61. DAAL MAKHANI - FAT FREE (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

Daal Makhani without Makhan (Butter)

INGREDIENTS
1. Urad Daal ( Black gram)... 1 cup
2. Rajma (Red Kidney Beans).....1/4 cup
3. Large Tomatoes...4 
4. Ginger Garlic Paste 2 tbs
5. Tomato Ketchup 2 tbs
6. Whole spices: 
    Laung (Cloves) 3 
    Badi Elaichi (Black Cardamoms) 2 
    Darchini (Cinnamon Stick) 1
   Tej Patta (Bay Leaf) 1 
7. Salt 1 tsp (as per taste)
8. Haldi (Turmeric Powder) 1 tsp 
9. MDH Deggi Mirch (Red Chili) Powder 1/2 tsp ( as per taste)
10. Meat Masala 1 tbs
11. Kasoori Methi 2 tbs
12. Sugar 1tsp
13. Fat-free Milk 1 cup

METHOD
1. Soak Rajma overnight.
2. In a Pressure Cooker, cook together, soaked rajma, daal, salt, haldi, all the whole spices (Clove + Black Cardamom + Cinnamon + Bay Leaf) and ginger-garlic paste with 4 cups of water, for about half an hour.
3. Mash the daal well with the help of a ladle till it mixes well.
4. In a small fry pan, heat 1tbs oil, add meat masala, deggi mirch powder and fry for ten seconds. Add pureed tomatoes and kasoori methi after rubbing between palms. Also add tomato ketchup and sugar and add this to the daal. 
6. Bring daal to a boil once again and boil on slow heat for 5 minutes.
7. Add milk slowly while continuously stirring till it starts giving a creamy look and acquires the right consistency.

Serve hot.

                                            * * * * *

60. MULTI-GRAIN MATAR PANEER ROTI (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS

1. Oats dry ground in a mixie : 1/4 cup
2. Whole Chana Flour (Bengal Gram not Besan): 1/4 Cup
3. Barley (Jau) Flour: 3 tbs
4. Millet (Bajra) Flour: 3 tbs
5. Whole Wheat (Atta) Flour: 1/2 Cup 
6. Green Peas (Matar): 2 Cups, cooked in Microwave for 2 minutes and then minced in a mixie
7. Cottage Cheese (paneer) : 1 cup grated
8. Green chilies 3-4 finely chopped
9. Ginger (Adrak) 1 tbs grated
10. Salt 2 tsp ( as per taste)
11. Coriander seeds (Dhania) crushed 1 tsp 
12. Ajwain Seeds 1 tsp
13. Olive oil as used



METHOD
1. Knead together all the ingredients mentioned above (except Peas and olive oil) into a soft dough.

Flatten the dough n a Ziplock to form a roti

2. Form balls of dough. Flatten and spread each ball and stuff it with 2 tsp of minced Peas. Flatten it.
3. Spread a firm polythene sheet or a Ziplock bag and apply a few drops of oil on it.
4. Place the  flattened ball on it and pat it with greased fingers until it gets the shape of a thick roti.

5. Flip over the sheet on the palm of your hand to remove the roti and again flip it over on the heated tawa (griddle).  Turn over till done from both sides. With a chimta (tong), bake it straight on the flame on both sides for a few seconds. Apply 1/2 tsp of olive oil on it if your calorie budget permits. Otherwise enjoy it with plain home-made curd made of 1% fat Skimmed Milk.  For non-dieters, apply oil and fry it like an ordinary paratha and forget about the calorie count. It will definitely be tastier.

GOOD TO KNOW

1. The multiple flours used here though highly nutritious, are quite dry. Adding grated paneer in the dough will make it soft. Filling with mashed peas will make it tastier and softer.
2. The flours used in the recipe' are all extremely healthy having various nutrients, fibre and a variety of minerals and vitamins.They are low in glycemic index as compared to wheat flour.

*****

59. ROTI- GOBHI-PALAK (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS
1. Oats dry ground in a mixie
2. Whole Chana (Bengal Gram) Flour (Not Besan) - 1/2 cup 
3. Atta (Whole Wheat Flour) - 1/2 cup
4. Palak (spinach) 250 gms, boiled in 1/4 cup water and cooled and mashed
5. Cauliflower (phool gobhi) 1 cup grated 
6. Green chillies -3 finely chopped
7. Salt 1 tsp ( as per taste),
8. Dhania (Coriander) seeds crushed 1 tsp
9. Ajwain Seeds 1 tsp
10. Olive oil 1 tbs


METHOD
1. Knead together all the ingredients except olive oil into dough.
2. Form balls and flatten them.
3. Spread a firm polythene sheet or a Ziplock bag and apply a few drops of oil on it.
4. Place the flour balls and pat it with greased fingers until it gets the shape of a roti.
5. Flip over the sheet on the palm of your hand to remove the roti and put it on the heated tawa (griddle).
6. Turn over till done from both sides. With a chimta (tong), place it straight on the flame and grill on both sides for a few seconds. 
7. Apply 1/4 tsp olive oil on it if your calory budget permits. Otherwise enjoy it with plain low fat curd.

*****

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.

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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.  

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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. 

*****