We have suffered the scarcity of the socialist years, and surfeited on the excesses of the consumerist age. Perhaps it is time to draw a balance, and arrive at the ethical and intelligent approach of thrift. More>>
How
would you term a dinner without golden-fried meatballs, and a sumptuous
roasted chicken? Simply delicious! Don't believe it? Then try out these
heartcare recipes excerpted from Food For Reversing Heart Disease
by Dr Bimal Chhajer, an Indian cardiologist, and taste the difference
LENTIL SPINACH SOUP
Ingredients
Spinach: a bunch (chopped) Onion: 1 (chopped) Garlic: 3-4 cloves (crushed)
Lentil: 2 cups (washed) Water: 5-6 cups Bay leaves: 1-2 Cottage
cheese (from skimmed milk): 2-3 small pieces Black pepper powder: ½ tsp
Coriander leaves (finely chopped): ¼ cup Yogurt (skimmed milk): To use as
a garnish Salt: To taste Method Cook onion in a pan. Add half of the garlic and stir.
Now add lentils, water, bay leaves and cottage cheese. Bring to boil. Simmer on
low flame for 40 minutes or till the lentils are tender. Add the remaining garlic
with salt and ground pepper. Throw away the bay leaves. Puree a cup of lentil
in blender and add back to the soup. Add chopped spinach, cover and simmer for
5-10 minutes. Garnish with a teaspoonful of yogurt and coriander leaves. Nutritive Value (per soup bowl) Energy:114 calories Carbohydrates:12.34
gm Protein: 7.5 gm Fat: 3.89 gm
BEANS AND MACARONI SALAD
Ingredients Macaroni:
½ cup Boiled cowpea: ½ cup Onion: 1 (thinly sliced) Tomatoes: 2 small
(cut) Onion stalk: 1 (sliced) Coriander leaves:To garnish
Dressing Lemon juice: 2 tsp Mustard: ½ tsp Coriander leaves:
1 tbsp Garlic: 1 clove (crushed) Salt, mustard & pepper: To taste
Method Cook macaroni in salted water, and transfer to a large serving
bowl. Add cowpea, onions, onion stalk, and tomatoes to the macaroni and mix well.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Pour the dressing
over the salad and toss thoroughly. Add salt and pepper. Cover and chill for some
time before serving. For serving, toss again lightly and garnish with coriander
leaves.
Papaya:
½ (cut to pieces) Orange: 1 Lemon: 1 Mint: 1 sprig Sugar:
2 tsp Black salt: ¼ tsp
Method Peel and separate the
segments of orange. Mix together with papaya, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Blend
with crushed ice. Pour into glasses and garnish with mint leaves. Serve chilled.
Nutritive Value (per glass) Energy: 114 calories Carbohydrates:
18.1 gm Protein: 1.3 gm Fat: 0.3 gm
HERBED MUSHROOM PULAO
Ingredients
Rice:
3 cups Mushroom: 2 cups (chopped) Onions: 2 (chopped) Garlic paste:
½ tsp Spring onions: 2 (chopped) Coriander leaves: ¼ cup (chopped)
Salt & pepper: To taste Chilly powder: ½ tsp
Method
Sauté onions, garlic paste and mushrooms. When done, add rice, salt, pepper, six
cups of water and simmer on moderate heat till rice is done. Add coriander leaves
and spring onions. Mix well.
Spinach
(finely chopped): 2 cups Green chilli (finely chopped): 1 Chickpea Flour:
1 tbsp Wheat flour: 2 tsp Curd (optional): 2 tsp Red chilli powder:
½ tsp Asafetida: a pinch Sugar: a pinch Salt: To taste
Method Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture
is too dry to shape into balls, add curd and beat well till it is wet enough for
molding. Now shape the mixture into small balls and steam them for 5-7 minutes
in a pressure cooker on medium fire. Serve hot with chutney.
Method Peel the apple
and scoop out the cores to make them hollow. Dissolve granulated sugar in water
and gently stew apples. Drain apples and arrange in a baking dish greased with
a little curd. Fill the cavity of the apples with any jam you favor. Whisk egg
whites stiff. Fold in half the castor sugar and continue to whisk till the mixture
becomes really stiff. Fold in remaining sugar. Pour this mixture over the apples.
Put the apples in an oven and bake at 300° F till they are light brown at the
tips. Decorate with glazed cherries and serve.
Nutritive Value (one
apple snowball) Energy: 286 cal Carbohydrates: 68.6 gm Protein:
1.9 gm Fat: 0.49 gm