Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats

When temperature soars, a cold breakfast is welcome. This Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats made with rolled oats, apple juice and yogurt is exactly what a cold breakfast should taste like...

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I'll be completely honest, I was never one for a cold breakfast. Hot hot breakfast is what I am used to, and sometimes, I'll satisfy myself with food that is at room temperature. But chilled, just out of the fridge was something that never tempted me. Those rare times I eat cereal, I eat it with warm milk. But a couple of years ago when I went for a training to Hyderabad and was served cold Muesli in the buffet breakfast, I may have just converted a little bit. I still cannot eat cold breakfast every single day but when temperatures soar the way they have begun soaring, a cold breakfast is a relief!!

The first weekend I was back from the training, all I wanted to try was this Bircher Muesli... I couldn't wait to go out and buy rolled oats. I did go out, only to realize that the market is flooded with quick cooking oatmeal but there was no rolled oats anywhere. Gourmet super markets carried imported brands but they were super expensive. Finally, I tried making the muesli with oatmeal. While the taste was spot on, the texture really wasn't. Soaking oatmeal overnight gives it this pasty soft texture that is a total turn off. So if you really do make it with oatmeal, I highly recommend a shorted soaking time, maybe 2-3 hours.

Then I found this super affordable brand of Rolled Oats here. And luckily for me, just last week I found it stocked in an Organic store in Bangalore. Bircher Muesli it had to be.

This Bircher Muesli is till date the ONLY cold breakfast I eat. This muesli is all apple-y and yogurt-y, a flavor combination that tastes fresh and warm while being cold, um huh, you understand? If you are not a yogurt person, just replace it with milk and if you are looking for a vegan option, Almond milk goes great, but for me, it has to be fresh slightly sour yogurt.

This is a simple, no-cook recipe. But then, simple food always tastes the best, doesn't it?

To make this Bircher Muesli, soak the oats overnight in apple juice. In the morning add yogurt, lots of chopped nuts and lots and lots of chopped fruits. Sugar or honey for sweetness. Now this is something you can add or skip and it won't change the taste one bit - Basil Seeds. Basil seeds are the same family as Chia but are much more economical to purchase. They swell up when soaked in water just like chia seeds. You may know them as Falooda Seeds or Sabze ka beej. I soaked a few tablespoons of it in a cup of water and allowed it to swell while I cut fruits and chopped nuts. Once they had swelled up, I added them to the muesli.

Use this recipe as a guide to make your perfect Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats. I added fruits that my family loves and what are in season here - Apples, Pears, Bananas and Pomegranate (of course, pomegranate). You can use whatever you have. I'm a total "nut" case too, so I always have a variety of nuts and dry fruit stocked up to snack on. Use what is locally available to you.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.

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Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats

Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats is a cold breakfast made by soaking rolled oats in apple juice overnight and adding yogurt, nuts and fruits in the morning.

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: International
Total Time: 20 minutes (excludes soaking time)
Yield: Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

2 cups Rolled Oats
2 Tbsp Basil Seeds
400 ml Apple Juice
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts)
4 cups whisked Yogurt
3 Apples
2 Bananas
1 Pear
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 cup Water
Powdered sugar to taste

Method:

Soak the rolled oats in apple juice overnight.
In the morning, peel and grate 2 apples and add to the oats.
Add whisked yogurt and powdered sugar to taste.
Soak the basil seeds in 1 cup of water and allow them to swell up and then add to the muesli.
Top with chopped fruits and nuts and serve.

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Picnics, Trips, Breakfast, Lunch - Eat this Coriander Chutney Sandwich anytime you want! Making it is child's play and it makes a great travel companion...

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I was almost embarrassed to blog about this Coriander Chutney Sandwich. This is one of the simplest, basic recipe I have ever blogged about. I have been arguing with myself - should I or shouldn't I, for weeks now. Finally, the "should I" won. Winning arguments - I love simple recipes, and I'm sure so do you folks. No dish is too basic when it has all the right flavors. Flavor triumphs everything else

And there was also the fact, that this has been a favorite family Picnic meal forever. Literally, forever, as long as I can remember!! We don't go on picnics anymore, although I think we totally should. But in my head, you can only go for picnic to the beach. You can remove the girl from Goa, but not the Goa from the girl !! I miss that deep blue sea, the white sand and the shade of coconut trees under which we spread our bedsheets and picniced. While all my cousins and Gee swam without fear of the big bad ocean, I safely sat on the shore and built sand castles. They may think they enjoyed more, but I was closer to the food. Ha!!

I like Bangalore, but my only complain is it is only flanked by land on all sides, no beaches in site anywhere, the closest one is at least 400kms away. I can go to the gardens, but let's face it a garden is no beach and once you have tasted the sea, there is just no satisfying the soul with anything else!! So no picnics in sight anywhere, but we do take a lot of road trips. Not as many as I would like off late, but hey, something is better than nothing. And our little triangular Chutney Sandwich still accompanies us on these road trips along with bags of chips and bottles of soft drinks and chocolates. Of course chocolates!!!

Sometimes this Coriander Chutney Sandwich becomes my Saturday breakfast. I make the Coriander Chutney at night and store it in the fridge, so Saturday breakfast is a breeze. No one has to wait for me to wake up and make breakfast - slapping on some butter and chutney onto 2 slices of bread is definitely child's play. So I get to sleep in. And I myself don't need to worry about "what to cook for breakfast", the most tiresome question I ask myself most days.

This Coriander Chutney is made by blending / grinding together fresh grated coconut, fresh coriander leaves, green chillies for the heat, tamarind for sourness and salt with a little bit of water. A regular coconut chutney that is eaten with Dosa or Idli usually has a lot more of coconut than coriander, but here the quantity of coriander is far more than the coconut. The coconut is there just to add body to the chutney and perhaps, a little sweetness, but otherwise the Coriander steals the show. Add a little mint and sugar to make this chutney extra special.

This is one of "those" recipes which does not follow a recipe. Just take the quantity of the ingredients below as a guideline and change it to suit your palate. There is no right or wrong in making a chutney. The only thing I'd be cautious about is the quantity of water, start small and increase as you go. A watery chutney will lead to a soggy sandwich and no one likes a soggy sandwich, am I right? Except Gee, of course, how can sibling ever agree on anything, I wonder!!!

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Coriander Chutney Sandwich is made using a simple coconut and coriander chutney, bread and butter.

Recipe Type: Sandwich
Cuisine: Indian
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the Coriander Chutney:

1/2 cup freshly grated Coconut
1.5 cups loosely packed Coriander leaves
1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1-2 Green Chillies
2-3 Tbsp Water
1/4 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste

To assemble the Sandwich:

Bread
Butter

Method:

Grind/ blend together all the ingredients to get a smooth chutney.
Add the water by the spoonful to get a thick chutney. Do not add all the water in the beginning, the coriander and coconut will leave their own juices and the chutney may end up being runny.
Spread one slice of bread with butter and the other with the coriander chutney.
Stick the 2 slices together and cut into triangles to make Coriander Chutney Sandwich.

Pindi Chhole

My second recipe with tea and chickpeas. Pindi chhole is a simple vegan chickpea curry made with chickpeas (kabuli chana /chhole) cooked with tea and tempered with spices.

So who had fun over the weekend? Did you try my Sunday lunch special? In case you missed, you should try out this Jackfruit Biryani / Kathal Biryani. It even has a vegan option. Don't you just love me!

I had a fun/busy weekend as usual. I had all plans of going for a movie, but the disappointing reviews left me with a big 3 hour gap in my weekend. Sad and Yay!! No movie, but at least 3 more hours of just doing nothing. I could fit in one long walk this weekend. Since we lazy people barely workout in the week, we make it a point to go for these ridiculously long walks on the weekend. All Gee's fault really. This trend was totally started by her!! Although our walks usually end up in a plate of Pani Puri or Tomato Puri, but hey, at least we get some fresh air. Just some, with all the pollution around.

Back to my Pindi Chhole recipe....

This is my second recipe of Tea+Chickpeas. While this Amritsari Chhole was made with an onion-tomato based masala, this one is different. Simpler, actually!! Double YAY!!

As far as your chhole or chickpeas have been boiled, this is an instant recipe. Ready in less than 15 minutes. Now that is what I call Healthy Fast Food!

This recipe starts exactly like the Amritsari Chhole, with the dried chickpeas being soaked overnight. You can make this with canned chickpeas that have already been cooked, but then you miss out on the cooking-with-tea part and I somehow feel that is what makes this recipe so good. So if you are looking for an instant option, you can probably just simmer the canned chickpeas in a tea decoction for a while, but I'm not sure it would taste the same.

So after it has soaked and you have cooked the chickpeas with spices and tea, all you really need to do it heat oil, fry a lot of mince or paste of ginger and garlic. This is what gives it most of the flavor. Then add the spice powders. Some sort of souring agent, traditionally dried pomegranate seeds (anardana) are used, but you can use dried mango powder (amchur) or tamarind juice. Lime juice can also be used. Keep aside a little bit of the chickpeas and add the remaining to the pan. The chickpeas that you have kept aside, need to be mashed and then added. This helps in giving you a thicker gravy in the absence of tomato and onions.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also like:

Pindi Chhole

Pindi Chhole is a vegan chickpea curry made by cooking chickpeas or kabuli channa along with tea and later adding a tempering of ginger-garlic and spices.

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 8 Hours (Includes chickpea soaking time)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1.5 cups dried Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana
1 Bay leaf
2-3 Cloves
1 Green Cardamom
1 Black Cardamom
5-6 Peppercorns
1” piece Cinnamon
1 Tea Bag or 1 tsp tea powder tied in muslin cloth pouch
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste (Preferably freshly ground)
1-2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kasuri Methi
½ tsp Carom seeds / Ajwain
½ tsp Black Salt / Kala Namak
1 tsp Anardana Powder or 1 tsp Amchur or 1 Tbsp Tamarind Juice or Lime juice
4-5 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Soak the chickpeas in water overnight or for 8-10 hours.
Cook the chickpeas in 2 cups of water along with the tea bag, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, green cardamom, black cardamom and ½ tsp salt until the chickpeas are cooked. I pressure cook them, and it takes me around 2-3 whistles or 8-10 minutes for the chickpeas to be cooked. The chickpeas should be well cooked but not mushy.
Heat oil in a kadhai or pan and add the carom seeds.
Once the carom seeds brown, add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté until fragrant.
Keep aside ¼ to ½ cup of chickpeas aside and add the rest along with 1 cup of the water it was cooked in.
Add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and black salt.
For sourness, add any one of the following – anardana (dried pomegranate seeds) powder or amchur (dried mango powder) or tamarind juice or lime juice. Use what is available with you.
Crush the chickpeas that were reserved aside and add to the pan.
Add kasuri methi and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thick. Adjust salt and spices as per taste. Add more of the cooking water if you would like a thinner consistency.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Puri or Roti.

Sunday Lunch Special - Kathal Biryani | Jackfruit Biryani (with Photo Instructions)

Sunday Lunches are meant to be special, and this slow cooked Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani made with raw jackfruit, long grained Basmati Rice and lots of spices is definitely my definition of SPECIAL (Vegan option available)!!

How to make jackfruit biryani, jackfruit biryani recipe, vegan jackfruit recipe, raw jackfruit recipe, young jackfruit recipe, how to make kathal biryani, kathal biryani recipe, kathal recipes at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

When I think of Sunday lunch, I always think of something that is slow cooked and delicious. A dish into which I put my heart and time into. It may be because of my mom. Being children of a full time career woman meant that weekday food was simple and quick. It was still delicious and healthy. My mom made sure we ate home cooked healthy food literally every meal every day. Eating out was a rarity. Working 6 days a week, left out just one Sunday and she made sure that Sunday was special. It was the day she got to cook something special for the large family. A Sunday fare that everyone in the family loved and awaited.

A couple of years ago, I realized I'm turning into my Mom!! Good for me, she is the woman I admire the most, but not so good for my lazy hubby. He gets picked on for not keeping his tea cup in the kitchen sink almost as soon as he finishes the tea, a most definite hand-me-down trait from my mom. I instantly NEED (yes, it is a need) cups and plates and bowls to be kept in the sink as soon as they are empty of food. It may be a really annoying good habit or just OCD, but whatever that is, came from my mom to me.

There is one thing different though, she hated spicy food. Infact, all her siblings do. They cannot stomach anything spicy, they prefer a more bland affair. Luckily for me I can eat spicy a couple of times a week, and then I crave my simple daily home cooked rice-dal type of food.

So while my Sunday lunch is a lengthy affair, it is definitely spicier than my mom's. This Sunday it was a recipe that I'd been wanting to make for a very very long time - Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani. Can I just tell you something? It was DELICIOUS!!! It was the best biryani I made till date. The aroma wafting through the house from the very first step had us drooling before we even got to eat the biryani. I am actually sorry that you cannot smell this through the photos. You can make this Biryani on anyday, but I'm just being honest in saying it is a time consuming dish and is best made on days when you have the time and do not have to rush through the steps. This is definitely not a quick weeknight recipe.

Biryani is predominantly a non-vegetarian dish in which rice is cooked along with meat and spices. Jackfruit is a perfect replacement for the meat due to is chewy moist texture. And this Jackfruit Biryani can convert anyone to a vegetarian!!

The most boring and tedious job while making this biryani is actually cutting the jackfruit. The sticky milky wax is kinda annoying. Rajeshwari of Rak's Kitchen has provided a beautiful visual tutorial on how to cut a jackfruit. You can follow that until step 2. I used coconut oil instead of sesame oil, use any cooking oil. Once the jackfruit is cut and ready, half your job is done. Salt the pieces and deep fry them. You can also steam them or just use it directly in the biryani and allow it to cook along with the rice and spices.

A major part of the biryani is the rice. Use the best long grained rice you can. Fragrant basmati works the best with this type of biryani. Since the rice is layered along with the masala and cooked again later, in the initial stages, we only parboil the rice. The rice is cooked along with whole spices until it is half done. Then it is drained and washed and kept aside.

The masala, this smells DIVINE. I'm not kidding. This is gonna bring neighbors home, that's how fragrant it is. Traditionally the masala is not vegan, but you can make it vegan. Just replace the Ghee with more Oil and the yoghurt with extra tomatoes. The spices are fried in ghee+oil and then the onion is added. Then come in the ginger-garlic, and this is when the aroma just explodes into your face. Then come tomatoes. If you are replacing the yogurt with tomatoes, just add them now. Add all your spice powders. Once everything is cooked, add in the jackfruit, yogurt, and coriander leaves. Your masala is practically ready.

Then begin by layering the masala, fresh mint leaves, rice. Usually 2 layers are made. Then on the top layer add saffron or turmeric powder mixed with either milk or water and pour. Sprinkle crispy brown onions. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 mins or until the rice is done.

You can bake this too. Preheat your oven to around 200 degree C and bake the layered biryani for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is done.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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Jackfruit Biryani | Kathal Biryani (Vegan Option Available)

Jackfruit Biryani or Kathal Biryani is an Indian layered rice dish wherein raw jackfruit is cooked with rice and spices.

Recipe Type: Rice
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

Fresh Ingredients:

1 small raw Jackfruit / Kathal (600-700gms)
4 Onions
4 Tomatoes
2 handfuls Coriander leaves
2 handfuls Mint leaves
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
1 Tbsp Ginger Paste

Grains:

2 cups Basmati Rice

Whole Spices:

4 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
3 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
1/2 tsp Caraway Seeds (Shah Jeera)
5 Cloves (Lawang)
2" Cinnamon (Dalchini)
1 Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
1 tsp Stone Flower (Pathar ke Phool / Dagad Phool)

Spice Powders:

3 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder

Dairy:

1 cup Yogurt / Dahi (Replace with 1 large tomato for a vegan option)
3 Tbsp Ghee (Replace with Oil for a vegan option)
2 Tbsp Milk (Replace with water for a vegan option)

Others:

3 Tbsp Oil
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
8 cups Water

Method:

Cooking the Jackfruit:

Oil your hands and the knife with any edible oil, preferably coconut.
Cut the jackfruit into quarters.
Peel the thorny skin of the jackfruit. Remove the center stalk.
Dice the jackfruit into 1" sized pieces.
Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp of salt on the jackfruit pieces.
Heat oil in a deep kadhai or pan.
Deep fry the jackfruit until golden.
Keep aside until later.

Making the Crispy Brown Onions:

Slice 2 onions finely.
Deep fry the onions on medium heat until dark brown and crispy. Be careful not to burn the onions.
Remove from oil and keep aside until later.

Cooking the Biryani Rice:

Wash the basmati rice for 5-6 times until the water runs clean.
Soak it in water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
Heat 8 cups of water in a large deep bottomed pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drain the rice and add the rice to the boiling water.
Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is half done.
Drain the water and wash the rice in cold water. Drain and keep the rice aside.

Making the Masala:

I make the masala in the same utensil in which I will be finally assembling the biryani. Use a deep bottomed pan or pot or pressure cooker for this if doing the same.
Finely slice the onions and chop the tomatoes. If you are making a vegan biryani, add one more large tomato.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadhai or pan. Replace ghee with oil for a vegan option.
Gently bruise the fennel seeds, stone flower, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 2 green cardamoms using a mortar and pestle. Do not crush it into a powder, just bruise it to allow it to release it's fragrance in the oil.
Once it heats up, add the caraway seeds (shah jeera) and bruised spices along with the bay leaf.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and cook them until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the tomatoes. 1 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the tomatoes are cooked or for 5-6 minutes.
Add the deep fried jackfruit, whipped yogurt, salt and 1 handful of coriander leaves (chopped) and mix well.Skip the yogurt for a vegan option.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Making the Jackfruit Biryani:

If you are going to cook the biryani in the same pan in which the masala was cooked, remove half the masala into a bowl.
If you are using a fresh pan to make the biryani, spread half the masala in the new pan.
Chop the coriander and mint leaves.
Sprinkle half the coriander and mint leaves over the masala.
Layer half the parboiled rice over the mint leaves.
Spread the remaining masala on the rice.
Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
Spread the remaining rice on the mint leaves.
Take half the crispy brown onions and spread over the rice. Dissolve 1/2 tsp turmeric in 2 Tbsp milk or water and pour over the rice.
Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Mix the layers while serving.
Garnish with the remaining crispy brown onions while serving.

Photo Instructions:

Dice the jackfruit into 1" pieces. Salt them and deep fry until golden.

Wash the basmati rice for 5-6 times until the water runs clean.
Soak it in water and keep aside for 20-30 minutes.
Heat 8 cups of water in a large deep bottomed pan. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 2 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 1" piece of cinnamon and 3 cloves.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, drain the rice and add the rice to the boiling water.
Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is half done.
Drain the water and wash the rice in cold water. Drain and keep the rice aside. take just 20 mins to make.

Deep fry finely sliced onions on medium heat until brown and crispy.
Heat oil+ghee in a kadhai or pan.
Gently bruise the fennel seeds, stone flower, 1" cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 2 green cardamoms using a mortar and pestle.
Once it heats up, add the caraway seeds (shah jeera) and bruised spices along with the bay leaf.
Saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and cook them until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Now add the tomatoes. 1 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
Continue to cook while stirring frequently until the tomatoes are cooked or for 5-6 minutes.

Add the deep fried jackfruit, whipped yogurt, salt and 1 handful of coriander leaves (chopped) and mix well.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Take a deep pan, and spread half the masala.
Sprinkle half the chopped coriander and mint leaves over the masala.
Layer half the parboiled rice onto the mint leaves.

Spread the remaining masala on the rice.
Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves.
Spread the remaining rice on the mint leaves.
Take half the crispy brown onions and spread over the rice. Dissolve 1/2 tsp turmeric in 2 Tbsp milk or water and pour over the rice.
Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Mix the layers while serving.
Garnish with the remaining crispy brown onions while serving.

Roasted Masala Makhana (Phool Makhana / Foxnuts)

Mid Week Munchies!! Looking for a healthy vegan crispy spicy snack to get through the day? You have GOT TO try these Roasted Masala Makhana!!

Masala roasted phool makhana recipe, how to roast makhana recipe, how to make makhana, roasted foxnuts recipe, how to cook lotus seeds recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com One Teaspoon Of Life

I almost thought summer was here and I'd started taking suggestions for summer recipes, you know those iced drinks that give you a brain freeze or those fresh salads etc. You get the idea. And then it started to rain. Not that I don't like it when it rains. I cannot say it enough - I love rains. Absolutely love love love (except when I am stuck outside in traffic). I'm a July baby, the month when monsoons are at their peak, so I guess my connection with rain is from birth. The sound of rain on a tin roof can still lull me off to sleep.

There I go rambling, again!! But getting back to the point, rain makes me hungry. Well, at least it makes me want to eat. And I want those tiny bite sized snacks (usually pakoras) or sweets. Basically nothing healthy, get me anything deep fried or loaded on sugar and you are my new best friend.

This time, I did not have ingredients to make pakoras and I was just too lazy to go downstairs with an umbrella to buy pakoras. So ditch-the-deep-fried-snacks time it was.

So I made the next best thing - Roasted Masala Makhana, and it was SOOOOO good!!

I think I must have walked around super markets like 8 million times wondering what those puffy white balls kept on the shelf next to puffed rice was. I'd pick it up planning to find recipes online only to junk it at the billing counter, thinking I'll buy it next time after researching the recipes. But I'm glad my older and wiser sis Gee made me buy it like 2 months ago when we were both shopping. She told me how she had eaten it somewhere and it tasted so good, so crispy etc etc. She used all the right words and there I was finally billing it.

This recipe is adapted from Veg Recipes of India. I love that site and most of all I trust Dassana, the author. I'm yet to find a recipe on her site that has failed me. I love her simple style of writing, all in all she is just awesome.

Makhana or Fox nuts are usually very chewy when packaged. To get them to crisp up, just roast them on really low heat in some oil until they are nice and crisp. Then immediately remove from heat and toss in the salt and spices. That's it. Nothing more! Allow it to cool before storing it in an air tight container.

I would have loved to tell you the shelf life, but in my house, it is very very short. Raj is a snacks magnet and is drawn to any snacks I hide in the kitchen. And since I'm trying really hard to stop buying snacks and biscuits and just make my own munchies, they barely last 2-3 days. I don't mind though as these are very healthy too.

In case you have never had it before, they taste very similar to pop corn but waaay crispier. And you can flavor them as you like. I had thought of chaat masala before I even looked at Dassana's recipe, so I stuck to it. But I've seen mint flavored and caramel flavored makhana in Food Hall and I may be trying to make them next.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also like:

Savory Puffed Rice / Murmura Chiwda - Crispy snack made by mixing plain puffed rice with peanuts and spices.
Crispy Flat Rice / Poha Chiwda - Poha/Flattened rice deep fried and flavoured with spices and peanuts.

Roasted Masala Makhana (Phool Makhana / Foxnuts )

Roasted Masala Makhana is a vegan snack made by roasting foxnuts and tossing it with spices.

Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 0 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

100gms Makhana (Phool Makhana / Foxnuts )
4-5 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Chaat Masala
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan or kadhai.
Add the makhana and roast on low flame for 12-15 minutes until crispy.
Remove from heat and immediately add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and chaat masala. Mix well.
Add salt to taste. Chaat masala contains salt, so adjust the salt accordingly.
Store in an air tight container when completely cooled.

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Egg and Gelatin free)

Vegetarian Cheesecake Time!!! This no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake is Egg and Gelatin free, it is made with easily available and fresh ingredients.

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We are a cheesecake loving family, well almost, except Gee, her poison is a dark gooey chocolate cake. But the rest of us are ready with our forks out at the mention of a cheesecake. Blueberry, Mango, Strawberry, bring them ON!

Initially we would love to go a gourmet bakery just to eat it. But then someone mentioned that cheesecakes have gelatin in them. Gelatin is what holds it together and it does a wonderful job at it, but it is not vegetarian. So then onwards there was a non-cheesecake existence, we could see it staring at us at malls, cakeshops and bakeries but never had the heart to go buy it. Then I found this recipe for a Mango Cheesecake by Anushruti. There was hope again for us!!!

I will be honest - making a cheesecake at home is not a simple task. It really isn't. But the rewards are BIG and TASTY and VEGETARIAN!! I had to work with this recipe multiple times to get it right, the family definitely did not mind getting to eat Strawberry Cheesecake every weekend. I wondered how long their love would last, but I got the recipe right before they got bored, so hey, that's a win for me.

Strawberries are currently plenty in the market and pretty cheap too. So this is the right time for the cheesecake. I took Anushruti's recipe as a base and changed it to suit my ingredients along the way.

A cheesecake is made of 2 major components - Biscuit Base and the Cheese Filling.

Biscuit Base

I used different commonly available biscuits to make the biscuit base. I experimented with Goodday, Marie, Digestive Biscuits etc, sometimes it was a combination of different varieties. My pick at the end of the day - Marie. Marie biscuit is naturally very crispy and works beautifully here. It doesn't have too much of a flavor of its own, so it doesn't interfere with the taste of the filling and just ends up adding a very buttery crunch to the whole cheesecake. You may have a different favorite, just go with it.

I used a mix of salted and unsalted butters, I liked the mild saltiness. I wouldn't recommend using only salted butter, however, you can use only unsalted butter and may be add a pinch of salt to it if you like the saltiness or avoid the salt all together.

Cheese Filling

While the biscuit base is super simple to make, getting the cheese filling right was my mount Everest. The taste was spot on from day one, but it just would not set. The cheesecake would melt right before my eyes and break my heart. Hence, multiple retries and I'm happy to tell you the below recipe worked perfectly for us. I would have probably liked it a little firmer, but I'm a little worried if adding more china grass will leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

Making the filling takes over a day. The first step is hanging the yogurt or curd in a muslin cloth to drain all the water from it. Use a thick set curd or preferably, buy Greek Yogurt. At the end of the draining, you should have a really thick creamy yogurt. The next ingredient is Paneer, blend it in a mixer to get a creamy paneer paste. Refrain from adding water during the blending. Strain to remove lumps. Add it to the yogurt and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. P

uree the strawberries and gently heat the puree on the stove. Don't let it boil, but it needs to be hot when you add the china grass to it, else the china grass will seize and become a lump. China Grass is the trickiest ingredient of the lot. Soak it for at least 10 minutes in water before heating it up. Do not heat the china grass directly on the stove top. Use a double boiler - take a pan and add water to it. Allow the water to come to a boil, then place the bowl containing the soaked china grass and allow it to melt, stirring occasionally. Once the china grass has completely dissolved in the water, add it to the hot strawberry puree and mix well. Immediately add this to the yogurt-paneer mix. Fold in.

Your cheesecake filling is ready. Pour it over the chilled biscuit base and refrigerate it for 5-6 hours until it sets.

The glaze can be either poured over the cheesecake while serving, or while it is setting. Making the glaze requires you to heat the strawberry puree with sugar for a few minutes. Allow it to cool and then pour over the cheesecake. If you'd like it to set along with the cake, pour it over the cheesecake after it has been refrigerated for 1-2 hours, else, pour it while serving.

To make individual sized portions, set the cheesecake in bowls or in glasses. These are perfect if you are hosting a party.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

If you liked this, you may also like these other desserts:

Almond Chocolate Brownies - Eggless almond and chocolate brownies.
Gajar ka Halwa / Carrot Pudding - Traditional North Indian pudding made by cooking carrots in milk.
Shavige Payasa / Vermicelli Pudding / Semiyan Kheer - Indian dessert made with vermicelli and milk. Flavored with cardamom and dry fruits /nuts.

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (Egg and Gelatin Free)

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake is an eggless and gelatin free frozen dessert made with fresh strawberries,yogurt and paneer. It is set using china grass or agar agar instead of gelatin or egg.

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 45 minutes (Does not include setting time)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

200gms fresh Strawberries (20-25)
400gms Greek Yogurt or Thick Full Fat Curd
200gms Paneer
10gms China Grass (Agar Agar)
1.25 cups Sugar
10-12 Digestive Biscuits
3 Tbsp unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp salted butter

Method:

To make the Biscuit Base:

Crush the biscuits until they are a coarse powder.
Add the butter to the biscuit powder and mix well.
Put the biscuit crumbs into the cake pan. You will need to use a springform cake pan or a cake pan with a detachable bottom plate. Alternately, you can also make individual sized portions in glasses.
Gently press the biscuit crumb until the bottom of the entire pan is coated evenly with it with a slight rise along the edges. Make sure there are no holes in the layer.
Keep the cake pan in the fridge for 2-3 hours. This can be done simultaneously with hanging the yogurt

To make the Strawberry Cheesecake Filling:

Tie the yogurt or curd in a muslin cloth and leave it hanging for 3-4 hours until all the water is drained from it. I left it overnight in the fridge.
Blend the paneer in a mixer/blender until smooth. Strain if required to remove lumps.
Add the creamed paneer to the hung yogurt and mix well.
Powder the sugar.
Add 1.5 cups of the powdered sugar to the yogurt-paneer mix and whisk well until combined.
Soak china grass in 3/4 cup of water for 10-15 minutes.
Heat water in a pan, once the water boils, place the bowl containing the china grass into the pan.
Do not allow the china grass to come to a boil. Stir occasionally. Continue to heat the china grass until it dissolves completely in the water. This may take 15-20 minutes.
In the meanwhile, puree 12-15 strawberries until smooth.
Add the puree to a small pan and heat it on low heat. The puree should not come to a boil but should be hot when we add the china grass.
Once the china grass has completely dissolved, add it to the hot strawberry puree and mix well.
Taste to see if you need more sugar, you can stir in more powdered sugar at this point.
Immediately pour this into the yogurt-paneer mix and fold in until combined.
Refrigerate the cheesecake for 6-7 hours until set.

To make the Strawberry Glaze:

Puree the remaining strawberries until smooth.
Heat the puree in a small pan.
Add the remaining powdered sugar by the spoonful. You may need more if the strawberries are very tart.
Simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
Allow it to cool completely.
Then pour over the cheesecake evenly. Allow it to set for at least 1 hour before serving. Alternately, you can pour the glaze just before serving as well.