spinach – Batter Up With Sujata

Red Lentil Soup

Red lentil soup.
A delicious comforting and flavourful soup. Very easy to make and nutritious. Serve it as a comforting meal with a dash of lemon juice or serve it with rice or bread.

Earlier made a Lebanese lentil soup with whole red lentils and loved the taste so tried this with red lentils. Its equally delicious.

You may like some more lentil recipes in this blog.

Lebanese Lentil Lemon Soup

Beetroot dal or lentil curry

Whole Masoor dal or brown or red lentils

Red lentil fritters in sour gravy

Red lentils, also known as Masoor dal, are an extremely popular lentil in India. They are grown all over the country and consumed for their various health benefits. Red lentils are extremely good for your skin and can prevent issues like rapid ageing and acne. They can also be used to lighten the skin and get rid of tans. Red lentils promote weight loss and are very good for your digestion due to the high amounts of fiber present in this lentil. It is good for diabetics as it regulates the random spikes and drops in the glucose level in the blood. It is abundantly rich in proteins and minerals, which help boost various systems in your body. It is very good for your bones, teeth, and eyesight because of this. It can reduce the risk of cancer due to its anticancer properties and is known for reducing bowel, colon, lung, and breast cancer risks. Moreover, due to its high antioxidant content, it is very beneficial for your immune system and can help prevent a ton of diseases and infections.
Read more about red lentil here.

This lemon flavoured lentil soup is very easy to make. You can use your pressure cooker to make it. But better to cook in open pot for taste. Soup will be more tasty if you will cook it in open pot.

Recipe

Red lentils or Masoor dal – 1 cup

Carrot – 2 medium

Potato – 1, optional

Onion – 1, finely chopped

Bay leaf – 1

Garlic – 3 – 4, minced

Ginger – 1 inch piece, grated

Tomato – 1, chopped

Baby spinach – 100 gram, chopped

Cilantro or coriander leaves – handful, chopped

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 cup

Dried mint leaves – 3 tablespoon, crushed

Black pepper powder – 1 teaspoon or to taste

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tablespoon

Water – 5 cup

Lemon juice – 2 teaspoon

Zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Peel and cut the carrot and potato in cubes.

2. Rinse and chop the spinach.

3. Heat oil in a pan or wok. Add onion and garlic. Fry till the onion becomes translucent.

4. Add grated ginger, carrot, and potato. Saute for 2 minutes.

5. Now add spinach and tomato. Saute for 2 – 3 minutes or till the tomato becomes soft.

6. Add lentils, salt, cumin powder and black pepper powder. Mix well.

7. Add water and crushed dried mint leaves. Let it boil.

8. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cook on low heat till lentils becomes soft. It will take 25 – 30 minutes. Don’t cover the pan.

9. When lentils becomes soft add lemon zest and lemon juice. You can add more water if require.

10. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add more lemon juice if require.

11. Garnish with mint and coriander leaves, lemon wedges and chopped tomatoes or fresh red chilli. I have used small pieces of fresh red chilli.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Adas Bil Hamod Or Lebanese Lentil Lemon Soup

Adas bil hamod.
Brown lentil soup or Lebanese lentil soup with lemon.
A delicious comforting and filling hot thick soup is perfect for winter.
This soup is made of brown lentil or whole Masoor dal. Brown or red lentil is rich in protein, vitamins and Iron.

You may like one more brown or red lentil recipe on this blog

Whole Masoor dal or red lentil curry

Here are some other dietary and health benefits of masoor dal: Helps Stabilise Blood Sugar Level. Keeps The Heart Healthy by Lowering Cholesterol. Effective Remedy Against Weight Loss. Anti-Ageing Properties. Nourishes Teeth and Bones. Helpful In Maintaining A Healthy Vision. Beneficial For A Glowing And Radiating Skin.
Source

Sending this post to 181 #Foodiemonday bloghop #Levantine cuisine.
This week very talented blogger and our group member Sujata Shukla who blog at Pepper On Pizza
suggested the theme. Do check her blog for many wonderful recipes. She has a vast collection of regional and continental recipes.

Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant, known in Arabic as the Bilad ash-Sham and Mashriq, which covers a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean. It continues to carry an influentially mainstream character in a majority of the dishes today. It is found in the modern states of Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Syria, and parts of southern Turkey near Adana, Gaziantep, and Antakya (the former Vilayet of Aleppo). In the broader family of Mediterranean cuisine, Cypriot cuisine also has strong Levantine influences. Conversely, some of the dishes may have early origins in neighboring regions, but have long since become traditions in the Levant.

I am sharing this healthy and delicious lentil soup from Lebanese cuisine.
Lebanese cuisine is a Levantine style of cooking that includes an abundance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, starches, fresh fish and seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten, it is usually lamb on the coast, and goat meat in the mountain regions. It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, often seasoned by lemon juice. Chickpeas and parsley are also staples of the Lebanese diet. Lebanese cooking derives its style from various influences, such as Turkish, Arab, and Mediterranean cuisines.
Source – Wikipedia

This soup can be serve with pita bread or enjoy it as an appetizer.
Browned onion, spinach, cilantro, dried mint leaves and lemon makes it lip-smacking.

Recipe

Brown lentil or whole Masoor dal – 1 cup

Onion – 1 large, finely chopped

Garlic – 3 cloves, minced

Spinach – 50 gram

Cilantro or coriander leaves – 1/2 cup, chopped

Dried mint leaves – 1 tablespoon, crushed

Salt – 1 & 1/2 teaspoon

Black pepper powder – 1 teaspoon or to taste

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 3 tablespoon

Olive oil – 2 tablespoon

Water – 5 – 6 cup or as require

Method

1. Wash and soak the lentil for 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. Chop the spinach leaves. Discard the stem.

3.Heat oil in a pan. Add finely chopped onion.

4. Fry till the onions becomes translucent.

5. Add minced garlic and fry till the onions becomes brown.

6. Add chopped cilantro and spinach. Saute for 1 – 2 minutes.

7. Add lentil, salt, dried and crushed mint leaves, black pepper powder and cumin powder. Mix well.

8. Add 5 cup water and mix. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat.

9. Cook on low heat until the lentils becomes soft. Stir in regular intervals. It will take 30 to 35 minutes.

10. You can add 1 cup or more water if require to get your desired consistency.

11. When lentils becomes soft remove from heat and add lemon juice. Taste and add little more salt if require.

12. Garnish with mint leaves.

Serve hot with pita bread or enjoy as an appetizer.
This soup also taste great with Indian flat bread.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Green Smoothie / Dairy Free Smoothie

Green smoothie or detox drink.
Hope you enjoyed the festival of light. Enjoyed all the festive goodies, sweets and different kinds of delicacies. Right?
Now we have to detoxify our body and shed those unwanted weight.
Detox drink helps to flush out toxins and improve metabolism. Not only weight loss detox drink will make your skin glow.

This green smoothie has baby spinach, carrot, orange, apple, cucumber, ginger and lemon juice. Carrot orange and apple made the smoothie enough sweet so you don’t have to add any sweetener. But if you want your smoothie salty then you can add rock salt or black salt and black pepper powder.

You can get some more smoothie recipes with different taste and flavour here. Click on the name below to get recipe.

1. Dairy free mango pineapple smoothie

2. Watermelon cantaloupe mint smoothie

3. Mango peach pear smoothie

4. Beetroot smoothie

5. Banana almond mint smoothie

6. Savoury cucumber smoothie or chhach

7. Guava banana smoothie

8. Cucumber apple smoothie

9. Cottage cheese and mango smoothie

10. Litchi watermelon date peach Tulsi and almond smoothie

11. Muskmelon orange coconut smoothie

12. Mango banana smoothie

13. Apple orange banana grape carrot smoothie

14. Pomegranate apple banana smoothie

15. Coffee banana chocolate smoothie

16. Papaya orange smoothie

17. Papaya smoothie

18. Dairy free smoothie

19. Apple almond raisin smoothie

20. Smoothie with green tea

21. Mango coconut flax seed smoothie

Sending this post to 170 #Foodiemonday bloghop #detox recipe theme.

Spinach apple orange and cucumber will make your smoothie delicious and enough sweet. Just blend everything and enjoy. If you don’t like ginger skip it.

Popeye’s favorite, spinach, contains a whopping 166 milligrams of glutathione per serving when eaten raw. Cook it, and it all goes away. Spinach also contains twice as much energy-boosting iron as other leafy greens. Spinach has also gained a lot of attention as a cancer-fighter, too.

Carrots are another food rich in glutathione, a protein that helps detoxify the liver. In addition to the detox properties, carrots contain good amounts of vitamin C, B6 and potassium. They also loaded with vitamin A and K, too! It’s best to eat these raw.
Source

You can use any fruit of your choice. Fruit gives sweetness and enhance the taste of your smoothie.

Recipe

Tender baby spinach – 1 cup

Carrot – 1

Orange – 1

Apple – 1

Cucumber – 1

Grated ginger – 1/2 teaspoon, optional

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Method

1. Clean, wash and chop the baby spinach.

2. Peel and chop the carrot and cucumber. Taste the cucumber. It shouldn’t be bitter.

3. Peel the orange and discard the seeds.

4. Peel, core and chop the apple.

5. Now blend everything in a blender till smooth.

6. You can add honey if you want. Or add rock salt or black salt and black pepper powder. Add the seasoning according to your taste.

7. Pour the mixture into your favourite glass and enjoy.

If you want your drink chilled then you can add some ice cubes in it.

Notes

1. Ginger is optional, if you don’t like gingery taste then you can omit it.

2. If you want your drink chilled use frozen fruits or add some ice cubes.

3. You can add grape, kiwi or any fruit of your choice.

4. You can add 1 tablespoon flax seed powder in it.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hash tag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Dal Palak Or Pigeon Peas With Spinach

Dal palak or pigeon peas with spinach.
A delicious, healthy and easy to make lentil. Make it thick or thin as per your choice. You can serve this delicious dal with steamed rice or roti.

Pigeon peas or tuar dal or arhar dal can be delicious with cumin, hing or garlic tadka or tempering. But today we will make it more healthy and delicious with spinach or palak.

And we all know about low calorie and low fat spinach.
Popeye was definitely on to something. Spinach is a super food loaded with tons of nutrients in a low calorie package. Dark, leafy greens like spinach are important for skin, hair, and bone health. They also provide protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals.
Source

Pigeon peas or tuar dal are low in fat, very high in protein and dietary fiber.
As well as being a good source of fiber and protein, pigeon peas contain various other healthy nutrients. They contain vitamin C and several member of the B vitamin family including folate and thiamin. They also come with a number of essential minerals including iron, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus.
Source

This dal is very easy to make. If you want you can omit ghee or clarified butter. You can use refined oil instead of ghee. In that case add at least 1 teaspoon ghee add the end for flavour.

Recipe

Pigeon peas or Tuar dal/arhar dal – 1/2 cup

Spinach – 3 cup, cleaned, washed and finely chopped

Tomato – 2 medium, chopped

Green chilli – 1 – 2 chopped

Garlic – 4-5 cloves, crushed or grated

Cilantro or coriander leaves – handful, chopped

Ginger – 1 inch piece, grated

Salt to taste

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Hing or asafetida – 1/4 teaspoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

For tadka or tempering

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Hing or asafetida – a pinch

Dry red chilli – 1 – 2

Kasmiri red chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Method

Soak tuar dal or pigeon peas for 30 minutes. Boil the dal with salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker until dal becomes soft.

Heat 2 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds starts to splutter add Asafetida or hing.

Now add chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger and green chilli. Saute till tomatoes become mushy.

Add chopped spinach and cumin powder.
Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the spinach becomes soft.

Add boiled dal. Add water as require. If you want thick dal don’t add much water.

Let it boil on low flame for 8-10 minutes or till you get your desired consistency.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add chopped cilantro or coriander leaves. Mix well and remove from heat.

Heat 1 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds and dry red chilli. When the seeds starts to splutter add hing or asafetida and switch off the flame.

Now add kashmiri red chilli powder and pour the tempering into the dal.

Serve hot with steamed rice, roti or Indian flat bread, paratha or any bread.

Note

1. If you want you can omit ghee or clarified butter. You can make it with refined oil.

2. If you are using refined oil add at least 1 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter at the end for flavour.

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Mix Veg Stuffed Paratha/Pan Fried Flat Bread

Mix veg stuffed paratha/pan fried flat bread with oats and whole wheat flour.
This post is going to be a part of #Foodiemonday #Bloghop. This week we decided the theme Indian bread.

My contribution is mix veg paratha or pan fried flat bread.
A very healthy and yummy paratha.

If you don’t like beetroot, spinach carrot or oats no problem. Try it, I am sure you will love it.
And you will be happy when children will demand again and again.

I have made 8 paratha from the dough. You can make it double to make more.

I made cutlets with remaining stuffing. Its too yummy. Shared the pictures of both paratha and cutlets above . I will share the detail recipe in next post.

Recipe

For dough

Whole wheat flour or atta – 1 cup

Oats – 1 cup

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 and 1/2 teaspoon

Water as require

For stuffing

Spinach – 1 heaped cup chopped

Potatoes – 2 medium boiled and mashed

Cauliflower – 1 cup chopped or grated

Green peas – 1/2 cup

beetroot – 2 small

Carrot – 2 small

Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves – 2 tablespoon chopped

Green chilli – 2-3 finely chopped

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Chaat masala powder – 1 teaspoon optional

Oil – 2 tablespoon

Oil or ghee/clarified butter to shallow fry the paratha

Method

Grind the oats. Mix with whole wheat flour and little salt. Knead the dough with water. Make soft dough like roti or paratha.

Add 1 teaspoon oil and knead again. Smear with little oil. Cover and keep aside.

I have chopped the vegetables finely and ground them to make it quickly. You can grate them too.

Boil and mash the green peas. I have microwave them for 4 minutes and mashed.

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a nonstick pan. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add finely chopped green chilli and ginger paste.

Stir and add spinach, cauliflower, peas, beetroot and carrot.
Stir well. Add salt and all the spices.

Saute till the mixture dried up completely. Add mashed potatoes and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.

Saute for 2-3 minutes more. Switch off the flame.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Yummy isn’t it?
Let the mixture cool.

Divide the dough in equal quantity and give them shape of round balls.

Take one ball, flatten it with your palm, make a bowl like shape. Fill with vegetable mixture and close it carefully. Make it round again.

Roll it with a rolling pin with the help of dry flour.
Heat a griddle or tava. Place the paratha on it.
When the bubbles starts to rise on the surface flip it.

Spread little oil or ghee/clarified butter. Lightly press with a spatula.
Shallow fry the paratha by repeating the process till golden brown spots appear on both sides.

Crispy yummy mix veg paratha/pan fried flat bread is ready to serve.
Now what to do with remaining stuffing. Make delicious cutlets with it. I will post the cutlet recipe soon.

Enjoy healthy and yummy mix veg paratha with tea or coffee.