LESS SUGAR, PLEASE ... FOR A SWEETER LIFE

Nourishing and Rejuvenating -- Coriander Rice

2010-05-04T17:24:00.006+05:30

Some time ago, I learnt that the coriander plant, aside from containing powerful antioxidants, was actually considered a great herb for diabetics, helping lower blood sugar, I began using it all the more liberally. Of course, it may not have any direct effect on diabetes, claims which I always take with a pinch of salt, but it is obvious that the good effects are plenty. Not everyone likes

Basundi for a Berry Hot Summer

2010-04-14T21:01:00.003+05:30

It's been two years since I posted a sweet dish on my blog. We no longer really eat any rich desserts, it's been a long time, except maybe during the occasional family visits. Our aftermeal nibbles have largely been confined to bitter dark chocolate which we really love. But that doesn't mean we've completely sworn off it all. When we have an abundance of seasonal fruits and we tire of having

Onion Paratha

2010-03-19T19:00:00.003+05:30

Healthy eating, in my experience, starts off as a conscious effort. There is often a moment of lapse where a craving just needs to be satisfied, and you either give in or chastize yourself. Diabetes makes it even harder, whether or not you indulge in that particular whim. But after a while, the goodness of nourishing food takes over and becomes ingrained in you. I can no longer sip at sugary

Seasoned Long Green Brinjal

2010-03-11T21:36:00.004+05:30

Today, 11th March 2010, is World Kidney Day. World Kidney Day is a joint initiative taken by the International Society of Nephrology and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations, and was first started in 2006. Each year is focused on a particular theme. Last year, the focus had been on hypertension and its effects on the kidneys. This year, much to my pleasure, it is focusing on

Ragi and Bajra Dosa

2010-01-15T16:34:00.004+05:30

I've posted my version of whole grain ragi dosa before. This is just another variation of the same, having added a bit of bajra (pearl millet) too to the batter. Since I had little bit of each and needed to clean out my stock, I just mixed them up. And gave me something new to post about, so that I could send in a recipe of my own to the JFI Ragi event, hosted by Madhuram at Eggless Baking.

Red Kidney Bean Soup With Veggies

2010-01-06T16:45:00.006+05:30

The much awaited and pleasurable New Year weekend has come and gone. The specialness of this particular New Year was that the holiday mood lasted three beautiful days, right after a lovely extended Christmas weekend, in addition to it being the beginning of a new decade. Here at home, there's been a subtle drop in the cheery mood because now everything is back to normal, routines are in place

Tangy Tomato Chutney

2009-12-28T17:46:00.000+05:30

A brief sojourn to the south of the nation several weeks ago was the cause for an immense sense of relaxation and contentment, something that had been missing from our lives for quite a few years now. It was the first long vacation I'd taken in quite a while and I thoroughly soaked up this feeling of liberation from the daily routine I'd felt I'd gotten stuck in. A lot had happened in the past

Whole-grain Jowar (Sorghum) Dosa

2009-11-18T17:25:00.008+05:30

I've had occasion to travel to a few places over the past six weeks or so. It's been a while since my family set foot out of town on a long journey and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We came back refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to take on the world once again. It did help that things went so smoothly and according to plan, and there were hardly any problems to plague us. The month of November

Cooking Cucumbers and Stirring Memories

2009-09-17T14:59:00.023+05:30

My mother has always been a consummate cook and house manager par excellence. The parties of our childhood years when the Indian community gathered at our house to sample my mother's cooking is etched indelibly in my mind. I've eaten meals cooked by various people whom we've visited over the years but it is my sincere opinion that none can match her. I feel now that she could've done more with

Mushrooms and Bread ... made for each other

2009-08-19T14:48:00.017+05:30

Mushrooms are my latest love, from a culinary perspective of course. It wasn't always like that, though. I hadn't ever tasted mushrooms until a year ago, when we went out for a celebratory dinner in April of last year, and turned adventurous. We visited one of the Taj restaurants for this particular occasion, and the mushroom dish we ordered simply hooked me in instantaneously. After that, I

Tomato-Flavored Crumbled Idlis

2009-08-08T11:33:00.009+05:30

For a couple of years now, changing weather patterns and reducing rainfall in areas that need it the most have led to spiralling cost of basic food items. The negative inflation so loudly touted by our government seems so irrelevant to the citizens because it certainly does not reflect what is going on in their lives at the present time. The composition of the WPI numbers put out weekly is the

A South Indian delight -- Virsa

2009-07-29T16:17:00.020+05:30

North and South Indian cuisines used to be plainly demarcated based on the staples they used. While the northern areas relied on wheat, bajra and jowar among other things, the southern states fed themselves on rice, ragi and coconut because of their location in the peninsular region. A more open economy and improving infrastructure has ensured a blurring of these boundaries and a blending of

A Monsoon Treat -- Rasam Vada

2009-07-25T19:09:00.012+05:30

The monsoons finally arrived ten days ago, albeit a bit late this year. Fears of the city's water supply drying up have now been put to rest. Wetness of the season for once is very welcome and breathing in the mossy smell of the drenched land around is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For once, I do not have the heart to grumble at the unexpected showers that wait just to soak me

Aubergine and Rice, with spice

2009-07-17T17:44:00.013+05:30

I first learnt about different ways of spicing up rice through my mother-in-law. I don't mean that she showed me how to make these dishes since we don't live nearby, but she did once lend me a cookbook during my early marriage years and encouraged me to try out different things, though I hadn't really asked her advice. She's always loved sharing cooking tips and recipes with people around her,

All about rice

2009-07-11T19:01:00.009+05:30

It used to be that the first reactions to a diagnosis of diabetes in a family member would be often to have the patient completely shun all carbohydrates. The patient would then be introduced to whole grain options such as millets (ragi) and raw vegetables in the form of salads. This was perhaps a good way to start previously when diabetes affected the elderly only as they had lower energy

Cumin-Flavored Coconut Chutney

2009-07-08T22:55:00.022+05:30

For a while now grey clouds have flitted across our skies raising the hope of rains, but a month has gone by without the much sought-after downpour. Rains, this year too, have been rather elusive, reminiscent of last year. Changing weather patterns are becoming more and more a reality, it appears.We had a ghostly feline visitor couple of mornings ago. When we opened the front door, she

And so the summer's gone ... Toasting with Mint and Watermelon

2009-06-19T09:51:00.021+05:30

Dark moody clouds now overwhelm the skies, threatening to spill over. Monsoon's actually been delayed for about a month or so on account of cyclonic activities during the summer but no matter, the clouds are here. There's something impending about the atmosphere around this time, making one restless and irritable and prone to headaches. The only relief possible during this time can only be a

Tomato Dosa

2009-06-09T18:22:00.014+05:30

Once upon a time, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous. We need to applaud the one brave person who, knowingly or not, bit into a ripe juicy red tomato and survived the test because without this attempt we'd have deprived ourselves of delicious recipes including soups, sauces and salads, not to say the lycopene content of this vegetable. Tomatoes are so versatile, they can be added to almost

Homegrown Spinach in Coconut Yoghurt Gravy

2009-05-27T12:14:00.006+05:30

Over the past several weeks, in this little town of ours, there's been a developing problem that has now blown out of all proportions -- that of regular and scientific garbage disposal. The problem has become so bad that every few weeks we citizens walk past overflowing public garbage bins that stink and become terrifying precursors to all sorts of epidemics. This is because the city, even

Carrot Lentil Soup

2009-05-15T13:02:00.009+05:30

The carrot is one of those vegetables that often has diabetics worrying whether it is good for them or not. However, the GI of carrots is around 47, considered low, and the glycemic load of a serving of 100 grams I found is around 3 (as per Nutrition Data) which is very low really. Truly I believe, though we are still taking baby steps in learning how different carbohydrates affect us, that

Stewed Ash-gourd

2009-05-12T12:05:00.015+05:30

Summer months are short here, lasting around two months, occasionally three if the monsoon rains are lighter than usual. However, they can be pretty intense, making up for the short duration, with temperatures soaring to 42 degrees during the afternoons. It's hard to spend time in the kitchen during that time, with sweat pouring down your brow. Power shortage doesn't make it any easier. So

Beetroot and Beans

2009-04-30T15:18:00.013+05:30

During the rare occasions when we've had to eat out during our travels to our hometown, I've come across this particular combination quite a few times: that of beetroot and black-eyed beans cooked together in a simple curry. I don't know if this has some sort of traditional significance or is just a tried and tested recipe and cheap to make.But no matter, it is a pretty good combination,

Mint-Flavored Palak Paneer

2009-04-27T15:13:00.017+05:30

I came across this version of palak paneer when eating at a rather classy restaurant couple of years ago at a celebratory dinner. We rather enjoyed the rich taste of it though it did blow a hole in the pocket. And of course I had to try and reproduce the same in my own kitchen. One can never have too many greens on the plate, after all.Preparing the paneer: I use homemade cottage cheese from

Kokum Rasam

2009-04-21T11:44:00.013+05:30

Kokum (Garcinia indica) was only a recent introduction for me. A couple of years ago, I had my first taste of it as a juice at a Corn Club outlet. I don't particularly savor it as a juice, it needs some getting used to as it has a rather tart and sweet taste, with both elements standing apart from each other. I do love to use it as a souring agent when cooking. I've also used the syrup in

Spicy Onion Spread

2009-04-17T11:12:00.012+05:30

Light dinners have become a norm here at home. It is so easy to get used to, and we wake up feeling fresher than we would've if we'd had a full-blown two- or three-course meal complete with dessert for the night.Having said that though, even light fares can become boring after a while and there is this need to experiment and bring out new flavors that will make family members sit up and drool.