A smart combination of the right ingredients is essential to ensure the maximum uptake of iron from a recipe. In this wholesome Whole Wheat Spaghetti in Spinach Sauce, we have done away with cheese because calcium hinders the absorption of iron. Iron-rich red pumpkin is used in the place of milk to thicken the sauce. This recipe also has crunchy walnuts, another good source of iron and an excellent source of omega-3-fatty acids.

A delicacy from Konkan cuisine, Gajbaje is a dish of mixed vegetables in a spicy coconut curry. The dish is quite easy to prepare – veggies are cooked till soft and then flavoured with a peppy coconut paste and finally topped with a traditional tempering, which instantly boosts the flavour and aroma of the dish. The coconut paste has a self-contained flavour, with the spiciness of red chillies and the tanginess of tamarind. Together with the tempering, this paste gives the assortment of veggies a totally fabulous taste! Some communities of the Konkan belt make this traditional delicacy on Aashad Ekadasi day, using a unique mix of veggies like amaranth stem, taro leaves, bamboo shoots and jackfruit seeds. It is believed that during their sojourn in the forest, one of the Pandavas, Bheema made this dish on Ekadasi day using the ingredients available in the wilderness they were residing in. Nevertheless, you can feel free to just open your fridge and use whatever veggies you find in it!

When you are bored of having rice and pasta based dishes, reach out for a packet of couscous. One of the staple foods of North African regions like Morocco, couscous is nothing but tiny granules made of durum wheat. Cooked properly, it is light and fluffy and quite nice on the palate. Here, we have cooked the couscous with lemon juice and rind, which give it a refreshingly tangy flavour, and served it with an exciting Vegetable Moroccan Curry. Several juicy veggies and boiled chickpeas are cooked with tomato puree and an assortment of spice powders, to get a brilliantly-flavoured Moroccan curry. This curry, however, is a little dry, so prepare it only some time before serving and not too much in advance. If you still feel it is dry, add a little water. Garnish the Lemon Couscous with Vegetable Moroccan Curry with parsley to get a truly authentic aroma.

pumpkin raita recipe | yellow pumpkin raita | creamy pumpkin raita | Indian style pumpkin raita | with 17 amazing images. pumpkin raita recipe | yellow pumpkin raita | creamy pumpkin raita | Indian style pumpkin raita is a nourishing accompaniment to any Indian meal. Learn how to make creamy pumpkin raita. To make pumpkin raita, pressure cook the red pumpkin for 5 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Mash the pumpkin using a potato masher. Combine the curds, mashed pumpkin, and salt in a deep bowl and mix well. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilli and asafoetida and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute. Pour the tempering over the raita and mix well. Refrigerate and serve chilled. Lose yourself in the creamy consistency and refreshing flavour of this delicious yellow pumpkin raita. The pleasant sweetness of pumpkin, sourness of curd and mild spiciness of the tempering combine beautifully to give this raita a very balanced flavour. The uniqueness of this raita is its tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida. It gives an irresistible aroma. The generous use of curd gives Indian style pumpkin raita a pleasing creaminess. Creamy pumpkin raita has many benefits to its credit too! Pumpkin is a very good source of vitamin A, thus making it a super food for eyes and skin. It lends small amounts of vitamin C too, which is necessary to build immunity. Curd, on the other hand, lends protein for cell and tissue health. Along with calcium, the phosphorus from curd will aid in bone health. So there isn’t any reason to not include this raita as a part of a healthy meal. Tips for pumpkin raita. 1. Make sure you do not add water to the pumpkin while cooking it. 2. Also the water we pour into the cooker should not enter the vessel in which the pumpkin is placed. This is very important to avoid the raita from turning watery. 3. People with heart disease, diabetes and obesity can enjoy this raita. Diabetics can enjoy half serving at a time. Enjoy pumpkin raita recipe | yellow pumpkin raita | creamy pumpkin raita | Indian style pumpkin raita | with step by step photos.

Roasted and peeled brinjals along with red pumpkin, spices and lemon juice makes a creamy and tangy dip that is ideal to have with cucumber strips. This dip has a rich flavour and a really enticing mouth-feel that linger in your memory for a long time. Not only that, this zero-oil Smoked Brinjal and Pumpkin Dip with Cucumber Strips is also satiating and keeps you full for some time, making it a good low-cal snack for weight watchers.

Straight from royal kitchens, healthy though unlike its traditional version is oil free, and replaces fat rich ingredients like coconut with lots of veggies, pulses and coriander. A combination of dal and veggies is flavoured with spices like garlic paste, green chillies, garam masala is sure to appeal to you. All the dals used are full of nutrients hence making this dal a healthy treat.

Medley of vegetables cooked in sweet n sour dal to make your meal nutritious and interesting.

penne in pumpkin sauce recipe | Indian penne with creamy pumpkin sauce | pumpkin sauce pasta | kids tiffin box recipe | with 14 amazing images. penne in pumpkin sauce recipe | Indian penne with creamy pumpkin sauce | pumpkin sauce pasta | kids tiffin box recipe is a unique pasta dish with an attractive hue. Learn how to make Indian penne with creamy pumpkin sauce. To make penne in pumpkin sauce, boil enough water in a deep non-stick pan, add the red pumpkin, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes or till the red pumpkin is soft, while stirring occasionally. Drain and keep aside to cool completely. Once cooled, blend in a mixer along with the milk till smooth. Keep the pumpkin sauce aside. Heat the butter in a broad non-stick pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the broccoli, chilli flakes, mixed herbs and salt and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the prepared pumpkin sauce and penne, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally. To pack, allow it to cool completely, and pack in an air-tight tiffin box. Red pumpkin is an ingredient popularly used in continental cuisine, in the preparation of not just soups, but also sauces, dips, toppings and sandwiches too. Here, in this mouth-watering pumpkin sauce pasta, it is used to make a creamy, herby sauce for penne. You might think that pumpkin is not your kids’ favourite, but they will love it in this form, because it makes the dish pleasantly colourful and creamy, without the addition of cheese or cream. The Indian penne with creamy pumpkin sauce fresh in the dabba for more than 4 hours, so your kids can open their boxes for a lovely surprise in the afternoon. Pack Chocolate Chip and Mango Muffin for a sweet ending to the lunch break. The key element of this kids tiffin box recipe is perfectly cooked pasta. Learn how to cook penne pasta. Your kids may also like other pasta recipes like pasta cheese balls and white sauce pasta Indian style. Tips for penne in pumpkin sauce. 1. Remember to add little salt while boiling pasta, as it absorbs salt well at this stage. 2. Cool the pumpkin well before blending. 3. To blanch broccoli, first clean and trim the stem and stalks of broccoli. If desired, keep them intact while blanching. Keep water to boil in a stock pot. Once boiled, add the broccoli florets and allow blanching for a minute or till required. Remove and drain. Immediately place in chilled water. Drain and use as required. 4. You can also add other vegetables like boiled corn and blanched and diagonally cut carrot. Enjoy penne in pumpkin sauce recipe | Indian penne with creamy pumpkin sauce | pumpkin sauce pasta | kids tiffin box recipe | with step by step photos.

Kootu is a popular way of preparing veggies in Tamil Nadu. In fact, on special occasions, a dry subzi and a kootu must be served compulsorily as part of the meal. Kootu is a semi-solid curry of veggies and pulses or beans, enriched with a paste of coconut and spices, and tempered traditionally. Pumpkin Kootu Curry prepared with red pumpkin and kala vatana is an all-time favourite, which has a splendid aroma and irresistible flavour. Serve it hot with a bowl of rice .

This one’s a great meal by itself. Nutritious and tasty, it can be cooked in a jiffy if you have everything cleaned, chopped and ready in hand. Toovar and chana dal are cooked with a melange of vegetables: pumpkin, brinjal and potatoes seasoned with spices, tamarind, jaggery and more for a sweet-sour tasty meal.

The best way to impress somebody is to make something healthy, unusual and exotic. Now, if such a dish is also easy to prepare, like these Bread Koftas in Pumpkin Curry, it suits you too! Made with whole wheat bread and low-fat curds, these koftas are made healthier by steaming them instead of deep-frying. The mouth-watering gravy too is quite healthy as it is made with vitamin A rich pumpkin instead of fat-laden cream or coconut. The addition of low-fat curds enhances the gravy further with its tang and texture along with calcium.

This irresistible Mixed Vegetable Dal is a chock-full of nutritious vegetables like kaddu, gavarfali and baingan along with a combination of toovar and masoor dals, which makes a wholesome meal in its own right. Instead of cooking the vegetables in oddles of oil, we have cooked them in water to reduce the use of oil, and to retain more of the nutrients. The amount of jaggery used in this recipe is also less as compared to other sweet dals.

kaddu ka bharta recipe | Rajasthani bhopla bharta | healthy red pumpkin mashed sabzi | with 20 amazing images. kaddu ka bharta is a tasty Indian dish made with kaddu, spices and herbs. It is a popular North Indian dinner dish. Learn how to make red pumpkin mashed sabzi. kaddu ka bharta is a slightly mushy vegetable-based dish that tastes heavenly when served with steaming hot rice, or Indian breads too. While you might have surely tasted the famous Baingan Bharta, here is something new for you to try. A delicious Rajasthani bhopla bharta made of juicy red pumpkins! The mild sweetness of the pumpkins is beautifully balanced in red pumpkin mashed sabzi by a mixture of seeds and spice powders, especially the tangy dry mango powder. kaddu ka bharta is high in Vitamin A, Magnesium. Serve the kaddu ka bharta fresh off the stove, garnished with peppy coriander. Enjoy kaddu ka bharta recipe | Rajasthani bhopla bharta | healthy red pumpkin mashed sabzi | with step by step photos.

Karela is a low calorie vegetable which is acclaimed for its anti-diabetic properties. This recipe is an attempt to make them appealing. The karelas are stuffed with moong dal and served in a makhani gravy that is made using very little oil. Enriched with protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and fibre, this recipe is a delectable way to savour this "not so popular" vegetable.