The Corona times have clearly shown why it is important to have a healthy and nutritious diet always. When you look at the mortality rate and the comorbidities connection, immunity becomes a huge life-saving factor. And immunity can only be built up through a healthy and balanced diet. It is, of course, ok, to cheat once in a while. But eating healthy should be a habit, especially as we age, more to keep ourselves healthy and ensure we are independent and mobile. Here are a few easy, healthy recipes that can help you stay fit.
Sprouts Dhokla
The humble Gujarati staple, Dhokla is now known all across India. The besan based Dhokla can be had for breakfast or lunch or even as an evening snack. The best part is that it is also easy to make. While the Dhokla is also healthy, you can make it count for more, by adding in sprouts into the recipe. The preparation method is the same as except for the ground sprouts being added into it, along with spinach for a twist. Here is the complete recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp besan (Bengal gram flour)
- ½ tsp Eno/fruit salt/baking soda
- 2 chopped green chillies
- A pinch of hing/asafoetida
- ½ cup finely chopped spinach
- 1 cup sprouted Moong (green gram)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the tempering
- 1 tbsp oil
- Few curry leaves
- ½ tsp mustard (rai) seeds
- ½ tsp jeera (cumin) seeds
- 1 tsp sesame (til) seeds
- A pinch of hing/asafoetida
- 2 chopped green chillies
For garnishing
- Finely chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
- 1 tbsp grated coconut (optional)
Preparation
Blend sprouted moong, spinach and green chillies in a mixer into a smooth mixture, adding a little water if desired. To this mix, add in the fruit salt and besan, and water to make a batter of pouring consistency. Mix in the hing and lemon juice evenly. Pour this batter into a greased mold and steam it for 10 to fifteen minutes. You can check if it’s cooked by dipping in a butter knife to see if it’s sticky.
Take out and leave the Dhokla to cool before cutting it. In the meanwhile, you can prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the ingredients one by one and then pour it over the hot Dhokla. While serving, garnish with the coriander leaves and coconut gratings. You could also serve this with coriander and tamarind chutney as is usually done with many other snacks.
Corn and Palak Pulao
Corn is an extremely healthy ingredient and so is Palak (spinach). So, a blend of these two into a healthy Pulao for lunch can be a tasty, flavourful treat to look forward to. Eating without feeling guilty and also catering to our taste buds, especially as we age, is something that can be done easily if we choose to experiment with the recipes. Here is how you get to make this quickie Pulao.
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiled sweet corn
- 2 cups finely chopped palak
- 2 cups cooked rice (brown rice can be used to make it more healthy)
- 1 cup sliced onion
- 1 finely chopped green chilly
- Few choices of spices like cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves. A mix of what is available can be used.
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- 2 tsp oil/ghee
- Salt to taste
Preparation
Heat the oil in a wide kadai (pan) and mix in the spices and sauté for a few minutes. Now add the onions and green chilli bits and sauté again. Add in the spinach and corn, along with the turmeric powder, sauté for a few more minutes, and finally add the rice and salt, and mix evenly from the sides, taking care not to break the rice grains. It should do not become a mushy mix. For this, one must ensure that the rice is not overcooked as well. This Pulao can be served hot with simple variations of raita as desired.
