Pineapple Cucumber Salad

Sweet and sour! fresh and succulent pineapples are the main ingredient in this no-fuss no-dressing salad. Cucumbers, thinly sliced red onions and a dash of crushed pepper flakes round off this amazing salad.

Last Monday my workplace brought in a juice bar. After filling up on all the fresh fruits juiced right in front of us, there were leftovers fruits.. Oranges and kiwis went fast. There didn’t seem to be many takers for the whole pineapple. I took a green one home. It was ripe just in time for today’s salad. Its also super easy to cut pineapple. See instructions in a helpful link below. So don’t let the pineapple skin deter you. I hope you’ll get to try this refreshing salad.

Ingredients 2 cups chopped pineapple 1 cup peeled and chopped seedless cucumber ½ cup thinly sliced red onions

Spice Mix 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro ½ tsp crushed red chilli flakes

Serves 2

Pots n pans Salad Bowl

Method
• Wash pineapple. Cut into 2 cm cube chunks. Check this helpful site on how to easily cut pineapple.
• Wash and peel cucumber. Cut into big cubes, about 2 cm size chunks same as pineapple.
• Peel onion. Slice thinly.
• Add cilantro and crushed chili flakes.
• Toss everything together. Serve cold or room temperature. I love it by itself or with crackers, or rice.

Years ago every Saturday a group of children would gather at a home for singing lessons with me. All that lung exercise would make us very hungry after class. The hostess would generously prepare lunch for everyone. This recipe(a bit modified by me) is courtesy her kitchen.

–Soul of Spice –

California Avocado Red Onion Tomato Salad

Spring is here! Really, my backyard trees made this proud declaration with their baby green leaves. Weather has been pretty mild all week other than a slight weekend chill. Not to be dampened with the rain and the cooler weather, I set out making my favourite spring salad.

I was recently invited to California to present at a SAS conference. Work has been my priority for a while hence my absence from blogging.. Here’s my paper if you’d like to read more about what I do for a living. My San Francisco trip was the inspiration for this salad.. Everyone is so health conscious in the Bay area & Silicon Valley. It was a treat to eat fresh produce in restaurants. Even more welcoming was the respect accorded to vegetarians. About to ask our server in the Mexican restaurant about the rice that went into the quesadillas, she smiled preempting me. “we cook our rice in water not chicken stock”.. If you happen to read my paper you’ll find out more interesting facts.. which will lead you to the informative conclusion : Where else but in San Francisco would you expect to find health conscious granola crunching homeless?

Ingredients ½ cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped tomato 1 cup chopped avocado

Spice Mix Salt to taste 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro ½ tsp crushed red chilli flakes

Serves 2

Method
• Wash avocado, tomatoes and cilantro leaves.

• Peel onion. Cut into big chunks.

• Cut avocado in half. Remove pit and then score each side. Then remove the pulp by gently holding the skin above the bowl and popping the fresh avocado chunks directly into the bowl. Here’s a step by step how to.

• Cut tomatoes into large chunks.

• Stir in lemon juice, salt and crushed chili flakes. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

• Serve cold or room temperature. I like to serve this simple, yet bursting with fresh flavour salad with crusty bread.

Options
You could replace red onion with yellow! But you might end up compromising both colour and taste. Reds are infinitely more passionate and intense in my humble opinion. Regardless of the type of onion you eventually end up using, just one handy tip.. Cut onions when you are just about to serve salad. Cut onions sitting around for a long time don’t quite have the same crisp taste.

Health Benefits
•  Carotenoids in avocado help protect against eye disease.
•  Avocados are packed with oleic acid, a healthy fat to make your brain feel full sooner.
•  Oleic acid also helps reduce cholesterol levels so this is truly a heart healthy ingredient.
•  Rich and creamy, slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. Try adding mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise to your next sandwich.
•  One cup of avocado provides almost a quarter of your recommended daily intake of folate, great for your unborn baby. A high folate intake is also associated with a lower risk of heart attacks and heart disease.

My mom initially approached avocado a hint diffidently. The smooth texture and green flesh were a bit alien for her taste. After a couple of bites to satisfy me, I spotted her surreptiously helping herself to more. Now avocado is a must buy on my weekly grocery run. I hope you too will turn to this salad any time you’re tired of hearty soups and when your palate begs for fresh and colourful spring fare.

–soul of spice–

Cardamom Ginger Chai with soymilk

Its raining in Toronto! I’m easily transported to Delhi’s magical monsoon season. I’m sure you’ll agree no monsoon is complete without sipping a cup of cardamom chai. Fae of Fae’s Twist and Tango asked for a cardamom chai recipe, it was raining, we had soymilk in the fridge so the timing was just right to indulge in an after dinner aperitif.

Ingredients ¾ cup water ¼ cup Silk soymilk 1 teabag Tetley orange pekoe tea 2 tsp sugar

Spice Mix 1 green cardamom pod ¾ tsp fresh ginger, crushed

Serves 2 (1 cup  in all)

Method
• Measure soymilk and water in saucepan.

• Crush cardamom (peel on) and ginger together in mortar. Add this spice mix to saucepan.

• Let spiced milk come to boil.

• Add 1 teabag and let come to second boil. Remove from stove.

• Strain teabag and spice mix. Stir in sugar, I used 2 tsp, but you can adjust to taste.

Health benefits

Cardamom is considered to be an angelic spice :)  that’s my interpretation/translation of the Sanskrit word Sattvic. A sattvic diet is actually considered to be the best for our body, a pure and back to nature diet, it uses fresh foods made from scratch that are easily digestible and sit lightly on all constitutions.. Cardamom in English, elaichi in hindi, elakai in tamil is native to southern india and used sparingly in desserts as its an expensive spice. It balances the digestive fire and is great chewed as an after dinner aperitif and is great for all body types. That’s why that cup of cardamom chai felt so right after dinner. Read more about cardamom and its healthful benefits here.

I just realized how delicious the soymilk was in this cardamom chai..For a while now I’ve wanted to move away from milk as I really feel for cows who have to give us milk for life. With this Silk soymilk I can see myself drinking dairy-free chai every single time. The flavour was subtle without being overwhelming. Have you tried any other kind of soymilk? But if you don’t care for soymilk, feel free to make cardamom chai with regular milk — cardamom removes the mucus forming properties of milk, so you’ll rest easy knowing that your sinuses will be clear.

Hope you enjoyed this aromatic post. What are your monsoon rituals? What makes you happy when you are indoors watching the rain fall on your windowsill? I’d love to hear about your rituals..

–soul of spice–

Plantain bajji with coconut chutney

Delicious plantains wrapped in nutritious chickpea flour, and coconut the miracle fruit star in a mom-daughter exchange program. A secret ingredient adds the crispy touch to these southern indian plantain fritters or bajjis.  My mom shared her secret for bajjis & I share my tip for coconut chutney After volunteering to help 5-year olds in a competition today, enjoying a lovely & light meal prepared by some other volunteers, and post shopping, we returned home today with no more full meal desires. What I really wanted– plantain bajji with some ginger clove chai.

I’ve made these bajjis before, but they needed that mom’s secret—just a touch of rice flour to add that crispy texture. Mom helped make chai and the coconut chutney, while I prepared the bajjis.

Plantain Bajji

Ingredients 3 green plantains 1 cup fine chickpea flour 1 tbsp rice flour 1 cup water 2 cups Grapeseed oil

Spice Mix ½ tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp cayenne pepper Pinch hing Salt to taste

Serves 4

Method
• Measure chickpea flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper and hing in mixing bowl. SOS it may seem like a lot of cayenne but plaintain just soaks up spice!! Feel free to use just a pinch of cayenne for a test batch of bajjis & then you can add more if you still feel its too much cayenne.

• Add ¾ cup water and salt to taste. Beat dough thoroughly to remove any lumps, I used a spoon but you could use just as easily use a cake mixer. Add remaining water slowly if dough needs it. We’re looking for a cake batter that’s slightly on the thick side. Let sit. SOS letting dough sit will take care of the dough completely absorbing water.

• Heat oil in wok on medium high heat.

• Meanwhile wearing gloves, lightly peel plantain-I like to leave some skin on as I like the feel of a bit of plantain skin and the rustic texture that comes from the fibre, besides its quite good for health.. If you prefer completely peeled, here’s a how-to video .

• Once peeled, cut plantain in half and then slice each half into 4. Soak plantain slices in cold water till you finish cutting all the plantains. SOS this will prevent plantain from getting black in colour. Drain water from sliced plantains and pat dry.

• Test oil is the right temperature by dropping a penny size dough nugget in oil. If it comes sizzling to the top rightaway, oil is ready.

• Heavily coat each slice in batter and gently dip in oil. Try not to overcrowd pan. My pan held 4 slices at a time, and if you’d like some tips for healthy deep frying, yes there’s such a thing, check these notes.

• When bajjis are golden on one side, flip over to other side. When golden remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Health benefits
Plantain peel is great for a glowing skin, read more about other benefits here ..

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients 1 cup grated coconut 3 thai green chillies 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice ½ cup water

Seasoning ½ tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp urad dal 4 curry leaves Hing I tsp coconut oil Salt to taste

Pots n pans Food processor Sauté pan Serves 4

Method
• Grind grated coconut, thai chillies, some salt with quarter cup water in food processor till you have a slightly coarse paste. Add more water slowly if necessary. SOS this time I used coconut chunks instead of grated coconut & they work just as nicely.

• Stir in lemon juice and salt to taste.

• Heat oil in sauté pan. When hot, add the mustard seeds, let them pop and then add urad dal, curry leaves and hing. Optionally a dry red chili does wonders to raise the heat level of coconut chutney. Pour spice oil over coconut chutney. Serve with plantain bajjis and some hot clove ginger tea..

Here’s the tip I shared with my mom – if you’ve eaten coconut chutney in restaurants you might have found the texture a bit thickish.. That’s because of this natural additive-kala channa in hindi, pottukadalai in tamil. I love them roasted for a great snack by themselves, and they’re easily available in Indian grocery stores.

But I didn’t want to use them in chutney because roasted store bought can sometimes be rancid if its been sitting around for too long. Plus I love the pure taste of coconut and couldn’t dream of adding a thickener like this one—Managed to convince mom on this one, phew . I can tell you that in itself was a feat…her take is this is how I would do it in India. Sometimes I have to gently remind her the same products are not available here and the climate is quite different too and the fine art of adaptability to local foods!!

–soul of spice–

Kala Channa

Scrumptious, nourishing, easy to make, this Indian snack food can be served hot or cold as a salad. Growing up in delhi, I loved eating kala channa. Lunch time had many take out options. The street vendor version was my absolute favourite. The recipe is much like Indie music. Every vendor has his own delectable recipe plus the love that goes into each one’s cooking is mostly what got me hooked on street food.

Kala channa is a must try. I made this for my mom who’s visiting. I have to confess I was a bit concerned as I proferred her a plate of these brown goodies with some chapatti. She’s a light eater & could easily live on just salads! She’s so light, we feel if a strong wind came along sometime she might get blown away just kidding, and just trying to make a point of how a light eater can also love chickpeas and digest them easily with some cooking tips below.

Ingredients 1 cup kala channa (small brown chickpeas) ½ cup chopped onions ½ cup chopped tomatoes

Spice Mix 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger 1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic ½ tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper Pinch hing 1 tbsp coconut oil

Pots n pans Pressure Cooker Wok or fry pan Serves 4

Method
• Wash, rinse and soak chickpeas in 2 cups water overnight. SOS a minimum of 4 hours and upto 8 hours will make chickpeas easy to cook.

• Next morning chickpeas would have doubled. Rinse out the soaked water completely(save it for your plants if you can), cover chickpeas in 1.5 cups water and cook in pressure cooker till soft. Let cool.

• Meanwhile heat oil in wok. Add cumin, onions, ginger & garlic. Saute till onions are completely cooked. Don’t I repeat don’t skimp this part thinking! the onions will cook anyway. They need to cook properly now so don’t sacrifice flavour in the interests of time. Adding some salt to your onions will prevent burning.

• Once onions are cooked, stir in turmeric, cayenne and hing.  Add tomatoes and let them cook.

• You’ll know tomatoes are done when oil separates from the entire mixture. And some seriously intoxicating aromas assail your taste buds.

• Time to add the chickpeas. Drain any excess water from soaked chickpeas(again storing them for a later drink with awesome nutrients for your plants), before adding chickpeas and salt to the spice mix in pan.

• Let everything cook together till all the water has completely evaporated. Everything should come together in one nice mass.

• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves if using. Serve by itself or with some chapatti.

Health benefits
Lots of research has gone into learning more about this humble bean. From ancient times to Dr. Oz, there is only good to be told about this bean. Speaking from personal experience I feel completely full when I eat a meal with chickpeas versus one that’s carb heavy. As a vegetarian I find carb options in plenty.. But a carb diet alone doesn’t give me that full sense of completion. Enter chickpeas, with their protein content they are able to satisfy and satiate my hunger like no other.

So what’s the secret to making these beans digestible for the weakest constitution. Consider:

1. Soak chickpeas for at least 4 hours and upto 8 hours. Some really good stuff can happen as a result. Soaking can reduce the beans’ raffinose-type oligosaccharides. This in turn may make beans easier to digest and fewer problems with gassiness.

2. Beans are a healthy source of protein and fiber, but they have phytic acid – phytic acid binds to minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, chromium, and manganese in the gastrointestinal tract, unless it’s removed by soaking, sprouting, and/or fermentation. Bound minerals generally can’t be absorbed in the intestine, and too many bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies. So phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors are going to be in your gut causing gas and whatever other digestive issues happen when you eat something that isn’t particularly digestible. Soaking beans in water makes them swell and begin the slow process of sprouting which makes the nutrients available.

3. If you see bubble scum on the surface when you soak beans, don’t worry. That is the gas formed in our gut when we consume them un-soaked and why people resort to artificial means such as Beano to decrease abdominal gas and bloating. Just drain and rinse the beans until all the scum is washed away.

Of course you already know that presoaking beans will reduce cooking time. On average, 4 hours of soaking reduces cooking time by approximately 25%. This reduced cooking time can mean less loss of water-soluble nutrients due to reduced time of exposure to heat and water.

–soul of spice–

Mysore Rasam

Mysore Rasam is just what the Doctor ordered. An all season nourishing favourite. Packed with lentils, black pepper, and a unique combination of spices it will lift the appetite of the slowest digestive system. If you or your child have been down with the flu and want to recover fast, then you must absolutely read and make. Since my cold a few weeks ago, I’ve been quite picky about my food.. Everything tastes like cardboard and food desire is at all time low! For a foodie like me that takes so much pleasure in planning a meal and makes an exciting event of her grocery shopping, this loss of appetite is quite strange and must be taken seriously.. So I plunged into the only comfort I knew..

Ingredients 1 cup toor dal or pigeon peas 7 cups water 1 cup chopped tomatoes ¾ tbsp tamarind paste

Spice Mix 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger(optional) ¾ tbsp black pepper pods 1 tbsp yellow split peas 1 tbsp coriander seeds 3 tbsp grated coconut 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 dry red chilli

Serves 4 Seasoning 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 12 curry leaves Pinch hing 1 tbsp clarified butter

Method
• Wash, rinse and cook pigeon peas in 1 cup water with ½ tsp turmeric till they are soft. Let cool and then mash lentils to a smooth paste with spoon.
• Dry roast the spices adding them to skillet in this order: coriander seeds, black pepper, yellow split peas, red chili and cumin seeds. Let cool and then grind in spice mill or coffee grinder with grated coconut. Set aside.

• Heat pan. Add 1 tsp butter and ½ tsp mustard seeds, 6 curry leaves and ½ tsp cumin seeds.
• When they splutter, add crushed ginger if using. Then add chopped tomatoes. Stir once.
• Add 2 cups water, tamarind paste, salt and let come to boil.
• Sniff the stock to check if the raw smell of tamarind is gone.
• Then add the ground spice mix and let come to second boil.
• Now add the mashed lentils dissolved in 4 cups of water and let everything come to a boil.
• Remove rasam from stove.
• Heat skillet and add ½ tsp butter, remaining mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin and hing. When they splutter, pour on rasam.

• Serve hot with some rice(optional) and roasted lentil crackers(papadam).

Options
I know you will all agree that nothing beats the flavour of fresh tomato. However I was too tired and exhausted to get some from the grocery store. SOS Instead I freeze canned tomato in ice cubes and the flavour is just as good. Just a little tip for some winter weather time saving.

However you like your tomatoes, please do peel and seed them. There’s nothing worse than catching tomato skin in your mouth when you’re slurping this soup down. Especially when my appetite is at an all time low, the last thing I like to see is tomato skins floating on the surface of my soup.

Hope you get to make this rasam. For someone who HAS to eat a different meal everyday, the fact that I was able to sustain on this soup alone for 3 days speaks volumes for its flavour. The best part was how quickly I recovered from my flu without having to make that special trip to the Doctor

– soul of spice –

Appreciation-5 awards

Awards make me smile. I love giving out awards and receiving them. It gives me a chance to share and showcase the creativity of my many blogger friends. It makes my work feel validated and appreciated.

As a blogger who’s continuously creating new recipes, its a treat to know that readers find her recipes useful. Blogging is not just not about making a new dish because most of us do cook every day–it means.. to artistically present cooking art for readers, to write about it thoughtfully by looking back into past experience, seeking wisdom from masters, both family and others, and keeping in mind current day available foods and time challenges. So these awards make me smile again..

I hope these 5 awards generously bestowed by my fellow bloggers will also bring a smile to your face.

Thank you Peri of Peri’s Spice Ladle for awarding me the Beautiful Blogger Award. Peri showcases Indian food with an amazing global twist. I love to read her Parsi recipes.. Parsis are a community that moved from Persia to India a long time ago. Peri’s has many winners, hard to pick one, I’d have to say I love these Khari puffs. Please do check out her wonderful blog.

The Rules of the Beautiful Blogger Award
• Copy the Beautiful Blogger Award logo and place it in your post.
• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
• Tell us 7 things about yourself.
• Nominate 7 other bloggers for their own Beautiful Blogger Award, and comment on their blogs to let them know.

7 things about me:
1. I like Canadian winters but am usually planning my next warm southern vacation
2. I love horses and dogs, cats not sooo much, unless its the graceful big cat—the Cheetah.
3. I love dressing up in soft fabrics and shopping, and feel very happy when I land a bargain.
4. I believe that we are all connected in some way and like to treat everyone with love and respect.
5. I like to live a naturally healthy life and am always trying to find ways & means of avoiding a trip to the Doctor’s office :)
6. I love to travel. My fantastic day job has taken me across the length and breadth of Canada & some Latin America & the Caribbean.
7. I teach yoga and have been known to mix up eclectic music in my yoga class-my current playlist has pop ballad Pink, glitter in the air, side by side with some dance/move worthy Makyen Ghrir

My nominations for the Beautiful Blogger award are:
http://abeautifuldayblog.wordpress.com/
http://emmycooks.com/
http://myfrenchheaven.com/
http://liveblissful.wordpress.com/
http://louslabyrinth.wordpress.com/
http://thehourofsoftlight.wordpress.com/
http://vinca11.wordpress.com/

Thank you Nat of Bake Slave for awarding me the Super Sweet Blogging Award. Nat’s been baking in the humid heat of KL in Malaysa. How she does it with a smile and without breaking into a sweat just beats me ) She tries out the most incredible combinations and her baking is just divine. A mother with young kids, Nat manages to bake and blog about it all the while with a smile . Again hard to pick one, yet this one stands out in its presentation and deliciously baked content. A trip to her site is an absolute must.

The rules for the Super Sweet Blogging Award
• Give credit to the person who chose to nominate you.
• Answer the Super Sweet questions.
• Nominate a Bakers’ Dozen.

Super Sweet questions:
1. Cookies or Cake? Cake
2. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
3. What is your favorite sweet treat? Chocolate croissant
4. When do you crave sweet things the most? In my tea or coffee
5. If you had a sweet nickname, what would it be? Honey

My nominations for the Super Sweet Blogging Award
http://pramudiya.wordpress.com
http://gercakes.wordpress.com
http://lifeofdi.com
http://littlemisswordy.wordpress.com
http://hollybee42.wordpress.com
http://smbizamerica.wordpress.com
http://shakespearesgal.wordpress.com
http://thesinglegourmetandtraveller.wordpress.com
http://thoushaltcook.wordpress.com

Thank you Fae of Fae’s twist and Tango for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Fae writes about many things. The thing I love most about her blogs is the wealth of knowledge she shares. When she writes she digs deep and shares so many stories along with the recipes. I love her zest for life and admire how she’s raised her son to be a cosmopolitan citizen of the world. If I was to pick a favourite recipe, it would be this one.

The rules for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award
• Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
• Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back.
• Share 7 random things about yourself.
• Select up to 15 blogs for the award, a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
• Copy and paste the award on your blog somewhere.

My nominations for the Inspiring Blogger Award
http://tastespace.wordpress.com
http://blissfulbritt.com
http://vinicooksveg.wordpress.com
http://russelrayphotos2.com
http://emilycooksvegan.com
http://tresorsdeluxe.wordpress.com
http://sethsnap.com

Thank you Kay of the SingleGourmetTraveller for the One Lovely Blog Award. I love Kay’s adventurous spirit. Based out of South West London, Kay embraces life with a passion. She gives hope to many others who want to travel but hold themselves back trying to coordinate with family & friends and sadly enough never leaving their shores to taste diverse foods and rich cultures. She’s an avid traveler and shows me a window to many lands with her posts. I love her take on an Italian favourite—Eggplant Parmesan. Please do take the time to check her blog out.

The rules for the One Lovely Blog Award
• Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
• Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back.
• Share 7 random things about yourself.
• Nominate 7 or more blogs with the award, a link to their blogs and notify them on their blogs.
• Copy and paste award on your blog somewhere.

My nominations for the One Lovely Blog Award
http://cookingwithmamamiyuki.wordpress.com
http://moderngirlnutrition.wordpress.com
http://gypsyfoods.wordpress.com
http://jovinacooksitalian.com
http://craftycooknook.wordpress.com
http://glutenfreegus.com
http://thegarumfactory.net

Thank you Angie of Angie’s Food Adventures for the Sunshine Award. I’ve received it before and gratefully receive it again. Angie’s roots are Italian and much like me she became more and more health conscious with her writing. She has some cool quinoa recipes.I hope you’ll visit her blog for this and many more recipes.

The Rules of the Sunshine award
Since I’ve been awarded the Sunshine before, you can find the rules in my earlier post.

My nominations for the Sunshine Award
http://sageandsilver.com
http://putneyfarm.com
http://thebakingyear.wordpress.com
http://uberdish.ca
http://bforbonnie.wordpress.com
http://girlinafoodfrenzy.com
http://spontaneoustomato.com
http://nutsoveroats.com
http://kelliesfoodtoglow.com

Thanks to all of you, and to you my dear readers, I appreciate each and every one of you.

–soul of spice–