Tag Archives: healthy recipes for kids

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Healthy Indian Mixed vegetable Koftas

Healthy Mixed Vegetable Koftas (made in appe pan)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online,Recipes- Side Dish Tags : 

Here’s a healthy take on the delicious Koftas-presenting the Healthy Mixed Vegetable Kofta brimming with nutritious vegetables and not deep fried.

Wondering how to make Healthy Mixed Vegetable Koftas? These are a little more time consuming as they are made in an appe pan.  What you will need is a special ‘appe pan’ which has 5-7 or more round holes. The batter is poured into these holes and the resulting appe is almost round like a ball. Check out the Healthy Appe recipe if you are interested in making Mixed Vegetable appe (using dosa batter).

Healthy Mixed Vegetable Koftas made in Appe pan

Ingredients for making Healthy Mixed Vegetable Koftas:

  • For the koftas-
  • Finely chopped and blanched mixed vegetables ( French beans, carrots, peas) – 2 cups
  • Cauliflower boiled, peeled and mashed – 2 no medium
  • Besan- 1 tbsp
  • Paneer – Grated 1 cup
  • Psyllium husk: to coat
  • Green chilies, finely chopped – 2-3 no
  • Finely chopped ginger – 1 tbsp
  • Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt – to taste
  • Oil – 1 tbsp
  • For the gravy-
  • Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Butter – 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
  • Green cardamoms – 5-6 no
  • Black peppercorns – 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • Bottle gourd, cut into cubes and boiled – 100 grams
  • Red chili powder – 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Fresh coriander leaves roughly chopped – 1/2 cup
  • Mint leaves roughly chopped – 1/2 cup
  • Tomato purée – 1/2 cup
  • Fresh cream – 1/2 cup (optional)
  • Salt: to taste

Method:-

  1. To make the gravy, heat oil in a kadai. Add cinnamon, green cardamoms, black peppercorns, cumin seeds and saute for a minute on a low flame.
  2. Add bottle gourd, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and mix well.
  3. Add bhuna masala and mix well. Add roughly mint leaves and mix. Switch off.
  4. When cool transfer the mixture into a blender and grind into a puree using very little water.
  5. Transfer the gravy into a bowl and keep aside.
  6. To make the koftas, mix together mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, paneer, besan, green chilies, ginger, red chili powder, salt and mix well.
  7. Coat with psyllium husk.
  8. Heat an appe pan, add a drop of oil into each . Make equal size balls of the mixture and place into each groove. Cover and let it fry for 1-2 minutes, then turn with a toothpick/fork and cook it on all sides. Once all the koftas are cooked, keep aside.
  9. Heat a little butter/ghee in a kadai. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add fresh cream (optional)and mix well. Allow the gravy to come to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Transfer the gravy into a serving dish, add the koftas, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice/ roti.

More recipes with the appe pan:

Healthy Mixed vegetable Appe


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Sukha Bhel (Gluten-free vegan snack)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online Tags : 

Healthy (and Tasty) Snack-Sukha Bhel

It’s 5pm and i feel like having something ‘chatpata’. Hmmm,so what is quick,tasty and chatpata-Sukha bhel!!
If you are wondering why I’ve added “and tasty” in the title,it’s because my husband strongly feels that if I just put it as ‘Healthy Snack’ nobody will want to try it as everyone assumes that anything healthy is not tasty. Not true. You don’t have to pour oodles of ghee/oil/butter to make something tasty. Try out this simple and easy snack,and you’ll know!!
Sukha Bhel-Tossed puffed rice salad (Serves 2)
Ingredients:

  • Puffed rice-2 cups
  • Tomato-1 chopped
  • Onion-1 small (finely chopped)
  • Carrot-1/2 (Grated)
  • Cucumber-1/2(finely chopped)
  • Coriander(cilantro) leaves-a handful,finely chopped
  • Green Chilly-1 finely chopped or 1tsp red chilly powder
  • Chaat masala-1/2 teaspoon
  • Raw mango(optional)-1/2(finely chopped)
  • Salt-to taste

Method:

  1. Put all the ingredients into a big bowl.
  2. Toss well and serve immediately.

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Kimchi Uttapam (Indo-Korean Fusion dish-Kimchi Pancakes with a twist)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online Tags : 

We are familiar with Indo-Chinese dishes (Chinese dishes made with Indian flavours), well this is my attempt at making an Indo-Korean dish 🙂

If you’re a regular follower of this website-you would also by now know that I try to add my own healthy twist to dishes, so that my family and clients can get the best of both worlds!

So here is the favourite Korean dish called Kimchi pancake with an Indian and healthy twist. The original recipe calls for ‘all purpose flour/maida’, kimchi, onions, salt and sugar. To make it healthier-I substituted the maida with rava(semolina/farina) , rice flour(to make it crisp) and a little besan(to bind it). For those who are not familiar with Korean cuisine, kimchi is a staple and a must have accompaniment of meals. It’s basically a fermented dish with different vegetables and spices. The most popular is the made with napa cabbage. Buying kimchi would probably be frowned upon in Korean families. They make their own kimchi and each family is supposed to have their own recipe handed down from generation to generation. Some families have an entire fridge stocked with just different varieties of kimchi and nothing else-that should give you some inkling as to the importance of kimchi in Korean cuisine. Kimchi is not just eaten as a side with meals, but there are various dishes made with it like Kimchi Fried Rice, Kimchi stew, Kimchi dumplings, Kimchi wraps and so on.

Kimchi being a fermented food has loads of health benefits. To read more about the benefits of fermented foods read my article: Benefits of Fermented foods

Coming back to the recipe, since I have not been handed down the kimchi recipe, I did the next best thing- I bought it in bulk at Costco! If you have a Korean neighbour or friend do try and get a foolproof recipe (also try and get an invite to watch them make it). Or else try out your favourite Korean restaurant and see if you can buy their in-house kimchi. Here’s my Indo-Korean Kimchi Pancake recipe:

Indo-Korean fusion Kimchi Uttapam

Ingredients for Kimchi Uttapam:

  • Rava/semolina/Farina: 1 cup
  • Rice flour: 1/2 cup
  • Besan/chickpea flour: 2 tbsp
  • Kimchi: 1- 1.5 cups (chopped fine)
  • Kimchi juice(water from the kimchi): 3 tbsp
  • Onion: 1/2 medium(finely diced)
  • Salt:to taste
  • Oil/ghee: to cook
  • Coriander(optional): 3 tbsp (chopped)
  • Carrot (optional): 1 small (grated)
  • Red chili flakes(optional): 2-3 tsp
  • Curd/yogurt(optional): 2 tbsp

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together (the optional items are not added in traditional kimchi pancakes, so it’s upto you) with some water to get a thick consistency batter. It shouldn’t be a flowing consistency. Check for salt.
  2. Heat an cast iron tava/dosa tava on medium high heat. Add some oil and spread it with a cut onion( a trick my grandmom used to do to make the tava non-stick).
  3. When it is hot(sprinkle some water on the pan, and it should sizzle), take a ladleful of of the batter and spread evenly onto the tava.
  4. Cover and cook for a few minutes, add some oil to around the edges.
  5. When you see the edges browning, flip over and let it cook on the other side on medium heat for another minute. Flip over once more and let it cook for another 30 seconds.
  6. Serve hot as is. You don’t need any chutney with this as the uttapam itself is very flavourful-tangy(from the kimchi) and spicy.
  7. You can end the meal with some yummy Korean Cinnamon Tea.

Next experiment will be:

  • to make it gluten free (no rava/semolina)
  • to increase the fermented benefits by using fermented dosa batter.
  • to try out a low-carb version

So stay tuned for these recipes. To read more about the benefits of fermented foods read my article: Benefits of Fermented foods

Do try: Korean Cinnamon Tea

Sweta Uchil-Purohit

Indian Dietitian Online

 

 


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The BRAT Diet for kids(for Diarrhea and various Stomach issues)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online,Nutrition Articles Tags : 

The BRAT Diet is basically a short term diet which is bland and easy to digest food used for those who have nausea, vomiting, loose stools (diarrhea) or gastrointestinal infection/stomach upsets.  The BRAT is an acronym which stands for:

  • Bananas
  • Rice
  • Applesauce
  • Toast

The BRAT diet is recommended especially for children when they are recovering from a bout of illness and ready to start on solid foods. Once they tolerate these foods you can slowly introduce regular food as and when tolerated.  The BRAT diet is not something that is recommended to be eaten for a long time as it is nutritionally not balanced.

A few more foods that can be added to the BRAT diet (which makes it BRATTY)

  • light Tea is also known to help and
  • natural Yogurt, to heal the gut bacteria

Note: This diet is to be introduced after the patient is tolerating liquids well and is ready to start eating and should not be used for more than a day .

 


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Benefits of Fermented foods (Fluffy Idli Recipe)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online Tags : 

Naturally fermented foods may help strengthen your gut microbiome which are basically the beneficial bacteria and microorganisms that live in your digestive tract. Gut microbes are now believed to be key to many aspects of human health including obesity, immune, metabolic and neuro-behavioural traits. Reseraches believe that fermented and probiotic foods are seen to improve immunity, aid in better digestion, prevention of allergies and also treating diarrhea.

One such naturally fermented food that is commonly made in most South Indian homes regularly are idlis and dosas. Who knew eating the humble idli (in moderation) could actually benefit your health?

Besides idli/dosa batter here are some of the other Indian foods that are fermented:

  • Curds/dahi/yogurt– a part of of a traditional meal in most Indian families, this contains live cultures.
  • Pickles
  • Gajar/Beetroot Kanji (North India): a drink made with fermented carrots/beetroot
  • Traditional Dhoklas (Gujrat) that are fermented and not instant
  • Traditional Handvo (Gujrat)-where the batter is let to ferment overnight
  • Fermented rice– called panta or poita bath(Assam, West Bengal,Tripura),  pazhaiya choru(Kerala), pazhaya saadam (Tamil Nadu) is basically the extra cooked rice soaked in water overnight during which it ferments, and is eaten in the morning with buttermilk and garnish of onions, green chilies etc.
  • Gundruk (Himalyan areas, Darjeeling, Sikkim): Fermented greens
  • Sinki (Himalyan areas, Uttarkhand, Sikkim): Fermented radish
  • Iromba( Manipur):  A dish made with fermented fish

Besides these there are many drinks/dishes that incorporate curds/buttermilk like kadhi, Rajasthani rabdi, Ragi ambli (Karnataka) and yeast fermented products like traditional naan and parottas.

Coming back to the humble idli,  what exactly happens when you ferment the idli batter?How does it become more nutritious?

During the fermentation process the carbohydrates get converted into simpler sugars that are easier to digest. This is one of main reasons that it is given to babies and those who are sick. It also increases the bioavailablity of many vitamins and minerals  such as iron, potassium and calcium and also increases the vitamin B content. It was seen that after 12 hours of fermentation of 100 grams of rice, the availability of iron changed from 3.4 mg to 73.91mg .

Unlike other fermented foods which still have the live cultures, the steaming process will kill the live cultures but it still makes the idli more nutritious than plain rice and dal.

Try making your own batter instead of buying store made ones. It’s easy, just follow this recipe:

Ingredients for Idli:

  • Idli (Par boiled) rice: 2 cups
  • Urad dal (skinless) : 1/2 cup 
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp 
  • Beaten rice (poha) – 1/3 cup
  • Salt : to taste

Method:

  1. Wash and soak  the urad dal (without skin), idli rice and fenugreek seeds in water for 6-7 hours. Soak poha for 1/2 hour before grinding.
  2. Grind the urad dal with enough cold water to make a smooth, fluffy paste. Keep aside.
  3. Grind the idli rice along with the poha with enough water till you get a smooth paste.
  4. Now mix the rice batter with the urad dal batter. Add salt (if the weather is cold, avoid adding salt if the weather is hot) and mix it well to aerate the batter with enough air to aid in fermentation.
  5. Let it ferment overnight (if it’s cold, you can keep it inside the oven with the light of the oven switched on).
  6. In the morning, mix the fermented batter well and grease the idli moulds.
  7. Boil water in a steamer, once water starts boiling,  pour the batter into the greased moulds.
  8. Steam for 10-12 minutes or until it is cooked.
  9. Serve with sambar and chutney.

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Crispy Chicken Cutlets-Indian Style (Low Carb, High Protein Recipe, Gluten free)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online Tags : 

Here’s a High Protein, Low-carb recipe of Chicken cutlets with no potatoes. To make it crispy and still keep it low-carb, I have used Psyllium husk to coat the cutlets before frying.

Now psyllium husk is a commonly known as Isabgol in India. It has been used for ages to treat constipation. It is now becoming popular as a low carb addition to foods.

Ingredients for Crispy Chicken Cutlets:

  • Chicken mince: 400gms
  • Onions: 1 medium (finely diced)
  • Green chilies: 2 (finely chopped)
  • Coriander leaves: 5 tbsp (finely chopped)
  • Mint leaves: 8-10(finely chopped)
  • Ginger+Garlic Paste: 1.5 tsp
  • Mashed cauliflower: 1/2 cup
  • Roasted gram flour(Besan): 2-3  tbsp
  • Melted butter/ghee: 1 tbsp
  • Psyllium husk(Isabgol): 1/2-1  cup for coating
  • Salt: to taste
  • Oil: for pan frying

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together well and keep it in the fridge for 1/2-1hr.
  2. Heat a little oil in a pan, make a ball of the mixture, then flatten it into a patti shape.
  3. Roll it in the psyllium husk and place in the pan one by one.
  4. Turn them over and let them cook till the outside becomes golden brown in colour.
  5. Take them out and serve hot with coriander chutney.

Note: 

These can also be frozen after frying and can be used later as such or as a filling inside wraps/ sandwiches/burgers.

 

 

 

 

 


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Appe with Mixed vegetables(Paddu/ Guliyappa/ Paniyaram/Gundponglu)

Category:Indian Dietitian Online Tags : 

Appe is a common breakfast dish in Mangalore. It’s also popular in the other Southern states and is called Paadu/Guliyappa in Karnataka, Paniyaram in Tamil Nadu, Gundponglu in AP and Telengana. And called ‘dosa in a ball’ by my daughter!

It’s made with the dosa batter in a special ‘appe pan’ which has 5-7 or more round holes. The batter is poured into these holes and the resulting appe is almost round like a ball.

Appe, Paddu, Paniyaram pan

Here’s a healthier version of the recipe in which I have added sauteed mixed veggies into the batter to make it more nutritious and can be packed and taken for lunch :

Ingredients for the Batter:
  • Idly Rice: 3/4 cup
  •  Raw Rice: 1/4 cup
  • Urad Dal: 1/2 cup
  • Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp

Other Ingredients: 

  • Carrots: 1 medium (finely diced)
  • Green Beans: 1/2 cup
  • Peas: 1/2 cup
  • Green Chilli: 1 finely chopped (optional)
  • Curry leaves: 10-15 nos., finely chopped
  • Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
  •  Salt: to taste
  • Coriander leaves: 3 tbsp, finely chopped
  • Oil/ghee/butter
Method:
  1. Wash the idly rice, raw rice, fenugreek seeds and whole urad dal then soak for 6-8 hours.
  2. Grind the soaked mixture with enough water to get a smooth batter.
  3. Transfer the ground batter to a clean vessel and cover it and let it ferment in a warm place overnight.
  4. Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves, onions green chili(optional) .
  5. Saute till the onions are soft. Add the chopped veggies and the coriander leaves and sautee till the veggies are cooked. Add the salt. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
  6. Add this mixture when cool to the batter and mix well.
  7. Heat the appe pan till its really hot(test by sprinkling water-it should sizzle). Add a little oil/ butter/ ghee into each mold. Drop the batter to fill the mold. Cover and cook for a minute. Then turn and cook on the other side till its golden in colour.
  8. The appe should be crispy and golden on both sides.
  9. Serve hot with chutney.

 

 

 

 


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Egg Fried Rice

Category:Indian Dietitian Online Tags : 

Egg Fried Rice is a quick and easy rice dish which is best made with leftover cold rice.  It is a basic yet simple dish for those who want to try their hand at Chinese cooking. You can add some diced vegetables like carrots, peas and bell peppers if you want.

Ingredients for Egg Fried Rice:

  • Eggs (preferably Free-range): 4
  • Cooked rice : 4 (cups cooled)
  • Carrots, peas: 1/2 cup diced (optional)
  • Red onion: 1 medium (finely diced)
  • Ginger: 1 tsp diced
  • Garlic: 1 tsp diced
  • Coriander (stem): 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
  • Light Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
  • Spring onions: ⅔ cup (finely sliced)
  • Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp for garnish
  • Salt: to taste
  • Sesame oil: ¼ tsp
  • Oil: 4 tbsp

Method:

1. Break eggs into a bowl and beat lightly. Heat half the oil in a kadai/wok . Pour the beaten eggs into the kadai and leave to cook for 10 seconds before lightly scrambling until almost cooked through. Keep aside.

2. Heat remaining oil in the same kadai and stir fry onion, ginger, garlic, and coriander  stems along with the diced  vegetables(optional) for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are almost cooked.

3. Add rice to the kadai with spring onions, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and the cooked egg and stir fry for 3 minutes or until well combined and rice is heated through. Break up the egg  into smaller pieces if needed while cooking. Transfer rice to a bowl and serve garnished with coriander.

If you like it spicy, then you can serve it with a side of red chili in soy sauce ( finely slice fresh/dried red chilies with three tablespoons light soy).


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Broccoli Paratha

Category:Indian Dietitian Online,Online Dietician India Tags : 

Broccoli belongs to the same cruciferous family like cabbage,kale, cauliflower,collards and Brussels sprouts. It is a low calorie vegetable and is loaded with fibre, vitamins A, C folic acid and is also known for it’s anti-inflammatory properties. It must be noted that eating raw broccoli has actually more benefits than eating these in the cooked form as some of the antioxidants and vitamin C are destroyed by heat.

Ingredients for Broccoli Paratha:

For the stuffing:

  • Broccoli, grated: 2 cups
  • Ginger: 1″ piece grated
  • Garlic(optional): 4 cloves grated
  • Green chilies(optional): 1-2 finely chopped (adjust to individual heat tolerance)
  • Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp (adjust according to individual heat tolerance)
  • Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
  • Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Amchur powder: 1-2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds/Jeera : 1 tsp
  • Salt: to taste
  • Oil: 3 tsp

Ingredients for the dough:

  • Whole Wheat flour: 2 cups
  • Salt: 1/4 tsp
  • Oil: 2tsp
  • Water: as needed to make a soft dough

Method:

  1. In a deep bowl put the ingredients for the dough and knead adding the water a little at a time. Once you have a soft dough, keep aside for at least 30mins. Knead once again and keep it aside.
  2. For the stuffing, heat a kadai, add the oil, when it is hot enough add the cumin seeds then the turmeric.
  3. Add the grated broccoli, ginger+garlic and the rest of the spices,salt and saute till the broccoli starts to wilt.
  4. Let it cool. Portion it out into equal sized balls.
  5. Roll out a small ball of the dough, place an equal quantity of the stuffing in the center.
  6. Fold the sides of the dough so as to cover the stuffing completely.
  7. Flatten it from the middle, roll in some flour and roll out.
  8. Heat a tawa, place the rolled paratha and let it partially cook on one side.
  9. Flip it, spread a couple of drops of oil on the cooked side and flip and do the same on the other side.
  10. Serve hot with pickle or yogurt.

 

 


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Healthy snack ideas for kids

Category:Indian Dietitian Online,Online Dietician India Tags : 

Kids are picky eaters and not eating enough at meal times is a common complaint. That’s why snacks play an important role in providing the extra nutrition that they tend to miss out. Most parents tend to focus more on providing a nutritious meal and overlook the importance of giving healthy snacks. Chips, cookies, cheese puffs, cupcakes are convenient snacks but not the healthiest choices. Here are some healthy snack ideas for kids:

  • Sandwiches (with 100% whole wheat breads)-you can use cheese, tofu, nut/peanut butter, guacamole, paneer, egg, vegetables or even fruit and cream cheese as the filling.
  • Seasonal fresh fruits-cut them up in fun shapes/ sizes(use a melon scooper/cookie cutter), mix them in low-fat yogurt, make smoothies or plain fruit salads.Fruit and cheese kebabs are also a fancy way of serving fruits that kids will love.
  • Fresh vegetables: cut them into strips and serve with dips like guacamole, hummus, peanut/almond butter.
  • Boiled/Grilled corn: makes a tasty snack when served hot.
  • Smoothie popsicles: You can pour their favourite smoothie into popsicle moulds and give that as a treat on a hot day.
  • Baked fries: cut up some carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beetroot into sticks or wedges. Toss them in a little oil, salt and seasoning and bake them to make a tasty snack. Here’s the recipe for Baked Sweet Potato Fries
  • Steamed snacks: like idli’s/vegetable stuffed idlis, dhoklas, khandvi’s can be cut/decorated into fun shapes.
  • Mini- rolls/burritos: whole wheat chapathis/rotis can be used to make rolls with egg/paneer/tofu burji(scrambled), rajma/ channa, mung(pulses/lentils) curry/usal or cheese spread.
  • Tikkis/cutlets can be made with paneer/chicken/egg/lentils, mixed vegetables, and shallow fried or baked . These can also be served inside a pita bread or sandwich.
  • Mini/triangle/cone dosas/uttapams: these fun size/baby dosas can be more interesting for kids than the regular adult size ones. Serve them with chutney/ketchup/peanut butter (you can even draw a smiley face on the dosa with it)!
  •  Nuts and dry-fruits: older children can be given a handful of mixed nuts and dry fruits.

These snacks can be served with either a glass of milk/almond milk or some lassi/buttermilk.
Make sure to serve these snacks at least two hours before meal times, otherwise they may not be hungry enough for it.