healthy

OPA SQUASH DUMPLINGS IN SPICY CURRY-Kofta Curry

February 6, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Vegetable Kofta Curry is a very popular dish in India. This is my easy take on a classic which comes together in one pot. This opa squash and chickpea dumplings is simmered in a smooth sauce to make a delicious and delectable curry. Weeknight meal made easier.

Weeknight meals can be interesting, but not the most appealing looking at times. But, it was real. More often than not, the meals we get to share with family and friends do not take on the convivial, alluring nature we see promoted across blogs and boutique media. It’s easy to set a beautifully-styled farm table and encourage meaningful, open-hearted dialogue and then CONVENIENTLY disregard that meaningful, open-hearted dialogue is, by nature of our human-ness, a mess most of the time. The mess doesn’t sell.

It happens in a rush. Everyone’s got lots to do and you feel the need for extra couple of hours in a day….then comes the spicy yummy meal craving. One pot meals at his time does come in handy.

Here’s one I absolutely love….

Kohlrabi/Noolkol Edamame Fry

January 26, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Don’t be intimidated by kohlrabi/noolkol! This root vegetable is easily adaptable to many flavors and keeps it’s crunch. Delicious and Nutritious. This Kohlrabi/Noolkol Edamame Fry is a vegetarian lovers meat dish.

I’m always curious about other people’s comfort food. The stuff you eat when you’re sick or sad. I feel like it tells you so much about that person, where they came from, what they turn to feel better.

And when I ask people so many secrets spill out, gooey mushy nostalgic childhood food, some’s grandmother’s mutton, someone else who goes to a tiny box-line restaurant in old Shivajinagar for the flavors of that chicken that’s unbeatable, some else, who makes an elaborate meal from scratch to lose themselves in the method and to forget….

Game Day Jalapeno Cheese Chips Crisps

January 24, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of popchips. This is the perfect game day snack – a great-tasting, crunchy, better-for-you option and tasty. Top it cheese and some jalapenos for the extra oomph.

Football season is here! Do you entertain? Go out weekly for games? It is such a tempting time to sit around with friends, drinking and eating all sorts of delicious, yet unhealthy foods. This clean eating game day recipe will be a hit with everyone. while we can always use a solid recipe for wings and probably a few, the snack spread on its own is highly anticipated. Right now, we’re particularly obsessed with the chips and dip portion of the event.

As far as game day dips and chips go, some stand by the more classic tortilla + guac combo, while some go carrot + hummus. With so many options out there—for both chips and dips— I wanted to show a healthy alternative. Popchips….

Bengali Pumpkin Aloo Posto – Stir fry Pumpkin and potatoes with poppy seeds

January 2, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

This Aloo Posto is a classic example of how just a few ingredients can yield a creamy spiced potato dish. A staple in Bengali households and one of my all time favorite recipes.

I love January and it’s everyday-ness. I’m glad for a regular pulse again. The holidays are great but it’s the stillness that I crave at the end of it all. We spent the holidays binge watching “How I met your mother” and a small skii trip to Aspen. We ate home made comfort food and listened to Paul Anka, on my teen’s new record player to fill the house with something… normal….

Festive Froyo Bark/ Frozen Yogurt Bark

December 10, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Snack time just got exciting with this recipe for energy boosting Frozen Yogurt Bark; FAGE greek yogurt sweetened with honey and topped with chocolate chips, poms, pistachios and sugar free sprinkles!

After a three week vacation that was filled with food, laughter, fun and more food, I have been craving healthier, guilt free treats for snacks.

I have been making yogurt sweetened with maple syrup and topped with granola for years. This is a pleasant change that I made a year or so ago and it was well loved. Hey, in between all the cookies and treats, why not sneak in some healthy treats too?…

Gluten Free Millet Roti – Softest and Easy Rotis

October 8, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Two ingredients, one important step, and you have the easiest and softest gluten free roti there is. This gluten free roti stays soft for two days if wrapped well.

The minute I posted my quick naan recipe, I started getting requests for a fail-proof roti. I somehow missed sharing wheat rotis. I’ve been on a gluten-free journey the last couple of months and have been experimenting with different grains. We make rice roti which is gluten-free. However, it is a bit thick and heavy and hence doesn’t really go well with sabzis. So, when I started sharing my experiments on social media with whole grain rotis, I have had a sea of requests for a foolproof gluten free roti that stays soft for a long time….

Indian inspired Spicy Carrot Soup with Walnut Crumble & Monday Musings

October 7, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This is super healthy soup that gives you all the fresh, warm fall flavors. The spicy carrot soup is easy on the ingredients and boast big flavors. Loaded with ginger and garlic, lime juice for punch, with some sesame seeds. It is tangy, nutty, very creamy and intensely flavored, Made with few ingredients and 30 minutes, this is an incredible easy and delicious meal any time of the year.

The endless cascade of nutritional information—about localism, vegetarianism, veganism, organic food, the environmental impact of eating meat, poultry, or fish, and more—makes the simple goal of a healthy, sustainable diet seem hopelessly complex.

Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” That’s what the French lawyer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who happened to have a deep love of gastronomy, wrote in 1825. A century later, a diet-hawking American nutritionist named Victor Lindlahr rendered it as: “You are what you eat.” I propose revising it further: Tell me what you eat and I will tell you how you impact the planet.

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Dhaba Style Egg Omelette Tomato Curry

September 29, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

These mildly spiced eggs cooked in butter were rolled, cut, and simmered in a tangy garlicky tomato curry. They are fluffy and soak in the juices quite efficiently. This dhaba style egg curry is a perfect quick “lazy” meal for cold evenings. The curry goes absolutely great with rotis, chapathis, and parathas.

We’ve had an adventurous few weeks. Yes, we did travel quite a bit, but it is the adventure we had with my camera I’m referring to.

A few days before leaving on a trip to London and Oslo, my camera stopped working. The card reader was messed up. I was sick at that time. When I finally had some energy, I decided to take it to my local camera repair guy (which had a one-star rating) only because I did not want to drive an hour up to the city to get it fixed. We were somewhat relieved because the local guy told me he can try and give it before we leave on our trip, which was in five days….

Shortcut Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

September 18, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This flavorful shortcut chicken tortilla soup is loaded with beans, corn, tomatoes, and chicken, and it comes together in under thirty minutes. To serve, garnish with your favorite tortilla chips or toasted corn tortillas cut into strips, along with avocado, cilantro, cheese, and onions.

A year ago when my teen expressed that he wants to pursue his studies in New York , it was bittersweet. I made up my mind that I’ll be giving him a small diary filled with 15-30 minute easy recipes. After a quick survey on Instagram, I had so many requests for easy healthy recipes, weeknight dinners, and bachelor recipes… Voila, it’s better to also blog those recipes, right?!…

Broccoli Fried Rice topped with crispy garlic and onion

August 30, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

A quick and tasty side dish, or can be served as a meal. This Broccoli Fried Rice with crispy garlic and onion will blow you away. No one will never know it’s healthy. You can modify this recipe to include any veggies you choose.

I was one of those fussy kids growing up, mom snuck in veggies in everything, coconut peas rice, cauliflower tomato rice, tawa pulao with more vegetables than rice, and I had no clue of her hidden intentions. Now, it’s more a habit, more than me wanting to sneak in vegetables in my kids.

I love the idea of an all-broccoli version of this, but I know not to test my luck too far, so for us, an equal amount of chopped broccoli to brown or white rice is the perfect compromise for the whole family. Just like cauliflower rice, you place the broccoli florets in the food processor and pulse until they resemble a rice-like texture. Be sure to watch is carefully because, if you process too far, then you’re on your way to pesto, but if you process it too little, then those indistinguishable grains of broccoli become chunks of green in your rice….