Antioxidants? Look in your cereal box!

That’s right-your bowl of cereal may have a lot more nutrition than you knew. A recent study aimed at studying the anti-oxidant content of some of the popular breakfast cereals and whole grain snacks revealed that raisin bran cereals and popcorns contained a large amount of polyphenols.
Polyphenols are chemical substances that act like antioxidants and have been known to protect against health problems like cancer, heart problems and even prevent aging by removing free radicals from the body.
The study which was conducted by Dr. Joe Vinson at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania adds a new dimension to the benefits of whole grains. Whole grains were always known to be beneficial due to its fiber content, but the discovery of polyphenols greatly increases its nutritional value.
The researchers also pointed out that the polyphenol value increased with the addition of polyphenol-rich ingredients such as raisins and cocoa to the breakfast cereals. The study also concluded that among the whole-grain snacks, popcorn topped the list in having the highest amount of polyphenols.
Though this gives us more reason to reach out for whole-grain cereals and snacks, a general word of caution since some of these products can be high in terms of sugar(e.g.: breakfast cereals), fat and salt content (e.g.: popcorns).
A few tips to keep in mind while buying packaged products:
• The best thing to do is to check the labels.
• Choose cereals that have whole grains instead of refined.
• Buy cereals with less or no added sugars (less than 27% sugar) and sweeten your bowl of cereals with fresh/dried fruits (adding fruits will also increase the antioxidant content of the cereal).
• As for fat-choose cereals which have less than 9% fat.
• As far as popcorns are concerned, buying the corn kernels and popping them at home with a little oil and a dash of salt would be a better idea than buying the readymade microwavable sachets.

Ragi manni/pudding (Fingermillet pudding)

 Ragi Manni/pudding (Finger millet pudding)

Ragi (English-Finger millet,Chinese-䅟子,Arabic- Tailabon, German-Fingerhirse, French-coracan) is a popular millet in Southern India and is made into different dishes like porridges, puddings, pancakes,cookies, etc. Nutritionally,it is rich in the amino acid methionine and is among the few grains which contains a considerable amount of calcium.
Ragi is also given to babies as one of first cereals after rice(in fact Nestle India had launched a baby cereal mix with rice and ragi). My grandmother used to make ragi manni during summer, as it is believed in Ayurveda to cool the body.Traditionally it is made by soaking the ragi millet overnight in water,then grinding it to a fine paste and straining it in a cheesecloth.This is then cooked with jaggery and coconut milk,till it reaches a thick pasty consistency.It is then poured into huge plates and set aside to cool. The end product used to be simply amazing-a dark chocolate brown pudding(my gran used to tell me that it was Indian chocolate pudding,so that she could get me to eat it)that simply melted in the mouth.
Sadly,I could not find ragi millet here(not that I would have gone through the whole cumbersome process even if I had),but managed to get the ragi flour at the Indian store to make this instant version. I substituted milk for the coconut milk and the final product still was very tasty though it didn't have the same rich dark brown colour.Also,since it's not strained you can see brown specks of the ragi coat. The ragi manni/pudding can be eaten hot or cold(I love it cold)and had as a porridge for breakfast or served as a dessert or a healthy anytime snack(if you can mange to control the portion size)!
Ingredients:Serves 2

• Ragi flour: 1 cup
• Milk/Coconut milk: 2 cups
• Jaggery: 1 cup scraped OR Sugar: to taste
• Cardamom powder: 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt: a pinch

Method:

1. Mix the ragi flour with the cold milk and make sure there are no lumps.
2. Pour this into a saucepan and add the jaggery/sugar,salt and cardamom powder.
3. Cook on medium heat stirring continuously(take care to see that it doesn't form lumps).
4. When the mixture starts to thicken, reduce the heat and keep stirring till you get a porridge like consistency.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Serve the ragi manni (finger millet pudding) warm or chilled.

Note:

• You can substitute sugar for the jaggery, though it is more nutritious to use jaggery.
• Adding a pinch of salt is supposed to make the dish sweeter (not sure if that's really true).

Question: Do you feel that adding a pinch of salt to a sweet dish makes it sweeter or is it just an old wives tale?

Moong Dosa or Pesarattu(Savoury Mung Crepes) with Green Peas chutney

Moong Dosa (Pesarattu) with Green Peas Chutney

A 'green' breakfast in tune with all the colours of springtime!! This dish is packed with protein and makes a healthy start to your day.
This is an easy version of the pesarattu(as there is no fermenting required).My mom learnt to make this moong dosa from one of our neighbours and as a kid I was not too fond of this 'green' dosa,but of course now it's a totally different story. There are so many things that we hate as kids,but as grown ups we have a totally different take on it.
The peas chutney recipe is from my mother-in-law.I had never heard of(forget tasting) 'peas chutney' until she had made it for breakfast one day. I had to call her up to get this recipe and she was just so thrilled about it.
Moong dosa/Pesarattu (Mung Bean Crepes):
Ingredients:

• Whole Mung: 1 cup (soak in water overnight)
• Green chillies: 1 or 2 nos.
• Ginger:1/2" piece
• Zeera/Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Grind the soaked mung,green chilly, ginger and salt to a fine paste of pancake/dosa consistency(add about a cup of water while grinding)
2. Add the cumin seeds and mix well.
3. Heat a non-stick pan,when it's hot, pour a ladleful of the dosa batter and spread.
4. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove the cover, check if the dosa has cooked.Then,flip the dosa and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove and serve hot with chutney.

Note:It's usually served with freshly chopped onions sprinkled on top as a garnish(I made this for breakfast and since hubby won't dream of eating raw onions and heading to work,I had to omit it).
Green peas chutney:
Ingredients:

• Fresh/frozen green peas: 1 cup
• Green chillies/Serrano: 1/2 or 1 no.
• Salt: to taste
• Mustard seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Zeera/Cumin seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
• Sesame seeds:1/2 teaspoon
• Lime juice:1 teaspoon
• Oil:1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Grind the peas(thaw first if frozen), green chillies and salt to a fine paste. Keep aside in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a pan,add the mustard,cumin and sesame seeds.When the mustard starts to sputter,remove from flame.
3. Pour this tempering on the chutney and mix,then add the lime juice and mix well.
4. Serve with dosa's or use as a spread with sandwiches or wraps.

Question: Is there anything that YOU hated as a kid,but don't seem to hate it anymore?

Quinoa Upma

Quinoa

I had heard so much about "Quinoa" a high protein 'pseudo cereal' (foods that are cooked and eaten like grains and have a similar nutrient profile). It is rich in complete protein, fibre, the B vitamins and healthy monounsaturated fats. It is believed that substituting quinoa for grains like polished rice and wheat could improve the blood glucose levels in diabetics and the cholesterol levels . Also, since it has a high fibre content it is a good choice for those looking to lose weight.
After researching a bit with the different recipes ,I realized that I could try it out in my regular 'mixed veg upma' recipe. Here's how to make quinoa upma:

Ingredients:

• Quinoa: 1 cup
• Mixed vegetables: 2 cups(green beans, peas,corn,carrots)
• Onion-1/2 medium(finely chopped)
• Green chillies-1 or 2(finely chopped)
• Tomatoes: 1(chopped fine)
• Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon
• Urad dal(black matpe bean dehusked and split)-1 teaspoon
• Sambar powder-1 teaspoon(optional)
• Water: 2 cups
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash the quinoa 2-3 times,drain and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a non-stick pan,add the mustard seeds and the urad dal. When the mustard seeds start to sputter,add the sliced onions, salt and saute till the onions turn translucent.
3. Add the mixed vegetables,green chillies and stir for 5-6 minutes. Then,add the tomatoes and sambar powder(optional) and stir till the tomatoes are completely cooked.
4. Add the quinoa and mix well.Stir for about a minute or two,then add two cups of water,cover and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 mins.
5. Serve hot (as such or with some chutney)

How to make Spicy Quinoa Upma

Sweet Mango Dosa

Mango Dosa

It's mango season,and I just had to try something different.I tweaked this traditional Manglorean(a small seaside town in South India that my side of the family is originally from)Sweet Dosa recipe and added mangoes instead of cucumbers.As a kid,I grew up watching my mom and gran starting the next day's breakfast preparations a day in advance.We always woke up smelling the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen. This recipe too is no exception,I had to soak the rice once we were done with breakfast,grind it in the evening and let it ferment overnight,and voila the batter for the next day's breakfast was ready.
Traditionally it's made with either Southekai(Kannada for cucumber) or with watermelon. Otherwise it has all the original ingredients like:Beaten/Flattened Rice: 'Poha' is rice that is dehusked and then flattened into light flakes. Traditionally flattened with iron rods,it used to contain more iron than regular rice.
Jaggery: or 'gur',is a traditional non-refined sugar(made from either cane sugar or from date palm) which is rich in non-heme iron and other mineral salts.
Fenugreek seeds: 'Methi' seeds as it's commonly known in India, is a known galactagogue and recent studies have shown that it has cholesterol and serum glucose lowering properties as well.
Ingredients:

• Rice: 1 cup
• Flattened rice/Poha: 1/2 cup
• Jaggery(scraped): 3/4th cup (or sugar-1/2 cup)
• Yogurt(preferably homemade)-1/2 cup
• Fenugreek/Methi seeds-1/2 teaspoon
• Ripe Mango:1 big or 2 small
• Salt:1/2 teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash the rice and the fenugreek seeds,then soak it in water for at least 6-7 hours.
2. Wash and drain the flattened rice and let it stand for about 10-15 mins.
3. Grind all ingredients(except the mango) till you get a fine batter.Let it ferment for at least 8-9 hours or overnight(works well in warm weather). The batter will double in volume.
4. Make a puree of the mango pulp(when sugar is added to this pulp,it's called 'aamras').If using cucumber instead of mangoes,then grate half (a big) cucumber and mix with the batter.
5. Mix this puree with the batter and pour a ladle of the batter onto a hot non-stick pan and spread.
6. Cover with a lid and cook on medium flame for two or three minutes. Then cook uncovered till the dosa is done.
7. Serve hot(you can serve it with cut mangoes or even with some 'aamras').

Note:

1. If the weather is not warm enough(as was the case when I made it),the batter will not ferment and the dosa will not get tiny little holes on it( the dosa will be flat as seen in the snap).
2. The jaggery tends to add a brownish colour to the dosa(if you add sugar,the dosa will turn out a lovely yellow colour) but the dosas are more nutritious when made with jaggery.
3. Traditionally the dosa is eaten hot with a little ghee spread on top. Since the dosas are sweet, you can eat it as it is.
4. I used the Scarlet Sweet mango for this recipe,you could use any of the sweet mangoes available.