Poha - Quick Maharashtrian Snack

Poha also called as Powa is a popular snack from western India. Poha is made from flattened rice and is an easy-to-cook, nutritious snack. It is often eaten for breakfast or brunch. Poha tastes good with Mint-Coriander Chutney!

Ragi Vadai - South Indian Snack

Learn to prepare Ragi Vadai from this setp by step video instructions. Ragi is called as African millet and is brown in color and round in size is close to that of mustard seeds. Ragi vadai is a very popular evening snack in Tamil Nadu and goes well with Tea or Coffee on a rainy day.

Spicy Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is easily the symbolic representation of a non vegetarian dish from India. Below is the video recipe for cooking a delicious Chicken recipe.

Ven Pongal Recipe

How to make Christmas Cakes - Indian Style

Paal Payasam - Milk based Sweet for Diwali

Paal payasam is also known as Milk Kheer.This is a traditional dish in the Indian subcontinent.It is a rice pudding typically made by boiling rice with milk and sugar. It is often flavored with cardamoms, saffron, pistachios or almonds that have been soaked overnight and made into fine paste.

Aaloo Sabji - Indian Potato Dish

Aaloo Sabji ia a very popular Potato dish in India. Very simple to prepare and can be done quickly as well. Here is the video recipe to make Aaloo Sabzi.

Dont skip your breakfast

While most people wouldn't consider skipping lunch or dinner very often, a lot of us think nothing of trying to power through the morning on an empty stomach. People skip breakfast for a variety of reasons: not hungry, no time, don't like breakfast foods or trying to lose weight. If you're a breakfast-skipper and still not convinced that it's important, read on.

image source: getty images

It's true that some people just aren't that hungry in the morning. Many people feel like their stomachs take a while to ‘wake up'. Even though your stomach may not send you strong signals in the morning, if you skip breakfast, your muscles and brain will certainly protest. Working muscles and an active mind require plenty of healthy carbohydrates to keep them functioning properly.

Our bodies require the right carbs — fruits, vegetables and whole grains — as our primary fuel source. Taking in these ‘good' carbs in the morning can help keep blood sugar levels from lagging and fuel the activity of your brain and muscles. And the right proteins in the morning give the meal staying power and help you stay alert and productive until lunch.

Right balance
A breakfast consisting of only refined carbohydrates and little protein is short on the ‘good carbs' that fruits, vegetables and whole grains provide and doesn't provide enough protein to keep you fuelled for very long. If you're not that hungry in the morning, try a dish of yogurt and some fruit, or a protein shake made with milk or soy milk, protein powder and fruit. Or have a glass of milk and a piece of fruit. The carbs in the milk and fruit will fuel your muscles and brain, and the protein will keep you satisfied until lunch.

With all the quick breakfast options out there, lack of time shouldn't stop you from eating in the morning. Try to avoid a drive-through detour or a grabbing something at your local coffee house; most of the time the food choices there are limited, and are likely to be high in fat and sugar as well as low in fibre. Instant whole grain hot cereals, protein-packed energy bars or smoothies that can be eaten at your desk are all good options if you're rushed. Make it a point to carry fruit with you or keep some at work to round out the meal.

If you don't like breakfast foods, then eat whatever appeals to you. There's no rule that says you can't eat last night's leftovers for breakfast. Try a turkey sandwich packed with vegetables on whole grain bread or some leftover chicken, brown rice and veggies; both will provide a good balance of protein and carbohydrate. Add a piece of fruit (or save for mid-morning) and have a glass of non-fat milk and you'll be good to go until noon.

If time is an issue — and even if it's not — a protein-rich meal replacement shake is also one of the best ways to start the day. The combination of protein powder, calcium-rich milk or soy milk plus fruit is a quick and nutritious way to start to the day.

And here's a message for those who grab a muffin and a coffee drink on the way to work: a nutrient-packed meal replacement drink made with milk and fruit has less than 250 calories, but a sweetened coffee drink and a muffin could cost you more than 1,000 calories. A detour to the drive-through for a breakfast sandwich could easily set you back 500 calories and dump more than two tablespoons of grease into your system.

Don't skip meals
Think skipping breakfast will help you lose weight? Think again.

People who skip meals tend to get very hungry and over-indulge at the next meal, so there's really no overall reduction in calories over the day.

You'll be much better off if you spread your calories out over a few small meals and one or two healthy snacks.

Have some protein each time you eat – egg whites, fish, poultry breast, non-fat dairy products and soy products are good choices – so you'll feel fuller longer.

And try to include foods that have a high water content – like whole fruits, veggies, salads and vegetable-based soups – they're nutrient-rich and can help fill you up, not out.

Aviyal - South Indian - Kerala / Tamil Dish - Video Recipe

Aviyal is a dish that has a unique place in a typical Kerala Cuisine. It is a thick mixture of a lot vegetables, curd and coconut.It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. Aviyal is considered an essential part of the Sadhya.

Poori / Puri - Indian Breakfast snack out of Wheat Flour

Indian Fish Biriyani - Video Recipe

Medhu Vada/ Medhu Vadai - South Indian Recipe - Video

Mutton Biryani - North Indian Style - Video Recipe

Goan King Prawn Curry - Video Recipe

Punjabi Dhaba & India Pavilion - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Video Review

Documentary on Masala Dosa - South Indian Dish

This is a documentary on the origin and popularity of Masala Dosa, the video is completed by the students of L.V Prasad Film Academy.

Indian Street Food - Pav Bhaji

Gobi Manchurian (Dry)

Gobi manchurian aka Cauliflower Manchurian is a popular street food in most Indian cities and a perfect example of Indo Chinese fusion cooking. Gobi Manchurian is deep fried cauliflower fritters mixed in a spicy and tangy sauce. ‘Gobi’ means Cauliflower in Punjabi and ‘Manchurian’ meaning sweet & sour. There are two variations of the same recipe. The dry version of the recipe is a delicious appetizer and the gravy version goes well with fried rice.

This recipe for Cauliflower Manchurian/ Gobi Manchurian calls for some hard work since the preparation is a bit time consuming. As for any fusion cooking there are no strict rules and the recipe is usually altered to suit the local palette.

Ingredients :

Cauliflower - 1
Oil
Spring Onions for garnishing.

For batter :
All Purpose flour (Maida) - 3 tbsp
Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Soy sauce - 1tsp
Salt - As per taste (Add a little less since some would be added to the sauce.)

For sauce :
Onion - 1 medium size
Capsicum - 1
Soy Sauce - 2 tsp
Tomato sauce / Ketchup- 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce/ Schewan sauce - 1 tbsp (Optional)
Garlic - 4 cloves (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1” piece (finely sliced)
Green chillies - 4 finely sliced
Spring onions - ¼ cup
Oil - 1 tbsp


Procedure :

For Cauliflower fritters:

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place it in hot salt water for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively the cauliflower can also be cooked in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
2. Mix all the ingredients for batter into a thick paste. Add very little water if required. Make sure each piece of the cauliflower is well coated with the batter.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the cauliflower pieces in medium heat till golden brown. A perfectly cooked floret should be soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
4. Drain all the cauliflower fritters on a paper towel to remove excess oil.


For Sauce :

1. Heat oil in a wok and once the oil is hot add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Toss these in the oil for a few seconds.
2. Add the onions and capsicum to the oil and stir fry the ingredients for about 3-4 minutes. The onions and capsicum should retain their crunch.
3. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce and chilli sauce. Stir fry again for about 2-3 minutes. The sauce for the gobi Manchurian is now ready.
4. To the prepared sauce now add the cauliflower pieces and toss it for few minutes. Garnish it with spring onions and gobi Manchurian is now ready to be served with tooth picks.


Gobi Manchurian (Gravy)

For the gravy version add the required amount of water to the prepared sauce and bring it to boil. To get a thick consistency dissolve 1-2 tsp of corn starch in ¼ cup of water and add it to the sauce. (If the corn starch is added directly to the sauce there is very good chance to end with lumps). Bring the mixture to boil and when the required consistency is reached toss in the cauliflower fritters and boil for 1 or 2 minutes. This is now ready to served with rice or noodles.