Heart-friendly Recipes

[minisoji]

Asparagus Tomato and Pine Nut Salad

Ingredients

1/2 pound - fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
4 - plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
3 tablespoons - pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves - garlic, minced
3 tablespoons - balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon - dijon mustard
1/4 cup - olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the asparagus, tomatoes and pine nuts.
2. In a small bowl blend together the garlic, vinegar, dijon mustard and olive oil with a fork or whisk.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

[minisoji]

Pumpkin Skin Chutney

Ingredients

pumpkin skin-100 or 150 grams grated
channa dal-one and half tsp
dhanya-half tsp
cumin seeds-half tsp
red chilli-2 or 4
coconut - 4 tblspn
tamarind little
jaggery little
hing little

Method

1. Roast pumpkin skin with little oil till it becomes tender
2. Fry the remaining ingredients with 1 spoon oil till channa dal becomes golden brown.
3. Grind all ingredients till it becomes a fine paste and add salt to taste
4. Serve with rice or chapathi

[minisoji]

Sardines-Greens Stew

Ingredients:

Oil for frying (palm oil is most authentic, but any vegetable oil will do)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1-2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or canned tomatoes, or tomato sauce or paste)
1-2 pounds of spinach, cleaned, stems removed -- or -- cassava leaves (Feuilles de Manioc), kale, collards, or turnip greens or similar, cleaned, stems removed and parboiled (or some combination of these)
Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)
Canned sardines (two or three cans is good, but one can will do if you're on a tight budget)

Method

1. If using dried or salted fish: Soak fish in water for a few hours, rinse and remove any skin or bones, and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat a few spoonfuls of oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes.
3. Add the spinach (or greens) and fry them at high heat for a few minutes, stirring continually. (just a few minutes for spinach, but a few minutes more for other greens).
4. Stir in the tomatoes (or canned tomatoes with their juice, or tomato sauce or paste), the salt and pepper, and a cup of water.
5. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for twenty minutes or until the greens are nearly tender.
6. Add the sardines (or other preserved fish) and continue to simmer until the greens are ready to eat.
7. Serve with Baton de Manioc / Chikwangue, or Fufu, or Plantains, or Rice.

[minisoji]

Ulliporakala Pulusu (Spring Onions in Gravy)

Ingredients:

3 Bunches Spring Onions
1/2 Cup Tamarind Juice
3 Green Chillies
2 tbsp. Besan (Chickpea Flour)
1/4 tsp. Mustard
1/4 tsp. Jeera (Cumin)
Salt to Taste
1/2 tsp. Chilli Powder (Optional)
1/4 tsp. Haldi (Turmeric) powder
1 tbs. Oil
1/4 cup Water
2 tbsp. Sugar

Method

1. Cut the green part Spring Onions into small pieces. Also chop the white part separately.
2. Heat a saucepan and add oil. When oil is hot add mustard and jeera. When seasoning starts to splutter, add chopped white part of the onions.
3. After the onions are sauted add haldi and stir for few seconds.
4. Add the green part of the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or till they loose they raw flavour.
5. Add tamaring juice and salt. If you want spicy add chilli powder and cook for few minutes.
6. Mix besan in 1/4 cup water till no lumps are left. Add this besan mixture to the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add sugar and stir for few minutes and remove from flame.
8. Serve this hot with Rice or Chapattis. Also tastes great when cold.

[minisoji]

Hot and Sour Pumpkin

Ingredients:

500 g - pumpkin
4 cm ball - tamarind
3 tbsp - oil
4 to 6 - dry red chilies
1 tbsp - coriander seeds
2 tsp - cumin seeds
½ tsp - fenugreek seeds
½ tsp - black pepper corns
1 tsp - mustard
few curry leaves
salt to taste

Method

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut into 2 cm cubes.
2. Soak tamarind in ½ cup of warm water and extract the juice.
3. Heat 2 tsp of oil and roast red chilies, coriander, cumin and fenugreek seeds and pepper. Cool and powder coarsely.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a kadai.
5. Add mustard. When it splutters, add curry leaves.
6. Add pumpkin and salt. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of water.
7. Cover and cook on low heat till pumpkin is soft, but not mushy.
8. Add the tamarind juice and the masala powder.
9. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
10. Serve hot with steamed rice and dal.

[minisoji]

Yoghurt Cucumber

Ingredients:

2 - cucumber (diced)
100 ml - curd
3 g - crushed black pepper
salt to taste

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients and check the seasoning.

[minisoji]

Healthy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

4 to 5 - huge tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup - moong dal
1 - onion, chopped
1/2 cup - low fat milk [ reduced fat /1% fat/ 2% or fortiefied with vit a and d all work ]
2 tbsp - cornflour
1 tsp - olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Cook tomatoes and moong dal in 3-4 cups of water till the dal is cooked.
2. Saute the onions with Olive oil or can use PAM spray.
3. Now add the onions along with the cooked tomato dal mixture, cool it for a while and blend till smooth. Strain it with a strainer.
4. The result is creamier soup.
5. Boil it again and add milk, salt and pepper as per taste.
6. If you want more thicker consistency add cornflour to some water, make a paste and add it to the soup.
7. Serve it hot with Croutons.