Eating good food is one of the most underrated pleasures of life. Whether you cook food for yourself or even when you have guests over, it is crucial for food to be delicious, wholesome and gratifying! And if it’s healthy, that’s the cherry on the cake!
But, eating good food can end up becoming an expensive business. Eating outside at restaurants can potentially send your monthly budget off, and eating street food comes with issues of hygiene and quality! Cooking at home is often the best bet.
Cooking at home is definitely a safer and far better option, but when on a budget, that can be challenging too! Check out these delicious food choices, which can be easily prepared at home and that too in under Rs 299/-! Sounds unbelievable? Check out these options below.
Peanut Katli
Who does not love the rich and tasty Kaju Katli? But we all know that it is one of the premium sweets in India and is limited to be consumed during festivals or during a celebration!
Most often its consumption is limited due to the high process of this sweet.
Luckily we have a more economical variable of the same sweet created using just ordinary peanuts! Peanuts by themselves have a delicious nutty flavour along with a rich creamy texture. When combined with the right ingredients, it makes an appealing Indian sweet without burning a hole in your pocket! See how it is made.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 35-40 pcs
Ingredients:
- Peanuts (raw): 2 cups
- Milk powder: 2 tbsp
- Cardamom powder: 1 pinch
- Sugar: 1 cup
- Water: ½ cup
Procedure:
- Take the peanuts and add them to a kadhai, and on a low flame roast them until they are fragrant and the skin starts to peel. Once they are well roasted, remove them from the flame and let them cool completely. Remove the skin of the peanuts and add them to a mixing jar.
- Blend them using a pulse mode so that they are well powdered and their oils are also released. They may seem slightly sticky.
- Remove the crushed peanuts and add them to a mixing bowl. In the mixing bowl, add the cardamom powder and milk powder which will add richness to the sweetness. Mix well. You can even strain this powder mix through a sieve for a silky smooth texture.
- Now take a kadhai and add to it the sugar along with ½ cup water. Allow it to melt and cook well, now to this sugar syrup, add the powdered mixture.
- On a low flame slowly cook the mixture. Make sure to constantly stir, or else it may stick to the bottom and burn.
- The mixture will slowly begin to thicken. Once the mixture begins to leave the kadhai, remove it from the flame. Line a plate or baking tray with butter paper, and gently pour the peanut katli mix over it. Allow it to cool.
- Slowly make pieces of it, and consume them while warm or even after cooling.
Healthy Green Moong Dal Dhokla
If you are looking for a quick breakfast, snack or even dinner idea this recipe is perfect! What makes it better is the fact that it is cheap, healthy and absolutely lip-smacking! Try this easy recipe and know it for yourself.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- Green Moong Dal (Split): 1 cup
- Green Chillies: 2
- Salt: to taste
- Besan: 1 tbsp
- Asafoetida:
- Oil: 2 tbsp
- Curd: ½ cup
- Pain Fruit Salt: ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp for tempering
Procedure:
- To make the green moong dal dhokla, first, soak the green moong dal for a minimum of 3 hours (preferably overnight).
- Take the soaked moong dal and to it the green chillies (you can add more chillies if you like more spice) and add them to a mixing jar. Blend the dal into a fine paste. Take care not to add any extra water, or else the batter will become runny and difficult to handle.
- Heat a steaming vessel side by side. Now remove the mixture and add it to a mixing bowl. With very little water, add salt, curd and besan and mix well.
- Grease a steel plate or baking tray lightly using oil.
- Just before pouring the batter, add fruit salt to the batter and quickly mix it. Once mixed, add it to the greased plate.
- Insert the plate into the steamer and let it steam for 10 mins or until the dhokla is fully cooked.
- Let the dhokla cool down, and cut it into pieces of your liking. To temper the dhokla, heat some oil in a tempering vessel and add some mustard seeds to it. Once the mustard seeds crackle, pour the tempering evenly over the dhokla and serve with mint chutney!
Coconut Dates Barfi
This recipe is literally made of 2 ingredients and takes nothing more than a few minutes to get ready. What makes it even more appealing is the fact that hardly costs anything! Serve this barfi to your guests who turn up without warning, or treat yourself to something sweet every time you crave something healthy and yummy!
Check out how it is made.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cooking Time: 0
- Serves: 5
Ingredients:
- Fresh Coconut: 1 cup (grated)
- Seedless dates: 5-6
Procedure:
- Shred the coconut and keep about 2 tbsp of it aside. Now take the dates and mix them with the remaining quantity of coconut and mix them. Add this mixture to a mixing jar and blend them until they become a smooth mixture.
- Remove from the mixing jar and gently using your hands divide them into equal portions. Roll each portion into a cylindrical shape (or any shape of your choice)
- Roll each barfi in the remaining grated coconut (that was kept aside) to coat it evenly.
- You can enjoy the barfi fresh or even refrigerate them and enjoy them cool.
Healthy Chickpea Sandwich
When in the mood to eat something healthy without really creating a dent in your pocket, this chickpea sandwich is your best bet! It is filling, delectable and can be relished any time of the day!
Here is how you make it.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 2 minutes
- Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas: 1 cup
- Bread slices: 4
- Tomato: 2 medium ( chopped)
- Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
- Salt: as per taste
- Green Chillies: 1-2 (finely chopped)
- Curd:1 cup
Procedure:
- To make this healthy sandwich, soak the chickpeas overnight. Once soaked, pressure cook them with a pinch of salt.
- Drain the chickpeas and add them to a mixing bowl. Smash the chickpeas lightly to crush (not completely but slightly) them. Add salt, finely chopped green chillies. Now add the tomatoes and onions and mix lightly.
- Keep the curd hung in a thin muslin cloth to get rid of the excess water and get a thicker consistency. Once the curd is drained of the water content, gently whisk it and add some salt (optional)
- Now take 4 bread slices and cut off the thick edges (optional) Spread the curd mix lavishly over the slices. Add a dollop of the chickpea mix and spread it across the sandwich.
- You can enjoy them as it is or even lightly toast them and enjoy them hot!
the chickpea sandwich is very good n moong dhokla