Check out these recipes to go the green way for a better health

The word “Change” has become a part of our life and being aware of our health and well-being has taken the centre of attention on our to-do list. During this Covid-19 pandemic, it is extremely important to keep our immunity levels high to protect ourselves from infections. We need to work on our inner self with more focus since we are what we eat!

Therefore, all that is being consumed by us needs a little watch and fine-tuning to ensure that it is all in a perfect balance ratio. Also, we are well aware it's summertime and the mercury levels are on the rise in most parts of the country and we need to keep a check on how to keep our system cool and beat the heat more effectively. So let’s focus on going green this summer and including all possible greens in our meals and diets besides the other nutrients in order to have a better balance.

Some popular greens and veggies to include:

1. Spinach/ fenugreek leaves/ dill leaves- These are usually available the year around now but it’s good to have our leafy green veggies and benefit not only from the chlorophyll but also the iron content present in these leafy wonders. Avoid cooking greens covered for a long time since oxidation takes place and the leaves tend to discolour, combine them with various add on ingredients like corn, sweet potato, carrot and even lentils and grains to make it more interesting.

2. Lettuce and other vegetables- We have a number of salad leaves from the simple to the iceberg, romaine, Lollorosso and the list goes on, it’s not about going exotic but to have variety at times we can try them, even a shredded white cabbage or a purple cabbage adds a lot of value into our salads etc.

3. Go grains and whole food being nutrient-dense- We hear of so many new names these days like oats, millets, bulgur wheat, hemp, quinoa, brown rice, hemp and sago etc being inculcated and concocted into meals, the question however remains of how to include it in our daily meals? What about the cost factor? And most importantly the taste! It is easy to adapt to and a little reading and viewing can make it easy to include them in our daily diets. People have also been asking how to maintain weight due to lockdowns and work from home! The answer to that also is to eat wise, eat wholesome food, reduce fat and oil consumption and create a balance.

4. Cook fresh, eat fresh and stay active: One of the trends today is also going back to our lost cooking styles like sattvic cooking and the Ayurveda principles of cooking wisely and eating it without much delay or gap in between the cooking and consumption. Food always tastes better that way and also is able to impart its best qualities to benefit our body too. Farm to plate concept is also on those lines these days to reduce the gap between the vegetables and fruits being produced and the cooking time in the kitchens for the same.

5. Vegetarianism is the way: Though this one is a matter of personal choice, this is my own opinion and somehow people who tried to go this way found a few positive changes in their lifestyle, thought process and also the mind- the body-soul connection was somehow enhanced too. Vegetarian food is full of variety, proteins, vitamins, fibre and all our dietary requirements and essentials. One should give it a try for a short span of time and experience it.

Here are a few recipes for going green for better health!

Recipe-1 

Hare moong ki sabzi 

Ingredients:

Oil/ghee- 2 tsp

Hing- ¼ tsp + dry red chilies- 2 no slit + mustard seeds- ½ tsp + cumin seeds- ½ tsp + curry leaves-8-10 no.

Shredded ginger- 1 tsp

Slit green chillies- 2 tsp chop

Onion- 1 small chop.

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder-1/4 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Amchur powder- ½ tsp

Water- ¼ cup

Roasted crushed peanuts- 2 tbsp.

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. chop

Lime juice- 2 tsp

Fresh grated/desiccated coconut- 2 tbsp.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the moong ki healthy subzi.

2. Heat oil/ghee and add in the ingredients for the tadka.

3. Add in the onion, ginger, chillies, saute for 2 mins, add in the sprouted green moong, salt and all masalas and saute for 1 min, add a little water cover and simmer for 4- 6 mins.

4. Open and mix well, add in the amchur powder, coconut, lime and coriander leaves, mix well and serve with chapati, a bowl of curd, serve hot with a bowl of curd, hot phulkas, chapattis, parathas, etc.

Recipe-2

Hariyali Shakarkandi

Ingredients:

Sweet potato- 400 gms, peeled and cut into cubes.

Oil/ghee- 2 tsp

Jeera- ½ tsp

Garlic- 1 tsp chop

Ginger-1 tsp chop

Slit green chillies- 3-4 no.

Spring onions-1 bunch- roughly cut white plus greens

Fresh methi leaves-2 cups roughly cut

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Red chilli powder-1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder-1 /2 tsp

Amchur powder- 1 tsp.

Lime juice-1 tbsp.

Roasted crushed ajwain-1/2 tsp.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the Hariyali Shakarkandi.

2. To prepare this easy simple light and nutritious veggie, heat oil/ghee in a pan, saute the jeera, ginger, garlic, chillies and add in all the spring onions and saute on medium flame, add in the salt and all powdered masala and mix well

3. Now add in the methi leaves and mix well, sprinkle little water in the pan while cooking to keep it moist, now we can add in the cubes of sweet potato and little roasted crushed ajwain and allow to cook with the greens.

4. Lastly add in the lime juice, amchur powder and mix well, serve hot garnished with ginger juliennes, fried red chilli and serve with parathas, phulkas, tandoori roti, a nice bowl of carrot raita and some mango pickle.

Recipe-3

Sindhi sai bhaji

Ingredients

Oil/ghee- 2 tbsp.

Hing- 1 pinch

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Ginger- 1 tsp chop

Slit red and green chillies- 2-3 no each

Spinach-1 bunch

Methi leaves-1/2 cup

Dill leaves- ¼ cup

Water-2 cups

Onion-1/2 cup chop

Tomatoes- 2 med size chop

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder- ½ tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 3 tsp.

Chana dal- ¼ cup soaked in water for 30 mins.

Carrots + potatoes + brinjal + Bottlegourd- can be added into the sai bhaji as available, cut into small cubes and added.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the green spinach based sai bhaji, a very interesting and wholesome dish.

2. Heat oil /ghee in a pressure cooker, add in the hing, jeera, ginger, chillies and saute it followed by the onions and saute until light pink.

3. Add in the spinach, methi, dill leaves, the drained chana dal, the tomatoes, bhaji of your choice as listed above, salt and masalas and layer it inside the cooker.

4. Add enough water to allow pressure cooking the bhaji for 4-5 whistles and simmer for 15 mins, open and mash it up well, check for salt, adjust texture if needed.

5. Serve Sai bhaji with brown onion pulao, yellow turmeric rice / green moong dal khichdi with a bowl of curd and papad, we also offer aloo and arbi tuk- fried with spices.

Recipe-4

Hara bhara salan

Ingredients:

Oil/ghee- 2 tsp

Jeera-1/2 tsp

Garlic- 2 tsp chop.

Ginger-1 tsp chop

Green chillies- 2 tsp chop

Spinach- 1 bunch, clean, wash, blanch and puree.

Onion paste-1/2 cup 

Tomato -1 small chop

Salt to taste

Besan-1 tbsp.

Water- as needed.

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Amchur powder-1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi-1 tsp

Soybean wadis/chunks- 1 cup soaked in warm water for 10 mins.

Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Prepare the spinach puree and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil/ghee in a pan, add in the jeera, ginger and chillies, add in the onion paste and cook it for 6- 8 mins, add little water as needed.

3. Add in the besan and cook for 1-2 mins, add in little water, and tomatoes, salt and all powdered spices.

4. Now add in the soaked drained soy wadis, spinach puree and mix well.

5. Add little water and simmer for 10-12 mins, add garam masala powder and serve hot with a tadka of garlic tempering in little oil/ghee and pour it over the dish and serve with laccha parathas/ missi rotis etc.

About the author: Dr Kaviraj Khialani- Celebrity Master Chef, is a Mumbai based hospitality- food, health and lifestyle consultant. He has been a recipient of several global and national awards for his excellence in his chosen field of expertise for over two decades now, he is also a food designer, mentor and coach for aspiring chefs and hoteliers!

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