Jag's Kitchen Stories

Gajar Halwa | Carrot Halwa-   One of the most popular North Indian dessert. In India, winters are incomplete without having Gajar Halwa/Carrot Halwa. This dessert is easy to make and tastes absolutely divine. It is very popular across India. Many  weddings   and small functions often end with this halwa served after meals. I haven’t heard of any Indian who doesn’t love carrot halwa. Have you? It’s a winter delicacy and is made by using the juicy carrots. This popular Indian dessert is prepared at least 2-3 times in every North Indian Household during winters. Though winter in India is almost gone but we still have freezing winters here in London. So I made this halwa last week on a freezing rainy day. My mom makes the best ever carrot halwa and today I am sharing her simple and easy recipe to make this.   This sweet Indian pudding is a very delicious combination of carrots, pure ghee, milk, khoya (mawa), cardamoms and assorted nuts. It is a light nutriti...

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake:   An ultimate fusion cheesecake made with cottage cheese/ paneer, stuffed with Gulab jamun, flavoured with saffron, cardamom & rose essence and garnished with dried rose petals and pistachios.  As Raksha Bandhan is just round the corner, sisters must have bought the best 'rakhi' for their loving brothers by this time. They must be thinking of perfect dress to wear and yummiest  sweet to buy or make at home for this special day. I used to be very excited for this festival in my childhood. My mom used to make variety of dishes and sweets on this festival.  As any Indian festival is incomplete without sweets so make this a memorable one by giving your brother a unique & glamorous fusion sweet treat from my kitchen.  My today’s recipe is inspired by the concept of fusion food which is the latest cool and interesting concept in the culinary world. This trend has brought innovation at its best. It takes the ideas from di...

Mixed Sprouts Salad- Moong beans and black chickpeas Sprouts infused with tangy and spicy, lime & green chilli dressing. This mixed sprouts salad is not only bursting with gorgeous colors but it’s delicious & nutritious as well. I used two type of sprouts to make this mixed sprouts salad. You can add more if you want. It is super healthy, tasty and a great addition to your meal or the complete meal itself!  This refreshing and nourishing sprouts salad is a good source of protein and calcium. It is perfect for breakfast and light lunch. Make ahead and let it chill in the refrigerator for flavors to mingle. My sprouts salad is combination of handful of moong sprouts, handful of black chickpeas sprouts, refreshing cucumber, tangy tomatoes, crunchy red onion, healthy dry fruits plus sweet, tangy and hot flavors of lime & green chilli dressing. I love having this salad in my breakfast. It is quick and easy from start to serve. Sprouting moong beans and black...

Carrot kheer / Carrot Pudding / Carrot Payasam - Traditional dessert treat which tastes divine.  Carrot kheer   is very popular in South India and referred as Carrot Payasam. Perfect for Navratri. Festive season is round the corner and I can see delightful and sinful fast recipes all over the social media. So, thought to contribute a little from my end as well. This post is dedicated to all my friends in India and across the world who are fasting during these Navratri days.😊 Festivals are always incomplete without sweets so today I am sharing a very interesting and easy to make recipe which is perfect for fasting. Carrot kheer / Carrot Pudding - Traditional dessert treat which also tastes divine. It is very popular in South India and referred as Carrot Payasam. Carrot kheer / Carrot Pudding is a healthy and delectable sweet pudding made with carrots, milk and nuts. It tastes delicious and the color of the kheer itself is so tempting and appealing. You don't h...

Crostini- Bite-sized toasted bread with vegetables and cheese topping. Crostini means ‘little crusts’ in Italian. Crostini are  an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and various toppings . Crostini are the perfect party appetizer. You can top them with whatever ingredients sound delicious, whether they are sweet, spicy or even a fruit. A Crostini is usually buttered or brushed with olive oil before topping it. Choosing topping ingredients with contrasting colors gives the Crostini an attractive look, you can also sprinkle some fresh parsley on the buttered Crostini- it tastes awesome! 😋 These tiny bite-sized Crostini are a great appetizer with a drink. I made these with baguette and chose colorful vegetables, flavorful herbs as toppings. You can make these Crostini very healthy by using multi grain loaf and you can even avoid cheese if you want. Costini are super easy to make at home, just follow the detailed, step by step recipe ...

Sooji Badam Halwa | Semolina Almond Pudding- Easy Indian dessert recipe with step by step photos. Sooji Badam Halwa is one of the easiest and quickest recipes that you can make in minutes for your loved ones. It is one of the most popular desserts in India. In many Indian homes, Sooji Badam Halwa is traditionally served on many festive occasions and Pooja (prayer ceremonies) as Prasad (religious offering, consumed after completion of ceremonies). This is such Indian dessert that can be made without any advance preparation. The main ingredient is this dessert is semolina/sooji. The other component of this sooji badam halwa, as the name says, is badam/almonds. Not only they add lovely nuttiness, soft and melt-in-mouth texture to the dessert but also make it nutritious. You can always play around with the proportions of almond powder. Add more or less, it’s your choice. Instead of adding sugar, saffron, cardamom and water separately and directly into the halwa, I use saffron...

Falafel / Chickpea Fritters- P rotein  and F iber packed  deep-fried balls or patties made with Chickpeas. Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern dish, commonly served in a pita or wrapped in a flatbread. The origin of Falafel is controversial, it is believed that Falafel started life in Egypt. Falafel plays an iconic role in Israeli cuisine and is widely considered to be the national dish of the country. The version made with chickpeas is wildly popular. When made with chickpeas,  Falafel  is high in protein  and fiber . Key nutrients are calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B, and folate . Falafel is high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol. They are very healthy but contain a considerable amount of fat which is absorbed during the frying process. Falafel can be baked also to reduce the high fat content associated with frying. Falafel has become very popular among vegetarians and vegans. It’s a grea...

Chia Pudding:  Fiber and Protein packed super healthy breakfast!😋 Today, I’m very much excited to bring you another delicious and super healthy & simple recipe using Chia seeds and yoghurt. Chia Seed Pudding, what an amazing and filling breakfast. This magical Chia seed protein pudding is packed with a lot of nutrition into one serving. You’re going to love this healthy gluten-free treat. It is also an ideal option for the people who just can't be bothered in the morning for breakfast😉 It can be enjoyed as a snack, dessert or breakfast. Let’s talk about Chia Seeds first. Chia Seeds, scientifically known as Salvia hispanica, they are considered to be one of the few super foods that nature has given us. These tiny little seeds are amazing and loaded with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. High cholesterol, heart disease, and high blood pressure can all be brought under control by these Chia seeds. If you are looking to lose weigh...

Watermelon Feta Lasagna- Sweet and juicy watermelon sheets layered with feta cheese , fresh basil , walnuts and simply dressed with olive oil and lime juice. Nothing says summer quite like a juicy and sweet slice of chilled watermelon . Eating the fruit raw is a perfect way to taste the summer, but you can also be a little creative with your summer fruit and do something fancy like this fruit lasagna. ☺ This recipe with watermelon , feta and basil is perfect for low carbs lifestyles and for those on diets or weight management programs. The combination provides a lot of health benefits as well! Watermelon is 92% water by weight. It’s also packed with vitamin A, B6 and C and is a great source of Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps in fighting heart disease and cancer and also great for your vision. Basil contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial compounds. It also regulates blood sugar levels and fights cancer. Fet a is a rich source of calcium and contains l...

'Spaghetti Aglio e Olio’🍝 - Quick and easy traditional Italian pasta made with olive oil and garlic. ‘Spaghetti Aglio e Olio’ is a traditional pasta dish of the southern and central Italy. ‘Spaghetti Aglio e Olio’ basically means Spaghetti with olive oil and garlic. The simplest and the most basic of all pasta, ‘Spaghetti Aglio e Olio’ is made from only six basic ingredients that most of us have in our cupboard.  Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is one of my favorites, not only it is quick and easy to make, but it also reminds me of Italy. I tasted it for the first time in Rome only and I loved it! It has become our lazy night dinner when I don’t really want to do a lot of chopping or too much cooking and would rather spend that time slouching on the couch and watching Netflix.😎 Try this recipe when you are stuck for ‘what to cook’ ideas or short on time. This simple pasta dish is very popular all over the world and is always a good choice when you don’t have much time to c...