Lightened-up classic meals

Chicken manchow soup

This is pale brown coloured translucent soup with a fair visibility of fresh veggies and chicken or mushrooms in it. The crunchy vegetables with the goodness of chicken and the fried noodles garnish, make this bowl of soup a blissful bowl. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

• 2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies

• ¼ cup finely chopped carrot

• 200g finely chopped chicken (opt this out if you are making veg soup)

• ¼ cup shredded cabbage

• ¼ cup finely chopped

red bell pepper

• ¼ cup finely chopped capsicum

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons tomato puree

• 1 tablespoon red chili sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon vinegar

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Salt to taste (remember, soy sauce contains salt already)

Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in nonstick saucepan or wok on high flame. Add garlic and half of the green chillies in the oil and sauté for 30 seconds. Be careful not to brown the garlic. Add carrot and chicken and sauté for 2-3 minutes on high flame. Once carrot and chicken are almost done add cabbage, bell pepper, and capsicum and sauté for 1 minute on high flame. Take a small mixing bowl and mix tomato puree, red chilli sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar together and pour into the wok. Add chicken stock and stir gently. Keep on high flame and allow boiling for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the spring onion and ground black pepper and switch off the flame. If you are using salt add at this point.

Transfer to the serving bowls and serve piping hot immediately. Garnish with more spring onion and fried noodles on top.

Restaurant-style khichdi

Khichdi always makes a wholesome and delicious meal. Give this khichdi a restaurant touch with whole spices, onions, garlic and tomatoes. This imparts a tangy twist to the khichdi making it light on the stomach.

Ingredients

• 1 cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea), washed and drained

• 1 cup rice, washed and drained

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

• Salt to taste

• 5 cups of water

•1 tablespoon ghee

• 2 cloves

• 25 mm (1”) stick cinnamon

• 6 to 8 black peppercorns

• 2 round red chillies

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 2 green chillies, slit

• 6 to 8 curry leaves

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

• 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon chilli powder

Preparation

Combine the tuvar dal, rice, turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon of asafoetida, salt and 5 cups of water in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.

Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside. Heat the ghee in a deep non-stick wok, add the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, red chillies, and cumin seeds and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of asafoetida, green chillies, curry leaves, onions, garlic, and tomatoes and sauté on a medium flame till the tomatoes soften.

Add the cooked rice-dal mixture, mix well, and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Serve hot with poppadoms.

Caesar salad on a stick

Caesar salad is a filling yet light on the stomach salad and here is a new twist to it. Serve it on a stick. It’s such a fun way to serve salad.

Ingredients

• 4 wooden (bamboo) or other disposable skewers (such as plastic)

• 4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped into large chunks (a bag of chopped Romaine lettuce will work)

• 200g cooked chicken cubes

• 16 small cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

• 4-5 cheese slices

• 2 tablespoons light Caesar dressing

• 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

To make each salad stick: Make a small stack of lettuce (about ¼ cup of lettuce) and thread onto stick. Next add 1 chicken cube and 1 cherry tomato. Add 1 more stack of lettuce. Add 1 chicken cube and 1 tomato. Repeat these steps 2 more times ending with 1 tomato on top. You can add sliced cheese too. Follow the same steps to make the remaining three salad sticks. Place salad sticks on a serving plate. Drizzle each with 2 teaspoons salad dressing and sprinkle ½ teaspoon Parmesan cheese on each. These can be prepped in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Drizzle the dressing and sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

Source :Times Of Oman