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By Life Positive

April 1999

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

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.

Nutritive Value (per qrtr plate)

Energy: 134 calories Carbohydrates: 27.1 gm
Protein: 5.92 gm
Fat: 0.35 gm

PAPAYA DRINK

Ingredients
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.

Nutritive Value (per qtr. plate)

Energy: 114 calories
Carbohydrates: 25.17 gm
Protein: 2.97 gm
Fat: 0.3 gm

SPICY SPINACH DUMPLINGS

Ingredients
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.

Nutritive Value

Energy: 83 calories
Carbohydrates: 12.35 gm
Protein: 4.83 gm
Fat: 1.54 gm

APPLE SNOWBALLS

Ingredients
Apples: 3-4
Sugar: 5 tbsp
Strawberry jam: 2 tbsp
Egg white: 3-4
Castor sugar: 2 tsp
Glazed cherries: 3-4

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