One Pot Meal

It has been a cloudy, cold and wet day, and this melancholic weather always makes me crave ghazals, ginger tea and pipping hot 'khichdi' (lentils and rice cooked together to a soft consistency and tempered with cumin). There is something soothing and healing about khichdi, almost as if it nourishes the soul with the body, a cure for all maladies emotional and physical.

I make various versions of it, depending on what I feel like or what is available at home, this particular recipe calls for bajra or pearl millet. Its an easy and quick way to experiment with a variety of whole grains and lentils.

Bajra/Millet is easily digestible and gluten free, which makes it an ideal grain for people with celiac disease. It contains all the essential amino acids and is especially rich in B vitamins, calcium and iron. It helps maintain cardiovascular health by decreasing triglycerides and is even good for diabetics, causing lower blood glucose levels and LDL cholesterol levels.

So, here it is - Millet pot meal

Ingredients
1 cup whole bajra or pearl millet soaked overnight
1/2 cup moong dal
4 cups chopped vegetables (carrots, beans, spinach, tomatoes, bottle gourd, cauliflower or any other vegetable of your choice)
3 cups water
Cumin seeds, turmeric, salt, green chillies to taste.

Process
In a pressure cooker, dry roast cumin and add the dal and bajra. Roast a little and add the chopped vegetables, chillies, turmeric and salt. Add the water and cook (3 whistles on a low flame).
Enjoy on a cold night or after a long and tiring day, it's satisfying and sure to warm you up!!!

Raw energy bite

 A wonderfully satisfying and yummy, all time snack or dessert. You could eat it to combat a mid afternoon slump, a sweet tooth, post workout deficit or even PMS.

This is one recipe where each ingredient is a super food in it's own right and each and every calorie is densely packed with energy, protein, calcium, omega 3 fatty acids , fiber and many micro nutrients !

This raw power packed energy bite is a great way to consume your daily quota of flax seeds. Flax has a unique combination of features—omega-3 fatty acids, high-lignan content, and mucilage gums— which is a key factor in the health benefits it offers.

It's one of the highest sources of heart healthy, omega 3 essential fatty acids. 

The lignans are fiber like compounds which apart from providing fiber like benefits also provide antioxidant support and have a health-supportive role to play, in the form of phytoestrogen or plant estrogen.
"Mucilage" refers to water-soluble, gel-forming fiber that can provide special support to the intestinal tract. For example, gums can help prevent the too rapid emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine, thereby improving absorption of certain nutrients in the small intestine.
Flax protects the blood vessels from oxidative stress and inflammatory damage,and decreases the risk of high blood pressure. The antioxidant and anti inflammatory qualities make it ideal for cancer prevention! It also is diabetes preventative and helps better sugar management for diabetics and boosts digestive health! Flax can also help manage post menopausal symptoms like hot flushes.

Dates and dried figs are a great sugar substitute to create healthier desserts, they not only provide a superior taste and texture but are also better than any other sweetener available because of their high fiber, calcium and mineral content! Together they are great for digestive health and bone health and to prevent heart disease and various kinds of cancers. Figs especially are wonderful for diabetics because of their high potassium content.

Here's the recipe,

Ingredients
1 cup oats
1 ½  cups nuts ground coarsely (a mix of walnuts, pistachios, almonds)*
1/2 cup ground sesame seeds
3/4 cup ground flax seed
1 cup finely chopped dried figs
1 cup finely chopped dates
1 cup hot water
1 tsp cinnamon powder
* you could replace the nuts with roasted and ground peanuts if you prefer.

For Diabetics
Replace 1 cup dates with 1/2 cup figs &1/2 cup dates along with the existing fig content.

Process
Put the figs and dates in a shallow bowl and add the hot water, mix well and let it rest for an hour. In a large bowl mix the first four ingredients, then add the fig date water and mix really well. Chill this mixture in the fridge for half an hour. Roll bite sized balls of the mixture and refrigerate. It keeps for a couple of weeks.
It is an ideal snack for kids to carry to school or for adults to carry to the work place! A great replacement to the high sugar, store bought energy bars or muesli bars!

Swapping refined grains with whole grains

Although we have been making many changes towards eating healthier as a family, it has taken my husband more time to adapt, especially when it came to the traditional specialties! But he very bravely took up a challenge recently to "Reverse his Diabetes", as his birthday gift to me, I was over the moon, yay!! Finally, I could have my way with him, yes I know how it sounds;), but I needed to tread slowly, not overwhelm him with too many changes.
So, I chose a breakfast staple - Dosa - fermented rice and lentil pancakes, which he loves, and swapped the regular white dosa rice with organic red rice.

White rice is a refined grain. What does that mean?  It's germ and bran has been removed, which results in loss of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Refined grains get digested quickly and this rapidly increases the amount of blood sugar or glucose in the bloodstream which in turn triggers a surge of insulin to help cells use this nutrient. As glucose is metabolized, blood sugar plummets, making us want to eat again. This "blood sugar roller coaster" boosts triglycerides, lowers helpful high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and increases the risk for heart attack in people who are overweight.

Compare that to red rice, a whole grain, which means it has all the essential parts (bran, endosperm, germ) and the naturally occurring nutrients of the rice - fibre, manganese, B vitamins, iron, selenium, magnesium, phosphorous and thiamine. And of course the benefits are endless, lower risk of diabetes or in my husband’s case, better blood sugar management, lower risk of heart disease and gastrointestinal disease, lower severity of asthma attacks, prevention of gallstones, weight control etc.
Well, the red rice dosas turned out to be much tastier, slightly crisper and browner than their white rice counterpart and well, the husband ate, a little surprised! Round one goes to whole grains!

So, here's the recipe -


Ingredients
2 cups red rice (Fabindia or Navdarshanam organic red rice, both are quite good)
1 cup urad dal
3 tsp fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste

Process
Wash and soak the rice, dal and fenugreek seeds overnight . Grind the soaked  grains in a blender or stone grinder and pour it in a large bowl. Keep it in a warm place, free from drafts, let it ferment for 8-12 hours or till the batter rises and has a distinct smell of being fermented. Add salt and mix well.
To make a dosa, take a ladle full of batter and spread evenly on a hot griddle. Cook only on one side till it's done. Enjoy with fresh coconut chutney !