Come September

A wow month awaits! There are festivals and feasts that bring so much good cheer…the rains continue to bless Mumbai and I think we have a reason to smile.

So on www.sanjeevkapoor.com, come September, we not only make you smile but also tell you some reasons why Laughter is the best medicine. As the monsoon continues, look out for Food Poisoning (we have some tips). Those who think their kitchen is small, learn some exciting storage tips and also many many festive recipes that will load your table with glee.

I have noticed that the potato is one thing that is an extremely versatile….it is not only meant for chips and crisps plus it is not the tuber that is fattening, it is the treatment we give it that makes it so. In days gone, the potato was blamed for those extra inches around the waist because of its starch content. But now the blame has shifted onto bread which has three times the calories! Potato has a high starch content but it is energy-giving and is also valuable source of vitamin C. It also has considerable amount of protein of high biological value and also alkaline salts. In addition it is rich in soda, potash and vitamins A and B.

As technology makes it presence felt on many foods, so has the potato been washed and pre-packed mechanically, canned, turned into crisp, frozen chips and instant mash. There are innumerable ways and recipes for using the potato… according to some tidbit I came across in a book 500 or so ways… and the most exciting is of course, chips! Crisp on the outside and juicy inside, chips are winners all the way. But there are some not so exciting facts connected to the consumption of chips. Take a look: a 100 gms of raw potato produces 85 gms of baked potato (which provide 87 calories). The same amount of raw potato makes 50 gms of chips (210 calories) or 44 gms of potato crisps (245 calories). Now which version of the humble potato would you go for?

Whatever may be the case, the fact remains that potatoes are a versatile sort that can
do wonders to any meal. But it is recommended that potatoes are more nutritious with the peel on. Upto a quarter of a potato’s protein is lost by peeling because the protein is most highly concentrated just below the skin. And if a peeled potato is boiled, up to half of its vitamin C content is dissolved. So to retain as much goodness as possible, bake or boil unpeeled potatoes. Green skin however should preferably be removed – it contains a detrimental alkaloid.

So you can have a potato soup, or jacket potatoes, chips and crisps, add them to pies or other vegetables, casseroles, you name it. I love the Caldo Verde soup in which mashed potatoes form the basic ingredient. It is a perfect beginning to a sumptuous meal, is easy to prepare and above all is simply delicious and wholesome. As potato can be stored in your kitchen, especially during the rainy days, I have a variety of potato goodies lined up for you.

Broccoli, Aloo aur Tofu ki sabzi
Sukhe Aloo
Aloo Tikki Chaat

Till I write again
Sanjeev Kapoor

Sweet confessions

It’s time for mithai and then some more mithais. With Rakshabandhan gone, it will be time for Ganpati next month, and soon Dassera, Diwali, Christmas….who wouldn’t want some new Indian festive recipes then!

For us in India, happiness means sweets, mithais or mishthan call what you may! Mithais seem to have won the taste buds the world over and gourmet Indian food and Indian sweets have extremely high visibility these days. Be it the fudge like dry sweetmeat barfis and pedas, or the syrupy gulab jamuns and rosogullas that require a bowl and a spoon, the sticky deep fried balushahis and gujiyas, the fragrant hot halwas and jalebis, round besan laddoos and motichoor laddoos, creamy milk puddings like rice kheer or seviyan and then shahi tukre.

All the sweets that we eat with so much relish today seem to have their roots in the past. Today the sweets are almost the same only the names have changed. There are commonly known sweets that were prepared then as they are now like ghevar, jalebi, boondi laddoos, churma laddoos etc. Ghevar, the delicious, juicy sweet made of refined flour, sugar and ghee has been mentioned in the Mahabharata as ghrita pur. Now Rajasthan is the best place to taste a good ghevar. Would you believe it if I told you that jalebis were known as kundalika which as a sweet delicacy was served specially during marriage feasts. Jalebis go back to 4th and 2nd centuries BC. In ancient classical literature boondi laddoos were named bindumodak laddoos. Churma laddos erstwhile dahitra laddoos had almonds, pistachios, raisins, dry dates, dry coconut and peppercorns. Let us talk about the half moons known as karanjis in Maharashtra and as gujiyas otherwise. Called sanyavas in ancient times it is believed that karanjis were prepared in a special manner with ingredients having medicinal values like cardamoms, aniseeds, dry coriander, cinnamon etc. These sanyavas were administered as medicinal cure for those who suffered from cough and cold. Suji halwa was mohan bhog. In ancient times the custom of serving it first thing in the morning was meant for lubricating the entire system thereby making the body strong and improving the complexion too. Meethe chawal, sakharbhaat in Maharasthra, had the old name of sharkara bhakta.

It is a fact that our forefathers with their expert knowledge of Indian cookery prepared delicious sweets that must have been the gourmet’s delight. We do seek to probe deeper into our ancient literature to seek information and then go on to create many more recipes with a definite change in taste. For then, there is this thing called evolution: of recipes, of palates and where the twain meet, it is the latest trend.

Fig and Apricot Sandesh
Instant Gulab Jamun
Mohanthaal

Till I write again
Sanjeev Kapoor.

Dine not on these

What are the foods that make good morning snacks or lunches and are not wanted for dinner? There are certain foods that take a long time to be digested properly. It is best recommended that such foods be taken only when you are sure you have enough time for them to be digested before you retire for sleep. Late night dinners cause problems for some. Even if you do have a good digestion power, heavy dinners are not recommended for long-term healthy living.

Fried chips, burgers, tikkis, batter-fried nuggets etc are a strict no-no. These foods are high in fat, are greasy and pose tough problems for the digestive juices. If you must have them, have them early in the day …or then go for baked alternatives.

Orange, grapefruit, lemon juice all have acidic bases. And can possibly harm the lining of the stomach when the stomach’s own juices are lethargic at night. An empty stomach in the morning has a strong acidic medium because no food has been put in it. Those who have orange juice on an empty stomach are adding acid to acid and this can create a stomach ache or later acid reflux problems. Have a glass of fresh juice at midday as a snack. Synthetic juices are avoidable because of the high sugar content.

Ice cream makes the quickest dessert after a nice dinner, right? It is also the slowest of all the foods to be digested because the fat takes the longest to break down! Ice creams with their high fat content can cause bloating, cramping and gas if had late at night. We certainly do not recommend that you have it for breakfast but as a snack, and if your daily calorie count allows, ice cream is fun.

Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are a nutritious lot and loved in salads. Being rich in fibre they are healthy but for one reason are dismissed from many plates: they cause gas build-up in the gut when had raw. The solution is simple, lightly blanch them and add to salads. Cooking deactivates the sulphur compounds that cause gas.

If you have stopped having beans because they give you gas trouble, I suggest you keep trying them till your stomach produces enough enzymes to be able to digest them. The enzyme needed to break down beans is found only in our stomach bacteria. And if you don’t routinely eat beans, you might not have enough of this enzyme to comfortably digest them. The result, of course, is that once in while helping of beans gives you gas and bloating. Beans are the healthiest thing around so be open to having them regularly.

Believe it or not chocolate! You must be sorely disappointed to read this, but yes, chocolate can cause distress. But only if you overeat it! Forewarned is forearmed so one occasional treat of a brownie or milk chocolate is recommended but not a big feast of it. But anyone who suffers from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can experience problems from even a small portion of chocolate. That’s because chocolate causes the lower oesophageal sphincter to relax, allowing stomach acid to come back up.

Food with the kick of peppers is fun to have but can also irritate the lining of the oesophagus on the way down. The result: an unpleasant heartburn-like feeling after you eat. So rather than trying to mask spice with high-fat cream, opt for milder versions if you routinely suffer side effects.

So what is a good dinner dish? Try these suggestions!

Masoor Carrot and Pumpkin Soup

Broccoli, Aloo aur Tofu Sabzi

Spinach Soy Milk Pulao

Till I write again

Sanjeev Kapoor.