Sprouted lentils

Sprouts are so easy to make in summer! In today's post, I'm going to share how I make them.

Lentils are an excellent source of protein, complex carbohydrates, and soluble fiber. They are inexpensive, nutritious, and extremely versatile!

Compared to other legumes and dried beans, lentils are easier to cook and digest. They can be cooked on the stove top in 20-30 minutes or in a pressure cooker within 15 minutes. 

Soaking and sprouting removes some of the enzyme inhibitors that nuts, legumes, and beans naturally contain. This makes them easier to digest and absorb optimal nutrition. Sprouts also contain a large amount of vitamin C, which is not available in dried lentils or beans. Sprouted lentils can be added to salads or stir fries, or cooked to make dal, soups, or stews.

How to make sprouted lentils:

1. Wash the whole lentils and cover with cold water until they are completely under water.  
2. After 4-6 hours, check the water level and add more water if required.
3. Once all the lentils have softened (usually 6-8 hours), take the lentils in a sieve and drain all the water.  
4. Place the sieve on top of another container to collect any water drainage, and cover the lentils with a damp paper napkin or kitchen towel.  
5. Leave this on the counter top for a day or two. The lentils need air, water, and some light to be able to sprout.  
6. If the napkin or towel dries out, sprinkle some water on it to dampen it a little bit. You should see sprouts within 24 hours. The longer you leave them, the longer the sprouts will get. 
7. Eat immediately or store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

The photo is of sprouted whole red lentils, or masoor dal, on day 2 of sprouting. These are our most favorite kind of sprouts. We also sprout whole moong, red kidney beans, chickpeas, and fenugreek seeds.

Sprouts are fun to make, fresh, full of nutrients, and filling! How do you use sprouts?



Photo belongs to the owner of the blog. Please do not use it without permission.

Monday Health Tip - Garlic & Flax seed Chutney powder

It's time again to talk about staying healthy with nutritious food! As the season changes to cold and we acclimatize our bodies, it is important to include in our diet foods that help us to stay healthy. Garlic has historically been used in medicine as an antimicrobial for preventing infections, treating digestive disorders, and lowering blood pressure. The fact that it is found around the world shows its popularity. Garlic is such a powerful herb that everyone should use it all through the year. In this post, I'm sharing a very nutritious recipe that uses garlic and flax seeds - garlic and flax seed chutney powder.

Chutney powders are a convenient side dish used in South India as an accompaniment for breakfast dishes like dosa and idli. Most chutney powders contain split white urad dal (black gram or matpe bean), coconut, dry tamarind, and dry red chillies, in varying proportions. These ingredients form the base of the chutney powder and the main ingredient may be any kind of dal or seed. Every household has its own traditional recipe for chutney powder. Some recipes use garlic, some don't. Some use additional ingredients like peanuts or curry leaves. 

Chutney powders are a simple way to include extra protein or essential nutrients in the diet. Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially in plant-based diets. I have already written about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in this post. Now let's look at the recipe!

Ingredients:

Flax seeds, whole - 1/2 cup
Dry coconut, grated - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
Dry red chillies - 3-4
Garlic, crushed - 15-20 cloves
Dry tamarind - 2 teaspoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat a pan and roast the flax seeds lightly, stir frequently and take care that they do not burn. Remove the flax seeds into a dish and then do the same with the sesame seeds, dry red chillies, and dry coconut. Let the coconut turn light brown. After the first 4 ingredients are done, take 1 tsp of oil in the same pan and fry the garlic until it turns light brown. The other ingredients should have cooled enough by now. Take everything in a coffee grinder or a small Indian grinder with salt and pulse a few times to get a coarse mixture. This should not be ground to a fine powder. Once cool, store it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a month. Chutney powder is typically served with Indian breakfast dishes or with rice. You could also sprinkle this on yogurt or use as a garnish over other side dishes. Mix it with a little yogurt to make a spicy dip. There are lots of ways to enjoy this chutney powder!

Tips:

1. Chutney powders are typically coarse and have some texture. However, they can be ground fine if you prefer. 

2. Adding peanuts will give this powder a different taste. If you like peanuts and would like to experiment with them in this recipe, dry roast the peanuts and grind along with the other ingredients. Do not grind them too fine as
peanuts release oil and can make the dish pasty.

Monday Health Tip - Fermented Salsa

If you like salsa, you must make this recipe of fermented salsa! Anyone who likes real salsa knows the difference between the store-bought and the fresh versions. The store-bought salsa is nearly devoid of all nutrients because it is pasteurized. It contains too much sodium and other preservatives that increase the shelf life of the product. Fresh salsa is a great way to include an extra serving of vegetables in the diet without consuming artificial and chemical preservatives. It provides minerals, an extra dose of vitamin C and fiber. 

Benefits of lacto-fermented foods:

• Provide beneficial microorganisms that are important for gut health and immunity. We know that probiotics are so important in our diet for gut health and good absorption. 
• Lacto-fermented salsa is a fun way to include more probiotics in your diet, and also kid-friendly. 
• The amount of beneficial microorganisms in lacto-fermented foods like homemade yogurt and condiments is far more than those in store-bought products. 
• Lacto-fermentation is also a great way to preserve vegetables as condiments and increase their health value. 
• It's also unbelievably easy and cost-effective!

The recipe is basic and uses tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot chilli peppers, cilantro, salt, and whey or yogurt.
  
The recipe:

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine (you can use more or less as you like)
1/2 onion, chopped (I used white because I didn't want the salsa colored red. Use whichever type of onion you prefer.)
5-6 sprigs of cilantro, chopped with stems
2 Thai chillies, chopped, with seeds
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp homemade yogurt
Non-chlorinated water to fill the container (about 1 cup)

Take all the ingredients except water in a wide-mouthed clean glass jar that has an air-tight lid. Mix well to blend the flavors. If the liquid from the vegetables is not enough to cover the vegetables, add the water slowly so that it covers the salsa, leaving at least 2 inches space from the top of the jar. Check for saltiness with a clean spoon. The salt should be just right, according to your taste, but it should not be overly salty. Adjust the salt if required, then cover with the air-tight lid and let the jar sit in a cool dark place for 2 days. You can leave it on your counter or put it in a cabinet. Just don't forget it if you put it in a cabinet! 

After a day, check to see the fermentation. You may be able to see little bubbles forming at the bottom of the jar and rising to the top. If you don't, then leave the jar for another day. If the temperature is warm enough, the level of fermentation might cause the jar to leak. At this point, or when you see little bubbles inside the jar, you can move the jar to the back of the fridge to control the speed of fermentation. It usually takes 2 days at 70F for the fermentation to start after which you can keep the jar in the fridge. In general, fermented foods last for months as long as they are stored well in the fridge.

You might be wondering how the salsa tastes after being fermented this way. It develops a sourness from the lactic acid that is released from the beneficial bacteria that are present in the yogurt culture. The longer you keep the salsa, the sourer it gets. The level of sourness also depends on how much culture you use and the temperature it is stored at, but the taste is not much different from fresh salsa that uses lemon or lime juice for sourness.

Some tips:

• Watch for mold. This is the only thing you need to be careful of when making any fermented foods. If the beneficial bacteria is not active, it is easier for other organisms like mold to grow. I would not consume salsa that has grown mold. To prevent mold growth, make sure you use a good active culture. Use clean vegetables and utensils and cover the vegetables in the jar with water. 
• Use non-chlorinated water. Chlorinated water does not allow beneficial bacteria to grow. 
• If you find your jar leaking, remove the lid and let some of the gases escape. Cover again, shutting the lid tight. 
• You can use more or less of any vegetable you like. Bell peppers, cilantro, extra garlic or chillies, cauliflower - you can use whatever you have on hand. 
• Instead of yogurt, you can use the whey that floats on top of most homemade or organic yogurts.

It is so easy to add this salsa to any of your food, whether breakfast or a healthy snack. Tasty, easy, economical, and beneficial - it's an excellent way to consume probiotics.
 

Top 10 Benefits of Eating Avocados

It is the season of one of my favorite fruits - the avocado! I was introduced to this 'strange' and 'exotic' fruit when I was in college. Every Wednesday evening, my friends and I used to go to the local juice shop for a cool treat of fresh fruit juice. The owner of the shop asked me if I'd like to try the new 'Butter Fruit' that he brought from Bangalore and offered me the Butter Fruit milkshake. As I slowly sank into its satin smooth texture, I felt incredibly good - and so began my love for avocado, even though I just knew it as Butter Fruit then. After that experience, I have sought out avocados everywhere I have gone, tried new recipes, and used them in all kinds of dishes - appetizer to main course to dessert - and they have never disappointed me. 

Avocados are avoided by some people for being high in fat and calories, and some others for being bland and tasteless. However, it is these very qualities of the avocado that I love, here's why.

1. A whole avocado has about 320 calories, but they come from mono-unsaturated fats which lower cholesterol. 

2. One avocado contains more than 1/3 of your daily vitamin C requirement, and more than 1/2 of your vitamin K requirement. Vitamin C is required to maintain a healthy immunity, an vitamin K facilitates clotting of blood.

3. Avocados are a major source of potassium - one avocado has about 950 grams (Recommended Daily Intake is 4700 grams). Potassium is important in preventing high blood pressure.

4. One avocado contains 7 grams of fiber. Fiber keeps you full for a longer time and is important for digestive health. See the link to learn more about the benefits of fiber.

5. Avocados provide 1/4 of your recommended intake for folate, which is important for heart health and if you are pregnant, for your developing baby.

6. They are a great source of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and prevents cellular damage due to aging. Think of all the vitamin E creams, beauty products, and supplements on the market. Eating avocado is a better way to get your vitamin E!

7. Avocados contain carotenoids like lutein, which is important for maintaining eye health, preventing cataracts and macular degeneration.

8. The fats in the avocado also help to attract fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) from other foods. So use your avocado in salads or in dishes with other nutrient-rich foods!

9. Avocados protect your health against diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even some types of cancer.

10. I've left the best for last - did you know avocados help in weight loss? The monounsaturated fats in avocados speed up the rate of metabolism and are more easily assimilated by your body than saturated fats. This means that your body prefers to burn the fat in avocados and convert it to energy rather than keep it in storage. Also, avocados boost satiety and have a very low glycemic index - that is helpful in the management of diabetes and obesity.

That's just a small list of benefits of avocados. The big bonus is that they are extremely versatile and because of their neutral taste, they can be used in many ways to create tasty dishes. The easiest way to eat them is to slice them up and sprinkle salt and lemon juice. When I want a more sophisticated dish, here's what I like to make with avocados:

• Baked avocado fries
• Guacamole with garlic
• Avocado-chickpea salad
• Avocado parathas
• Avocado mayo
• Avocado chocolate pudding
• Avocado milkshake or smoothie

If you're interested in some trivia, this document talks about how the avocado was first introduced in India and cultivated - a very interesting read to say the least!


How do you like to eat avocados?



Image courtesy: Jonesemyr/Flickr CC

Monday Health Tip - How to Choose a Good Yogurt or Make Your Own!

The benefits of yogurt are well-known and it is used by people of all cultures to maintain digestive health. Yogurt is traditionally prepared at home in Indian households. However, due to fast-paced life, many people are finding it convenient to buy yogurt from their local supermarkets. Supermarket yogurts are even available in a myriad of flavors so that one doesn't get bored of the same plain taste (though how anyone can get bored of good ol' yogurt is beyond me! Can you tell how much I love yogurt?). In today's health tip, let's learn how to choose a good yogurt at the supermarket, and better still, how to make yogurt at home!

How to Choose a Healthy Yogurt

• As with anything else, read the label! The label will tell you what the yogurt really contains. Good yogurt should contain only milk or cream and bacterial cultures and nothing else.
• Many times yogurts contain fillers like corn starch, gelatin, pectin, or inulin. These fillers are nothing but thickening agents, but that means you are not getting what you are paying for - real yogurt! 
• Also, if you are consuming yogurt as part of a special diet, then bear in mind that these fillers add extra carbohydrates to your diet, apart from those already provided by the dairy constituents of the yogurt.
• Additionally, flavored yogurts usually contain added flavors and colors, preservatives, as well as sugar, or some sort of sweetener. 
• Real yogurt is not meant to be sweet, but slightly tangy or creamy. If you like sweet yogurt, buy (or make) plain yogurt and add the sugar (or fruit) at home, at least you can control the amount of added sugar and eliminate other unnecessary ingredients.

Even some kinds of Greek yogurt contain the fillers mentioned above, and that, in my opinion, is not real Greek yogurt. So what's the difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt? Greek yogurt has about 9% more fat than regular yogurt, but it also has up to 3 times more protein and about half the carbohydrates of regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is made by straining the whey from the yogurt, resulting in a thick creamy product. It is high in fat because it uses 3 times more milk to produce the same amount of Greek yogurt as regular yogurt. If 1 cup milk makes 1 cup regular yogurt, it takes 4 cups milk to make the same amount of Greek yogurt.

How to Make Yogurt at Home

There are lots of websites on the internet that give instructions on making yogurt at home. I'll just describe how I do it at home, and I use home-made yogurt 99% of the time. I have always used yogurt itself as a starter. You can also buy starters online and I've heard that dry active cultures make the best yogurt, but I haven't tried any myself. Dannon All Natural plain yogurt makes  for a good starter, as well as the Desi yogurt I get from the Indian grocery store. (It seems they're both from the same source, I'm not surprised since I find their taste very similar.) The main reason I prefer these brands is because they don't contain gelatin (I'm a vegetarian).

The method: Heat milk in a stainless steel vessel on low until it is slightly warm. Remove from heat and if it is too warm, let it cool until it is lukewarm (or just warm enough for you to dip your fingers in comfortably). When you feel it is the right temperature, add 1 tablespoon starter to the milk and stir once. Cover the container and keep in a warm place. In summers, I just let this sit on the stove top or the kitchen counter at room temperature. In winter, I warm the oven at 200F for 10 minutes, turn it off, and then keep the milk in it overnight. Sometimes, I also leave the cultured milk in the microwave with the light on. If you have an oven that has a light switch, you could keep the cultured milk in the oven with the light turned on.

Let the cultured milk set for 8-12 hours. Once the yogurt is set, it will separate from the whey and you will see the whey on top. 

To make Greek yogurt, you need to strain this whey by taking the yogurt in a cheesecloth and suspending it from a height so that every drop of liquid drops away. Whey is extremely rich in nutrients, so don't throw it away! Use it to cook rice, or make smoothies. When all the whey is removed, then remove the yogurt from the cheesecloth, beat well, and store in a container inside the fridge.

Do's and don'ts

1. Do cover the vessel! This saves the warmth from escaping and also prevents other bacteria from entering your milk culture.

2. Do test the temperature of the milk before adding the culture. If it is too hot, the culture will die. If it is too cold, the culture won't multiply.

3. Don't stir or move the container while it is setting. Yogurt does not set if it is disturbed, so just let it be!

4. Do not add salt to the milk until yogurt has set. Salt prevents fermentation so the yogurt won't set. You can add sugar if you like but again, it's best to let the yogurt set and then add whatever you like.

5. Do use a metal or glass or terracotta container to set yogurt. Yogurt does not set well in plastic containers.

6. Do store yogurt in the fridge after it has set, or it will turn sour. You can make buttermilk from sour yogurt.


Tips: 

1. If the cultured milk has been sitting for more than 8 hours and has not set, then add some warm milk to the mixture (not too hot, not too cold but warmer than lukewarm). The quantity of warm milk will depend on the quantity of cultured milk that you have. As a general rule, add about 1/2 cup warm milk for every 4 cups of cultured milk. Do not stir. Just add the milk and let it set on its own. You could also keep the container in some warm water so that it absorbs the heat, but adding warm milk has worked for me every time. Do not heat the container or the milk will curdle and you'll get cheese, not yogurt!

2. You can use your own yogurt as a starter every time you make yogurt. This starter can be used forever, but I like to use a new starter every few months for freshness.

3. Use your fingers to gauge the temperature of the milk and mix in the culture. It will help you determine the correct temperature of the milk. I have experienced a difference in the way yogurt sets when I use a spoon versus using my hands. If it's too hot for your fingers, it's too hot for the culture.

4. If your yogurt has turned bitter, it can still be consumed if you can tolerate the bitter taste or mask it in smoothies, but it is not good to use as a starter. Make yogurt again with a fresh starter.

5. Whole milk makes the best yogurt. If you prefer to use skim milk and would like thick yogurt, then reduce it to half by boiling it, cool it to lukewarm and add the culture; or make the yogurt with skim milk and then strain the whey for thicker yogurt. 

6. Some people use yogurt makers to make consistently good yogurt at home. Yogurt-making involves a lot of variables like temperature of the milk, activity of the starter, weather, etc. so if you don't like to think about all the things that can go wrong with making yogurt, buy a yogurt maker! 


                                    

Monday Health Tip - Homemade fruit leather

Fruit Leather

Are you looking for more ways to include fruits in your child's diet? Or maybe you want to have fruits handy for vacation trips as a to-go snack? (And no, Welch's Fruit Snacks don't cut it for me because they have gelatin, and artificial flavors and colors. It's more fun to make it yourself anyway!) Have you ever thought of introducing your child to the mango jelly that you relished as a child, and wondered where to find an authentic product that melts in your mouth and tastes sweet and tangy at the same time? You can make it in your own kitchen, and I will show you how! But first, let's learn some facts about fruit leather.

What is fruit leather? 

 

Simply put, it is dehydrated fruit puree. It is a condensed form of the whole fruit, with a longer shelf life. What is called maamiDi taanDra in Telugu or aam papaD in Hindi or aam sotto in Bengali, is called fruit leather in English. It is also known as mango jelly in India.

 

Traditionally, it was made in homes by sun-drying fruit pulp. Today, it is commercially made in India by adding preservatives and sugar to mango pulp, which is sun-dried and one layer is added on top of another to create a bar.

Nutritional value of fruit leather

Since it is made from whole fruit, fruit leather contains the same nutritional value as the fruit, with some changes depending on the other ingredients. Vitamin C may be reduced as it is oxidized easily after the fruit is cut.

This recipe is for mango leather, but you can use any fruit that you have in abundance. Apples, peaches, plums, pears, berries, bananas, pineapples, are all good for this recipe! This is by no means the complete list of fruits so just use your imagination and your favorite fruit. The only thing to take note of is that different fruits have different percentages of water content, so the dehydrating time will vary greatly from two hours up to eight hours (look at my tip about reducing baking time at the end of the post). 

You can also mix two or more fruits to create different tastes and textures. It is a very easy process that anyone can do, and this can be a great way to introduce older kids to food preservation through dehydration.

Here's the recipe!

 

What you need:

2 cups chopped mango
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon organic raw sugar (optional)

What you do:

Image jessicafm/Flickr CC

Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, 150F or 200F will work, anything below 200F is okay - it just might take a little longer to dehydrate if you use a lower temperature. Take all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth puree. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and grease the paper with some oil or butter. Pour the mango puree onto the greased paper and using a spatula, knife, or the back of a spoon, smooth it out so that the puree is spread evenly across the tray. It needs to be as thin as possible, without being transparent, around 1/8th of an inch. Put this tray in the middle rack of the oven and set the timer to 2 hours. Check on it every 2 hours. It is done when the fruit peels away easily from the tray and you don't find any of it sticking to the tray. Mine took approximately 5 hours. Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool completely before you try to handle the fruit leather. Once cooled, use a scissors to cut into strips, roll them up and store in zip-loc bags for up to a week at room temperature (70F), a few months in the fridge, and as long as you want to in the freezer!  

Tips and variations:

1. You could mix different fruits to create variations -  try mixing berries, or mango-pineapple, banana-watermelon, mango-peach.

2. You could make a spicy savory fruit leather by adding Indian rock salt, or chaat masala, or cinnamon (pairs well with apple).

3. Using a sweetener is completely optional. If the fruit is sweet to begin with, you probably won't need any extra sweetener. Remember that the sugars are concentrated in the fruit after dehydrating, so it will turn out sweeter after it is done.

4. If you use organic fruits, you can include the skin of fruits like apples and pears for a slightly different texture. It is advisable to peel off the skin if it is not organic.

5. To reduce oven time, take the fruit puree and sweetener in a thick-bottomed pan and cook on low heat until it loses some of its moisture and thickens up. This way it will have to spend less time baking in the oven. Add lemon juice after you remove from heat and then pour it into the prepared baking tray.

6. Don't pour all the fruit puree at once into the baking tray. Pour some and spread it around in the tray and add some more if you think it needs some more thickness. If you pour it all at once, it might turn out too thick.

7. If you don't have an oven for dehydration, use the traditional method of sun drying. It might take 24-48 hours of sun, or more, depending on how hot it is. Cover the tray with a light cheese cloth or muslin cloth if you are concerned about contamination with dust or other particles.

8. Sometimes, the edges are done first and the center remains sticky. In that case, cut out the edges and keep the center back in the oven to dehydrate some more.


This is a great way to get kids to eat fruit, as well as enjoy it. When made at home, you will know what ingredients go into it, and you can be flexible with what you want to use. When you have an abundance of fruit in your home this summer, try making some fruit leather!

Fruit leather image by kthread/Flickr CC

Monday Health Tip - Walnut Mint Chutney

Start the week in a wonderful way, with walnuts!

Walnuts are considered the king of all nuts. They are higher in nutritious value than peanuts, almonds, or pistachios. They contain essential omega-3 fatty acids in the form alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Omega-3 fatty acids are called essential because they are not produced by the body. The major sources of omega-3 fats are fish oil, walnuts, flax.

Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids:

• Reduce the risk of heart disease and blood clots
• Improve brain health 
• Essential for growth and development
• Reduce inflammation throughout your body
• Reduce the risk of arthritis
• Improve the symptoms of depression
• Reduce the risk of diabetes by improving the body's response to insulin
• Reduce the levels of bad fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood
• Reduce the risk of high blood pressure 
• May improve symptoms of asthma by reducing inflammation and improving lung function 
• Maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails 

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are better absorbed through food than through supplements. Either way, why do we need supplements when we have so many excuses to include yummy foods like walnuts in our diet?

And so, when a friend posted this walnut-mint chutney recipe on her blog Spiceroots, I was very excited! As I had all the ingredients on hand, I made the chutney for breakfast right away, adding some of my own ingredients to suit our taste. You can see the original recipe at Spiceroots.com. This is my version below.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tablespoon jaggery (or sugar)
1 clove garlic
3 thai/Indian green chillies (use more if you like it spicier)
salt to taste
water, as needed, adjust consistency as desired

Method - Take all the ingredients in a blender and blend to a smooth chutney.

Tips: 

1. Sometimes walnuts leave a slightly bitter aftertaste. If that bothers you, roasting the walnuts lightly before adding them to the recipe will help. Be careful not to burn them!
2. Adding a pinch of sugar (or jaggery) to mint chutneys brings out the minty flavor much better.

I serve this with traditional Indian breakfasts like idli or dosa, and also use it as a spread in wraps or on bread. Sometimes I also eat it straight from the dish, it's just so yummy! Much thanks to Ansh, who owns Spiceroots, for this recipe! I hope you like it as much as I do!


Additional reading on walnuts
 

Monday health tip - Quinoa masala burgers

Every Monday, I'll post a health tip related to diet, exercise, or complementary therapies. Today, we'll look at a very healthy and easy recipe for vegetarian quinoa masala burgers, and they're tasty to boot! It's always been difficult for me to find a veggie burger that suits my taste; I have never really liked the taste of the TVP or soy burgers.

This recipe by Food Babe is just what I have been looking for! I did make some changes to the original recipe, but the result was still so good that this is going to be a keeper in my recipe log, and I look forward to making it often. So let's get on with the recipe, shall we?

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to instructions on package
1 big sweet potato ( or use 2 if they are small)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp garam masala
Butter or oil, to brush on the burgers

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 F while you cook the quinoa and do all the chopping. Poke the sweet potato in a few places with a fork and put it on a baking tray, and bake it at 400 F for 45-60 minutes. You will know it is done when it is soft when poked with a fork. Then remove it from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, take all the other ingredients except butter in a bowl and mix well. When the sweet potato is cool enough for you to handle, mix that in as well. Make patties and put on a greased baking tray. Brush them gently with butter or oil. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes and then flip, brush with butter again, and bake the other side for about 10 minutes. Keep a close watch in the last 5 minutes, don't let them burn. Some of them may crack when you flip them so be gentle.

I got 14 burgers with this recipe. They are so good that we could have eaten half of them the day they were made, but I saved some for later and put them in the freezer. They freeze well too! This is a kid-friendly, healthy recipe that is packed with proteins from the quinoa and beta-carotene from the sweet potato. It's also very flexible, so even if you make a few changes here and there, I'm sure they will still turn out great! Enjoy!

Edited to add: A reader said that her burgers cracked when she baked them. Here's my tip to prevent that.

If the burgers crack after baking, or if you are not able to make a patty without breaking it, then try adding 1 egg white or 2 tablespoons of boiled potato to the recipe. Try not to make the mixture too watery or you won't be able to form patties. Also try not to make the patties too thin or they will crack after cooking.

Image courtesy Nerissa's ring/Flickr CC