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Healthy Eating: Beetroot Mix Dal Dosa

beetroot mix dal dosa

Depending on your preferences, beetroot can be the most loved or most hated vegetable on your plate. Now, whether you hate it or love it, you can’t deny the fact that beetroots are extremely healthy for you! They are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Beetroots are low in calories, help reduce blood pressure and improve digestive health, among many other benefits.

Enriching your normal day meals with a superfood always fetches you more nutrients! Today, let’s make beetroot more interesting than it already is by preparing this beetroot mix dal dosa! It is packed with protein and all the nourishment from beetroots!

Let’s get started.

What you will need:

  • Chana Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Moong Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Toor Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Urad Dal – 2 tbsp
  • Rice – 2 tbsp
  • Shredded beetroot – 1 medium sized
  • Garlic – 5-6
  • Shredded Ginger – 1 tsp
  • Green Chillies – 2
  • Finely Chopped Coriander – ½ cup
  • Jeera (cumin seeds) – 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil

How to Prepare

  1. Take a bowl and mix all dals and rice after washing them thoroughly. Add 1 cup of water to it and soak for 4-6 hrs.
  2. Once soaked, remove excess water and blend it together in a mixer and make a smooth paste. Add 2 tsp of water if required. Keep the batter aside in a bowl.
  3. Now, add beetroot, green chillies, jeera, ginger and garlic in a blender jar and blend it all without adding any water.
  4. Mix the beetroot paste with blended pulses thoroughly.
  5. Add salt and coriander to the batter and allow it to settle for 10-15 min.
  6. Now heat a nonstick pan, brush some oil and using a spatula, spread the hot pink batter on the pan. After cooking it on one side, flip it over.
  7. Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

Highlights of the Beetroot Mix Dal Dosa:

  • Best way to start your day! The proteins keep you full and beetroot gives you all the essential vitamins and minerals such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, Vitamin C along with very important nitrates. These nitrates help in reducing blood pressure.
  • It is a must to try for kids as the color fascinates them.
  • Also instead of beetroot you can incorporate blanched spinach or even carrots.

Did you find this recipe new and exciting? Will you try it? Let us know in the comments below!

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

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4 Healthy Recipes For Christmas & New Year Celebrations!

4 Healthy Recipes for Christmas and New Year'sFestivities always cause a dilemma in terms of what to eat, what to avoid and how much to eat. It’s seldom hard to resist good food. But if you have health goals to adhere to, and are looking for something nutritive, we’ve got you covered! Here are 4 healthy recipes for Christmas and New Year that you can try. They are easy to cook, delicious and absolutely healthy!

Let’s get started!

4 Healthy Recipes For Christmas & New Year 

1. Gourmet Almond Eyes (Almond Cookies)

Whether it is for someone you love, for your granny or your family and friends, these nutritious almond, jam-filled cookie bites will prove to your loved ones how much you care about them and their health.

Ingredients (For about 40 cookies)

  • 1/4 organic lemon
  • 200g (8 oz)  flour
  • 150g (6 oz)  butter
  • 100g (4 oz)  sugar
  • 1/2 pack  vanilla sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 100g (4 oz)  ground almonds
  • 175g (7 oz)  jam

Method:

  1. Grate the lemon rind. Knead it with flour, butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, the egg and the almonds to form a smooth dough.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas 4). Roll out the dough thinly in portions between two sheets of grease-proof paper. Cut out the biscuits. Cut out holes in the center of half of them. Bake on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper for about 12 minutes.
  3. After they cool off, spread jam (e.g. strawberry jam) on those without holes. Place the biscuits with the holes on top. Optionally, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Facts:
Preparation: 45 minutes
Baking: 12 minutes
Calories per cookie: 60 kcal

2. Christmas Apple Cake

Eating an apple a day in winter provides many benefits for our health. The yellowish flesh in nectarines is rich in bioflavonoids, especially carotenoids. These pigments are antioxidants that can help protect you against cancer and other diseases by reducing the cellular damage that is caused when the body burns oxygen. The antioxidant in nectarine which includes vitamin A, vitamin C and beta-carotene can prevent cancer and oral cancer.

Apple also helps one reduce weight – nectarines are low in calorie fruit, which makes it a perfect food for people who want to lose weight. It contains fewer calories with no saturated fat, fibers in apples suppress hunger and aids in weight loss.

If you are thinking what to make this Christmas and for your New Year’s Eve party, here is a recipe for Apple Cake that is moist and yummy with a rich sweet butter sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 medium tart apples, peeled and grated.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg

Method:

  1. In a mixing bowl put cream, butter and sugar and then beat in an egg and vanilla.
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
  3. Stir in apples and walnuts. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  5. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugars and cream.
  6. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
  7. Reduce heat and keep it on simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over warm cake.

3. Chicken and Bell Pepper Tomato Chilli Stir Fry

Ingredients: 

  • Chicken breast – 2
  • Salt and pepper – 1
  • Cake flour – 1
  • Red chilli pepper – 1
  • Vegetable oil – 2 Tsp
  • Vinegar- 1 tbsp
  • Sweet chilli sauce – 2 tbsp
  • Ketchup – 2 tbsp
  • Bell pepper

Methods: 

  1. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with salt, pepper and flour.
  2. Coat a frying pan with vegetable oil, add the red chilli pepper and fry the chicken until golden.
  3. Add the vinegar and steam the chicken.
  4. Chop the bell peppers into 2 cm pieces, add to the frying pan and fry.
  5. Season with the sweet chilli sauce and ketchup.

Benefits of Chicken: Chicken is a great low-fat source of protein and the B vitamin niacin. Protein  is often used in cutting diets and it’s good source of lean protein

4. Christmas Baked Brown Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is for those who love homemade food as it has the appeal of homemade comfort food!

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 beaten eggs
  • 1/3 cups raisins
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

  1. Place uncooked rice in a 3-quart saucepan, and add water. Bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  4. In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix well.
  5. Stir in rice and raisins.
  6. Pour into a baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes; stir pudding and sprinkle with nutmeg.
  7. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean.
  8. Enjoy your warm pudding.

Servings per Recipe: 11

Benefits of brown rice:

  • It lowers the risk of developing diabetes
  • It’s high in fiber
  • It’s a good source of magnesium and selenium
  • It can prevent weight gain
  • It can lower cholesterol
  • It offers many cardiovascular benefits
  • It reduces the risk of childhood asthma
  • It promotes bone health.

And that’s all! Do try these healthy recipes for Christmas and New Year’s and share your pictures with us on social media by tagging GOQii. Let us know 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: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Healthy Eating: How to Prepare Thick Curd At Home

homemade curdWho doesn’t enjoy a bowl of curd? With its many health benefits and the million different ways in which you can consume it, curd is almost irreplaceable. Did you ever wonder how curd came to be discovered? Was it made with intention?

History suggests that curd, like many other fermented milk products, was discovered by accident! It was primarily due to milk being left unattended for a long time which initiated curdling. Basically, the milk began souring as a result of microbial action. A microorganism called Lactobacillus is responsible for the curdling of milk.

Curd is considered to be a superfood as it is rich in proteins, provides the body with Vitamin B and Calcium and is a fantastic Probiotic and is good for the gut. However, there are many who still struggle to make good thick curd at home and dependent on packaged curd.

So let us learn to make thick, perfect curd at home!

What You Will Need

  • Milk – 500 ml
  • Curd – 2 tsp
  • Water – 2 tsp

How to Prepare Thick Curd

  1. In a pan add milk and allow it to boil. Keep stirring it lightly.
  2. After the milk comes to a boil, switch off the flame and let it cool down.
  3. Now take a bowl, add 2 tsp of curd and 2 tsp water & whisk it together.
  4. Once the milk cools down, remove the cream from the milk and strain the milk in a bowl.
  5. In the strained milk, add 2 tbsp of curd + water mixture & mix well.
  6. Cover the bowl and keep it in a warm and dry space for 4-5 hours to set.
  7. Refrigerate the curd for an hour before you serve it.

Things to Keep in Mind  

  • Do not use skim milk for making curd, it will be runny.
  • The milk should not be very hot when you add culture in it otherwise the curd will coagulate
  • Never forget to remove cream

Benefits of Homemade Thick Curd

  • Curd which is commercially available is the result of a straining process that removes the liquid whey, resulting in thicker curd.
  • In its traditional form, the curd is far more nutrient-dense and is rich in high-quality protein, beneficial probiotics and cancer-fighting linoleic acid.
  • Poor quality milk is used to produce most commercial curd, which can be a concern.

What if You Do Not Have Starter Curd?

  1. Take boiled milk in a vessel and reheat it a little for making the starter curd. Use lukewarm milk. Now, pour little amount of milk in 3 different bowls for making the starter curd.
  2. In one cup of milk drop 2 green chilies. It is very important to have the stalk attached to the chilies for making the starter curd and make sure it is submerged completely in the milk.
  3. In second cup of milk, add 2 red chilies and submerge it completely.
  4. In third cup of milk, add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and mix it well.
  5. Cover all the three cups of milk and store in a warm place for 12 hours.

Making starter curd is little time-consuming. Its not as good when compared to Dahi and is only used in making the curd.

Here you go! Try this natural and healthy way to make thick curd at home and don’t rely on packaged curd. Do share your experience in the comments below!

For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach directly by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Tired All The Time? Start With These Superfoods

superfoods

Do you feel tired all the time? Do you wish for sleep or rest more often than you should? There are a wide range of causes that trigger tiredness and these include medical issues such as a thyroid disorder, heart disease, diabetes, etc. The lifestyle related causes include alcohol or drug abuse, lack of regular exercise, exertion, jet lag, large meals et al. Thankfully, there are few superfoods that can help us to overcome it.

Which Superfoods Can Help With Tiredness? 

Superfoods are high in nutritional density and provide a substantial amount of nutrients with low calories. They are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They can re-energise you. Try these superfoods to overcome tiredness! 

  1. Chia Seeds: These tiny seeds are packed with nutrients. They are a good source of Omega -3 fatty acids, protein, iron, calcium and fiber. They are an excellent source of antioxidants. When soaked in water, they absorb water and expand 10x their size and help us feel full for a longer time. We can add it to smoothies, shakes or have it with water.
  2. Fruits: such as Watermelon contain 90% of water, have vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that combat dehydration – one of the reasons for tiredness. It also has amino acid L-citrulline which can help reduce muscle soreness. Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B, vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. They provide ample amounts of energy. Avocado as well, is a powerhouse of energy with vitamins such as B, C and E, minerals like folate and potassium, monounsaturated fats and help keep a control on blood sugar spikes as well. 
  3. Kale: This leafy vegetable is a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is a good source of iron which carries oxygen to our tissues and cells – much needed for us to thrive. It is an amazing source of calcium, folate and vitamin B. Kale is a low density food which aids weight loss and obesity that are linked to tiredness.
  4. Almonds: are a good source of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Almonds have vitamin B, which helps convert food into energy. It also contains magnesium which helps us fight muscle fatigue. A handful of almonds are a good mid-meal.
  5. Dates: are excellent sources of energy. They are high in carbs which provide instant energy. It is packed with fiber, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. It’s an amazing source of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acid. It’s sweet in nature so can be used as a sweetener.
  6. Spinach: is a powerhouse of nutrients, It contains vitamins like C, K B6, B9 and E, minerals like potassium, magnesium, folic acid, iron and calcium. Adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals are essential for energy production. Low levels of iron can cause fatigue.
  7. Egg: Do you remember the slogan “Sunday ho ya Monday Roj khao ande”? It’s actually true, as an egg is an excellent source of high biological value protein and healthy fats which can keep us energized. It is a good source of vitamins and minerals which are vitamin D and B12, iron and choline. 
  8. Dark chocolate: is a great source of iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and flavanols. Is a rich source of theobromine which is a stimulant that works the same as caffeine. Polyphenols in dark chocolate have positive effects on serotonin levels which helps us to lift up the mood and energy levels. 
  9. Quinoa: It’s a grain crop which is high in carbs, protein, fiber, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, zinc and folate. It is also a good source of vitamin B and E, and various antioxidants. Although quinoa is high in carbs, it has a low glycaemic index, so it releases energy slowly and sustains for a longer time.
  10. Sattu: It is generally made by Bengal gram (Chana), which means it is high in protein. It is a low cost, so-called poor man’s protein. It Is rich in fiber, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and low in sodium. It provides instant energy with a cooling effect. So it’s best consumed during summer. 

Try these foods in your diet especially in morning hours to boost your energy levels and fight tiredness. With these we need to focus on 20 to 30 min regular exercise, balanced meals, adequate sleep, proper hydration and stress management. Do consult your doctor before trying any of these superfoods. 

For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads. If you want to know more about superfoods, nutrition or get a meal plan for a health goal, speak to an expert by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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