Jeevkadgi Sukke ( Breadfruit cooked with coconut and spices); Meatless Monday

January is known as Meatless Monday Month. This could be due to the fact that most people make New Year's resolutions, weight loss, eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyly being a few of them. It is never hard for an Indian to go meatless. We are experts at cooking up a plethora of vegan and vegetarian dishes using mother nature's bounty. Breadfruit is one of them. I personally love them!

Jeevkadgi known as Breadfruit in English is tropical vegetable. Yes, it is not really a fruit. It never really ripens into anything. The inside becomes mushy and it rots once it ripens. It is usually used in cooking either when it growing or when it matures and the consistency of the fruit is just a little soft.

We, the people of South Canara ( Mangalore, Udupi & Kundapur regions) love to cook breadfruit. We curry it in different ways, we batter fry it using different kinds of batter. You can find one kind of fry/ fritter here. It makes for a great accompaniment with tea.

We curry it a couple of different ways: with gravy (which is usually saved for a mature breadfruit ) or like a dry subzi as I have today. This method can be used for both tender and mature breadfruits. I know the people in the Caribbean region roast it and eat it. I personally, love bread fruit any or all different ways. Growing up we had a breadfruit tree in our backyard which always gave us a bountiful crop year after year!

Today's dry method is pretty simple and easy to make. Let's check out the recipe.

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 10-15 mins
Cook time: 15-20 mins
Total time: 25-35 mins

Ingredients:

Breadfruit: 1, small
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Dried Red chillies: 4-6 (adjust depending on individual spice level)
Tamarind: 1/4 tsp if using pulp or marble sized if using dried.
Split matpe bean: 1 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1/4 +1 tsp
Salt to taste.
Water : 1+1+ 2cups ( may not need all)

For tempering:
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Coconut oil: 1 tsp

Method:

Using 1/4 tsp oil, roast the urad dal until it turns golden brown. Turn off the flame and keep aside to cool down.

Wash and cut the breadfruit into bite-sized pieces. Add 1-2 cups of water, little salt and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and cook until it reaches the desired tenderness. Turn off the flame. Keep aside.

While the breadfruit is cooking, get the masala ( sauce ) ready. Grind together freshly grated coconut, red chilies, tamarind to a coarse paste using water as needed. Just when you are almost done, add the roasted urad dal and grind for 20-30 seconds.

Add this Masala to the cooked breadfruit. Bring it to a boil. Turn off the flame.

Tempering:

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Turn off the flame. Add this to the pot.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Enjoy.

Cooking made easy:

This recipe can be used with other vegetables such as potato, cabbage, cooking bananas, yam and other such veggies.

Three Bean Salad.. and a Mother’s Day Giveaway!

What better occasion than Mother’s Day to share this very informative post with you all. As mothers we do everything for everyone else but us. We forget about our health, our well-being and “me” as an individual. In this day Cancer is ubiquitous. Every family has atleast one person who has been diagnosed with some form of cancer or the other. For us as women, breast cancer is most concerning. Breast cancer has become quite commonplace today. We can however fight it with good, healthy food and lifestyle. These are also the topics that Dr Kristi Funk addresses in her latest book “Breasts, an owner’s manual" which was released onto the bookshelves on May 1st , 2018. 

For those of you who are not familiar with Dr. Kristi Funk, she is a leading board-certified breast cancer surgeon and specialist in comprehensive wellness, including nutrition, fitness, and stress management. Best known as the breast surgeon for Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow, Dr. Funk has compiled her accessible and powerful strategies for reducing cancer risk and achieving optimal overall health into this much-anticipated book, Breasts: The Owner’s Manual. 

To get your own free copy by participating in the giveaway, all you have to do is enter your email Address. 

Dr. Funk embraces meat reduction for healthy living. She personally provided a selection of delicious Meatless Monday recipes exclusively for us bloggers to try. Today I am sharing with you another of her very healthy, quick and easy recipe which is right up my alley: a three-bean Salad! This is a salad that can be rustled up within minutes. It would make for a delicious weekday meal, perfect for potlucks, parties, picnics and barbecues!! Do try it. 

I have tried not to alter anything and I am presenting Dr. Funk’s recipe verbatim.

Three beans walk into a Salad..

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (rinsed well)

1 can kidney beans (rinsed well)

1 can chickpeas (rinsed well, save chickpea liquid)

1 avocado cut into half inch cubes

2 Persian cucumbers chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup tomatoes (chopped)

1 tsp fresh oregano (preferred) or 1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 to 3 T of red wine vinegar

1-2 T chickpea liquid

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine beans, veggies and avocado and toss gently. Add oregano, then toss, add chickpea liquid, then red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: Chill the beans before making this if you are planning to eat it right away. Or you can make it (minus the avocado), chill for an hour, then add the avocado right before serving.

I am bringing this salad to all my friends at Angie's Fiesta Friday #223. Her cohost this week is the amazing Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Zucchini Bread; gluten free; Meatless Monday

When my dear blogger friend Sarika called for a collective on breads, I didn't think I could participate! Firstly, I avoid breads, secondly, the only "bread" bread that I have baked is the gluten-free sandwich bread. Thirdly, even if I were to think of making one for my family, I don't have a stand mixer, which means I will have to knead using my hands. This would result in pain in my hands! You guys must have noticed already that I don't make anything that requires lot of kneading, stirring, so on and so forth!  Well, you guys get the idea..

Sarika then told me that any kind of bread would do! That perked my ears! I am all for cake-like breads that could be had for breakfast and the kids could enjoy. I make banana-nut bread, cranberry-pecan bread all the time! I have been meaning to try zucchini bread for a while now and even had this recipe saved from one of the posts at Angie's Fiesta Friday! Finally, I decided to try my hand at it . I decided to make a gluten-free version. I had brought this gluten-free flour mix from Costco a while ago and it has been sitting there. I worry that it will go bad. So, I decided to use it. The zucchini bread came out moist and delicious! It is very easy to make. I have modified the original recipe, which you can find here.

Servings: makes one loaf

Prep time: 20- 30 minsCook time: 50-60 minsTotal time: 80-90 mins

Ingredients:

Gluten free  flour mix : 2 cups, I used Namaste Foods Gluten Free Perfect flour blend. ( you can use wheat/ all purpose flour, if you don't want it gluten free)
Baking soda: 1 tsp
Salt:1/4 tsp
Ground cinnamon: ½ tsp
Ground nutmeg: ¼ tsp
Vanilla extract:1 tsp
Butter:1/2 cup
Brown sugar:  1 cup
Eggs: 2
Zucchini : 1 large, grated , around 4 cups
Walnuts:½ cup,chopped(optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and keep aside.

In a bowl, beat together the butter, sugar until creamy. 

Add the eggs, beating until smooth.

Now add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg  and vanilla essence.

Squeeze the grated zucchini to get rid of as much water as possible. Add this to the bowl.

Add the flour and nuts ( optional) mixing gently. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan .

Place it in the middle rack of the oven.

Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes at 350 deg F.  Lay a piece of foil gently across the top and bake until a cake tester (like a toothpick) inserted into the center comes out clean, 5 mins at a time. I needed additional 15 mins.

Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.

Slice as desired.

Serve warm with butter ( optional).

To store: keep the slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

May be warmed slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

I am sharing this delicious breakfast with my friends at Throwback Thursday #51, Fiesta Friday #133 and Saucy Saturday#57! 

Cooking made easy:

You can use a combination of zucchini and overripe mashed bananas or zucchini and apple sauce.
To make it vegetarian substitute one egg each with 1 tbsp Flaxmeal mixed in 3 tbsp water.

Tip for healthy living:

Breakfast is the most vital meal of the day. Do not skip breakfast. Try to eat something that you like, even if it is a small quantity.

Food for thought:

There is a kind of beauty in imperfection. Conrad Hall

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Ripe Mango Gojju by Jayashree T. Rao; Guest Post Series

I am sure all of you relished Anjana Devasahayam 's Zucchini Hakka Noodles! I know I did! I made them rice  noodles for dinner and my family just polished it! If you missed it last week, feel free to go back and check it out! You will find a picture of my version too! 

This week I have a guest blogger from my part of India, Jayashree T.Rao. She  is a friendly and enthusiastic freelancer blogger who  writes her cooking tales on EvergreenDishes. It is primarily a vegetarian blog with predominantly Indian recipes. Besides writing recipes, she also writes poems and articles. She believes in living life to the fullest and loves cooking for husband and teenage children. Her other interests are reading and gardening. She is a published writer who is sharing with us today, one of her favorite poems.

INSPIRATIONS FROM NATURE

Nature is at its best,
Everything is beautiful
So blissful and delightful
Is it the mountains or river streams?
Flora or fauna, innumerable
That’s takes us out of this world
To a new exotic world.
It’s wonderful to see a seed
Sprout to a root and shoot,
Grows into a tree
The beautiful butterfly
Comes from a wiggly caterpillar
And the glowworm
Shining at night.

Strange are the ways
Of wild animals
They take more care
Of their young ones
Be it the mighty tiger,
Pouched Kangaroo or the
Mongoose from the snake.

She has brought us the recipe for Ripe Mango Gujju. It seems like a super easy & super delicious recipe, just the way I like it! I have a mango waiting for me at home to try this recipe with! Do check out all her other recipes at EvergreenDishes! She is giving away a book of handy hints to subscribers to her blog. It consists of hundred useful tips.

   Ripe Mango Gojju

Hello all,

    At the outset, I want to thank  Suchitra for inviting me to write a guest post on her blog. Blogging has introduced me to many people across the globe and she is one of them. Birds of the same feather flock together, goes the saying.  Quite true in our case,  foodies  exchanged comments and very soon we were friends.

         As the season of mangoes is coming to an end, I thought I will put a dish of the same. Again, till the next year, we will have to wait for this wonderful fruit.

          Mango gujju is a tasty and popular accompaniment made in Karnataka. It is sweet,tangy and spicy, all combined into one usually served with rice.  It can also be served with chapatti or dosa.

          Usually the small fibrous mango with sour taste are used. But I have used the regular mangoes which I had and thus added a little tamarind pulp. It  was ,delicious and liked by all. Over to the recipe now.

INGREDIENTS :

·         Mango 3

·         Tamarind pulp 2 tbsp

·         Jaggery 1tbsp

·         Green chilly 4

·         Salt to taste

For the seasoning :

·         Oil 1tbsp

·         Mustard seeds ½ tsp

·         Asafoetida a pinch

·         Urad dal ½  tsp

·         Curry leaves a few

·         Red chilly 1

Method :

1.       Wash the mangoes. Remove the stalk  and make small incisions with a knife at the tip.

2.       Put them to boil with three cups of water.

3.       The colour of the skin should change. This takes approximately ten minutes.

4.       Let cool.

5.       Remove the skin and leave it in the water.

6.       Put the pulp with the seed in another bowl.

7.       Squeeze the pulp.

8.       Extract the pulp from the skin and throw the skin away.

9.       Mix both the pulp together. It should be of medium consistency.

10.   Grind the chillies  and put in it.

11.   Put jaggery and salt to it. Mix altogether.

12.   Make seasoning in a small pan. Heat the oil and put the mustard seeds, as it crackles, add urad dal, red chilli, turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves.

13.   Pour the seasoning over the prepared gojju and keep covered for fifteen minutes.

14.   Tasty mango gojju is ready to serve.

Take a tip:

·         If the mangoes are sour, there is no need of tamarind pulp. Add only jiggery,salt and chilly.

·         The quantity of jiggery differs accordingly. If the mangoes are sour, you will need more. If they are sweet, you will need less.

·         The taste of gojju  should be sweet, tangy and spicy.

·         Do not discard the seeds. They can be immersed in it and licked while eating.

Enjoy!

I am bringing Jayashree's delicious  to all our friends at Throwback Thursday#43, Fiesta Friday#124  and Saucy Saturdays#49! Angie's co-hosts this week are  Lindy @ Love in the Kitchen and Liz @ spades, spatulas & spoons.

If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog, please email me at Sushealthyliving@gmail.com for more details.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Guest post series: Quinoa-Beet Patties by Preethi Prasad

I hope all of you enjoyed Sushma Mallya's Dahi Bhendi/ Bhendi Sasam last week. This week we have a very enthusiastic, health-conscious, innovative, new kid on the block ( of blogging world) Preethi Prasad from Preethi's Cuisine. She hails from Bangalore and has been residing in Singapore since 18 years.

Like many of us, Preethi is a working mother. She has two boys ages 16 and 11 who love to eat! While Preethi has always cooked as a hobby, she started actively cooking and experimenting with food a couple of years ago. She then wanted to document and share her experiments in the kitchen with others. With this intent, Preethi's Cuisine was born. Her blog is turning one on . I wish her much success! She has many healthy and innovative recipes on her blog. Do visit her blog Preethi's Cuisine for all the yummy recipes.

Today, Preethi is sharing with us a delicious recipe of Quinoa & Beet Patties. Preethi says: "These yummy patties are loaded with the goodness of Quinoa and other multigrains and beetroot. It is easy to make and can be used in Burgers too".

Servings: makes 12 medium-sized patties

Ingredients:

3 Beetroots 
2 Potatoes 
1”Ginger
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Cup Quinoa cooked in Vegetable stock 
1.5 Tsp Garam Masala
2 Tbsp Gram Flour/ Besan
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
Salt to Taste
1 Tsp Jeera
1 Tsp Chaat Masala
1 Cup Multigrain Powder( A mix of roasted and powdered Green Gram ,Flax seeds and Chia Seeds)
1 Green Chilli
Finely Chopped Coriander

Method:

Pressure cook Beets, Potatoes, green chilli,Ginger and Garlic with 1 glass of water for up to four whistles. In case the beets are not fully mashed, blitz once in a blender to get a fine paste. 

Put all the boiled veggies in a wide bowl without the stock .

Use the Vegetable stock to cook Quinoa as per the instructions on the package.

Add all the masalas( spices),  besan, coriander, jeera,multigrain powder and salt to the boiled veggies and mix well. 

Take a small quantity of the mixture and give a round shape. Repeat this process for the balance mixture.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Smear a teaspoon of oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the round patties and cook on both sides with a teaspoon of oil.

Enjoy these yummy patties with green chutney!!!!

I am bringing this lovely dish of Preethi's for all my friends to try at Throwback Thursday#36, Fiesta Friday#117 and Saucy Saturdays#42! The co-hosts this week are two excellent bloggers, Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Scarlett @ Unwed Housewife.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Mixed Lentil Penne (Bean pasta); gluten free; Meatless Monday

When Meatless Monday reached out to me about trying out Bean pasta from Modern Table Meals, and coming up with a nice and easy recipe, I jumped at the chance! Why? Because, a) I am an ardent champion of the Meatless Monday campaign. I believe that they are doing a great job worldwide promoting vegetarian eating and thereby healthy eating! Vanessa Protass  is just awesome! b) I don't eat regular pasta as I avoid gluten in my diet. Therefore I was very excited to try a gluten-free pasta!

The package from Modern table came a few days later with two packs of Mixed Lentil Penne, a pack of wooden cooking spoons and a nice tote bag.

I must tell you guys that I was not at all disappointed with the Mixed Lentil Penne from Modern Table Meals.

It looks like regular pasta, it cooks like regular pasta and it tastes like regular pasta! No, No. It is not just me saying this. I had some friends over for dinner when I made this particular pasta dish and they couldn't tell me that it was any different!In fact, they didn't even know that it was not regular pasta until I specifically mentioned that it was bean pasta. It is also light and does not make your stomach feel heavy and bloated . The best part: it is loaded with protein due to the lentils present in it, so you could just toss it with some veggies and a nutritious dinner/lunch is ready!

Do try this quick and very easy recipe! You will not be disappointed . Also, it is a great way to sneak in protein and veggie into your kid's and your tummies!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Modern table mixed lentil penne pasta: 1 package
Water:
Broccoli florets : 1 small bunch ( around 2 cups)
Endamame: 8 oz pack, ( peeled and shelled,ready to cook)
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Butter: 1 tsp ( skip butter if vegan)
Garlic: 6-8 cloves, minced
Capers: 1/4 cup
Olives, chopped: 2 tbsp ( any olives may be used, I used black olives); optional.
Dried Italian seasoning: 1 tsp
Freshly ground black pepper: 1 tsp
Salt: as per taste

Method:

Boil water with 1/4 tsp salt,  in a big pot/ saucepan. When the water comes to boil, add the penne in and cook for 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep aside. Reserve the water.

Boil the same reserved water. When the water comes to boil, add Endamame  and cook for 2 mins. At the end of 2 mins, add the broccoli florets and cook for another 2 mins. Drain and keep aside. Reserve 1/4 cup of the drained water.

Heat a sauté pan or skillet on medium heat. Add the butter, oil and minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for a minute until aromatic. 

Add in the vegetables, the capers, the chopped olives, the herbs and the reserved 1/4 cup of pasta water. Let it come together for 10 seconds. 

Now add in the  cooked pasta. Toss it all together.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this very healthy meal for all my friends to try at Throwback Thursday#36, Fiesta Friday#117 and Saucy Saturdays#42! The co-hosts this week are two excellent bloggers, Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Scarlett @ Unwed Housewife.

Cooking made easy:

One of the things I like to do while making pasta/noodles is cook the veggies with the pasta. Depending on the amount of time required for each one, I add it one after the other. In case of the above dish, the pasta requires to be cooked for 8 mins, the Endamame for 4 minutes and the broccoli for 2 mins or less. So, I would start with boiling the water with salt, add the pasta and keep the timer for 4 mins. At the end of 4 minutes, I would add the Endamame and cook for another 2 minutes, at the end of which I would add the broccoli florets and cook for another 2 minutes. When it is done, drain it all together.

Tip for healthy living:

Reduce the oil/ butter content in pasta dishes and make it healthier. You can still have a pasta dish that is not dry by adding some of the pasta water reserved while draining the pasta! This makes the pasta creamy and delicious!

Food for thought:

To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance. Buddha