Moong Dal Cheela and Aloo Simla [Green Lentil Sprout Pancake and Potato Capsicum] is a wholesome, quick, easy meal packed with healthy complex carbohydrates, protein and multivitamins and minerals. The cheela is an easy and protein packed replacement for the traditional roti or naan made in Indian cuisine which often takes some time and hard work to make. Aloo Simla is a dry curry that is again very quick and easy, perfect for a busy day! 😋
Moong Dal Cheela and Aloo Simla [Green Lentil Sprout Pancake and Potato Capsicum]
Yield: 1 serving Time: 20 min Calories: 567.1kcal (per serving)
1/2 cup Mung Dal/ Green Lentils, sprouted or soaked overnight 1 Garlic 1 tbsp Ragi Flour [or any other flour] 1 tsp Mustard Oil 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Asafetida 1/2 Capsicum, chopped 1 Potato, chopped 1/4 cup Water 1.5 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Black Pepper 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder Coriander leaves, to garnish Ginger julienne, to garnish Yogurt, to serve on side
DIRECTIONS
In a blender, add lentils, garlic, salt, pepper and blend until fine paste
Add flour to it
Heat up a pan and spread the batter like a pancake and cook from both side
In the same pan, add oil and when heated add cumin seeds and asafetida
Add potatoes, capsicum and all other spices
Sauté for a minute and add water
Cover and cook until all water is evaporated and potatoes are soft
Garnish with coriander leaves and ginger julienne
Serve along with yogurt and enjoy hot! 😊
Moong Dal Cheela and Aloo Simla [Green Lentil Sprout Pancake and Potato Capsicum]
Rajma Pulao [Red Beans and Rice] is a wholesome, quick, easy, one-pot meal packed with healthy complex carbohydrates, protein and multivitamins and minerals. Rice and beans when combined together forms a complete protein and when paired with the right Indian spices, makes for a very delicious lip smacking meal! 😋
Rajma Pulao [Red Beans and Rice] is a traditional dish from India where generally basmati rice is cooked with red beans along with potatoes, onions and other aromatics. Do not be afraid of the long list of ingredients. Most of the spices are optional. You can still make the dish without them or with alternatives and it will still turn out great. 😊
Rajma Pulao [Red Beans and Rice]
Yield: 2 servings Time: 15 min Calories: 252.31kcal (per serving)
1 tbsp Mustard Oil 1 BayLeaf 1/8 inch Cinnamon Stick 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 3-4 Black Pepper 1-2 Cloves 1 tsp Asafetida 1 tsp Ginger, grated 1 tsp Garlic, grated 1 Onion, chopped 1 Potato, chopped 1 Green Chilli 1/2 cup Red Beans, boiled 1/4 cup Basmati Rice, soaked and drained 1 cup Water 1 tsp Salt 1 tbsp Rajma Masala Coriander leaves, to garnish Lemon juice, to squeeze on top Yogurt, to serve on side
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add BayLeaf, Cinnamon Stick, Black Pepper, Clove, Asafetida
After 20 seconds add ginger, garlic, onion and sauté for 40 seconds
Add all remaining ingredients and close the lid
Let it cook until two whistles or 10 minutes on medium heat
Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice (optional)
Ragi Raabdi [Finger Millet Soup] with vegetables and black chickpeas is a wholesome, quick, easy meal packed with healthy complex carbohydrates, protein and multivitamins and minerals.
Raabdi is a traditional dish from Rajasthan, India where a flour [usually bajra (pearl millet) or makka (maize)] is mixed with yogurt and lots of water in order to make a soup like dish. It can be consumed hot as a soup in winter or cold mixed with buttermilk in summers. These flours are highly rich in multivitamins and aids immensely in digestion. Usually, it is made more as an accompaniment than as a full meal and hence here when I wanted to eat it as a wholesome meal, I added black chickpeas for protein and fresh vegetables for additional vitamins and minerals.
Ragi Raabdi [Finger Millet Soup]
Yield: 1 serving Time: 15 min Calories: 316.86kcal (per serving)
2 tbsp Ragi Flour [Finger Millet Flour] 1 tbsp Yogurt 3 cups Water 1 cup Black Chickpeas, boiled 1/2 cup Carrot, diced 1/2 cup Spinach 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Black Pepper
DIRECTIONS
Mix the flour and yogurt in a bowl and add all the water gradually to make a lump free paste
Heat up a pan and add the mixture
Mix thoroughly and add all remaining ingredients
Cook for 10 minutes or until desired consistency is reached
Vegetable Khichdi is the healthiest most simple Indian lunch/dinner if you want to eat something light yet filling and nutritious. It requires minimal ingredients, rice, any lentils, any mix of vegetables 😮 and all put together in the pot with minimal spices!
Khichdi is a dish enjoyed in entire India and abroad, especially as a light meal. I love it because it is so quick to make and you can basically put everything in it that is lying in your pantry and you want to finish up! 😉 Here I use a bag of mixed (cabbage, broccoli, potato, peas, carrot, green beans) frozen vegetables, green moong split lentils and basmati rice. Also it is very versatile in terms of consistency. You can always increase the quantity of water to get a thinner consistency. I generally like my Khichdi slightly thicker. For someone who is new to Indian cooking, this is a perfect dish to start with. 😊
Vegetable Khichdi
Yield: 3 servings Time: 15 min Calories: 193.23kcal (per serving)
1 tbsp Mustard Oil 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 3-4 Black Pepper 3-4 Cloves 1 Bay Leaf 1 Green Chilli Vegetables of choice (fresh or frozen) 1/2 cup Basmati Rice 1/2 cup Green Lentils (or red/yellow) 3 cups Water 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
DIRECTIONS
Wash and soak the rice and lentils in water for 30 minutes
Heat up the oil and add all the whole spices and green chilli
After 30 seconds, add all the chopped vegetables like cauliflower, potato, green beans, peas, carrots
Drain the rice and lentils and add to the pot along with water and all powdered spices
Close the pressure cooker and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes
Switch off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before opening
Vegetable Uttapam [with black chickpeas] is quick, super easy and great for a protein rich meal/snack. In addition it is very healthy and tasty. Also you do not need a lot of ingredients to make it which is awesome!! 😛
Uttapam is a South Indian dish enjoyed in entire India and abroad. You will find various kinds of Uttapams like the one with vegetables, spicy ones, with meat and so on. I love it because it is so quick to make and you can basically put everything on it that is lying in your fridge and you want to finish up! 😉 But here I use onions, tomatoes, chillies, spinach for some greens and black chickpeas for lots of protein. For someone who is new to Uttapam, you may look at it as a savory pancake with vegetables. 😊
Vegetable Uttapam [with black chickpeas]
Yield: 2 serving Time: 15 min Calories: 321.8kcal (per serving)
1/2 cup Semolina 25g Yogurt 1/2 Onion 1/2 Tomato 1/2 cup Spinach leaves 1 cup Black Chickpeas 1 Green Chilli 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves 1 tbsp Olive Oil 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Black Pepper 1 pinch Red Chilli Powder
DIRECTIONS
Soak the semolina in yogurt and keep it aside
Meanwhile, cut all the vegetables and add all the remaining ingredients to the batter
Heat oil in the pan, add the batter and spread
Once cooked from the bottom, flip and cook from the other side as well
This Vegan Quesadilla with hummus and vegetables is so easy to make and full of delicious flavors and fresh ingredients. It is a very healthy version of the traditional Quesadilla incorporating a bunch of nutritious ingredients and still full of flavor. 😛
I love Mexican cuisine, especially Quesadillas. So instead of having the cheesy version all the time, I experiment a lot with it. I find that replacing cheese with hummus work wonders here. Hummus is such a creamy, rich and delicious spread that works really good in the recipe as I use a heaping amount 😉 Adding a bunch of vegetables, not only increases the nutrition profile but also make the dish fresh and light instead of heavy. 😊
Quesadilla with hummus and vegetables [vegan]
Yield: 1 serving Time: 15 min Calories: 374.39kcal (per serving)
Vegetable Uttapam [with Soy yogurt] is one meal that is quick, super easy and great for a light appetite. In addition it is very healthy and tasty. Also you do not need a lot of ingredients to make it which is awesome!! 😛
Uttapam is a South Indian dish enjoyed in entire India and abroad. You will find various kinds of Uttapams like the one with vegetables, spicy ones, with meat and so on. Traditionally, it is made with natural yogurt but I have replaced it with Soy yogurt in this recipe, making it vegan. I love it because it is so quick to make and you can basically put everything on it that is lying in your fridge and you want to finish up! 😉 But my favorite toppings are onions, tomatoes and chillies. For someone who is new to Uttapam, you may look at it as a savory pancake with vegetables. 😊
Vegetable Uttapam [with Soy yogurt]
Yield: 1 serving Time: 15 min Calories: 482.6kcal (per serving)
This Oatmeal with Apples and Pistachio Butter is one of my go to breakfasts whenever I am feeling very hungry in the morning or need very energy dense breakfast due to some upcoming activity like running lots of errands throughout the day or being busy until late afternoon. The combination of apples and pistachio butter is heavenly and is tastier than even apples and peanut butter!! 😛
The combination of rich and creamy hazelnut milk along with the pistachio butter makes the oatmeal very creamy. In addition, whole grain oats and chia seeds, makes it thick and nutrition rich. Adding things like nuts and granola from the top, gives the oatmeal a nice crunch. Adding apples enhances the nutrition profile and makes the dish naturally sweet. Cacao nibs are a contrasting boost of flavor in the oatmeal! 😉
Oatmeal with Apples and Pistachio Butter
Yield: 1 serving Time: 15 min Calories: 720.17kcal (per serving)
This Vegan Protein Chocolate recipe 🍫 with Cacao Powder is so easy and quick to make, with minimal ingredients, that anyone can make it at home within minutes! This recipe not only yields market-like yummy chocolate bars, but also is so versatile and can be used for so many other chocolate dessert recipes, some of which I have shared below. Additionally, it is a lot healthier chocolate than what we buy from the market having a higher protein content and good fats.
The last week I’ve been experimenting a lot with homemade chocolate recipes. My goal was to make a healthy chocolate, easy to make and requiring so less time and ingredients that whenever I get a craving for chocolate, I can quickly make it at home! So after a lot of mediocre and failed recipes, I have finally succeeded at making chocolate at home which is vegan and have wayyy healthier ingredients than what we buy from the market and is so easy to make its unreal! 😉
Vegan Protein Chocolate with Cacao Powder [easy, quick, healthy]
Coconut oil is a great substitute for Cocoa Butter in this recipe as Coconut Oil has a tendency to solidify, keeping our chocolate in shape. Also it is healthy and widely available. Addition of Peanut Butter increases the protein content of the chocolate along with other vitamins and minerals. It can also be substituted for Almond Butter which is also very high in protein. Using Cacao powder instead of Cocoa powder is also a healthier choice to make as it has more content of protein, fiber, magnesium and iron. Although if it is not easily available, Cocoa powder can also be used.
The biggest benefit of making chocolate at home is that the sweetness can be controlled very easily. The quality of sweetener must be a natural one if we are looking for a healthy chocolate and hence in this recipe of Vegan Protein Chocolate, we are using maple syrup as the sweetener. And don’t forget that pinch of salt. It really helps enhance and bring out the chocolate flavor in the recipe! 😉
Watch recipe here
Yield: 9 servings Time: 30 min Calories: 48.51kcal (per serving)
2 tbsp Coconut Oil 1 tbsp Peanut Butter, plain 1 tbsp Maple Syrup 2 tbsp Cacao Powder Salt, a pinch
DIRECTIONS
Put a pan on very low heat and add Coconut Oil
Once it melts, add all other ingredients and mix
Keep mixing until everything is well combined and has a chocolate sauce like consistency
Pour into chocolate molds and keep in the freezer to set for at least 20 mins
Once set, demould and enjoy! 😊
Vegan Protein Chocolate with Cacao Powder [easy, quick, healthy] + More Chocolate Dessert Ideas 🍫
I also played around with the remaining chocolate by dipping some strawberries into it and freezing those as well! They turned out really really good.
Strawberries in Vegan Chocolate
Also I made myself some almonds poured with chocolate sauce.
Almonds poured with Vegan Chocolate Sauce
Now you can go crazy here. There are so many possibilities. you can create different kinds of chocolate like I did – vanilla flavored by adding some vanilla essence, orange flavored by adding some orange zest, cashew covered in chocolate, strawberries covered in chocolate – sky is the limit!
And with the remaining chocolate sauce in the pan, that I didn’t wanna waste, I decided to make this thick hot chocolate! So I put it back to medium heat, added some soy milk and instant coffee. Stir it until well combined, then transfer to a mug, and decorate with some vegan whipped cream and chocolate chips! And just like that you have made yourself a café style thick delicious hot chocolate!!
Taco Tempeh Salad is an extremely flavorful and nutritious salad, loaded with vegan protein and pairs really well with the Avocado Cashew dressing. I love Mexican cuisine especially tacos and quesadillas. There are so many similarities between Indian and Mexican cuisine in terms of ingredients and spices used. The Taco Tempeh salad recipe that you will find below is made with keeping in mind its meal prep friendliness. Since we are making it in a jar, you can put it together ahead of time and it will last in the fridge for upto 4 days.
But it is very important to layer the ingredients in the right order for it to last long and feel as delicious as freshly made salad. The right order means layering the wet or water rich ingredients at the bottom and as we go up we layer the dry or crispy ones. This is done so that the excess water do not flow down and make the entire salad soggy.
Taco Tempeh Salad [with Avocado Cashew Dressing]
The Avocado Cashew dressing in this recipe is very rich and creamy, eliminating the use of any oil. We are also using Nutritional Yeast in the dressing to make it more cheesy tasting and give it a boost of Vitamin B12. It has juice of one whole lime and a whole bunch of Coriander leaves, which are all the ingredients that give Mexican food its life! They brighten up our salad by bringing in lot of freshness.
All the different vegetables used are a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Black Beans and Tempeh are our Vegan Protein here. Tempeh is very rich source of protein and Vitamin B12. A combination of Spinach and Butter Lettuce ensures the presence of antioxidants and Vitamin K in the meal.
Yield: 2 servings Time: 15 min Calories: 358.08kcal (per serving)
1 handful Cashews 1 medium Avocado, ripe 1/2 cup Soy milk 1 Lime Juice 1 cup Coriander leaves 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast 1 tsp Garlic powder 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Black Pepper
DIRECTIONS
The night before, soak the cashews in soy milk and keep it in the fridge. This will soften them up for the next day and the dressing will become creamier.
Rinse, drain and chop all the vegetables.
Rinse and drain the corn and black beans.
Rinse and cut the Tempeh into bite-sized pieces.
Heat up the olive oil and sauté the Tempeh until brown.
Mix the remaining flavorings together and add into the pan.
Sauté until all the marinade is absorbed. Keep it aside to cool down.
Add all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and blend until it becomes a smooth paste. Adjust any flavoring, if needed.
To assemble in a jar, add the dressing first, then tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers, black beans, tempeh and salad leaves
You can eat it right away or keep it in the fridge for upto 4 days. Mix the ingredients before eating and enjoy! 😊
