Tantalising Pachadis & Salads for the weight-watchers

Exotic Salad-2

Boiled peanuts

Lettuce

Apple

Capsicum

Canned pineapple

Cucumber

Oranges

 

Everyday Salad – 12 - this one has pasta, our favourite!

Any pasta can be used. From the diet point of view, I used Fusilli, made with 100 % durum wheat.

Boiled pasta - 1 cup

Deseeded & chopped tomatoes - ½ cup

Chopped, ripe pineapple - ½ cup

Processed cheese cube - 25 gms, cut into cubes

Basil leaves - few ( I substituted Tulsi leaves)

Toss together.

Serve chilled, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 

Dinner Sweet Pachadi - a lovely dish!!

This is served in all Chennai weddings without fail.

Bright, red, Tomatoes - 3 (blanched, peeled & pureed)-about 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 - 1 cup ( to suit how sweet you like it)

Chopped fruits - pineapple, banana, apple, grapes

Cashew & raisins - 1 tbsp each

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Heat ghee & first fry & remove cashews & raisins.

Add tomato puree & cook, stiring till the raw flavour is lost.

Add sugar & simmer.

Switch off when sugar is completely dissolved.

AAdd cardamom powder, salt, all the chopped fruits & the fried cashews & raisins.

 

Mixed Salad with Gado gado dressing.

The salad has
cucumbers+capsicums+tomato+pineapple+iceberg lettuce
Gado gado sauce:
Grind together:
2 tbsp roasted & deskinned peanuts
2 tbsp powdered jaggery
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp malai (top of milk)
salt
This sauce can be used as a dip also.

 

Cucumber Palida - an Udupi dish.

This is very much like a raitha.

I learn this from a TV programme. It goes very well with rice & rotis as well as makes a good side dish.

Curd - 1 ½ cup


Cucumber - 1, medium size

Fry in 1 tsp oil and grind to a paste;

Dry red chilies - 2


Fenugreek seeds - ½ tsp


Mustard seeds - ½ tsp


grated coconut - 3 tbsp (or copra)


salt


To temper;

oil - 2 tsp

mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

coriander leaves to garnish

Peel the cucumber, cut into half, scoop out and discard the core.

Chop into small pieces & cook till just soft in very little water.

Boil the ground paste for 1-2 mtes on low fire, remove & cool.

Add boiled cucumber, salt & beaten curds.

Mix well & temper.

 

Exotic Salad - 3

Boiled rajma

iceberg lettuce

pineapple

capsicum

tomatoes

grapes

cucumber

 

Cucumber Cups -- ideal for a snack fas well!

Take a cucumber, trim the edges, peel and cut into 2” length pieces.

Take each piece & from one side, scoop out the inside, leaving the other end in tact.

Rb a dash of salt & keep inverted in a plate in the frudge.

For the Filling, mix:

Grated paneer - 2 tbsp

Thick curds - 1 tbsp

Raisins - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped green chillies & coriander leaves - to taste

Salt & sugar

Take each cup & push in as much filling as possible.

Chill & serve.

 

Bhindi Raitha - very tasty!

Select fresh tender bhindis, wash, wipe dry & slice VERY THIN & UNIFORM.

Bhindi slices - 2 cups

Fresh curds - 1 cup (chilled)

Salt

Oil - to deep fry

To temper:

Ghee - tsp

Red chillies - 2

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Heat oil & deep fry bhindi till brown & very crisp.

Change in 3,4 tissues to become oil-free.

Just before serving, add salt to chilled curds, add fried slices & temper

 

Carrot Kosemall - a routine SI salad!!

The carrots must be fresh & tender. Grate fine.

Grated carrot - 1 cup

Moong dhal - 1 tbsp (more to taste)

Green chillies - 2, slit

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Freshly grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Salt

To temper:

Oil - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Pressure cook, moongdhal for just one whistle - it should be quite grainy.

Drain, cool & add all other ingredients.Mix well.

 

Carrot Raitha - one can make a meal out of it!

Select bright coloured, fresh and tender carrots. Grated them thin.

Grated carrots - 1 cup

Thin slices of green chillies - 5,6 pieces

Curds - 1 cup

Salt

Ghee - ½ tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch

To garnish - chopped coriander leaves

First mix green chillies + salt with cyrds, crushing chillies slightly.

Add carrots, temper & garnish.