Paneer Nugget Casserole

Paneer Nugget Casserole that we made for lunch today, turned out so yum that i wanted to share the recipe with you all, right away!

This is a healthy, quick and easy side dish that combines the meaty texture of soya nuggets and paneer (Indian cottage cheese), studded with capsicum, tomatoes and peas, and, flavored with a medley of aromatic herbs and spices. You can enhance the flavor of this dish by adding some lime juice and coriander or mint. It tastes phenomenally well with freshly made lacha paratha and fried rice.

Soya are a great source of high quality protein, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. It's a nutrient rich plant protein that has all the essential amino acids, and make an excellent substitute for the meat-based products. You can buy the packet of soya nuggets in an Asian market, and, if you don't have an Asian market near you, you can easily find them online. Soya nuggets can be added in variety of dishes like biryani, pulao, manchurain, soya chunks curry and other stir fry dishes. They are soaked in hot salted water, until, they are soft and fluffy. Once soaked, drain and squeeze out all the excess water from them and they are ready to cook. Soaked soya nuggets should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.

Paneer, is the star ingredient of this dish. It gives a very mild and a rich creamy texture to this dish. You can either buy paneer from the market or make your own. It should be kept in the refrigerator and used within 2-3 days. I always pan-fry the paneer, so that, it retains it's shape as it cooks, soaks up the flavor, and, doesn't melts.

Paneer Nugget Casserole is an open-end recipe and it's variation are endless. You can always toss in few extra veggies and add brightness to your recipe. I always try to make it differently, depending on what is available at my home. Just keep the texture fairly chunky rather than finely chopping as it contrast well with Paneer and Soya Nuggets. You can control your spice level, mix in your favorite veggies and make it according to your taste preferences and requirements. So just follow your tastebuds and enjoy!

PANEER NUGGET CASSEROLE

Serves: 3 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Author: The Food Root

Ingredients

1 cup soya nutri nuggets
100 gms paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cut them into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large bell pepper, sliced and deseeded, cut them into 1 inch square pieces
1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
2 medium-size tomatoes, finely chopped
4 small green tomatoes, should be firm, and feel heavy in your hand, cut them into half (optional)
1/2 inch inch ginger, peeled, grated
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt or as per taste
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
chopped coriander leaves, garnishing

Method

1. Soak the soya nuggets in hot salted water for 10 minutes. Once they are soaked, wash few times, drain and squeeze out all the excess water from them and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan, gently add paneer, a pinch of salt and pan-fry them for about 3 minutes. Flip them over and let the other side also fry and keep aside.

3. Next, roast capsicum for 2 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid burning. After 2 minutes of roasting, transfer it to a bowl.

4. Now, heat oil in the same pan, and, add grated ginger, followed by chopped garlic cloves. Give it a stir and cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the chopped tomatoes over medium heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and well cooked.

6. Add the green tomatoes, sprinkle the salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Then, add peas followed by cumin and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Add the soya nuggets and the roasted capsicum. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the nuggets and capsicum are softened.

8. Add the roasted paneer cubes into the pan. Mix it together to coat the spice on paneer cubes. Cook for 2 minutes.

9. After 2 minutes, check for salt and add any, if required. Now, add some garam masala at the end and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

10. Squeeze some lime juice and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves, give it a mix and serve hot.

Notes

1. You can add your favorite veggies or whatever is available at home. The idea is to make the dish more colorful and delicious.

2. Remember to pan-fry the paneer, so that, it retains it shape as it cooks, soaks up the flavor and doesn't melts.

3. Just keep the texture fairly chunky rather than finely chopping as it contrast well with Paneer and Soya Nuggets.

5 Best Food Places In Shimla You Must Visit

Breathtaking landscapes, colossal mountains, luxurious valleys, quirky, fun, eccentric cafés and restaurants, Shimla has everything to charm you with it's timeless beauty and delightful culinary experience.

The famous Mall Road is the local hangout spot for everyone coming to Shimla. It is filled with delicious dining options, where residents and tourists can enjoy a vast array of diverse cuisines. Chic ambiance, cosy interiors, gorgeous views, scrumptious food and a well stocked bar - these places have it all. Highlighting the best of these lively eateries, here is our take on the Shimla's 5 best food places!

Cafe Simla Times

Enjoy the perfect weather with good food, chilled beer, live music and outdoor garden lounge seating at Café Simla Times. Known for it's Indian, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Thai cuisines, the place is relatively new but has gathered lots of positive reviews. This beautiful cafe has classy and visual appealing decors, with plenty of hanging lanterns. The restaurant serves some of the best wine in Shimla and have music nights to make your trip more fun. There is also an outdoor seating arrangement where you can take in the breathtaking view of the beautiful town. It's mostly crowded during peak dinner hours, still, the wait time isn't usually more than 15 minutes. I'd recommend a reservation if going with more than just a couple people.

We tried their famous woodfried pizzas, smoothies and cocktails.

Cafe Sol

Located amidst the busy street, Café Sol is certainly one of the best places to eat in Shimla. Offering the exquisite variety of Mexican, Thai and Italian dishes, it's a beautiful restaurant with well decorated interiors. Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, it's a perfect spot to sit back, relax, and converse over food and drinks. A part of Hotel Combermere, it provides an incredible sight of the beautiful landscapes of Himachal.

Greek salad and lemon cheesecakes are a must try at Cafe Sol.

Embassy

Cafes in Shimla are endless but Embassy is our top pick. Run by an old couple, this quirky cafe has got something for every foodie. It's one of the oldest cafe in town, and serves some of the best coffee and delightful munchies on Mall Road. This place has prominent and beautiful wooden interiors. The vibe is very warm, cosy and upscale rustic, perfect for relaxing with a good book or chilling with a good company. It has hundreds of handwritten messages and posters, stuck all over the walls.  The open balcony gives you a view of whole town and looks mesmerizing at night when the town lit up.

The most sought items have to be their carrot cake and walnut pie.

 Eighteen 71 Cookhouse & Bar

The Eighteen 71 welcomes you with classy interiors, an extensive menu complimented with cheerful smiles on the staff's face. It's among my favorite dining option in Shimla with good food, live music and drinks. Portion sizes are good and so is the quality of food. For people who want to have a drink with their friends, this top notch restaurant also has a well stocked bar. With options of Indian, Continental, a live food counter and fresh in house bakery products, they serve guests with lip smacking food and cocktails. 

Their tantalizing variety of vegetable focaccia, mushroom galouti kebab, and interesting cocktails cannot be missed.

Cecil

Rich with history, the Oberoi Cecil embodies old-world elegance with its opulent ambiance and rich decor. The beautiful ambiance complimented by chandeliers, bay-windows, wood paneling, floral arrangement will remind you of the British era. With comfortable seating, a glass wall gives you a stunning view of the entire city outside. Besides serving the exquisite range of international, pan-Indian and local Himachali cuisines, the chefs are always willing to prepare the other dishes on request. Each dish is creative, producing bold and complex flavors. You can make a prior reservation or just walk in, if you are a house guest at the Cecil.

We had a taste of falafel and pita in addition to dham and madra, the traditional Himachali cuisines and recommend it to all.

The list of best 5 food places doesn't end here. These were just my personal favorites which I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Shimla.

VIBRANT VEGAN BUDDHA BOWL

Getting into the groove with this vibrant vegan buddha bowl!! 

This super delicious healthy buddha bowl is packed with grains, nutrients, and tons of veggies to fuel your body and mind.

If you've been following my blog, you would know how obsessed I'm with buddha bowls. I find them so satisfying and nourishing! It's my favorite thing at the moment. You can add whatever veggies, grains, seeds available at home, combined with your favorite dressing, and have these for your breakfast, lunch or dinner!

This fast and easy salad come together in just 10 minutes. It's exciting blend of flavors, textures, and colors will leave you wanting more! This recipe is completely vegan and gluten-free.

This vibrant buddha bowl is filled with veggies like broccoli, peas, corns, tomatoes, served with brown rice and combined with ginger lime dressing.

You can dress this salad bowl with your favorite dressing, or just leave them undressed! I made a delicious, simple ginger and lime dressing, and it's so much cheaper and better than the store-bought stuff.

To make this, you'd have to cook brown rice ahead of time. I like to make big batches of brown rice (or quinoa) and keep them in the fridge so they are ready to make healthy dishes like these.

The broccoli, peas and corn stays vibrant here, because all you're doing is a quick steam then tossing with olive oil, lemon and salt. I have used fresh sweet corn. You can also use tinned corn for this salad.

I love using frozen peas in my salad. Well, you don't need to cook them but do remember to wash them with warm water, else you'll end up up with a wet mushy salad. When they are little warm, mix them up with olive oil, vinegar, lemon and salt. 

I always try to make this salad differently, depending on what is available at my home. Just have a look what you have in your kitchen, and play around with vegetables, herbs and spices, and try to make it as per your liking! For the recipe, follow these few simple steps that I have listed below.

VIBRANT VEGAN BUDDHA BOWL

Serves: 2 People

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes 

Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown rice, rinsed
1 cup broccoli, cut into florets 

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup fresh corns (low/ no salt/ tinned or frozen)

1 tomato, cut in circular shapes

2 cups cooked brown rice (or quinoa)

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided use

1/2 teaspoon salt or as per taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided use

Dressing

3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 sugar (optional)

Salt and pepper as per taste

DIRECTION 

1. Boil rice: Bring 2 cups of water to boil into a large saucepan. Once water starts boiling, add 1 cup brown rice, a pinch of salt, cover with a lid and reduce to simmer. After 30-35 minutes, turn off the heat. Remove the lid and let it stand for 10 minutes. 

2. Steam broccoli: To steam, place broccoli florets and a pinch of salt in a steamer basket with 1 inch of water. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with cold water, preferably ice cubes with it. After 2 minutes, remove the florets with a slotted spoon in a colander and immediately, plunge the florets into a bowl of ice cold water. After a minute strain them, and keep it aside. Place the broccoli in a large bowl, toss it with the oil, lemon and salt.

3. Frozen peas: Next, wash frozen peas with warm water, toss it with the oil, lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Steam or boil corns: Steam or boil fresh 2 medium corn cobs till the kernels are tender. You can steam them in an electric cooker, pressure cooker, or steamer. I cooked them in a pressure cooker, add corns along with 2 cups of water, for 4 whistles. Let them cool down and drain the water. Now place it in a bowl and toss it with olive oil, vinegar, lemon and salt.

5. Slice raw veggies: Slice any raw veggies of your choice. I added fresh tomatoes in my bowl.

6. Prepare the dressing: To make a dressing, whisk 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon vinegar in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Assemble your bowl: Assemble your bowl, add brown rice, steamed broccoli, corns, peas, and sliced tomatoes. Season the bowl with salt and pepper. Drizzle the yummy ginger lime dressing and gently toss them to combine.

8. Eat mindfully, enjoying all the flavors and textures!!! 

IF YOU LOVED THIS RECIPE, YOU WILL LOVE:

RAINBOW BUDDHA BOWL : Healthy, filling and a delicious wholesome meal, filled with rice, beans, broccoli, bell peppers, cucumber and combined with almond butter lime dressing to give it a touch of sweetness! 

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Dahlia Flowers | How to grow Dahlias in Pots

1. Growing Dahlias in Pots

Dahlia are incredibly beautiful and vibrant flowers, comes in exciting array of colors, adding spectacular beauty throughout summer.

They come in fun and striking colors from pastels to gold, neutrals to bronze, bright magenta to deep purple, dark red lavender to peach, and add a dazzling view to the garden!

Dahlias blooms in various forms, and in various varieties like spiky, ball, decorative, cactus, collarette and pompoms.

They can grow well both in pots and gardens. They are fluffy, full, luscious and looks very fascinating. You can also place these beautiful flowers by making floral centerpieces to brighten up your home.

Dahlias are grown from seeds or tubers. They need to be planted in spring season, after the threat of frost has passed. They grow up to 5-6 feet and bloom with flowers of 10-12 inches across. You can buy these flowers from nurseries or even online.

2. Plant Dahlias Tubers

Planting dahlias in a pot is a great choice for people who have little space in gardens but remember to choose a pot which is at least 12 inches in diameter and depth for optimum growth. Buy pots which are heavy as dahlias grow up to 5-6 feet and are a long standing flowers.

Soil the plant with compost and sand or humus and plant the tubers at least 6 inches deep, and about 2 to 3 feet apart, to get healthy and beautiful flowers. Avoid manure or fresh compost as it's too high in nitrogen. Continue adding soil until just an inch of empty space is left. It will take around 15-20 days to grow. Do not water the tubers right after planting, wait until the sprouts have appeared above the soil.

3. Caring for your Dahlias

Dahlias thrive in full sun with a minimum of 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. Water them at least twice or thrice a week. They start blooming about 7-8 weeks after planting. Spray these flowers with fungicide or insecticide as needed.

They are often discarded after they stop blooming although they can be planted again from the cuttings. You need to cut the plants back to 2-3 inches above ground, trim the yellow leaves and mulch heavily so that they bloom again in fall season.

It's surprising, how many people think that Dahlia is hard to grow, but it's absolutely not, you just need to know the basics. I hope these few tips have helped you.

Happy Gardening!
Have a beautiful day!

10 SUPERFOODS YOU SHOULD BE EATING RIGHT NOW

Superfoods are the special category of foods that contain a wide variety of antioxidants, fiber, minerals and vitamins. These little fellas are great for your nervous system, offer protection against heart diseases, help in reduce inflammation, and support the immune system.

Stock your kitchen with these superfood staples. You can easily incorporate them into your everyday meals. They are easy to consume, relatively available in every supermarket and grocery store.

1. Tomato

Tomatoes are the most commonly used fruit. They are the major dietary source of lycopene, which improves the bone mass and boost immune system. It may also reduce the risk of cancer and heart diseases. Tomato contain fat-burning compound known as 9-oxo-ODA which helps with fat loss. They are both nutritious and delicious and can be easily incorporated in your diet.

Tomatoes are the important ingredient of many cuisines. They are used to make sauces, soups, salads, pizza, lasagna, pasta and many other variety of dishes. Remember the tomato soup I made last year?

2. Spinach

Spinach is the world's healthiest superfood. These dark green leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamin A, B, C, E and K. They are an excellent source of magnesium, potassium, calcium, choline and folate. Spinach can lower the risk of cancer and heart related problems, it can control the diabetes and reduce blood pressure. It plays an important role in building healthy skin tissues and promoting blood cell growth.

You can add them in salads, sprinkle it on pasta and add in your smoothies. You can also make a simple sauteed spinach recipe in a pan.

3. Green tea

I'm a tea-lover and a pretty regular one. I always start my day with a cup of green tea. There are lots of varieties of tea like - black, green, white, oolong but my favorite is green tea. Green tea is becoming popular specially in the fitness world. It contain all the antioxidants that boost metabolism and could help in reducing the risk of diabetes, heart attack, stoke and cancer. It contains less caffeine than coffee, helps with weight loss and keep the immune system strong.

Add it into a lukewarm water or add milk or lemon for more flavor and enjoy.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt is a dairy product prepared from the bacterial fermentation of milk, often sweetened and flavored. It can also be prepared at home. There are plenty of benefits of yogurt, they are helpful in developing stronger bones, improves the immunity and the digestion system. It's rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Yogurt can be blended or served as a base of smoothies. It can be added in soups, curries and can also be cooked with tofu or paneer. You can cook kadhi, yogurt based curry or raita, common condiment eaten in Asia and India.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a perfect breakfast as it's filling and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. They are great source of fiber, potassium and calcium. Oats are natural superfood, made out whole grain and fiber which helps in reducing the cholesterol and blood pressure. They are great as a breakfast, snack, a post-work-out snack.

Eat it as a porridge replacement, sprinkle over your cereal, or your smoothie.

6. Sprouts

I love eating sprouts as it's a wonderfully high protein, low fat snack which includes all the nutrients. Sprouts are the most convenient and healthy superfood. They are energy boosting enzymes, extremely alkalizing and rich in micro-nutrients. They are loaded with protein, vitamin B1 and B6, vitamin K and minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorous and zinc..

Add them in salads, coleslaw.

7. Purple carrots

Wow, now purple carrots are my favorite! As the name suggest, it has bright purple skin and flesh that comes in the shade of yellow and orange. According to an Australian study, purple carrots are the next big superfood. It's a relatively unknown superfood, filled with anti-inflammatory goodness. It is rich in anthocyanin, help in in treating neurological disorders like Alzheimer's, improving heart related problems. They are low in calories and rich in dietary fibre, vitamin C, K, potassium and manganese are a good source of carotenoids.

Add them in your salads, smoothies or can also stit-fry it.

8. Garlic

Garlic, the pungent member of the allium family is widely popular in Asian and Indian cooking. It's a great source of vitamin C, B1, B6, manganese, copper, biotin and fiber. It helps in regulating sugar level and help people with type1 and type2 diabetes. Garlic also has lot of anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It contains high levels of sulphuric compounds which helps in lowering down the cholesterol level, reducing the blood pressure, boosting the immune system and supporting the digestive health.

They are used to add flavor in variety of dishes like soups, dips, stir fries, stews, etc.

9. Lentils

They are practically the cheapest and the easiest superfood to prepare. These pulse are used in many Asian and Indian countries. Lentils requires a long cooking time in kitchen but they make a delicious and healthy snack. They are high in iron, protein, and other nutrients. They are known for managing blood sugar levels and keep you full for hours.

Use variety of beans to make lentil soup or curries, add them to quesadillas along with other fillings, add them to salad, eat them with Indian breads or rice, or just as a snack.

10. Beets

Beet is the most beautiful vegetable. They are blood red in color. It has a sweet and earthy flavor. It is also used as a natural coloring agent. Beet roots are high in vitamins A, B & C, Potassium, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorous and Fiber. It helps in the treatment of anemia, indigestion, cancer and heart diseases. Beets are also good for pregnant women since they are a source of Vitamin B. It's low in calories and high in carbs. Vitamin C helps in fighting cancer and helps to prevent Respiratory problems.

It is frequently added as an ingredient to salads, soups and pickle, you can also make a beetroot drink.

Which is your favorite superfood?
How do you incorporate it into your diet?

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