Varada's Kitchen and Garden

Parathas or stuffed savory flat-breads are a life savor for busy families. You can make the stuffing with a lot of different ingredients easily available in your kitchen. My favorites potato , avocado and kale . In winter try the methi paratha made with fenugreek or methi leaves. There are even parathas you can make with leftover dal or mung curry . 20 Fabulous Paratha Recipes

This recipe is my new favorite. The flavors of spiced up chickpeas and avocado are great! This chickpea and avocado spreadable salad is great on its own as a side or can be spread on toast for a great breakfast or lunch sandwich.  A hint of lemon juice enhances the flavor or do not leave that out. I made this chickpeas avocado spreadable for my daughter last week. She used it on her toast for breakfast. It is a great alternative to egg salad or avocado toast. It is nutrient rich and keeps you satiated for a long time. That makes it a perfect recipe for breakfast. It is not messy and travels well so it can be used for school lunches as well. It is best kept refrigerated. You will need 1/2 cup dry chickpeas or 1 can of garbanzo beans 1 avocado 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder (increase quantity to taste) juice of 1/2 a lime salt and pepper Soak the dry chickpeas overnight and cook them in a pressure cooker the next day. I usually cook them in the instant pot for 17 minutes on

Healthy nutritious snack options are always on my list of recipes to try. Spicy roasted chickpeas were on my list for a long time. I finally got a chance to post the recipe today. I keep this recipe simple for a spicy tart taste. You can increase the amount of spice or use your favorite spice mix for the flavors you love. The question I get asked a lot is can you bake without oil? The trick to baking without oil is to keep the temperature lower than the recipes with oil. This prevents the food from burning up. If I were to use oil I would roast these peas at 400 F. Without oil 375 or even 350 F will suffice. Keep them longer to get them dry and crunchy. You will need 1/2 cup dry chickpeas or 1 can of garbanzo beans salt and pepper to taste 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder Spice mix 1 tsp. Chaat masala or 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. cumin powder or 1 tsp. coriander powder 1 tsp. cumin powder Soak the chickpeas overnight and cook in a pressure cooker until fork tende

Today I am posting a tried and tested recipe for channa masala without oil. If you have ever eaten channa masala in a restaurant you had to have seen the oil. You may then wonder how it is possible to make this dish without oil. The reality is oil does not add as much flavor. As long as the onion tomato mix is thoroughly cooked with the spices the channa masala turns out perfect. You will never miss the oil. I made this channa masala after my daughter returned home for summer. She wanted some of her favorites and this dish places somewhere at the top of her list. You will need 1 cup dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans (or 1 can) 1 small onion 1 medium tomato 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp. tamarind paste 1 tbsp. channa masala spice mix 1 tsp. turmeric powder salt to taste Soak the dry beans overnight. Next day pressure cook the beans under fork tender. For me it is 15 minutes under pressure or if using the instant pot then 17 minutes manual mode under pressure.

One pot meals are a favorite in my house. But they have taken on a whole new form lately. About 3 months back I decided to stop using oil or processed food. The family was not really on board so I made small portions for myself. To make it easy on myself I would cook one pot meals. As the recipes evolved everyone in the house wanted what I was having. We all love fresh vegetables and with the right spices and legumes for flavor these one pot meals are delicious. I add a whole grain to the pot to make it it a complete nutritious meal. There is so much variety in beans, lentils and whole grain, there are endless flavorful combinations. Try it, you will love it. This is a very nutrient rich dish. Each serving is rich is protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and complex carbs. When you eat this kind of food you have to remember that a large volume accounts for a relatively small amount of calories. Each serving of a large filling bowl of food is about 140 calories. Note: Cook the legum

This Sweet and Sour Tofu recipe is a favorite in my house. The flavors are so good together. The roasted sesame seeds enhance that flavor and best of all it is baked. The recipe itself is very simple. The sauce adds all the flavor and is made with ingredients you should have around the house. Baking simplifies the cooking process even further. I rarely prepare tofu at home. I usually never get around to buying it. But when I do this is one of the recipes I make. Here in the US, Tofu is often used in restaurants as a vegetarian/vegan substitute for animal based add-ins, fondly called 'protein'. I have always found that weird. Protein is not a food group, it is a macro. And we know there is protein in all plant based foods, even potato. But I digress. I like tofu and so does my family. We prefer the extra firm kind that holds its shape. You can eat this Sweet and Sour Tofu as a snack, a side to a stir fry or you can eat it as the main dish to a side of fried rice. Y

Breakfast is usually a busy time of the day in most homes and my house is no exception. Fixing lunch, getting ready for work, feeding the cats and taking them for a stroll in the garden are some of the things that have to get done. When everything is done, I like to sit down with the family for breakfast. Oatmeal is my go to breakfast. It is the easiest breakfast to put together with a variety of ways to cook it. Last year I posted my favorite oatmeal recipe. That was before I cut dairy out of my diet. Today I am posting my current favorite vegan oatmeal recipe. I had toyed with using water instead of milk for a long time but I have a problem with mushy texture so I was not sure it would work for me. If you do not like mushy food try this recipe. Have fun with the toppings. Anything that enhances the flavor works. Here is are some ideas of what I like and use frequently. You will need 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats 1 scant tsp. chia seeds 1 tsp. ground flax seeds (I b