CALCIUM KHAO SEHAT BANAO

The best five sources of calcium are food, food, food, fortified food and supplements. In that order hence I strongly recommend getting much of your calcium through food since these foods contain other nutrients the body needs. A body with a low calcium intake is a body that’s low on other nutrients, as well. So here are a few interesting calcium enriched recipes using my KitchenAid cordless hand blender and the KitchenAid stand mixer … Happy Eating!!

CHOCO MOCHA SHAKE

Serves: 2

Ingredients                          Quantity      

Full cream milk                     ¾ cup            

Skimmed milk powder           ¾ cup

Instant coffee                        ½ teaspoon

Cocoa powder                       2 teaspoons

Sugar                                     1 tablespoon

Salt                                         one pinch

Ice cubes                               5 no

Method

Blend the full cream milk and skimmed milk powder in the KitchenAid cordless hand blender.  Add coffee, cocoa, sugar and salt and blend until smooth.  Add ice cubes, and blend on low speed until smooth.  Blend on high for 30 seconds, until thick and frothy. Serve.

Calories per serving: 163

Calcium per serving: 391 mg

CALCIUM FACT

Milk is the best source of calcium, not only for children but also for adults. Moreover, the calcium is in a form that can be easily digested and absorbed by your body.

BROCCOLI YOGURT SALAD

Serves 4

Ingredients                          Quantity

Broccoli                                 400 gms

Yogurt                                    400 gms

Olive oil                                 40 ml

Sugar                                      5 Gms

Lemon juice                           40 ml

Salt                                         to taste

Freshly ground pepper           to taste

Sprigs of fresh mint               for the dressing

Method

Cut Broccoli into florets and blanch in salted water. Quickly cool them in chilled water and drain well, hold in the refrigerator.

Quickly blend the curd, sugar, olive oil, black pepper, lemon juice, mint leaves and salt together in the KitchenAid cordless Hand blender. Check seasoning.

Toss the blanched drained broccoli in yogurt dressing and serve.

Calories per serving: 142

Calcium per serving: 300 mg

CALCIUM FACT

High in protein and containing healthy bacteria for your gut, yogurt is said to offer 400 mg of calcium in a single serving. Choose non-fattening flavored yogurt for a satisfying and healthy snack. Besides milk and yogurt but dairy products like cheese is also a good dose of calcium.

Two cups of boiled broccoli have 124 mg of calcium.

ALMOND TEA CAKE

Serves 10

Ingredients                          Quantity

Sugar                                     1 cup

Butter, softened                    1/3 cup

Eggs                                       3 no

Vanilla essence                     1 ½ teaspoons

Almond powder                    325 Gms

Flour, whole-wheat              3 cups

Baking powder                     2 teaspoons

Skimmed milk powder         ½ cup

Baking powder                    1 ½ teaspoons

Salt                                       ½ teaspoon

Yogurt plain                         1 ½ cup

Method

Grease a cake tin and dust it with flour and keep aside.  Beat sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in the KitchenAid stand mixer.

Combine flour, baking powder, skimmed milk powder, baking powder and salt; blend into egg mixture alternately with yogurt. Pour batter into the greased tin and bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees centigrade about 1 hour, until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, and then remove and keep. Slice and serve

Calories per serving: 315

Calcium per serving: 141 mg

CALCIUM FACT

The amount of calcium in a cup of whole almonds, 378 milligrams, is slightly more than in a cup of milk, about 300 milligrams.

CULINARY ILLUSION..... And we get #Farzified!!

‘For Example we will be doing a ‘Chilli Duck Samosa’, which is North Indian; the whole plate is Indian to me. The customer is comfortable because he recognises the Samosa, yet there is a wow factor. All this confidence will be reflected in the pricing too.’ That’s what my friend and the dynamic restaurateur Zorawar Kalra said to me with gleaming eyes when he first spoke of his baby ‘Farzi Café’.

So naturally when he invited us over for family dinner ( yeah hubby Chef Bakshish Dean and Zorawar are friends too)for a sneak peek just before the launch there was no way I could say No! We started with a tour of the Bistro …yes that’s the feel it gives on entry…a Modern Indian Bistro. The outdoor within the indoor replete with glass doors that open , the cast iron railing…you could be in a Bistro in Europe! We took seats at the bar where there was a better view of the cocktails being brewed and the fancy preparation, with the kitchen visible through a window. We started with a Smoked ‘GJK’ each which came in with all the drama and the Jasmine tea infused superbly with the Vodka.

Chef Himanshu used various equipment and science to give us a ‘wow’ feeling in taste and evoked our sixth sense. It was a scientific discipline involving the study of physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking. Mixologist Aman’s unique cocktails complement the Chef's food.What they have attempted to do is give its food and Beverages an element of both delicious and fun by introducing the Capital to Indian delicacies with a twist at unbelievable pricing. ‘Gurgaon is the best places to start a restaurant, but you have to be creative, and original, it is extremely competitive, and trust me there is enough diversity in Indian food. There are so many regions to explore yet in Indian cuisine and we are trying to push the boundaries’, says Zorawar as we get #Farzified. 

Their tasting menu offers some unusual dishes including ‘sarson ki gilawat, corn and cheese tostadas’. I especially loved the ‘Vegetable and coconut khao suey, steamed rice’ …mind blowing. The Service –efficient and professional, yet witty and engaging-is clearly some of the best you’ll find in Saadi Dilli.

And yes Zorawar Kalra has certainly created a place where even the youth of today can hang out at an Indian restaurant and still feel ‘Cool’ agrees my teenage daughter Akanksha who would probably never touch palak paneer at home or even look at a Raj Kachori at a chaat place, but gobbled up the whole portion when it was served to her! And each time she asked for the price of the dish ..her face lit up ! 

P.S- I don't want to talk much in detail about the dishes right now as the place is yet to launch...All I can say is Thumbs up Zorawar Kalra ...you are man with a vision on a mission and you will succeed for sure!! 

FARZI CAFÉ OPENS AT CYBERHUB, GURGAON ON THE 20^TH OF JULY DINNER ONWARDS