Healthy Recipes

The recipes given below are easy to cook,using minimal fat and spices and hence are easy to digest.Weight reduction diets,diabetics,hypertensives,people with painful joints,even ulcers,would benefit from these simple healthy recipes.

1.Moong Dal Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole sabut moong dal(preferably sprouted), 1 tsp oil/ghee, 1 tbsp tamarind paste,4 cloves garlic(crushed), 1/4 cup chopped leaves of methi,1/2 tsp jeera, Salt to taste.

Method:

Steam dal with chopped methi leaves in 3 cups water for 5 minutes or till soft.Add tamarind paste and blend in a blender.Add salt to taste.In another saucepan,heat oil;put jeera,when it splutters, add crushed garlic.Pour it over the dal, and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Paneer Casserole

Ingredients:

1/4 kg paneer(cubed), 6 cloves garlic(crushed),2 tomatoes and 3 onions(cubed),1 tsp grated ginger, 1 small piece pumpkin(cubed),1 cup sprouted moong,2 tbsp cooking corn,1 tbsp cornflour, 1 tsp butter, 1" stick cinnamon, 1 cup dry breadcrumbs(preferably from brown bread).

Method:

Mix all the ingredients,except cornflour,butter and breadcrumbs,in 4-6 cups water and simmer on a slow flame till soft.Roast cornflour lightly in 1 tsp butter and add to the cooked mixture.Pour out this mixture in a baking dish(lined with butter).Sprinkle a thick layer of breadcrumbs on the surface and bake for 15 minutes in a moderately hot oven.

3.Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage,1 cup rice(cooked with a pinch of haldi and salt),1 tsp curry powder, 1/4 cup boiled peas, lemon juice to taste.

Method:

Separate cabbage leaves,keeping them whole as far as possible.Remove any hard core.Soften leaves in hot water for 5 minutes.Grate the inside hard part of the cabbage and mix with the rice,peas and coriander leaves.Add curry powder and lemon juice to taste.Drain cabbage leaves.Put a little of the mixture in the centre and wrap each leaf around.Arrange in a row,seam side down,in a baking tray.Arrange the remaining stuffing,if any, on either side.Bake for 20 minutes in a moderately hot oven,or steam for 20 minutes.

4.Saucy Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower(approx. 400gm,broken into flowerettes),1onion(chopped),1 small piece ginger (grated),2 cloves garlic(crushed),1/2cup tomato puree,1 tbsp butter,1/2 tsp sugar,1 tsp brown vinegar,Salt to taste,soya sauce and chilli sauce(optional).

Method:

Cook cauliflower with a pinch of salt in just enough water.Arrange in a shallow serving dish.Heat butter and fry onion,garlic and ginger till th eonions are soft and transparent.Add tomato puree,vinegar,sugar,salt and simmer for 5 minutes.Pour the sauce all around the cauliflower.

5.Carrot Paranthas

Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrot,3/4 cup atta, 1/4 cup besan, 1/4 tsp jeera powder,a pinch of ajwain,salt and chilli powder to taste,oil/ghee for cooking.

Method:

With oiled fingers,knead all the ingredients into a soft dough,adding water only if necessary.Roll out,as for chapatis.Cook on a tava with very little oil.A non-stick tava may also be used.

6.Stuffed Capsicums

Ingredients:

4 capsicums,1/2 cup rice,1/2 cup shelled green peas,1 cup tomato juice,1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves,Salt to taste.

Method: Halve the capsicums and remove the seeds.Wash rice well.Cook rice and peas with tomato juice and salt.Mix in coriander leaves.Stuff mixture into the capsicum halves.Steam till capsicums are soft(about 5-7 minutes.