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Recipes

Easy to make, mostly healthy recipes, often using inexpensive local ingredients. Drawing from my Indian background, my keenness to eat more healthily and what my family says is tasty! Many of the recipes here also have accompanying videos with them too.

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AIR FRIED LOTUS ROOT CRISPS fresh tasty vegetarian and vegan snack easy to spice up

You’ve probably eaten these as part of a South East Asian meal. They’re often served as a starter and very addictive! Better than deep fried potato crisps! Try these easy to make fresh Air Fried Lotus Root Crisps at your next dinner party and impress your friends!

Air Fried Lotus Root Crisps DoinDubai Monica Kapila
DELICIOUS HEALTHY LOTUS ROOT CRISPS

Ingredients for the easy air fried lotus root crisps

1. fresh lotus root thinly sliced⁠ – we got our lotus root from WeMart the big Chinese supermarket in Deira Check the link for details on that. Or you could go to 1004 Gourmet in The Greens. We bought the ingredients for our rice paper rolls there.
2. marinade of salt, smoked paprika powder, olive oil⁠
3. air fry in single layer till done⁠, have patience! I suggest warming your air fryer up for 3 mins first then air frying at about 180 degrees for 4 to 5 mins then check and turn over the slices if need be and repeat till like our picture above or they look how you like to eat them!
4. enjoy with Japanese sesame goma dressing⁠!⁠ Recipe coming up in next post.

HELPS TO USE A MANDOLIN TO SLICE YOUR OTUS ROOT WITH

TOP TIP

Don’t slice your lotus root too thinly, we suggest number 2 on this standard IKEA mandolin.

You could try tinned lotus root, probably easier to source but I suggest you slice and then thoroughly dry as much as possible before adding your marinade and frying.

All air fryers work a bit differently, but I use the Ninja Air Fryer, I have one in Dubai and one in our home in London where my grown up kids live, they love it too! See the link below to find out more. 

Ninja Air Fryer AF100, Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate, 3.8 Litres, 1550 Watts, Grey and Black

Want more easy, tasty AIR FRYER recipes like this one?

Then click our AIR FRYER SIMPLE PAGE here

and follow along on our AIR FRYER SIMPLE instagram for quick ideas to turn your everyday cooking into something special.

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ENERGY BALLS RECIPE perfect nutrient dense sweet snack

Get your Energy as naturally as possible with this simple Energy Balls Recipe

UPDATED APRIL 2022 perfect Ramadan Recipe

The original energy balls recipe is great but here’s another version WITHOUT the very calorific peanut butter AND without all the caffeine in the cocoa. I’ve also used a delicious coating of sesame seeds and fennel seeds making this version of energy balls a perfect after dinner sweet fix.

ENERGY BALLS DOINDUBAI MONICA KAPILA fennel and sesame seeds
ENERGY BALLS NO PEANUT BUTTER OR COCOA

NEW FAVORITE ENERGY BALLS RECIPE GOES LIKE THIS

100 g of UNSALTED nuts – your choice I like cashews, almonds and pistachios all mixed

5 dates and 5 PRUNES no pips

1 tablespoon avocado or coconut oil

30 g flaxseed powder

40 g sunflower/pumpkin seeds ground to powder or you could us 70 g or dried coconut powder

1 tea spoon of water – if mixture is too dry

You pretty much make it as in method for the original recipe

ORIGINAL RECIPE FOR ENERGY BALLS USING PEANUT BUTTER AND COCOA

There are so many energy ball recipes being shared; this one was given to me by one of my uber fit and body conscious Australian gym buddies. It’s easy, uses simple, accessible ingredients and it works every time. Try some energy balls instead of your usual sweet fix!

Energy Balls Recipe DoinDubai

Ingredients to make the Energy Balls

12 to 14 pitted or unpitted dates

1 tablespoon of cacao powder

3/4 of a mug of raw, plain cashews and or almonds

2 tablespoons of your favourite peanut butter

Energy Balls Recipe ingredients 800

Equipment to make the Energy Balls

A good food processor OUR FAVOURITE IS THE THERMOMIX Read all about it or listen to a podcast on what a thermomix is and what it can do here.

Sharp kitchen knife and chopping board (to take the pips out of your dates if you need to)

Baking paper (not strictly necessary)

A large enough tray to lay out up to 14 to 18  made energy balls for setting

Prepared shelf in your fridge for energy balls to set on the tray

Metal tablespoon

One large bowl

Method to make the Energy Balls

  1. Take the pips out of the dates if you didn’t purchase them pitted
  2. Weigh out all your ingredients
  3. Process the nuts in the food processor to the thickness you want them. Some people prefer them to be almost powdery and quite fine, others a little more course. Me? I like a little of each, so I put most of the nuts in the processor and whizz to a powdery consistency, then leave a handful to be whizzed up roughly. Set aside the processed nuts
  4. Whizz up the dates to as small as you can get without them sticking together
  5. Add the peanut butter to the processor with the cacao powder, mix well so you are making a kind of very chocolatey peanut butter
  6. Add the dates to the mixture and whiz up again
  7. Add the nuts and do a final whiz till the mixture all comes together in a rough ball
  8. Switch off your food processor! Then take out your mixture and put in a mixing bowl
  9. Shape the mixture into little balls and lay out on kitchen paper on a tray ready to set in the fridge
  10. This quantity should make 12 to 14 small energy balls, set in the fridge for about an hour, or you could put in the freezer for less time.
  11. Just eat from the fridge or store in an airtight bag in the freezer and take out a few minutes before you need to serve

These Energy Balls are great for those after dinner munchies 

You can add your ingredients together

differently if you prefer.

In my video I combined the nuts with the cacao

as they are both dry ingredients.

Experiment and see what you think.

*I do recommend you make the dates as small as possible first though. Don’t be tempted to use too much cacao, it has a very strong taste!

Try the energy balls recipe with different kinds of homemade or shop bought nut butters and see if you prefer the taste! I think  these would also be good to give to growing teens as a snack especially during exams. Also a great recipe to teach to any kids going to university, provided they had a basic food processor!

Hope you enjoy! Tell us what combination of ingredients you have tried.

Monica

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THERMOMIX IN DUBAI


Updated March 2022

Thermomix in Dubai Is it worth it ?

Read this honest review updated 2022.

I found out all about the thermomix in Dubai in Feb 2017 when I did a review of the product.  But I ended up waiting till December 2020 to buy my thermomix!  I use it daily, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, constantly when I have people over.  It’s given me back some control over my health.

Why don’t you Listen now to my podcast  (Feb 2021) in the Monic Moments Podcasts to find out what some of my doubts were.

Episode 6 What is a thermomix

I did actually go ahead and buy a thermomix in Dubai, the latest version, which is  the TM6  in December 2020!

I use the recipes in the in built cookiedoo account, but I also confidently and happily DISRUPT those recipes.

I have been happy being creative with my own recipes experimenting with flavours throughout the process and via sharing of recipes and experiences on instagram, people have approached me to help them make better use of their thermomixes to achieve their lifestyle eating goals. These sessions can be one to one or in a group.

Energy balls made with dates and prunes rolled in a coating of sesame and fennel seeds in the picture below.

thermomix in dubai monica kapila energy balls

If you have any questions on the thermomix then go to my @doindubai instagram account and send me a dm or use the contact link here to send me a message directly.

Thermomix in Dubai – from the beginning

A Thermomix is a kitchen gadget that weighs, processes and cooks your food.

Read on to find out what thermomix in Dubai is all about. It’s fabulous if you’re a creative cook, but it’s also fabulous if you’re not a creative cook. It’s great if  you can cook, but it’s great if you can’t cook too!

Thermomix in Dubai making a curry paste DoinDubai gallery

What’s thermomix in Dubai all about

The thermomix is about the size of a large electric kettle that sits in it’s own pod type housing unit. The “kettle” is in effect the mixing/cooking bowl that you use for almost every task the machine carries out.

The pod has only 3 types of main controls, a timer, a temperature control and a motor speed dial – that’s it. The machine has been designed and made in Germany by a company called Voerwerk.

Thermomix in Dubai Blogger Event DoinDubai Making MInt Lemonade gallery

What can a thermomix do that my current food processor can’t

One of the unique selling points about the thermomix is that seems to be many kitchen gadgets all rolled into one. So it’s not just a powerful food processor.

  • It’s very easy to weigh ingredients precisely and continue adding and weighing as you need to without removing things and starting again. So good bye kitchen scales.

Thermomix in Dubai Monica Kapila DoinDubai weighing scale

  • It has an incredibly powerful motor, the most powerful of any food processor on the market at the moment. So that means you can produce fine powder from the hardest food substances. This makes it easy to produce your own flours, sugars and nut combinations.
  • You can then use these to turn into dough, butter, cake mixture or anything you need. It’s also very easy to process tough, sticky dates, so you can make things like these 4 ingredient energy balls in seconds!

Thermomix in Dubai Beetroot and Orange Cake

  • The processing functions are quite comprehensive and sophisticated. So there is a special kneading mode for making dough as though you were doing it by hand. There is an emulsifying mode for combining sauces, as well as the regular blending and chopping functions of a standard food processor.
  • There is a unique cooking mode which again can be precisely controlled via the temperature gauge. We saw how simple it was to first grind whole spices like pepper corns and cinnamon sticks into a fine powder and then easily roast them in the same bowl by pressing a button. These spices then form the base of a spicy curry paste with the garlic, ginger and onion easily chopped in the same bowl.

  • It also works as a very powerful blender so it’s great for making any combination of fruit or vegetable drinks that include a bit of the zest or skin if you’d like. So it’s good bye smoothie and ice cream maker.
  • We saw the cooking element work to make a curry and a soup. It works in a similar way to how a multi cooker would work. It’s more powerful than a slow cooker though.  So goodbye multi cooker and slow cooker. But there is a non stick wok type saucepan that enables you to steam food as well. That sits comfortably on top of the “kettle” type bowl.

Thermomix in Dubai Middle East DoinDubai Blogger Event mango ice cream gallery

I’m not good in the kitchen so why should I buy a thermomix

The thermomix also comes with it’s own unique recipe chip (now connected via wifi in the machine itelf) that very simply guides you though making a dish step by step, with minimal food preparation. And if you need inspiration for making fabulous food in your thermomix, we have recipe ideas here that you can easily adapt and make in minutes! This 3 ingredient pancake mix is trending on our site at the moment!

3 ingredient pancakes doindubai

And so many people have tried baking their own bread! Again very easy to do ANY KIND OF DOUGH in the thermomix!

Here’s our recipe for an easy Irish Soda Bread that doesn’t need yeast or proving time!

Bread without yeast DoinDubai toast and jam

Where can I get a thermomix in Dubai

You can’t buy a thermomix in a shop, almost anywhere in the world. They’re only sold via distributors and Dubai is no exception. Call the thermomix office here in Dubai if you’d like to book a demonstration to see how the machine works or if you’d like to buy one anyway. The demonstrations are free of any obligation to buy. Tel +971 4 234 2520

Do say you heard about them from DoinDubai though please!

How much does a thermomix in Dubai cost

The thermomix machine isn’t cheap. They are around AED 5000 or so. I think they’d make an ideal wedding present for a couple that are just starting out. Friends and family could put this money together for them instead of buying separate household gifts. Thermomix in Dubai do offer a type of payment plan whereby you can pay in installments.

The thermomix is ideal for anyone who is maybe thinking of downsizing to a smaller home. The smart thermomix would negate the need of lots of gadgets taking up valuable kitchen counter space. Pay for it from the money you make selling your junk when you move.

Get it as a special Christmas or a Birthday or Anniversary present to yourself especially if you’re serious about improving your health as it gives you back so much control.

If you like cooking then you should definitely see our AIR FRYER recipes here too.

3-ingredient-spicy-edamae-beans-doindubai-finished-dish
3 INGREDIENT SPICY EDAMAME BEANS

More great recipes on the DoinDubai Instagram and Facebook Feeds. 

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AIR FRIED PAKODAS easy tasty authentic and quick perfect vegetarian snack

I tried these air fried pakodas for the first time recently and was so surprised at the very good result! Try these air fried pakodas and forget deep frying them ever again! Great tea time snack these air fried pakodas are vegetarian and gluten free. I think vegan too if you’re careful with your spray oil. Fabulous for Ramadan time too.

Air Fried Pakodas
Air Fried Pakodas DoinDubai Monica Kapila almost ready
Air Fried Pakodas almost ready

Ingredients for Air Fried Pakodas

2 medium onions thinly sliced

salt 1/2 tsp for the onions then 1 tsp for the gram flour and spice mix

3/4 cup of gram flour/ besan in Hindi

1/4 cup of rice flour this makes your pakodas nice and crispy

red chilli powder to your taste – I use about 1/2 tsp mine isn’t too fiery

1/4 to 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp ajwain or carom seeds if you can get them, easily available in any ethnic grocery store

Your preferred spray oil

I used Lurpack spray butter oil blend

Use spray oil we like this one from Lurpak

fresh chopped coriander about 1 tablespoon full

1 to 2 tsp of lemon juice

cup cake cases ones that can go in your air fryer safely!

Air Fried Pakodas DoinDubai Monica Kapila Spices box
Spices box use salt chilli and turmeric add ajwain or carom if you can get it

How to make them

THE PAKODA MIXTURE

Simply rub the sliced onions with salt and leave on the side for about 30 mins or so (don’t bother if you don’t have time, still works fine)

Mix flours, spices and coriander leaves in a bowl

Toss in the onions and mix well

add in few drops of fresh lemon juice

add a few table spoons of water to make a thickish batter consistency

Slice your onions ideally red ones like this

THE AIR FRYING BIT

Heat your Air Fryer to 160 degrees for about 3 minutes

Then spray your cup cake cases with your oil

add 1 spoon of pakoda mixture to each case

Pour the batter mixture into greased cup cake cases

spray well with the oil

air fry for 6 to 7 minutes on 160 degrees

Carefully turn over spray again and then air fry again for similar length of time on the other side, maybe a little less. This Air Fried Pakodas recipe has been adapted from www.secondrecipe.com

Fresh chopped coriander or fresh baby spinach

All air fryers work a bit differently, but I use the Ninja Air Fryer, I have one in Dubai and one in our home in London where my grown up kids live, they love it too! See the link below to find out more. Ninja Air Fryer AF100, Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate, 3.8 Litres, 1550 Watts, Grey and Black

Check out more Air Fryer Recipes that work well

AIR FRYER AUBERGINES AIR FRYER GALLERY
More AIr Fryer recipes here

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