American corn and olives salad

The sweet corn and olives in the salad dressing just melts in the mouth. The healthy dietary nutrients in the corn can be retained by either blanching or steaming. But the ancient techniques of cooking always beats in taste with the present ones. Relish on the easy flavored salad by following the recipe. 

Pathal, flat rice bread as brunch from God's own country..

Talking about one of the prime ingredients of the rice flat bread, fennel seeds have their own health benefits. Historical evidence of serving fennel seeds in silver containers for as mouth-freshener also claims its property of aiding in good digestion... Detoxification, homoregulation of hormones in the body are added advantages.. Anti-oxidant properties of fennel removes undesired free radicals from the body and acts against ageing, cancer and so on.

Fenugreek/ Methi leaves pulav

Fenugreek, a bitter ingredient in cooking when used in right proportion imparts immense taste in savories we cook..  Not just the taste, the health benefits of fenugreek, its fresh leaves and also dried leaves are much-liked ingredients in Indian cooking..  Daily a small dose of methi seeds in the morning tends to keep your tummy full and lowers appetite for the rest of the day. Obviously good for diabetics as the fiber tends to lower the glycemic index by not letting the sugar into blood stream of any food you digest. Being a part of natural healer, it has always been used in diets of lactating mothers, and to suppress PMS in women. Good herb not just for ladies, but to all to combat digestion related problems, brings down acidity and cholesterol and know the benefits yourself :)

Let us intake the natural healer in the very Indian way. Lets feast on the methi pulav, as a healthy dietary dish.

 

Patrode, colocasia/ taro leaves pan-cakes

Healthy eating has been a trend these days, and those who work out would tend to eat lot of packed/ preserved proteins... Taro leaves are good source of Proteins, Vitamin A & C... Consuming taro would help you gain muscular body like that you get after working out in a gym!! Of course, it contains oxalates which gives rise to complications of renal calculus/ kidney stones and gout... If consumed rightly, the proteins in it aid to keep you young!!! Taro leaves acts against ageing and it is a plant having proteins more than some roots... Rich source of calcium helps mid-aged ladies acquiring arthritis to get over the problem.  The phenolic substances obviously keeps cancer away and reduces the risk of cardiac related diseases. 

 

Microwave fryums: healthy lunchbox snacks :)

Ingredients and recipe:
Preparation time : 3min

Fryums are available in the market. Be choosy to select the wheat fryums and avoid the colored ones.

To be avoided!!

I used the wheat fryums "Iyers" available in all supermarkets.

 Take about 25-30 fryums in a microwave compatible bowl. Sprinkle pinch of salt and red chilly powder.

Add a spoon full of olive oil and mix it well.

 Microwave on high for only a minute or less till it is completely done.

 Awesome healthy snacks for your kids in a minute is ready to go in the lunchbox. No fear of over heated or saturated oils in commercially available chips, or usage of non-licensed food colors, kids can really relish on this snack.

Cool right,
Feast-o-meal
Divya

Bottle gourd / Calabash / long melon halwa - sweet tooth ;)

Bottle gourd, well known as calabash in west is a vegetable preferred in savories... The low calorie diet includes juices of the bottle gourd, but a suggestion to you is to grate it and use in a salad so that the rich fiber helps in further dissolution of fats in the body. With enormous health benefits, Chinese myth makes use of the dried fruit in the form of a container to store medicine as they believe the negative energy is warded off by it... Quite amazing, rich in folate and good for neuronal development of infants if consumed by a pregnant woman.

 

The culinary experiments with this vegetable has explored the delicious dessert in it... Be patient, slow cooking doubles the flavors of halwa... Enjoy the recipe :)

 

 

Microwave wheat cake (eggless)

Maida/ all purpose flour has to be always replaced by nutritious wheat flour.... How good if you can bake a cake using a healthy flour and in a Microwave oven!!  Follow the recipe and relish on wheat cake in few minutes. Trust me!! Preparation time is a few minutes....

Healthy steamed starter- Kothambari Vadi/ Cilantro patties

Aromatic herbs are often plated ON or IN the recipes and I incorporate cilantro (Spanish translation) or coriander leaves in a traditional Maharastrian cuisine- Kothambari Vadi... Often called the Great Cilantro Divide in culinary circles, people generally either love cilantro or they hate it... Why does cilantro taste superb to some but soap-like to others? Genetics play a role in liking or disliking the herb...  People who love coriander leaves are apparently able to smell a compound in the fragrant herb that haters cannot... Plus, those repulsed by cilantro can keenly smell the unsaturated aldehydes that give it that soapy scent.

 

Neer Dose / Pan polo : yet another coastal delicacy.

Rice is a rich source of carbohydrates and accumulation of it in the body results in fat deposition!!! And there lies a myth of replacing rice with broken wheat to stay slim!! Do not opt for the polished- shiny rice for your diet. Instead go with the one with slightly red stains on the cereal... This partially polished rice would contain broad range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals required for a every day diet. The fact is, the Amino acid Methionine in unpolished rice takes part in the fat metabolism happening in the liver. This brings down the building up of fat in the body. The counteraction of breaking down fat happens only with the reddish tinged rice. It can be very healthy and tasty as well. 

Follow the breakfast recipe of coastal Karnataka, very famous NEER DOSE (in Kannada) / pan polo (in Konkani). Use the unpolished rice and improve on the health benefits this cereal provides...

Nutritive dessert: Ragi manni

Ragi/ finger millet is a part of afternoon diet replacing rice in many parts of Karnataka, primarily Mandya!!! Ragi muddhe and mossap-saru (green leafy veggie curry) counters a savory ragi diet... To do with its high calcium content, a dessert would fetch you ample of all the essentials in it... Do follow the recipe and get benefited with a health crop of South Asia.

Ragi manni / ragi cake / ragi halwa can be tried at home, a simple dessert with loads of nutrition. It favors all age groups aiding healthy bone development in kids and elders too to combat osteoporosis...

POSU... a simple spoilt-milk dessert!

Health management to waste management!! Is it good to consume spoiled milk??!! The reason for spoiling matters though. We, a bunch of people from Karnataka have a habit of heating milk in the morning which will be consumed all day long along with tea & coffee... But, if you forget to reheat in the evening, it will spoil to curdle and leave whey apart in the night when you re-boil. If it was small volume you least care, but if it's liters together then manage waste with the recipe I share.

Milk might spoil for various reasons. Bacterial activity is a prime cause. If not, there might be some contaminated vessel you have used for boiling milk. Upon heating milk it doesn't spoil but spoils on re-heating later in the evening is quite safe to use in the dessert. Edible if it is white only!!

Steps to procure precipitated/coagulated edible solids/proteins from spoiled milk:

• When you observe milk spoiling upon heating, complete the heating procedure by further placing it on flame for about 5 more minutes.
• Add ice to the hot spoiled milk as you put off the flame.
• Allow it to cool for some time and pass entire content through a cloth (muslin cloth or any cotton cloth).
• Wash the milk solids collected, thoroughly under running water.
• Tie it with the same cloth and allow the water to drip completely. Squeeze out excess water and put that in a bowl and loosen softly with your fingers. It should appear like this!!

red-chilli-urad dal-papad in a side dish!!

Cooking is such an art and if you have to cook an immediate recipe, then opt for simple red chilli papad side dish. Goes well with rice-rasam/sambar/curds... Easy cooking with some health benefits sounds good too... One of my friend Priya, with the pox was wanting to eat tasty with restricted food intake... Loads of fluids will definitely help but put a hold on fried foods!! For the marks not to remain, consume what your grany says! It works anyways.

The calorific content of lentils/ urad dal/ black gram says it has proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, iron, folic acid, oxalic acid and phosphorous... It is soothing for your body and a good cooling agent. It is an aphrodisiac and nervine tonic. Excessive intake of lentils causes flatulence which can, however, be prevented by adding little asafoetida, pepper and ginger in the culinary preparations.

Here is a simple side dish, but try it n comment please.... :)

Mango rice / Mavinakayi chitranna

White pulp to Golden Yellow (such a visual feast!!), unripe to ripe mangoes are rich in nutrients that aid in normalizing body's imbalances... There was a ground breaking research in biotechnology sometime back producing GOLDEN RICE! It had a gene to produce beta carotene artificially which would combat Vitamin A deficiency. But this fruit king has "it" naturally!! Poly-phenolic antioxidants, flavonoids, minerals, vitamins and pre-biotic dietary fibers makes it an interesting fruit to be consumed by those who are dieting.. Lowers appetite as you feel fuller due to vast range of nutrients in it. If consumed before meals, you tend to eat less.. The fibers in it improves digestion and brings down fat deposition too. Mainly focusing on LDL or bad cholesterol and ultimately bringing down the related adverse effects... Though it has lots of sugars, due to low glycemic index values, wouldn't contribute much to blood sugar levels and not a bad fruit for diabetics...

Mangoes do possess small amounts of copper which acts as co-factors to most of the enzymes in our body and makes it functional. You might be knowing about the usefulness of pyridoxine (Vit B6)  in homocysteine regulation in humans required for healthy heart to avoid coronary artery diseases (CAD) and stroke. Mangoes are rich in this vitamin... Some amount of fat is definitely required for uptake of those vitamins which are only fat soluble. For instance, if you are consuming Multivitamin tablet or any Vitamin rich fruits, don't let go wasted... Pop in an almond (contains good fat) and get the benefit of complete absorption of essential vitamins :)

Let me add some fat to a very traditional mango cuisine called as Mavinakayi chitranna or simply Mango Rice made using unripe Tothapuri variant of mango.

Powerfood-Cabbage patties

Do you know about cabbage soup diet!? Cabbage is such a power-food, smart carbohydrate yields very low calories upon liters/kilos of consumption... Are you focusing on anti-aging? Do you want non-saggy skin, healthy hair and nails? Use this vegetable in your weekly diet... Wholesome food, it acts on what not!!? For all the vegetarians out there, you miss out a lot of essentials from animal sources!, but you can gain it as an alternate with this one... Enjoy the spicy cabbage patties as a side dish with rice and rasam. Simple and tasty recipe awaits your read :)

Cabbage is used in soups, stews, sandwitches and pickles either raw or cooked... Loads of fiber, sulfur, vitamins, potassium in a cup-serving will help you to lose weight, fight cancer, give immunity and lots more... In Indian cooking it is used left n right, but no one tends to like this vegetable due to sulfur-y odor! Let's bring in a recipe to start with preparation of spicy Cabbage-patties...

Bitter gourd delight is not bitter, trust me!

Bitter tasting  Bitter-gourds/melons possess ample of health benefits but stops us from eating them because of its taste. If you use some techniques to cook, it will not really taste bitter... Trust me!!!! Follow my recipe to relish on the crunchy bitter guard delight which can be used as a side dish with rice or as a partner to chapatis. 

Bitter gourd is rich in folic acid which is a type of Vitamin B, helps in producing blood (RBC) and thus accounts in treating anemia. Antioxidants are available in this vegetable possesses Vitamin C too. From ancient times, it is extensively used in treating diabetes as it has tendency to bring down glucose levels in the blood. Frequent intake will result in de-worming and has its action on gut related disorders.
There is always a room for a thought due to controversial arguments in consumption of this vegetable by pregnant woman. It would lead to healthy development of the baby as rich in folates, but might result in uterine bleeding in some cases. Don't hesitate to put this in your diet during pregnancy if you have been consuming it from ages!!

Curd rice with a twist!

Yeah! Presenting/promoting healthy LOW FAT CURD RICE... (Beware of preservatives while you buy low fat curds from bazaar).

The major area of 'worry' in food which you consume is all about fats and cholesterol... They are produced in the body, as well as a part of dietary intake.. Not all fats are bad for your healthy being..  There are some fats essentially required by your body to give you energy; to deliver certain vitamins in dissolved form to the cells;  and take care of body's metabolisms... A set of essential fats required by female is more than that of a male! Let me tell you a big "FAT" story-to consume 'what' and 'what not'...

U can happily consume mono & poly unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts), omega-3-fatty acids (fish, flax seeds), but put a hold on to the saturated fats (butter, coconut oil) & trans fats (hydrogenated vegetable oils)!! These fats in-turn are responsible for the levels of LDL (Bad cholesterol) deposition in your body... You know the risk of coronary heart diseases in association to bad fats!! So when you go buy packed-processed food, oil, dairy products and so on, do consider the above labels. Trans fats are produced in a process of oil hydrogenation. Though they mark 0% for the trans fat content on the covers, make sure the oil is not a Hydrogenated one! (not even partially hydrogenated!) It is a big NO NO...

Leaving aside all, let us feast on LOW FAT diet with a twist in curd rice preparation using curd chillies. Have you ever heard that there are evidences to prove fat breakdown by green chillies!!? The CAPSAICIN in chillies promote faster breakdown of fats by elevating diet induced heat generation int the body with increased metabolism moderating the fat levels in your body. I have used CURD CHILLIES, an Indian pickle (sun dried green chillies in equal amounts of curds and salt) as a seasoning and as I told, it will balance fats of low fat curd too!!

South canara delicacy- BUNS

Substituting Maida (All purpose flour) with wheat flour in the preparation of Indian breads/rotis, and sugar with jaggery is a current trend of a healthy diet. Remarkable differences in the content of both the flours dominates the use of one with the other.

Maida is nothing but the starchy inner part of the wheat devoid of fibers. The processed form of wheat is bleached chemically to get commercially available MAIDA. The chemical Alloxan or in simple terms analogue of toxic glucose is used to soften the flour. This has been a breakthrough research area and has found to be involved in destroying insulin producing beta-cells in pancreas leading to diabetes! Get alert and switch on to whole grain wheat flour to avoid adversities.

Jaggery replacing sugar is not very much a difference for the diabetics as the calories and glycemic values are almost the same. But, the complexity of jaggery is so high that it gets released in the blood a little slower compared to sugar. Happy news for those who are willing to lose weight! The potassium content in jaggery helps in reducing weight by increasing body's metabolism by involving in maintaining electrolyte balance. Thus brings down water retention and goals up to building muscle.

 Have you heard of South Canara delicacy- BUNS? Let us start with its prep. twisting the taste with the healthy flour and replacing sugar with jaggery.

Dill and white onion twist to ancient Thali-peeth, a Maharashtrian Breakfast!

Indian medicinal foods in Ayurveda plays pivotal role in healing. The same foods with taste bud tickling flavors, add much more to healthy being. Here I am to present you Dill leaves (Sabbasige in kannada) and white onions in the famous Maharashtrian breakfast Thalipeeth (Savory rice flour pancakes).

Dill leaves seems to be diuretics. Well, the scientific term will be explained briefly... You can call it a WATER PILL, which enhances urine production and thus helps to remove toxins from your body (DETOXIFICATION)... Aren't they great? It maintains stomach acid balance and thus brings down ACIDITY... Oops, this aromatic herb fights with bacterial infections and brings down the disgusting body odors. 

White Onions are highly recommended for medicinal use... It brings down swelling, bleeding and inflammations. Normalizing digestion can relieve constipation too... I have used it extensively with honey for treating my own cough... Use of Onions in preparation of VAJIKARA DHRAVYA is another astonishing property of this very favorite cooking ingredient.

Introduction

Heya,

Well… Starting “Feast-o-meal”

My blog helps you to be fit and healthy, though you feast on a self-cooked MEAL, which I will be sharing with you as a step-by-step recipe in the upcoming posts. 

Do you want to know how it works?

Here we go... In this blog, you will not only learn to cook, but will cook with a pinch of science in it. And of-course it matters to the food lovers who wish to eat varieties giving it a balance of diet consciousness. 

I will help you to segregate red, yellow n green stuff in your meal with respect to your body type. Let us not avoid food which accounts for fat build-up in the body, but balance it with required doses of crushers n grinders to make it unavailable for fat deposition.

For all out there “Lazy –to –Exercise” people but great Gastronomes!!

My recipes would be mostly Indian, aiming to meet nutrient requirements of an individual by blending tastes from different localities with the concern of HEALTH and TASTE.

Stay healthy with good food habbits,

Yours,

Divya