58. PALAK-SHALAK : STIR-FRIED SPINACH (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS
1. Palak (Spinach) - 1/2 kg
2. Cooking Oil 1 tsp
3. Chopped Garlic 1 tsp
4. Salt 1/8 tsp (as per taste)
5. Roasted Sesame (Til) Seeds 1 tsp
6. Roasted Peanuts (Moongphali) 1 tbs

METHOD
1. Wash and cut spinach.
2. Heat 1 tsp cooking oil in a karhai/pan.
3. Stir fry chopped garlic till it becomes golden.
4. Add chopped spinach and salt and stir fry it on high heat until the water released by it evaporates.
5. Toss in roasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts and serve.

GOOD TO KNOW
Spinach provides iron and roughage to the body, oil provides Omega 3 Fatty Acids, garlic is a blood purifier and thinner, sesame provides magnesium and peanuts add protein. 

                              *****       

57. FISH RICE (MILD & HEALTHY)

INGREDIENTS
1. Basmati Rice - 1cup
2. Fish - 300 gms
3. Salt 1 tsp (as per taste)
4. Cooking Oil 1 tsp
5. Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
6. Curry Patta (few)
7. Onion 1 medium chopped
8. Garlic 4-5 cloves chopped
8. Green Chilies 3 slit length-wise
9. Red Chilli powder 1/4 tsp
10. Lemon Juice 1tbs
11. Mixed chopped vegetables peas /carrots /cauliflower

METHOD
1. Separate the fish pieces with bones and without bones. 
2. Boil fish pieces with bones in 2.25 cups of water and then remove bones manually.
3. Roll boneless pieces of fish in salt, chilli powder and lemon juice and keep them aside. 
4. Wash rice and soak for 15 minutes. Drain water.
5. In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat 1 tsp oil, add 1 tsp mustard seeds, chopped onion, garlic and salt and stir till onion becomes translucent. Add slit green chilies and curry patta and stir for half a minute more.
6. Pour fish stock (2 cups). Add soaked rice and mixed vegetables.
When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to minimum and cover the vessel. 

7.After about 10-15 minutes, when the rice is still not fully cooked and there still is some water, insert the spiced pieces of fish at various places in the vessel using a flat spatula. Don't stir. Cover with the lid till both rice and fish are fully done.  

CARE: This is not Fish Biryani but a healthy and light option as a one pot meal. 

      

                               *****                                            

56. MOOLI KI BHUJIYA ( DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

Spicy Mooli Bhujiya

INGREDIENTS
1. Mooli (White radish with leaves) - 1 kg
2. Cooking Oil (preferably Mustard Oil) 2 tbs
3. Salt 1 tsp (as per taste)
4. Adrak (Ginger) finely chopped - 2 tbsp
5. Green Chillies 3 finely chopped
6. Ajwain 1 tsp
7. Heeng (Asafoetida) 1/4 tsp
8. Haldi 1/2 tsp
9. Red Chili powder 1/4 tsp

METHOD
1. Peel/scrape and cut white part/ root of Mooli (white radish). Also chop leaves. Wash them well and boil in pressure cooker until it whistles. Switch off heat and let it cool down. The trick is to ensure that it does not become too soft.
2. Once cold, drain water and squeeze the leaves and mooli by holding them between the palms of both the hands and squeezing very very hard. Remove as much water as you can.
2. Heat oil in a karhai (wok), add chopped adrak and green chillies. Also add and stir ajwain, heeng powder, salt, haldi and red chili powder.
3. Add squeezed leaves and mix well. Keep turning over for 10 minutes on low heat.

***** 

55. ALOO RAITA

INGREDIENTS
1. Curd (preferably low fat)  2 cups
2. Potatoes-3 medium size, boiled and broken into small pieces by hand
3. Salt 1 tsp (as per taste)
4. Ginger powder (sonth) 1/4 tsp 
5. Jeera (Cumin seeds) 1/2 tsp, dry roasted and crushed 
6. Red Chili powder flakes 1/8 tsp
7. Green Coriander small bunch or a few Podina (Mint) leaves 

METHOD
1. Beat curd to make it smooth.
2. Add salt, ginger powder, red chili powder and bhuna jeera in the curd.  
3. Add chopped coriander or mint leaves and boiled and broken potatoes to the curd.
4. Decorate with red chili powder and roasted jeera powder.


CAUTION: Potatoes are avoidable for diabetics.

*****

54. LAHSUNI ROTI (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY))

INGREDIENTS
1. Wole wheat Flour (Atta) 1 cup
2. Gram (Chana) Flour  1/4 cup
3. Garlic 6 tbs coarsely grated
5. Aniseed (Saunf) Large 1 tsp
6. Coriander Seeds (Dhania) 1 tsp coarsely crushed
7. Oil 1 tbsp

METHOD
1. Knead all the ingredients into tight chapati dough.
2. Roll a little thick chapati, place on the tawa, pierce with a fork at a few places and cook on very low heat ensuring that it remains crisp and does not puff up. 
3. Serve hot.
4. If your diet permits, apply 1/4 tsp olive oil on the chapati while still hot. 

*****

53. CHEESY SPINACH- PALAK (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY))

INGREDIENTS
1. Baby Spinach 300 gms washed and chopped
2. Salt 1/2 tsp ( as per taste)
3. Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbs
4. Oats 1 tbsp dry roasted and ground 
5. Low fat Cheese 4 tbs grated

METHOD
1. Wash, clean and chop spinach. 
2. Stir fry with salt and ginger-garlic paste. Mash well with a spatula.
3. Add roasted oats powder and mix well. Stir on low heat for five minutes. 
4. Add cheese and stir till it melts giving it a creamy feel and look.

USEFUL TIP
1. Goes well as a side dish.
2. You may like to place it in a baking dish, cover with grated cheese and bake till cheese becomes golden brown and crisp.  

*****

52. CHANA (BENGAL GRAM) KEEMA (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS
1. Kale Chane (Bengal Gram black) - 1 cup
2. Salt - 1 tsp
3. Haldi powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Whole spices : 2 Badi Elaichi (Black Cardamom), 5 Lavang (Cloves), 1" Darchini (Cinnamon stick), 1 Tej Patta (Bay Leaf), 10 Kali Mirch (Peppercorns)
5. Cooking Oil - 1 tbs 
6. Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
7. Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Onion (Medium) -1 grated
9. Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tbsp
10. Tomatoes 4 pureed to a paste
11. Any Meat Masala (MDH/Shaan/Sahiba) - 1 tbsp
12. Kasoori Methi 1/2 tsp
13. Dhania ( Green Coriander) leaves - 1 small bunch

METHOD

1. Wash and soak chana over-night.
2. Cook in pressure cooker along-with salt, haldi and app. 3 cups of water, for about 20 minutes or until the chanas become tender.
3. After the chanas cool, coarse grind them in a chopper for a few seconds, ensuring carefully that they are not reduced to a paste and retain their keema-like texture. Alternatively, you can pound them.
4. In a pan, heat 1tbs oil, add jeera and onion paste and fry till it starts changing its colour. 
5. Add  whole spices, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder and meat masala and stir it for 2 minutes. 
6. Add tomato paste and the coarsely ground mix of chana. 
7. Add kasoori methi and cook till it boils.
8. Decorate with chopped Dhania ( coriander leaves) and serve.

Enjoy with chapati or rice. 

*****

51. CHANA CHAAT ( DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY SNACK)

INGREDIENTS

1. Kale Chane (Bengal Gram) - 1 cup
2. Salt - 1 tsp
3. Cooking Oil - 1/2 tsp
4. Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
5. Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Lemon Juice -  1 tbs 
7. Chaat Masala 1/2 tsp

PROCESS

1. Wash and soak chana over-night  in clean water.
2. Cook in a pressure cooker with app 2 cups of water and salt for about 20 minutes or until the chanas become tender. 
3. Let the water evaporate fully. One can drain the water but it is preferable to evaporate the water instead of draining it out to save its nutritive value.
4. In a small pan, heat half tsp oil, add jeera and red chili powder. Add chanas and mix well.
5. Sprinkle chaat masala and freshly squeezed lemon juice and toss it.

This is a healthy and nutritional snack packed with vegetarian protein.

*****

50. ALOO PARATHA (FOODIES FAVOURITE)

INGREDIENTS

a. For the Stuffing
1. Aloo (Potatoes) - 1/2 kg or 6-7 medium sized
2. Pyaaz (Onion) - 1 large grated 
3. Adrak (Ginger) - 1" grated
4. Hari Mirch (Green chilies) - 3 chopped fine
5. Hara Dhania (Coriander leaves) - 1 bunch chopped
6. Salt - 1 tsp (as per taste)
7. Anar Dana Powder ( Pomegranate seeds) - 1 tbs 
8. Sonth (Ginger Powder) - 1 tsp
9. Sabut Dhania (whole Coriander Seeds) - 1 tsp crushed
10. Lal Mirch (Red Chilli powder) - 1/4 tsp

b. For the Atta (Dough)
1. Whole wheat flour - 3 cups
2. Salt - 1 tsp
3. Lal Mirch (Red Chili powder) - 1/4 tsp
4. Ajwain Seeds - 1 tsp
5. Kasoori Methi - 1tbs rubbed well 
6. Cooking Oil - 1 tbsp
7. Onion Juice extracted from grated onion

PREPARATION

a. For the Stuffing
1. Wash and boil potatoes till tender. Peel and grate or mash      well with a fork.
2. Peel and grate onion. Squeeze it tightly and keep the juice
    and solids separately.
3. Mix mashed potatoes with Salt, Red Chili powder, Ginger
    Powder, grated Ginger, finely chopped green
    chilies, crushed coriander seeds, chopped coriander              leaves, Anardana powder and onion solids.
4. Mix well and form egg sized balls.  

b. For the Dough
1. To the whole wheat flour, add salt, Red Chilli powder, 
    Ajwain Seeds, Kasoori Methi powder, Onion Juice and 1        tbsp Cooking Oil and knead well by adding water as per
    requirement.
2. Make balls of approximately the same size as the stuffing.

METHOD
1. Roll the dough balls between your palms and then spread      it as much as you can by using 3 fingers and thumbs of          both hands converting it into a kind of bowl.
2. Place the stuffing inside and close it by pulling and                  stretching it.  
3. Roll it between your palms to form a neat ball. Ensure that it does not break.
4. Flatten it and dust it with dry flour. Roll it with a rolling pin
    in a circulatory motion till it becomes almost 7"-8" diameter
    and totally flat.
4. Heat a Tawa (griddle)/ Fry pan. Place the rolled paratha          on it. Turn over and apply oil on both sides. Turn over till        both sides are well-cooked and crisp, using medium heat.
5. Serve with butter, curd and pickle or make a roll with              cheese spread.

GOOD TO KNOW
For the diet or health conscious people, one can make the paratha like a roti, without applying any oil whatsoever. Depending upon one's calorie budget, one  may apply 1/2 tsp olive oil, if required. 

                                           *****

49. CHICKEN CURRY (OIL FREE) : DIETERS' DELIGHT

INGREDIENTS
1. Chicken Breasts/Thighs - 4 Washed and cut into pieces of desired size
2. Lemon Juice 1 tsp 
3. Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tbsp 
4. Kasoori Methi 1 tsp 
5. Whole spices:Laung(Cloves) 4, Kali Mirch(Peppercorns) 6, Badi Elaichi (Black Cardamoms) 2, Darchini (Cinnamon Stick) 1, Tej Patta (Bay Leaf) 1
6. Salt 1 tsp (as per taste) 
7. Haldi (Turmeric Powder) 1/4 tsp 
8. Lal Mirch (Red Chili) Powder 1/4 tsp ( as per taste)
9. Any Chicken Masala 1-2 tbsp
10. Onion Finely Chopped 1 
11. Large tomatoes - 6  pur
12. Cashews or blanched almonds 1/4 cup, soaked and blended into a smooth paste
13. Dhania Patti (Coriander leaves) 1 bunch,

METHOD
1. Mix the ingredients listed from 1 to 9 and leave to marinade for at least 1 hour.
2. Blend onion and tomatoes with 1/2 cup water into a puree.
3. Put everything together in a heavy bottomed vessel/ cooker. Bring it to a boil and cover with a lid. Cook for about 20 minutes on low heat or until the chicken is tender and gravy becomes thick. Do not pressure cook.
4. Add Cashew/Almond puree and stir till it acquires a thick texture.
5. If gravy becomes too thick, add a little milk.
6. Wash and cut coriander leaves (dhania patti) and sprinkle before serving.

7. Serve hot with rice or roti. 

           

                                           * * * * *