Thursday 21 February 2013

[Yaadein_Meri] Fw: Breakfast options from South India to lose weight

----- Forwarded Message -----

Breakfast options from South India to lose weight

Everybody is aware of the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but still most urbanites, have their breakfast on the go. They prefer to wrap a slice of bread and butter that can be conveniently had while waiting at the bust stop.

It is important to have a healthy breakfast as when you start your day with an empty stomach, by the time you are get into the swing of work you start feeling hunger and, which usually means picking up some unhealthy choice.

Eating a healthy breakfast is important for all weight watchers also. Studies suggest that people who eat a healthy breakfast are more successful at losing weight and keeping off the extra weight

Well Known Nutritionist, Shamika Kulkarni says, "Breakfast is the first main meal of the day after an overnight fasting. The energy levels of the body are low and hence a healthy breakfast gives a boost to the energy levels and gives the day an enthusiastic start. Eating a healthy breakfast also increases the competence levels and concentration while working. It is important for weight watchers because a healthy breakfast gives a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fiber required to control weight. If a person eats a healthy and an adequate breakfast then it delays the hunger pangs and maintains his energy levels till the lunch time. This prevents temptations to pick unhealthy food choices to fulfill hunger pangs."

Most individuals do not have time for breakfast or they don't have many healthy options. Very often having a breakfast becomes boring, if we continue eating the same items over and over again. However, the truth is that looking out for healthy breakfast ideas is a dilemma that many of us face each day.

There are a lot of healthy breakfast options, here we give you 6 healthy breakfast options from South India that will nourish you and keep you in shape.

1. Oats Dosa – The power packed breakfast

Ingredients:

2 tbsp rice , 2 tbsp oats, 1 cup buttermilk (enough to soak and cover the oats), 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 green chilies , 1 pinch hing/asafoetida, 2 tsp finely chopped coriander, salt to taste

Method:

Add the rice and oats into a bowl. Slowly add butter milk and allow it to soak for 20 minutes. When soaked, pour it in a blender and grind well. Add salt, hing, coriander, chopped green chilies and a little water to get the dosa batter consistency. Heat the grridle and start making dosas.

Suggestion:

Serve it hot with green chutney.

Shamika Kulkarni says, "Oats dosa is a very healthy recipe for breakfast. The recipe will give about 300 calories. The calories are mainly from the rice and oats which give carbs an instant source of energy for giving a boost to the body. Buttermilk and rice and oats contribute to the protein intake while oats supply the required soluble fiber. This breakfast option helps in weight loss and keeps us healthy. The dosas should be made on the non stick tawa with minimal oil. The chutney used should be without coconut."

2. Adai Dosa – The Tamil breakfast

Ingredients:

1cup rice, 1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram), 1 cup urad dal(horsebean), 1 cup tuvar dal(pigeon pea), green chilles 2 nos, red chilies 6 nos, curry leaves, hing 2-4 pinch, salt to taste,

Method

Soak all the dals and rice together after washing them thoroughly. Let them soak overnight. When soaked, grind them in a blender coarsely along with green chilies, coriander, red chilies, curry leaves and hing. Add salt to taste.

Heat a nonstick tawa or griddle and pour one ladleful of batter. Make thick dosa and serve hot

Suggestion:

Add thinly slices onion to the batter to make onion adai. Serve it hot with mint and coriander chutney.

Shamika Kulkarni adds, "This recipe is a power packed recipe for breakfast which gives a balanced amount of carbohydrates and proteins from the combination of cereals and pulses. The combination of rice and the dals is very healthy and gives high quality proteins. It makes a very healthy and filling breakfast."

3. Pessaruttu – The Andhra specialty

Ingredients :

1 cup moong dal(green gram), 1 onion finely chopped, ¼ tsp ginger finely chopped, coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1-2 green chilies, 1 tsp cumin seeds, salt to taste

Method:

Soak the moong dal for at least 4 hours in water. When soaked, grind them with cumin seeds, green chillies, and ginger. Add the chopped onion, coriander leaves, and salt to the ground mixture. Heat a non stick pan and make dosas.

Suggestion:

Serve it with garlic chutney or coriander chutney

Shamika Kulkarni says, "This recipe with the serving of two dosas should give about 250 calories and gives enough energy to start the day. It can be supported with a fruit and nuts like almonds and walnuts. This will contribute to a balanced breakfast adequate in carbohydrates, proteins, and fiber. The portion size in a meal should be restricted to two small dosas for all weight watchers."

Most individuals do not have time for breakfast or they don't have many healthy options. Very often having a breakfast becomes boring, if we continue eating the same items over and over again. However, the truth is that looking out for healthy breakfast ideas is a dilemma that many of us face each day.

There are a lot of healthy breakfast options, here we give you 6 healthy breakfast options from South India that will nourish you and keep you in shape.

1. Oats Dosa – The power packed breakfast

Ingredients:

2 tbsp rice , 2 tbsp oats, 1 cup buttermilk (enough to soak and cover the oats), 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 green chilies , 1 pinch hing/asafoetida, 2 tsp finely chopped coriander, salt to taste

Method:

Add the rice and oats into a bowl. Slowly add butter milk and allow it to soak for 20 minutes. When soaked, pour it in a blender and grind well. Add salt, hing, coriander, chopped green chilies and a little water to get the dosa batter consistency. Heat the grridle and start making dosas.

Suggestion:

Serve it hot with green chutney.

Shamika Kulkarni says, "Oats dosa is a very healthy recipe for breakfast. The recipe will give about 300 calories. The calories are mainly from the rice and oats which give carbs an instant source of energy for giving a boost to the body. Buttermilk and rice and oats contribute to the protein intake while oats supply the required soluble fiber. This breakfast option helps in weight loss and keeps us healthy. The dosas should be made on the non stick tawa with minimal oil. The chutney used should be without coconut."

2. Adai Dosa – The Tamil breakfast

Ingredients:

1cup rice, 1 cup chana dal (Bengal gram), 1 cup urad dal(horsebean), 1 cup tuvar dal(pigeon pea), green chilles 2 nos, red chilies 6 nos, curry leaves, hing 2-4 pinch, salt to taste,

Method

Soak all the dals and rice together after washing them thoroughly. Let them soak overnight. When soaked, grind them in a blender coarsely along with green chilies, coriander, red chilies, curry leaves and hing. Add salt to taste.

Heat a nonstick tawa or griddle and pour one ladleful of batter. Make thick dosa and serve hot

Suggestion:

Add thinly slices onion to the batter to make onion adai. Serve it hot with mint and coriander chutney.

Shamika Kulkarni adds, "This recipe is a power packed recipe for breakfast which gives a balanced amount of carbohydrates and proteins from the combination of cereals and pulses. The combination of rice and the dals is very healthy and gives high quality proteins. It makes a very healthy and filling breakfast."

3. Pessaruttu – The Andhra specialty

Ingredients :

1 cup moong dal(green gram), 1 onion finely chopped, ¼ tsp ginger finely chopped, coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1-2 green chilies, 1 tsp cumin seeds, salt to taste

Method:

Soak the moong dal for at least 4 hours in water. When soaked, grind them with cumin seeds, green chillies, and ginger. Add the chopped onion, coriander leaves, and salt to the ground mixture. Heat a non stick pan and make dosas.

Suggestion:

Serve it with garlic chutney or coriander chutney

Shamika Kulkarni says, "This recipe with the serving of two dosas should give about 250 calories and gives enough energy to start the day. It can be supported with a fruit and nuts like almonds and walnuts. This will contribute to a balanced breakfast adequate in carbohydrates, proteins, and fiber. The portion size in a meal should be restricted to two small dosas for all weight watchers."

Ragi Onion Dosa / Utappam-

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dal, 1 cup idli rice, 2 ½ - 3 cups ragi powder(red millets), 1 cup chopped onion, 2-3 green chilles, salt to taste.

Method

Soak urad dal and rice for four hours. Grind to a smooth paste. Add ragi flour and salt and blend into a smooth paste and leave it over night to ferment.

The next day, add chopped onions and green chillies to the batter. Heat a non stick tava and cook thin crispy dosas.

Suggestions:

You can also make ragi uttapams instead of the dosas. Serve it hot with chutney or a vegetable kurma.

Shamika Kulkarni advices, "Ragi dosa or ragi uttapam is a healthy recipe for breakfast. Addition of ragi to urad dal and idli rice adds to the nutritional value of the recipe. Ragi is a good source of proteins, calcium, and iron. Urad dal and rice flour make a good combination of cereals and pulses.

5. Egg Dosa – The Kerala delight

Ingredients : 1 cup dosa batter( fermented paste of urad dal and rice), 2 eggs, one for each dosa, 1 onion finely chopped, 1-2 green chillies finely chopped, coriander finely chopped ,black pepper powder, salt to taste.

Method

In a bowl mix properly egg, chopped onion, coriander, green chilies, black pepper and salt.

Add salt to the dosa batter. Heat a non stick tawa or griddle and add the dosa batter and spread like a normal dosa. Once the dosa is spread, pour the egg mixture over it like an omelet and let it cook on a low flame. Once the dosa base is done, turn it and let the egg cook properly.

It can be rolled like a dosa or can be served open with the egg side up.

Suggestions

You can serve with chutney or tomato ketchup.

Shamika Kulkarni adds, "Addition of eggs to the dosas will increase the protein content of the recipe. It is preferred if egg whites only are added so as to minimise the cholesterol intake. Eggwhites will make the dosas fluffy and light when beaten properly."

6. Vegetable Oats Idli

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup oats,1 cup roasted wheat rava, 2 cups thick curds, ¼ cup grated vegetables (carrots, onions),some chopped coriander and green chilies, pinch of salt, pinch of baking soda

Method:

Roast the oats for few mins and then cool and then grind to a fine powder.Mix it with the roasted rawa in a mixing bowl.Add curds, salt, baking powder, grated vegetables, chopped coriander, green chillis.Add water to make a batter of consistency to that of the idli batter.Grease the plates in which idlis are to be made with little oil. Pour the idli batter into the plates.Steam the idlis for about 15 mins.

Suggestions

Serve with tomato chutney or coriander and pudina chutney. Do not use coconut in the chutney.

Shamika Kulkarni says, "Vegetable oats idli is a very healthy recipe and recommended highly for weight loss. The portion size per meal can be 3 idlis with chutney without coconut. The recipe contain high fiber because of oats and vegetables. Idli is steamed hence oil is only required for greasing and should be ensured that the quantity of oil used should be minimal. Rawa which is made up of wheat is preferred to rice flour is used in the recipe. Other vegetables of your choice can also be added. This is a perfect low calorie recipe recommended for weight loss."

Shamika Kulkarni advices, "The most important factor recommended during a weight loss diet is to control the portion size. All the above mentioned recipes are recommended for a weight loss diet only when the breakfast consists of two dosas or three Idlis. Minimal oil is recommended while making a dosa and preferably it should be cooked on a non stick griddle /tawa. The chutney eaten with the dosa or idli needs to be made without coconut."

Now that you know of various South Indian healthy breakfast recipes, you can no longer use the excuse that you are bored of eating the same stuff, or you do not know of many breakfast options. Believe me, it really feels nice to have a healthy breakfast in relaxed mood before the rush of the day starts.

Cook healthy and live healthy!!!!