Who says your cereal cooking has to be ho-hum? You can do a lot more with them than just make roti, poori, or dosas. Get inventive with them and dish up one pot grain-based salads, soups, desserts, and more. This way you get to whip up a variety of soul-satisfying meals that come with a lot of gut strengthening fibre and the multitude of nutrients that complex carb cereals are loaded with.
Eat your carbs, but eat them smartly. Also always keep rotating your grains, eating as much variety as you can. Try these delicious easy to cook recipes:
Dalia and Roasted Vegetables
Stir fry 1 red and yellow pepper, 50 gm baby corns along with a few cloves of garlic (halved), 1 thickly sliced onion, and 5 cashews. Keep aside. Make 50 gm dalia (cracked wheat) and keep aside. In a bowl mix 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add 2 cloves of very thinly sliced garlic and a few sliced mint leaves. Pour this over the vegetables and then toss with Dalia.
Why eat it: Dalia is very rich in fibre and helps prevent constipation.
Ragi Soup
Mix 2 tbsp ragi (finger millet) flour with water to make a paste. In a pan add a pinch of cumin, half chopped onion, half chopped carrot, a few chopped beans, and 1 tbsp peas. Cook with a little water till the veggies are done. Then add the ragi paste, pepper, salt, 1 tbsp cream, or 2 tbsp coconut milk, and some water (to get the soupy consistency) and simmer slowly for 5 min, stirring constantly. Squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle chopped cashew before digging in.
Why eat it: Ragi is a very rich source of minerals. It has much more calcium content compared to other cereals.
Apple and Oats Bake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 baking dish. Peel, core and slice 3 apples. Combine with 1/2 lemon juice, 1/4th tsp ginger, paste,1/4th tsp cinnamon, and 1 tbsp apple juice concentrate. Spoon into the baking dish. Mix assorted nuts (almond, cashews, walnuts), 1/ cup oats, a pinch of baking soda and 2 tbsp honey. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy warm.
Why eat it: Oats deliver a specific type of fibre known as beta-glucan that cuts cholesterol from the body.
Pumpkin, Couscous, and Chickpeas Salad
Cook 1/2 cup couscous, let it stand for 5-6 minutes, and then fluff it gently with a fork. Mix couscous with 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin, 1/4 cup rocket leaves, 1/2cup chickpeas boiled, and a few toasted walnuts. Make the dressing by blending 1 tbsps olive oil, to taste salt, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp lemon juice and pour over the couscous mix. Why eat it: it is a good source of fiber which prevents blood sugar spikes and keeps you fuller longer.
Buckwheat Noodle Bowl
Cook 100 gm buckwheat noodles and keep aside. Heat a pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, add 1/2 cup sprouts, stir fry for a few minutes, add 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, 100 gm spinach, and cook with a little bit of water. Now add 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sliced ginger, 2 cloves of sliced garlic,1 tsp vinegar, and 1 tsp honey or maple syrup. Add noodles, mix up, add 1 tsp sesame seeds, and 1/4th red pepper thinly sliced.
Why eat it: It is loaded with vitamin B, fibre, and delivers double the protein as compared to most other cereals.
Orange Saffron Quinoa
Combine boiled 1/4th cup quinoa and 1/4th cup orange juice in a pan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat till juice begins to simmer. Then add a few saffron strands and cook till the mixture thickens to resemble a halwa. Eat topped with candied almonds or walnuts.
Why eat it: The antioxidant quercetin content of quinoa is even higher than typical high-quercetin foods like cranberries.
Bajra Pongal
Slightly dry roast 1/2 cup broken bajra (pearl millet) till a bit hot. Pressure cook the green gram dal, roasted broken bajra (bajra: dal –70: 30 ratio), and salt to taste with 1 cup of water till soft. Heat 1 tbsp ghee and add few cashews. When slightly golden brown, add a pinch each of cumin seeds, pepper, few curry leaves, and 1 tsp ginger paste and add it to the Pongal.
Why eat it: Gluten-free, it may contribute in preventing cancer.
(Kavita is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People (Jaico), Ultimate Grandmother Hacks: 50 Kickass Traditional Habits for a Fitter You (Rupa) and Fix it with foods.)
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