Turn those holiday dinner leftovers into a palate-pleasing curry

As the holidays come to an end, everyone’s scrambling to get back to everyday life. And as another year passes and New Year’s resolutions from the previous year have been unfulfilled, maybe it’s time to make a new resolution that is actually practical! This resolution involves being less wasteful. If your family is anything like mine, over cooking food for the holidays happens every year. But I stumbled across an article that proves you can turn your holiday leftovers into your favorite curry dish! Below are some directions on how to accordingly do so, fulfilling your resolution of being less wasteful with food and enjoying a delicious twist on Indian cuisine!

Fresh Brussels sprouts add a lovely crunch, greenery and freshness to this dish, but you also can use your cooked leftover sprouts. Just chop them into quarters so they don’t turn into mush.

Start to finish: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

» 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

» 6 whole cloves

» 1 large white onion, sliced into rings

» 4 cloves garlic, minced

» 1-inch chunk fresh ginger, grated

» 14½-ounce can chopped tomatoes

» ½ teaspoon garam masala

» ½ teaspoon cinnamon

» ½teaspoon ground black pepper

» ½ teaspoon chili powder

» 2 cups roughly chopped leftover roasted turkey

» 1 cup fresh Brussels sprouts, finely shredded

» Kosher salt

» Cooked rice, to serve

» Plain Greek yogurt, to serve

In a large skillet over medium, heat the oil until hot. Add the cloves and onion, then cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned golden brown and are caramelized. Don’t be afraid to give them some time; their sweetness will pay back in this dish.

Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes, then mix in the chopped tomatoes and ½ cup of water. Cover the skillet and leave to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it has become a rich, thick sauce. Stir in the garam masala, cinnamon, black pepper and chili powder. Add the turkey pieces and the shredded Brussels sprouts, then stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. The sprouts should still be fresh and green, but slightly wilted.

If the mixture is too dry, stir in another ¼ to ½ cup of water. Season with salt. Serve hot with rice and a little yogurt on the side.

Nutrition information per serving: 350 calories; 130 calories from fat (37 percent of total calories); 15 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 860 mg sodium; 37 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 19 g protein.

 

You can read the full article by Meera Sodha here.

Eating Spicy Food Could Help You Live Longer

Every once in a while I’ll come across a study that forces me to ponder who would sign up for that.  Now I don’t necessarily know how the breakdown went to those who agreed, but I sincerely hope it was a bit lighter than anything I can think of.

Long story short, there was a study in China of almost half a million people with a seven year follow up period to see if eating capsaicin regularly had any effect on their risk of dying early.  Personally signing up for something so they can see if I die within a certain time frame would freak me out to the point of not making it out of the room, but as that half million suggests, I may be alone on that.

But as the results found, I may be in a better position than I thought.  Of the near 500,000, those who ate spicy food at least once per week were 10 percent less likely to die over the course of the study.  The volunteers took a variety of tests and questionnaires that related to their health, family health, diet, exercise, income, and tobacco and alcohol use, as well as any other factors.  These figures were then taken into account in how they’d affect one’s lifespan and then they compared how likely people who ate spice food at least once per week were to die, than those who didn’t.

As it turned out, they were 10 percent less likely to do so.  Those who consumed it more than two days a week or more were 14 percent, but the difference between eating spicy food once as apposed to twice a week or more was often too small and may have been down to chance.  Having said that, those who ate food containing fresh chili pepper seemed to fair better than those had it dry.  Furthermore, those who ate chilies were less likely to die from things such as cancer, heart disease or lung diseases.  The amount didn’t make much difference when dealing with stroke, diabetes ore infections.

All in all though, chilies and death showed “significant inverse associations”, and with the size of the study, it’s unlikely the results were catered to them by chance alone.

For a continued reading on this matter, click here for NHS’s article in its entirety.

 

Healthy Food: Saffron

Saffron, called Kesar in most Indian homes, comes from the Crocus sativus’ flower and is used primarily for coloring or aroma reasons in the cooking process.  As often as it’s used, few are aware of it’s plethora of health benefits, so here are just a few reasons why it’s worth it’s cost.

First off, it helps combat depression.

A study has shown that it can be used safe and effectively as an antidepressant.  About 30 mg of saffron extract taken for six weeks can help ease the symptoms.

Second, it aids your memory.

This is due to the crocetin and crocin that it contains, both of which help with improving memory and your brain’s processing and used to treat degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s.

Third, it can help with your Asthma.

Saffron does a great job of cleansing your airways, so your lungs are likely to become less inflamed as it clears them up.

Fourth, it can promote your heart health.

This is caused by the loads of antioxidants that it contains, including lycopene and crocetin, that strengthen your circulatory system.

Fifth, it can help you fight cancer.

Even though the exact action of saffron is unknown, it has shown to be able to help the prevention of a tumor’s spread, without affecting healthy cells.  It can safely be used alongside conventional cancer treatments as well.

Finally, it improves your eyesight.

It’s an antioxidant, but it also has several other qualities that affect vision.  According to a study, saffron may alter genes that cause the fatty acid content in vision cell membranes, which affect the strength and resilience of your eye tissue.

To read more about the benefits of Saffron, click here for Zee News’ article in it’s entirety.

Healthy Food: Garam Masala

Just to open, but ‘Garam’ ‘Masala’ translates to ‘hot’ ‘spice blend’, but isn’t a reference to nether-worldly fire you’d taste with a bite.  In actuality, it refers to ‘heating the body’ with warm spices.  It’s most often used in Indian and South Asian dishes, but there is no single recipe for it.  More often than not however, it’s composed of coriander, cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, bay leaves, fennel, fenugreek, caraway, black and white peppercorns, cloves, mace, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Furthermore, the seeds are commonly toasted and then ground and mixed together.  If time is tight however, you can just grind them together instead.

Anyway though, since ‘hot’ is being used in the Ayurvedic sense of medicine and balance, you can expect it to have it’s perks.  It literally raises the body temperature and provides you with optimal metabolism.  This helps promote weight loss, but it also boots immunity, helps with your digestive process, eases pain and lowers blood sugar levels.

Garam masala is believed to have a balance of all six flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent) which adds a layer of depth to the dish you’re designing.

For more information on Garam Masala, like how to make it and what to do with it, click here for One Green Planet’s article on the matter.

7 things you didn’t know about Indian home cooking

No two cultures are alike, but because many of us only have the one we’re born into, we’re prone to assumptions and fitting what we know other nations do into the way that we do things.  Having said that, I’d be more than happy to try to help set the record straight regarding Indian food, if you’d allow me.

Let’s begin by saying traditional home cooking in India doesn’t result in indigestion.  Indians take pride in their light, flavorful home food, reserving the more greasy, rich options for parties or meals outside home.

Second, the flavors are matched uniquely.  I’ve explained it in-depth here, but clashing tastes are used make the meals incredible, the same way that a splash of purple makes yellow pop on a sheet of paper.

Third, while we ourselves may be prone to having an appetizer, there aren’t starters in India.  It’s all served on a plate with bowls called thali.  If starters are offered however, they’re most likely just snacks or street food.

Fourth, there’s a misconception that cooking an Indian meal will eat up your entire day, but that just isn’t the case.  While there are cuisines that take longer than others, more of them can still be whipped up in no time.

Fifth, the sides are tailored specifically to compliment the main course.  Yogurt, for example, is served with most indian food, and it absorbs any heat caused by the chillies.  This is because the casein in it absorbs capsaicin, which gives the chillies their impact.

Sixth, the spices aren’t only spicy.  Not all dishes have chillies or the stereotypical heat pop culture always used to toy with.  Turmeric, cinnamon, fennel and fenugreek are some other highlights, all of which have proven to be good for you.

And finally, although you may not hear of them often, the desert options are practically endless.  They can be small sweets that compliment a meal, or a feast all in themselves.

For a continued reading on the matter, click here to view EveningStandard’s article in its entirety.

Health Benefits of Spices

It’s been a little while since we did this, so let’s talk about some more benefits of Indian spices!  Today we’ll be highlighting four: Cayenne, Corlander Seeds, Cumin, and Turmeric, so let’s take it from the top, shall we?

Cayenne

To open, if the word is unfamiliar to you, these are red peppers.  It’s considered one of the seven super spices and is typically used in Indian, Mexican, Italian and Cajun dishes to add a little kick to the food.  It has high levels of antioxidants and is a great source of Vitamins A and C.  Additionally, it was also shown that eating them can decrease your appetite and speed up your metabolism, although those two effects are minimal.

Corlander Seeds

This is most commonly a part of garam masala and other spice blends which are used in soups, stews, dressings, burgers, fish, chicken and meatballs.  The seeds can be toasted as well as grounded, and both the stems and leaves can be used as well.  In the states, we call the leaves and stems cilantro, whereas the seeds are coriander.  These are also rich in antioxidants and plays a part in lowering blood cholesterol, in addition to being a good source of iron and calcium.

Cumin

Cumin is also very iron rich and has anti-inflammatory effects.  It’s usually used in chillies, dips, salsa, beans, chicken, pork, fish, grains and some root vegetables, as well as being another part of garam masala.  In addition, it can help fight off bacteria, lower blood sugar, and keep some cancers at bay.

Turmeric

Another of the Seven Super Spices, you just know this one’s going to be good for you!  It’s a great source of iron and manganese and has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and it’s also good for your heart!  This one is most commonly found in curry powder, but can be added to chicken tuna or egg salad, rice, fish, dips, soups and even some vegetables.

What’s your favorite spice to add to a meal?

For a continued reading on the matter, click here to view Monica Bhide’s article in its entirety.

How to Make — and Eat — an Authentic Indian Meal

Authenticity has an undeniable importance in so many industries, but I think we can all safely say that food is one of the bigger ones.  We just want it to be real, to taste the way it’s supposed to taste, like it was actually made where it was inspired from.  We want to see the world through out cuisine, and if you’re someone who likes to cook at home but still wants to feel like an explorer, then this is for you.

Just to begin, the way people eat in India is vastly different than the way they do in other parts of the globe.  There aren’t any appetizers, the meal isn’t served in courses and desserts aren’t necessarily given at the end.  Most often, the meal will arrive to your table pre-plated in small bowls arranged on a thali, paired with staples of bread and rice.  Snacks and main dishes are eaten together and it’s common to have at least one dry dish with a sauce.

Furthermore, most Indian meals are made appropriate to the season and occasion.  More elaborate dishes are made for bigger occasions and different kinds of fish, quail and partridge vary as well.  Mixing and matching between culinary zones is also extremely common, and lastly, cutlery is used extremely rarely, if at all.  Most often everything is finger food, only to be sometimes assisted with different kinds of breads.

As far as cooking is concerned, authentic Indian recipes more often than not have a large amount of ghee or other cooking oil, but can vary depending on personal preference.  Similarly, depending on how hot you like your food, you can choose to add more or less chili to a recipe as well.

The most common meat ingredient in India is “mutton”, or goat, but lamb can also be a substitute.  Mutton would have to be cooked longer, however.  Meat is most often cooked on the bone as well.

For a continued reading on the matter, click here for The Daily Meal’s article in its entirety.

50 Famous Indian Food Dishes

India has the second largest population world wide and they’ve been exposed to a plethora of different types of cultures, so it makes sense that they’d have so many distinct, mouth watering flavors.  There’s such an enormous number of dishes to try it’d be impossible to list them all, but List Challenges gave it a shot to at least get the highlights!

Click here to view the 50 most famous indian dishes in North America!

Which ones are your favorite, and which ones do you plan on trying next?

Top 5 Hidden Benefits of Chillies

Given the option, I like my food hot and drinks frozen to the point they’re just cold food, so it makes sense that I enjoy my meals spicy.  And in that regard, I know I’m not on my own, which in turn makes it quite awesome that spicy food can come with a slew of benefits.

First off, some spices such as chillies have capsaicin, which is a compound that causes a thermogenic effect that helps your body burn more calories that you would normally.  Unfortunately this isn’t to the point that you can just sit back on the couch and stream Netflix, but the boost is still worth mentioning!

Second, capsaicin has also been shown to be able to kill some cancer cells, as well as battle against common colds, stroke and obesity.

Third, chillies have been known it improve your heart health.  They can help lower incidences of heart attack and stroke, as well as lessen the harmful effects of LDL, or bad cholesterol.  Additionally, capsaicin has been said to aid in the fight against inflammation, which is a major cause in heart problems.

Fourth, studies have shown that there’s a compound in chillies that can help lower your blood pressure and helps your blood vessels relax.

Finally, spicy foods are said to boost production of serotonin, which is a feel-good hormones that can help ease depression!

For a continued reading on the matter, click here for Times of India’s article in its entirety.

Indian Cuisine: Simpler Than It Appears

Life is full of special moments.  Some of them we experience with our loved ones, others with strangers, and still others we accomplish on our own.  I think that whether you’re single or not, cooking can always be one of those moments.  Taking a blend of ingredients and crafting it into something succulent is always something to be proud of, but too often we get stuck in our comfort zones and new flavors can feel intimidating.

If that’s how you view Indian food however, you can breathe easy.  Most traditional Indian dishes are actually fairly easy, so long as you have the right ingredients.

Aloo Takki, for example is simply a dish made of potatoes, veggies and spices.

Momos is composed of flour, water and whatever filling you desire.

For vegetarians, Baingan Bharta would be a great choice.  It’s made up of roasted eggplant, veggies, chile powder and garlic, and is excellent when paired with toasted bread or jeera rice.

Finally, Samosas is a combination of flour, potatoes, carrots, cilantro, garlic and ginger, along with other fresh produce, and is best when paired with tangy mango chutney.

Are there any Indian meals you’ve been meaning to cook?