Kucho Nimki - Bengali Savory Treat

Kucho Nimki is a typical small diamond shaped cracker, and a very popular savory treat from Bengali Cuisine. Made in small batches in a Bengali household. They are a quintessential teatime snack. This is a classic savory dish which is cooked with just a few ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• Maida - 2 cups
• Vegetable oil or ghee - 1 tsp
• Nigella seeds  - 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
• A pinch of Salt 
• Luke warm water
• Oil for deep frying 

Process:

1. Take two cup of maida and add oil / ghee, baking soda, nigella seeds and a pinch of salt. Mix well and add luke warm water slowly to make a smooth but tight dough. It should take a 10 minutes of kneading.

2. Divide the dough into 3-4 parts, take one part and roll it out like a paratha (1mm thickness). Use a knife to cut long strips and then cut diagonally (ref to the video)

3. Heat oil for deep frying and then add the nimkis into the hot oil. When the nimkis turn golden, take them out of the oil and place on a paper napkin. Let them cool down to room temperature and you can store them in an air tight container for at least a week.

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe

MANGO SHAKE WITH BASIL SEEDS

Super yummy and kids favourite summer special drink is Mango shake, isn't it? What if we add some more healthy stuffs in this drink? 

So, here I have added Basil / Sabja seeds. The health benefits of basil seeds include the ability to improve digestive health, aid in weight loss, regulating blood sugar, cooling the body, relieving stress, reducing inflammation and preventing certain infections. They are particularly used as an addition to beverages and desserts. The simplest thing you can do is soak two teaspoons of Sabja seeds in water and drink it every day. They can also be added to sherbets, falooda, smoothies or shakes for added benefits.

Ingredients

1. Mango - 2 (of sweet taste)
2. Basil / Sabja seeds - 2 tsp
3. Milk - 1/2 cup
4. Sugar - if required (depends on the taste of the mango)
5. Ice cube - 4-5

Process

1. In a bowl add water and soak Sabja seeds for one hour.

2. In a blender, add chilled milk, mango pieces, ice cubes and sugar. Blend it to desired consistency. 

3. Add the soaked Sabja seeds and mix well. 

4. Pour this mango shake in serving glasses till you have enough space at the top for some more Sabja seeds and mango pieces. I have used few mint leaves for garnishing. Serve the chilled Mango shake immediately. 

Note - Chia seeds and Sabja seeds are not same. 

PAPAYA BANANA SMOOTHIE

A smoothie is a drink made with pureed fruits or vegetables just using a blender. Smoothie has a liquid base like fruit juice, milk or curd or any other dairy product of your choice. The topping and ingredients are totally based on personal choice. I have made this smoothie with papaya banana and milk with my favorite fruits as toppings. This is so healthy and power packed smoothie bowl to start your day with. Smoothies are always good for breakfast and tastes amazing. Do try this and I am sure you are going to love this.

Ingredients

1. Papaya - 1 cup (frozen)
2. Banana - 1/2 cup (frozen)
3. Almond milk -1/3 cup
4. Honey or sugar (optional)
5. Toppings as per your choice (I have used banana, strawberry, kiwi, cashew and sunflower seeds)

Process

1. Add all the ingredients in a blender a make a good paste.

2. You can use sugar or honey if you want to make it more sweet. The papaya I have used was already very sweet, so I have not used any additional sweets.

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruits, seasonal fruits basically. Sometimes it can be served as a side dish as an appetizer or a dessert. For serving as dessert, you can add fresh cream of your choice. Even though salads are typically thought of as a combination of vegetables, fresh fruit can be a delicious salad toppings with added health benefits. Try this below recipe with all your choices of fruits and share your experience with us.

Ingredients

1. Dragon fruits - cut into cubes 1 cup
2. Kiwi - diced 1
3. Grapes - 1/2 cup
4. Strawberry - 1/2 cup, cut into cubes
5. Honey - 1 tsp
6. Ginger juice - 1/2 tsp
7. Lemon juice - juice of 1/2 lemon
8. Salt to taste
9. Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Chat masala  - 1/2 tsp

Process

1. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. If you are using honey, mix it well with the cut pieces of fruits. You can use sugar or maple syrup also.

2. Serve immediately. 

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN

Lemon pepper chicken is the name of several dishes found in cuisines around the world which includes chicken pepper and lemon. There are various kinds of recipes for making this dish. Here is a super quick and refreshing one enriched in lemon and pepper flavor, very simple and delicious.

Ingredients

For Marinade

1. Chicken 1 kg
2. Lemon juice 2 tsp
3. Garlic paste 1 tsp
4. Ginger paste 1 tsp
5. Black pepper 1 tsp (powder)
6. Curd - 1/2 cup
7. Salt to taste

For the curry

1. Bay leaf - 1
2. Black pepper - 5-6 pic
3. Garlic - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
4. Ginger  - 1 tsp (chopped)
5. Green chilli - 4-5
6. Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
7. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste 
9. Lemon juice - 2 tsp
10. Water - 1/2 cup
11. Cornstarch - 1 tsp

Process

1. Wash and clean the chicken pieces and place them in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, garlic and ginger paste, black pepper powder, salt and curd. Give it a good mix and marinade for 30-45 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, add cornstarch with 2 tsp of water, mix well and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in  heavy bottomed pan, add cinnamon stick, bay leaf and black peppercorns. Saute for 30 seconds. Add chopped garlic and ginger and stir in high medium flame for couple of minutes.

4. Now add the chicken pieces and fry on each side for at least 10 minutes. The chicken should have golden brown texture. 

5. Add green chilli, black pepper powder and lemon juice. Stir and mix everything properly. Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes over low-medium flame.

 

6. When the chicken becomes tender add the cornstarch mixture and mix everything. Once the gravy reaches the desired consistency, remove the flame. Serve hot with steamed basmati rice. 

CHIA POMEGRANATE PUDDING

Chia seeds are quickly gaining popularity for their powerful health benefits. Chia seeds are very rich in protein. 
This is my first entry to a Healthy Food Contest where the theme for the first week is Fruits. A list of fruits are there to choose and you can make juices, smoothies or any kind of dessert. I have chosen Pomegranate and made this simple breakfast / Dessert using chia seeds and pomegranate.  

Ingredients :

1. Chia seeds - 2 tsp
2. Pomegranate juice - 1/2 cup
3. Milk - 1/2 cup
4. Honey or Maple syrup - 1 tsp

Process :

1. Mix all the ingredients  together in a small bowl and let keep aside for an hour, stirring occasionally. 
2. Once this is set as pudding, garnish with pomegranate seeds and nuts of your choice.

This is a very quick and healthy breakfast. You can use this pudding as your Dessert too.

Benefits of Pomegranate : (Source : Google)

1. Protects us from free radicals
2. It thins our blood
3. Improves memory
4. It lowers blood pressure
5. Helps in digestion.