HealthDrink – The Secret Ingredient

Ayurvedic Recipes

Kaanji | Black Carrot Kanji | Fermented Black Carrot and Mustard Drink

By anshu January 26, 2018

Winters are retreating, still there is nip in the air. The winter bounty is in plenty and ever since I am at my parents place I am enjoying them to the fullest. I am having all the possible delicacies my mother cooks like Swanjhaney ke Phool ki Sabji, Gobhi Ke Danthal and Kali Gajar ki Kaanji. A lot of people are unaware as to what is kaanji. It is a fermented drink which has probiotic properties made with black carrots which appear in the market in winters. It has a strong pungent, tangy taste which I love it. It takes couple of days for the drink to become ready. The process is fairly simple and uses a very few ingredients.

You can call this drink as the Indian Kombucha. But these Blackcarrots are not available every where, if you are one of those who doesnt have access to those black carrots you can use red carrots also along with beetroots for that colour. I personally dont like the taste of beetroot in kaanji but again I would say its an acquired taste. My father in law loves it but my husband and mother in law just dont like it. I’ll still say you must try it once, you never know if you might fall in love with its taste.

Directions:

1. Wash the black carrots and drain the water.

2. Wear gloves and peel the skin of carrots.

3. Cut them into slices.

4. In a large container add water and add coarsely ground rai or red mustard.

5. Also add the sliced pieces of black carrot and see the water change its colour.

6. Add Black Salt, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Stir with a ladle and cover with a lid. Let it sit for couple of days in the sun for the drink to ferment and develop its taste. Dont forget to stir atleast once a day.

7. When the taste has developed it will become a little pungent and the colour will become like wine. You can sieve the drink through a colander and discard the carrots after another 2 days. Transfer the drink in a glass jar with a lid and store at room temperature. Serve at room temperature and enjoy the bounty of winters along with nutrition.

[whohit]Kaanji[/whohit]

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Apples

Detox Green Smoothie | Apple Spinach Green Smoothie

By anshu April 30, 2017

Last Night was Saturday night party at my place. Along with some cocktails we had some heavy snacks! Now I wake up with a bloated tummy and a guilty conscience. To fix both these things I needed to make this Green detoxifying smoothie which will revive my stomach and clear my body of all the toxins. This smoothie doesn’t use any dairy and is free from all sort of sugars.

Its even ideal for people who are watching their weight. I like to include this smoothie in my diet at least once a week. If you are also fond of smoothies then you must check out a few other recipes of Smoothies on my page. Some links I have mentioned at the end of this post. What kind of smoothie do you like? I would like to know your opinion. Would love to hear from you.

Directions:
1. In a blender add thoroughly washed leaves of Spinach and a peeled banana.

2. Add one cored green apple.

3. Add roasted seeds of Flax.

3. Add Water to the blender.

4. Also throw in some ice cubes.

5. Pulse till everything is smooth. Pour into glasses and drink it up immediately. This is detoxifying and quite refreshing.

Other Smoothies and Beverages you can try are: Plum Smoothie, Raw Mango Drink with Mint and Roasted Cumin, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Central Himalayan Wild Bayberry Syrup, Litchi Lemonade, Mango Chamomile-Mint Tea Lemonade, Kiwi Chia Pudding, Peach Lemonade, Spiced Mango Lassi, Melon Cucumber and Mint Smoothie, Orange and Blueberry Smoothie.

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Beverage & Drinks

Fresh Orange and Blueberries Smoothie | Healthy Orange Juice and Blueberry Smoothie

By anshu April 25, 2017

I am returning after a very long gap. My father was hospitalised and it was a very tough time for my family. With God’s grace he is alright now and recovering very well. I have been away from my kitchen for almost 2 months. I have been cooking but havnt been developing any recipes for the blog. This has made me very restless. I feel my expressions are lost. I am soon getting back into the groove. Thank You for your patience and your support while I was gone.

Not only I have been away from baking and cooking but by exercise regime has also been compromised. Although there hasn’t been much of a weight increase still I feel I need to start working out again and feel better. Since I have returned I have been eating a lot of salads and drinking a lot of smoothies. I love smoothies and like to try new variants to make life more fun and delicious. This time I came up with this Orange Blueberry Smoothie. The pastel pink purple colour says it all.. It was fresh, refreshing and oh so delicious! Oh well with same flavours you can even make Orange Blueberry Pound Cake.

Directions:
1. In a blender add some orange juice. I have used freshly squeezed juice you can use from the box.

2. Add blueberries fresh or frozen. I had frozen on hand. Also add plain yogurt. You can use greek yogurt also.

3. Add honey or maple syrup for sweetening it.

4. Blend and serve. You can also add ice cubes if you like.

5. Serve in a tall glass with a slice of Fresh Orange and make your day beautiful.

Other Smoothies and Beverages you can try are: Plum Smoothie, Raw Mango Drink with Mint and Roasted Cumin, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Central Himalayan Wild Bayberry Syrup, Litchi Lemonade, Mango Chamomile-Mint Tea Lemonade, Kiwi Chia Pudding, Peach Lemonade, Spiced Mango Lassi, Melon Cucumber and Mint Smoothie.

[whohit]OrangeBlueberrySmoothie[/whohit]

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Beverage & Drinks

Vegan Kiwi Chia Pudding | Soy Milk Chia Kiwi Smoothie

By anshu February 14, 2017

Its been a while I have really exercised. I am out of regime, out of practice. These past two months were full of indulgence, hogging and merriment. Not that I complain but now since I am back in my hills I have observed I am up by a few kilos and my body has started revolting. So here is what I am gonna do, start eating healthy, exercise more frequently and blog more often 🙂 The first tiny step was making this yummilicious Kiwi Chia Pudding.

I picked these kiwis from Jageshwar which has some good number of kiwi trees and is an organic belt. I used Soy milk which is vegan and added maple syrup which has an interesting flavour and sweetness. The Chia seeds are a super food and need no introduction. The overall pudding was topped with sum desiccated coconut which gave the serving glass that oomph factor. I loved this enriching pudding which I devoured greedily because there was nothing to be feel guilty about.

Directions:

1. Add soy milk or any other milk of your choice.

2. Add vanilla Extract. Also add maple syrup or honey for sweetness. You can add regular sugar if you like. Just combine and cover the jar with Cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This will make chia seeds swell.

3. When you are ready to serve, peel some kiwis and make a smooth puree with it. Add it to the chia milk and combine.

4. Pour in individual serving glasses and garnish it with desiccated coconut and berries. I have added pomegranate arils. Serve and enjoy the guilt free pudding.

Other Smoothie and drinks you can try are: Plum Smoothie, Raw Mango Drink with Mint and Roasted Cumin, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Central Himalayan Wild Bayberry Syrup, Litchi Lemonade, Mango Chamomile-Mint Tea Lemonade, Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint, Peach Lemonade, Spiced Mango Lassi

[whohit]KiwiChiaPudding[/whohit]

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Beverage & Drinks

Peach Lemonade | Fresh Peaches & Lime Drink

By anshu July 1, 2016

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A few weeks back I had posted the recipe of Peach Cobbler and it got tremendous response from you all. I was asked if we could use peaches in any other ways and the best way I knew was to make this refreshing lemonade with these juicy delicious peaches. This lemonade brings out the real taste of peaches and makes it a fabulous quencher for thirst specially in sultry summer weather.

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When I made this lemonade last week my friends were here and they insisted I make another batch for it was one of its kind and made from fresh fruits. You must try this for your family I am sure your kids will love it. You can make this drink ahead of time and will be ideal for your barbeque parties.

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash fresh peaches cut them into slices. No need to remove its skin. Place these slices in a sauce pan.

2. Add water and sugar and bring it to a boil.

3. Simmer it for 10 minutes till the peaches have become slightly tender.

4. Let it cool down a bit and put them in a blender along with the water and blitz it into a smooth puree.

5. Add lemon juice to the puree.

6. Add cold water and Ice cubes and dilute the concoction to your taste. Serve with a slice of Lemon.

Other Summer Drinks you can try : Mango Green Tea Lemonade. Plum Smoothie, Aam Ka Panna, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Litchi Lemonade, Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint, Spiced Mango Lassi, Kafal Ka Sharbat .

PeachLemonade_5

[whohit]PeachLemonade[/whohit]

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Ayurvedic Recipes

Kafal Ka Sharbat | Central Himalayan Wild Bayberry Syrup

By anshu June 17, 2016

This is a tiny story as to how I ended up making Kafal Ka Sharbat. I was unaware of these beauties until I moved to Almora. I often heard kids shouting and yelling and throwing pebbles at a tree in our yard. When I asked my local caretaker what tree it was, he told me it was “kaafal”. I couldn’t understand what he meant for there are plenty of things here which have different names to things. When the season arrived and the tree was laden with these delicious berries I did my search and found these were actually bay berries or as the locals call it ‘Kafal‘ or ‘Kaaphal‘. These berries are wild in nature and native to Central Himalayan region. They have a phenomenal taste which can be compared to ‘Falsa‘, another summer berry fruit from Northern India. It seems somewhere between Mulberry or Shehtoot and Falsa.

I ended up spending an afternoon capturing them through my lense. They look so pretty and tastes even amazing. I ate a large bowl and let me tell you they are very addictive. Once you start you cant stop. But my husband is not a fruit person. He specially hates small berries with pits. He says it’s a waste of time to eat such tiny miny berries and that too has pits. Well I can’t agree with him in totality. I still wanted him to taste the berries. So I decided to make the sharbat with it. Its similar to Falsa Sharbat and equally refreshing. If you cant lay your hands on Kafal use Falsa. Rest of the recipe remains same.

Directions:

1. Wash kafal under running water and make them grit free.

2. In a blender add some sugar and water. Pulse it to get a clear sugar water.

3. Add washed kafal to the blender and churn for a few seconds, so that the outer skin gets out and the pits remain intact.

4. Pass this through a sieve and using a spoon scoop out as much pulp stuck to the pits. Discard the pits.

5. Add extra water to dilute and Ice cubes. Add little rock salt and combine.

6. Pour it in serving glasses and enjoy the refreshing drink straight from the Himalayas.

Other Summer Drinks you can try : Plum Smoothie, Aam Ka Panna, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Litchi Lemonade, Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint, Spiced Mango Lassi.

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Beverage & Drinks

Spiced Mango Lassi | Mango Smoothie Spiced with Cardamom & Saffron

By anshu May 10, 2016

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Mango is known as the king of fruits for its deliciousness and taste. In India we get a lot of varities of Mangoes which have a unique taste and texture. So the entire summers we are literally under the spell of mangoes. You can eat mangoes just like that or add it to your food, drink it like a beverage, make a pickle with it and even satisfy your sweet craving by making desserts with it.

In the recent past I have added a lot of mango recipes to my blog which fortunately covers all the aspects of this versatile fruit. But then there was something which was missing, it was Mango Lassi. Strangely, it is something I haven’t had ever in my entire life. But my friends outside India keep talking about it. Its funny how a drink associated with Indian food is popular outside India and we Indians are pretty much not acquainted with it.

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So I decided to give it a try. It was so delicious that I began to feel why I never got to try it before 😉 If you are one of those who hasn’t tried mango lassi before, I think its high time you do that before the entire world knows how delicious it is and you are the only one left 😉

Directions:

1. Cut the mango in slices and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Put all the pulp in a blender.

2. Add green Cardamom Powder.

3. Add Honey.

4. Add Plain Yogurt or curd.

5. Add ice cubes to the blender and blitz everything together. If you feel the consistency is too thick you can liquefy it by adding little milk.

6. Transfer to serving glasses and garnish with Saffron strands.

Other Refreshing drinks you can try are: Plum Mango Punch, Raw Mango Drink with Mint and Roasted Cumin, Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie, Litchi Lemonade, Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint.

MangoLassi_Featured3

[whohit]MangoLassi[/whohit]

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Easy Recipe

Ginger Papaya Mint Smoothie | Healthy Papaya Smoothie

By anshu April 10, 2016

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And then comes that unripe and not so sweet papaya! Its a common occuring event when you dont know what to do with that Papaya. Last time I baked them into my delicious Chocolate Papaya Muffins. Despite that I gathered some calories and was feeling guilty about it. Papaya is suppose to be healthy you see!

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So this time I blitz it with yogurt and some mint and some honey and some ginger and some lime… yeah yeah!! The choice of ingredients sounds weird. It happened with me also but the result was simply refreshing and guiltfree. What more can you ask from that unappealing Papaya. It simply does serve the purpose it came into existence. Now I am sounding like a spiritual guru! duh! You make this smoothie and dont forget to tell me if you liked it.

Directions:

1. In a blender add pieces of Papaya. Yes over ripe, unripe, sweet, unsweet all will work.

2. Add pieces of Ginger.

3. Add Cubes of Ice.

4. Add plain Yogurt and honey.

5. Add some mint leaves.

6. Add juice of Lemon.

7. And just a little water to help it blend and give it a pourable consistency.

8. Simply blitz this together until smooth and creamy.Pour them in your favourite tall glasses or a s mason jar and enjoy this refreshing drink. Its ideal for the scorching summers.

Other summer drinks you can try here are: Plum Smoothie, Aam Ka Panna, Litchi Lemonade and Musk Melon & Cucumber Smoothie with Mint .

PapayaSmoothie_Featured2 [whohit]PapayaGingerSmoothie[/whohit]

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Appetiser

Cream of Broccoli Soup with Chives | Healthy Broccoli Soup

By anshu December 5, 2015

Winters are the best time of the year when you enjoy feasting and gorging on rich food. The body requires certain food to keep it warm. As a result we end up hogging so much that as the summers approach we are up by a few kilos. I know you are nodding in agreement. But this year I have decided to keep a strict watch on my diet. I am staying away from fatty, greasy, fried food by all means. In order to keep the body warm I have started making warm soups every evening, which are healthy and my family enjoys.

Last week when my mommy sent me broccoli from the plains (yeah unfortunately we don’t find this in our hills :() I knew I had to make this soup. Its the best way to ingest broccoli specially when you despise its flavour. I also made Broccoli Pasta which is creamless and a big hit in my family. The soup is made creamy not by adding whole lot of creamy fat but by adding potatoes. It gives it a smooth creamy texture and rich flavour.

Directions:

1. Take two heads of broccoli and cut out their stems. Cut it into florets.

2. Wash the florets under running water for any grit.

3. Chop some Garlic and Onions finely. Peel Potato and cut it into cubes.

4. Add Butter in a large pot and let it melt. Add garlic and onions and saute them till they turn a little pink.

5. Add broccoli florets and potato cubes to the pot and mix them well.

6. Add Salt and Water.

7. Add a cube of broth. I used vegetable broth if you like you can use chicken. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked.

8. Open the lid and let it cool off a little. Puree the soup with a blender and make it into a smooth soup.

9. Season with black pepper powder and a little cream.

10. Garnish with freshly chopped Chives and serve hot with soup sticks.

Other Soups you can try here are: Tomato Soup, Zucchini Garlic Soup with Yak Cheese Shreddings, Classic French Potato Leek Soup, Peas and Mushroom Spicy Soup, Russian Beetroot & Vegetable Soup, Chicken Soup with Rice, Sopa De Frijol .

[whohit]CreamOfBroccoliSoup[/whohit]

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Beverage & Drinks

Litchi Lemonade | Lychee Lemonade

By anshu July 21, 2015

Summer brings in Nature’s bounty in the form of Mangoes, Plums, Cherries, Melons, Peaches and Lychees. I have been busy all summer making something or the other from all these fruits before they disappear for this season. I tried Melon Cucumber Smoothie with Mint and Plum Mango Smoothie for the first time and they were a big hit in my family. So when I had lychees at home and no one wanted to touch it I decided to do this lemonade.

It not only put the lychees to good healthy use but also made a refreshing drink appreciated by all. It takes no time to put this together. So if you have some guests coming home this summer treat them with this tasty refreshing surprise.