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10 Delicious recipes for festive ‘Makar Sankranti’

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervor & gaiety. On Makar Sankranti, the sun enters the sun-sign of Capricorn or Makara (Hindi name for Capricorn).

The word ‘Sankranti’ signifies the movement of the sun from one zodiac sign to another. Thus, the name of the festival literally means the movement of the sun into Capricorn. From this day, the duration of the day increases and that of the night decreases and winter recedes, paving the way for summer.

Millions of people take a dip in rivers like Ganga Sagar & Prayag and pray to the Sun god. It is celebrated in southern parts of the country as Pongal, and in Punjab is celebrated as Lohri & Maghi. Gujarati’s not only look reverentially up to the sun, but also offer thousands of their colorful oblations in the form of beautiful kites all over the skyline.

Gur/Jaggery and Til/Sesame seeds are one of the main ingredients used for making sweet dishes on this festival. Different recipes are made all over India ranging from lip-smacking sweet and savory dishes. I remember pouring in popcorn into the special bonfire lit up every year on the occasion of Lohri and shoving in raw potatoes and sweet potatoes in the fire once it was about to subside. For the delicious potato chats, we made with those firewood roasted potatoes!

Here is my collection of personally tried and experimented special dishes this year for Makar Sakranti. So put on your chef’s hat and exhibit your cooking skills!

1.   Jaggery Coated Caramelized Popcorn

You will need: Jaggery, unsalted popcorn kernels

Method:

  • Mix jaggery in little luke warm water. The amount of water should be just enough to soak the jaggery and make syrup of soft ball consistency.
  • Combine the popcorn and jaggery syrup and mix very well.
  • Let it cool completely and serve as a snack

2.    Kadhi Palak (Curdy Spinach and gram flour curry)

You will need: Gram flour/besan, chopped onions, Fenugreek leaves, Grated Ginger, Carom seeds (ajwain), chilli powder, salt, beaten sour yogurt, turmeric powder, fenugreek seeds, spinach leaves.

Method:

  • Blanch spinach leaves in hot water for 4-5 minutes and chop. Heat oil in a pan and add carom seeds (ajwain), sauté chopped spinach for 1 minute and keep it aside.
  • For the curd batter/kadhi: Whisk the yogurt well. Add the gram flour and whisk thoroughly till smooth. Add the turmeric powder, salt and three cups of water and mix well. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red chilies, salt, ginger and sauté for a minute.
  • Stir in the yogurt mixture, bring to a boil and cook on low heat for about fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chili powder and sautéed spinach, and continue to simmer for two to three minutes.
  • Serve hot with steamed rice.

3.     Sesame Seeds and Jaggery Balls (Til Aur Gur Ke Ladoo)

You will need lightly roasted sesame seeds, jaggery, dried and grated coconut, cardamom powder.

Method

  • Grind lightly roasted sesame seeds and jaggery to a coarse mixture using a mixer or a mortar and pestle.
  • Transfer the mixture onto a plate, add dried coconut and green cardamom powder and mix well.
  • Divide this mixture into equal portions and shape into lemon-sized balls
  • Store in airtight jars.

4.    Puffed Rice Balls (Kurmure ladoo)

You will need: Jaggery, puffed rice, clarified butter (ghee)

Method

  • Heat a non-stick pan; add clarified butter and jaggery, and cook till the syrup attains a soft-ball consistency.
  • Add the puffed rice and mix.
  • Divide into equal portions and shape into balls.

5.    Bottle Gourd Slabs

You will need- milk, grated bottle gourd, mixed chopped nuts, dates syrup, cardamom powder.

Method

  • Grease an aluminum tray with sufficient ghee. Boil milk in a deep non-stick pan. Add grated bottle gourd and mix, cook till its volume becomes half and mixture becomes thick.
  • Add half the chopped nuts and dates syrup. Mix well and cook for five to ten minutes.
  • Remove from heat, pour into the greased tray and spread evenly. Sprinkle cardamom powder and remaining chopped nuts and set aside for an hour.
  • Cut into desired shapes and serve.

 6.     Sesame Slabs (Til chikki)

You will need: roasted sesame seeds, clarified butter (ghee) and jaggery.

Method

  • Heat clarified butter in the deep non-stick pan, add jaggery, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes while stirring continuously.
  • Switch off the flame, add the roasted sesame seeds and mix very well.
  • When the mixture is ready, put the entire mixture over the back of a greased plate or a smooth stone surface.
  • Roll it out thinly into a circle using a greased rolling pin.
  • Cut them into square pieces using a sharp knife.
  • Allow it to cool completely.
  • Once cooled, store in an air-tight container.

7.    Mixed Sprouts with Beaten Rice

You will need: beaten rice (chiwra), mustard seeds, chopped onion, slit green chilies, mixed sprouts lightly steamed, turmeric powder, salt, lemon juice, chopped coriander for garnishing.

Method:

  • Place beat rice (chiwra) in a sieve and wash lightly. Drain and leave aside for 10 minutes.
  • Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds. Add onions and green chilies and sauté on a medium flame for a few minutes or till the onion turn light brown in color.
  • Add steamed mixed sprouts and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.
  • Add water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add soaked and drained beaten rice (chiwra), lemon juice and mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.
  • Serve hot garnished with coriander.

8.   Mustard and Spinach Leaves Curry (Sarson ka saag)

You will need Mustard leaves, spinach, fenugreek leaves, finely chopped onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped ginger, ginger garlic paste, mustard seeds, salt.

Method:

  • Wash the mustard leaves, spinach, fenugreek leaves and chop them finely.
  • Add chopped ginger and pressure cook it for 45 minutes.
  • Remove and grind the greens till it is well mixed. Add salt. Cook again over low heat.
  • -Serve hot with a tempering of mustard seeds and ginger garlic paste.

9.   Corn Bread (Makke ki roti)

You will need: maize flour, salt, carom seeds, chopped green chilles, grated ginger

Method:

  • Mix all ingredients together and make a soft dough with water.
  • Make flat and round breads or chapattis, grill them on a hot flat pan/tava till they turn golden brown and evenly cooked from all sides.
  •  Serve hot with white butter, Sarson ka saag and jaggery!

 10.   Spicy Mixed Brown Rice and Lentils (Khara Pongal)

You will need: lentils, brown rice, cumin seeds, peppercorns, asafoetida, grated coconut, slit green chili, turmeric, salt, roasted slit cashews

Method:

  • Cook cumin seed, mustard seed, peppercorns, and asafoetida in hot oil for 2 minutes. Stir the lentils into the mixture and cook another 2 minutes. Add rice, grated coconut, green chili, turmeric, salt, and water and stir.
  • Close the lid of the pressure cooker and slow cook about 35 minutes. Relieve the pressure from the cooker; stir the cashews into the mixture.
  • Garnish with shredded coconut and serve.

Hope you will relish these recipes this Makar Sankranti! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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10 tips to retain nutrients while cooking

Young lady chopping vegetables

We try different methods of cooking- boiling, sauteing, frying, grilling etc. Everyone has their own unique way of preparing a particular dish. Isn’t it? We never realize why one is following particular steps for cooking as compared to the other. Ever thought about nutrient losses that might be occurring while cooking?

I thought of writing this blog as I have seen my “cook” cooking in some different ways wherein you will end up losing all nutrients. I am sure many of us might be doing the same unknowingly.

Here are 10 simple tips which will help you retain nutrients while cooking. So that you can ensure highly nutritious food being served to your loved ones.

  1. When peeling the skin of vegetables do peel as thinly as possible. The nutrients in vegetables and fruits are concentrated just below the skin, so peeling before boiling increases the loss of Vitamin C, Folic Acid and other B vitamins. The peels of carrot, radish, gourd and ginger can be scraped instead of peeling. Peel only when absolutely necessary.
  2. Do not cut vegetables into very small cubes as the surface area of vegetable increases that comes in contact with oxygen, destroying more
  3. Don’t soak vegetables in water to prevent discoloration-Almost 40% of water-soluble vitamins and minerals are lost in the water. If you must soak, use up the soaking water to knead the dough, prepare soups and gravies
  4. Salads should be prepared just before serving and should be served in closed dishes to avoid excessive exposure to air.
  5. Do not throw away the excess water drained after boiling rice or vegetables. When preparing cottage cheese, the water left over after curdling (called whey)-is extremely rich in good quality proteins and vitamins and should be used up in preparing gravies, kneading dough or simply had as a refreshing drink after flavouring with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  6. Do not keep milk open or exposed to light, as a considerable destruction of riboflavin can occur.
  7. It is preferable to cook vegetables in a minimum amount of water keeping the vessel covered and to consume it as soon as possible. Reheating cooked vegetables further destroys vitamins.
  8. Root vegetables should be boiled with skins on and then peeled after boiling. This helps the nutrients to migrate to the centre of the vegetables, helping better retention of its nutrients. Do eat with skin on whenever possible.
  9. Baking soda makes cooking water alkaline and thus helps retain the colour of vegetables as well as speed up the cooking process, BUT it destroys thiamine and vitamin C.
  10. Deep frying and heating for a long time or heating at a high temperature should be avoided during cooking. If food material is heated above 700 C for a long duration, proteins become hard and coagulated. In this form, they are not easily absorbed by the body. Thus, overcooking results in loss of precious nutrients.

Do ensure you try these tips and make your food nutritious. Since Healthy food = Healthy you. These insightful cooking tips empower you to create meals that are not only delicious but also rich in essential nutrients. By adopting a mindful approach to cooking, you can preserve the goodness in every bite, contributing to a healthier and more balanced life. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and find more articles on Nutrition here. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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All About Cooking In Clay Pots

clay pots

As we are becoming more and more health conscious, trying to eat healthier meals, we cannot overlook the cookware used to prepare those meals. The vessels we choose have a great impact on the taste, quality and nutritional value of food. While Researching about which cookware is the best for our health, I always noticed that clay pots are on top of the list but I was never sure if I can really cook my regular food in them. A few weeks back, after a lot of research on how we can use them for regular cooking, I gave it a try and bought one home. Now I can confidently say that everyone should give them a try. In fact, I am planning to buy some more as I find more space in my kitchen to keep them safely. Before you get convinced by my experience, let’s understand why you should be switching to clay pots.

Benefits Of Using Clay Pots 

  • They infuse your food with calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulphur and many other minerals depending on the composition of clay used in making these pots.
  • Help in restoring pH balance of food as clay is alkaline in nature.
  • Lends a nice earthy aroma and enhances the flavor of your food which metal pans usually destroy. 
  • Preparing food in clay pots requires slow cooking which helps retain maximum nutrition.
  • Less oil is required while cooking in clay pots as the porous nature of clay pots allows heat and moisture to circulate evenly.
  • Prevents us from harmful chemicals and metals that leach into our food while cooking in metals like aluminium and non-stick cookware. 
  • They are pocket friendly and available in different sizes and shapes.
  • Environmentally friendly and completely biodegradable.

How To Choose Them 

Clay pots are available in glazed and unglazed form. Both have their own set of advantages. 

Glazed ones are ready to use, have a shiny appearance and are easy to clean. These encourage good steam circulation due to low ability to absorb water. But sometimes, their glaze could be of low quality that may contain harmful chemicals. On the other hand, unglazed pots need a little bit more care being more porous, but have better ability to balance the pH of food.

How To Use Clay Cookware 

  1. Clay cookware needs to be prepared prior to first use by immersing them in water for 24 hours or at least overnight.
  2. Next day, scrub and rinse it and let it dry. Then you need to soak it in starch water/rice, cooked water/rice soaked water for one more day.
  3. Wash it again and dry it under the sun. After drying, wipe it with any vegetable oil and dry it under the sun till the oil is absorbed by the pot. 
  4. Your clay pots are ready to use now.
  5. Though this preparation process seems long but ensures a long life to your clay pots.

How To Maintain Clay Pots 

Some points are needed to be kept in mind while using clay pots in your daily routine.

  • Never keep hot clay pots on a cold surface or put cold water in a hot pot. This temperature shock may cause cracks.
  • You may not want to clean them with soap as it will enter into small pores of the pots which can mix into food while cooking. Use ash, baking soda and salt, rice flour or gram flour to clean these pots.
  • These pots work well on a regular gas stove, but never heat empty pot on very high flame. During cooking, it is advisable to keep the flame medium to low.

If you haven’t got a hold of clay pots yet, I suggest getting one and experiencing the goodness and flavor in food that usual cookwares lack. I hope this article helps you if you plan on using one. Do leave your thoughts and queries in the comments below! 

For more useful information, check out Healthy Reads or reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

 

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10 Cooking habits that you need to RECONSIDER!

Ever wondered why people are still at risk for chronic illness despite following a healthy lifestyle? Why does immunity fail to protect the body when the weather changes? Why with growing awareness about fitness, people still fall sick?

There is a number of articles and literature online that broadcast the importance of active life, a nutritious, mostly plant-based diet, daily exercises, weight management, disease prevention, smoking cessation, moderation in alcohol intake etc. Despite the abundance of knowledge about how to live a “healthy” lifestyle, choose “best food” and follow an “active” exercise regime, there haven’t been such significant improvements in the health of the general public. There is something missing which needs to be corrected so as to multiply the goodness of active life and healthy food.

Let me support this with a phrase, “Muscles are built in a gym, but nourished in Kitchens”

Yes! The kitchen is the place where our food first enters before it enters our body. There are some kitchen habits which might be silently killing us. When I chose to highlight this topic, I did not have to look much farther than my own circle to compile a list of common, but avoidable kitchen habits:

  • Dipping tea bags in hot water: Some of the tea bags are made with a variety of plastics. These plastics are generally considered among the safest in terms of leaching potential, but the molecules in these plastic tea bags may still break down and leach out when steeped in boiling water. Tea bags made up of paper may be just as bad, or worse, than the plastic ones because many of them are treated with epichlorohydrin. When this epichlorohydrin comes in contact with water, it hydrolyzes to a compound which has been shown to cause cancer and suppress immune function in animals. Knowing these hazards, your best option would be to opt for loose organic tea.
  • Reusing Cooking oil: Indian cooking is said to be indispensable without cooking oil. Consumption of oil in the right proportion and in the correct manner often doesn’t cause any health issues. Though many people follow this practice regularly, Very few people are aware of the dangerous effects of recycled cooking oil i.e. reheating the used oil. Reusing the oil alters the chemical composition of oil leads to the formation of highly charged free radicals or uncharged molecules with unpaired electrons which can often be These free radicals attach themselves to healthy cells resulting in an increase of bad cholesterol levels and block arteries as well.

Storing the used oil for a longer period of time encourages bacterial growth due to the presence of leftover food particles present in the oil, can lead to fatal food poisoning. Best possible solution to avoid hazards of reusing oil would be using less amount of oil for frying or choosing shallow/stir frying over deep frying to avoid wastage of oil.

  • Overheating cooking oil: Oils can withstand varying levels of heat, for some type of oils the threshold for heat tolerance is lower and for some, it’s higher. Normally, a heated cooking oil is considered unsafe when it reaches its smoking point i,e, the temperature at which it begins to chemically break down and smoke continuously. At this point, the fat molecules break down into glycerol and free fatty acids, and the glycerol breaks down further to produce toxic fumes and free radicals.This also leads to loss of the antioxidants present in the oil. So it’s wise to pick up oil with better smoke value if you intend to use for cooking and not dressing.
  • Using non-stick pans on high temperature: Almost everyone owns a non-stick Teflon-coated pan. It may be more convenient and easier to clean but, cooking in it on high temperatures can cause the “Teflon flu.” This illness is characterized by flu-like symptoms such as headaches, chills, backaches, and a temperature ranging between 100°F and 104°F. High temperatures cause the non-stick lining to release PFCs (Perfluorocarbons) in the form of fumes. PFCs can cause liver damage and also developmental problems. Also, the chemicals used to make this non-stick substance include ammonium perfluorooctanoate which has been linked to cancer, organ damage and other negative health effects (animal studies).
  • Using metal ladles on non-stick vessels: Using metal utensils to stir on a nonstick pan is not a good idea. You can unknowingly/unintentionally scratch the surface of the pan, which could lead you to ingest the PFCs in the nonstick lining. Use wooden or heat-safe rubber utensils when using a non-stick pan to avoid any scraping.
  • Using regular utensils in the microwave: Radiation from microwaves has not been proven to be particularly dangerous in itself, providing that the appliance is in good working order. Rather, the danger lies in the types of containers we microwave our food in. Certain compounds used to make rigid plastic more pliable may act as endocrine disrupters. They may mimic or compete with human hormones, which could affect fertility or cancer risk. It is best to avoid microwaving plastic containers that aren’t specifically designed for microwave use.
  • Poor ventilation: Without appropriate ventilation, indoor air quality can suffer and cause serious health problems. The pollutants which degrade air quality comes from cooking burners especially gas burners and have an effect on the respiratory and cardiovascular system as they can enter the bloodstream and reduce oxygen delivery to the body’s organs and tissues. Fine particles are produced essentially by volatilizing dust by both gas and electric burners during cooking. They are potentially very harmful because they can enter the lungs, bloodstream or other tissues. Decreasing this indoor pollution is to make sure pollutants vents to the outdoors else they will simply recirculate in the kitchen. If having a hood/ exhaust fan is not possible, opening a window while cooking does help.
  • Keeping water pans open: It’s not new that epidemic of waterborne disease is so widespread and easy to acquire. People who don’t own water purifier often have the sense to boil water before consumption. One cannot fill the drinking pots with hot water so people usually keep hot water pans (often uncovered) at room temperature. While water is getting cooled and getting ready to be transferred in pots, it gets attracted by dust and particles present in the air. The chances of water contamination increase if air microflora is high. The safe way to deal with this is to invest in water purifier or perhaps cover the pans with lid and strain water with muslin cloth before transferring to pots.
  • Cleaning vegetables and fruits: Every homemaker knows the importance of washing fruits and vegetables once before consuming. Having said that most of homemakers/chef clean them superficially i.e cleaning under running water for 1-2 mins and keep it open to air dry. Does this really wash off the chemicals and pesticides? Well, No! It doesn’t. There are numerous options to clean them correctly. Soaking them in 10 % White vinegar + 90 % water solution for 15-20 mins; Soaking them in 2% salt solution or washing them in cold water helps to wash off most of the pesticides, chemicals as well as dirt present on the surface. It is worthwhile to invest some time in washing and cleaning your food, as you don’t want to end up consuming a portion of toxins with your meals!
  • Using Aluminium foil to pack hot food: High levels of Aluminium has been found in the food cooked, reheated and cooled in aluminium foil. This is alarming knowing the fact that high levels of Aluminum which accumulates in the body causes hypercalcemia (More calcium in the blood), weakens bone mineral density and hence causes Osteoporosis later in life. However, use of Aluminum foil has been found safe to wrap cold food as aluminium doesn’t leach out. As an alternative to cook/store hot food, Parchment paper/wax paper can be used respectively.

While concluding this eye-opener topic, I would like to make it a point that despite the risks associated with many cooking methods, you don’t have to start eating all your food raw. Simply take small steps to avoid these cooking dangers.

Many little changes can go a long way in terms of improving your health and preventing illness.Many of the above-mentioned habits don’t pose an immediate danger to your health, but long-term use and a combination (with other lifestyle factors) might lead to problems later on in life.

So the take-home message is “Don’t overreact, just be mindful of the habits, Now is the time to understand and adapt ourselves to healthy cooking habits along with making healthy meal choices”

#BeTheForce

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