|
Eating Indian food doesn’t have to take a toll on your weight. You can indulge in your favorite recipes all the while keeping an eye on the amount of calories and fat you consume. Bal Arneson, author of “Everyday Indian: 100 Fast, Fresh and Healthy Recipes,” has provided CitySaheli with recipes for healthy and nutritious meals that still use traditional spices and ingredients, but provide substitutes for fatty and calorie-rich cream and butter. Aside from being healthy, these meals only take 25 minutes or less to make. So treat yourself to your beloved South Asian specialties without worrying about your weight taking a hit, courtesy of Bal Arneson. Enjoy!
Five-Minute Chickpeas
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tbsp coriander powder
¼ cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 green chili, finely chopped – optional
1 tbsp salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Place the oil, garlic, and ginger in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cook for 10 seconds. Add fenugreek leaves, coriander powder, tomatoes, green chili, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the chickpeas to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pan with a lad, and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro. Serve with brown rice.
Healthy Rotis (Makes 8 rotis)
This is my signature roti. I invented these healthy rotis when I found out my son might have allergies to processed food. I knew the great health benefits of spinach, broccoli, and lentils, and I wanted him to eat these ingredients every day. Since he is a picky eater, I blend all these into my roti dough. He loves my healthy rotis and eats them with homemade yogurt. I taught my husband, Brad, how to make these and he takes them on his hiking trips.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp garam masala (see page xx)
1 tsp chana masala (see page xx)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh or frozen chopped spinach
1/4 cup finely grated or finely chopped broccoli
1/4 cup cooked mixed lentils
1/2 Tbsp grated ginger
1/2 cup water (add more if needed)
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead until it has a soft smooth consistency like pizza dough. Take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and form it into a round shape. Dust your working surface with flour so the dough doesn’t stick. Using a rolling pin, roll the ball into a thin patty (like a tortilla).
Place a non-stick pan over medium heat, and gently place the roti in the pan. When you see some small bubbly spots, flip the roti and cook the other side. When there are brown spots on both sides, the roti is ready.
Note: Instead of cooking lentils from scratch, use canned lentils and freeze what you don’t use for next time.
Everyday Stir-Fry (Sabji) (Serves 4)
Sabji means “vegetable dish.” When my father came home from work at the end of the day, he always asked as he entered the door, “What sabji is made today?” When I tell my daughter that sabji was made every day in my mother’s kitchen, she wonders how people in the village lived eating sabji so often. It’s hard for her to understand that when food is scarce and there are not too many options, one becomes thankful for whatever food is available.
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp finely grated ginger
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 green chili, finely chopped
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 lb green beans, chopped
1 lb Chinese cabbage, chopped in bigger chunks
Place the oil, onion, and ginger in a wok or a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chili, garam masala, and salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the green beans, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the beans are tender, about 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the Chinese cabbage and cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat off, cover with a lid, and let it sit for a few minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.
Note: To add nutrients and crunch, sprinkle 1 Tbsp of flaxseed overtop before serving. For a meat stir-fry, add 1 lb diced boneless chicken breast with the tomatoes; return to a simmer and continue with the recipe.
| 
