5 Street Food Places You Must Visit In Delhi This Summer

Think Delhi, and there's no way you cannot think about its rich and variegated culinary landscape. Delhi's street food especially has found a global following of sorts. Scores of tourists usually keep a day aside in their itinerary to try out the toothsome delicacies the capital has to offer. Spicy, fried, creamy and sugary, Delhi always has something to please any palate. As the summer intensifies in the capital, we are looking for all the possible reasons to stay indoors, unless of course, you offer us great food! For foodies, who would traverse any length for delightful street food, we have got something for you.

Here are 5 iconic street food haunts and their signature offerings that you must try this summer.

1. Pyaar Mohabbat Sharbat
All you need is love and this sharbat to deal with the scorching heat. Tucked in the cobbled lanes of Chandni Chowk, this special sharbat is only available during summers. The ambrosial sharbat is made with all things summery and fresh. Made with milk, rose sharbat, watermelon chunks and ice, this sharbat is so popular that you can easily find it anywhere in Chandni Chowk.

2. Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale
Is it a fruit? Is it a kulfi? You would have to try this delish wonder yourself to figure that out. This 100-year-old kulfi Joint in Old Delhi served kulfi frozen in whole fruits. Yes, you heard us! Here you would find mango kulfi stuffed inside a mango, or a chilled anaar kulfi stuffed inside a whole pomegranate peel, etc. There's no dearth of kulfi stalls in Delhi, but this is nothing like anything you have tried before.

3. Bishan Swaroop Chaat Corner
Established in 1923, this famed chaat corner is a favourite among Delhi foodies during summers. Their iconic mix fruit chaat, made with season's favourite fruit like mango, grapes, pears, and papaya is served with boiled chickpeas, a dash of lemon and a sprinkle of chaat masala. There, we saw you slurping!

4. Natraj Dahi Bhalla
Much has been said about Delhi's love affair with dahibhallas. But there is something about the heat that fuels our cravings for the dish to a whole new level. Don't believe us? The queue outside Natraj Dahi Bhalla is sure to convince you. Spongy balls made of urad dal and moong dal, slathered over with a dash of cooling yogurt, a medley of chutney, spices and pomegranate seeds. This lip-smacking treat is a hit with kids, youngsters and adults alike.

5. Thandai At Gopal Ki Kulfi
Thandai is a creamy, milk-based sweet beverage, which is often served in special occasions like Holi. Topped with chunky nuts and dry fruits, Gopal Kulfi's thandai is the ultimate ‘chilling' companion you were looking for all this while. From rose, to badaam, there are many kinds of thandais and lassis here that will surely impress you.

5 Benefits Of Drinking Methi Tea For Diabetes And Weight Loss

Nature has blessed us with a bounty of wonder foods that we can use to gain well-rounded health and wellness. There are various vegetables, spices, herbs that fulfil one or more nutritional needs and help us tackle particular health issues. Among various versatile spices, methi (fenugreek) seeds offer a wealth of health benefits. These seeds are commonly used to prepare Indian dishes and curries to enhance their flavours. Soaked methi seeds in water is popularly used in Ayurvedic practices to manage common as well as serious illnesses. But, to avail its benefits exclusively, drinking methi tea is known to be a great idea. A warm cup of tea replacing caffeine with the organic properties of methi seeds is usually recommended to people dealing with diabetes.

Not just diabetes, tea brewed with methi seeds helps in tackling a whole range of other health problems also.

Advantages Of Drinking Methi Tea

1.Helps Manage Diabetes
Diabetes is spreading and growing at an alarming rate worldwide. Natural remedies like methi tea may help greatly in managing it. Dr. Anju Sood, well-known nutritionist from Bengaluru says, “Fenugreek may help in tackling insulin resistance, making it more responsive and sensitive. It may also regulate blood sugar levels and is hence, used commonly by diabetics.”

2. Helps Manage Obesity
Drinking hot tea brewed with methi seeds right in the morning accelerates the rate of metabolism and may help in shedding excessive weight.

3. Keeps Constipation At Bay
Methi tea turns out to be an incredible antacid that keeps stomach problems like ulcers and acidity at bay. The water-soluble fibre present in methi seeds adds bulk to the stool and leads to their smooth digestion. Methi tea works wonders in preventing bloating and constipation due to improved digestive system.

4. May Help Promote Heart Health
Methi seeds, seeped in a hot cup of water, work their way to pull down high cholesterol level and also prevent hardening and blockage of the arteries.

5. May Help Promote Kidney Health
Drinking methi tea regularly could help in providing ample supply of well-oxygenated blood to the kidneys, which may further help prevent the occurrence, or reduce the number of stones.

How To Make Methi Tea

1. Beat 1 teaspoon methi seeds till they turn into a somewhat grainy, powder form.

2. Boil 1 cup water and pour it in a bowl.

3. Add the methi seeds and 1 teaspoon of honey to sweeten it. You can also add other herbs like basil or regular tea leaves.

4. Cover and let the ingredients steep for 2-3 minutes.

5. Sift the tea through a sieve and drink.

Do try this methi tea if you are tackling high blood sugar or just to attain a robust health. However, do consult a dietician before making any major additions to your diet.

How You Can Make This Cucumber Delicacy At Home

Summers are here and our kitchens have been invaded with all things, summery, cool and fresh. Cucumber is one of our most seasonal favourites that we can't get enough of right now. From our salads, sandwiches to raita, we are looking for ways to sneak cucumber just about anywhere. And it seems like the right thing to do as well, after all cucumber is one of the healthiest veggies you can add to your diet right now. About 96 percent of cucumber is just water. Besides being super hydrating, cucumber is packed with many antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. It is excellent to keep your blood pressure in check, and your skin nourished. It is also helpful in boosting your digestion. The best part about cucumber is that you do not even have to cook it; you can simply tuck it in raw.

But did you know that you may in fact cook the vegetable and make yourself some delicious treats? Although, to yield maximum benefits from cucumber, one is ideally advised to have it raw; but on days you are feeling experimental, there is no harm in trying something new. For instance, you can try this kheere ka pakora. These fried fritters made with the goodness of cucumber serve as a delectable treat during monsoon. Kheere ka pakora is a popular snack recipe, prepared in many households up North. You can team the snack with your favourite chutney or ketchup.

This is definitely not the avatar most of us associate with cucumber, but these pakoras are an ideal accompaniment to your evening chai. If you have plenty of cucumber at your home, and looking for ways to consume them all in less time- you can consider this recipe. Cucumber pakoras are fried the same way as you would fry your regular vegetable fritters. For those wondering, how the natural sweetness of cucumber would behave with the (spicy) batter, as you cook cucumber it loses its natural sweet tinge and mingles with the flour batter, and takes up the flavour of the spices. The end product is delectably scrumptious and crunchy.

This kheera pakora recipe by Chef Niru Gupta is also packed with the goodness of singhara atta and rock salt, which makes it Navratri vrat-friendly too!

Rich Paratha Using Leftover Dal For Breakfast

Breakfast is our fuel, our instant energy booster! It is considered to be the most important meal of the day. It gives us energy and fuel to kick-start our day on a healthy note. Many health experts and nutritionists always recommend having a protein-packed breakfast for a healthy beginning of our day. A healthy breakfast meal must comprise foods that supply our body with energy we require to deal with hectic work hours. Many of us opt for various kinds of greasy foods and rely on sugary, highly caffeinated drinks in the morning - however, all of these may hamper your weight loss goals.

Mornings are usually busy and we are pressed for time to prepare healthy breakfast. But, by correcting a few simple breakfast mistakes, we can be on our way to making better and healthy decisions for an energised day. There are various protein-rich food options that you can try adding to your breakfast meal to make it healthy and nutritious. Protein is one of the essential nutrients that must be included in your diet daily; moreover, it helps in building and retaining muscle mass.

There are many ways you can include protein-rich foods in your breakfast - from eggs, paneer and tofu to quinoa, almonds, seeds et al. But there is one more way of adding protein to your diet; it is by preparing protein-rich parathas! Paratha is one of the popular Indian breakfast meals that has gained its popularity not just in the subcontinent but also in various western countries. Dal is one of the best sources of plant-based protein. You must have seen your mom making various new dishes using last night's leftover sabzi. The game in preparing these protein-rich dal parathas is just the same. Use your leftover dal and just sneak it in your parathas. You can pair these delicious dal parathas with green chutney and a chilled glass of masala chaas.

Here's a recipe of leftover dal paratha by Mumbai-based YouTuber Alpa Modi that she shared on her channel 'Something's Cooking With Alpa'.

Testing food for peanuts as allergy cases rise in children

In the past few years, there’s been a dramatic increase in food allergies, particularly peanut allergies in young people.

Amanda Perttunen knows this all too well.  She and her family had a huge lifestyle change when her son Wylie, now 4, was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy.

“Everything is an extra step,” said Perttunen.  “It got really hard when we went out in public.  We can’t go to restaurants a lot…  We had to carry an EpiPen with us all the time; had to start checking labels on everything that he ate.”

Statistics show their family is not alone.  The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reported nearly 2.5% of kids are living with a peanut allergy.  That’s a 21% increase since 2010.

“We talk now about a food allergy epidemic,” said Dr. Anne Marie Singh, an allergist at UW Health and the director of food allergy research and education clinical center of excellence.

She said there’s still a lot of research being done as to the cause behind the increase.  “The most important message is it’s real. Food allergy is real. Peanut allergy is real. If somebody tells you they have a food allergy or peanut allergy, take that at face value,” she said.  “And when they say it’s severe or potentially life threatening, that is also true. No one’s being dramatic. No one’s trying to make it sound worse than it is. It absolutely is true. Those things are true.”

There’s a new product on the market called the Nima sensor. It tests food for exposure to peanuts and touts a 97.6% accuracy rating.

We tested it out with three different samples with Perttunen and her son watching.  These were the results from the Nima:

* Chicken cooked in olive oil: Safe to eat for people with peanut allergies
* Chicken cooked in peanut oil: Safe to eat for people with peanut allergies
* Candy with peanut butter: Not safe to eat for people with peanut allergies
Perttunen was a little concerned when the sample with peanut oil came back safe to eat.  There is research that foods cooked in peanut oil can actually be safe for people with the allergy though, as state on Nima’s website: “Peanut oil is refined enough that the peanut protein is broken down enough that it should not affect people with peanut allergies but if there is peanut remaining, Nima may detect it.”

Dr. Singh said this is why people with an allergy still need to read labels, talk to restaurant staff or whomever is preparing the food.

“Even going through all of those steps, there’s a lot of anxiousness or anxiety, or you’re still really worried about it, then the product might be another adjunctive,” she said.

“I think we do just about as good of a job as the machine itself does monitoring the things that he eats,” Perttunen said after seeing the product in action.  She said she would use it in certain situations.  “Something where somebody is making a lot of homemade food where people may not tell you what they had in them or what was in their kitchen when they were prepping foods or at like a restaurant or something and they were going out to eat and they didn’t have a very specifically set allergen menu.”

In any case, Dr. Singh said with the rise in food allergies, you can expect to see more products like the Nima on the market.  “Within the past couple of years there’s been an explosion in new sorts of products.”

Pizza monkey bread

The big game is just around the corner, and I know feeding a crowd of football fanatics can be a sport on its own.

So I'm here passing a touchdown of a recipe to you.

Like so good, you'll be MVP status.

Ever heard of monkey bread? It's a sweet, buttery, pull-apart loaf that gets its name from the little individual pastries being picked apart and eaten with your fingers, as a monkey would do.

Now, let's put a savory twist on that with everyone's favorite food: pizza.

Pizza's always a winner, no matter what shape or form it comes in – especially a Bundt pan.

This pizza monkey bread takes chunks of dough filled with pepperoni and mozzarella, and tosses them in a garlicky butter and cheese mixture. It's poured into a greased Bundt pan and baked to gooey, golden perfection.

I serve it with a warm bowl of marinara for dipping – which fits like a glove in the middle of the monkey bread. And, yes, you ranch-dipping fanatics, that can be used, too.

And, like the toppings on a pizza, the options for fillings are endless: Hawaiian-style, meat lover's, veggie – or even anchovy and onion. It's a dish that can be made to suit anyone's taste.

Also, if you don't have a Bundt pan, a 9-by-13-inch baking dish would work fine. Just lower your baking time and keep an eye on it.
Pizza Monkey Bread

40 plus 10 pepperoni, divided

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

2 cans pizza dough (11-13.8 ounces each)

8 ounces mozzarella or string cheese, cut into 40 squares

For serving:

Chopped fresh parsley

Marinara sauce

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat Bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut 10 pepperoni into quarters and place in a large bowl, along with the melted butter, seasonings, shredded mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir and set aside.

Remove dough from both cans, do not unroll. Cut each roll in half, lengthwise, then cut each dough length into 10 pieces, for a total of 40 pieces.

Flatten each piece into a disc and top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.

Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal. Place dough balls in bowl of seasoned butter-cheese mixture and toss to coat. Pour into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Slide a knife between edge of pan and bread to loosen and invert bread onto a platter. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve with warmed marinara for dipping.