Mango-Greek Yogurt-Strawberry "Lassi" Popsicle

Fruity, sweet, creamy, refreshing and healthy summer treat brimming over with flavors of fresh mangoes and roasted cardamom.. Yum!

Did I ever tell you that I got this "DIY Popsicle" bug for more than a year now. And, I finally decided to take the plunge. Summer is here and what is more satisfying than a cold home-made popsicle on a hot sunny day? Ah.. home-made popsicles.. can the deal get any sweeter?!

Oreo Banana Shake

What comes to your mind when you hear the word "milkshake"? For me, milkshake means just two things - "sugar & fat". Milkshakes can be once-in-a-while indulgence for it has an unbelievable amount of sugar & fat from ice-cream which is usually added to the shakes for that sinful, creamy texture.

But, with this recipe, I think I hit the bull's eye! No compromise absolutely on taste (or) texture and very healthy too. By healthy, I don 't mean any kind of substitutes, only natural & perfectly healthy ingredients. And the best part, no one would even guess what's in the milkshake, I bet!

Avocado Raita

This cool & refreshing avocado, cucumber and mint raita is a healthy tweak to your regular raita's and a great way to add yogurt to your diet.

Avocado gives this raita a thick & solid base and so, you could even use buttermilk to make this raita. If using yogurt, add required water to thin it out. Use greek yogurt / sour cream to make this raita and voila.. you've just made yourself a creamy & healthy dip for your veggies & chips!!

Gujarathi Kadhi

Creamy, smooth, spicy, delicious, refreshing, flavorful, comforting... this is what is "kadhi" for me! 

Though I was brought-up in a south-Indian family set-up with occasional home-made north-Indian recipes, kadhi always takes me back to my roots & is comforting in every possible way, for this is the north-Indian version of our very own "Morkuzhambu"!

This recipe is for making plain kadhi, but you can add deep-fried pakoras (made with besan flour / moong dal) and increase its nutritional value. Kadhi pairs up well with rice/ roti/ kichadi.

Morkuzhambu

Morkuzhambu is yet another popular gravy variety from south India. It is a yogurt based gravy flavored with fresh coconut, yogurt and cumin seeds. Preparation is very simple & easy and takes about 15-20 mins of your time. Morkuzhambu is extremely delicious and an absolute relish with plain hot rice and veggie stir-fry on the side.

Basic Info

Complexity - Simple
Prep time - 20 mins
Cook time - 10 mins
Serves - 3-4

Ingredients

Chopped Chayote - 1 cup (or other vegetables like okra, white pumpkin etc)
Greek yogurt - 1.5 cups (plain yogurt works fine too)
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
Oil -1 tsp

To grind
Raw rice - 3/4 tsp
Channa dal - 3/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chillies - 3 nos
Red chillies - 3 nos

Method

Soak raw rice & channa dal in a little water for about 30 minutes until soft. 

Grind it along with green chillies, red chillies, cumin seeds, fresh coconut into a fine paste (I used about 1 tbsp of water while grinding). Take a bowl, whisk yogurt, ground paste together until well combined. Keep this yogurt mixture aside.

Heat a cup of water. When it starts to boil, add turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp of salt and chopped chayote to it. Let it continue to boil until the vegetable is soft & cooked. To this, add the yogurt mixture, salt (as required) and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water (or 1/4 cup more depending on the thickness of yogurt) and dilute the consistency. Let everything come to a boil and simmer for a while on low-medium heat.

Heat a tsp of oil, splutter mustard seeds, fry curry leaves and add it to morkuzhambu. Finally drizzle a tsp of coconut oil for it helps in deepening the coconut flavor.

Piping hot & tasty morkuzhambu is ready to be served.

Tips
- If using okra, saute okra in a tbsp of coconut oil, 1/2 tsp of salt until soft & cooked. Add this to the yogurt mixture and bring it to a boil. Rest of the vegetables can be cooked in water (as given in the recipe above.)