Bisibelabath from a different angle

Hi all, presenting Preethibhojan now from Singapore.

After enjoying 4 months with our family, last month, we moved here. Oh my, the last 4 months, I hardly went to the kitchen.  Learnt some new recipes and many tips both from my mom and from my in-law. Even though I enjoyed regular food like a rice, sambar, curry and rasam, all the time I ended up with a new taste. Wonder how the tastes differs from person to person.

Now I am back to my den, our new home with a big open kitchen. Tuning up slowly to my routines. As a result of 4 months enjoyment me and Karthik put on lot of weight. So we both took an oath to get back into our shape again.

As a result of that, here comes an healthy recipe 'Bisibelabath' from my new kitchen.

If you ask, What is healthy in it ? The answer is Cracked wheat bisibelabath. Is in it healthy !

I moved last week to this home, with some basic ingredients. With that I wanted to try something different and the same time healthy. While this was in back of my mind, I was chatting with one of my friend and a fellow blogger, Priti singh from Indian Khana. While I was talking to her, I came across this recipe from her blog. Tadaan a flash in me, why can't I try bisibelabath using cracked wheat.

Ingrdients: 1 cup -- Cracked wheat 1/4 cup -- Toor dal 3 tbsp -- Chana dal** 2 cup -- Diced vegetables ** 3 tsp -- Tamarind paste** 2 tbsp -- Chilli powder** Salt as per taste ** Tamarind and chilli powder put according to your taste. ** Diced vegetables - You can put according to your taste. I would strongly recommend Red Pumpkin or squash, green capsicum, drum stick. ** Chana dal is optional. Adding this will give a wonderful texture and taste. For seasoning : Oil, Chana dal, Urad dal, Mustard seeds, 2-3 Red chilli, Asafoetida Method : As Priti has mentioned in Indian Khana blog, we have many ways to make this dish. I tried my mom's way. But we do put our secret bisibelabath mixture to enhance the taste. Since I did not have a mixer, I did without the secret mixture. --- Take a pressure pan and add cracked wheat, toor dal and chanadal along with the diced vegetables. --- Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook. Leave only one whistle and turn off the cooking --- Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and add the tamarind paste, chilli powder and salt. --- Again pressure cook it for 2 more whistles. --- When the pressure is released, bisibelabath is ready. --- Add the seasoning to the above mixture and serve hot with crunchy vadam.

Easy, healthy one pot meal is ready to serve. There will not be much difference from the regular bisibelabath to this.

Whole Wheat Pizza

Did anyone say NO to pizza ? That too if it is made of cent percent healthy stuffs.

Last Sunday, I took the kitchen cleaning job. Though I live in America, still my litchen is very Indian. Like our mom does in her kitchen, I changed all the kitchen cabinet papers and put them a new one. When I was doing so, I came across an article from a health magazine, which I was using to put inside the cabinets.
'7 Steps to eat clean and healthy food in the dirty world'

1. Be a (Mostly) Vegetarian
2. Eat Organic
3. Skip the White stuff
4. Count the ingredients
5. Identify it
6. Eat the whole thing
7. Ban the brew

Suddenly, a light flashed inside me. Being a vegetarian, at least I should follow some simple steps to stay healthy. This Whole wheat pizza is the one spark from that flash.
This is 100% whole wheat pizza with lots of green vegetables and cheese. In my dictionary, Pizza means cheese and cheese means Pizza. Everybody might think that this girl has put this much cheese on her pizza and still calling healthy. Oh yes, the main highlight in this Pizza is the cheese. Its a gluten free, cholesterol free with 0g trans fat. I found this amazing cheese alternative from 'Whole Foods' organic shop.

You can find lot different flavoured cheese alternative in this brand. I am a big fan of this. These cheese alternatives are best substitute for the fatty cheese.
Twice I bought whole wheat pizza crust, wanted to try the same at home and the result was very encouraging. I would like to share the recipe, so you all can also enjoy a healthy comfort cheese pizza.

Ingredients : For Pizza Base: 3 & 3/4 cup -- Whole wheat flour 1 pack -- Dry yeast 2 tsp -- Olive oil 1/2 tsp -- honey / sugar 1 tsp -- Salt For Topping 2 to 3 cups -- Rice shreds cheese alternative** 1/2 cup -- finely chopped green and yellow bell pepper** 1/2 cup -- finely chopped onion** 1/2 cup -- sliced tomatoes** 1/4 cup -- Organic tomato basil sauce** **Above are the things which I used, you can always change or add your style of toppings. Method: --- For pizza base, take a cup of  Luke warm water to activate the dry yeast. The water should be neither hot or cold. I do not have any food thermometer at home. To activate the yeast I take half a cup of water. Put it on the stove for about 30 - 40 seconds and switch off the heat and add remaining half cup water. This is my small trick to activate the yeast. If it works to you, share it with me. --- In the warm water add the full pack of yeast and honey / sugar. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes. Warm water is to activate the yeast and Sugar/ Honey is the food for the yeast. --- Now you can see a thick layer of foam over the water, if not probably the yeast is not activated. Better luck next time, you have to try again with fresh pack. --- When the yeast is ready to use, mix it with the wheat flour + salt. Add water in little, as you start kneading the dough. ---  Once the dough is ready, apply the oil over the dough and cover it with a damp towel for couple of hours. --- This is the time span yeast will take to grow. After an hour you can see the whole dough has doubled in size. --- Knead the dough and again keep it for an hour. --- Pizza dough is ready to roll. Cut the whole dough into four quarters. You can make a 9" pizza from a quarter, if you  are not going to use all, take unused dough apply olive oil and put it in a zip log bag and throw it inside the freezer, it will last for minimum 2 month. --- Roll the dough to 1/4" thick, add the toppings and bake it in the oven for 425 F for 12 to 15 minutes. Yummy, cheesy, healthy pizza will come out of the hot oven.

Now tell me, did anyone say NO to this organic healthy pizza ?