Eat, Pray and live healthy this Diwali

Flooded with sweet boxes on Diwali? Worried on how to deal with those extra sweet boxes? Here are some tips:
Diwali always brings back fond childhood memories of buying new clothes, bursting crackers and the house filled with the yummy aromas of various sweets and savouries being made at home. Preparations for Diwali would start a week or two in advance and the goodies stored in boxes for eating and distributing among friends and families during the festival. The more we gave the more sweets and other goodies that we got back in return. Though this happened just once a year, by the end of the festive season we got to the point of having an overload of sweets.
Read the whole article on Citizen matters: Eat and Live Healthy this Diwali
Published on 25th October 2013

Here's wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Safe Diwali :)

Low calorie Creamy Palak Paneer

Creamy Palak Paneer (low-cal version)

Here's a low-fat version of Creamy Palak Paneer:
Ingredients:

• Palak: 4 big cups or 250 gms
• Tomatoes: 2 big
• Garlic: 4nos.
• Ginger: 1"piece
• Green chilies: 2-3 (or according to taste)
• Paneer: 250gms (cut into cubes)
• Skim milk: 1 1/2 cups
• Whole wheat flour: 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds: 1tsp
• Hing(asafoetida): a pinch
• Bay leaf: 1
• Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp (or 1 tsp curry powder)
• Coriander powder: 2tsp
• Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp
• Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: 3tsp

Method:

1. Puree the tomato along with the garlic and ginger.
2. Bring some water to boil and then blanch the palak leaves for 3-5 minutes. Take out the leaves and puree when cool.
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds, when they start to brown add the hing.
4. Then add the tomato puree, garam masala, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric/curry powder and stir fry till you see the oil separating out.
5. Then add the palak puree and mix well.
6. Cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring in between.Add salt to taste.
7. Mix the wheat flour in the milk and add to the saucepan. Mix well and then cover and cook for about 5mins.
8. Add the paneer pieces and mix. Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes while stirring gently in between.

Serve the creamy palak paneer with phulkas or plain rice and dal.

Note: You can further reduce the fat content of the dish by making your own paneer from low-fat or skimmed milk. Tofu can be used as a substitute for paneer for those who want a vegan recipe and it tastes equally good!