Ujwala's Delicacies

Indian inspired all natural kitchen.

Archives for February 2016

Golden beets with scallions

You may be most familiar with the red beet, but beets come in a two colors. One is orange, and is known as the golden beet. The difference between the red and the orange beet is the pigment. Red beets are rich in betalain pigment while orange beets are rich in b-xanthin pigment. You’ll gain a number of health benefits if you include the orange beet in your diet. Golden beets are a little on the sweeter side in compared to red beets.

Fruits and vegetables from golden yellow color spectrum contain high levels of vitamins and minerals as vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, lycopene, flavonoids, and zeaxanthin.

Gold beets are available year-round with a peak season during the autumn months. Steaming and roasting bring out the best flavor that the beet can offer. It is easy to peel skin is steamed. It simply slips away from its flesh.

There are many ways to enjoy beets. Grate them raw on salads. Steam and sauté, yummy, low sugar desserts.

Brussels sprouts, pistachio spread sandwich

Make your own spread for your sandwich for a all natural ultimate low-calorie sandwich. Take these tips to enjoy your sandwich the healthy way. You don’t have to sacrifice taste or satisfaction.

How to make all natural healthy sandwich? Don’t worry about how start a healthy all natural sandwich. I am here to help you pick best ingredients from scratch and give you recipes for making quick and easy sandwiches.
Brussels sprouts don’t normally elicit a positive reaction because of its bitterness from high sulfur. Transform brussels sprouts to yummy recipes. Become fans just like me. These veggies are full of fiber and vitamin C, making them a nutritious addition to any meal! Depending on where you live, it could be your last chance to eat Brussels sprouts for awhile. These hearty winter vegetables are usually in season from fall through late winter. Brussels sprouts look like baby cabbages for a good reason: They’re a member of the cabbage family that includes veggies with edible leaves.

My first experience with Brussels sprouts was cutting them and cooking in tomato gravy. But couldn’t get bitterness off. I tried roasted brussels sprouts. Just didn’t like that way. I have experimented various ways to cook and had success. Ever since I’ve been enjoying them.

Classic south indian chicken fry

A fiery Andhra fry cooked with ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon and cloves.

South India’s gravy based curry delicacies are known as koora. If deep-fried or shallow fried without gravy is known as vepudu. A variety of vegetables as ridge guard, bottle guard snake guard, raw bananas, eggplant, lentils are widely used. Many regional speciality sambar, rasam varieties are made with different with homemade powders. Rasam is often accompanied with fry based curries. Garnishing with curry leaves, cilantro, coconut and peanuts are often used to add another level to the flavour.

Some of the most mouth-watering vegetarian dishes are gongura pachadi, snake guard raitha – potlakaya perugu pachadi, fried mung dal fritters (masala vada), pulusu (vegetables cooked in tamarind gravy), Pachi Pulusu (a version of rasam). Gongura is called andhra’s favorite meal (Andhrula abhimana vantakam).

Sweet potato in curry leaf and raw mango gravy

A variety of vegetables cooked in tamarind gravy sauce is staple food in South India. It is known as pulusu. Usually accompanied by rice. Fish cooked in tamarind gravy is a feast for the family. It is made on special occasions. Try eating with black rice. Excellent way to add black-rice to your diet.

Though not as popular as brown rice or wild rice, black rice, known as forbidden rice, purple rice and black rice. It is called forbidden rice because only the emperor and members of the royal family were permitted to eat it. It is an ancient grain that has impressive health benefits than most other closely related rice varieties. In ancient China, black rice so superior and rare, it was reserved exclusively for the kings and royalty. Today this type of rice is picking up in popularity and popping up in more health food stores across the US, Australia, and Europe, as people discover the numerous health benefits that whole grain black rice has to offer.

Dragon fruit, muddled mint drink

Tired of every day orange juice? Try dragon fruit. You will have fun handling a beautiful, colorful, soft and tasty fruit. You just need a spoon to scoop out and eat. Virgin or alcoholic, this sweet drink doesn’t need any sugar or sour mix. Don’t sacrifice cocktails for your diet. Go all natural this game night.

Native to Mexico – Dragon fruit popularly is known a Pitaya. It is actually cacti. It is now grown in South asian regions as Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia etc. Dragon fruit is named appropriately. Skin resembles dragon scales. This colorful fruit also has many surprising benefits.

Dragon fruit tastes sweet. It has floury texture. Seeds are embedded in fruit. It is consumed after removing soft, scaly skin. Fruit goes excellent in salads, smoothies, desserts and drinks.

Cilantro, almond fish tacos

Grilled or pan-fried, cilantro almond fish is a flavorful combination for tacos and rice. Simply marinade, fry and enjoy. No need of store-bought spice mix. Taco is a Mexican dish with a fried corn or wheat tortilla, typically folded, filled with various mixtures, such as seasoned meat, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes. Traditional tacos don’t include lettuce, tomato, or shredded cheese.

National Taco day is October 4th. Early tortillas took hours to make but by the 1960s, small-scale tortilla-making machines could churn out hot, steaming tortillas every two seconds.

Where Did the Taco Come From?

The origins of the taco are really unknown. In Mexico, because in those mines the word “taco” referred to the little charges they would use to excavate the mine. These were pieces of paper that they would wrap around gunpowder and insert into the holes they carved in the rock face. One of the first types of tacos described is called tacos de minero—miner’s tacos.