Health Facts about Indian Food

Sometimes it can be difficult to find food you like that’s healthy as well.  For example, I think candy is fantastic, but realistically, my dentist would cringe and spiral into a depression if he heard I planned on living off that.  Well as it turns out, Indian food is actually one of the most healthy cuisines world wide, or at least it is when it’s cooked with minimal oil and healthy methods, so if you’re worried about what you’re putting in your body, here are seven things you can eat without fear.

Roti/Chappati

This is typically made with wheat flour, but optimally, it should also have soy bean, black gram, and a little bit of bran.  They can all be ground together in equal amounts to make the four, and as an energy source, Roti is a great source of carbohydrates.  Ideally, 25 grams of it would amount to 60 calories.

White Rice

This polished form of brown rice is a cereal grain that is an excellent source of energy and fiber.  About 200 grams of it would only be about 420 calories, although brown rice would be a bit better of an option due to the fact that it has both fiber and carbohydrates.

Curries

The base to India’s curries is the most critical thing about it, not necessarily the oil.  If you have a recipe that calls for a lot of it, you can simply blend or roast the the spice to get a better flavor without using some of the less healthy ingredients.  Similarly, you can swap out the cream for yogurt or coconut milk and you should be set.

Curd

This is essentially a milk product made through the fermentation of milk and some bacteria.  Given the option, you should go with one made from a toned or less fat quality of milk.  Yogurt is good for your digestive system, and 250 grams of curd from toned milk would only be about 150 calories.    Additionally, it’s a good source of calcium and provides carbohydrates and proteins!

Lentils

To begin, a lentil is a bushy plant that comes from the legume family, and grows once a year from lens shaped seeds.  About a third of their calories are from proteins, which include essential amino acids such as isoleucine and lysine.  Furthermore, they contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals like iron.  All in all, lentils aid several of the major functions of our body, including regulating your blood sugar level, blood cholesterol.  230 grams of these would be only 240 calories.

Red Chillies

These are a fruit of the pod plant from the capscian family and are huge health heroes.  100 grams of them barely have 40 calories, but due to the capscian compound, it’s has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties.  Additionally, they’re rich in Vitamins A, B & C, as well as several phytonutrients.

Paneer

Like some of the other things I’ve mentioned, an easy way to make this healthier would be making it with toned milk rather than full cream.  Regardless however, it has a wealth of proteins that help the body digest.  It’s high in calcium, which helps you build strong bones and teeth and can help you keep osteoporosis at bay while promoting weight loss.

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

From Kewra to Kalpasi: The Hidden Gems of Indian Spices

Growing up with my older brother I watched a lot of Wrestling as a child, and I always thought it was cool how they all had their own signature move.  The Stone Cold Stunner, the People’s Elbow, the 619 and the Attitude Adjustment (before the name change).  They were the trademarks we knew and they identified the fighters, but growing up signatures are changing.  It’s not just something seen on TV anymore, but rather any defining ingredient of something, and it’s always shocking when the public eye seems to miss our personal favorite.

In that spirit, I present to you spices that could be an easy signature for your next dish!

Well seeing how I just got done referencing fighting, why not start out with one with some kick?  The Bhut Jalokia is hot enough to make grown men cry, even going so far as to be named the hottest chili pepper in the world by Guinness World Records, but if that’s not good enough for an intense visual of the extreme heat in this thing, the Indian military had decided to use them in hand grenades for crowd control.  They’re either dried, pickled or used as is and was grown originally in Assam.

Second we have Kalpasi, which is a type of flower that tends to be blended with other spices to make masalas.  In Maharashtra, the most famous of these is the goda masala, and it is also believed to be part of the traditional garam masalsa but is often not included by manufacturers.

Next is guntur, which is most famous in Andhra cuisine where it’s utilized for it heat.  It has a high global demand and often is accompanied by pachadis and pickles.

Slipping in fourth is kewra.  What this is is a screw pine, which has extremely fragrant leaves that often go into making kewra water, essence and oil for cooking, as well as other reasons including perfumes.  Furthermore, many north Indian desserts are doused in its scent as well.

Finally we have kokum, which is especially popular in Konkan.  It’s a fruit from the mangosteen family and grows in Western Ghats.  It’s a naturally purple fruit and tasts tangy and even a little salty, and all parts of it can be used when being cooked.  Additionally, it has numerous health benefits including being rich in calcium, thiamine, folic acid, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and containing properties that aid in weight loss.

Have you ever heard of any of these, and if so, which would you like to incorporate into a recipe?

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

Why Indian and Western Food is so Different

Alright, we’re doing something a little bit different today.  About a month ago I posted an article about all the science that goes into Indian cooking to give it that unique flare, they way all the components that make up the food are so drastically apart and how different that was from food in the west.

Apparently, beyond the culinary skill of India, that’s half the fault of the west as well.  Up until the 17th century, European cuisine was actually very similar in that regard.  Those who could, used a vast array of spices in their meals giving each their own unique flair, keyword being could.

Spices were extremely expensive in the Middle Ages so only the wealthy could afford them.  European colonization was actually what brought that to an end, as explorers set off to new lands they brought massive amounts of spices home with them, which in turn made the prices of them plummet.

While this would normally look good, it served more as the destruction of the wealthy’s status symbol and they recoiled heavily, shifting their views on eating drastically as a response.   Rather then mixing their food with the spices they formally cherished, they suddenly claimed that meat should taste like meat, and that everything added should only enhance the flavors already present.

This first occurred in France in the mid-1600s in a way to show off wealth and the rest of Europe soon adopted the stye.  At the same time, the way they viewed medicine shifted as well, so spices lost value in that regard as well, and as a third strike from the old way of cooking, meat was considered to be the most masculine ingredient in a meal, so chefs wanted to bring that out the most.

Traces of the old Medieval way can still be seen today however.  Barbecue sauce for example, is a strong contrast in flavors very much like that of the olden day.  Perhaps if things didn’t change, the expansion of Indian cuisine wouldn’t be so stinted in America.

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

15 Fun Indian Food Facts

It’s been a while since we did a fun fact segment.  Let’s bring that back, shall we?

1. So we all know India is widely known for its spices, but something you may be less aware of is the sheer extent of that!  At the moment, India produces the most, richest spices in the world.
2. Saffron wasn’t a thing before Greek, Roman and Arab traders came to India.
3. The Portuguese introduced potato, tomato and chili to India.
4. Also from the Portuguese: sugar.  Before Indians learned how to refine sugar from sugar cane, they primarily used honey and fruit to make dishes sweeter.
5. A well known Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, was actually invented in Glasgow, Scotland.
6. Before 1960 there were no Indian Restaurants in America.  Today there are over 80,000.
7. Way back in the day, as in ancient times, Indians only had a few types of food and eating habits in the Indus Valley Civilization.
8. Indian Food is all about combining the six tastes, which are sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy.
9. An extremely common side dish in India are pickles.
10. Sweets are extremely important dishes during all types of celebrations, especially South India.
11. Kashmiri’s traditional cooking reflects that of Central Asia.
12. Of all the brilliant spices they’re known for, Pepper is the King.  One reason for this is that it mixes so well with salt, and it often plays such a key role in spicy dishes.
13. Dum biryani cooking originated in India.
14. Indian food is typically classified one of three ways.  Saatvic, which is said to bring you to higher states of consciousness, Raajsic, which is said to be the foundation of activity and motion, and Taamsic, which brings out negative feelings.

For more in-depth details about any of these, click here to read Story Glitz’s article on the matter.

The Science of India’s Culinary Art

I think anyone who knows someone who loves to cook can understand why people refer to it as “Culinary Arts”.  Dishes of all kinds have their own unique appearance, their own beautiful array of vibrant hues blended together that simply demand to have their picture taken.  Maybe it’s why artists have been painting the for centuries, but the truth is, cooking isn’t just an art, it’s part science as well.

I’ve already touched on how Indian food combines different types of flavors in a singular dish, but it actually goes much further than that.  Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Jodhpur has studies thousands of recipes and found that Indian dishes combine ingredients whose compounds don’t overlap.  This goes beyond the general taste too, not just spicy, sour or sweet but the building blocks that compose them.

In the west, food is mixed because they have many of the same of these compounds, such as beef with red wine, but this couldn’t be further from the truth with Indian food.  Often time individual ingredients share no common compounds at all, which is even less than a recipe made entirely at random.

It makes Indian food an entirely unique delicacy, and a real shame that it isn’t as wide spread in the United States as it should be!

For a continued reading, click here to view Yahoo’s article on the matter.

8 Rices and their Benefits

In the off chance I haven’t mentioned it before, rice is a huge part of the Indian culinary experience, to the point that most Indians consume it on a daily basis.  As I’m sure you know, rice is a healthy food, but India actually has a wide variety to types, all of which with they’re own set of benefits.

First off is white rice, the one I’m sure we’re all most familiar with!  This type is the easiest to digest and provides a wealth of energy after consumption.  Keeping with the digestive theme, it also aids in relieving digestive problems, such as diarrhea, dysentery, colitis or even morning sickness!

As far as health goes, brown rice is arguably the best there is for you.  It has countless benefits to help you lose wait and stay active, and is a great source of fibre while having less starch and calories.  Additionally, the oil in it can help you lower you bad cholesterol.  Just to name a few more things, it can lower you risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and childhood asthma, is a good source of manganese, selenium and phytonutrients and even aids your cardiovascular system!

Third we have red rice, and although this isn’t everyone’s favorite it can keep you at normal levels of iron in your blood, as well regulating your blood sugar and insulin.  Additionally, it has vitamin B6, which you need to balance the formation of serotonin and red blood cells.  Not only that, but it can also aid the creation of DNA cells.

Next off we have sticky rice.  The primary health benefits for this one are its supporting of the immune system and promoting of healthy brain function.   Not only that, but the copper that sticky rice contains keeps your connective tissue strong as well!

Parboiled rice is especially helpful for diabetics.  Just a single cup of it provides 2 to 3 percent of the recommended daily intake of potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium.

Sixth we have black rice, which is most beneficial to those struggling with Alzheimer’s.   This is in part because the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of it are higher than any other kind of rice in India.

Next is basmati rice, which has about 20% more fibre than other types of Indian rices.  Not only that, but it also has a medium to low gycaemic index, which means the energy it releases comes out slow and steady, giving off a more balanced level of energy.

Lastly we have Jasmine rice.  Of everything it does for you, it’s best known for its vast amount of amino acids, which help to lessen the muscle pain in your body.

For a continued reading on the matter, click here to view Bold Sky’s article on the matter.

6 Healthy Indian Foods You Should Start Eating!

February means a lot to many people, but according to everyone on Facebook, the big thing is Valentine’s Day.  Personally I’m looking more forward to buying a couch two days later, but couples seem to be spazzing out to make plans for the big day.  Reservations are being made, roses are being sold faster than they grow, chocolate is on sale everywhere, and there’s a whole influx of new movies in the theater.

Now again, I stand by the couch I plan to sit in, but that’s all really impressive!  It’s the making of a glorious day to let yourself go and bask in love, but as long as we’re all planning on ignoring our diets on the 14th, it wouldn’t be too bad an idea to eat healthier now to make up for it!

And to do that, I’ve got six healthy foods for you to try!

First off, we have Idli, which originates in South India.  It’s a wonderful source of carbohydrates and proteins, and the fermentation process that it undergoes enhances its vitamin B.  Additionally, it can be easily mixed with dal and rice for a great deal of amino acids!

Second is Sattu, which conversely comes from the North.  Originally crafted from roasted gram flour, it’s now come to include an array of other nutritious flowers such as barley, wheat and more.  Additionally, it can be prepared in several ways, including parathas, laddoos, and litti chokhas just to name a few!

Next up is Dhokla, a Gujarati snack, which is made flour and then steamed.  The fermentation process of this enhances it’s nutritional value and it has a low glycemic index, which makes it good for those with diabetes.

Breaching the halfway point is Daliya, a popular breakfast cereal in North India that’s made of broken wheat and whole wheat grits.  It can be made either sweet or savory and is a complex carbohydrate.  This means it releases glucose slowly and consistently, making it another good food for diabetics and those wanting to lose weight.

Fifth we have Bajra, which is especially popular in Rajasthan and also known as pearl millet.  It’s predominately eaten in forms of rotis or khichdis, especially during the winter.

Rounding out the list is sprouts.  While a nontraditional Indian favorite, the health benefits of these are vast.  Spouts go through a germination process that breaks down all its nutrients into their simplest forms, predigesting them and making them easier to absorb by the body.  Sprouts are rich in vitamins, proteins, minerals and fibre.

After you have all that healthy food you won’t have to feel bad about splurging in a week and a day!

For a continued reading, click here to read The Health Site’s article in its entirety.

Healthy Food: Cardamom

It’s been a little while since we’ve done this, huh?  Well brining it back is cardamom, a spice natural to the evergreen forests of India and commonly used in the cuisine, and for good reason!  In addition to the strong flavor and pleasant aroma it boasts, there’s a full list of reasons why it’s so good for you!

(1) It aids in the digestive process, combating nausea, acidity, gas, constipation, heartburn, bloating, gas, loss of appetite and more!

(2) It can act as a detoxifier by ridding your body of waste though your kidneys.

(3) This is because it’s a diuretic, which cleans out the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys, specifically by removing waste, salt, toxins, excess water in addition to fighting infections.

(4) In line with being a diuretic as well as being rich in fiber, cardamon can significantly lower blood pressure.

(5) Keeping with blood, it can also prevent dangerous clotting by stopping platelets from sticking to the artery walls.

(6) Not only used as a spice, cardamom is also chewed after meals to freshen breath.

(7) Cardamon is also used for mouth ulcers as well as infections of the mouth and throat.

(8) Similarly, it can be used to stop or even prevent the cold or flu, even going as far as to battle bronchitis and coughs.

(9) According to animal studies, cardamom defends against cancer, and may even be able to kill some kinds of it, or even prevent its growth.

(10) Although science hasn’t pinpointed the why yet, Ayurvedic medicine uses it for its antidepressant capabilities.

(11) Many of the essential oils, vitamins, and phytonutrients act as antioxidants.

(12) Also contained in cardamon are pathogens, which prevent viruses, bacteria, fungus and fold from growing.

(13) Cardamom also has anti-inflammatory properties that limit pain and swelling, specifically in mucus membranes such as the mouth and throat.

And (14) If you don’t want to have to ask a friend to terrify you, it’s been shown to help get rid of the hiccups!

For a continued reading on the matter, click here to read Sun Warrior’s article.

6 Indian Foods to Lose Weight

Well it’s officially the new year everyone!  How many of us had a resolution to lose weight?  Last year it was the number 1 resolution in America, and it usually consists of “How can I work out more?” and “What do I have to cut out of my diet?”

Well as someone who’s a bit of a picky eater, that second one can be a bit difficult for me.  There are always certain things you like, and specific cravings that just hit you, so to speak.  Anyone who’s ever dieted can tell you that it’s hard, but if you’re worried you’ll have to cut out some indian food, don’t be!  Indian food has all kinds of healthy alternatives, but here are six to get you started!

1) Dhokla

Dhokla is a snack from Gujarat, crafted with fermented batter of gram and isn’t fried.  Instead, it’s steamed, which preserves nutrient content as well as uses less oil, and a good source of carbohydrates and protein.

2) Besan ka cheela

This is a great low calorie protein rich meal made of gram flour and typically eaten with curd.  A vegetation dish, it can be made with things like carrots, spinach, and beetroot to be even more nutritious.

3) Chhola/chickpea chaat

A complete meal of this is a mere 280 calories and is jam packed with nutrition.  Boiled chholas are flavored with salt, red chilly, pepper, raw onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh lemons for a great blend of natural ingredients.

4) Moong Dal/Sprout chaat

This one is typically a breakfast but always rich in vitamin C!  It’s versatile in that it can be consumed either raw or slightly cooked in a non-stick vessel with just a half tea spoon of oil, and can be easily modified to add in more fresh vegetables.  Moong Dal can be prepared in under ten minutes and strengthens your immunity.

5) Tandoori Paneer

About a quarter pound is right around a hundred calories for this one!  A dish that’s high in protein and calcium, Tandoori Paneer is not only delicious, but keeps you fuller longer!

6) Mixed vegetable daliya

Our last one if full of fibre, a good source of magnesium, high in nutrition and low in calories, so you know we’re not skimping at that end!  It makes a great breakfast, or any meal for that matter, and contains a variety of seasonal vegetables!

Let’s start the New Year right everyone!

10 Cities in India for the Food Lover’s Soul

There’s something special about traveling.  That awe struck feeling of everything around you being new, the sudden urge to explore or maybe even take an adventure.  The experiences you create and cherish and the memories that will last you all your life.  It’s beautiful really, taking in each breath as you gaze upon the new world around you.

What do you love the most about travel?

For many, the food ranks up quite highly, so if your heart desires to see India for the first or simply next time, there are many places you should consider going!

This first one’s going to be no surprise, but Delhi!  India’s capital, which is colossally popular for the North Indian food offered, has a vast array of options for it.  These span from its street foods, dhabas, restaurants and their high end cafes.  Be sure to check out chholo bhatura, parathas and tandoori chicken while you’re there!

Next up is Mumbai, which has all sorts of restaurants essentially serving anything you could want to eat!  Not only that, but they also have some of the best street food including pav bhaji, bhel puri, dahi puri, sev puri, vada pav, and much more!

Goa is third on our list, considered one of the places to drink dine and dance!  It is especially known for its seafood, such as prawns, crabs, squids and fish!

Fourth we have Kolkata, the Bengali state capital, home to some of the most loved sweets in the nation, such as rasgulla, sandesh, yummy rolls, chow mein and puchkas!  If you’ve got a sweet tooth, check it out for sure!

Pondicherry is coming in at number five, which offers a blend of South Indian food, but French as well, in addition to traditional and Western dishes.

Sixth is Amritsar, which is widely recognized for its food like Amritsari chhole kulche, maah ki dal and machchhi (fish).  With places sites such as the Golden Temple and Wagah Border, there are all kinds of sites to see as well!

Lucky number seven is Lucknow (Don’t you love it when things line up like that?)!  Once ruled by the Nawabs for over a century, it now houses Awadhi cuisine, such as Galouti kebabs, kormas, parathas and sheermaal.  It’s a great place for both vegetarians as well as those who like some meat in their diet!

Slipping in at eight is Udupi, renown for it’s South Indian food.  With things like rasam, all sorts of dosas, idlis and sambhar, there are plenty of options to choose from to see what makes it such a delgiht!

Coming in at number nine is Hyderabad.  Once ruled by the Nizams, this city has a blend of Munghlai, Turkish and Andhra cuisine for all those present.  The dum biryani in particular is sought after, to the point that biryani throughout all of India is associated with them!

Lastly we have Jaipur, located in the state of Rajasthan and a very popular tourist destination!  There’s a wonderful number of restaurants and places to eat throughout the city, all of which sure to make your adventure one to remember!

For a more in-depth reading, click here to view india.com’s article on the matter.