Quinoa-Methi Pulao ( Quinoa-Fenugreek-Rice Pilaf); Meatless Monday

I am big fan of quinoa. I make quinoa-black bean salad, quinoa-avocado salad, quinoa dosa, quinoa idlis, quinoa cutlets. However, unlike many people, I cannot substitute rice with quinoa. I love my rice. You see, I am South-Indian and we South-Indians love our rice! Being  that I am always looking for novel ways to incorporate quinoa into my diet, I experimented making a pilaf using it. I mixed it with rice in the ratio of 1:1. I loved it! Even my picky kids ate without any fuss ( or even realizing), which to me was very encouraging. Since then, I became even more adventurous and made quinoa-methi pulao. This one came  out perfect and my husband almost didn't realize that anything was different.

I think this is a technique that all those who want to incorporate quinoa in their meals should use until they are habituated to quinoa.

Methi pulao is one of my favorite dishes. It is simple and easy to make one-pot meal.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients :

Basmati rice: 1 cup
Quinoa: 1/2 cup
Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves): 1 cup ( from 1 medium bunch), washed and cleaned.
Soya chunks: 1 cup ( optional)
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1  tbsp
Clove: 2-3 nos
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Bay leaf: 1 medium-sized
Cardamom pods: 2-3
Cashewnut halves: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise.
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chillies: 3-4( depending on your spice level),chopped fine
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Tomato: 1 medium, chopped
Salt : to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Hot Water: 3 cups + 1 cup

Method:

Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.

Soak the soy chunks in 1 cup water with a pinch of salt for 5-10 mins. Squeeze and remove them from water. Keep aside.

Wash the quinoa and keep ready.
Boil the water and keep ready.

Heat oil/ ghee mixture in a kadai/ sauté pan/ pressure cooker. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and the onions. Sauté until the onions turn transparent.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and sauté for few seconds.

Now add the turmeric powder and the chopped tomatoes. Saute until the tomatoes wilt.

Add the methi leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Add the garam masala powder and drained soy chunks. 

Add the drained rice and sauté for 2-4 minutes. 

Add in the hot water, salt, sugar and bring it to a boil. 

Add quinoa. 

Cover, reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes. If you are using a pressure cooker/ pan, do not use the whistle/ weight.

When done, fluff with a fork/ spoon.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with a Raita of your choice or by itself.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this delicious dish to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120  and Saucy Saturdays#44! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Cooking made easy:

The quinoa can be cooked separately and added to the pulao at the end once the rice has cooked.

Quinoa can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

You can use only garam masala powder or only whole garam masala depending on your preference and availability.

Tip for healthy living:

Fenugreek leaves are highly nutrient-dense . They are especially beneficial for diabetics.

Food for thought:

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. James Baldwin

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Pancharatan Dosa Wrap ( Crepes made with 5 different kinds of lentils) ; Diabetes Friendly Thursday

It is that time of the month again when we share with you amazing, drool-worthy, diabetic-friendly and weight-watcher friendly recipes!

Celebrate the month of May with Team DFT, indulging on some delicious and hearty wraps that are diabetic friendly and weight watchers friendly.

                       Creating Recipes with a Cause! I am a proud DFT blogger. 

                                        To learn about DFT, Read this Link! 

                                        To view more DFT recipes, Click here!

When the team decided on this month's theme as  "wraps", I wanted to bring to you all a wrap that could cater to all taste-buds and preferences , yet be healthy and easy to make with simple ingredients that are normally present in your kitchen.  I am sharing with you Pancharatan Wraps with three different fillings! 

Wrap with vegetarian cauliflower filling.

The three fillings are vegetarian/ vegan filling, cheese filling and scrambled egg filling! Depending on yours or your children's preferences, you can easily customize the filling with one single batter for the wrap.

Wrap with cheese filling.

The wrap is protein-packed dosa with no carbs in it as the dosa batter has been made with 5 different lentils and no rice.  This is a quick and easy to make batter that does not require fermentation. You only have to soak the lentils in water for 1-2 hours and it can be ground to make the batter.

Wrap with savory scrambled egg  filling.

The vegetarian/vegan filling has been made with cauliflower that has been sautéed with onions.

Wrap with vegetarian cauliflower filling.

For the cheese filling, I have used shredded mozzarella cheese.

Wrap with cheese filling.

You could also use crumbled paneer ( Indian cottage cheese) or crumbled tofu for vegan option.

Wrap with savory scrambled egg  filling.

The scrambled egg I have used is the spicy Indian version, you could use any version of your choice.

All of these wraps make for a easy, healthy, filling dinner or lunch options.

Servings: 6-8

Serving size: 1 for children, 2 for adults.

For the Pancharatan Dosa:

Ingredients:Urad dal ( split matpe bean): 1/4 cup
Toor dal ( split pigeon peas): 1/4 cup
Chana dal ( split chick-peas): 1/4 cup
Moong dal( split mung beans): 1/4 cup
Masoor dal ( split orange lentil): 1/4 cup
Methi seeds ( fenugreek seeds): 1/2 tsp
Water to soak and grind : as needed
Salt: as needed
Coconut oil : for greasing the skillet/griddle

Method:

Wash the lentils thoroughly. Soak all the lentils and fenugreek ( methi) seeds in thrice as much water, for at least 1-2 hours. I like to soak it overnight if I am in no rush.
Grind it in a mixer-grinder/ blender until it is a smooth paste, using water as needed to grind. Make sure the batter is thick and not runny. Add 1/2 tsp salt, mix well.

This batter is good with/without fermentation.

Heat a griddle/ tawa/ frying pan to medium hot. Grease the pan using 1/4 tsp oil. Pour 1 ladleful of batter ( around 1/3 rd cup batter) and spread it on the tawa in a circular motion to cover the pan. Cover and cook until you hear a hissing sound ( around 2-3 minutes). Flip the dosa and cook it from the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Make as many dosas/ crepes as needed and keep ready. Store the remaining batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

The Cauliflower ( Vegetarian) filling:

Ingredients:

Cauliflower: 1/2 of medium-sized head, florets separated.
Onion: 1 medium, diced medium
into two.
Coconut oil: 1/2 tbsp
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaf: 1 sprig ( optional)
Haldi( turmeric powder): 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Cilantro( coriander) or parsley leaves for garnishing.
Warm water: 2 quarts ( for soaking the uncooked cauliflower).

Method:

Wash the cauliflower florets.Soak the cauliflower florets in lukewarm
water with a pinch of salt for 10 mins. Drain completely and keep aside.

Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan/ frying pan upon medium heat.Add the cumin seeds. 

After 20 seconds, add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves. 

Now add the slit green chillies and chopped onion. Sauté the onion until it is transparent. 

Add the turmeric powder, sauté for a minute. 

Now add the drained cauliflower florets, salt and mix well. Cover and cook on low  until the cauliflower is tender ( around for 5-10 mins).Turn off the flame.

Garnish with fresh finely chopped cilantro/ parsley  leaves.

For the cheese filling:

mozzarella cheese/ crumbed paneer/ cottage cheese: 1 tbsp, heaped
Freshly ground black pepper: a pinch

For the scrambled egg filling: click here for the recipe.

Assembling the wrap:

Place the wrap on a plate/ cutting board. If using dosas/crepes that were made ahead of time, warm the dosa/crepe in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or on the pan for a couple of minutes. 

Take 1 heaped tbsp of filling and place it at the center of the wrap.

Fold the two sides slightly and then roll from the bottom upwards to make a right roll. 

Wrap with cheese filling.

Slice in the middle if you wish!

Serve warm.

You can serve with chutney of your choice if you wish.

Enjoy!

I am bringing these amazing crepes to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#38, Fiesta Friday#119  and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's co-hosts this week are Ahila @ A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.

Cooking made easy:

The dosas/crepes can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To use it in a wrap, just warm it up a little either on the stove-top or in the microwave.

Any other vegetable combination like peppers/ capsicum, carrot, cabbage may be used.

The wrap can be made ahead of time if you want to take it for lunch. Just warm it up in the oven for a few seconds before eating.

Footnotes (Tip for healthy living):

All the lentils are excellent sources of protein for vegetarians. Tofu and paneer are also great sources of protein. Egg as we know is a mine house of nutrients!
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable known for many of its health benefits.

References:

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

Do Check out the other DFT contributors  and their links!


1. Sonal
http://simplyvegetarian777.com/mung-cheela-tandoori-mix-veg-filling-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/
2. Swati
http://www.letscookhealthytonight.com/egg-white-salad-whole-wheat-tortilla-wraps/
3. Shailja
https://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/fiesta-masoor-cheela-texmex-salad-wrap-diabetes-friendly/
4. Apsara
http://eatingwelldiary.com/2016/05/12/kids-friendly-lettuce-wraps-for-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/
5. Sarika
http://www.spicezone.com/moong-dal-kebab-wrap-dft/

6.Parvathy

Food for thought:

We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe. John Henry Newman


Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Dosa ( Crepes & Pancakes) Collection;Vegetarian; Meatless Monday.

South India is known for it's dosas! Dosas form the staple breakfast item in the southern states of India. There are hundreds of dosas based on the ingredients used in the batter. What are dosas? Dosas are basically crepes or pancakes made with fermented batter. The batter is usually made up of rice and some sort of lentil.  It could be thin like crepes or thick like pancakes! The crepes could be crispy or soft. The pancakes are all soft and fluffy! The best part is that they are ALL vegetarian! They are usually served with chutney, of which there are hundreds of varieties. While most dosas are savory, there are a few like Surnoli, Thausali that are sweet. However, for kids who are spice intolerant( read mine), they can be served with butter and/or honey/ jaggery syrup/sugar.

Today, I am sharing with you some of my favorite dosa recipes, all in one place! Click on the title of the individual dosa to get the recipe in full.

Colorful Dosas ( vegan pancakes & crepes)

Ragi Phanna Polo ( Instant seasoned finger millet crepes)

Surnali ( Buttermilk pancakes; eggless)

Ragi Masala Dosa ( Crispy millet crepe stuffed with sautéed carrots)

Paper Masala Dosa ( Gluten-free stuffed Crepe)

Quinoa Masala Dosa ( quinoa crepe with stuffing and chutney)

Moong dal dosa ( split moong-bean crepes)

Set Dosa ( Vegan pancakes, served with mixed vegetable stew and chutney)

Watermelon Dosa (pancakes made from batter with watermelon)

I hope you enjoyed this collection. If you are still not satisfied, just type in "dosa" in the search box on this page and many more dosa recipes will pop up!

I am bringing this amazing collection of dosas for my friends to try at Throwback Thursday#37, Fiesta Friday#118  and Saucy Saturdays#43! Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Kaila @ GF Life 24/7 and Laurena @ Life Diet Health