Baked Beignets

A classic golden french doughnuts with an airy crisp texture on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, these sugary pillows make a great breakfast and give you the feel of the taste of New Orleans at home!

The original recipe is to deep fry the dough pillows. The dough is usually made of bread flour, sugar, milk, butter and eggs. The deep fried pillows are rolled in powdered sugar and served hot as a breakfast mostly in New Orleans (but is quite common in all over France) . There are many variations of the recipe and a healthy one is baking the pillows. I came across Beignets last week when I was in Paris. We bought sugar-coated Beignets from a nearby bakery for breakfast. There are countless bakeries in every street in Paris serving Beignets for breakfast with a cup of hot creamy coffee.

We stayed in a home-stay with cute Parisian couple and I was able to get the recipe of Beignets from our host's girlfriend. I was not sure of the measurements so I slightly adapted that from Hodgson Mill Recipe Blog. Beignets came out perfect, just the way they served in France.\m/ They usually cover/sprinkle it with a thick layer of powdered sugar and sometimes, Beignets are served with sweet, flavored sauce.

A single traditional Beignet (with butter, plain flour and deep fried) has minimum of 250 calories. This modified recipe reduces it's calories to just 125. /:) I have replaced butter with Olive oil and bread flour with sifted wheat flour. The sugar I have added is a little less than the original recipe so these are not calorie-loaded doughnuts but a quite healthy and very filling breakfast or snack. They taste best when they are hot and fresh but if you want to save it for later or the next day, bake it for 5 minutes to get back the crispy outer layer and serve with powdered sugar sprinkled again.

Ingredients
Water	2 tablespoons & more
Sugar	1 teaspoon + 3 tablespoons
Active dry Yeast	1 teaspoon
Wheat flour/Plain flour	2 & 1/2 cups
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda/Fruit salt	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	1/4 teaspoon
Olive oil	3 tablespoon
Milk	2 tablespoon
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon
Egg	1 whole
Vanilla essence	1 teaspoon
Sugar/powdered sugar(for dusting)	1/2 cup

• Mix 2 tablespoons of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar and yeast powder. keep it aside for 10-15 minutes so that the yeast can get active. 
• Combine wheat flour, sugar, Baking powder, fruit salt/baking soda and salt.
• Add olive oil and mix well till the mixture looks like bread crumbs.

• Add milk, lemon juice, Egg, vanilla essence, yeast mixture and mix. Add water if the mixture is too dry.
• Cover and place it in a warm place for an hour. 
• Once the dough looks doubled, dust the dough and knead it well for 5 minutes. Add some more flour if the dough is too sticky.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough into a rectangle shape and using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into small square shaped pillows. 
• You can cut the dough into your desired shape if you do not prefect the square pillows. Arrange the cut pillows on a lined and sprayed baking tray. Let the pillows rest for 15-20 minutes. 
• Brush milk over the pillows and bake them for 8-10 minutes. 

• Grind the sugar to a fine powder. You can also use ready-made powdered sugar available in grocery shops. 
• Remove the Beignets from oven once the pillows start to turn golden brown. 
• Dust Beignets with powdered sugar. Also dust a little more on top before serving.  Serve hot with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!

• I have made the pillows quite thick because I wanted them to look like fluffy square buns. You can roll the dough a little more thinly to get more skinny pillows since the pillows rest before baking, they poof up a little anyway.
• While asking for recipe, I tried to check if there was an eggless version for this recipe but I got an angry snap and a "no" as a response, probably because French people are quite defensive about their food and culture. You can try Egg-less version if you wish to, though. (Do let me know how it was if you did try egg-less) :)
• Usually Beignets are served by dusting/sprinkling powdered sugar just on top of them. But I felt that dusting them all over makes them more enjoyable.

Upside-Down Apple cake

Moist, dense and mildly sweet, this Apple cake is a treat for all ages groups. This Upside-Down Apple cake is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. It is a great healthy breakfast, a perfect lunch box dish for kids  or a simple dessert for your weekend lunch or even as a tea-time snack!

After a long weekend vacation (in Paris!!! :D), we both needed a boost to go back to our normal lives. This recipe has been our total favorite from the day I made it for the first time. We had a stock of apples in the fridge and this is the first dish I made as soon as we reached home. It tasted divine after that long journey. Apples being very tasty, are also an excellent source of nutrients. Some of the benefits being:

• Contains an amazing number of Polyphenols
• Contains high amount of antioxidants
• Improves cardiovascular health
• Improves Blood sugar regulation
• Prevents cancer
• Prevents Asthma
• Regular consumption makes teeth whiter and healthier
• Prevents Alzheimer's disease
• Protects against Parkinson's disease
• Reduces cholesterol and keeps the heart healthy
• Regular consumption aids in weight loss

There are many more health benefits that can be gained by eating apples regularly. So, the quote "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away" is not a mere statement.

There are many variations for this dish like caramelizing the apples before arranging them on the cake pan or making a plain apple cake and then topping it with caramelized apple slices and many more. Naveen loves this cake with caramel on top and I prefer it without any more added sweet. This recipe, I have kept it pretty simple. Since I have added chopped apples to the batter, I have not placed too many slices for the cake top. I have used wheat flour instead of plain flour/maida. Also, I have replaced half of butter with olive oil and added very little sugar. so the dish is quite guilt free though depends on the quantity of butter and sugar added. The below calorie information is for the apple cake with caramel sauce. Please feel free to modify the recipe as per your taste.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	178		Calories
Fat	14		%
Carbohydrates	7		%
Dietary Fiber	4		%
Sodium	3		%
Vitamin A	6		%
Vitamin C	0		%
Calcium	3		%
Iron	5		%
Protein	3.8		Grams
Sugar	2.3		Grams

Ingredients
Apple chopped	1
Apple sliced thinly	1
Wheat flour	1/2 cup
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Fruit salt/Baking soda	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	a pinch
Butter	1 tablespoon
Olive oil	1 tablespoon
Milk	1/4 cup
Sugar	1/4 cup
Vanilla essence	3 drops

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix wheat flour, Baking powder, Fruit salt/baking soda and a pinch of salt.
• In a mixer or blender, blend melted butter, milk, Olive oil, vanilla essence and sugar on high speed for just a minute.
• Add the dry ingredients to this mixture and mix well. Add the chopped apples and give it a slight mix.

• Grease the cake pan and arrange the sliced apples on the pan. You can arrange 2 layers of apple slices for a better look of the cake. 
• Pour the cake batter on the arranged apples and make sure you do not try to even the layer. I tried to even it and the apple slices that were arranged into disarray. 
• Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until inserting a toothpick or fork comes out dry. Keep an eye on the cake after 30 minutes just to make sure the cake is not over cooked.

• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and flip the cake on a plate.
• Let it completely cool down before serving. This cake is mildly sweet, very moist and chunky and I love it this way. 

If you are more on the sweeter side, you can top the cake with some caramel sauce that can be made in minutes.

Ingredients for an easy caramel:
Sugar	1/2 cup
Water	3 tablespoons

• Heat sugar with water on a low flame until it starts turning dark. Do not stir it more than once. 
• When you have achieved the color of your choice, remove it from heat and pour it over the apple cake. Serve it quickly and enjoy!

* You can make spiced caramel by adding a start anise and a cinnamon stick while making caramel. 

* You can also sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top of the cake for an extra flavor.

* You can replace Milk with 1 egg, this makes the cake more spongy.

Bottle Gourd Peel Chutney

Wait!! check this out before you throw the vegetable peels. A lip smacking chutney that can be served as accompaniment for Rice, Idli and Dosas. Before long, your family will be asking you for more!

I have seen both my mum and granny make this chutney. Though they made many variations for the Bottle Gourd peel chutney, my little brother and I loved this the most. You can also make red chutney with bottle gourd peel using Red chilles, Urad Dal and tamarind. My granny says when you throw away the peels of Vegetables and Fruits, you are actually throwing away half of their health benefits. [-X The peels of Vegetables and Fruits are packed with nutrients and surprising amount of flavor. Using them can make your meals healthier and more flavorful.

 There are many recipes you can try to make using the peels of Vegetables(Ridge gourd, Bottle gourd, Raw banana, cucumber, Pumpkin, Tomato, Squash )and fruits (Orange, Grapefruit, Watermelon rind, Lemon, Peaches). Last time I made Bottle Gourd Halwa, I had a whole cup of bottle gourd peels and the recipe for chutney was just a phone call away. You may find it strange cooking Green chillies with the peels but my mum says that the aroma of Green chillies blend with anything that it is cooked with. So the flavor is deeper and authentic. I prepared this chutney and served it with hot white rice and a sprinkle of coconut oil on it. Guess what happened the next day? Hubby bought another kilogram of Bottle gourd back home asking for the chutney again! /:) :>

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	86		Calories
Fat	7		%
Carbohydrates	4		%
Dietary Fiber	2		%
Sodium	2		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	16		%
Calcium	2		%
Iron	1		%
Protein	2		Grams
Sugar	0		Grams

Ingredients
Peel of Bottle Gourd	1 Large
Green chillies	3 or more
Oil	1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Water	1 cup
Peanuts	1/4 cup
Tamarind/Tamarind paste	1/2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Corainder leaves	to garnish

To temper
Oil	1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal	1/2 teaspoon

* Wash the Bottle Gourd well before you peel the skin. Slit Green chillies and keep aside.
* In a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add slit green chillies and the peel. Fry for 5 minutes.
* Add water, cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Check once after 5 minutes and add more water if required.

* Check one of the strands if the peels are cooked and soft. If the strand falls apart, remove the mixture from heat and let it cool.
* Now, I have added raw peanuts for this chutney but you can dry roast peanuts if you wish. It tastes better for this chutney if it is not roasted since it overpowers all the other flavors.
* Grind the cooked mixture, Peanuts, Tamarind and salt to a coarse paste. Add water if necessary. Temper with oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, Urad dal and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice, dosas or Idlis and enjoy!

* You can increase or decrease the quantity of water you add as per the consistency of chutney you need.
* I have not found curry leaves here in Oslo yet, but feel free to add it while tempering for better taste.
* The flavor of cooked cumin seeds with any vegetable peel is a match made in heaven. You can skip cumin seed while tempering if you are not a fan of cumin.

Linking to: Full Scoops: First Blog Anniversary Giveaway!

Vegetable kurma

A great Indian coconut-based side dish and unbeatable match made in heaven for Rotis, Pooris and Parathas. The recipe for Kurma or korma varies from region to region and this recipe is the easiest of all.

My mum makes a similar korma every time she prepares Pooris. However, this modified version of her recipe looks so much prettier and the color is so pleasant. From our weekend shopping, the refrigerator was so full I had to pull out few veggies and plan for something "Mixed veggie". Well, I actually did not have many vegetables that can be added to kurma except Carrot, Bell pepper, Green beans and onions. I could not add Eggplant, Tomatoes, Ridge gourd, zucchini or mushrooms simply because that will not achieve my desired taste for this recipe.

You can add any veggies of your choice and also half a cup of green peas and cooked potato can make it more colorful. For a tinge of that restaurant style flavor, you can temper the Kurma with oil, cashew nuts, Red chillies and mustard seeds.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	100		Calories
Fat	14		%
Carbohydrates	1		%
Dietary Fiber	4		%
Sodium	10		mg
Vitamin A	6		%
Vitamin C	8		%
Calcium	4		%
Iron	10		%
Protein	0		Grams
Sugar	0		Grams

Ingredients
Chopped Vegetables of your choice	2 cups
Cashew nuts	A handful
Fresh grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Milk	1/2 cup or more
Green chillies	4
Coriander leaves	1/2 cup
Onion chopped	1
Oil	1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon	a small stick
Bay leaf	1
Star Anise	1
Ginger Garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Water	1/2 cup or more
Salt	to taste

* Soak Cashew nuts in a milk for 20 minutes. Grind fresh grated Coconut, Cashew nuts, Green chillies and Coriander leaves. 

* Add water or milk to make it a smooth paste. keep it aside.

* Chop and cook all the veggies except onions. 

* Heat oil in a pot and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise. When mustard seeds starts to splutter, add chopped onion. Fry till the onion looks translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and give it a mix.

* Add cooked veggies and fry for a minute.

* Add the ground paste, water and salt. You can increase or decrease the quantity of water as per the thickness of the Kurma you want it to be.

* Bring it to boil and simmer it for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot. 

Bottle Gourd Halwa

Bottle Gourd Halwa also called Lauki ka halwa or Dudhi halwa is a lip smacking traditional Indian dessert. This is a simple and easy recipe which does not take more than 20 minutes to prepare.

First of all, this recipe is almost oil-free! yes, you heard me right. You will not require ghee/butter/oil to make this halwa. (except for frying the nuts and raisins) As usual, I was looking for a low calorie dessert for this weekend. While grocery shopping, I surprisingly stumbled upon Bottle gourds and was quite happy about it. My mom makes the best halwa with loads of ghee, jaggery and a whole lot of nus and raisins. She also adds roasted poppy seeds for that heavenly halwa. Making that similar halwa means consuming thousands of calories in one go and I was not ready to take that chance.

You may wonder why I think so much about calories all the time. It's just that, living here in Norway has changed our eating habits a lot. Making a pizza or a burger or even a potato looks so much easier than making an Indian meal from scratch. Weather is quite cold (getting colder each day) and junk food has never been more tempting. It is not always about putting on weight, it is about being healthy too. So, keeping a tab on calories may help us to keep track of how much junk we have eaten. Anyway, I made halwa anyway, but modified it as per my "Calorie choice"and it turned out to be amazingly tasty. I am definitely going to make it again soon!

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	114		Calories
Fat	6		%
Carbohydrates	0		%
Dietary Fiber	0		%
Sodium	0		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	0		%
Calcium	12		%
Iron	0		%
Protein	4		Grams
Sugar	10		Grams

Ingredients
Bottle gourd	1 big
Milk	1 cup (250 ml)
Grated jaggery/Brown sugar	1/2 cup or more (as per your taste)
Vanilla essence	2 drops
Oil/Ghee	1 teaspoon
Nuts and raisins	Quantity of your choice

* Wash, peel and grate the bottle gourd. Do not throw the peel. You can make delicious chutney using bottle gourd peels.
* Cover and cook grated bottle gourd in milk till it turns soft and is completely cooked. You can pressure cook it if you are in a hurry.
* Add grated jaggery or brown sugar and mix well. The mixture will get dry and may stick to the bottom after a while. So keep stirring under low flame.

* Once the sweet smell of jaggery starts to develop, add vanilla essence and give it a mix. Remove from the flame and keep it covered.
* In a pan, heat oil/ghee and add raisins and nuts. Fry for 2 minutes and add it to the halwa. Stir and serve hot with or without Vanilla ice cream.

* You can add ghee while adding jaggery/sugar. It gives an extra flavor and aroma.
* You can also roast poppy seeds and add to this halwa. My mom adds poppy seeds and it tastes a bit different than this.

Guacamole

Guacamole is an authentic Mexican dip served with style for Tortilla chips and any grilled food. It is spicy, chunky and deliciously fresh.

Avocado/Butter fruit are buttery and flavorful pear-shaped fruits. Avocados are versatile fruits from which both savory dishes and desserts can be prepared. It is also one of the most healthiest fruits in the world.

This Guacamole recipe is simple and easy. With very few ingredients, you can prepare an interestingly yummy dip within 10 minutes. It goes perfectly well with Tortilla chips, grilled food and salads. The authentic recipe calls for chopped tomatoes. I personally do not like tomato chunks in this soft guacamole so I have skipped it. Please feel free to modify the recipe as per your taste.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	50		Calories
Fat	14		%
Carbohydrates	8.5		%
Dietary Fiber	5.9		%
Sodium	10		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	0		%
Calcium	0		%
Iron	0		%
Protein	1		Grams
Sugar	1		Grams

Ingredients
Avocados	2
Lemon juice	of half lemon
Salt	to taste
Onion finely chopped	1 small
Green chillies finely chopped	4
Olive oil	1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves chopped	1/2 cup

* Cut avocados and scoop the pulp out of their skin. Add lemon juice and salt. Mash them with a fork (Do not mash them to a paste, keep it chunky).
* Add finely chopped onion, Green chillies, olive oil and coriander leaves. Give it a stir.
* Serve with a plate of tortilla chips or as a dip for any grilled food or enjoy as a topping for your favorite salad.

* Decrease or increase the quantity of green chillies as per your taste.
* If you wish to add chopped tomatoes, decrease the quantity of lemon juice.
* Guacamole can even be prepared with just salt and lemon juice.

Ridge gourd chutney

Simple and flavorful, this chutney is a perfect accompaniment to idlis, Dosa and steamed rice.

This is an unmodified recipe straight from my mum's kitchen. She makes the best Heerekai/Ridge gourd chutney and she usually serves it with hot steamed rice. For cold rainy day, what can be better than a plate of hot rice, Ridge gourd chutney and a dollop of ghee? She makes it spicy and aromatic. Every time I make this chutney, the aroma gives me nostalgic feeling, makes me miss my mum a lot.

There are numerous health benefits of Ridge gourd and I want to list a few.

Purifies Blood: Including Ridge gourd in your regular meals helps purify blood and cleanse the body out of toxins. It also boosts liver health and helps decrease the bad effects of alcohol consumption. Since it has properties of cleansing and purifying blood, it is also good for skin and prevents the skin from pimples and acne.

Reduces sugar levels: The insulin present in Ridge gourd (like Peptides and Alkaloids) helps reduce the blood sugar levels in our body. It also restricts the increase of blood insulin level and hence is good for diabetics.

Good for Eye sight: Ridge gourd contains Beta-carotene which is good for enhancing eye sight.

Antibiotic properties: Ridge gourd has anti-inflammatory and anti-biotic properties making it a part of home treatment for many skin and other body ailments.

Aids in weight loss: Ridge gourd is extremely low in saturated fats and helps reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the body. It offers high amount of vitamins and minerals. So it is a best choice if you are on a weight loss regime.

Yet another vegetable with countless health benefits but I will have to stop with only few. This Ridge gourd chutney recipe is easy and simple, yet very tasty. Please feel free to modify the recipe as per your taste.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	60		Calories
Fat	2		%
Carbohydrates	8		%
Dietary Fiber	1		%
Sodium	0.83		%
Vitamin A	7		%
Vitamin C	94		%
Calcium	1		%
Iron	4		%
Protein	1		Grams
Sugar	1		Grams

Ingredients
Ridge gourd/Heerekai	1 (big)
Cumin seeds/Jeera	2 heaping teaspoons
Red chillies	2 or 3
Water	2 cups
Salt	to taste
Tamarind/Tamarind paste	1 teaspoon

Coconut/copra                          2 tablespoons

To Temper
Coconut oil	2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds	teaspoons
Red chillies	2

* Boil water in a pot and add chopped Ridge gourd, Cumin seeds and Green chillies.
* Cook till the water is completely evaporated and ridge gourd is cooked completely.

* Grind the cooked mixture with coconut, tamarind and salt to a fine paste. Add water while grinding.
* Transfer the ground paste to a pot and bring it to boil. Remove from heat.
* Temper with hot oil, mustard seeds and red chillies. Serve hot with rice, rotis, dosa or Idlis.

Brown lentil and Dalia BisiBeleBath

BisibeleBath is one of the most popular rice dishes in Karnataka. It is aromatic, warm and tasty one-pot meal loved by all age groups.

It has been a while since I started to pick on things to cook for Naveen trying not to put on anymore weight. When it comes to native dishes like Pulao, Bisibelebath, Puliogare, etc,.. it is hard to resist. He loves Rice dishes a lot and so do I. Yesterday, he came home saying he has a craving for a plate of piping hot Bisibelebath. I knew just what to do, so I replaced Toor Dal with brown lentils and white rice with Dalia (Broken wheat). Guess what? Bisibelebath was super yummy and satisfied the husband eminently.

It does not feel even a bit different from the normal bisibelebath and is a step more healthier with Dalia, Brown lentils and all the veggies added to it.

Nutritional Information  (Approx) (per serving)
Energy	199		Calories
Fat	7		%
Carbohydrates	11		%
Dietary Fiber	40		%
Sodium	38		%
Vitamin A	85		%
Vitamin C	58		%
Calcium	8		%
Iron	24		%
Protein	8.2		Grams
Sugar	6.9		Grams

Ingredients
Mixed Vegetables	2 cups
Dalia/Broken wheat/Cracked wheat	1/2 cup
Brown lentil	3/4 cup
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Water	4 cups

For Bisibelebath powder
Split peas/Chana dal	1 teaspoon
Toor Dal	1 teaspoon
Urad Dal	1/2 teaspoon
Cloves	2
Cinammon	a small stick
Elaichi	1
Fenugreek seeds	1/2 teaspoon
Dhaniya/coriander seeds/Dhaniya powder	1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds/Jeera	1 teaspoon
Hing	a pinch
Dry coconut/copra	1/2 cup
Red chillies	6 or 8

To temper
Coconut oil	2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds	1 teaspoon
Hing	a pinch
red chillies	2

* Cook all the Veggies in a pot of water till they are half cooked.
* Wash and soak Dalia and Brown lentil for 30 minutes. Add turmeric powder, water and cook till the lentils are soft and mushy. It is easy to pressure cook the lentils and Dalia since it takes quite a while to cook otherwise.

* Fry all the ingredients under "For Bisibelebath powder" one by one in the order listed. Let them cool.
* Grind them to a fine powder without adding water.
* Transfer the powder to a bowl, add little water and mix well to make it a paste. This step will help the powder get mixed without any lumps.

* Mix cooked vegetables, lentil, dalia, masala, tamarind paste and salt. Bring it to boil.
* Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for it to splutter. Add hing and red chillies. Once the aroma starts to develop, add it to Bisibelebath.
* Remove Bisibelebath from heat, serve hot with raita and papads.

* You can fry chopped onion and peanuts with red chillies for extra flavor.

* Bisibelebath tastes best when topped with clarified butter/Ghee. 

* You can replace brown lentil with dal if you like.