Healthy recipes Archives - Travels for Taste

Chicken Tikka Masala – Air-Fryer

July 3, 2015 by manjirichitnis 6 Comments

Friday nights – when all you want to do is get home, put your feet up and watch some telly while tucking into your favourite takeaway.

But here are some staggering facts about the eating habits of Britons and how many calories are consumed on an average with a takeaway meal. According to Tefal’s ActiFryday Report:

From a study of the 5 most popular dishes, it was found that the nation consumes 12,400 tonnes of saturated fat through takeaway’s alone.
Brits eat up to 2900 calories and 161 grams of fat in their most popular takeaway meal.
Friday is the most popular day to order.

Not surprising then the survey revealed this shocking statistic –

BRITONS FEAST ON MORE THAN 12,000 TONNES OF SATURATED FAT FROM TAKEAWAYS EACH YEAR

Am sure you are as shocked after reading these statistics as I was. So naturally when Tefal asked me to take on their Actifryday challenge – to swap a typical Friday night takeaway for a healthier alternative – I was in.

I decided to give the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that they sent me a go. Why? Because I have always been very intrigued by the recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala – a dish that I only ate when I first came to the U.K a few years ago. CTM, as it is popularly called, is, without doubt, the nations favourite British-Indian curry. Part of its popularity is attributed to the fact that its origin is quite disputed and many have staked a claim as to the dish being their own invention. While some believe that it was dish born out of necessity to satiate the British palate’s need to serve chicken in a gravy which can be mopped up with naan or rice, it is also believed that it is a variation of butter chicken. Many also firmly believe that it’s rooted like in Mughlai cuisine and it was one of the many culinary inventions that were born to suit the English palate when the migrant population from post-partition India, Pakistan and Bangladesh came into Britain. Of course, I was not going to follow the recipe without making some changes of my own. I normally make all my own masala’s and marinades from scratch and all of them can be stored and/ or frozen to be used later. I used half of the tikka masala paste I made and froze the rest. Find my easy recipe for tikka masala on my blog here.

Since this is a recipe which aims to reduce the fat content the double cream that normally goes in the curry is replaced by low-fat natural yoghurt. Figuring out how to use my new Tefal Actifry XL was not difficult at all and the instruction booklet is quite simple to follow too. Once the removable parts have been hand washed and dried completely, I set about making a Chicken Tikka Masala. Here is my modified version of the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe:

Chicken Tikka Masala – Air Fryer Recipe

Manjiri Chitnis

Make a lighter version of this hugely popular Indian dish and create your own 'fake'away with my easy to follow recipe for my homemade Chicken Tikka Masala, the air-fryer version

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion Indian

Servings 2 people

Equipment

Air-Fryer

Ingredients

500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2cm pieces
100 g Tikka Masala curry paste
2 pots 150g size natural low-fat yoghurt
1 ActiFry spoon of vegetable Oil
1 Large finely chopped onion and made into a thick paste
390 g canned premium chopped tomatoes made into a puree
1 chicken stock cube
1 onion gravy flavour pot – I used Knorr
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
150 ml of water
1/2 teaspoon of sugar – I used a substitute -Natvia
2 teaspoons on lemon juice
Salt as per taste
Handful – Fresh coriander leaves – chopped fine – to garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl mix the Tikka Masala paste with 4 tablespoons of yoghurt. Add the chicken in the coat then cover. Leave the marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight – this will ensure the flavours have really seeped in, into the chicken
Heat oil in ActiFry for 2 minutes. Add the onion paste and cook for 5 minutes. I simply chopped the onion fine in my food processor and sprinkled some water to give it movement and gave it 2 spins at low speed. The result was a thick onion paste which is a much better way to use the onion in this recipe in the Actifry
Add the marinated chicken and cook for another 10 minutes. This ensures that the Actifry is hot enough to bruise the ends of the chicken giving it a similar treatment to what the griddle pan will. But of course, the bruising is minimal and cannot be compared to grilling the meat. But this is where the addition of smoked paprika in the chicken tikka paste plays a big role as it works with the chicken and the cooking process to impart a much better smoky effect than without
In a small glass bowl crush the chicken stock cube, add the onion gravy flavour pot and smoked paprika and pour 2 tbsp of hot water. With the back of a spoon mix well until a thick paste is formed
Add the tomato puree, the mixture with the stock and water cook for another 10 minutes. Add salt to taste but keep in mind that the chicken stock cube contains a lot of salt, so taste some of the gravy base before adding additional salt
Remove the CTM into a bowl and then stir in remaining yoghurt. Then add the sugar and mix well
Add the lemon juice mix well and top with a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves
Serve with steaming hot basmati rice, jeera rice or naan

Keyword Chicken Tikka Masala

If you would like to view the original recipe from Tefal click here. To save time you can purchase the tikka masala paste too.

Both hubby and I were quite satisfied with this low-calorie version of CTM and it definitely can hold it’s own in terms of taste. Of course, the texture of tandoor grilled chicken tikkas and the unmistakeable creaminess of double cream is missing. But it’s a win-win on 2 very important factors :

Saving on unnecessary calories from the grease and oil from a takeaway. Thus eliminating the risk of eating artery-clogging saturated fats.
Tefal Actifry is easy to use and very easy to cook in. With a little effort and planning it’s not at all difficult to produce a delicious curry – a healthier alternative to your takeaway- at home.

The Tefal ActiFry Express XL is available from John Lewis RRP £249.99, subject to availability and price may differ.

*With thanks to Tefal for sending me a Tefal Actifry XL for review. No request was made for a positive review.No monetary compensation was provided. As usual, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Kale, Spinach and fruity superfood smoothie

March 15, 2015 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

Am back with another smoothie post, this one was even better than my previous green one in that, that hubster really enjoyed it and was blissfully unaware about how much Kale he had unknowingly added into his system 🙂

Also, Chia seeds are now a permanent feature of our smoothies and I add them into our porridge too, they are quite bland on their own and go with almost anything. They are a superfood and antioxidant boosting. Besides starting your day with a green smoothie keeps you going for longer, with a healthier fuller feeling which does not spike your blood sugar levels as some other sugar-laden juices can do , which then suddenly lead to a crash and thus result in hunger pangs.

What’s fab about this smoothie?

Chia seeds are 100% natural whole grains that are rich in omega-3, antioxidants, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Great for those who have Type 2 diabetes as chia seeds can significantly lower blood pressure and a marker for inflammation.
Kale is rich in Vitamins K and C and is calcium, also it contains a chemical called sulforaphane which has anti-cancer properties.
Spinach helps boost iron levels and is a rich source of various Vitamins like B2, K, C & A.

Kale, Spinach and fruity super food smoothie

Manjiri Chinis

Delicious smoothie packed with the green goodness of spinach and kale

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2 mins

Cook Time 2 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Fusion

Servings 2

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

250 gm Large handful of baby spinach leaves per person
250 gm Large handful of Kale leaves per person
2 avocadoes
1 pear
Coconut water
a small knob of ginger
Chia seeds and fresh berries to garnish

Instructions

Chop the ginger into small bits after roughly removing the skin, if the ginger is super fresh you can use the back of a spoon to easily peel of the fine layer of skin.
Roughlychop the pear
Half the avocados, remove the seed and roughly make large chunks
Washthe spinach and kale under running water in a colander
Simplychuuk all the above ingredients into a food processor with the coconut waterand add very little water just to give the smoothie some more movement while itmixes in the food processor
Adjust the quantitiesaccording to how many servings you want to make
Sprinkle with some chia seeds and a raspberry or two and drink up for a delicious and filling smoothie that will do wonders for your body and mind!

Keyword smoothie

* With information gleaned off Wiki and some other useful sites and articles. Having said that am not a nutrition expert and am trying hard to get onto a balanced diet and exercise regime and educating myself to understand superfoods, how to eat cleaner, healthier and incorporate more raw foods, how to eat the right food at the right time to reduce blood sugar and how to fight off diabetes and other obesity led disorders.

I use my powerful and efficient Froothie U.K Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender to make my smoothies. I cannot imagine a single day in my kitchen where I go without using the blender. Why not have a look at my other recipes where I have made a quick job of the prep using my Froothie UK blender:

Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup

March 14, 2015 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

As spring begins to unfold and the weather changes to beautiful sunny days and chilly evenings, I like that we can still enjoy warming and wholesome soups. Butternut squash is so versatile and there are various ways to use it in soups, curries, salads etc.

This recipe is created by Chef Annie James at Sunrise of Tettenhall for Sunrise Senior Living who make sure that all of their recipes are nutritious and tasty, making them great for everyone, not just the elderly. Of the many recipe options they sent me I choose to make this one because I simply adored red lentils as those who read my blog will know. The buttery aroma of onions sauteing which filled my kitchen was simply amazing and very satisfying. Needless to say the soup went down and treat and even normally fussy hubster greedily licked his bowl clean – no better compliment than that folks ins’t it? I must admit I couldn’t resist adding a bit of my own personal finishing touches as my palate is so used to all the spicy and tangy little ad-on’s that I normally use 😉

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

Serves:4 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking time: approx 25 minutes Ingredients:

400 ml vegetable stock
150 gms butternut squash – peeled and diced into bite sized bits
12 gm unsalted butter
2 red onion – peeled and chopped fine
3 carrots -peeled and diced into small bits
60gm dried red lentil ie. masoor dal – split without skin
Sea salt with a hint of garlic
Freshly cracked black pepper
small quantity of fresh coriander to garnish

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

Method:

In a large saucepan or stockpot melt the butter on a medium flame
Saute’ the finely chopped onions in the butter for just under 4- 5 minutes till they turn a beautiful golden brown colour and reduce
Then add in the chopped carrots, squash and saute’ for a further 2- 3 minutes
Bite sized Carrots and Butternut Squash sauteed in butter and onion
Now stir in the vegetable stock and the red lentils.
Reduce to a low flame and let the soup simmer gently.
Cook until the vegetables and lentils are tender.
Allow the soup to cool down to room temperature, then using a hand blender puree’ until smooth or like I did give it a whizz in your food processor.
Season with sea salt with a garlic or plain sea salt and add a generous sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper.
Garnish with a just a small amount of finely chopped fresh coriander.
Serve hot ideally with a warm crusty bread with a dollop of butter. If your conscience allows it stir in a small amount of fresh cream into the soup or smother your crusty bread with some freshly made garlic butter 😉

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup

*With thanks to Sunrise Senior Living and the PR team for reimbursing the expense for ingredients. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Avocado,Spinach and fruity Green Smoothie

February 18, 2015 by manjirichitnis 23 Comments

It’s a relatively bright and sunny but chilly February morning and the bright sunlight streaming through my kitchen window is not letting me sit down work due to the blinding light getting into my eyes. I have now moved to a cozy spot on the couch but it’s making me drowsy…

While I was away in India and eating all the wonderful local food, I also started reading up on a lot of things related to food, what we eat and how it affects us and how our body reacts to it all.

Now let me share some facts about myself – I am lazy – very lazy and not the type who will ever go the gym even twice a week – I have ended up wasting money in 2 currencies and 3 cities so I should know that however fabulous the gym it simply does NOT work for me.

Nor does dieting – I feel deprived and end up stuffing my face even more.

So what’s the way out when I have finally made a decision to eat sensibly and loose as much weight as I can without going mad. Well, past 2 weeks I have broken down my meals to smaller portions, trying to eat 5 small meals instead of 3 every day and have drastically cut down on sugar consumption. By sugar I don’t mean granulated sugar but sugar hidden in various food.

I have procured a chart about which foods are high in carbs and thus break down into sugar while they are being digested. Am consciously trying to read up more and steer clear of obviously sugar laden foods and any sugary foods are out. Thankfully I quit sugar in my tea years ago so that is not a problem but yes saying no to alcohol and other foods is not going to be easy. But then nothing good come by too easy does it?

Avocado, Spinach and Fruity Green Smoothie – Bursting with the goodness your body NEEDS every day!

So here goes, my morning smoothie recipe – an attempt to start the day on a healthy note :

Serves: 1 – makes 2 small glass fulls

Ingredients:

1/2 a Banana
1/2 of a big pear
1/2 of a big avocado
1 Royal Gala Apple
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
a small knob of ginger

Method:

Chop the ginger into small bits after roughly removing the skin, if the ginger is super fresh you can use the back of a spoon to easily peel of the fine layer of skin.
Roughly chop all the fruits into chunks.Break the banana half by hand.
Simply chuck all the above ingredients into a food processor and add very little water just to give the smoothie some movement and consistency.

I prefer a thick consistency the type you can scoop out using a spoon as it is simply more satisfying and increases the feeling of being full.

This made 2 small glasses and I had both of them , simply double up the quantity for 2 people and so on and so forth.

Avocado, Spinach and Fruity Green Smoothie – Bursting with the goodness your body NEEDS every day!

Leafy, green, tasty, bursting with fruity goodness and taste, this smoothie is an immune system booster and full of all things good for your body. It will definitely boost sagging energy levels and induce a feel-good factor. The smooth creamy taste added by the avocado is a bonus!

I have linked up my recipe with Credit Crunch Munch which is a frugal food recipe sharing challenge developed by Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla over at Fab Food 4 All and guest hosted by the lovely Elizabeth who blogs at Elizabeth’s Diary, linked up for Feb 2015 on her blog post too.