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“Don’t ask why healthy food is expensive! Ask why junk food is so cheap!” It is that junk food which creates junk in our mind and body. We might have grown up eating all the fried and junk food we could but do we really want to continue with the same? I am sure the answer is no!

So, here are a few recipes and their benefits, which are a healthier version of junk food and much tastier too.

1. Fruity Appam

Ingredients for the batter:

• Rava/ Semolina – ½ cup
• Powdered sugar – 1 tbsp
• Curd – ½ cup
• Milk – ½ cup
• Baking powder 1/4th tsp
• Elaichi/ Cardamom
• Banana – 1 no.
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for the stuffing:

• Kiwi – 1 no
• Sugar – 2 or 2.5 tsp
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp
• Cinnamon powder – 1/4th tsp

Method for the batter:

1. In one bowl, mix all the above ingredients listed for batter, except banana.
2. Smash banana in another bowl and add it to the above mixture.
3. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Method for the stuffing:

1. Add kiwi, sugar, lemon juice in a pan and cook till the sugar melts and the kiwi is cooked.
2. Add cinnamon powder to the mixture and mix well. Remove it in a bowl.
3. Add the water from the above mixture in the batter and mix the batter well.

Method for Combining the Two

1. Heat and grease the appam pan with oil.
2. Add a layer of batter, followed by stuffing, and then covered by another layer of batter.
3. Cook appam on both sides until golden brown.
4. Serve hot.

Note: You can use any other seasonal fruit apart from kiwi.

Benefits: This recipe is specially listed for kids as they generally do not like fruits. It is an easy way of at least including 2-3 fruits in their diet. Fruits are a storehouse of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which help in their overall growth and development. They also strengthen the immune system to fight against any illness. Apart from fruits, this is a traditional recipe with a healthy twist enjoyed by all!

2. Cheesy Vegetable Cutlet

What better to find a healthy and nutritious way to eat the most relished dish! Roll up your sleeves as you are going to read a very tasty and easy recipe.

What you will need:   

• Oil – 1 tsp
• Butter – 1 tsp
• Chopped onion – ¼ cup
• Chopped garlic – ¼ tsp
• Chopped beans – 1 ½  tbsp
• Grated carrot – 1 ½ tbsp
• Boiled & grated corn – 1 ½ tbsp
• Boiled & Mashed potatoes – 1 cup
• Grated cheese – 1 no
• Salt to taste
• Coriander – 1 tbsp
• Bread crumbs – 1 tbsp (keep extra for rolling)
• Red chilly powder – ¼ tsp

How to Prepare:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in a pan.
2. Add beans, grated carrot and salt. Let it cook.
3. To the mixture, add corn and potatoes. Mix well.
4. Switch off the gas and add grated cheese, salt, coriander, red chilly and bread crumbs.
5. Mix well and let the mixture cool down.
6. Roll the mixture into small balls or if you have different shape molds, then cut using them.
7. Roll/ spread the balls over the bread crumbs until it is fully covered with it.
8. Take a pan and shallow fry the cutlets using oil until they are golden brown on both sides.
9. Serve hot, with ketchup or green chutney.

Note: If you wish to add any more vegetables to the above mixture you can feel free to do so. Using rava/ oats in place of breadcrumbs to roll the cutlets is also welcome.

Benefits: This recipe is a very easy and effective way to include vegetables in your kid’s meals. It is very common to see kids remove vegetables from their plate. Try this one and I’m sure your kids will relish eating it. Apart from vegetables, cheese is a special ingredient added to the above mixture, as kids and adults love the taste of it. Other than that, cheese is a good source of protein and calcium.

3. Pizza with a Twist

Ingredients for the dough:

• Wheat flour – 1 cup
• Baking soda – ½ tsp
• Water – 1 cup
• Dry yeast – ½ tsp
• Sugar – ½ tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 2 tsp

For pesto sauce:

• Fresh basil (tulsi) – 200 gm
• Garlic – 3 cloves
• Olive oil – 3 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Water
• Veggies: Onion; Green, Yellow and Red bell pepper; Jalapenos, Paneer; Cheese; Olives; Oregano; Chilli flakes.

Method for preparing the dough:

1. Heat some water in a sauce pan and add sugar and dry yeast.
2. Cook till it dissolves and let it cool.
3. In a bowl, take wheat flour, salt, oil and baking soda. Mix them.
4. Add yeast water and knead the dough.
5. Add some oil in the end and let it ferment for 2-3 hours.

After 2 hours:

1. Prepare the pizza base from the dough. Knead it with corn flour and give it shape by using your hands.
2. Make holes in pizza base with a fork.
3. Bake the base in a pre-heated oven at 260 degree Celsius for 4-5 minutes.

Method for pesto sauce:

1. In a mixture jar add basil, garlic, olive oil and salt.
2. Now add some water and prepare pesto sauce.

Method for Assembling:

1. After the pizza base is ready, apply pesto sauce over the base and add all the vegetables on it.
2. Now sprinkle cottage cheese, very little cheese, oregano and chilli flakes over the pizza.
3. Place the pizza in a pan, close it with a lid and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
4. Take the pizza on a serving plate and serve it hot.

Note: Making the dough is optional, you can even purchase a whole wheat pizza base. It is easily available in the market.

Benefits: Everyone likes pizza but the ones available in the market are unhealthy. Few benefits of this healthy pizza include the use of cottage cheese over normal cheese. Cottage cheese provides protein. More so, the pizza is a nutritious combination of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals as it has veggies, dairy products and cereals.

We hope you enjoy eating these healthy mini meals as much as you’ll enjoy making them! How do you make your food healthy? Do you have a healthy twist to a traditional recipe? Let us know in the comments below!

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