Holi Special: Almond Milk Thandai | Vegan Thandai | Dairy-free Thandai Premix

How to Make Vegan Thandai | Almond Milk Thandai | Dairy-free Thandai Premix 

Hello Foodies,
         Wish you all a very happy Holi. Holi is a festival of colors and which is incomplete without delightful Thandai and Mawa Gujiya. Thandai is a cool and refreshing drink prepared with dry fruits and flavored with some fragrant spices. 

It’s a must-have treat for Holi, an Indian festival welcoming spring. Thandai translates to something that cools, and once you get a taste, you’ll want more of this sweet, nutty drink. Thandai makes you feel cooler and has many other health benefits as well. It also serves as an instant energizer in the scorching summer heat. 

Video Recipe:

Thandai is very closely associated with bhang. On Holi, thandai is served along with bhang to intoxicate the beverage.  Homemade thandai is a golden drink for your health. It is full of nuts, seeds, and medicinal spices balanced together in the form of a tasty summertime beverage. Now, here I am sharing with you an easy, instant, and vegan version of thandai! The Health benefits of thandai are limitless, so are you drinking a glass of chilled thandai to celebrate the festival of colors and to beat the heat of summer?

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes.

Ingredients:

To Make Thandai Premix/Powder:

• Almonds ¼ cup
• Cashews ¼ cup
• Melon seeds / Pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp
• Fennel seeds 2 tbsp
• Cardamom powder 2 tsp
• Black pepper 1 tsp
• Poppy seeds 2 tsp
• Sugar 3 tbsp
• Pistachios ¼ cup
• Nutmeg ¼ tsp
• Cinnamon ¼ tsp
• Saffron 1 tsp

To Make Paan (Betel Leaf) Thandai:

• Betel leaf / Paan leaf 1
• Almond Milk 1 cup
• Thandai Premix 2 tbsp
• Sugar 2 tsp

To Make Kesar (Saffron) Thandai:

• Kesar / Saffron 1 tsp
• Almond Milk 1 cup
• Thandai Premix 2 tbsp
• Sugar 2 tsp

Instructions:

To Make Thandai Premix:

• In a grinder add all the dry ingredients (almonds, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds/ melon seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, saffron strands, poppy seeds).
• Grind to make a fine powder. 
• Sieve the ground powder and here instant thandai mix is ready.

To Make Paan Thandai:

• In a grinder add 1 cup of almond milk, 2 tbsp of thandai premix powder, chopped betel leaf, and 2 tsp sugar.
• Now, close the lid and grind it all together.
• Pour the mixture into the glass, chill, or serve as it is. 
• Refreshing, vegan, and delightful Paan Thandai is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!

To Make Saffron / Kesar Thandai:

• In a grinder add 1 cup of almond milk, 2 tbsp of thandai premix powder, 1 tsp saffron, and 2 tsp sugar.
• Now, close the lid, and grind it all together.
• Pour the mixture into the glass, chill, or serve as it is.
• Refreshing, vegan, and delightful Kesar Thandai is ready to serve. Enjoy!!!

My Take:

• You can use soy milk or coconut milk in place of almond milk to make it more therapeutic.

Dietary Comments:

Thandai Masala Powder/Premix:

• Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Per serving contains 99 calories, along with carbohydrates - 8.5 g, dietary fibers - 2.2 g, fats - 4.5 g, proteins - 2.44 g.

Vegan Thandai (Paan & Saffron)

• Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Per serving contains 192 calories, along with carbohydrates - 24.9 g, dietary fibers - 3.2 g, fats - 7 g, proteins - 3.44 g.

Health Benefits of Thandai:

• Thandai is an instant energy source to beat the heat of summer.
• A mixture of ground almonds, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds is added to give you instant energy when your body feels drained by the summer heat.
• The presence of almonds and pistachio in the masala powder helps to enrich the thandai with added health benefits like antioxidants, vitamin E, and zinc.
• Spices like black pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon increase immunity and help us fight infections while fennel and saffron prevent indigestion.
• Poppy seeds in thandai are rich in minerals like iron, phosphorus, and zinc. In the summer, they are very helpful in quenching thirst and also help during constipation and irritation of the abdomen.
• Thandai helps fight infection, detoxifies the body, and is especially good for nausea and vomiting. Cardamom used in preparing this thandai powder is also useful as a mouth freshener.
• Almonds have good cholesterol and Vitamin E which is essential for skin and hair.
• Saffron used in thandai is known as the golden spice that prevents arthritis, cancer and improves vision. It is also known to enhance the complexion and prevent indigestion, flatulence, baldness, and treat blood pressure.
• The Health benefits of thandai are limitless, it also has all nutrients like iron, manganese, phosphorus, protein, carbohydrate, fats, and vitamins in the right proportion required for a healthy body and mind.
• Almond milk is a low-carb beverage, making it a perfect choice for people on a low-carb diet, as well as those who need to keep a check on their blood sugar levels.
• Almond milk is imitation milk and doesn't contain any dairy at all, which makes it a popular milk alternative for vegans and people with lactose intolerance or milk allergies.

• If you make this recipe, share your food picture with the hashtag #aaichisavali on Instagram and Facebook so that everyone can enjoy it too! 
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel for Healthy, Tasty, Instant Pot, and Air fryer recipes.
• I love it when you try my recipes and send me pictures & feedback.

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!!

Eggless Nan Khatai with and without Oven

How to Make Eggless Nankhatai with and without Oven

Hello Foodies,
            Nankhatai has been my favorite biscuits since childhood and continued to be. These are flavored with ghee, cardamom, and pistachios and will melt in your mouth. These crispy biscuits taste heavenly when are dipped in milk or chai. 

            Mainly Nankhatai prepared in the oven, and that is appealing, but Nankhatai can also be prepared without an oven, on gas in a kadhai or pan with heavy base or pressure cooker, so today I am sharing with you how to prepare this Eggless Nankhatai with and without an oven. Method to prepare this Nankhatai is super easy, and the outcome is delicious. 

You can make it as soft Nankhatai, or you can make it a little hard like biscuits. It is all about cooking time, cook for more time if you want crunchy Nankhatai. If this is your first time baking experience without an oven, be patient and keep watching the consistency frequently. Let's start with the recipe!

YouTube Video:

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes; Baking Time: 15 Minutes.

Each Nankhatai Contains 101 Cal.

Ingredients:

• Maida / All purpose flour 1 cup
• Sugar ½ cup, powdered sugar
• Besan / Gram flour ½ cup
• Ghee / melted butter ½ cup
• Semolina 2 tbsp
• Milk Powder 2 tbsp
• Cardamom powder 1 tsp
• Pistachios 5 to 6

Instructions:

• In a bowl add all-purpose flour, gram flour, semolina, milk powder, and cardamom powder and mix all very well, keep aside.
• Now in another bowl add butter and sugar and beat them by using a wire whisk or hand mixer until it gets soft and smooth.
• Add sieved and mixed dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, mix all and knead to make a soft dough.
• Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Divide dough into equal portions and shape each portion into round peda shape and place in a baking tray, top each rolled Peda with pistachios.

To Bake Nankhatai in Pan / Kadhai :

• In a pan add 1 ½ cups of salt (to cover the base of pan or kadhai), place wire rack or plate, cover and preheat the pan for 5 to 7 minutes and after 7 minutes place baking pan over the wire and bake on medium to low flame for 15 minutes.

To Bake Nankhatai in Oven  :

• Preheat oven at 350 F.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 F.
• Tadaa, delicious, crunchy nankhatais are ready to serve, enjoy it with milk of glass.

My Take :

• You can prepare the dough in advance and freeze it and whenever the need takes out from the freeze 4 to 5 hrs before baking.
• You can add butter instead of ghee. Some bakery uses dalda in making nankhatai.
• It is always good to keep an eye after 10 minutes. If your medium flame itself is too high in your stove, you need to look before itself.
• You can skip adding milk powder if you don't have it or replace it with custard powder to make it more flavorsome.

Dietary Comments :

• Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Per serving contains 101.3 calories, along with carbohydrates - 11.61 g, fats - 5.39 g, proteins - 1.92 g.  

Good Time To Eat :

         It's good to eat Nan Khatai as a dessert or evening snack with a glass of milk.

So give it try and let us know how it turned out for you.

If you make this recipe, share your food picture with hashtag #aaichisavali on Instagram and Facebook so that everyone can enjoy it too! Subscribe to my YouTube channel for Healthy, Tasty, Instant Pot, and Air fryer recipes.

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!!

DIY Spoon and Fork Organizer Using Empty Salt Box

How to make Spoon and Fork Organizer

#DIYEmptySaltBoxOrganizer #RecyclingCrafts #BestOutofWaste  #EmptySaltBoxReuse

Hello Friends,

If you are throwing empty saltbox, now stop it, collect them and recycle it. This spoon and fork organizer is made using empty salt box and it took less than 10 minutes to make. It makes a decent storage for spoon, fork, spatulas, knifes and many more.

Material You Need :

1. Empty Salt Box 4
2. Cardboard 1
3. Aluminum Foil
4. Scissor
5. Decorative lace
6. Glue gun

YouTube Tutorial

Easy to Make Healthy Tahini | Tahini Sauce from Scratch

How to make Healthy Tahini / Tahini Sauce 

Hello Friends,

          I have prepared this yummy and tempting tahini sauce. Tahini is made of ground sesame seeds and is thought to be one of the oldest condiments in the world. It can be used as salad dressing, marinade, and even as a cooking sauce for meat. Tahini is a staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, and it’s used as a primary ingredient in recipes like hummus, baba ganoush, and as a dip all on its own.
          It's extremely versatile and can be used for cooking sweet and savory dishes. Even better, it’s packed with essential micro and macronutrients. A tablespoon serving of tahini adds 81 calories to your meal plan. While you can consume tahini by itself, it is more commonly found as part of a larger recipe, your total caloric intake may be lower or higher, depending on the recipe.

Preparation and Cooking Time: 5 Minutes

Video Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Sesame seeds 1 cup, dry roasted
• Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
• Salt ½ tsp
• Lemon juice 2 tbsp,
• Garlic 1 clove, crushed
• Water as needed

Instructions:

• Dry roast sesame seeds until they are lightly colored for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium to low flame.
• Transfer the roasted sesame seeds to a plate or tray and let them cool completely.
• Place the sesame seeds, garlic, salt, in a food processor and grind the sesame seeds, the process for 2 to 3 minutes until the sesame seeds form a crumbly paste.
• Add oil, lemon juice, and grind until the mixture forms a thick and fairly smooth paste.
• Tadaa, rich and creamy tahini sauce ready to serve.

My Take:

• Roasting of raw sesame seeds gives the tahini a nuttier flavor.
• If you want tahini thinner, just add more oil.

How to Store Tahini:

• Transfer the tahini to a airtight container.
• Store it in the refrigerator for a month or longer.

Dietary Comments:

• Based on a 2000 calorie diet.
• Per serving contains 81.8 calories, along with carbohydrates - 2.48 g, dietary fibers - 1.25 g, fats - 7.8 g, proteins - 2.1 g.  

Health Benefits of Tahini Sauce:

• Tahini has immune-boosting, cardiovascular-protective abilities.
• Anaemia - The iron in tahini helps prevent anemia, which is a disorder characterized by low red blood cell counts, iron deficiency, and fatigue.
• Heart - sesame seeds have antithrombotic properties, meaning sesame might help prevent cardiovascular diseases, such as acute coronary syndrome and cardiovascular death.
• Skin - Sesame seeds have anti-aging properties, these are a good source of amino acids, vitamin E, B vitamins, trace minerals, and fatty acids that all help with skin cell rejuvenation.
• sesame seeds within tahini help lower cholesterol, provide dietary fiber for digestion, improve blood pressure, balance hormones.
• Minerals - Tahini is rich in minerals such as phosphorus, lecithin, magnesium, potassium and iron, which are very essential for our health.
• Bone Health - It’s one of the best sources of calcium out there.
• Tahini helps to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone.
• Protein - tahini has 20 to 25 % complete protein, making it a higher protein source than most nuts.
• Digestion - It's easy for your body to digest because of its high alkaline mineral content, which is great for assisting in weight loss.

• If you make this recipe, share your food picture with hashtag #aaichisavali on Instagram and Facebook so that everyone can enjoy it too!
• Subscribe to my YouTube channel for Healthy, Tasty, Instant Pot, and Air fryer recipes.
• I love it when you try my recipes and send me pictures & feedback.

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy !!!

How to make Falafel in three ways

How to make non-fried falafel / Falafel Appe / Baked Falafel

#Falafel #FalafelAppe #NonfriedFalafel #BakedFalafel #MediterraneanCuisine #HealthySnacksRecipe #LowFatRecipe #LowCalorieRecipe #GlutenFreeRecipe #VeganRecipe #VegetarianRecipe  #HealthyAppetizerRecipe #StarterRecipe #AaichiSavali

Hello Foodies,
Welcome to our channel.

       Falafel, the ultimate Mediterranean street food, which is most often served stuffed into pita bread. It is a simple, healthy and protein-rich meal and everyone's favorite too! These fried vegetarian fritters are often served along with hummus and tahini sauce.
        When falafel is made the traditional way, is indeed a vegan food, it’s a great source of protein for people who have cut meat out of their diet or who are vegetarian. It’s relatively low in fat and has no cholesterol if you fry it in heart-healthy oil. And if you top it with veggies in a pita, it becomes a filling and nourishing meal! Best way to make a falafel pita, start with a layer of hummus deep inside the pocket, then add the falafel, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and hot sauce and lastly top with a thin layer of tahini sauce.
         Today I have prepared it by using three methods, such as non fried falafel (Falafel Appe), Baked Falafel and Fried Falafel.
          We loved this nonfried version and which is low in fat and high in protein and has no cholesterol.

YouTube: 

Preparation Time : 15 Minutes ; Cooking Time :15 Minutes.

Each Falafel Appe Contains 40 Calories.

Ingredients :

1. Chickpeas 1 cup, soaked overnight
2. Onion ½ cup, chopped
3. Garlic 3 cloves, minced
4. Almond flour 1 tbsp
5. Cumin powder 1 tsp
6. Coriander powder 1 tsp
7. Black Pepper 1 tsp
8. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
9. Green chilli 1
10. Salt 1 tsp
11. Lemon juice 1 tbsp
12. Coriander leaves ¼ cup
13. Olive oil 4 tsp
14. Water 2 tbsp if needed

Recipe :

1. In a grinder / food processor add chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper and red chilli powder, green chilli, salt, lemon juice, flour, and grind it to make fine paste.
2. Now, add olive oil 1 tbsp and grind it again. (If needed add 1 to 2 tbsp water).
3. Pour the mixture into the
   
   bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and freeze it for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, remove dough from the freeze and take a spoonful of batter and by rolling in between your palms make small balls.
5. Heat the appe pan or skillet and add a drop of oil in each of its grooves.
6. Now add prepared falafel balls in each groove.
   
7. Cover the pan with plate and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on Medium to low flame.
8. Flip the falafel balls with help of spoon or chopsticks and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Take out the roasted falafel in a plate and similarly prepare the rest as well.
10. Tadaa, healthy and delicious falafel appe are ready to serve. Serve hot with hummus, baba ganoush or with tahini sauce. Enjoy!!!

Baked Falafel :

1. Bake Falafel at 400 F for 10 to 12 Minutes each side.
2. You can give it milk wash before baking.

Frying Method :

1. Fry them in a hot oil for about 5 minutes or until browned and
   
   crispy.

Dietary Comments :

Based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Per serving contains 40.16 calories, along with carbohydrates - 5.52 g, dietary fibers - 2.04 g, fats - 1.18 g, proteins - 2.5 g.  

Health Benefits of Falafel :

• Falafel are loaded with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
  
• Falafel are low in calories. The chickpeas and veggies inside the wrap are very low-calorie.
• Falafel are high in fiber, you get lots of fiber from the chickpeas. The falafel is one of the highest-fiber meal, making it excellent for promoting healthy digestion!
• Chickpeas are an excellent
  
  source of protein, as they are a legume, a good deal of protein and minerals with hardly any fat at all.
• Falafel can help to reduce your risk of breast cancer, reduce post-menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, and even protect your body against osteoporosis, it's bones friendly.
• It is gluten free, dairy free or vegan, vegetarian and loaded with lots of nutrients.
• Serve falafel in whole-wheat
  
  pita bread with carrots and cucumbers or eat falafel dipped in hummus for a fiber-rich meal.

Good Time To Eat :

           It is good to eat Falafel for snack or appetizer or starter.

Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy!!!