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.

*****

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. 

*****

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.

***** 

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. 

*****

63. FRUIT YOGURT (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

INGREDIENTS
1. Home-made curd (made of skimmed milk) or Greek Yogurt - 3 cups
2. Sugar* powder- 1 tbs (as per taste)
3. Nutmeg (Jaiphal) powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Apple - 1 cut into small cubes
5. Papaya - 2" cut into small pieces
6. Cherries - 6-8 or Pomegranate 1 tsp 
7. Almonds- 8
8. Walnut/Pecans - 6

METHOD
1. Drain curd of the water by holding it in a muslin cloth for 10 minutes, if you are using home-made curd. Alternately, use Greek Yogurt.
2. Beat the curd smooth with a spoon and mix with sugar powder and nutmeg powder.
3. Peel and cut apple and papaya into small bite-size pieces.
4. Cut or crush almonds and walnuts/pecans into small pieces.
5. Mix cut fruit in the thick curd and put in a bowl.
6. Sprinkle and decorate with crushed nuts and cherries/pomegranate.

Serve cold.

   
* Sugar to be avoided or replaced with sugar substitutes for diabetic patients.                                         
                          *****

62. SPICY GRILLED FISH (DIABETIC & HEART FRIENDLY)

Apply the mix on fish stakes and leave them for half an hour

INGREDIENTS
1. Large stakes of Fish (Surmai) 2
2. Ginger-Garlic Paste 1 tbs
3. Salt 1/4 tsp (as per taste) 
4. Eastern Fish Masala 1 tsp
5. Lemon Juice 1 tbsp
6.Black Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp
7.Oil 1 tsp (optional) 

METHOD
1. Wash fish and pat it dry with a kitchen paper towel.
2. Mix together all  ingredients (except fish stakes) into a thick paste.
3. Apply the paste on fish stakes on both the sides and keep aside for half an hour.
4. Heat a heavy bottomed/ non-stick pan, place both the fish pieces in the pan and cover it with the lid.
5. Reduce the heat to minimum and let it cook slowly for ten minutes; keep checking that it does not get burnt.
6. After ten minutes, flip over the pieces and let them cook from the other side too.

Serve hot 

                                            * * * * *

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.

*****