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Healthy Eating: Instant Oats Spinach Dhokla

oats spinach dhoklaIf you enjoy eating Dhoklas, here is an extra healthy option for you. I’m about to share my twist on this Gujarati treat called the Instant Oats Spinach Dhokla! It is super quick and easy to make with almost zero oil and is very filling!

What You Will Need

  • Semolina (Rava) – 1 Cup
  • Roasted Ground Oats – 1 Cup
  • Besan – ½ cup
  • Chopped Coriander – 2 tbsp
  • Curd – ½ cup
  • Chopped Spinach – ½ cup
  • Chilly Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tbsp
  • Turmeric – 1 tsp
  • Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil (minimum)

How To Prepare Oats Spinach Dhokla

  1. Combine oats, besan, semolina and curd. Mix them well and add chopped spinach, coriander along with some water.
  2. Add chilly ginger garlic paste, turmeric and salt to the batter.
  3. Allow the batter to stay for 15-20 min and the semolina will soak all the water.
  4. After 15 min, add some water to make the batter medium thick.
  5. Put a steamer on medium flame.
  6. Lightly brush some oil over a plate and pour the batter in the plate, don’t forget to sprinkle sesame seeds over it.
  7. Keep the plate in the steamer and allow it to cook for 15 min nearly on medium flame.
  8. Once cooked, make small pieces using a knife and serve the Dhoklas hot with green chutney.

Highlights

  • These steamed Dhoklas will give you best combination of health and taste
  • Oats in the Dhokla will give you lots of fiber
  • This is a perfect go to snack for kids and you can turn it to a meal too

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and share it on your social media channels tagging GOQii!

For more healthy recipes, click here or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching.

#BeTheForce

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5 Winter Salads You Need to Try Now!

winter salads

With winter at its peak, it is all about comfort food for most of us. Even people who limit their tea, coffee and sugar intake, don’t mind sipping on 1-2 extra cups. But this is how we tend to get through these chilly months. While the comfort food makes us feel good, it also makes us feel sluggish. The best way to bounce back is eating clean by filling our plates with more veggies. The sad truth though, is that we don’t find salads as appealing as we do during summer. To make things interesting, I have some nice warm winter salads to help you get the goodness of veggies in your meals and keep your belly satisfied.

1. Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

  • Dried chickpeas (kabuli chana) – ½ cup soaked overnight
  • Grated fresh turmeric – 2 tsp
  • Grated ginger – 2 tsp
  • Chopped green chili – 2 tsp
  • Chopped green coriander – 2-3 tbsp
  • Medium onion – 1 thinly sliced
  • Small amla – ½ finely chopped
  • Capsicum – ¼ cup finely chopped
  • Boiled potato – 1 cut in cubes
  • Tomato – 1 chopped
  • Roasted sesame seeds – 2 tsp
  • Ghee – 1 tsp
  • Jeera – ¼ tsp
  • Hing powder – 1 pinch
  • Sea salt to taste

Method: Put soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker along with grated turmeric, salt to taste & ¾ cup water. Let it cook for 4-5 whistles till it gets soft. Meanwhile, you can chop your vegetables. Now heat a nonstick pan on high flame, add 1 tsp ghee, jeera & let it crackle. Then, add the hing & boiled potato on high heat till crisp from all sides. Now combine steaming hot chickpeas, veggies & all other ingredients in a bowl & enjoy!

 2. Sweet Potato and Beetroot Salad

Ingredients

  • Boiled sweet potatoes – 2
  • Boiled beetroot – 1 medium
  • Spring Onion – ¼ cup chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil or Sesame oil – 1 tsp
  • Fresh coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
  • Green chilly – 1 finely chopped
  • Sesame seeds – 2 tsp
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Paneer cubes – 50 gm
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
  • Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Method: Heat a nonstick pan over medium flame and grill paneer cubes over it. Add sweet potato, beetroot cubes and stir on high heat for a minute. Put the grilled veggies and paneer in a big bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and sesame seeds in a separate bowl and mix. Pour this mixture over the grilled veggies mixture. Now add chopped spring onions, green chilly & fresh coriander. Toss everything together and your sweet, tangy & crunchy salad is ready.

3. Sweet Corn Salad

Ingredients

  • Sweet corn – 1 cup
  • Chopped carrot – ¼ cup
  • Chopped capsicum – ¼ cup
  • Paneer – 100 gm
  • Chopped onion – ¼ cup
  • Roasted sunflower seeds – 2 tbsp
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
  • Cayenne/black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
  • Freshly chopped coriander – 2 tbsp

Method: Boil sweet corn in a saucepan with some water. While your corn is boiling, grill your paneer in a nonstick pan. Strain water from corn and transfer it to a big bowl. Now add paneer, chopped veggies, lemon juice, salt & pepper & toss everything together. Enjoy a hot bowl of salad.

4. Kidney Beans Salad

Ingredients

  • Boiled kidney beans (Rajma) – 1 cup
  • Chopped red onion – ¼ cup
  • Spring onion greens – ¼ cup
  • Chopped tomatoes – ¼ cup
  • Grated radish – ¼ cup
  • Small amla – 1 finely chopped
  • Grated ginger – 1 tsp
  • Finely chopped garlic – 1 tsp
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Lemon juice – 1 tsp
  • Chopped green chilly – 1-2 tsp
  • Freshly chopped coriander – 2 tbsp

Method: Add boiled rajma while it is still hot (or reheat if boiled in advance) in a big bowl. Now add veggies, herbs, spices and mix everything together. Your protein rich salad is ready!

5. Fruity Nutty Salad

Ingredients:

  • Pomegranate seeds – ½ cup
  • Orange, Kiwi, Apple – 1 each
  • Slivered Almonds – 7-8
  • Walnuts – 4 chopped
  • Roasted watermelon seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Rock salt – 1 pinch
  • Cayenne pepper – 1 pinch

Method: Peel the orange & cut into slices. Divide each slice in half. Cut the apple and kiwi into cubes. Combine all fruits in a bowl, sprinkle some salt, cayenne pepper and toss lightly (as vigorous tossing may let the juice of the fruits ooze out). Sprinkle nuts and watermelon seeds over your salad. It’s now ready to eat.

Highlights of the Winter Salads

  • Most of these salads contain carbs, protein and good fats in the right proportions. Hence, they are great options for a snack or a healthy and light dinner.
  • These winter salads are a good mix of warm and cold ingredients which don’t let you use winter as an excuse to skip salads.
  • The ingredients in these salads keep you warm and improve your immunity during winter.
  • They work as a great detox post the holiday binge as well

We hope you try these salads out! Your reviews are most welcome in the comment section below. If you tried any of these recipes, share a pic with us on your social media channels and tag GOQii! 

For more healthy recipes, click here or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching.

#BeTheForce!

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Triumphing Over My Mind, Body & Soul At The GOQii Trail Challenge | Kamal Chandran

GOQii Trail Challenge Kamal Chandran Imagine an event where each and every person has a unique tale to tell, despite having taken similar paths or adventures. Have you ever gone through it? We’re about to share the experience of Kamal Chandran, Group Head – HR at GOQii, who participated in the GOQii Trail Challenge, in her own words.  

Seeking A Challenge 

I recently took part in the GOQii Trail Challenge (GTC) Season 3 in December 2022. When I expressed my interest to participate in the trail challenge to my family,  their collective reaction was “Are you crazy to walk 50km in 18 hours?”

I was, however, excited to go for it. I was a new employee at GOQii and had heard so much about GTC that I wanted to experience it once. Restarted after a hiatus of two-years due to the pandemic, Season 3 of GTC attracted approx 200 participants. Everyone including the participants was excited. 

Since my husband Girish and I have been working very hard on our health objectives for the past two years and are constantly seeking new challenges, we decided to take part in the Trail, moreover, this was our first shot at a trekking challenge. 

The Challenge was to walk a distance of  50km within the 18 hour time limit. With absolutely no reference or clue of what was in store for me and how this would change my life, I went ahead with an open mind.

The Journey Begins 

The excitement started from the GOQii office on 9th December, a day prior to the challenge. A 6-hour fun bus ride got us talking with several other newbies and old-timers from whom we tried to gather courage and motivation. 

GOQii Trail Challenge Kamal 2On arrival at the basecamp (Blue Green Exotica) at Mandangad, the mood was festive and colourful. The atmosphere was chill with plenty of music & camaraderie accompanied by instructions, route maps, signs and the likes that spruced up my vibes to commit full-on. 

More often than not, our inhibitions come into play in such situations. It led me to think “I’ll be happy if I complete the 50K, but even if I don’t, I’ll still enjoy and cherish this unique experience”. After a good ‘Get to know the Trail’ instruction-led session, we retired early to bed only to wake up early and prepare to embark on our 50km trail challenge.

The following day, we started our trek 25 minutes late at 5.25 am as our preparations for the long day of walking had caught us unaware of the timings. This was despite us waking up as early as 3am. We had neatly taped our toes and heels to avoid any blisters, and applied all sorts of skin precautions as recommended by the GOQii team and co-walkers whom we met the previous eve. 

We also learnt a lot about the importance of hydration while walking for a long time. Our day packs were filled with all the necessary accompaniments like ORS ( Electrolytes) , dry fruits, various creams, band-aids etc.

GTC Kamal Chandran The entire route was meditative for me since I was fully present in my body, mind, and soul. We had forgotten to carry a stick that was advised to better navigate the terrain. However, on the way I picked up a suitable bamboo stick that came in handy. From one checkpoint to the next, we enjoyed the journey, terrain and the beautiful nature that surrounded us.  

We came across many pasture-like dry river beds, meadows, steep hillocks and scantily populated villages, all surrounded by the beautiful Sahyadri mountains that were visible at a distance, its ranges resembling concentric circles and reflecting the sunshine presenting the flora and fauna in vibrant colours.  

GOQii Trail Challenge KamalAfter encountering multiple challenges and enabling our various faculties and strategies to overcome them, we managed to cover a distance of 40km in 14 hours, quite slowly but successfully. 

Lessons Learned At the GOQii Trail Challenge 

We had to abandon the trek at Checkpoint 4 as the time required for the next steep climb was too much and the trail only seemed to incline further. 

Despite not having completed the trail, as I reflect back, I have the following thoughts which I would like to share with all of you. Here are my learnings from the GOQii Trail Challenge:   

  1. The entire walk was reflective and a repetition of life as an uphill and downhill path. Therefore, we need to be mindful and utilize every chance to enjoy it.
  2. Keep in mind that time is of the essence, enjoy the diversion but don’t get carried away or distracted
  3. Teamwork is crucial; we enjoyed supporting one another and getting to know new individuals. Savour the experience. Celebrate the collaborations.
  4. All obstacles are inside your thoughts, but if you don’t dwell on them and keep moving forward, you may perform extraordinary feats. For example, my friends and family were shocked that I could walk/trek  40km when they had anticipated that I would barely manage 10km
  5. Pay attention to your body! I was under the impression that I was living a healthy lifestyle until I discovered that I need to have enough rest and the correct nutrients to be successful in challenges of this sort.
  6. Spending time in nature will improve your physical and mental well-being. While meditating in Mandangad Fort, I felt the sun, wind, and soil coming together. (I spent almost 45 minutes just meditating – which probably explains the delay in reaching check point 3) 
  7. Every second or every step was different, therefore, we had to evolve according to how challenging the terrain and our bodies were. Stop overthinking, just be mindful of each and every step/moment.

The GOQii Trail Challenge will have a lasting impression on me. I’ve heard many tales and learned how people overcame numerous hurdles. We have witnessed the happiness of trekking 50km on one’s 50th birthday and heard tales of pain and mishaps. The trail profoundly affected our body, mind, and soul. The experience was so fantastic that it cannot be adequately described in words; it must be lived.

GTC Kamal Chandran Work can be worship for some people, while for others it means earning their daily bread. I have observed my transformation from a means to worship over the past 20 years. I have had the good fortune to collaborate with a number of outstanding organisations and executives as I develop into a powerful and ardent HR professional. 

Even though I’ve attended and participated in a lot of organisational events and programmes, the GOQii Trail Challenge event which was organised so well by the experts at GOQii stood out in numerous ways. Our commitment to our goal in everything we do, our ability to keep our stakeholders directly involved in it, and the experience we offer to all of our GOQii Players & GOQiites are some of our main differentiators.

I’m happy to be associated with GOQii, whose mission is to inspire people to live healthy lives for which we have developed an ecosystem for preventative healthcare that helps, teaches, and inspires them. I am all geared up for my next experience through GCC event ie. GOQii Corporate Challenge.

#BeTheForce

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GOQii Trail Challenge Season 3 – A Reflection

GOQii Trail Challenge - A Reflection

“Pain is inevitable, Suffering is Optional”

This quote, attributed to Buddhist teachings, was first introduced to me by author Haruki Murakami. It has stayed with me since, and has been particularly relevant to the planning of the GOQii Trail Challenge Season 3.

In 2015, I decided to graduate from running half marathons to attempting a full marathon. I thought that since I was able to do a half marathon with ease, slowly building up to a full marathon should be a manageable feat. However, at the 32km mark, my legs failed me and I was forced to walk the remaining distance, limping to the finish line. I realized that the line between healthy confidence and unhealthy pride is thin, and in this case, my pride had gotten the best of me. The lesson I learned was that there is no substitute for proper training, and it requires time and dedication.

Preparing The Trail

When planning GTC Season 3, we had to take into consideration the limited training opportunities that COVID-19 had created for participants, and therefore, the trail needed to have a balance of “highs and lows”. We also developed a training calendar to help participants prepare. In March 2022, when the Omicron wave had subsided and local authorities relaxed some public gathering restrictions, we began the process of plotting the new trail on a map. We worked with local villages who had expressed interest in being a part of GTC, and considered factors such as checkpoint accessibility and infrastructure.

In May 2022, our team set out on an adventure through the mountainous region of Mandangad, armed with maps, compasses, and machetes. The dense vegetation and varied topography of the area presented a challenge, but we were determined to find a trail that was suitable for first-time hikers. Our team included both experienced hikers and beginners, including one woman, to ensure a balanced experience.

GTC Team 1

As we hiked, we kept in mind the needs and capabilities of first-time hikers. The ability to see the trail ahead can make a big difference in terms of perceived difficulty, and we made sure to choose routes that offered good visibility. We also avoided dense sections of foliage that could be disorienting and exhausting. While some of these sections were picturesque, we determined that they were not suitable for the GTC trail.

After scouting various routes and making our final selection, we marked it on our map and waited for the monsoon season to pass. The monsoon season in the Ratnagiri region is known for its heavy rains and tall grass growth. In 2022, the monsoon season was particularly long, resulting in even taller grass. 

As part of GOQii’s Karma initiative, the decision was made to involve the local community in the trail-making process. Not only does this contribute to the local economy, but it also allows the community to be a part of the event and utilize their knowledge of the region’s old trails and how to navigate the tall grass without disrupting the ecosystem.

From October to mid-November, work was done to prepare the trail for Season 3. When the time came, the group of both first-timers and experienced walkers walked the full trail and determined it was ready for the season.

Dec 10th 2022: D-Day

The motto of #DiscoverYourTrail has a purpose: to inspire people to become the best versions of themselves. At GOQii, we encourage our players to constantly strive for improvement and growth. This motto has a deeper meaning that is meant to be experienced through personal journey and reflection. It embodies the positive qualities of someone who is willing to take risks, embrace change, and move forward with determination, even when faced with uncertainty.

GOQii Trail Challenge

After completing a challenging trail like the GOQii Trail Challenge, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. But after a good night’s rest and some time to reflect, you may find that you are able to view the experience in a different light. You may begin to analyze your performance, piece by piece, and gain a deeper understanding of your own strengths and areas for improvement.

Like my Full Marathon experience, you too would then get the meaning of the Murakami quote.

Pain is inevitable, Suffering is Optional.

P.S: I would like to express my gratitude to all the participants who joined in the GTC Season 3.

A special thank you goes out to the Altitude Quest team and the local villagers for their assistance in designing and developing the trail.

I also want to thank Vasanthi, Rylan, Anand, and Parwage for joining me in exploring the trail, as well as the team of volunteers who worked tirelessly at each checkpoint with a smile.

Thank you to Sunny, Puneet, Yasser, and Dinesh for their help with the infrastructure setup, and to the Blue Green Exotica team for being wonderful hosts once again.

#BeTheForce

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