Add Color To Your Meal With Cucumber-Beetroot Salad

Colorful and well laid out food never stops to inspire us. Even the most disinterested people will halt in their step, if they see a well laid out table. Being an Indian, the usual table fare is all about dal (Lentils), subji (vegetable), roti (flat bread) and rice. This can get boring after a point. This is why chutneys, salads, raitas are a regular on my table to at least get the family to come and see whats on the table. An extra 10 minutes, when you get children or husband to lay out the table can add the much needed zing to the table.

Time: 15 min
Serves: 3

Get together:

• 2 Cucumbers - Medium Size
• 1 Beetroot
• 2-3 springs of Dill
• 1 tsp Lemon juice 
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts (optional)
• 1 tsp black salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder

Now just do this:

• Peel and finely dice or grate cucumber
• Boil beetroot and finely dice
• Wash and chop dill
• Combine all these ingredients and add lemon juice, peanuts, salt and cumin powder
• Chill and serve

You could also:

• Add sesame seeds
• Temper it with 1/2 tsp oil and mustard seeds

Enjoy the dash of color!

Nutrition information for beetroot, dill and cucumber.

Disclaimer: Nutrition link leads to another site, and I cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of this information. The photographs are owned by the author. Please give due credit to the author and blog when referring to this recipe.

Start The Day With A Refreshing Chickoo Smoothie

I usually end my morning run with a glass of home made smoothie. This is the first meal of the day, and keeps me going for at least another hour after my run. This weekend when I shopped for fruit, I was spoilt for choice, There were at least fifteen fruits available in the store. I ofcourse, only bought 10. I just cannot stop myself once I see fruits in all their myriad colors. As the strawberries are on their way out, summer fruits like melons, mangoes (is that a fruit), are on their way in, making for a delicious overlap period. Check out my weekly fruit shopping here.

I am sharing a very simple recipe this time - Chickoo (Sapota) shake / smoothie. I usually mix in both home made yogurt and milk to get that lovely, easy to gulp in large mouthfuls, consistency. Sapota or Sapodilla or Chickoo is a sweet, calorie rich fruit. A sweet concoction where you do not need to add any sugar or sweetener at all. No wonder the smoothie tastes like it does after a run!

Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 3

Get together:

• 4 sapotas / chikoo - Peeled and diced
• 1 cup low fat curd / yogurt (Vegans can try other curds)
• 2 glasses of chilled low fat milk (Vegans can try almond, coconut or soy milk)
• 6 almonds
• 6 walnut kernels
• A blender

Now follow the procedure

• Add fruits, almonds, walnuts, curd, and 1/4 glass milk to the jar and blend. 
• Once you get a paste like consistency, ad the rest of the milk and churn. 
• The refreshing drink is ready.

You could also

• Substitute 2 chickoos with one banana
• Add some strawberries
• Use only milk or only curd - will change both consistency and taste
• Add honey
• Add all the milk in one go, if you like chunks of fruit and dry fruits, rather than a 'smooth' texture

Enjoy the variations!!

Sapota nutrition information here.


Disclaimer: Nutrition link leads to another site, and I cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of this information. The photographs are owned by the author. Please give due credit to the author and blog when referring to this recipe.