Secrets of Food - Make in India

As far as a typical Indian vegetarian meal is concerned, it consists of the following:
1. Chapati/Roti (Indian bread)
2. Rice
3. Dal/Sambar/Aamti/Varan/Huli (Lentil Soup)
4. Subzi/Bhaaji/Palya (Sauteed vegetables or vegetables cooked in a gravy)
5. Dahi/Chhaas/Tak/Majjige (Yogurt/Buttermilk)
6. Salad

I’m limiting my answer to these items alone (Despite that, you’ll get tired of scrolling down).
Let us now look at what goes into each of the items.

ROTI : It can be made out of a host of cereals. It is one of the most important sources of complex carbohydrates (instant energy). I have mentioned some of them here:

1. Wheat Roti – In most of the Indian households, this is the most common type of roti. In traditional homes, whole grains are purchased, cleaned, ground, sifted and made into dough. Although, in modern households, atta (wheat flour) is bought and directly converted into dough and used. The traditional system is best if one avoided torturing the flour with a sieve. Clearly, you end up feeding your trash-can with roughage. The second option is not something I personally prefer as the flour is extremely fine (it makes me wonder if it is adulterated with maida). A few drops of oil is sometimes used while roasting the rotis.

2. Jowar(Sorghum) Roti/ Jolada Rotti/Bhakri – This is the staple diet of Maharashtra and northern Karnataka (popularly teamed with pithala/zunka). It is excellent for diabetics and also with people suffering from gluten-allergy (not a common Indian disease) as it contains no gluten. Instead of adding room-temperature water, one needs to add hot water while making the dough as it is devoid of the sticky protein called gluten (as mentioned above).

3. Ragi (Finger millet) Roti – I couldn’t emphasize more on the health benefits of this “Wonder Millet”. I remember my grandmother feeding me with ragi porridge in my formative years (I can proudly say “I’m a ragi girl!” or “Ragi is the secret of my energy!” instead of Complan/Horlicks/Boost although I’ve also enjoyed the latter). I used to be allergic to milk and milk products as a kid (Unlike other kids,I used to love drinking milk but unfortunately couldn’t do so due to the allergy) and I needed calcium for bone development. My source? Ragi, of course! It is an excellent source of absorbable calcium. To this day, I’m glued to this millet but the reason is different. Ragi is high in fiber so it takes enormous time to digest, leaving me feeling “full” for a longer time and curbing my tendency to over-indulge in food. There are a million other benefits but I shall discuss that elsewhere.

4. Bajra (Pearl Millet) Roti – Steaming bajra roti sprayed judiciously with clarified butter is not just gastronomically orgasmic (especially eaten with bharli vangi/vangyachi bhaaji) but also very healthy. It is a rich source of iron and B-complex and is also gluten-free. Hence, excellent for diabetics as well.

5. Makki (Corn) ki Roti – Generally eaten with sarson ka saag, this could easily top the list of favorites of any Punjabi. Low in fat, gluten-free and reasonably rich in carotene, it makes a healthy option for a roti.

6. Missi Roti – Missi roti’s aata is a goulash of wheat and chickpea flour. The mixture is boosted with certain spices such as cumin seeds, carom seeds, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, etc. The chickpea flour (besan, in Indian households) fortifies the mix with its high protein content.

7. Poori/ Naan/ Kulcha/ Lachha Paratha/ Bhatoora – Eat at your own risk. Unless you don’t wish to see your feet while you stand or wish to look like Santa, you wouldn’t choose this. They are extremely tasty but extremely fattening as they are either deep fried (in case of poori and bhatoora) or made of maida. It is OK to indulge in them once in a blue moon but this cannot be your lunch/dinner on an everyday basis. If you are judging the nutritive value of “Indian Cuisine” keeping these items in mind, you are sure to get disappointed.

RICE : Staple food of South and East Indians. Polished, white rice obviously is not a healthy option. Hand-pounded rice (brown rice), kerala matta rice, brown basmati rice are healthier options. Rice is a great source of complex carbs and provide the basic amino acids. They are also a good source of B1, B2, B3, iron, magnesium and dietary fiber.

DAL/ VARAN : Any lentil is boiled and generally tempered with the following:

• Mustard seeds (rich source of selenium- important to keep your skin glowing and healthy) 

• Cumin seeds (Aids indigestion, decongestion of respiratory tract. Also, high in antioxidant content- will help you stay younger)

• Asafoetida (anti-flatulent, aids in digestion and also works as a contraceptive!) 

• Curry Leaves (excellent for improving eyesight, hairgrowth and preventing greying of hair)

• Fenugreek seeds (to cure erectile dysfunction, promote milk-flow in breast-feeding mothers apart from curing mouth ulcers and boils) 

• Green chillies (rich source of vitamin C) etc.

In SAMBAR/ AAMTI,

• Tomatoes (excellent anti-oxidants)

• Garlic (cures acne, controls weight, prevents cold, among others) 

• Onions (regulates blood sugar, stomach ulcers)

• Turmeric (anticeptic, prevents cancer)

and a host of veggies that bring in their own benefits and flavors are also added.
For a vegetarian, this is the source of proteins (Other sources of proteins include chana, green gram, cowpeas, peas, rajma, soya, black gram, masoor, rice, nuts, dairy, etc. Did you say there is no protein in Indian diet?) . The spices are important due to their various properties. They provide immunity to a lot of diseases.

SUBZI : If the vegetables are left in semi-cooked state or steamed and then lightly tempered, there shouldn’t be any reason to complain as the nutrients are more or less intact. One must only worry if they have been deep fried or floating in oily, spicy gravy.

DAHI : Every time I watch Yakult’s ad on TV, I want to laugh. Two reasons:

• Lactobacillus casei – the main ingredient of Yakult is already present in our mouth and intestine. Why should I buy a bottle of bacteria which is anyway manufactured by my body?
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• The other reason being I consume dahi! The bacteria in dahi is known to promote the growth of good bacteria which improve digestion and metabolism. They also help in the absorption of other nutrients from food. There are numerous other benefits but I shall refrain from listing those.

SALAD : Raw onions, cabbage, radish, carrots, beetroots, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. are commonly consumed as salad in lunch and dinner in India. So, one doesn’t really miss out on the daily dose of vitamins, minerals and roughage.

What I haven’t spoken about are the innumerable benefits of different Indian fruits, vegetables, masalas (garam masala, sambar masala, chhole masala, etc.), various other lesser-known grains and I’ve entirely skipped benefits of “meat” (I don’t eat meat and have very limited knowledge of it).Excess of carbs you said – who is asking you to pile yourself with rotis and rice? And what are pasta/bread? Carbs with different shape, taste, color and name!

The sheer variety in the ingredients and the preparation styles not just makes Indian cuisine most varied and delicious but also very nutritious (if you bring your grey cells to kitchen while cooking rather than leaving them on the couch or bed). Simple precautions (due to difference in lifestyles and environments) while choosing the ingredients and the method of cooking them will go a long way in keeping you fit as a fiddle. At the end of the day, cooking is an art so you need to put your mind, heart and soul into it. Happy cooking and happy eating!!

Author:- Abha Avinash Kulkarni..