Green gram (Cherupayar) curry!

For some reason, healthy food and me have never gone hand in hand, lolz! Thanks to A, who insists on having at least one veggie daily, I have begun to change from my "spoiled brat" ways, hee hee..However, not all veggies are bad, you know. For instance, this green gram curry is super healthy and super tasty.

Green gram has many benefits. It's perfect for hair loss and attaining beautiful hair. All you need to do is have sprouted green gram daily..which I guess is a bit of a chore, especially for people like me. But green gram is also the perfect food for weight loss and for people with cholesterol issues. So, keeping all that in mind, I decided to make my first ever green gram curry, and it tasted pretty good actually, if I do say so myself. This is something that can be cooked in a jiffy, coz it requires hardly any ingredients, and if you have a pressure cooker, even better! So, on to the recipe..

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-5)

• 1 cup green gram (soaked overnight or at least 5-6 hours before)
• 1 1/2 cups hot water (I use boiled water from the kettle)
• 1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tomato, chopped into cubes
• 4 green chillies, chopped finely
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies (optional)
• Curry leaves- plenty!
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil (You can use coconut oil for the traditional taste, refined oil or extra virgin oil as a healthier option)

METHOD

• Cook the green gram with the water in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles on a medium heat. If using the normal saucepan, this would take a minimum of 1 hour.
• Once the green gram is cooked, in a separate saucepan, heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds followed by the dried red chillies and a few curry leaves. Reserve the remaining curry leaves for the end. 
• Now add the onions, green chillies and salt. Salt is added to cook the onions faster. Cook the onions and chillies till they lose the raw smell and turn a slight shade of brown.
• Now add the turmeric and chilly powders and add some of the green gram stock left behind in the pressure cooker. If there is no water left, add a few tablespoons of hot water from the kettle. 
• Add the tomatoes and cook till they get mashed.
• Finally add the green gram along with it's stock. If you want more gravy add an extra 2 cups of hot water.
• Check salt levels and cook for another 5 minutes or till the green gram curry gets it's required consistency.
• Garnish with the remaining curry leaves.

This was how the final product looked like...

And another one..

Do let me know your feedback. so till next time, take care darlins and God bless!

Healthy veg stir fry with cocktail shrimp!

Hello my darlins!!! Did u guys miss me? I hope u did,coz I'm back with another delicious, easy breezy recipe, that you can whip up in a jiffy, especially when you're in no mood to slave in the kitchen...then again, I have always been lazy, which I'm sure my dear husband would vouch for, lolz!

This recipe is actually a personal favorite of A, coz it involves all of his fave vegetables (green beans, ladies finger and spinach), and as an added bonus, I added a few cocktail shrimps. Incidentally, these shrimps are ready to eat once you defrost them, but all my pure veggie friends, fear not, you can completely avoid this step. The beauty of this dish is that you could add any vegetable to this, including corn and bell peppers, which I didn't have in my pantry, but feel free to be creative! So enough with the blabbing, on to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS (For 2-3)

• Green Beans- 1/4 kilo (a handful)
• Ladies finger- 1/4 kilo  (a handful)
• Green Spinach- A bunch
• Onion- 1 medium, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic- Roughly chopped
• Red Chilly powder (optional)- 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper- 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil- 1 tablespoon (I used extra virgin. In case you don't have olive oil, use the normal refined oil)
• Ready to eat cocktail shrimp (Optional)- 5 pieces. (You can replace this with cocktail sausages)

METHOD

• In a pan, heat oil and add garlic cloves followed by onion. Saute till they turn transparent and the raw smell disappears.
• Add the chopped beans and stir for a  few seconds. Close the lid for about 3-4 minutes on a low flame.
• Add the chopped ladies finger and stir again for a few seconds. Close this for about 5 minutes on a low flame. Ensure the flame is low so as to not stick to the bottom of the pan. 
• Now add the chilly powder, pepper and salt and stir for a few seconds. To this, add the cocktail shrimp followed by the spinach. Let the flame continue to be on low.
• Switch off the flame after 2 minutes and serve hot.

Now wasn't that easy breezy? These veggies have very minimum cooking time, so all their nutrients are intact when served. Using olive oil is a healthy option, and the extra virgin version contains zero cholesterol, so all you calorie conscious people, ensure you buy a bottle asap! On to the pictures..

 And another one!

So there we are. Do try this and let me know how it turns out. Till next time, take care and God bless!