72. OATS UPMA (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS  

1. Oats Semolina* (Suji) - 1 cup
2. Cooking Oil 1 tsp
3. Chana Daal- 1 tsp
4. Black Mustard Seeds- 1/4 tsp
5. Heeng (Asafoetida)- 1 pinch
6. Onion chopped 1/2 cup
7. Ginger chopped 1 tsp
8. Green Chillis slit into two -2 (or as per taste)
9. Curry Patta Leaves - 3 twigs -washed and chopped 
10. Tomato chopped  1/2 cup 
11. Plain Roasted Peanuts - 1/4 cup
12. Grated Coconut 1 tbs 
13. Salt 1/4 tsp ( adjust to taste)

METHOD 

• Dry roast Oats Semolina (Suji) in a kadhai (pan) till a nice aroma starts coming but still remains white in colour. Keep it aside.
• In the same kadhai, heat 1 tsp oil, add 1 tsp washed daal and stir till it turns golden.
• Add 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds and let them splutter.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 2 slit chillies, a pinch of heeng, 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, chopped curry patta leaves, salt, 1/4 cup peanuts, and grated  coconut and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add 3 cups of water and let it come to boiling point.
• Add dry roasted Oats semolina and mix briskly to ensure that there are no lumps.
• Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring from time to time. 
• Serve hot with any chutney. 

* Good quality Oats Suji (semolina) is available in the market under various brand names. Otherwise one can grind coarsely ordinary oats in a dry grinder. Make sure that it does not become too fine.

71. BAINGAN BHARTA PURABIA (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS

• Round Seedless* Baingan Large (Brinjal/Eggplant) - 01
• Garlic 5 cloves
• Onion chopped 1 cup
• Ginger chopped 1 tbsp 
• Tomato chopped 1 cup 
• Green Chillies finely chopped 3 (or as per taste)
• Salt 1/4 tsp ( adjust to taste)
• Mustard Oil 1 tsp

METHOD

• Peel and cut brinjal into eight large pieces.
• In a pressure cooker, boil along with garlic and salt and 4 tbs water till one whistle. 
• Open cooker and cook till extra water evaporates. Mash brinjal well and let it cool down.
• Add uncooked chopped onion, ginger, chillies, tomatoes and 1 tbsp of unheated Mustard oil. Mix well.  
• Serve cold with hot rotis or parathas. 

CAUTION

If you are not fond of raw mustard oil flavour, don't try this as this dish has a very strong mustard oil flavour.

70. BENGALI FISH MUSTARD CURRY (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS

1.     Fish 300 gms

2.     Mustard Seeds (preferably yellow) - ½ cup

3.     Mustard Seeds Black - ½ tsp

4.     Green chillies - 3

5.     Salt ¼ tsp (to taste)

6.     Turmeric Powder ( ¼  tsp)

7.     Cooking Oil (preferably Mustard Oil) -1 tsp

METHOD

1. Cut fish into small pieces say 2''X2”. Wash and drain.

2. Grind together yellow mustard seeds, salt, turmeric powder and green chillies with a little water to form a fine paste. Add up to 150 ml water.

3. Heat oil in a flat pan. Add black mustard seeds. 

4. As the seeds splutter, pour the mustard paste. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or until it becomes thick.

5. Add fish pieces and cover with a lid.

6. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes or until the fish is done.

7. When ready, the sauce should be thick and creamy.

Goes well with plain boiled rice.


TIPs & TRICKs
    1. Mustard seeds must be ground with green chillies. Otherwise, the taste will become bitter. 
    2.The mustard chilly paste should be used immediately and not kept for too long.

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69. FRUIT YOGURT (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

Low calorie Cherry Yogurt

INGREDIENTS

1. Cherries or Strawberries or Blackberries or peach                   de-seeded- 02 cup

2. Greek Yogurt 0% fat - 2 cups

3. Sugar or Sugar substitute 1 tsp (optional)

METHOD

1. Beat yogurt lightly and add powdered sugar or sugar substitute (optional)

2. De-seed the selected fruit and run it in a chopper for a few seconds to make a coarse pulp.

3. Mix both together and keep it in the fridge to settle down for an hour.

CARE: Sugar is one of the white poisons and should be avoided by the diabetic patients and senior citizens.

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68. JUST LAUKI (BOTTLE GOURD) - DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY

INGREDIENTS
1.  Lauki (Bottle Gourd) - 01
2.  Cooking Oil- ½ tsp
3.  Jeera (cumin seeds)-1/4 tsp
4.  Heeng - 1/8 tsp
5.  Salt ½ tsp
6.  Red chilly powder - 1/8 tsp (optional)

METHOD

1. Peel, wash and cut Lauki into 1" cubes.

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add jeera, heeng, chilly powder and 3tbs water.

3. Add Lauki and salt.

4. Reduce heat after first whistle and let it cook for 2 minutes.

5. Remove the cooker lid after the pressure is gone and let the residual water dry up. 

TIPs & TRICKs

This dish can be eaten by any sick or convalescing person by itself, healthy and light on the tummy.

*****

67. MIXED DAAL CHILLA ( DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS

1. Moong Daal Dhuli (Yellow)….1/4 cup

2. Arhar (Toor) Daal ....1/4 cup

3. Chana Daal (Bengal Gram Daal) )...1/4 cup

4. Urd Daal (Black-gram) dhuli (white) )…..1/4 cup

5. Rice.....1/4 cup

6. Garlic…6-7 cloves

7. Ginger 1”

8. Green Chillies 4 chopped finely 

9. Curry Patta or Dhania leaves 3 twigs washed and chopped

   10. Red Chilly Powder ¼ tsp

   11. Salt 1 tsp (to taste)

   12. Cooking Oil 

METHOD
1. Wash and soak overnight (or at least for 3 hours) all the lentils and rice.
2. Drain water and grind them into a coarse paste.
3. Add salt, red chilly powder, grated garlic, ginger, finely chopped green chillies and curry/dhania patta. Add  some water to make it a thick batter of pouring consistency.
4. Heat a non-stick flat griddle (tawa)/ non-stick fry-pan. Sprinkle a few drops of oil. Pour 1/2 cup of batter and spread it with a wooden spatula into a round shape.
5. Let it cook on low heat until it turns golden brown. Flip over. Spray some oil and let it be cooked until golden brown on both sides.
6. Serve with green mint chutney.

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67. DIABETIC FRIENDLY ATTA (FLOUR) FOR ROTIS

   INGREDIENTS

1.  Chana Atta (Bengal Gram flour) with husk  ½ kg

2.  Jau (Barley) Atta with husk ½ kg

3.  Ragi/Mandva ( Finger Millet) Atta ½ kg

4.  Soyabean Atta ½ kg

5.  Oat Bran ½ kg

6.  Bajra (Pearl Millet) Atta ¼ kg
7. Jowar (Sorghum Millet) Atta ¼ kg  

8.  Methi Dana/Methre (Fenugreek) Seeds 100gms

9.  Badi Saunf (Aniseed)  100 gms coarsely ground

10. Ajwain (Carom seeds) 100 gms (washed, cleaned and dried)

11. Dhania (Coriander seeds) 50 gms crushed or pounded

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a jar.

Use it for making a variety of rotis by mixing with any of the following items:

Grated gobhi (cauliflower), chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves, boiled palak (spinach), grated radish (mooli), boiled and crushed matar (green peas), boiled/left-over daal, boiled keema, grated paneer (cottage cheese) etc. 

In addition, do add a few chopped green chillies, chopped onion, adrak (ginger), lahsun (garlic) for making healthy rotis.

TIPS & TRICKS

1. Please do NOT add Makki ka atta (Corn/Maize flour) as it is very high in starch and has high glycemic index, not good for diabetics/calorie-counters.

2. Making rotis with this atta can be a little tricky. One may make a ball of dough, apply a little oil on a Ziplock and pat the ball into a roti rather than rolling it with a rolling pin. Alternatively, one may add a little whole-wheat flour while kneading the dough. 

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66. FATAFAT FISH (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS
1.  Fish fillet 250 gms (cut into small pieces of app 2"X2")
2.  Mustard Oil 1 tsp
3.  Mustard Seeds ½ tsp
4.  Curry Patta 2 twigs chopped
5.  Salt ¼ tsp
6.  Red Chilli powder 1/8 tsp

METHOD
1.  Heat oil in a karhai/ flat pan
2.  Add mustard seeds, curry patta, salt and chilly powder, one by one while stirring it quickly.
3.  Add 1/8 cup water.
4.  Add fish and mix. 
5.  Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to minimum.
6.  Flip over after five minutes and keep it covered for app. 5 minutes or more ensuring that the water dries up fully.

Enjoy with boiled veggies and plain boiled rice.

*****

65. TASTY HASTY CABBAGE (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS
1.  Cabbage ½ ..chopped  finely, washed and drained 
2.  Cooking Oil…1/2 tbs
3.  Garlic chopped…. 1 tbs
4.  Black Mustard Seeds (large variety)...1 tsp
5.  Curry Patta leaves 3 twigs, washed and chopped
6.  Grated Coconut 1 tbs
7.  Salt ¼  tsp (to be adjusted as per taste)

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a karhai/pan. 

2. Add mustard seeds. When they start crackling, add                chopped garlic, curry patta leaves and salt and stir for a          minute. Add grated coconut too and stir.

3. Add chopped cabbage and mix well. Keep turning the mix      over & over on high heat till cabbage changes colour but        still remains crisp.

4. It is important to keep the heat at high level to ensure that      cabbage does not release water, become soggy or lose its      crispiness.

5. Makes an excellent side dish.

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64. MUSTARD RICE

INGREDIENTS
1. Basmati (Long Grain) Rice 1 cup
2. Cooking Oil…1 tbs
3. Black Mustard Seeds (large)… 1 tsp
4. Chopped garlic 1 tbsp
5. Curry Patta leaves from 3 twigs, washed and chopped
6. Heeng.. a pinch
7. Peas & cut carrots...1 cup
8. Salt ½ tsp (to be adjusted as per taste)
9. Green chillies 2 chopped finely (optional)

METHOD

1. Soak rice for half an hour. Drain the water.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add mustard seeds and          heeng till they start crackling. Add chopped garlic, heeng,      curry patta leaves and green chillies and stir a little.

3. Add peas & carrots mix, rice, salt and two cups of water.

4. When water starts boiling, reduce the heat/flame to                minimum and cover the pan with a lid.

5. Stir it only once after ten minutes. Keep checking up until rice gets cooked. (One can check it by mashing a grain of rice between one’s thumb and index finger.)

Serve hot. 

*****