MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 th cup onions, chopped
- 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cups mushrooms, stem removed and sliced
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper powder
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup barley (jau), soaked and half-cooked
- 2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak the Barley in enough water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
2. Boil 3 to 4 cups of water, add the Barley and cook on a medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes or till it is 50% cooked. Strain and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan, add the onions, garlic and sautee on a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms, pepper and salt and sautee on a medium flame for another 5-7 minutes till the mushrooms are tender.
5. Add the vegetable stock, Barley and 1 cup of water, mix well and simmer on a slow flame for 10 to 12 minutes or till the Barley is completely cooked.
6. Remove from the flame, add the parsley and lime juice and mix well.
7. Serve hot.

BARLEY CRUNCHY NUT SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup barley 
• 5-6 almonds roasted
• Salt to taste 
• Two large cucumbers cut into small pieces 
• Two large tomatoes cut into small pieces 
• 3 tspn celery, chopped 
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped 
• 5-6 black peppercorns, crushed
•  2 tbsp lime juice 
• 4 large lettuce leaves

METHOD:

1. Soak barley in three cups of water for 6 hours.

2. Drain and pressure cook with 3 cups of water and salt till almost done.

3. Drain and set aside to cool.

4. In a large bowl combine barley, cucumbers, tomatoes, almonds, celery, coriander leaves, salt, crushed peppercorns and lime juice and toss well.

5. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter, transfer the tossed salad onto the lettuce bed and serve immediately.

VEG SEEKH

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized potato
• 1 medium sized carrot
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 300 gms paneer (cottage cheese)
• 1 piece ginger
• 2 green chillies
• Few coriander leaves
• 2 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp dried mango powder
• 1 tsp mango chutney (or jam)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp roasted chana dal (split bengal gram) powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil to shallow fry
• Mint chutney and onion rings (to serve)

Method:

1. Boil, cool, peel and mash the potato.
2. Boil and mash the carrot.
3. Boil and mash the green peas.
4. Grate the paneer.
5. Peel, wash and grind ginger into a paste.
6. Remove the stems, wash and chop green chillies.
7. Clean, wash and chop coriander leaves.
8. Take potato, carrot, peas, paneer, ginger, chat masala, red chilli powder, green chillies, coriander leaves, mango chutney (or jam), roasted chana dal powder and salt to taste in a bowl
9. Mix well using your hands.
10. Divide into sixteen equal portions.
11. Take each portion and spread it around a skewer in a cylindrical shape.
12. Heat a non stick pan, add a little oil and place the skewers on it.
13. Cook, rotating the skewers from time to time so that the kebabs get cook evenly from all sides, to a golden brown colour.

GRILLED KINGFISH WITH TAMARIND STIR FRIED VEGGIES

Ingredients:
- 4x200 gms kingfish steaks
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 5 cm piece of fresh ginger (25g)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
- 1 medium red capsicum, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup (60ml) chicken stock
- 2 tbsp palm sugar, grated
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 8 spring onions cut into 3 cm lengths
- ½ cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves
- 1 tsp of red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp of lime juice
- Salt to taste

Method: 
1) Heat oil in a wok, stir fry the ginger, garlic and chilli until fragrant.
2) Add capsicum and stir fry until the capsicum is tender.
3) Add the stock, sugar and tamarind, bring it to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
4) Add onions and stir fry.
5) Remove from heat and stir in the coriander.
6) Meanwhile, marinate the fish with lime juice, salt and chilli flakes.
7) Cook fish on a lightly heated and oiled grill plate for about 5 minutes or until cooked as desired.
8) Lay the fish on the serving plate and spread the boiling sauce on it.
9) Serve hot.

IDLI TIKKA

Ingredients:
- 2-3 rawa idlis
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1½ tsp ginger paste
- ½ cup red, yellow, green bell pepper
- ½ cup onion cubes
- 2 tsp coriander, finely chopped
- 2 tsp spring onion stalk, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Green chutney (for serving)

Method:
1) Cut the idlis into four parts and put it in a bowl.
2) In the bowl also add oil, salt, black pepper powder, ginger paste and mix, allowing the idlis to              marinate.
3) In another bowl add red, yellow, green bellpeppers, onion cubes, red chilli powder, finely chopped      coriander and chopped spring onion stalk and nix through.
4) Put the idlis and vegetables alternatively on the skewer sticks.
5) Roast in 1-2 tsp oil on a non-stick pan.
6) Serve with green chutney.

SPINACH PASTA

Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat pasta (cooked and drained)
- 1 cup spinach leaves, finely chopped
- ½ cup tomatoes, finely chopped
- ¼ cup onions, finely chopped
- Few basil leaves
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper powder
- 2 tsp tomato chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste


Method:
1) Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and sautee chopped onions and chopped garlic first.
2) Then sautee the chopped tomatoes, tomato-chilli sauce and basil leaves for a minute.
3) Then add the spinach leaves, salt and pepper powder and sautee for 3 minutes.
4) Now add 3 cups of cooked pasta and add salt. Mix them well for 1-2 minutes.
5) Top with a few basil leaves and serve.

FACTS ABOUT POTATOES

Potatoes cannot be titled as a “bad” food.
what matters is the amount of potatoes, overconsumption and the preparation method.
In fact this is true for most of the foods. Any food which is over consumed or made wrongly will not do good to the body.

Talking about Potatoes, they are rich in vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, choline, phosphorus, zinc and fibre which will keep you satiated and keep your energy levels stable.
It’s rich source of vit B 6, which is essential for breaking down carbohydrate.
Potatoes are rich in folate too, which helps in repairing the DNA.
Potatoes are alkaline in nature and reduces gut inflammation.
Raw Potato juice is also said to have lots of benefits but needs to consumed in supervision of your nutritionist.

It’s as simple, that If you eat a small bowl of potatoes in form of a bhaji, or aloo roti  it will not lead to weight gain or make you fat, rather will nourish you with good nutrients. But  if the same potato is consumed in the form of French fries or fried come or if you overeat potatoes will lead to weight gain.
Enjoy Potato in your meals and don’t go overboard.