Deliciously Healthy, NO SALT Recipes that make dieting a JOYFUL experience! | Part One

Well, it has been a 19-month long health transformation journey. I am down by 23 kgs and have never felt healthier all my life! The focus of my health transformation has been FITNESS and weight loss was a healthy by-product of this journey. When Mumbai Mirror featured me for my NO SALT diet, I was flooded with questions on how I manage to live without salt. I realised that readers want recipes for a NO SALT diet.

Here are Deliciously Healthy, NO SALT recipes that make dieting a JOYFUL experience.

I have featured 2 recipes in the first part. Will feature more in the next blog post.

 

Fibre-rich and Nutritive Steel-cut Oats with nourishing Cranberries

I accidentally discovered steel-cut oats a while ago and trust me, it has been a very happy discovery. Steel-cut oats are very different from rolled oats. They are higher in fibre content, processed minimally and therefore the healthier alternative to rolled oats.

Nutritionists say that steel-cut oats are the healthiest grains you can eat. They are loaded with fibre, protein & iron.

While rolled oats have their merits when it comes to time-saving, I feel that the texture of steel-cut oats makes it a clear winner especially when you are substituting it for rice or porridge in an Indian meal.

Studies have proven that cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections, improve digestion, may reduce bad cholesterol, can help prevent gum disease & can boost immunity.

Sure, steel-cut oats take longer to cook, but that’s what adds to the texture of the dish you are cooking.

How to cook:

• Wash the steel-cut oats just like you wash rice or pulses.
• Boil them in water/milk/buttermilk depending on what taste you want
  • Water – plain taste – adding cranberries will make it sweet
  • Milk – milky goodness! Adding dry fruits will make it a power-charged meal
  • Buttermilk – adding buttermilk & a handful of coriander will add tang & zing to your dish
• Don’t add salt or sugar or any spices
• When it starts boiling, you can throw in a handful of nutrition-packed cranberries for sweetness

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Wholesome & Savory Rolled Oats Pancakes with Tomatoes, Parsley and Homemade Curd.

The best part about this recipe is that it can be used as an alternative for any meal of the day. Its a delicious meal with no salt and no oil. Try it, I am sure you will try it again & again.

This recipe uses rolled oats as they are easy to use and loaded with health benefits.

I use a combination of curd & buttermilk to make a lovely batter and lovingly cook dosas for my family. My kids are fussy eaters (like most kids) so as alternatives to this basic dosa, I hide vegetables, dry fruits and even cheese while cooking this dish.

My kids simply LOVE this recipe in their morning breakfast and dabba.

How to cook:

• One big tablespoon will make one dosa – so measure accordingly. We are 4 in our family so I usually measure 8-9 tablespoons of rolled oats in a bowl
• Pour buttermilk over the oats till they are soaked. This is an important step as it will decide the texture and consistency of your batter
• Sprinkle dried or freshly chopped parsley & tomatoes into the batter for added taste and health
• Allow it to stand for 5 minutes so that the oats absorb the moisture
• You may find that despite allowing it to soak for a while, the consistency is still a bit runny
• Add thick curd and voila! You have a wholesome oats dosa batter ready!
• Scoop out a tablespoon and half of the batter and spread over a pan – I don’t use oil in my cooking so using a non-stick pan or a cast-iron dosa Tawa helps me prevent the dosa from sticking
• Grease the edges with some ghee (optional) or use water to ensure it doesn’t stick
• The dosa is very delicate so cook it on low heat and then flip it to cook the other side
• Once both sides are cooked – serve immediately with some curd to go with it
• As an alternative, as I mentioned earlier, you can add chopped veggies to the batter or sprinkle some cheese on top before you remove it from the gas

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

I will be adding new recipes to this series as we go along. Do try them and home and let me know. If there are any specific recipes you want me to feature, do let me know, I will ensure I do so.

Penned by:

Mayura Amarkant

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