieces)
• Add tomato sauce and SERVE 

Saffola Masala Oats - Chaat

Hope you like it :)

I shall keep experimenting and posting recipes. STAY TUNED !

The Other Side - By Saffola Masala Oats

Right when my boredom clock started clicking, I got a call, invite and a cab…and yayyyy I was at the Saffola Masala Oats – The Other Side.

The Invite

An event that people realize - healthy CAN be tasty. Not that I had doubts (being an ardent oats lover) but a double check never kills anyone!

So for starters- the venue looked nice and the people were good. I instantly connected with a few peeps which was a good start. One nice lady sitting next to me offered me some Nachos and dip. Though I acknowledge her sweetness, I did not like the nachos served there so much. Nonetheless, the drinks were nice but somehow I missed on having the Almond Oats shake – which I heard was very nice.

The event kick started and VIKAS KHANNA arrived *blush blush*

He looked as amazing as ever and chit chatted with the audience to engage with everyone and I must say , he did a damn good job. I am a Punjabi myself hence connected with every pun he intended :P

I was lucky to get a chance to participate in the cooking contest organized. (the question I was asked – how many times a pineapple grows on one tree in one season? Answer- ONE) I almost screamed the answer and did not even wait for the mic to arrive for I in no case could have missed the chance *evil grin*. Nonetheless, I had a time of my life when I stood there at the “masterchef-type’ setup. We were given 20 mins to cook something innovative out of the ingredients available. (I shall post the receipe soon and also a few

innovative receipes one can cook from saffola masala oats)

The Set Up

After this a similar contest was organized and this time those 6 people had to cook something from saffola masala oats. Overall it went well, while I could not decipher why the first contest contestants could NOT use those oats. Anyway oats pizza was the highlight of contest number 2. Later all the 12 participants were given a chopping board signed by VK.

All this ended and we proceeded towards food counters. Food was good. Menu had an oatilicilous surprise – litchi jelly with oats custard which was pretty decent.

We were given a oats goodie basket and a book by Vikas Khanna. All in all it was a well executed event post which I believe a little more that healthy CAN be tasty as well :)

The Goodies

Stay tuned for some healthy and tasty oats receipes.

Takecare :)

Lovely Event

Slow Food in a Fast Life

Today we are standing on the edge – where we do not know which way to go. We are on the brim of a relentless quest – to run after money or to live life?

We are all living in a society of fast food and big problems.

"He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude. 
   They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude.
   Eager for action and hot for the game, the coming attraction, the drop of a name...
   Life in the fast lane surely make you lose your mind.
   Life in the fast lane, everything all the time."
  -The Eagles

Due to the low cost and convenience, fast food has become an unhealthy addition to the average India’s diet. The extra-large food portions, which are loaded with salt, saturated fat and calories, provide little nutritional value and increase the risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases and life-threatening health issues in both adults and children. The most common problems India is facing today are:

Obesity

Fast foods like chinjabi noodles, momos etc are a tasty treat now and then, but when your daily diet is filled with foods from fast food restaurants you increase your chances of becoming overweight. Obesity can lead to a variety of chronic health conditions and illnesses.

Be it a residential area or an office compound you are bound to encounter a fast food an in the vicinity.

Diet-related obesity is on the rise in both children and adults; the amount of fast food we consume is partially responsible for the weight gain of millions in this country. One fast food meal, with its large portion size and high fat content, often contains enough calories to satisfy the average person's daily caloric requirements. Limit your trips to fast food restaurants to help reduce your risk of becoming obese.

Type 2 Diabetes

Apart from being genetic, a poor diet often contributes to insulin resistance, which leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in both adults and children.

People who eat junk food are at a greater risk becoming obese and of developing insulin resistance at an earlier age. Type 2 diabetes contributes to other health conditions such as blindness, stroke, kidney failure and hypertension. Lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by eating a healthy diet and staying active.

Cardiovascular Disease

Considered the leading cause of death throughout the world, cardiovascular disease is the accumulation of fat and plaque in your arteries that can lead to heart failure, heart attack and in some cases, death. A steady, unhealthy diet of fast foods that are filled with, trans fats, cholesterol, fat and salt contributes greatly to the development of cardiovascular disease. Obesity caused by the steady consumption of fast food also raises your risk of developing heart-related issues. Avoid cardiovascular conditions by following a healthy low-fat diet and exercising for at least 30 minutes every day.

Image Courtesy : Haibye.com

Hypertension

A poor diet that is filled with fast foods that are high in sodium are one of the causes of hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Eating too much salt causes your body to retain water, which will raise your blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or of having a stroke. Cardiovascular disease can lead to a heart attack or congestive heart failure and in the worst cases, death. A stroke may cause brain damage, blindness, paralysis and in some cases, death. Avoid hypertension by maintaining a healthy weight, staying active and by following a diet that is low in salt and fat.

Image Courtesy : Haibye.com

A healthy diet needn’t necessarily mean tasteless food. Today we know about plenty of ways to turn the boring dull unhealthy food into something interesting.

You can look a few healthy yet tasty recipes here :  Oats Spinach Masala Buttermilk and Soupy Yummy Oats

Go ahead, don’t hold yourself from experimenting. Love yourself and your family and ensure you do the best you can to keep them healthy and safe. 

Oats and Spinach Masala Buttermilk - Healthy and Tasty

Weather forecast in newspaper today - heat waves to strike Delhi!

Yeah right I in any case though Delhi is at its coolest best. I mean, really? I am not aware if the person forecasting the weather has actually ever stepped out of his AC car or may be hell is yet to arrive, in either case i am all set to make my diet inclusive of all the healthy and cooling food items.

So here is another experiment, hope you enjoy it :)

Ingredients

- Instant Oats - 1/2 cup
- hot water 3/4 cup
- Ice cold water - 1 cup
- 10-12 spinach leaves (blanched)
- yoghurt - 1/2 cup
- Roasted jeera powder -1 tbsp
- Rock salt - 1/4 tbsp
- Paprika - 1/4 tbsp
- salt to taste

Method

- soak instant oats in hot water for 2-3minutes and then mix to form a smooth mixture
- put the spinach leaves and soaked oats in a blender and blend till smooth
- mix with Yoghurt, cold water and spices and blend for another 30 seconds (it should be very smooth)
- add water if necessary
- garnish with a dash of paprika and serve immediately.

Eat healthy, stay fit.

Tomato Curd Rice (bliss during summers)

Scorching heat outside!!! The last thing you would want is to get your stomach affected by it...so here is the thing...of South Indian origin, tangy Tomato Rice makes a great one-dish meal, especially to beat the heat!

Serve it with poppadums

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked Basmati rice (you can also use leftover rice)

4 large ripe tomatoes cut into cubes

4 tbsps desi ghee

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 large onion chopped fine

2 green chillies slit lengthwise

1" piece of ginger grated

2 tsps coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1cup curd

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds and green chillies. When they stop spluttering add the onion and fry till soft.

Add the tomato and ginger and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy. And hen add cued to it. Keep mixing, do not stop till the curd cooks.

Add the coriander, cumin and garam masala powders, salt to taste and mix well. Cook on a low flame for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add rice and mix for another 2-3 minutes. Close the lid and turn off the gas.

Serve with poppadums and jaljeera .

Enjoy!:)