Ginger Beer/Ale -Non Alcholic

Ready to Serve Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is ginger ale's sinister cousin: much more ginger and a little less sweet, but still  it is non-alcoholic. It can be made easily at home with simple ingredients and materials.
This is my first try and I am pleased with the results. For more information about please click on the link Ginger. 

Ingredients:

1/2 kg of roughly chopped ginger
2.5 cups of sugar or I tried 1/4 cup agave nectar and 10 individual packets of stevia in the raw and a one cup of regular cane sugar
10 cups of water
juice of 2 lemons equals 3/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp of yeast

Preparation:
1.Mix sugar, ginger, and 4 cups water in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, stevia and agave nectar. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour to steep.

2. Strain syrup through strainer and funnel into 2-liter soda bottle. Add lime juice. Fill with cold water to within 2 inches of top. Cap and cool in refrigerator or ice bath until about 65°F.

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon dry active or champagne yeast. 

4. Transfer all the contents in a bottle (except glass). Cap bottle and let stand at room temperature for about 2 days, checking bottle pressure intermittently by squeezing it or releasing the cap slightly and briefly. You can save the leftover ginger for other dishes. 

5. When ginger beer has achieved desired carbonation level, refrigerate. Please try ginger beer at home and leave your valuable suggestions or comments. Enjoy!
I would like to serve my ginger beer in a tulip beer glass ,the shape locks in carbonation so you can watch more bubbles float up the beautiful tall glass.

Spice of the Week: Ginger

Spice of the Week: Ginger

Ginger is used in a wide variety of recipes. This root is used in a wide variety of breads, vegetable dishes, rice and bean dishes, and even some drinks. In addition to adding a great spicy flavor to the recipes it’s used in, ginger also has some great medicinal benefits. It aids digestion and can help to ward off a cold.

If you’d like to start cooking with ginger, check out the following recipe!

Masala Chai Tea

Chai  is the drink offered everywhere in India. No doubt it is a little bit habit-forming, but it is great way to start the day. It has antioxidant proprieties and gives relief from the common cold and allergies. Different varieties of this tea are available and the recipe below is more for black tea. I like Tetley Tea bags which are good to use. You can also find many different kinds of tea leaves in Indian grocery stores. Fresh ginger and Lemon grass and/or fresh mint can give a very nice flavor and punch to the taste. This recipe will also work with soy milk.

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Serves: 2


Ingredients:

1	Cup	Milk
1	Cup	Water
1	Pinch	Tea Masala
2		Tea Bags
2	Tsp	Sugar

 Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Let simmer for a few seconds. 
4. Chai is ready and tastes great with biscuits!

Tips:

• Tea Masala is a mix of 2 Tbsp Dry Ginger Powder & 2 Tbsp Cinnamon and Cardamom Powder with a pinch of black pepper.  
• If you mix ingredients together you can store the mixture in a jar and use as needed.

Take a look at these other great ginger recipes:

Mutter & Tofu Panjabi style

Mutter Paneer

Khaman Dhokla - Spongy Chana Dal snack

Yellow Thai Curry

Spice of the Week: Cumin

Spice of the Week: Cumin

Cumin is widely used in Indian cooking, and it’s one of the main ingredients in allspice. This grayish brown seed has a strong heavy odor, and a bitter taste. Cumin is also known for its medicinal benefits. It helps to promote digestion by stimulating gastric juices, and it’s often used to treat colds, sore throats, and various types of stomach problems.

If you’ve got some cumin in your spice collection and you’d like to put it to good use, check out this recipe for Mung Dal with Spinach

Mung Dal with Spinach

This recipe is packed with protein and vitamins. It is quick, easy and tasty. It is eaten with Roti and Rice.

Cooking Preparation Time: 30 Minutes     
Cooking Difficulty Level: Medium
Recipe Type: Vegan & Gluten Free
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1	Cup	Mung Dal
3	Cups	Water
1/2	Tsp	Cumin Seeds
1	Tbsp	Coriander Cumin Powder
1/2	Tsp	Astofedia
1/2	Tsp	Turmeric
1	Tbsp	Oil
1	Medium	Tomato, cut & cubed
1	Small	Green Chili
		Salt to taste
		Lemon Juice
		Cilantro to garnish
1	Bunch	Spinach, washed & chopped finely
2		Shallots or Fresh Garlic
1	Small	Piece of Fresh Ginger or Ginger Powder
1	Small	Onion, cut & cubed

How to Prepare:

1.             Wash split mung beans (Dal) thoroughly. Set aside to soak for about an hour. 

2.             Once soaked, add beans to three cups of water in a pan. Bring to a boil on high heat and let it simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

3.             In a separate pan, heat the oil.  Add astofedia, cumin seeds, onion, chopped garlic and spices.

4.             Then add the chopped spinach, salt, ginger, chili, coriander and cumin powder and fry for 4-5 minutes.

5.             Add tomato and lemon juice. Mix the boiled Dal with fried spinach mixture in the pan.

6.             Let it simmer for few more minutes. 

7.             Garnish with cilantro and serve it hot.

8.             It works very well as soup or curry with rice. Enjoy!

Looking for more great recipes that use cumin? Take a look at these recipes.

Five Lentil Mix - Panch Dal

Suki Bhajii Masala Potato

Healthy Buttermilk-Chaas