Healthy & Nutritious Desi Food
ChetThaker
Posts: 186 Member
So we know desi food is yummy, delicious and usually not so great for our waistlines. But what about the foods that are healthy, nutritious and good to have in our diets?
What have you discovered or know that you can recommend?
What have you discovered or know that you can recommend?
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I have two suggestions - one is the good old aalu tikki that can always be a low fat option.
The second I discovered almost accidentally because there was nothing else to cook in the house and I was too lazy after a long day at work to go get something from the market! Lol!
This is is with green peas. If you are the non fussy kinds, you can try: Boiling green peas (I usually microwave it for about 3mins). Then saute it on the pan for about a minute or two in 1tbsp of oil. The only thing I add to it is salt and pepper and sometimes, a pinch of garam masala if I want to make it taste better.
But if that sounds too blah for you, dice and saute some onions on the pan in about 2tbsps of oil and wait for the onions to turn translucent. Once done, add the microwaved green peas along with some salt, pepper, garam masala, and dhania powder. Let them cook for a while. Once it looks cooked, scramble an egg atop the peas and keep stirring vigorously. The whole peas will have a scrambled egg coat and this one goes wonderfully well with phulkas or paranthas.
Do let me know if you try it out
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there are so many-coming from the UK i was impressed by the cheap price and availability of vegetables, vegetables, vegetables! Eggs are also very cheap, high protein and filling.
Personally, I love sprouted mung beans as a healthy low-gi source of carbs. mixed with diced tomato, onion, cucumber, chaat masala and lemon juice.
Tandoori chicken also is not a bad option when there is nothing better in restaurants- but I ask them to hold back from using any ghee.
Homemade anda bhurji is good if you only use 1tsp oil. trust me, you don't need any more!
Coconut water also is great-it is extremely expensive in the west-though i have it rarely as it does contain sugars.
I make all kinds of sabzis-bhindi, baingan (eggplant) etc.
idli + sambhar is also a fairly low calorie option, though i absolutely hate it!0 -
Sutapa: Sounds good although are you sure you need that much oil as I think it would end up becoming higher calorie with that much? might try it out using less oil as it sounds pretty good.
Kali - you've moved from the UK to India? Sounds like good ideas. I drink Coconut Water sometimes specifically for the Potassium but it is higher on the Carb/Sugar side so limit my intake of it. I like your idea of holding the ghee on items in restaraunts. It's usually small things like this that can make a difference between good and bad.0 -
Sutapa: Sounds good although are you sure you need that much oil as I think it would end up becoming higher calorie with that much? might try it out using less oil as it sounds pretty good.
Kali - you've moved from the UK to India? Sounds like good ideas. I drink Coconut Water sometimes specifically for the Potassium but it is higher on the Carb/Sugar side so limit my intake of it. I like your idea of holding the ghee on items in restaraunts. It's usually small things like this that can make a difference between good and bad.
yup, UK to india! restaurants are usually good about that kind of stuff, if you ask nicely.0 -
Just because we're Indian, doesn't mean the same principles of cutting fat, choosing healthier alternatives and cooking food healthily can't be applied, you just have to be a little creative.
I live with my folks and it's taken a while, but over the years, I've gotten Mum to reduce the amount of oil she uses when cooking and to substitute oil for ghee where she can. Mum will also shallow fry or bake things, where once she would deep fry and some of the results have turned out really well. When she does do deep fried dishes, I limit the amount I have. I'm lucky I don't have a sweet tooth, at least not for Indian sweets, so that side of things doesn't affect me.
It all comes down to self-control, I'm a firm believer of everything in moderation, rather than attempting to cut out or restrict food groups.0 -
1. Marinated panner/tofu + bell pepper + onion - onto skewers. Hold them in the flame for a couple of mins. You are done. Tastes good. (Nothing spl abt this.. But I like to do it. That's all)
2. Boiled vegetables + mayonnaise/masala0 -
Sutapa: Sounds good although are you sure you need that much oil as I think it would end up becoming higher calorie with that much? might try it out using less oil as it sounds pretty good.
The former takes about 1tbsp of oil, the latter about 2 tbsp.0
