Green Khush Life

So finally Friday came. I know most us wait for the weekend. I might sound CORNY, but I start feeling festive from Friday morning :-). Mostly on Friday nights me  and  my better half watch some old Rajesh Khanna movies as we both are a big fan of him. So definitely we want something to munch and that's when experimenting in the kitchen begins. So here I am with this amazing recipe Or I should rather not call it a recipe because it is basically a Combo where you just need to assemble some ingredients together and you get these delicious Sandwich bites. This fusion recipe where East meets West. I have also sneaked in some veggies in it, although on weekends I love indulging in some not so healthy stuff.The sandwich has the flavor of Bombay Chaupati and a hint of American Sauces. So let's peep in the recipe. INGREDIENTS: White or Wheat Bread your choice. Veggies again your choice. I used sliced tomatoes, cucumber and kale. Tomato Sauce  Mustard Sauce...

Have leftover rice? Don't know what to do with it? Here is the solution my dear friends. Make some rice parathas. My mom is very excited that I have started blogging and nowadays she also experiment in her kitchen. Every day she has something to share about what new she is cooking. It is like a brainstorming session with her on Skype. So yesterday she was telling me how she made parathas out of the leftover rice in  breakfast. Dad and bro enjoyed having something new. Since I have started blogging about food, whenever I get a new recipe I head towards my kitchen and try it as soon as possible. I enjoyed these parathas today in breakfast. Give it a try and let me know how you use the leftover rice.   To prevent sticking, I applied oil in my hands while making a roll INGREDIENTS: 2 cups Cooked Rice 1 cup Besan ( Gram flour)  Approx 1/4 cup Wheat Flour 1 teaspoon Chilli powder ( adjust to taste ) 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Coriander powder  Salt to tast...

The social stigma of having an 8-6 job is becoming more apparent.Especially some women take pride in saying that they are woking full time and are extremely busy. To them, women sitting at home are good for nothing as if they are wasting  their time in unproductive activities.  When I came to USA, I came across these questions quite often. Hey, what do you do the whole day? Don't you get bored? Why don't you take up some job? Well, of course out of pressure and to maintain my "status" that I am well educated and  can definitely work in a foreign country, I took up a full-time job. And that's when the real struggle started. I used to wake up at 5 a.m. , clean the house, cook, have breakfast, pack lunch for me and my husband and out of home by 9 a.m. Trust me, my husband is quite cooperative. He shares hands in household work and his job is equally demanding.He was trying hard to manage both well, as he wanted me to be happy and content. Even I thought I will be hap...

 Sweets have been a staple in my platter. I wait for the whole meal to finish fast just to relish the desert. They wake up all my senses. When I was in India I always ask my mom to get some kind of a baked cookies from the Kirana store. Coconut cookies were my favorite. I love Coconuts and anything with coconut flavor. But since I came to US I was never satisfied with the taste of cookies we get over here. I like the cookies to be crispy not chewy  and soft. So one day I thought rather than struggling to find the right  cookies outside in the markets, I should wear my apron and get into baking some home baked cookies. Since then I am hooked. Its a hit in my family. The whole batch of around  40 cookies finishes off in maximum 2 days :-) . These delightful cookies are irresistible once they are out of oven, my whole house fills with the beautiful aroma of these freshly baked cookies.Sometimes I gobble a few even before they cool down ;-). I love making my baked goods ...

We all know Chia seed has bagged a Super food Status. This tiny seed is packed with high doze of essential nutrients. What we might not be aware of is that Chia seed is gaining popularity in skin care industry too. Being a skin care therapist we always update ourselves with latest technologies and new ingredients which are gaining  popularity in skin care lines. Chia is one of them, as it has some undeniable beauty benefits. When these seeds are soaked in water  a gelatinous substance appears around the seeds, which has rejuvenating and moisturizing properties. The gel that appears around the seed act as a miracle beauty ingredient which calms down the skin and has the power to diminish the appearance of wrinkles.  These precious seeds when grounded into a fine powder can be used to exfoliate the skin. The Cold Pressed Chia Seed oil act as an Anti Aging Serum. It works great to treat wrinkles around the eye. It gives a luminous glow to the skin.The chia seed oil...

Honestly, salads had never been my favorite thing. I always used to runaway from them. I remember when my mom makes the very basic salad with tomato, cucumber and onions, I was the first one to look away from it. I want the salad plate to be at one corner where its not even visible to me. I sometimes stretch my hand out for onions though ;-).  I never knew we can have so many variations in salad and salad dressings just kick up the flavors so much. Its like goodness and deliciousness served in a single platter and trust me you gonna start falling in love with salads this way. No more I run away from them rather salads have become a staple just like lentils (Dals),veggie, rice and chapattis.  Lets get started : INGREDIENTS: FOR SALAD:  2 cups cooked chickpeas, you can use canned chickpeas too. 2 cups chopped Kale 1/cup chopped Cucumber 1/2 cup chopped Onion Cranberries a tablespoon or more if you want :-) FOR SALAD DRESSING 1/4 Extra Virgin Olive oil ( if you want to ...

FRIDAY late night cravings. No worries. This mind blowing Greek Yogurt dip with a combination of mayonnaise and cream cheese makes a perfect dip, and for sure it is much better than store bought dips.Kick up the plain yogurt with assortment of veggies, I used capsicum and onion because they are crunchy :-) INGREDIENTS : 2 cups Greek Yogurt or Plain yogurt  1/4 cup Creme cheese 1/4 cup Mayonnaise 2 tablespoon fresh creme 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion 1/4 cup finely chopped Green Capsicum Salt & Pepper to taste METHOD:  Combine all the ingredients and enjoy with you favorite chips, crackers, veggie sticks. My favorite is Monaco biscuits.  NOTE: You can use plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt but in that case you need to hang the curd in a muslin cloth for 2 hours before using it. Once all the water is drained out you will be left with thick creamy stuff just like Greek yogurt. You can experiment with different veggies. This dip will be good with most of the ve...

This recipe is really simple, super fast to make  yet delicious and healthy. I have never use this vegetable before and was dicey how it will taste. To my surprise with few additions this veggie burst out with flavors. Not only it has unbelievable good  taste but also has high nutrient content and the best part is it is  very low in calories. Asparagus is also rich in Antioxidants, which helps in fighting against the free radical damage which is responsible for many chronic diseases like cancer and also leads to aging.Some studies claim consuming Asparagus helps diabetic patients by keeping the blood sugar under control and boost up the production of insulin     (hormone that helps absorption of glucose in the body). I now make it quite often. My favorite combo with asparagus is Garlicky Lentil Soup. Lets make a a batch of it and Enjoy: INGREDIENTS: A bunch of asparagus, all the tough ends removed. 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped ( I like garlic a lot :-) ) Sa...

Cocktail of these beautiful ingredients provide you with a great deal of Vitamins and Minerals which your body needs each day.Lets review each super ingredient and decide whether to juice it up next morning or not.  1) CARROTS : Sweet and crunchy carrots add not only taste but also a high nutrition content for a vibrant morning start. They are known for improving Eyesight, have Anti Cancer benefits,strengthen the Immune System and contain a treasure of Antioxidant power.  2) GINGER : It is definitely Anti Cold and Flu, Anti Cancer , Anti Inflammatory and add a kick of aroma and flavor. Again it is also a power booster for Immune system. 3) ORANGE : Yet another ingredient which is obviously the most popular and delicious citrus fruit with wide range of health benefits .Known for its rich Vitamin C ( a potent Antioxidant)content it promotes healthy functioning of Immune System, act as an Anti Inflammatory, and also considered good for reducing Blood Cholesterol. 4) CI...

 Happy Mothers Day to all of you :-). Lets celebrate this auspicious month which I dedicate to all the beautiful mothers out there,  with Egg less Vanilla Whole Wheat Cake, yes you heard it right this cake is made with 100%Stone Ground Whole Wheat pastry flour and not white flour. It has the same texture and fluffiness which we get when we make the cake with white flour. So why not try substituting white flour with healthier versions.  I topped this cake with whipped cream some fresh fruits and cacao nibs which added a lot of flavor to the plain cake.  So lets gather all the ingredients : Ingredients 2 cups Wheat flour.  1 can condensed milk ( 14 oz ). 3/4 cup softened butter. ( I used salted butter so no need to add salt later :-) )  2 teaspoon baking powder. 1 teaspoon baking soda. 2 teaspoon vanilla extract.  1 cup milk.   Instructions * Preheat the oven at 350 F ( approx 180 C ) for 15 minutes. * Sift the wheat flour, baki...

INGREDIENTS 3 medium potatoes 2 medium tomatoes sliced 1cup kale finely chopped 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida (hing) 1 teaspoon ginger paste 1 minced green chili 2 tablespoons coriander (dhania) 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon paprika (dagi mirch) 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste 1/2 teaspoon garam masala About 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (hara dhania)                                                     METHOD Heat oil in a  pan. Add cumin seeds and when they begin to splutter, add asafoetida and crushed ginger. Stir-fry for few seconds over low heat. Add chopped potatoes.Sprinkle salt over it and cook until they become tender. Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, mix properly.  Cook for 2 minutes  until tomatoes become soft also the spices will be cooked and w...

Beat the summer heat with this cooling and refreshing drink. Chaas also known as Buttermilk(in English), Lassi and Takra in Sanskrit. Its a very popular drink in India and consumed generally after lunch. As per Ayurveda it has medicinal properties and it is packed with nutritional health benefits. We always had this drink served in our family after lunch. Yogurt, black salt, roasted ajwain(carom seeds) powder and dry or fresh mint, I love this combination. Some recipes also call for roasted cumin seeds but I like ajwain(carom seed) more. I never felt heavy or sleepy after having food. Days when I skip this drink I feel lethargic and crave for an afternoon nap.  YOU WILL NEED: 1 Cup Yogurt 2 Cups Water 1 teaspoon roasted Ajwain powder 1 teaspoon Black Salt  1 teaspoon dry or fresh mint leaves (chopped) METHOD: Blend all the ingredient well and enjoy after Lunch. NOTE: * As per Ayurveda its not a good idea to use regular commercial salt as it will k...