Urvi Gohil, Author at GOQii

June 13, 2021 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Chilli Bean Soup

The onset of the cool, rainy weather calls for a bowl of piping hot soup! As you have been trying out some new recipes at home, why not try this recipe for a delicious bowl of Chilli Bean Soup?

What You Will Need

Boiled Kidney Beans – 1 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion and Tomato – 1 Medium Sized
Chopped Carrot – ½ cup
Finely Chopped Red, Green and Yellow Bell Peppers – ½ cup
Chopped French Beans – 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Chopped Coriander – 2 tbsp
Chopped Green Chilli – 1
Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
Chilly Sauce – 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup or puree – 1 tsp
Vegetable stock or water – 2 cups
Oil for seasoning
Salt to taste

How To Prepare the Chilli Bean Soup

Take a pan and heat a tsp of oil.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute till slightly brown.
Also add onion and chopped green chilly. Saute onion till translucent.
Add tomato, bell peppers, carrot and french beans to the pan.
Saute the vegetables for 5-7 min with closed lid.
Now add kidney beans and stir along with vegetables.
Add the pepper powder, salt, chilly sauce and tomato ketchup.
Stir well and add 2 cups of vegetable stock.
Close the pan with a lid and allow the soup to simmer for another 5-7 min.
Serve the Chilly Bean Soup hot.

Highlights:

It is a great mid meal snack or even a meal option when you wish to end your day light.
The soup will help you clear your throat and work as an anti-inflammatory agent because of vegetables and pepper.
Choose your vegetables very wisely this monsoon and use them only after washing nicely.

We hope you try this delicious Chilli Bean Soup recipe and enjoy it. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

Stay home, stay safe, eat healthy and #BeTheForce

May 15, 2021 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Idli Sandwich

Self-quarantining at home during this second wave of COVID-19 might bring out the inner chef in you. Adding a twist to old regulars can help you make sitting at home more interesting. So, if you’re bored of your regular bread sandwich, here’s an interesting Idli Sandwich recipe that’s extremely delicious and healthy!

What You Will Need

Idli Batter – 500 g
Boiled & crushed corn – 2 tbsp
Finely chopped capsicum – 2 tbsp
Finely chopped onion – 2 tbsp
Grated carrot – 2 tbsp
Paneer – 50 gm
Finely chopped coriander – 1 tbsp
Green chilli paste – 1 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Chat masala – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Green chutney – ½ cup

How To Prepare

Add water in a steamer and put it to boil. Grease a plate with oil and pour 2 big spoons of batter on the plate and spread evenly. Sprinkle some red chilli powder and black pepper powder over it. Put the plate in the hot steamer and allow it to cook.
Once done, remove the plate and allow it to cool. Cut the cooked idli batter in a round shape using a mold. Make all the idlis in similar fashion.
Take a mixing bowl and add corn, capsicum, onion, carrot, paneer, coriander, green chilli paste, chat masala, salt and mix everything well.
Now, let us start making the sandwich. Take two idlis, spread green chutney on one side of both the idlis and in-between place the prepared stuffing.
On a pan, pour in some oil. After the oil heats up, add in the mustard seeds & sesame seeds. After they start crackling up, place the prepared sandwich on it.
After it is golden brown on one side, flip it over and cook the other side.
Our hot idli sandwich is ready! Enjoy it with chutney.

Note: You can also use your left over idlis to make these. Just cut the idli from the middle, stuff and grill.

Highlights of the Idli Sandwich recipe

It’s a sandwich recipe without the processed bread – which means it is automatically healthier!
Very rich in fiber & proteins – which make them super filling.
It makes the traditional idlis two times more nutritious with the addition of vegetables.

We hope you try this Idli Sandwich recipe and share your experience with us. Do upload your pics on social media and tag us! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

To get more advice on recipes, nutrition and diet tips, subscribe to GOQii and ask your GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Eat Healthy, Stay Home, Stay Safe and #BeTheForce

April 19, 2021 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

How To Stay Healthy On A Vacation!

A vacation is a good time to enjoy and stay carefree but it can certainly take you a step back in your fitness journey, if you are not mindful. There’s no need to panic! We’ve got you covered with few effective yet practical things you can do to stay healthy on a vacation.

Tips To Stay Healthy On A Vacation

Covid Safety: We have to live with the Pandemic for some time now and traveling with the pandemic needs more care. Sanitizer, gloves, sufficient masks, first aid is definitely something you need in your bag. Along with this, ensure you are washing your hands frequently and not touching your eyes, nose or mouth without washing the hands. Avoid highly crowded places and be mindful of what you touch.
Hydrate: The most neglected part of your vacation routine is your water intake. When you are low on hydration, you can take your body’s thirst urge as a hunger urge. This can make you snack more often and your portion control will vanish. So always keep a water bottle in your handbag or in your backpack and keep sipping every hour. This will avoid your hands on chips, and at the same time, will keep your stomach at its best.
Carry your snacks: Never forget to carry simple homemade snacks. They are half the calories you are going to consume from chips, chocolates, cold drinks, etc. for sure. Pack almonds, walnuts, dates, raisins and at the same time some makhana, roasted peanuts, roasted chana, khakhra, homemade chivda, popcorn, etc. This will help you avoid unhealthy snacking and fueling the fat cells.
Walk everywhere: Yes, your step counts should not fall while on vacation. Explore the place on your feet, take an opportunity to walk around and enjoy the serenity. Swim in the hotel pool, go hiking, walk around the market – indulge in everything which will pump up your metabolism. This way, you will avoid putting on extra weight even while vacationing.
Eat only until 80% full: Understand your hunger cues even while on vacation. Do not overfeed yourself to get the goodness of food. For main meals, take only one main plate (avoid using quarter plates) and portion the food you like in a controlled manner and eat it very slowly. Be practical while choosing your food, do not keep impractical expectations of avoiding desserts/sweets. Eat, but in moderation and eat only until 80% full. Stop when you are uncomfortable.
Eat your breakfast: Do not skip your first meal of the day! Enjoy a healthy and heavy breakfast so you can keep your hands away from unhealthy snacks till late noon. This will satisfy your hunger hormones in the morning and will help you control your portions for later in the day.
Only one treat a day: How can you keep your hands off desserts, hot gulab jamuns, ice creams, etc. while vacationing? The truth is you really cannot but you should. Keep a rule of only 1 portion of any treat per day and not more. This will avoid the unnecessary sugar rush in your body, which will in turn spike your hunger hormones, which will lead to overeating even during your main meals.

We hope these useful and doable tips and tricks will help you stay healthy on a vacation. Do let us know how you manage to stay healthy on a vacation in the comments below! For more healthy topics, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

Stay Safe and #BeTheForce

March 27, 2021 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: Vegetable Appam

Eating a healthy breakfast ensures a healthy start to the day! But, there’s a good chance that you might not know what to eat or might want a change from the usual. So, we’re here with a tasty, super easy Vegetable Appam recipe! It uses traditional seasoning and can be made quickly!

What You Will Need

Semolina – 1 cup
Onion – ¼ cup finely chopped
Capsicum – ¼ cup finely chopped
Carrot – ¼ cup finely chopped
Spinach – ¼ cup finely chopped
Coriander – ¼ cup finely chopped
Ginger Chili Paste – 1 tbsp
Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
Curd – 1 cup
Water – 1 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves – 5-6
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Haldi – ½ tsp
Red Chili Powder – ½ tsp
Salt as per taste

How To Prepare

Heat some oil in a pan, add in the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Now, add the curry leaves and slide in the chopped onion, capsicum, carrot and spinach.
Sauté this for 3-5 minutes and add the semolina. Roast this for 2 more minutes and remove it in a mixing bowl.
Once the semolina and veggies mixture cool down, add in the ginger chilli paste, coconut, coriander, garam masala, haldi, red chili powder, curd and salt. Give it a good mix.
Now add in ½ cup of water, mix it together and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
After the rest, check the batter and add another ½ cup of water to make it similar to an uttapam batter consistency.
Grease the appam tray with some oil and put it on flame.
Using a spoon, add a controlled portion of batter in the appam tray and cover it with a lid.
After 5 minutes check if the sides of the appam look brown. If yes, flip it over and allow it to cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
Our healthy, instant vegetable appam is ready! Serve it with coconut or green chutney.

Note: If you do not have an appam tray, you can make it as mini uttapams in any pan and enjoy.

Highlights of the Vegetable Appam Recipe

It’s a quick, easy and healthy breakfast meal loved by everyone.
Gives you the goodness of vegetables, rich in vitamins and satiating.
Very good for your gut as it is partially fermented.

We hope you enjoy this Vegetable Appam recipe. Do try it out and share your experience in the comments below or share it on social media, tagging GOQii! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

Eat healthy and #BeTheForce