This is a simple recipe that I always kept thinking back-n-forth if it was worth sharing it here in my blog, but after serving this dish to my friends I realized that not many know about this unique flavor combination. I would love to call this breakfast a lazy day fix up but with no compromises on the taste front.

Eggs and Avocado on a toast was a combination we loved for a very long time, but ever since we got hooked with the taste of pesto, we’ve been frequently switching avocadoes with pesto. That being said, breakfast with eggs weren’t that common in our house until we recently upgraded to this recipe with the addition of mushrooms, and it has been on a roll ever since!

It’s a protein rich breakfast which is so filling and satisfying with all the different taste combinations. The aroma and the flavor of basil pesto combined with the goodness of egg, and the spiciness from the chili oil – it’s a flavor explosion from the first bite.

Let’s check out the various options to customize this recipe per your choice:

1. Veggies – Mushrooms and Spinach are my go-to additions for this recipe but you can opt for your favorite veggies.
2. Pesto – You can use homemade pesto which is always the best, but for a quick fixup storebought pesto would work too.
3. Chili oil – I usually prefer Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion Oil, but you can use homemade or any other brand of your choice.
4. Egg – You can cook it according to your likeness; fried/scrambled/runny/poached/boiled, anything works like a charm, I prefer fried egg with a runny yolk!
5. Open Toast or Sandwich – I love to serve this recipe as an open toast with one slice of bread but it’s a personal preference. You can use 2 slices of bread to make it as a sandwich which also works great.

This recipe is perfect as a breakfast, brunch or dinner – it is incredibly good and enjoyable at all times of the day!!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Interested in other egg/breakfast recipes? Check these out:

• Egg Curry with Coconut Milk
• Avocado Egg Toast
• Buttermilk Pancakes
• Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Pesto Mushroom Egg Toast

Sharing one of the Yummiest yet Simplest Breakfast; Bread Toast with Eggs, Pesto, & Mushrooms, topped with a hint of Spicy Chili Oil!!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword breakfast, egg toast, pesto

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of mushroom
• 4 slices of bread
• Pesto (homemade / store bought, as required)
• Chili oil (as required)
• Oil / Butter (as required)
• Salt and pepper (as required)

Instructions

• Mushrooms: Wash, clean and pat dry the mushrooms, then thinly slice them. In a pan, add some oil and cook mushrooms with salt and pepper until they are cooked well.
• Bread: Toast the bread in a toaster, or spread butter and toast on a pan on both sides.
• Egg: Cook egg according to your likeness, I like fried egg with a runny yolk and topped with chili oil.
• Serve: On to the toast, generously spread pesto. Top withmushrooms and fried egg. Enjoy right away!!!

The post Pesto Mushroom Egg Toast appeared first on Pepper Delight.

What’s more beautiful than to start your day with a big stack of fluffy pancakes on your dining table…!!! Golden and soft, with the maple syrup slowly flowing through the stacks… how can you not be drooling?

Pancakes are everybody’s favorite, unless you have never tasted it. Well yea… my experience with pancakes really started a year ago around the time I moved to the US, and it was the very first “new” breakfast dish I heard about. Pancakes are not common in India as we have a different variety of breakfast dishes which are mostly vegetarian, and made with rice, pulses and wheat. But now, it is one of our favorite breakfasts…!

There are hundreds of different pancake recipes, and it’s so easy to make variations and try. This is a recipe which uses buttermilk, and I have read in many articles that buttermilk is a key element to bring in softness, not just for pancakes but also in cakes, breads & muffins. It’s an old fashioned grandma technique and it really works. You might get a bit apprehensive initially thinking about the sourness of buttermilk, but not only does it make the pancakes light, moist and fluffy, it also tastes awesome.

One key point while making these buttermilk pancakes is to not over-mix the batter, it may end up in hard pancakes. Those little lumps in the batter are just fine, and also make sure you pour the batter when the griddle is really hot.

Interested to try another version of pancakes? Check this out –>  Dutch baby pancake.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Buttermilk Pancakes

Treat yourself to a stack of Light n Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes! Made with simple pantry ingredients and ready under 30 minutes, enjoy your mornings with this breakfast topped with your favorite fruits and a drizzle of maple syrup...!!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword buttermilk pancake, pancake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 pancakes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• Whipped cream, fruits, honey/maple syrup (serve)

Instructions

• In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix all the dry ingredients well.
• Take another bowl and add eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, butter and whisk in buttermilk.
• Add the above wet ingredients to the dry flour mix and whisk lightly. Do not over mix the batter, its fine to have a few lumps.
• While making the pancakes, heat the griddle, smear with butter /oil and pour batter into it when it is really hot (about ¼ cup batter).
• When the top side starts to bubble up, flip and cook the other side until it turns golden.
• Serve warm with whipped cream or honey or maple syrup or any fruit mix.

Notes

You can also use berries in this recipe, just fold it into the batter at the end of the third step.

The post Buttermilk Pancakes appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Christmas is around the corner and here I am gearing up my holiday recipes. Since my mom who has been staying with me for the last couple of months would be with us for a few more weeks, we are cooking up storm and shooting all traditional & homely Kerala recipes which I have been promising you guys for a long time.

Talking about today’s recipe “Stew”, it is a dish which resonates with Christmas for every Malayalee. The Christian families in Kerala are known for their stew recipes, and be it made with chicken, mutton, fish or vegetables, the dish is DELICIUOS… Pair it with a side of Appams or Idiyappams for breakfast, you have a match made in heaven!

The recipe is pretty simple and light on spices, but big on flavors. The preparation of the veg and non-veg versions are almost similar except for the protein or veggies used. The warmth from the whole spices and the blend with coconut milk gravy gives the dish its unique aroma which makes your whole house fragrant as it cooks.

Vegetable Stew is a perfect dish to add veggies to your Christmas menu if you plan to load it up otherwise with non-veg dishes. Not only does it introduce a pleasant palate shift, it’s light on your stomach and complements the rest of your feast.

Interested in other Stew recipes? Check these out;

• Kerala Style Chicken Stew
• Kerala Style Mutton Stew
• Kerala Style Fish Stew / Fish Molly / Fish Molee

Also, don’t forget to check out my Appam (Hoppers) recipe which goes perfectly with Stew.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Vegetable Stew

Kerala Style Vegetable Stew with Spices and Veggies simmered in a Coconut Milk based gravy. Perfect for a cozy breakfast with Appams or Idiyappams on the side!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword chicken stew, kerala, vegetable stew

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

Spices

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 3-4 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise

For the Stew

• 1 medium sized onion (sliced)
• ½ inch sized ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 green chili (or more, slit)
• 1 potato (cubed)
• 1 carrot (cubed)
• ½ cup beans (chopped, lengthwise)
• ½ cup frozen peas
• ¾ cup thin coconut milk
• ½ cup thick coconut milk
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 2 sprig of curry leaves
• ½ cup water
• Salt (as required)
• Oil (pref. coconut oil) (as required)

Instructions

• Pressure cook potato, beans, and carrot with water and a little bit of salt, for 1 whistle. Keep aside, allow the pressure to release on its own.
• Heat oil in a pan, add spices; cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf and star anise. Sauté until fragrant.
• Add 1 sprig of curry leaves, ginger and green chilies. Once the raw smell of the ginger subsides, add onion and sauté until translucent.
• Add the pressure-cooked vegetables, followed by adding thin coconut milk. Close the lid and allow it to cook on a low flame. Once the stew starts boiling, add frozen peas.
• As the dish starts boiling again, check for the veggies to be cooked perfectly and once done, add thick coconut milk. Do not allow the stew to boil after this stage.
• Top the stew with pepper powder and check for salt. Swirl the pan once and cook for another 2 minutes on a low flame. Top with 1 sprig of curry leaves and coconut oil. Turn off the flame.
• Serve with Appam, Idiyappam, Chapathi or bread.

Notes

• Using coconut oil is recommended for all authentic Kerala recipes.
• Adjust the quantity of green chilies used, suiting your spice levels.

The post Vegetable Stew appeared first on Pepper Delight.

If you are a fan of chocolate, then you will definitely love this recipe of the day – Chocolate Granola. Oats, along with cocoa powder, almonds, and tiny bits of chocolate chips, takes this dish to a whole new level of yumminess…where regular granola recipes come nowhere close by! It’s both chocolaty and crunchy with all the goodness from nuts and fruits.

This recipe works perfectly for your meal prep days, especially when you’re looking to whip up a quick and simple breakfast. If you prefer it with a glass of hot milk, then it would taste quite similar to chocolate milk, and that’s something kids would also love. Maple syrup and brown sugar provides enough sweetness to this recipe, which is not overpowered by the chocolate chips. Add some fresh fruits, and you have a perfect healthy breakfast ready in no-time!

You can also serve this Chocolate Granola as a post-lunch or post-workout snack, just what you need to stay away from that unhealthy bag of chips and at the same time packing you with fiber and nutrients.

Pro – Tip: After baking the granola and tossing it with chocolate chips, clusters start to form as the melted chips begin cooling down and binding the granola. Once cooled, try not to break the clusters as that’s what makes this recipe soo yum! The clusters are airy, pack the right amount of chocolate, and are so flavorful that you can literally snack on it.

Since this is a basic recipe for chocolate granola, you can customize it to your likeness by adding nuts and dry fruits of your choice, switching maple syrup with honey, replacing chocolate chips with chunks… the options are endless!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Interested in more healthy oat’s recipes? Check these out:

• Easy Homemade Granola
• Berry Yogurt Parfait
• Healthy Nut Bars with Chocolate Drizzle
• Berry Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Chocolate Granola

This easy 30-minute Chocolate Granola is made with simple pantry ingredients and is a perfect healthy treat for all chocolate lovers …!!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, chocolate granola, granola

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degree F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients; oats, almonds, cocoa powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar, whisk well to mix properly.
• Now transfer the whisked wet ingredients into the large bowl containing the mixed dry ingredients. Mix all of it together.
• Transfer the mix to the prepared baking pan and level it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring it halfway through the bake.
• Remove the pan from the oven and immediately transfer the chocolate chips onto the tray. Stir to mix, the chocolate chips will start to slightly melt within the warm granola.
• Once it cools, the granola will harden and form clusters. Pro tip: Do not break the clusters as the granola tastes best when clustered!
• Allow the granola to sit for 1-2 hrs. to cool down completely. Transfer to a closed air tight container and store up to 3-4 weeks at room temperature.

The post Chocolate Granola appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Hello 2020… and Wish You All a Very Happy New Year!!! And I am back with my first post of the year, its none other than a Homemade Breakfast Sausage recipe!

After moving to the US, I have seen a steep decline in my eating outs for breakfast, which I guess is due to my boredom with the typical English menu. One of the things I badly miss here is, a good savory vegetarian breakfast. We Indians are so spoilt with the variety of hearty-n-delicious breakfast choices back home, be it protein filled, vegetarian, savory, sweet, and the list goes on an on. But if I have to pick a favorite non-Indian dish, then that would definitely be my sausage breakfast mornings.

Nothing better than a perfectly cooked sausage! Most people are not aware of the ease at which sausages can be prepared at home from scratch, and instead they buy frozen patties. If you can buy a good quality sausage meat, then the spice mix and cooking hardly takes any time. I’m pretty sure that if you have tried it out once, then you would never go for frozen patties anymore as they are not always made of good meat and come with preservatives.

These homemade breakfast sausages make a wonderful addition to your meal prep days. Breakfast being the important meal of your day, you shouldn’t skip it giving lame excuses and instead should try meal prep breakfasts. And if you are like me who loves a breakfast menu for dinner, then this sausage makes an excellent choice for your dinner time.

I prefer pan frying sausages on my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet as they cook evenly and retain heat, perfect for everyday cooking.

How to store fresh/uncooked leftover sausage patties?

Once you’ve made the patties, arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. Once frozen, you can store the patties in a freezer safe bag with parchment paper (cut into small squares) placed between the patties to prevent them from sticking them to each other. When ready to use, you can cook them directly without thawing in an open skillet but with an increased cooking time.

How to store cooked leftover sausage patties?

Once they are cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 4 days. You can also freeze cooked sausage patties by storing them in a freezer safe bag or in an air tight container. Place parchment paper (cut into small squares) in-between the sausages to prevent them from sticking to each other while freezing. This method helps to easily pull out individual frozen patties as needed, and then microwave them for 2 minutes or until heated through before serving.

Interested in more breakfast recipes? Check out my Breakfast corner.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Delicious & Flavorful Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties for your Sunny Mornings! These Quick-n-Easy sausage take hardly 5 minutes to cook and are So Good that you will never buy frozen patties again …!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, sausage

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 12 patties

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic and onion powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasonings
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix ground pork with pepper, red chili flakes, brown sugar, Italian seasonings, salt, and garlic and onion powder. Gently mix with your hands or with a spoon to combine the seasonings well.
• Divide the sausage into equally sized balls. Flatten them into ½ inch sized patties by placing them between your oiled palms.
• Heat a pan with little oil. Pan fry these patties 2-3 minutes (depending on the thickness) on each side until they are browned and cooked through. Leftover sausage patties can be refrigerated and stored in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
• Serve with toasted bread, eggs, fresh fruits, and juice for a perfect breakfast OR make breakfast sandwiches with croissant, sausage and eggs. You can cook the eggs as per your choice.

The post Homemade Breakfast Sausage appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Duck curry is a popular dish from the hearts of Kuttanad, a region which is fondly referred to as the “Nellara” of Kerala (rice bowl of Kerala state) for its plenty paddy fields and backwaters. Kuttanand is indeed a beauty, the place is a famous tourist destination, particularly for its houseboats, boat races, and variety food.

This duck curry with coconut milk dish is rich and flavorful with the meat cooked to perfection. The major highlight of this recipe is the difference in the ingredients used. Unlike other Indian style curries, this one doesn’t use any chili powder. Instead it is spiced with lots of green chilies, ginger, garlic and freshly crushed black pepper. The addition of coconut milk makes the curry even better with a thick gravy consistency.

How to cook Duck?

Cooking duck is different from that of chicken and may be a challenge for first timers to nail it perfectly. The meat is mostly used with skin-on and has a longer cooking time. It can be cooked in an open vessel on a low flame for 30+ mins to achieve the right consistency, or else and easier alternate would be pressure cooking it like how I have detailed in my recipe today, which is a quicker and a safer bet.

Duck meat with or without skin?

The skin of the duck is the flavor factor for most duck recipes, and is ideal for roast and curry dishes. Also keep in mind that the meat differs from broiler to country side duck (നാടൻ താറാവ്) varieties. Usually the broiler ones come with a lot of meat whereas country style ducks (നാടൻ താറാവ്) have less meat and more bones. I personally prefer country style duck for my recipes, as they taste a lot better.

Is duck fat healthy?

Duck meat comes with a lot of fat, mostly from its skin. It’s always a question as to how much should you add to your curry and what to do with the rest? Now, duck fat is definitely healthy as it majorly contains monounsaturated fat which helps to lower LDL cholesterol and thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is a great substitute for cooking with instead of using other high saturated fats like butter, beef fat, and pork fat. Also duck fat has a distinct aroma and flavor which complements the dishes cooked in it; for e.g. roasting veggies n potatoes, frying fish, searing steak. Duck fat is key to this recipe and you may want to leave the skin on the meat so that at least half of the fat is used, complementing the flavors of this dish. The rest of the fat can be rendered into duck fat and stored separately for later cooking use. But if you are calorie conscious, feel free to omit the skin and fat altogether.

If your duck smells bad?

It is quite common for duck meat to have a weird smell even though fresh, especially if it’s a wild one caught from swamp waters. You can get rid of the smell by using vinegar and turmeric. Once the duck meat is cleaned, rub with a turmeric + vinegar mix and keep aside for 10-15 mins. A last-minute wash under running water, and your duck is ready for cooking. You can also substitute vinegar with lemon juice.

Pro tip: Use freshly crushed pepper and freshly squeezed coconut milk to enhance the taste.

This duck curry with coconut milk is a highlight of Easter & Christmas feasts and is served along with Appam (rice hoppers), Idiyappam (string hoppers), Roti, Naan or Steamed Rice.  So do try it out during these holidays and lemme know how it turns out in the comment section below.

Also don’t forget to check out my Appam recipe which makes a great combination with this Duck Curry.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Kerala Style Duck Curry

Delicious Kerala Style Duck Curry spiced with Pepper & Green Chilies, smothered in a Creamy Coconut Milk gravy! This Kuttanadan Style Curry makes a lip-smacking side dish with Appam or Idiyappams, perfect for your Christmas feast …!!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword duck curry, kerala duck curry

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 whole duck (with skin-on)
• 5 garlic pods (crushed)
• 1 ½ - inch sized ginger (crushed)
• 5-6 green chilies (slit)
• 3 medium sized onions (sliced)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chicken masala / garam masala
• a small pinch of fennel powder (optional)
• 2 tsp pepper powder (plus more)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1 cup hot water
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 3 sprigs of curry leaves
• ¼ cup coconut bites
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Clean and cut duck (with skin-on) into curry sized pieces. You can omit its fat entirely or leave some, as duck fat is considered healthy.
• In a pressure cooker, heat a little coconut oil and add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilies. Sauté until fragrant.
• Add sliced onion along with a little salt, sauté until the onions turn translucent and golden, followed by the addition of sliced tomatoes and sauté until they are mushy.
• Lower the flame and add spice powders; turmeric, coriander, garam masala, fennel powder (optional), and pepper powder (1 tsp). Sauté for one minute.
• Add the duck pieces and mix with the masala once. Pour hot water, add salt as required, place the lid, and cook for 2 whistles (check notes for details).
• Once cooked, turn off the flame and allow it to rest until the pressure goes off. Then open the lid and taste for seasoning.
• Depending upon how much gravy you want, cook the duck on a medium flame.
• Once your preferred consistency has reached, lower the flame and add coconut milk, mix well and check for the seasoning. Add pepper powder (according to your spice level), then cook for another 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
• Prepare the tempering in a separate pan, by heating some oil. Add mustard seeds, and once it splutters add coconut bites and curry leaves. When the coconut bites turn lightly brown, pour it to the prepared duck curry and mix well. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve hot with Appam (rice hoppers), idiyappam (string hoppers), rice or roti.

Notes

• If you are in Saint Louis area, check out Pan Asia supermarket as that’s where we buy duck.
• The cooking times for duck vary according to the type used. Usually young ducks and നാടൻ താറാവ് cook within 2 whistles, rest may need 3 or more whistles in a pressure cooker. If the meat seems under after pressure cooking, place the lid and cook for two more whistles to get it right.
• Adjust green chilies and pepper powder to suit your spice level.
• The garam masala used in my recipe has been bought from an Indian store (Sakthi garam masala) and meat masala used is MDH meat masala. You can also use a homemade masala which is preferable. If meat masala is unavailable, you can substitute it with equivalent amount of garam masala.
• Using coconut oil is recommended for all authentic Kerala recipes.

The post Kerala Style Duck Curry appeared first on Pepper Delight.

This post was one I never thought I would publish, as Appam recipes are plenty over the internet and I didn’t want to bombard you all with another one from my collection. It all started when a fellow blogger of mine twincookingproject asked me casually knowing that I am Keralite, if I had a recipe of Appam to share. I quickly typed a short write up (as I never had a proper one written nor planned to) and texted her. The next day she sent a picture of her appam and like every other recipe remake, I shared it in my Instagram stories. And then started all the fun! To my surprise, I began receiving so many requests for the recipe and was overwhelmed by the response, that at one point I felt I can’t be sharing this short hand version and should do a better job with a full-fledged recipe.

So here you go, the traditional way in which Appam is prepared in my home! And as a bonus, along with my “from scratch” version, I am also including an “Instant” one which would help many of you make prepare the same tasty fluffy appams at home with ease.

The secret to perfecting this recipe is the fermentation of the batter, and you have various ways to do it. The internet is filled with thousands of recipes and variations, but trust me… this is a foolproof recipe which I have tested many times.

Pro-Tip: If the batter turns out to be thick after fermentation, add ¼ – ½ cup milk or water to thin out the batter.

Best Side Dishes to go with Appam

1. Fish Molly/Moilee/ Kerala Style Fish Stew
2. Duck Curry
3. Chicken Stew
4. Mutton Stew
5. Beef Curry
6. Beef Ularthiyathu
7. Chicken Ularthiyathu
8. Roasted Coconut Chickpeas Curry/Varutharacha Kadala Curry 
9. Vegetable Kurma
10. Kerala Style Potato Curry

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Appam Recipe from Scratch

This is the traditional method of preparing Appam from scratch. The process requires a total of 6-8 hrs of fermentation.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Indian

Keyword appam, breakfast, kerala

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Fermentation time 8 hours hours

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup idli rice/pachari (soaked for 4-5 hrs)
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 1 handful of any cooked rice (you can use sona masoori also)
• 2-3 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp yeast
• ¼ cup warm water (for yeast prep)
• 1½ cup + more water / coconut milk / coconut water (for grinding)

Instructions

• Rice Prep: Wash n Soak idli rice for 4-5 hrs.
• Yeast Prep: Prepare yeast mix by mixing ¼ cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar. Add yeast and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. It will froth by this time. Using a spoon, mix it well. Keep aside.
• Making Batter: In a blender, grind the soaked idli rice with grated coconut, cooked rice, 2-3 tbsp sugar, and either of water / coconut milk / coconut water (in batches), till it forms a smooth batter. Make sure your batter is not too runny, it should be slightly thick with a pourable consistency.
• Once the batter is ready, add yeast solution and mix well.
• Fermentation: Allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 8 hrs or overnight, so that it ferments. Use a long-bottomed pan / bowl (preferably glass) as the batter will double in quanitity, ensure to cover the bowl.
• Once properly fermented, the batter would have doubled. Stir by adding salt and sugar (add more if you prefer it sweet).
• Make Appams: To prepare the appams, heat an appam pan (or regular pan if you don’t have one). Once hot, season the pan with a little oil and pour a ladle full of batter on to the center of the pan. Swirl the pan so that a thin coat of the batter covers the edge, forming a properly shaped appam (thick in the center and thinning outwards). Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium flame. Once the edges turn golden brown and the center cooked, remove it to a plate.
• Taste your first appam and add more sugar to the batter if needed. Appams taste best when sweet.
• Pro-tip: If you are living in a cold place during peak winter times, keep your batter inside an oven for the proper fermentation process.

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Instant Appam Recipe

This recipe requires lesser fermenting time. Your tasty appams can be made within 4 hours.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Indian

Keyword appam, breakfast, kerala

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Fermentation Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cup palappam podi (Eastern or any other brand of your choice)
• 1 cup rava / sooji
• ½ cup lukewarm water (for yeast prep)
• ¼ tsp yeast
• 1 tsp sugar + 2 tsp + more
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 1 ½ cup + more water
• Salt (to taste)

Instructions

• For rava kurukku: Prepare the rava kurukku (porridge) by mixing rava and 1 ½ cup water in a saucepan. Continue stirring and cook on a medium flame until the rava is cooked and water absorbed completely. Keep aside to cool.
• Yeast prep: Prepare yeast mix by mixing ¼ cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar, and adding yeast. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes, the mix will froth in the meantime. Using a spoon, mix it well. Keep aside.
• Making Appam batter: Into a large mixing bowl, add the appam podi, cooked and cooled rava, thick and thin coconut milk, along with 2 tsp of sugar. Whisk until combined well. You can mix it in a blender in batches to make the mixing easier as the rava kurukku is difficult to stir and mix. If the batter is too thick, add water and whisk till it forms a smooth batter. Ensure your batter is not too runny, it should be slightly thick with a pourable consistency.
• Allow it to sit at room temperature for 4 hrs, to ferment. Use a long-bottomed pan / bowl (preferably glass) as the batter will double in quantity, ensure to cover the bowl.
• Once properly fermented, the batter would have doubled. Stir by adding salt and sugar (add more if you prefer it sweet).
• Make Appams: To prepare the appams, heat an appam pan (or regular pan if you don’t have one). Once hot, season the pan with a little oil and pour a ladle full of batter on to the center of the pan. Swirl the pan so that a thin coat of the batter covers the edge, forming a properly shaped appam (thick in the center and thinning outwards). Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium flame. Once the edges turn golden brown and the center cooked, remove it to a plate.
• Taste your first appam and add more sugar to the batter if needed. Appams taste best when sweet.
• Pro-tip: If you are living in a cold place during peak winter times, keep your batter inside an oven for the proper fermentation process.

The post Kerala Style Appam / Palappam appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Kadala curry, a Malayalee’s Favorite! And among all the combinations with which it is served as the side, Puttum Kadalayum (പുട്ടും കടലയും) tops it hands down! Puttu (steamed rice cake), Kadala curry, and crushed papad, makes it an insanely delicious meal and is a common breakfast served everywhere; right from roadside eateries, households, all the way to being served as a delicacy in luxury hotels in Kerala.

I have a lot of memories of this dish to share with you all, as it is also one of my favourite recipes from my mom’s cookbook. Although Kadala curry is the better side dish with Puttu, ripe bananas are also savored as a side with puttu and since it’s much easier to prepare, my mom used to serve putu with banana frequently for breakfast during my school days, and I quickly got bored and started hating it. I guess not only at my home, this combo is a cheat meal for all Malayalee moms since it was the only relief amidst all the morning craziness; cooking breakfast & lunch, packing all the lunch boxes, getting the kids ready for school, husbands to work, and finally yourselves on time.  But being a very quirky girl then, I rebelled by skipping breakfast if served puttu with banana, which made my mom upset. Knowing my love for kadala curry, she finally agreed to prepare it under the condition that I eat puttu with banana on alternate days. But honestly, now I do feel the pain she went through as I struggle here to just perfect the dish each time I cook it.

The perfection of this recipe lies in the roasted coconut paste. Grated coconut should be evenly roasted on a low flame until it turns evenly brown. This is a bit challenging as you need to hit the sweet spot where it is neither under nor over roasted or burnt, and this requires a hell-lotta patience. Once properly roasted, the spice powders are added and given an extra 3-4 minutes of cook time before setting aside to cool. The cooled mix is then grinded into a smooth paste, and if perfectly roasted you will start to see oil oozing out of the paste making it rich and creamy. Do not worry if you don’t see the oil, as the curry will still be delicious and the grinded coconut paste makes your gravy thick n luscious.

There are some pre-prep works behind this recipe as chickpeas require a longer cooking time. Soaking it overnight and pressure-cooking the next day helps in easing out the cooking process thereby saving time and resulting in a perfectly cooked dish.

This curry in addition to puttu (steamed rice cake), also makes a great combination with appam (hoppers), idiyappam (string hoppers), roti or rice.

Check out my other Kerala special breakfast side dish recipes :

• Kerala Style Mutton Stew
• Kerala Style Chicken Stew
• Vegetable Kurma

Happy Cooking…!

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Varutharacha Kadala Curry/ Roasted Coconut Chickpeas Curry

Black Chickpeas, Cooked and Simmered in an Aromatic Roasted Coconut Gravy with Crunchy Coconut Bites - Varutharacha Kadala Curry / Roasted Coconut Chickpeas Curry ...!

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chickpeas curry, kadala curry, kerala

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For Roasting Coconut

• 1½ cup grated coconut
• 3 small onions (sliced)
• 2 garlic pods (sliced)
• ½ inch sized ginger (sliced)
• 1 green chilly (slit)
• 3-4 black pepper corns
• 2-3 curry leaves
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp chili powder (add more if you like it hot)
• 1½ tsp coriander powder

For the Curry

• 1 cup dry black chickpeas / kadala / kala chana (washed & soaked overnight)
• 1 medium sized onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp coconut tidbits / Thengakothu
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Water (as required)
• Oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

For Roasting Coconut

• Heat a pan and dry roast grated coconut along with small onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, pepper corns and curry leaves on a low to medium flame until it starts turning lightly golden brown.
• When you start seeing a golden / light brown color, add the spices; chili, coriander and turmeric powder. Stir on a low flame for another 2-3 minutes until roasted well, be careful not to overdo nor turn dark brown. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool. If you are using whole spices, you need to roast them from the beginning along with the coconut at step 1.
• Once cooled, grind all the roasted ingredients into a smooth paste. While grinding, the roasted coconut will release its oil, indicating that you roasted it perfectly.

For the Curry

• Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas along with onions, salt and water (just enough to cover the chickpeafor 3 whistles. Allow it to rest until the pressure goes off. Keep aside.
• You can either make the rest of the curry in the pressure cooker itself or transfer cooked chickpeas along with water to a wide pan.
• To the pan, add the roasted coconut paste, stir and mix well. Add more water if you prefer your curry with more gravy. Allow the curry to boil.
• Meanwhile in a separate pan; dry roast fennel seeds for 2 minutes until its fragrant. Allow it cool and using a mortar and pestle, ground it into a fine powder.
• Once the curry starts boiling, add the ground fennel powder and garam masala.
• Onto the same pan used for roasting the fennel, heat some oil and add the coconut tidbits. When the coconut starts turning lightly brown, add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter and then add curry leaves and dry red chilies.
• Add this tempering into the curry, mix, place the lid on the pan, and turn off the flame. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot with puttu (steamed rice cake), appam (hoppers), idiyappam (string hoppers), roti or any bread.

Notes

Coconut oil is recommended for all authentic Kerala recipes.

The post Varutharacha Kadala / Roasted Coconut Chickpeas Curry appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Summer is at its full out here in Missouri and we are enjoying every bit of that sunshine. With berries in season, it’s the perfect time to explore fresh and healthy berry recipes.

About this parfait; it’s a layered breakfast which is colorful, fresh, filling and soothing to your stomach! Yes…we are talking about parfait breakfast days. This simple 5 ingredient berry yogurt parfait is a light and healthy dish and has now become my new obsession.

Creamy Greek yogurt layered over berry sauce and crunchy granola makes a glass full of deliciousness which kids also enjoy. Including yogurt in your diet on a daily basis is really good for your health. The probiotics in Greek yogurt help to increase the good bacteria in your gut thereby enabling digestion, reducing bloating, and promoting better health.

The main advantage of this dish is that it’s a ‘make-ahead recipe’ and has endless options to customize. You can add a variety of fruits, like chopped banana, mango, & peaches, as your toppings. Also, if you’re not a fan of Greek yogurt, substitute it with regular yogurt. For the berry compote, if not strawberry feel free to choose your favorite berries, which also works perfectly for this dish.

Making granola at home is simple, check out my Easy Homemade Granola recipe here.

All the ingredients can be prepared, layered (except for the granola) and refrigerated in advance. Addition of granola as the last step helps to keep it crunchy and fresh, otherwise it will turn soggy & cold when placed on the berry compote for a while. And when it’s time to serve, top with granola and enjoy it as breakfast or as a healthy dessert!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Berry Yogurt Parfait

A Creamy Berry Yogurt Parfait, layered with Greek Yogurt, Berry Compote, Granola and Fresh Berries! Perfect for a Healthy & Colorful Morning Breakfast …!!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword berry crumb bar, breakfast, parfait, yogurt bowl

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 pack Greek yogurt (5.3oz each)
• ½ cup granola
• 1 cup strawberries (hulled and roughly chopped)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ¼ cup water
• Fresh berries (garnish)

Instructions

• For the strawberry compote: Combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the strawberries are cooked, mash them to form a thick consistency. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Switch off the flame and allow it cool. The sauce will thicken once it is cooled down.
• For the granola: Refer my post https://www.pepperdelight.com/granola/
• Assembling the parfait: Into a serving glass, spoon greek yogurt as the base, then top with a layer of berry compote (2-3 tbsp), and then top with granola. Garnish with fresh berries.

The post Berry Yogurt Parfait appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Pancakes are the real deal for us in India; the savory versions to be precise. We call it Dosa or lentil crepes, and is an unavoidable dish on the breakfast menu of every Indian. Unlike the sweet pancakes which I consider a lazy girl’s breakfast as it requires less effort, is fancy, and doesn’t need to be fermented…the lentil pancakes always requires some sort of pre-preparation.

Dutch baby pancakes (also called as German pancakes) can be defined as an old school pancake recipe with a little makeover. The batter goes straight into the oven, cooks for 20 minutes, and tadaaa…your baked pancakes are ready; puffed up with crispy browned edges, a golden fluffy center, and boy… so damn delicious.

The recipe is so simple and actually much easier than making a regular pancake. You can throw everything into a blender, blend and just pour it to your buttered iron skillet and bake. And while it bakes, you have all the time in the world to clean up your kitchen, and even make some coffee!

The main attraction of this pancake is, its Huge! I have used a 9-inch iron skillet for this recipe, which is enough to serve 2-3 people. Traditionally this dish is made on an iron skillet but you can use any oven safe skillets, just ensure that it’s atleast 2 inches tall which will help the batter to rise, otherwise it will overflow & burn creating a mess in your oven.

Dust these Dutch baby pancakes with powdered sugar and serve with a drizzle of honey/maple syrup/chocolate syrup. You can also top it off with fresh fruits or fruit sauce.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Dutch Baby Pancake

Golden Brown n Puffy Dutch Baby Pancakes for a Beautiful Morning!! This Foolproof Recipe is so easy to whisk up a quick Breakfast for your busy days…!! 

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, dutch baby pancake, pancake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup milk (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• Pinch of salt
• Fruits, powdered sugar, honey / maple syrup / chocolate sauce (toppings)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425-degree F. Place a 9-inch cast iron / oven safe skillet with a 2-inch-tall side, in the oven to heat. You may also instead warm your skillet on a stovetop.
• Blend or whisk flour, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined. The resulting batter will be thin, allow it to rest for 5-7 mins.
• Remove the hot skillet from the oven using an oven mitt and add butter. The butter should melt immediately if the skillet is really hot, else place it in the oven to melt completely.
• Pour the batter into the skillet and swirl the pan to spread it evenly, place it back into the oven immediately.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes until you see puffed & lightly browned edges.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and dust it with powdered sugar. Top with your favorite fruits, berries, or drizzle honey / maple syrup / chocolate sauce on top.
• Serve immediately, Enjoy.

The post Dutch Baby Pancake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Smoothies are an integral part of my daily breakfast, and I do switch to it often from my regular Indian breakfast dishes. I love flavored yogurt, and when travelling yogurt recipes would be my first choice for breakfast. Its light, filling, gives you a trouble-free stomach, and most of all… keeps you happy & pleasant (the scientific reasoning behind that is it decreases excessive cortisol levels in your body); at least that’s how I feel!

Discovering new flavors by combining different fruits and proteins is fun, sometimes difficult too. One of my all-time favorite combo is strawberry and banana with a liquid (yogurt, almond / regular milk). So, this time I thought to explore a strawberry, banana, peach, yogurt combination … and Oh Boy, it came out Wonderful!

Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse and has many health benefits which make it a must to include in your daily diet. Due to its high protein and Vitamin B12 content, it can be substituted for meat, especially if you are a vegetarian. As a probiotic, Greek yogurt is considered to be more nutritious than regular yogurts.

In this recipe, the slight tanginess from Greek Yogurt blends easily with the fruity flavours and the hint of sweetness from honey. The end result?  A Smoothie Bowl – Pretty n Perfect for your Breakfast with all your Favorite Fruits, Nuts & Seeds…

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Strawberry Peach Yogurt Bowl

A Healthy and a Protein packed Breakfast with Strawberries, Peaches & Greek Yogurt! Begin your day with this filling Yogurt Bowl, topped with your Favorite Fruits n Nuts…!!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, yogurt bowl

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 6-8 strawberries
• 1 peach
• ½ of a banana
• 5.6 oz/¾ cup greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey / maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pepitas (topping)

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Top with sliced fresh fruits and pepitas. 

The post Strawberry Peach Yogurt Bowl appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So, I guess you might be wondering what’s so special about this Kurma? Well, all I can say is… just taste it and you will understand, it’s soooo yummy, the Best! It’s creamy, rich and flavorful… I bet you cannot ask for anything more from a Kurma!!!

Kurma is a popular South Indian side dish served along with Poori (fried flat bread), Chapati, and other mains during any meal of the day, although quite favored for breakfast and dinner. It’s a yellow colored, non-spicy dish, light on masala, yet creamy and totally delightful. You might have noticed that I highlighted this recipe as a South Indian classic, coz it is quite different in preparation from its North Indian variant – Korma. The North Indian Korma on the other side is more of an orange-red colored dish, high on masala flavors, rich, and elegant.

This recipe is inspired from the preparation by a chef at my hometown, whom we used to invite to cook and lend a helping hand to our family while organizing parties and large family gatherings. I distinctly remember how good our whole house used to smell, we peeping into the kitchen to get a glimpse of the dishes being prepared, and if possible a spoonful to taste. The green paste in this recipe is the star of the dish; it brings together the flavors and the unique aroma. The use of grated coconut along with cashews contribute to the kurma’s rich creaminess and fennel, ginger n garlic towards the beautiful aroma. While you try this recipe at home, do stop and take a second to smell the green paste before pouring it to the cooking pan; Awaken your Sensory Glands to the wonders of the Spices! This dish also has got a light tanginess from the Yogurt and can be substituted with tomatoes if you prefer so.

Vegetable Kurma is a simple and delicious curry which goes well with roti, naan, chapati, appam, idiyappam and many other main dishes, but for me it goes best with Poori. The creaminess of the Kurma vs the crispy-crunchy fried Poori… its Pure Bliss!!!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Vegetable Kurma

Aromatic and Creamy South Indian Style Mixed Vegetable Kurma…!! This mildly spiced curry is the Best Side Dish you can ask for with Poori / Appam / Naan.  

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword kurma, vegetable curry

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the green paste

• ⅓ cup grated coconut
• 6-8 cashews
• ½ inch sized ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1-2 green chilies
• 3 pearl onions
• ½ tsp perumjeerakam / saunf / fennel seeds
• ¼ tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup water (or more)

For the Kurma

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamoms
• 1 medium sized onion (sliced)
• 2 medium carrots (cubed)
• ¾ cup green beans (chopped)
• 1 potato (cubed)
• ¾ cup cauliflower florets
• ½ cup frozen green peas
• 2 cups water
• 1-2 tbsp beaten curd
• Cilantro leaves (garnish)
• Oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Make a fine paste of the ingredients listed above and keep aside.
• Heat little oil in a heavy bottomed pan and sauté spices in it until they are fragrant.
• Add onions and a pinch of salt, sauté for another 3-4 minutes on medium flame.
• Add the chopped veggies, water (just enough to cover the veggies), salt and cook until the vegetables are fully cooked. Mash the cooked veggies with the back of wooden spoon.
• Add the grinded paste (add a little water if the curry is too thick) and cook on low flame for 5 minutes. The kurma consistency should be thick.
• Add beaten curd and mix well, check for the seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
• Enjoy with Poori, Appam, Idiyappam, Roti or Naan.

Notes

1. You can substitute curd with tomato, but curd tastes best for this kurma.

The post Vegetable Kurma appeared first on Pepper Delight.

I love smoothies for breakfast…they are delicious, light, refreshing and of course easy to prepare on any busy morning. But I also prefer not to lose its goodness by compromising on the nutritional benefits & taste, for time. So, my solution… Chia!

Chia seeds have amazing health benefits. It is a grain free superfood, high in fiber, calcium, Omega-3, and a protein too. It’s high fiber and calcium content keeps you full for a longer time thereby controlling your appetite, and helping in weight loss. Chia is naturally gluten free, which makes it a great protein source for people with Celiac disease. In addition, it is found to boost your metabolism levels too.

In my home, chia is served as a smoothie topping, in puddings, and sometimes as an egg replacement (Yes, it works!). So, what does it taste like? Chia doesn’t have any taste, it’s basically a filler which easily blends with any core ingredient and at the same time packed with its own goodness. You can top it with yogurt, fruit puree, granola, nuts or fruits to make it taste even better.

The basic recipe of a chia pudding is extremely simple. All you need is to soak chia seeds overnight in any milk of your choice and a sweetening agent. The consistency of a chia pudding is a slightly thick, wobbly, gel like texture. There is hardly any recipe here for this dish, if you know the right ratio of chia pudding, you can top it with endless options.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Chia Breakfast Pudding

Brighten Up Your Day with an Overnight Chia Pudding with Fresh Fruits and Nuts…!! Vegan & Refined Sugar free… a Quick Breakfast and a Healthy Dessert...!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, chia pudding, healthy

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For chia pudding

• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp maple syrup

For pink layer

• 4-5 strawberries
• 6-8 raspberries
• ¼ cup almond milk
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or more)

For green layer

• ½ cup frozen mangoes
• a handful of spinach
• ½ of banana
• ⅓ cup almond milk
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or more)

For yellow layer

• ¼ cup frozen mangoes
• ⅓ cup chopped pineapple
• ½ of banana
• ⅓ cup almond milk
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or more)

nuts and fresh fruits (garnish)

Instructions

• Start with the chia pudding ingredients by mixing them in a glass container until well combined. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and give another stir to avoid any clumps and mix evenly.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight in a closed container. The chia seeds will absorb the milk and swell up.
• Once the chia pudding is ready, prepare the different colored fruit layers. Blend each layer’s ingredients together until smooth, and keep aside.
• When ready to serve, add a layer of chia pudding to the serving glass. Carefully pour the colored fruit layer mix over the chia pudding with a spoon.
• Top with fresh fruits and nuts, Enjoy.

Notes

1. Substitute almond milk with your choice of milk. You can also use regular milk if you are not a vegan.

2. Vary the amount of maple syrup used to meet your sweetness needs. You can also substitute maple syrup with honey, dates, or any sweetening agent.

The post Chia Breakfast Pudding appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Hello 2018… A New Year… A New Beginning…!

And I’m Starting this New Year with a single Mantra – Eat Healthy…!

One of the leading food trends of 2018 is sugar alternatives. So, let’s start with January on a positive note by avoiding that extra sugar which you don’t actually need, and still enjoy all the sweetness available from natural sources. Like these bliss balls for example, they are healthy, sweet and nutritious, totally a no-cook fuss-free recipe.

This dish is made by mixing different nuts, adding a sweetening agent like dates/chocolates/honey/maple syrup, and then rolled into little treats. It hardly takes 10 minutes to prepare with only 4 ingredients, and the best part is – you can customize it with endless choices. You can add hemp seeds, chia seeds, cocoa, chocolate chips, or your favorite nuts & dry fruits.

Moist n chewy, these bliss balls work best as a post workout snack, or as little treats to pop into kid’s lunch boxes, or even as an evening snack for that extra sweet craving. Store them in an airtight container and refrigerate, and they stay fresh and taste great for up to 2 weeks!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Bliss Balls

Healthy n Naturally Sweetened, Gluten free n Vegan, Made with Nuts n Dates… a 4 Ingredient, Perfect after-meal Snack… Bliss Balls…!!  

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword bliss balls, energy balls, healthy, snacks

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16 balls

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup almonds
• 8-10 dates
• ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• Pinch of salt
• Coating: shredded coconut, matcha powder, cocoa powder, grounded walnuts

Instructions

• If your dates are dry, soak them in water for up to 5 minutes to soften. Drain the water and set the dates aside.
• Blend nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add shredded coconut, dates, a pinch of salt, and blend until they combine well and the mixture becomes sticky.
• Roll the mix into equally sized balls and refrigerate airtight for 20 minutes to allow it to set.
• To apply the coating, roll the balls in the coat mixture of your choice. Put a little mix on your palm and roll the balls one by one for a final finish.
• The Bliss Balls are ready to be served. For later use, store the balls in an airtight container and refrigerate up to two weeks.

Notes

1. If the mixture turns too moist, try refrigerating it for 30 minutes to firm up or add more grounded nuts or shredded coconut.

2. Roll them on your palm by moistening with a tiny drop of water so that the balls won’t stick to your hand.

The post Bliss Balls appeared first on Pepper Delight.

“Avocados with a Sweet Tooth” is the new trend! It’s now in desserts, ice creams and smoothies! I know for those of you who haven’t tried it out, this might not sound tasty. But if you are ready to experiment, Trust Me… it’s a great add on to your smoothies. You won’t even feel its taste because it blends easily with the other fruits.

Avocados are a great source of healthy fats, anti-oxidants, and are a low carb plant food. It helps with digestion due to its high fiber content despite being creamy. Loaded with folate, and tons of nutrients n minerals, this magical fruit is pretty easy to incorporate in your diet with sweet or savory dishes.

Strawberries & bananas are always a winning combo for any smoothie recipe. Including Avocado to it makes the smoothie creamier and rich, adding volume to the drink. And drop in a spoon of cocoa powder, you have one delicious chocolaty dish.

This smoothie has become one of my family’s favorite smoothies, and is not only a good breakfast but also perfect for any time of your day. Top it off with your favorite nuts to give it that extra crunchiness… and there you go…

Enjoy…!

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Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Start your Day with Avocado, Strawberries, and Banana in this Creamy Rich Chocolate Smoothie…!! A Fresh, Healthy n Delicious Breakfast in just 5 mins!

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword avocado chocolate smoothie, chocolate smoothie, smoothie

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• ½ avocado
• 1 very ripe banana
• 8-10 strawberries
• 1-2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 cup milk (of your choice)
• ½ cup water
• Pistachios (garnish)

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Garnish with pistachios.

The post Chocolate Avocado Smoothie appeared first on Pepper Delight.

As promised in my previous post, here is my Sambar recipe prepared in a typical Kerala style, which I know you all have been eagerly waiting for since my last post on how to make a Sambar powder. So before I deep dive into the recipe, let’s talk about Sambar! It’s a South Indian vegetable stew which is flavorful, spicy n tangy, & relished as a side with any meal of the day. Sambar is a favorite all over the country but is more of a staple food in South India, and is best savored with Dosa, Idli, or Rice.

Sambar is prepared with Yellow lentils, tamarind, spices and mixed vegetables. The tanginess which comes from the tamarind is one of the highlights of the dish, but in many versions tomato is preferred, or sometimes a mix of both. Just like any other popular dish, Sambar has been widely adapted to suit the local palate in terms of flavour, spice levels, and the available local ingredients. Within Kerala itself there are a few varieties, and this recipe is a traditional version without the use of coconut, which is how my family cooks at home. Take a look at the North Kerala version and you will sometimes find ground roasted coconut among its ingredients. Keralites prefer the non-sweet versions with a balance of spice and tanginess, whereas in other states like Karnataka & Andhra a sweeter version with sugar or jaggery is popular too.

So what are the ingredients?

1. Spice mix: You can use my Homemade Sambar powder in this recipe, or prepare it then & there from scratch with a set of spices/ingredients (See Notes).
2. Vegetables: Your options are endless and need not worry if some of them are not available locally, refer my notes.

Sambar is also one of the key dishes in a Sadya; which is Kerala’s biggest vegetarian feast served on auspicious occasions. In short, it is a one-stop shop powerhouse of healthy nutrients and proteins, perfect for a craving hungry belly. Enjoy this delicious feast, Happy Cooking!!!

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Kerala Sambar/Mixed Vegetable Lentil Stew

Spicy & Tangy Stew with Yellow lentils, Tamarind and Mixed Vegetables! Sambar - A Hearty South Indian Delicacy…!! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword mix vegetable curry, sambar, sambar powder

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• ½ cup toor dal (split pigeon pea / tuvara parippu)
• 1 medium sized onion (sliced into cubes)
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• 2 cups of mixed vegetables (see notes)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• tamarind extract (squeezed from a lemon sized ball)

For tempering

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 pearl onions (sliced)
• 1 tsp asafetida (hing / kayam)

Instructions

• Wash and slice the mixed vegetables and onion into medium sized chunks.
• Into the pressure cooker, add toor dal, mixed vegetables, onions, green chilies, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder, along with water enough to cover the vegetables, and cook for 2 whistles.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool until all the pressure had been released.
• In the meantime, soak tamarind in ½ cup warm water for 5-7 minutes. Squeeze out the extract from the tamarind and keep the juice aside.
• Remove the lid from the cooker and turn on the heat to a medium flame. Add the tamarind juice and mix well, adjust the salt level as needed. Simmer on a low flame until the sambar thickens to the right consistency.
• While the sambar cooks, prepare the tempering in a separate pan. Add oil to the pan on a low/medium flame and splutter mustard seeds. Add pearl onions, curry leaves and dry red chilies, fry for a minute. Turn off the flame and add asafetida, stir to mix. Now pour the tempering into the cooker and mix the sambar well.
• Serve hot with dosa, idli or as a side dish along with rice.

Notes

1. Vegetable options : Potato, Yam, Carrot, Drumsticks, Yellow Cucumber, Snake gourd, Bottle gourd, Ivy gourd, Okra, Onions/Pearl onions.
2. The tanginess of the sambar can be adjusted by adding tamarind or tomato, or even a mix of both.
3.  If the asafetida you are using is grainy and not the powdered one, saute it for a few seconds along with the tempering ingredients.
4.  Even if you do not have sambar powder, you can still make a good sambar. In addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe, add the following to the cooker before pressure cooking:

• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1-2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp asafetida (hing/kayam)
• Fenugreek powder (small pinch)

The post Kerala Sambar / Mixed Vegetable Lentil Stew appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Rain, Rain, Rain… it’s been raining crazy for the last two weeks and I just feel like crawling under my blanket, stay warm n cozy, and  sleep a lot more. Do you guys feel the same on rainy days? And when you wake up, you wish to have a hot piping cup of coffee and a warm breakfast, ready on the table… I would love to have a toast with sides for breakfast!

My regular breakfast menu is mostly of Indian dishes; either some sort of a savory crepe, or steamed rice/wheat cakes. Although they are rich and healthy, they are not a good choice for a lazy morning. Smoothies and cereals are our go-to options for a quick breakfast, even eggs; my husband does eggs many ways and they turn out pretty good always. He loves eggs and has a couple of tricks up his sleeve to quickly cook eggs, be it poached, hard boiled, fried, or even microwaved!! So when it comes to any egg based recipes I am experimenting with, I leave the eggs with him; Of course I want them to look perfect in my recipe photos, and I know that he being a perfectionist does a wonderful job with the cooking and presentation!!

So this recipe is yummy and simple, there is hardly any recipe to speak about. All you need are:

• Sliced bread – toasted, any variety would work.
• Eggs – poached or fried, but keep the yolks runny.
• Avocadoes – sliced.
• Seasoning – salt and pepper.

This warm n crunchy toast is a perfect dish for any meal of the day and you can try out wide varieties of it with different toppings of your choice.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!

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Avocado Egg Toast

Healthy Avocado Toast… A Protein Packed Breakfast with Eggs and Avocado…!!! Simple, Nutritious, & Perfect for any meal of your day… All in 10 minutes!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword avocado egg toast, egg toast

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread
• 1 avocado (sliced lengthwise)
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Lime juice (to drizzle, optional)
• Cilantro leaves (garnish, optional)

Instructions

• Heat a little oil in a pan on a medium flame.
• Crack the eggs into the pan and cook sunny side up for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set & yolks still runny.
• Toast the bread slices and arrange the avocado slices on top of it. Drizzle lemon juice over the avocados.
• Top the toasts with eggs.
• Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

The post Avocado Egg Toast appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Kale is one of the healthiest foods on this planet and I agree to it a 100%. I wasn’t a fan of it until I stumbled upon this perfect smoothie recipe. Kale always felt strange to me, maybe coz of my many failed attempts with it. Every time I walked by the aisle of Kale at a store, I said to myself “not today, next time” and kept on post ponding it. But that’s how Kale tastes, and all you need to do is make it interesting by adding the right sweet ingredients which can mask it’s bitterness but still retain its fresh green flavours. So I tried out this smoothie with mangoes and banana, and it was Yumm! It’s so green, creamy, sweet, well balanced with all the necessary nutrients your body needs, and of course… Delicious…!!

I’m sure you would like to know what’s so special about Kale and why it’s called a Superfood:

• It’s loaded with Anti-oxidants & high in beta carotene; helps lowering blood pressure and is anti-inflammatory.
• Is high in Vitamin C and K.
• A good plant based source of Calcium.
• Helps lowering cholesterol thereby reducing the risk of heart diseases.

To learn more about Kale and it’s health benefits, checkout this super informative article by Dana @ HealthyLine – 26 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Kale.

Enjoy…!

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Update, June 5th ’17: My post has been featured today in thefeedfeed.com‘s favourite “Kale & Other Greens” recipes!! Do check out thefeedfeed.com/kale for more delicious Kale recipes…

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Kale Smoothie with Mango & Banana

Healthy n Delicious Green Smoothie… Perfect to Start of your Day or as a Post Workout Drink... Made with the Superfoods; Kale, Mangoes & Bananas!!! 

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword kale smoothie, smoothie

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 cups kale (chopped)
• 1 mango
• 1 banana
• 1 cup water (or more)

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

The post Kale Smoothie with Mango & Banana appeared first on Pepper Delight.

The idea of making a whole wheat bread was on my to-do list for a while, but each time I ended up baking a cake instead for some occasion or the other. Though I would often have store bought wheat bread in my kitchen for our breakfast and sandwich needs, I have been longing to bake one on my own since I am now confident as I have been baking for almost two years. I have read how healthy you can make it by customizing the add-on ingredients which go along with the dough. So, it was on a beautiful spring evening and my husband came home from office with a few slices of a banana bread, baked by his colleague’s wife Jennifer, and it was Wow… Sweet, Super Moist, and Yummilicous!! And that’s how I moved banana bread to the top of my priority list and here it is for you…

What I love about this recipe is; it’s a no butter recipe substituted with coconut oil, and the sweetness is well balanced by the honey and the bananas thereby not requiring any raw sugar. And to top it off, it’s made with whole wheat flour! A perfect addition to my healthy recipes goal for this year…

The success of this recipe depends on how ripe your bananas are; make sure to use very very ripe bananas. And if they are not, here are a few tips to ripen them on time:

1. Place your bananas in a brown paper bag and cover it loosely. If you have any ripened fruits like mangoes or apples, place it along with it. Do not refrigerate, keep it at room temperature and it will ripe in 24 hrs. If you place it near any hot surfaces, that will also help fasten the ripening process.

OR

2. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a parchment paper on a baking tray and place the unpeeled bananas on it without touching each other. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30- 40 minutes or until the skin turns black. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down completely before using it for any baking purposes.

OR

3. Take a fork and poke through the skin of the unpeeled bananas on all sides. Place the bananas in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Check if the desired softness is met and if not, microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat this until you achieve your desired ripeness.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.

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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Healthy, Moist and Nutritious… Banana Bread made with Whole Wheat, Honey, Bananas and some crunchy Pecans!! 

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword banana bread, banana cake, whole wheat bread

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 3 medium sized very ripe bananas (mashed)
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup honey
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup pecans (chopped)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and keep aside.
• Mash bananas in a small bowl and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk coconut oil and honey together until well combined.
• Add eggs, mix well followed by adding the mashed bananas and milk.
• Stir in vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add the whole wheat flour, mix until well combined.
• the mix, fold in chopped pecans.
• Transfer the mixture to the greased loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow it cool on a wire rack before slicing.

The post Whole Wheat Banana Bread appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So we are finally home from our vacation at Orlando and I’m back to my world of blogging; pumped up and excited! The last week of January, up all the way till Valentine’s Day is usually the busiest time of my year, in fact the most memorable ones too. It starts with my Blog Anniversary, followed by our Wedding Anniversary, which includes our Annual Vacation trip, and then Valentine’s Day; Aaaaaahh…!! So much of activity & happening in a short period, right from the preparations, blog posts, travel planning, packing, travelling, blogging, and so on. This year I had a wonderful time at Orlando; visiting Universal Studios, Disney, parks, beaches, exploring new restaurants and cuisines.

Coming back to my drink of the day, have you ever considered using vegetables in your smoothies? My first attempt of making a Green Smoothie  with spinach was a huge success, I’ve prepared it many times since then and my husband loves it. For my next recipe I just wasn’t convinced with the vegetables I had planned for, and that’s when I accidently stumbled upon beetroot. Though I use beetroot a lot in my kitchen for savoury dishes (check out my Hummus and Pachadi) I have never used it raw in any dish. I was a bit apprehensive initially but the raw beetroot perfectly balanced the sweetness of the apple and pomegranate, and the end result just cleared all my doubts, I must say this is one healthy smoothie you would definitely enjoy.

Now why do I call this a Power Smoothie? Well, it’s because this drink mainly focuses on the purification of your liver which is the power house of your body. A healthy liver diet is vital to eliminates harmful chemicals and toxins from your body, fight diseases, and supply essential nutrients to your body. For a healthy liver, eat the right foods which are fibrous, high in antioxidants & vitamins. To mention a few highlights of the fruit-n-veggie mix of ingredients of this power packed drink:

• Beetroot: Having the highest sugar content of all vegetables, they boost liver function, purifies blood and liver. They are high in antioxidants, with anticancer properties and also work great for pregnant ladies.
• Apple: With their anti-carcinogenic properties, apples are high in pectin which is the soluble fiber, helps to removes toxins and cholesterol from blood.
• Pomegranate: fibrous, high in antioxidants, and vitamins B, E, & C. The bright red color of beet and pomegranate gives your immune system a healthy dose of antioxidants.

Adding vegetables to your smoothies is another great way of open your palate to raw vegetables. Enjoy…!

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Beetroot Power Smoothie

Brighten your day with this Vibrant Colored, Power Packed Smoothie made with Apple, Beetroot and Pomegranate… Healthy and Tasty…!!!

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword beetroot smoothie, post workout smoothie, smoothie

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 small beetroot (peeled and cut into small chunks, or grated)
• 1 apple
• 1 pomegranate
• 1½ cup water

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Notes

A raw beetroot doesn’t blend that easily, unless you are using a powerful high speed blender in which case cut it into small pieces first before blending. Otherwise, grate it and then blend with the fruits.

The post Beetroot Power Smoothie appeared first on Pepper Delight.

This is my sweet n creamy Mango Pineapple Smoothie; another quick & simple breakfast, and a wonderful drink to keep you hydrated between your workouts & busy schedule. The tartness of the pineapple, creaminess from the banana n milk, and the sweetness of the mangoes make it a perfect combo.

Adding fruits to your daily routine in the form of smoothies is a healthy practice to pack all its nutrients and vitamins to your diet. Pineapple being an anti-inflammatory food, is also high in Vitamin A, C and beta carotene. Thanks to its high fiber content, they are also naturally detoxifying. And of course, Mangoes and Pineapples are great for digestion too.

Try this delicious smoothie and customize it with your favourite fruits, let me know how it turns with your comments below.

Stay Healthy and Enjoy…!

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Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup chopped pineapple
• ½ cup chopped mango
• 1 banana
• ½ cup milk
• Toppings: Kiwi, Mangoes, Strawberry

INSTRUCTIONS

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Serve in a bowl with your favourite toppings.

The post  Mango Pineapple Smoothie Bowl appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So what do I cook for breakfast today? Hmmm… something quick; Well, I’ve got bread, milk, & fruits in my pantry… so a French toast may be??? Oh boy, Yumm!! But wait a minute, I don’t have eggs. Now what? Well I think I know what to do, no worries at all. I’m gonna try an Eggless French toast…!!!!

Breakfast is the important meal of your day and I love to cook something sumptuous. But at times the sleepyhead in you makes you so lazy to cook early in the morning that you wish you could fix up something very quick, especially those days when my hubby starts early to office for his morning meetings. That’s when I seek the blessings of the smoothie gods and the cereal gods, or it would be some bread recipes.

This 5 ingredient eggless French toast recipe is so simple, hardly takes 5 minutes to prepare and it’s so yummy to appease your hungry stomach.

So, how did I get the classic French toast taste without eggs?? I’ve used corn starch, cinnamon and vanilla extract which gives that beautiful flavour and covers up all the missing of the eggs…and it’s delicious…!!

I have used multigrain bread in this recipe which is one of my favourites, but any bread would do or any dense bread like brioche works great too.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking and have a Great Morning!!!

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Prep time: 5-6 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 whole grain bread slices
• butter (to grease)
• fresh fruits

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix milk, corn starch, cinnamon powder and vanilla extract. Stir well.
2. Dip bread on this mix to coat well on both sides (do not make it soggy).
3. Cook bread on a lightly greased griddle until brown on both sides. (2-3 mins in total).
4. Sprinkle some powdered sugar (optional), serve with honey/maple syrup and fresh fruits.

The post Eggless French Toast appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Granola is the best way to turn your anytime craving into a healthy and an interesting meal, that too in no time. Another big advantage is; you can customize it easily with your favorite flavours…

I have tasted many store bought granola bars and have read about how easy it is to prepare at home, but it was during one of my recent road trips that my friend gave me her home cooked granola which tasted yummy, crunchy, and healthy; I loved it…!! That’s how I started working on this recipe, it’s very easy to prepare, an excellent source of nutrients, and the combination with oats make it a perfect crunchy snack.

I have used honey as a sweetening agent here, along with dry fruits, and pistachios / almonds as the crunchy elements, but you can substitute with any nuts of your choice. This granola can also be combined with milk for a perfect breakfast, or added as a topping to your favorite smoothies.

You can also add these granola to make yummilicious yogurt parfait which is an excellent breakfast option. Check out my Berry Yogurt Parfait recipe for more details.

Check out my ‘Note’ column below for additional customization options. Let me know how your granola turns out to be.

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Easy Homemade Granola

Crunchy Homemade Granola… loaded with nuts and dry fruits, perfect as a breakfast or for your snack time meal…!!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, granola, oats

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup almonds (chopped)
• ½ cup pistachios
• 1 cup dried raisins

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep aside.
• In a large bowl, combine oats with cinnamon powder and a pinch of salt.
• Mix honey with coconut oil and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Stir into the oats and mix well, make sure it is evenly combined.
• Spread the layer evenly into the prepared baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and stir, followed by adding chopped almonds and pistachios. Bake for another 10 more minutes.
• Stir in the raisins and allow it to cool completely undisturbed.
• Store in an air tight container.

Notes

• Do not use quick cooking oats.
• Old fashioned rolled oats work perfectly.
• Substitute coconut oil with olive oil if you prefer.
• On a healthier note, you can add seeds like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
• Any dry fruits can be added like dried cranberries, or apricots.
• Honey can be replaced with maple syrup.

The post Easy Homemade Granola appeared first on Pepper Delight.

I’ve never been a smoothie fan, especially of those so called “healthy”, “green”, “low calorie”, “burn your fat” smoothies, not until I started preparing them on my own recently. It just so happened that I had some extra spinach and fruits (again I am lazy to cut and chew fruits, I prefer drinking them) and I was looking at some stunning smoothie photographs in Pinterest. That’s where I read about the blend of spinach and fruits, again a combination which I haven’t tried much as I am more of a savory person when it comes to spinach.

These are a no brainer recipe, all you need to do is blend, sooo easy, Waalah…!

Spinach is a superfood and contains tons of nutrients, proteins, vitamins and a lot more. And unlike greens juices, smoothies retain all the fiber thus being a good digestive and keep you fuller. Just adding a handful of spinach and blending it up with any sweet fruit is enough for your smoothie drink. Apples and oranges with spinach are surprisingly delicious and sweet…

So what are you waiting for? Go grab your fruits and try it out. Enjoy…!

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Green Smoothie

Healthy, Hearty, a 3 Ingredient breakfast made of Spinach, Apple and Orange… my on-the-go Green Smoothie for a healthy morning…!!

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Green Smoothie, spinach

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 apple
• 1 orange
• 1 big handful of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients until smooth.

The post Green Smoothie appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Smoothies are being talked a lot by doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, physical instructors, your fitness center, n everywhere… along with the importance of including a fruit serving with every meal. They are an easy and a tasty means to meet your mealtime fruit needs, and can be healthy too with the right ingredients.

I’ve tried to use local honey in this recipe, as recently I got to know the benefits of local honey vs brand honey from a family friend. It’s a good source to your daily dose of natural medicine, controlling your allergies, plus a natural sweetener.

I’ve used frozen berries here, but you can also substitute with fresh berries. If your smoothie seems too thick, you can add a little water and blend it.

Enjoy…!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cup mixed berries
• 2 bananas
• 2 tbsp honey

INSTRUCTIONS

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

The post Anti-ageing Berry Banana Smoothie appeared first on Pepper Delight.