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October 6, 2017 By Priyam Saini Leave a Comment

Super Healthy – Pumpkin Seeds

pumpkin seeds 1

Did you know that you can eat seeds? Yes, it’s true you can as they are rich in nutrients. These small but mighty kernels are high in vitamins and minerals the body needs to function at peak performance. Seeds are extremely versatile and can be incorporated easily into a variety of different recipes. There are various kinds of seeds that you can eat and Pumpkin seeds are one amongst them that you can eat.

Pumpkin seeds are green in colour and may have a white outer covering. They are flat and asymmetrically oval in shape. The white husk is edible. They have a distinct nutty and crunchy taste. You can easily get them in the market.

Can be prepared at home too!!!

They can be easily prepared at home by scraping the inside of the pumpkin with a metal spoon. Take out all the seeds. Wash them under running water and separate the seeds from the mass and other remains of a pumpkin. Boil the seeds in salted water for 10 minutes. Keep the salt minimum. You can use rock salt or Himalayan pink salt. Remove from heat and drain. Roast the seeds in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush the tray with some olive oil and spread the seeds in a single layer. Don’t overlap. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes. Let the pumpkin seeds cool down…Voila!! They are ready to EAT!!!

pumpkin seeds.jpeg

Nutritional facts:

Pumpkin seeds are energy packed. These small seeds are high in calories (approximately 550 kcal in 100 grams). They are a major source of proteins, fibre, niacin, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. Apart from that, they are also a good source of Vitamin B5, B6, B9, potassium and sodium.

It is one of the superfoods. It is an essential part of everyone’s diet (Check with your doctor if you are renal patient)

How to eat these energy-packed seeds?

Buy or prepare roasted pumpkin seeds
These can be included in a variety of things like :

Roasted snacks: To make this – Mix roasted puffed rice + roasted chana + roasted makhana + roasted pumpkin seeds + roasted almonds/ walnuts + roasted peanuts. Choose all or two or three of the ingredients. But don’t skip the seeds. Mix and keep in a jar. Eat as a snack. Very healthy!!! Remember all these have to be dry roasted (without ghee/oil) or roasted in homemade ghee according to your calorie needs.

Add them to a bowl of curd or oats porridge and enjoy the healthy nutritious snacks.

Make pumpkin seeds sweet bars at home. Roast a combination of pumpkin seeds and melon seeds in ghee. Place them on plate evenly. Prepare jaggery syrup. Pour these over the seeds. Let it cool down. After it cools down completely, break into small piece and enjoy eating!!! (This recipe is not advisable for people who want to reduce weight. Good for people who want gain weight or kids).

Nutty powder – Mix 50 grams roasted pumpkin seeds + 50 grams roasted melon seeds + 50 grams roasted sesame seeds + 100 grams almonds + Rocky candy (Mishri) as per taste + 25 grams anise (saunf) = Powder them together. Store them in an airtight container. Eat 1 teaspoon daily. Super healthy powder!!!

Top it up on your salads. Yummilicious!!!

How much can I eat?

As pumpkin seeds are calorie and nutrient dense food, taking too much is not a good idea. You can take up to 2 tablespoons daily (30 grams). This may vary if you have any medical problems.

I hope after reading these facts about pumpkin seeds you will surely include them in your diet. I, myself, eat them daily. I pop in 1 teaspoon roasted pumpkin seeds just before going to bed.

October 1, 2017 By Shilpi Agarwal 2 Comments

Buckwheat Flour Recipes

In an earlier blog I had written on Buckwheat (http://goqii.com/blog/know-the-health-benefits-of-buckwheat-a-wonder-grain/) I had mentioned about the various health benefits of buckwheat “a wonder grain” which is packed with amazing health benefiting nutrients. But, you would be wondering how does one eat this cereal to get all the nutrients present in it?

I have chalked out a few healthy and tasty recipes which can be made from this cereal. Buckwheat is available in two forms-grains and flour. Both the forms can be used for making various delicious recipes.

Buckwheat Porridge

Ingredients: 2 serves

Buckwheat grains (100 gms)
Sweet potatoes cut into small cubes (2 small)
Green chillies finely chopped (1 no)
Cumin seeds (1/2 tsp)
Salt (to taste)
Ghee (1 tablespoon)
Flaxseeds/Pumpkin seeds/Sunflower seeds (for garnishing)

Method: Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, finely chopped green chillies and potatoes. Stir-fry for 2 mins. Then add buckwheat grains and sauté for 5 min. Add salt and 4 cups water. Mix all ingredients properly and close the lid of the pressure cooker. Let it boil till three whistles and then take off from the flame. When all the steam has been evaporated from the pressure cooker, open the lid and serve hot with Cucumber Raita (yoghurt salad). You can garnish it with flaxseeds/pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds to make it more nutrient dense.

2. Buckwheat flour pancakes

Ingredients: 2 serves

Buckwheat flour (200 gms)/Buckwheat grains can also be ground in the mixer into flour at home to get the purest form of flour.
1 small wedge of raw pumpkin
1 medium size potato
Green chillies finely chopped (1 no)
Salt (to taste)
Oil (4 tsp)

Method: Grate potato and pumpkin without skin. Add them to the flour. Also, add green chillies and salt. Then add water and make a batter of little thick consistency. Heat a non-stick pan. Grease the pan with little oil. Pour one big spatula full of batter into the pan and spread it into a round shape. Keep it thick. Add ½ tsp oil around it and let it get cooked for a min. Then turn it around. When done, take it off from pan and cut into two halves. Serve hot with coriander-mint chutney.

3. Buckwheat Tikkis

Ingredients: 2 serves

Buckwheat flour (100 gms)
3 medium-sized boiled potatoes
Boiled peas (1/4^th cup)
Grated carrot (1 small)
Fined chopped green chillies
Salt (to taste)
Oil (2 tablespoons)
Curd & Coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method: Mash boiled potatoes. Add buckwheat flour and all other ingredients and mix well. Make small round balls and flatten it. Heat a non-stick pan and grease it lightly with oil. Put, these round flattened balls in a pan and little oil around them. Let them cook from both the sides until turn reddish brown. Garnish with little thick curd and coriander. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

4. Buckwheat flour flatbread (Parathas)

Ingredients: 2 serves

Buckwheat flour (200 gms)
Unripe banana (1 no)
Salt to taste
Ghee (2 tablespoons)

Method: Boil unripe banana and mash it. Add salt and mashed banana to the flour and make a dough. Make small balls. Sprinkle some flour on the kitchen platform. Put the ball on it and spread it on kitchen platform into a small round shape like chapatti by pressing from hand. Put it in a non-stick flat pan and let it cook by adding ghee. Heat until it becomes golden brown in colour. Serve hot with yoghurt or potato curry.

5. Buckwheat flour Bread Pizza

Ingredients: 2 serves

4 slices whole wheat bread
100 gm buckwheat flour
Chopped onion (1 medium size)
Chopped tomatoes ( 1 small)
Grated carrot (1 small half)
Finely chopped green chillies (1 small)
Salt to taste
Oil (4 tsp)

Method: Mix flour and chopped vegetables. Add salt and water. Make a batter of thick consistency. Pour 2 tbsp of this batter on one slice bread and spread well covering the whole front surface of the bread. Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with little oil. When the pan is heated, put the bread coated with batter in the pan upside down. Add ½ tsp oil and let it cook for a minute. Turn it, add ½ tsp oil again and let the other side get cooked. Take off the bread slice from the pan when both sides become golden brown. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or tamarind chutney.

September 24, 2017 By Shraddha Shetty 6 Comments

SNACK Your Way to Great HEALTH!!

I have decided I am going to eat right, I am going to exercise everyday and I am going to continue like this forever and get fit. And so I thought!!

I was very comfortable eating right with my main meals namely, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. But what I realized was actually an eye-opener. The problem was not these meals but what happens between these meals, the Snack time!!

I used to get these hunger pangs surely around 4-5pm and sometimes around 11.30am, because of which I used to grab the first thing I saw in front of me be it biscuits, unhealthy oily snacks or bread, which completely threw my efforts out the window.

That’s when I decided that this needs to be sorted out and started planning a Snack Menu which included things like roasted chanas, khakras, diet snacks but soon I realized that these were not enough.

Evening snack should be considered as the 4^th main meal of the day. By having the right food at this time, you reduce your hunger even at dinner time which helps you eat better.

I’ve tried these 4 recipes myself and believe me they are a snack time Delight!!

They not only fill you up but also taste delicious, satisfying your every taste bud.

Cauliflower Pizza

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets (riced) – 2 cups

Parmesan cheese or Mozarella cheese – 1cup

Egg – 1

Salt

Mixed herbs

For Topings:

Tomato sauce (Tomato puree, fresh garlic, mixed herbs, black pepper powder, salt)

Any vegetables of your choice

Little cheese

Method:

Wash and dry the cauliflower well
Cut it into florets
Pulse the florets in a food processor or grate it to form rice like granular consistency
Take 2 cups of riced cauliflower and transfer to a non-stick pan to remove the moisture
Keep stirring on low heat till most of the moisture is gone
Do not brown it
Let it cool
Beat one egg in a bowl
Add the cheese and mix well
Add the riced cauliflower
Mix well with salt and herbs
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer this mixture onto it to make a pizza base
Gently pat the mixture to make a base of your desired shape with a thickness of quarter of an inch
Keep the edges slightly thick so that it doesn’t burn
Now place it in a pre-heated oven at 200 c for 20mins
Remove and let it cool
Topping:

Spread the tomato sauce and add any topping of your choice with little cheese (if required)

Bake it again at 200c for 10mins

Your pizza is ready!!

Black Gram (Chana) Kebabs

Ingredients:

Black (gram) chana – ½ cup

Potato – 1 medium

Ginger (chopped) – 1 tsp

Garlic (chopped) – 1 tsp

Onion (chopped) – 1

Green Chillies (chopped) – 1 to 2

Chaat masala – 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Cumin (jeera) powder – 1 tsp

Red Chili powder – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Method:

Soak the ( black Gram) kalachana overnight

Pressure cook it till soft and cooked through

Boil and peel the potato

For the masala:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add in onions, salt, ginger, garlic and chilies
Let them cook through and soften
Add chaat masala, cumin powder, red chilli powder and garam masala
Mix well and take off the heat
Mash the boiled chana well in a mixie or use a masher
Mix the boiled potato
To this add the prepared masala and chopped coriander
Divide into small sized balls and flatten to form shammi kebabs or cutlets
Serve them hot with chutney or sauce and a cup of steaming hot tea or coffee

Bajra, Carrot and Onion Mini Uthappa

Ingredients:

¼ cup whole Bajra, soaked for 8 hours and drained

1 ¼ cups Bajra flour

Salt to taste

½ cup grated carrot

½ cup finely chopped onions

1 ½ tsp finely chopped green chillies

1 tsp garlic paste

¼ cup finely chopped coriander leaves

1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 ½ tspchilli powder

Oil for cooking

Method:

Combine the whole bajra, ½ cup of water and salt in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 5 whistles.
Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Drain the water and keep the cooked whole bajra aside.
Combine all the ingredients, along with whole bajra and 1 ½ cup of water in a deep bowl and mix well.
Heat a non-stick tava and grease it lightly with oil.
Pour ¼ cup of batter over it and tilt the tava lightly to spread the batter evenly. Cook on medium flame till it turns golden brown in colour from both the sides.
Repeat step 5 to make more uthappas.
Serve immediately.

Jackfruit Seed Roast

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds – 1 cup

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Onion (small) – 1

Garlic cloves – 4

Green chilies – 3

Red chili powder – 2 tsp

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Fennel seed powder – ½ tsp

Amchur – ¼ tsp

Chaat masala – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Steam the jackfruit seeds
Slice them
Heat oil in a non-stick pan
Add mustard seeds
When they splutter, add finely chopped onions, garlic and slit green chilies
Sauté for a few minutes on medium heat till the onions become soft
Add all the masalas and salt
Sauté for some more time
Add the jackfruit seed slices
Mix well and stir-fry for five minutes
Add few drops of water, cover the pan and let it cook over low heat for five minutes.

I hope you will try these out right away, so that I can share many such finger licking good healthy recipes soon.

September 17, 2017 By Hardika Vira 12 Comments

Hungry Kya! Here are 5 nutritious snacks recipes

Along with being a lifestyle coach and nutritionist, I play one more dual role that of a homemaker and a mother. The big question that always arises is what snacks can we make which are healthy and quick to make at the same time, right?

Here are few recipes from my recipe book which are not only healthy but fast.

1. OATS PATTIES

Ingredients	Amount
Oats	1 cup
Capsicum	1 small
Carrot	½ no
Tomatoes	1 no
Spring Onions	½ cup
Gingerchilli paste	1 Tbsp
Lime	½ no.
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Red chilly powder	¼ tsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	1 tsp

METHOD:

Sprinkle water on oats. Continue this till it absorbs the water and becomes a bit sticky.
To this add chopped capsicum, carrot, tomatoes, fresh onion with leaves, ginger chilli paste, lime, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
Divide the mixture into two equal halves. Make a flat (pattice) pieces of it and cook in a nonstick pan on both sides.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Nutritional Benefits: Oats is rich in fiber and the veggies are a source of vitamins and minerals, lime juice makes the food alkaline. Overall it is a great dish to start your day with which will surely improve your immunity and overall health

2. Steamed Spinach breads (PALAK DHOKLA)

Ingredients	Amount
Rawa	1-2 TBSP
Gramflour	1-2 TBSP
Spincach (palak) (finely chopped)	1 bunch
greenchilli paste	½ Tbsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	1 tsp

METHOD:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a vessel.
To this mixture add 1 tsp of warm oil.
Add luke warm water to make the batter of some flowing consistency.
Pour this mixture into a greased tin and steam the mixture for around 30 minutes.
Garnish with Spinach leaves. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Nutritional Benefits: This can serve as a super evening snack as it contains goodness of fiber, calcium, B vitamins of the spinach and is also a cereal pulse combination which improves the protein quality. Wholesome meal which is low in calories and has high satiety value.

3. FENUGREEK PANCAKES (METHI PUDLA)

Ingredients	Amount
fenugreek leaves (chopped)	½ bunch
Wheat flour	1 TBSP
Bajra flour	2 TBSP
Onion	1 no.
Gingerchilli paste	1 Tbsp
Garlic paste	½ tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	1 tsp

METHOD:

1.Mix all the ingredients except oil in a vessel.

2.Add water to make the batter of pouring consistency

3.Make two pancakes on a nonstick pan

4.Serve hot with tomato ketchup/ Mint sauce (Pudina chutney)

Nutritional Benefits: It is not only rich in B vitamins (fenugreek leaves) and helps in improving hemoglobin but due to the addition of onion, ginger, garlic it is highly anti-inflammatory and good for gut health. Researches prove that consumption of ginger, garlic and onion helps fight GI infections too.

4.Bottle Gourd and Semolina Pancakes (DOODHI-RAWA PANCAKE)

Ingredients	Amount
Semolina	3 TBSP
Bottle gourd	100 gms
Curds (skim milk)	3 TBSP
Gingerchilli paste	1 Tbsp
Carrot	For garnish
Salt	To taste
Oil	1 tsp

METHOD:

Grate the bottle gourd.
Add semolina, ginger chilli paste, curds, salt and make a batter of pouring consistency by adding water.
Make 3 small pancakes on a nonstick pan by adding oil.

4.Garnish with grated carrot and coriander.

5.Serve hot with green chutney

Nutritional Benefits: Bottle gourd has multi benefits like it is high in fiber, helps curb the acidity too, good for heart, and the list goes on. Curds are rich in probiotics which improves the gut bacteria.

5. COTTAGE CHEESE VEGETABLE WRAP ( PANEER VEG WRAP)

Ingredients	Amount
Gramflour	2 TBSP
Capsicum	½ no
Carrot	¼ no
Tomatoes	1 small
Spring onions	½ cup
Paneer (COTTAGE CHEESE)	200 ml(20 gms)
Coriander leaves	Few sprigs
Lime	½ no.
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Red chilli powder	½ tsp
Pavbhaji masala/ Garam masala	½ tsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	1 tsp

METHOD:

For the Wrap:

To the gram flour add chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder, salt and make a batter by adding water

Pour this batter on a nonstick and make a chilla

For the filling:

In a nonstick pan, take 1 tsp of oil. Add chopped capsicum, carrot, spring onions, tomatoes, paneer cubes and cook for a minute. To this add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, lime juice, pav bhaji masala or any garam masala (blend of ground spices like peppercorns, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, bay leaf, caraway). You can even use herbs instead of this . Mix well. Cover the pan for 1-2 minutes. Cook until done.

Place this filling into the centre of the chilla and wrap it. Cut it into pieces. Garnish with spring onion leaves and tomatoes.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Nutritional Benefits: It is high in protein with cottage cheese and gram flour. It contains goodness of fiber, Vit C, vitamins and minerals and other phytochemicals too. Children love this most as it looks like a frankie/roll but the base is super healthy here. Also helps in improving immunity, hemoglobin, better growth.

Super Healthy – Pumpkin Seeds

Buckwheat Flour Recipes

SNACK Your Way to Great HEALTH!!

Hungry Kya! Here are 5 nutritious snacks recipes

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