EXCLUSIVE: 2 Simple, healthy & quick recipes to binge on this monsoon season

When it comes to monsoon, what is the first word that comes to your mind? Chai pakora! Because, why not? Who does not want to enjoy the rains with hot masala chai and some crispy snacks? But that should also not go for a toss on our health, so how can we make our monsoon meal a pleasant meal and also favourable to our health? Here we present before you, a healthy and super delicious tea and snack combination that you can enjoy sipping and munching on, during such great weather.

Corn on the cob (Indian masala twist)
Bhutta is what we generally call it. We find it easily in the rainy season on the roadside where the vendors have hot burning coal and they are making bhuttas with that unique barbeque flavour that comes from charcoal and fire. We generally get it with lemon and masala dressing but in this recipe, we are going to add some ‘khatta-meetha’ flavour to the bhutta which depicts the flavours of our country.
Benefits:
High fibre content that aids with digestion
Rich in some essential minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium and copper
Rich in several B vitamins like B3, B5, B6 and B9
Good for:
Constipation
Gluten intolerance
Poor eye health
Inflammation in the digestive tract
Be careful:
If you are diabetic
Obese

Ingredients:
Sweet corn
Tamarind - 200 gms block of pulp
Cumin powder - 1tsp
Jaggery- 1tbsp (more or less, as per requirement)
Chaat Masala- 1tsp
Powdered dry red chilis- ½ tsp (or as per taste)
Rock salt- as per taste
Water- 1 ½ cups (more, if required)

Method:
For the sauce-
Put about 200 gms piece of tamarind in a saucepan and add water.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes by stirring occasionally, and then allow to cool for about 5 minutes more.
Now, pour it through a fine sieve.
Pour the liquid tamarind into the pan and add the rest of the ingredients, one by one.
Simmer for about 3 minutes and stir occasionally, until it becomes smooth.
Boil the sweetcorn or simply cook it over burning coal, which will add a distinctive flavour to the butter.
Pour the required amount of sauce over the cooked sweetcorn and serve hot with your favourite masala chai.

Amaranth Malpua
Amaranth is an extremely nutritious grain that is not only rich in protein and fibre but is also gluten-free. The minerals present in amaranth are iron, phosphorus, selenium, copper, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Amaranth is rich in antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory.
When we use jaggery instead of sugar, we are just cutting down on the empty calories that sugar provides. Why jaggery? Because it's rich in various minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium and manganese. It also helps with digestion and improves immunity, but it should be consumed in moderation because it's still high in sugars.

Benefits:
Helps the body to produce blood
Improved bone health
Helps in muscle contraction
Helps in DNA synthesis
Controls blood pressure
Protection against diseases
Prevents inflammation
Good for:
Hypertension
Anaemic
Brain functioning
Inflammation
Low immunity
Poor digestion
Be careful:
If you are diabetic
If you are obese
If you have compromised heart health

Recipe
Ingredients:
Amaranth flour- 1 cup
Cardamom powder- 1tsp
Organic cow milk- 1 cup
Fresh cream- 1 tablespoon
Jaggery- as per taste
Saffron strands- 15-20
Ghee- for frying
Chopped nuts (Almonds/pistachios/cashews)- for garnishing

Method-
Melt the jaggery in a pan by adding water, on medium flame.
Now, add saffron strands into the melted jaggery, then add cardamom powder and mix well.
To prepare the batter, mix amaranth flour and cardamom powder in a bowl.
Now, gradually add milk and cream to the dry mixture to avoid the formation of any lumps.
Add water according to the required consistency and stir well.
Next, add the ghee into a wok and let it heat up and then put a ladle full of batter into the hot ghee and let it fry until the sides turn golden.
Flip the side when the colour becomes golden brown and fry.
When done, take the malpua out and place it on absorbent paper. Put the malpuas on a serving plate and drizzle some melted jaggery over them. Serve hot with your favourite masala chai.

For kids- Add mashed bananas to the batter for flavour and additional nutritional benefits.

About the author: Lavleen Kaur, a renowned Dietitian and Co-founder of Diet Insight, a nutrition and wellness clinic

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