9 Soups which are the best appetizers

Come winter, the flu or just an appetizer before dinner, soups are the one friend that we all bank on in our time of comfort and need and not to mention; a soothing, delish comfort food at that. There are tons of ways of making the perfect soup with a plethora of flavors, herbs, spices to keep you nice and well appeased before your meal. Here’s Specialfoods’ list of soups to whet your appetite.

1.     Ajiaco – Originating in the Colombian capital of Bogotá, ajiaco is a chunky kind of soup that is typically made using three varieties of potatoes, chicken, and the Galinsoga parviflora herb (commonly referred to as the guascas in Colombia.) In Cuba, it is a hearty stew made from pork, beef, vegetables, chicken, and a variety of starchy roots and tubers classified as viandas.

2.     Acquacotta – A creation of Italy (Tuscany) and originally a peasant food, historically, its primary ingredients were water, tomato, onion, stale bread, olive oil and any spare vegetables or leftovers. It has been described as an ancient dish. This broth-based hot soup is now made with toasted bread, with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetable broth, cheeses, basil, celery, garlic, beans, kale, lemon juice, cabbage, pepper, and potatoes. They also use mushrooms, herbs, leafy vegetables, chard, mint dandelion greens and chicory as other variants for ingredients.

3.     Brown Windsor soup – Although you can guess by the name itself that the soup originates from England, we thought we’d mention it anyway. The Brown Windsor soup could be made from beef steak or Lamb, and bouquet garni, carrots, leeks, parsnips, Madeira wine all of which were a popular thing in England during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

4.     Cazuela – Spain has news for you, dear Specialfoodz enthusiasts! The Cazuela is a Clear broth that is made using rice, squash or pumpkin, potato, corn, and chicken or beef. Eaten in South America and Spain, it combines the native spirit along with other ingredients that were later introduced.

5.     Rasam – Granted, Indians usually treat the Rasam, a south Indian dish more or less as curry and not soup but this is a sort of broth that actually is eaten sometimes all by itself so it could qualify as soup. It mostly consists of various different spices from around India, water and plenty of tamarind that gives it its tangy, spicy and upbeat flavor. 

6.     Sambar – Another south Indian dish, that is not necessarily considered soup but an accompaniment that is had with rice, the sambar had to make it to this list as southerners often drink it all up just as we do with soups when we have it as appetizers. Unlike the Rasam, Sambar, along with spices and tamarind also has a lentil-based vegetable stew to add to its already unique flavor. The Sambar is also made in Sri Lanka.

7.     Curry Mee – A Malaysian dish that is made from thin yellow noodles or/and string thin mee hoon (rice vermicelli) with coconut milk, chili/sambal, spicy curry soup, and a choice of prawns, dried tofu, chicken, egg, cuttlefish, cockle and mint leaves.

8.     Dashi – First made in Japan, the Dashi is a cold, chilled, clear fish stock made using kombu (sea kelp) and katsuobushi (smoked bonito flakes). The Dashi broth is often used as a base for miso soup and other Japanese soup broths.

Joumou – A chunky soup originating from Haiti, this mildly spicy pumpkin soup is made using pieces of potato, beef, plantains and vegetables such as carrots, parsley, celery, green cabbage, and onions. It is eaten every first of January in honor of the Haitian independence 

9 Special Ways You Can Eat Your Parathas.

One of the most popular breakfast meals, Parathas are those round, large flaky things that could either be eaten with or without a stuffing. Most prefer the classic aloo paratha whereas others go for healthier choices where they like greens added to their parathas. We have before you a list of parathas that is quite easy to make, quite healthy and delicious to boot.

1.     Aloo Paratha – Think Paratha and the first thing that flits across your mind is the thick, buttery, ghee filled classic Aloo Paratha. Potato lovers would kill to have this for breakfast any day. Aside from the rich mashed potato filling in the ginormous Paratha that could be eaten either with, curd, pickle, chutney or just plain ghee or butter. Aside from the various spices, chillies and greens that are a part of its essential makeup, one could add a ton of variations to the Aloo Paratha that would suit the needs of your palate.

2.     Paneer (cottage cheese) Paratha – The next best thing after Aloo, according to us is Paneer! A delicious combination of veggies, loads of cheesy paneer and the taste of wheat bread in your mouth. Definitely going to high heaven now.

3.     Cabbage and Dal Parathas – An awesome combination of cereals, pulses, and vegetables, this Paratha has everything in it for everyone. Whether you’re rooting for a low-calorie diet, going plain healthy or you simply want something delish to eat, cabbage and dal parathas are the way to go.

4.     Aloo Gobi Ke Parathe – A work of the Punjabis, this spectacular combination of Paratha is a mix of the classic Aloo with the additional yumminess that is the Gobi to seal the deal. The cauliflower will add to the crunchiness along with the mushy potato to give you one exemplary Paratha for breakfast.

5.     Matar Paratha – salty, boiled peas that are coarsely ground, with a dash of spices is all good. Especially in a Paratha. And that is exactly what you get in a Matar Paratha. Eaten with pickle or curd, this could be one yummy breakfast.

6.     Kerala Paratha or Malabar Paratha -  Although Kerala Parathas are plain, lacking any sort of filling in it, these fluffy, multilayered, coconut oil laden wheat bread are the jam. The best part of the Kerala Paratha is the fact that it can be dunked in any kind of curry, be it the classic mutton or chicken gravy/curry or the fish curry that is all the rave in the Malabar coast. Drive in at any restaurant in God’s own country and you land up with your very own plate of Malabari Paratha and its accompaniments.

7.     Cheese Paratha – We know this is not a very likely or traditional Paratha meal choice but times are changing and quite a few of us are willing to experiment and combine classic food with that is more western or Non- Asian in origin. Think whole wheat flat bread that is stuffed with truckloads of cheese filling and voila… You have your very own cheese Paratha.

8.     Mix Vegetable Paratha – Carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, spinach, heaped peas, french beans, onions and different spices like green chillies, ginger and garlic make up this awesome filling for a mixed vegetable Paratha. Like other Parathas, vegetable Parathas could be eaten with pickle, butter, ghee or curd.

9.     Baby corn Masala Paratha – Another influence of the west, this is another non-traditional Paratha that involves baby corn and yes, the same ones we have with our pizzas and sandwiches. All one needs is to cook vegetables and spices together and generous amounts of chopped baby corn into the mixture. The resulting filling will be spicy and hot, just fit for Paratha that you will later gorge into.

The health benefits of honey, a diet for the monsoon season and much more…

Healthy Food Habits to Live By

“Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale.”

 ~ Elsa Schiaparelli ~

If you think, it is about time you stopped eating at random ungodly hours, and if you are not too sure, whether what you are eating is good for your body or not, you are in the right place. Did you know that your food habits could actually affect your mood and sense of wellbeing? We will break down for you, what constitutes a healthy meal, that will you keep your taste buds satiated as well as your body fit and healthy.

Many of us are usually in a hurry in the morning, so eating a complete breakfast is what we take lightly. However, studies show that individuals who eat a substantial breakfast lose more weight than those who have a small breakfast. Eggs or baked beans on wholegrain bread or muesli with fruit and yoghurt constitutes an ideal breakfast.

Granted that fried food is always yummier than all else, but including maybe three cups of vegetables and 2 fruits along with your favourite food will do your body a lot of good.

Drinking water or having a small bowl of soup before meals may keep you from overeating at your meal.

Snack between meals to curb your appetite and provide a little energy. Try a piece of fruit or a few crackers with peanut butter.

If you love meat, choose low-fat dairy products, lean white meats or wild fish.

Have green tea after meals - Green tea is high in antioxidants and can help increase your metabolic rate, which is a good thing for your body.

Protein rich foods like fish, soy beverages, dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruits, berries, whole grain bread, cereals, and low-fat dairy products which are healthy to eat and make you stay healthy.

What constitutes a monsoon diet?

“A monsoon diet mainly involves eating safe.”

Tips to stay fit and healthy this monsoon – Whenever Monsoon arrives, it appears with a bang, bringing with it, its share of sore throats, cold, viral fever and infections and in severe cases, dengue and malaria (God forbid!) to its citizens. However, eating right, and being aware of what is beneficial or not could save us many a hospital visits.

Litchi, for example is a fruit that is rich in vitamin C that helps build up resistance in the body and strengthens the immune system. Plums and peaches are other fruit varieties that help in improving the immune system. Not far behind in the list of useful fruits that can be eaten during the rains are cherries. Cherries contain antioxidants that give a soothing effect to the brain and helps in fighting infections.

In the case of meals, hot soups made with nutrition packed mixed vegetables will help you to not just to stay healthy and hydrated but will also help prevent that cold or sore throat from bothering you. Herbal tea is another warm drink that one can have now and then as it is good for digestion and prevents influenza. Dry foods should be a preferred diet plan as that could save you a lot of trouble as opposed to having watery or semi-solid food thereby keeping away from bacterial infection.

The health benefits of honey

Did you know that it takes several bees to convert nectar that is collected by foragers to make honey? The process is long and tedious and could take 36 days to complete. The nectar should receive the right amount of moisture and exposure to air for it to pass off as genuine honey. With all the hard work that is involved in generating honey, one can hardly disagree that the resulting benefits of it is enormous.

Honey is composed of sugars; fructose, glucose, sucrose and maltose and minerals, potassium, Sulphur, calcium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, manganese and silicon. It also contains vitamins. Imagine the plethora of benefits and nutrition that is derived from a single source of foodstuff!

Honey is known to cure and diffuse heartburn, hay fever, diarrhoea and many other stomach diseases. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, Assyrians and Romans used it as a form of healing and as food as well.  It is a natural antiseptic which prevents infection and is an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent. Its properties make it superior than most of the antibiotics prescribed today.

The antiseptic and antibacterial properties in honey are a natural medicine for burns, cuts, wounds and skin ulcers as it speeds up the healing process.

Starting your day with a warm glass of water mixed with honey can bring you a lot of good, whether it is for weight loss, a healthy digestive system or giving your immune system a boost. You could also keep away from all those annoying allergies or soothe that sore throat with this simple remedy.

All in all, honey could be considered as a sort of a universal cure for probably hundreds of health issues or to keep one fit and healthy. It has an exhaustive list of health benefits that one cannot write off in one g

List of rice dishes that will blow your mind

A staple diet of many countries, usually eaten in its actual form or used as batter for crepes, dosas, etc., rice is one popular food group that many people consider to be their favorite ‘go to’ dish. Specialfoodz has endeavored to bring to you a list of rice dishes from around the world to tease your stomach and your palate.

Arroz con gandules – A Puerto Rican rice dish which consists of rice as its main ingredient along with pigeon peas, capers, olives, pork, all of which is cooked in the same pot with spices, Puerto Rican-style sofrito, and annatto oil. A national dish of Puerto Rico, this scintillating and colorful meal is one everybody must try by perhaps using other kinds of meat according to one’s convenience.

Arroz con pollo – Another rice dish with a Spanish name, and this time originating in Spain itself, the Arroz con pollo, translated as ‘Rice with Chicken’ (an awesome combination, we must admit), is the staple food of Latin America. It Is also a traditional dish of the Caribbean, Dominican Republic and plenty of other South American countries. The dish itself is somewhat similar to Arroz con gandules that we mentioned earlier.

Bisi Bele Bath – A rice dish that is native to India, this is one meal that is spectacular in its appearance as well as its taste. The dish is usually made in Karnataka as it originated there. ‘Bisi Bele Bath’ translates to ‘hot lentil rice’ in Kannada. This traditional meal, usually eaten for breakfast, is quite elaborate in its setup. The dish itself is sem-solid in its texture. Some of its variety of ingredients include spices, toor dal (a kind of lentil), vegetables, nutmeg, asafetida, curry leaves and tamarind pulp all of which contributes to its unique, spicy, and tangy flavour.

Bhat – Originating from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, this rice based dish is cooked either by boiling or steaming. This is the staple diet of all these countries which requires little effort to make but is healthy and nutritious and is filled with carbs. The rice dish is usually eaten with some gravy or curry mixed into the rice.

Bokkeumbap – Not like the fried rice that the world at large or as a fact India, is accustomed to, this fried rice that originates from Korea, usually orange in color (as opposed to the white colored fried rice that we know of) along with being spicy, aromatic and delicious is one of the most popular dishes of the place. Some of the ingredients use to make this fried rice is kimchi (cucumber with filling that turns to a kind of pickle). It is referred to as kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice).

Ci fan tuan – Perpetually made in Shanghai (china) and Taiwan, the Ci fan tuan, is prepared by tightly wrapping a piece of youtiao (fried dough) with glutinous rice. They look like cylindrical rice balls and are usually served in a pot.

Congee – Made in East, South and Southeast Asia, this dish is a kind of porridge that is sometimes referred to as ‘rice congee’. A ginormous variety of this dish is found in Honk Kong and is eaten as a staple food there. The dish is made by boiling rice (which becomes the base), which is then left to simmer for quite some time. Different kinds of ingredients are added to it depending on the region that you want to follow. The length of time the dish is left to simmer also depends on the region. Some variants are cooked differently to give it a smooth texture.

Étouffée - Originating in Cajun and Creole, this cuisine is typically prepared using shellfish over rice. The dish is made using a technique called smothering, where meat seafood or vegetables is cooked in a covered pan over a low-heat flame with just small amounts of liquids added to it. It is a popular cooking technique native to Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana.