Drumstick leaves and Potato stir fry

The biggest tree I remember from my childhood days back at my home in North India was this rough and tough ,"Drumstick tree".This tree was something,as if mom also fed it a jug of Horlicks or something,it grew leaps and bounds within no time and was quite fruitful.Not only us ,all our neighbors equally targeted it as a part of their balanced diet every now and then.Sometimes it was the drumstick/fruit,sometimes the flowers and sometimes the leaves.Poor tree sacrificed itself strongly,happily and willingly like a statue.Bechara,kaam ka bhoj ka maara !!Sigh !!

I really felt bad for this tree.I wished mom wouldn't at least attack this tree for my sake or say my excuse not to eat these leaves.I never liked it especially the leaves.The smell itself used to be such a big turn off.It made me feel nothing less than a cow /goat eating grass.And that "vomiting-expression on my face"made my mom really roar like a lioness.And the next thing we know ,she starts lecturing (like I do here ;P) about how nutritious these leaves are.I would simply run for my walkman then.

However,after coming to US after marriage,the mere thought of each and every item prepared by mom in the past made me utterly drooling and craving. There were hardly any food I hated anymore.The same thing happened with the drumstick leaves as well.

Infact,here it is quite rarely available.It is like once in a blue moon kinda vegetable here.I came across only once or twice in Indian store so far and whenever I did,I am sure every people in the store thought I was running to defuse a bomb or something.Poor honey P was like,OH NOOOO!..There she goes and I didn't see it.She is not with me people.

This summer was the second time,I bought bunch of fresh drumstick leaves and I couldn't wait further to cook different recipes and torture my kitchen .The first recipe that I prepared was Drumstick leaves and potato stir fry.Very simple side dish that can be enjoyed with hot plate of rice and curry or any roti,parantha etc.

Drumstick leaves and potato stir fry

Ingredients

Potato,small,diced - 4-5 nos

Drumstick leaves - 1 cup

Onion ,small,sliced-1 no.

Green chillies -1-2 nos.

Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1/4 teaspoon(optional)

Asafoetida- a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Red dry chilly ,broken-2

Curry leaves-4-5 nos

Salt to taste

Coconut oil - 1-2 tablespoons

Method :

• Wash the drumstick leaves well ,chop them and keep them aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai/pan,temper mustard seeds,cumin seeds,dry chillies and asafoetida.
• Add the sliced onions and green chillies and saute till onions turn translucent.
• Add curry leaves,saute,then add the potato cubes and the chopped drumstick leaves,saute them for a minute.
• Add turmeric powders,red chilly powders and Garam masala,stir well.
• Add a teaspoon of water,mix ,cover and cook on low flame until the potatoes are tender and drumstick leaves are cooked..
• Uncover it ,add a teaspoon of oil and salt to taste ,mix well and keep sauteing for a minute or two.
• Drumstick potato stir fry is ready.
• Serve it hot with plain rice and curry.

Note:

• Pluck drumstick leaves that look fresh not wilted or discolored otherwise it will taste quite bitter and discard the stalks.

 

The addition of potato definitely made this dish more yummy.It was like potato recommending me indirectly,look now ,how tasty drumsticks are,you'll love it :P.But jokes apart,I agree,I so under estimated the goodness of these humble tree .I am not a fan yet but I don't hate it either. How about you?

Eat,love,live DELICIOUSLY,

Melonade

My Heart stealer !

  Do you know what I do when life gives me lemon ? You guessed it right,I make "Lemonade" and when life gives me "Melon" ,I make ,whoa you brilliant ,you are so right,I make "MELONADE" .High ten!

Usually ,everyone makes drinks like this especially during summer, to keep them cool, I mean physically but as usual,weirdo me always do the opposite ...When everyone goes left ,I go right...I know you'll say ,"DUH!!" ,if you follow my blog ,you know that I am nothing like any other blogger ,I am someone who as usual breaks all the rules ....even in blogging...Manufacturing defect in my DNA I guess :P (Viewer discretion advised -->my mom & dad ) .

Don't break my heart!

So,what was I saying...yeah ,right Melonade!...Thanks for reminding !...Well,what can I say ,I love melons, so I guess ,I got super excited when I saw the Biig water melon at the store at a very good price ..even though Honey P warned me..."Are you sure you want that Huge water melon ?"

I was like,"Are you kidding me honey P,hell yeah !" .....As usual ,after having chunks of water melon everyday,I got fed up and my refrigerator was also not happy like honey P it seems,I got a warning that ,"Don't you put that huge stuff in me-I am full!" .So poor me ,had to come out with some recipes soon to finish and demolish this huge greeny pinky fruit ASAP.

A bloody Melony....

 My last post MeLuce popsicle was one such creation and then ,I thought I will make a drink like a post workout drink...Whoa my treadmill and my body are ROFL !! ...well :-\


So,yeah this is one of my energy drink (now my lazy body will agree with me here for sure).I know you brilliant people (unlike me) ,would have already guessed it,but still ,Melonade is a fusion of  water MELON + lemonADE . I love it when our well known lemonade becomes tad colorful !!It's like I just murdered the lemonade hahaha....

Jokes apart. Melonade is very simple to make and quite a refreshing healthy drink.


This is how I make my Melonade,

Melonade

Ingredients

Watermelon juice - 2 cups

Lemon juice (1 large lemon)- 1/4 cup

Sugar/Sugar free to taste (optional)

Regular Soda water as needed (optional)

Ice cubes as needed

Method :

• Mix watermelon juice,lemon juice and sugar well until sugar completely dissolves, in a jar.
• Add the soda water and ice cubes.
• Mix and serve in a glass/glasses immediately.

I betcha,you will drink and say,"Dil maange more "/"My heart wants more" ,I did! ..Thank God!...and that's how I successfully completed that huge water melon to everyone's delight at my home.Now onwards, I'll buy small to medium size water melon only...what say ?...

By the way,it was so fun watching honey P lifting that huge water melon at the store,he can, for sure ,now win the world's weightlifting championship without any hassle ....

Eat,love,DRINK,live DELICIOUSLY,

MeLuce Popsicle

Melon+Lettuce

 I think, I am ,as always ,in a denial mode.Oh wait may be also in a bit cheating mode !

 I hate winter.I simply can't digest the fact that summer is gone.I want to freeze some summer fun I always look forward to.One among them are ice creams or ice pops/popsicles !! So,simply put,I made a very healthy and vibrant looking ice pop to rekindle the bygone summer
.

And as I said,I am also in a bit cheating mood or mode ,as I am using water melon juice and lettuce juice instead of something creamy,chocolate-y and henceforth ,cheating my palate and making it believe ,so what if it's made up of water melon and lettuce juice,it is an Ice pop.Enjoy !! Look at those colors ,how can you resist it ? Moreover,it is so healthy and so guilty free ...every bite will remind you ..gosh summer is still around !!

 Yep,the child in me always craves for ice creams or ice pops and my unhealthy calorie laden body craves for whatever but healthy !!...The outcome/compromise - An ice pop made up of water melon and lettuce juice !!

By the way ,why I chose Lettuce juice ? Well,to make a good use of leftover lettuce which would otherwise refuse to stay green for long in my refrigerator,they also get depression episode ,you see!!

And yeah,Water Melon+LetTuce = MeLuce popsicle.I had to name it so ,as I was afraid if my better 1//2 would otherwise refuse to eat it if he comes to know that the green thing is nothing but lettuce juice(He is not a lettuce fan).He thought it was something hi-fi.I revealed this secret once he was done with one and yes my fear did come true, rest of'em he left for me to complete happily.Lucky me !

Did you know ?

Lettuce juice is very helpful for healthy growth of hair .

Water Melon & Lettuce Popsicle

Makes 4

Ingredients

Water melon juice - 1 cup

Lettuce juice - 1 cup

Popsicle mold- 4 nos

Popsicle sticks - 4 nos

Method:

1. Fill each mold with a layer (about 3/4 th size of the mold) of watermelon juice.
2. Keep it in the freezer for an hour or until completely frozen.
3. Now on top of that, put the second layer of lettuce juice.
4. Keep it in the freezer until partially frozen enough to put the sticks into it and the sticks should stand firm.Keep it in the freezer until full frozen.
5. Remove the frozen popsicles from the freezer and dip them slowly in a pan of warm water for about 10-20 seconds until it is loosened or splash warm water to the sides of the pop mold until it loosens up.

Note:

1.  I didn't add any sugar.The water melon is sweet enough for me.
2. To make lettuce juice,take a few leaves and puree it in a blender it with enough water until it becomes juice-y.You can add sugar here if you wish.
3. Make sure that the first layer is completely frozen before adding the next layer, otherwise they will bleed and get mixed and second one should be partially frozen ,initially, so that stick can be inserted into it and then full frozen  . 
4. You can also incorporate this popsicle (like next day) in another healthy smoothie as well.

 So,who said that you can't have a healthy -guilt free popsicle  and even if it's winter.This is my frozen edible summer version - colorful and healthy !! or another healthy beautiful way to incorporate healthy foods in my boring diet.How cool is that !..Ice ice baby.....

P.S.Another healthy Tri color Popsicle