Kitchen-Kollections

Diabetes…it has become a common enemy of humans. The major reason why so many people are getting affected by this disease are today’s sedentery habits and culture, and of course Hereditary phenomen. Diabetes requires strict and stringent rules with regards to lifestyle and eating habits.

I can imagine how hard it is to control when you really want to eat tasty mouthwatering sweets. I have seen my mother go through it and it makes me feel very sad. From now on, I am going to add some diabetes friendly recipes on my website.

Some of the vegetables, fruits and seeds which are good for diabetic patiens are -

• Indian gooseberry
• bittergourd
• tomatoes
• lettuce
• Spinach or palak
• Gongura
• Totakura aaku
• Carrots
• Ladyfinger
• Bottlegourd
• Snakegourd
• Brinjal
• onions
• garlic
• Bengal gram,
• Peanuts
• Soyabean or soya chunks or soya granules
• greengram, (all soaked, or sprouted – not fried)
• Plenty of fruit (they contain simple sugar like fructose), esp. grapefruit, jambul fruit.
• Methi (fenugreek seeds) or menthulu in telugu
• Turmeric powder
• Ginger powder or sonthi podi
• Jamun powder

Those to be avoided: Saturated and polysaturated fats Roots and tubers (potato, sweet potato) rich in carbohydrates Sweet foods, pickles, desserts, chocolates, biscuits, etc. Sucrose containing foods (which requires higher levels of insulin for metabolism).

Ingredients

2 cups poha or atukulu or beaten flakes
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup putnalu pappu or roasted gram dal
curry leaves
Red chilli powder
A pinch turmeric powder
Red chillies
Salt to taste

Method

Take a pan and add 1/2 tsp of oil. Add half tsp of mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add curry leaves, peanuts, roasted gram dal and Red chillies and fry them for a while. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. In the end, add atukulu and mix well. After 5 minutes, turned off the stove and let it cool. Transfer or store it in a container. Its a perfect snack for lazzzzy afternoons. Best part is that it never ends!!! Enjoy

Dhaniya Pudina or Coriander Mint Chutney or spread
Ingredients

1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch coriander leaves
half cup curry leaves
lemon sized tamarind, soaked in water
1 clove garlic
1 inch garlic
2 tbsp groundnuts
2 inch piece of coconut

Tadka or Popu

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
3/4 tsp jeera
3-4 pinches of asefotida
3 dried red chillies
3 green chillies
2-3 menthulu
5 tsp of oil
salt to taste

Method

Pour some oil in a pan and, fry ginger, garlic, curry leaves. Fry until the leaves turn crisp. Remove and keep aside

In the same oil, fry mint leaves. once they are cooked properly or become soft  remove them and keep aside. In the same manner fry coriander leaves and keep them aside. In the remaining oil and add all ingredients for tadka and fry for a while.

Now the grinding part. In the grinder, add the fried leaves, ginger, garlic, coconut pieces, groundnuts, soaked tamarind and tadka and grind well. Add little water so that paste like consistency is reached. Add salt to taste and your chutney is ready. This chutney is an excellent appetizer and is often used as spreads for making tasty sandwiches.

Note: This chutney will stay good for 2 days if stored in a refrigerator.

Coriander Powder

Ingredients

1/2 cup (Red Dried Chillies)
1 Tbsp. Oil
3 Tbsp. Coriander seeds
1 Tbsp. Tamarind (seedless)
Salt to taste
5  Garlic pods
1 Tbsp. Cumin seeds

Method

Take a pan and add oil and chillies. Stir the chillies until they are fried. Then add whole coriander seeds and fry them for a while.Add tamarind and salt with all the above ingredients and blend them. Add small pieces of garlic pods and cumin seeds to the above mixure and blend them again. Dhaniya powder is ready! You can transfer the powder into a tight container. This powder tastes very well with hot hot idlis.

Sweet and sour Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

Tomato – 2 cups
Tamarind – 250gms
Red Chillies – 3
Fenugreek seeds – 3
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 200gms
red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – pinch
Jaggery – 1/2 tsp

Method

Take a pan and pour some oil. Add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, red chillies and fry for a while. Add the cut tomatoes and cook for a while. Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well. Add the tamaring juice and jaggery, cook for while and turn off the stove. Let it cool off and then grind it into a smooth paste. This chutney goes well with rice.

Its one of those delicious snacks that you will find in almost every delhi college canteens Its a must have item in canteens..students actually survive on good old bread pakodas. There are quite number of variations – paneer stuffed bread pakoda, potato stuffed bread pakoda! both are so tasty that one might end up eating many.

I made simple bread pakora with no stuffing. It tasted real good! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

8 Bread Slices cut diagonly half
1 cup gram flour
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds or jeera
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
a pinch turmeric powder

Method