Lima Beans/ Vaal Khichdi

Ingredients:

1 cup Lima Beans
1 1/2 cup Rice
5 Tbsp Butter
2 Bay leaf
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3 Cloves (Optional)
3-4 Garlic cloves mashed or chopped (Optional)
2 small Cinnamon piece (Optional)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder (Can add more as per taste)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 cup chopped Vegetables (I've used 1/2 cup peas, 1/4 cup brinjal, 1/4 cup potato, 1/4 cup french beans, 3/4 cup cauliflower)
1 big Onion (chopped)
4 cup Water
Salt as per taste

Method:
Wash Lima beans and Rice under water. Soak them for 10-15 minutes. Rinse water, keep aside.
In a pressure cooker heat butter then add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to splutter add all vegetables and dry ingredients like turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix it well.
Add rice and lima beans, give it a stir for 2 minutes on medium heat.Add 4 cup water. 
Let it cook till 4 whistles.
Serve it hot with Curd/ Buttermilk or Kadhi.

Note: 

Vaal Khichdi is a delicious rice based dish from the Gujarati cuisine made with rice and lima beans (commonly called as Vaal Dal in Gujarati).

This dish is a healthy and nutritional one dish meal that can be eaten on its own or served with yoghurt/ buttermilk or kadhi.

Note: 
Vaal Khichdi is a delicious rice-based dish from the Gujarati cuisine made with rice and lima beans (commonly called as Vaal Dal in Gujarati).
This dish is a healthy and nutritional one-dish meal that can be eaten on its own or served with yoghurt/ buttermilk or kadhi.

Benefits:
Lima beans are a very healthy food item and also protects and cures many diseases. It gives you an almost complete balanced diet.
They are highly nutritious and have a high content of Vitamins A, B and C which help in making the body strong and healthy and protect against innumerable diseases. 
It also has a high fibre content, is highly beneficial for diabetic patients which regulates blood sugar levels normal. It also raises the energy level. 
Lima beans are very well known for lowering cholesterol levels.
After a meal, and also helps in proper functioning of your digestive system. 

It is a rich source of iron which is especially needed by a menstruating woman, most of whom suffer from iron deficiencies. Iron is also responsible for the building of haemoglobin, which is a vital component of blood.

Walnut/ Akhrot Sheera

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup Slightly crushed Walnuts

1 cup Milk

1/4 cup Unsalted butter

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Nutmeg and Cardamom powder (Pistachios for garnishing is optional)

Method:

In a non-stick pan, add butter and walnuts. Roast them till you get nice aroma(don't overcook).

Add Milk and stir till you see butter leaving sides.

Add Sugar and mix it well till sugar melts.

When milk evaporated and the mixture gets a thick consistency, it's ready to eat.

Sprinkle Nutmeg & Cardamom powder and serve it hot.

Benefits:

Omega 3 helps to fight against heart diseases.

Antioxidants, Vitamin E and Gallic Acid help to reduce cholesterol level.

Omega 3 fatty acid plays a vital role in blood circulation.

Vitamin A and E help to stop hair-fall and considered as anti-ageing.

Several clinical studies have shown walnuts have potential in preventing cancer and heart disease as well as promoting weight loss and maintaining brain health.

Spinach Chaat

Ingredients:
250 gm Spinach leaves
1 cup Chickpea flour
1/2 tsp Carom Seeds
Sugar and Salt as per taste
Some Ginger powder
Some Mint Chutney (Can use coriander chutney or Tomato sauce)
Yogurt and Coriander leaves for garnishing. (Peanut powder, fennel seeds optional)
Oil to deep fry

Method:
Boil spinach.
Make thin batter out of Chickpea flour, carom seeds, salt, sugar and little water.
Dip boiled spinach leaves one by one in this batter and deep fry it in a pan with oil.
Once it is at look warm temperature, serve them in plate/bowl and top with ginger powder, desired chutney, yogurt, tomato sauce and some peanut powder and fennel seeds.

Benefits:
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein and choline.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
500 gms Pumpkin(Chopped)
2 carrots (Chopped)
2 Garlic cloves
1 cup Vegetable stock
1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
2 tsp Olive oil
Salt and Black pepper powder as per taste

Method:
Preheat oven at 200 degrees.
Grease baking tray with oil and put garlic, chopped pumpkin and carrots on it. Sprinkle some salt and add olive oil on it. Cover it with aluminium foil. Roast them for 20-30 minutes.(If you don't have oven, can roast them in a pan).
Grind all roasted ingredients in mixer/blender with help of adding little water.(Can add water upto soup consistency) 
Add some salt and it hot.

Benefits:
Pumpkin has high scale of potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure.
It has Antioxidant named as Beta Keratin which helps against Cancer, Asthma and heart disease. 

Sweet Potato & Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1 big Sweet Potato(Peeled and chopped)
1 1/2 cup Carrots (Peeled and chopped)
1 1/2 cup chopped French beans
1 1/2 cup Corn
3 Celery thinly chopped
1 small Onion (Chopped)
1/2 cup Capsicum (Thinly sliced)
2 Garlic clove(mashed)
6 Cup Water
1 cup Vegetable stock(Can use water in which vegetables been boiled)
1 cup Medium Pearl Barley
1 Bay Leaf
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds powder
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
10-12 small cherry tomatoes chopped in half

Method:
Pressure cook(Boil) Pearl Barley with 3-4 whistles.
Strain out water and store it to use later.
In a pan, shallow fry all vegetables(Sweet potato, carrots, french beans, corn, celery, onion, capsicum, tomatoes, garlic)
Add Barley water which we strained earlier with vegetable stock in a pan.
Boil all ingredients till all veggies are soft and get soup-like consistency(can add 1 tsp cornflour).
Add all dry spices including salt. Serve hot.

Benefits:
Barley has nutritional values which contains Vitamin B6, Folate and Potassium which helps to maintain healthy heart. It also contains Iron, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium and Zink values which helps to get strong bones. It's Fibre contains good appetite force. Barley water also very healthy which has been used in this soup.