Eating The Right Kind Of Food

A friend asked me the other day from where I get my inspiration, to get into the kitchen and cook without complaining.I guess I have to thank my dear Mom who taught us the basic culinary skills.Whenever,she  prepared food, we would  with keen enthusiasm watch  how she skillfully made those delicious dishes. At that time as young as we were, we would, with pleasure, munch away the morsels shoved  into our mouths by Mom ,to get our  opinion on  the taste. She took great pride in preparing  new recipes and we were like  good students observing everything she did in the kitchen. I also got to thank the many  articles and cookbooks that have guided me throughout.The  various websites that cater good recipes from all over the world encouraged me further my love for cooking. Whether they are continental, oriental or mediterranean dishes, I love to try my hands on them.

Ever since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I have tried as much as possible to curtail carbs in my diet.I have  even switched  from white rice and everything refined to whole grains.When I come across articles on diabetes whether on the internet or magazines, I am somehow deeply drawn towards them.There are so much of useful information that I have gathered on the web regarding diabetes that helps me  greatly  and has motivated me tremendously to monitor my blood sugar on a weekly basis .When a good article from a reliable source recommends something worthy,I make sure I follow their guidelines and learn a few tips as well.There are studies which has proven that  eating barley  can help in managing our sugar levels.Barley is  an excellent  choice for a diabetic because it  is high in soluble fiber.It makes  a good substitute for white rice. I came to know of one website, which has a number of delicious and mouth watering recipes for everyone.I love the fact how  they guide and help you step by step with their interesting articles.This is a wonderful  family friendly site where you  could find articles and useful information on any topic.I also love the variety of  healthy recipes they have on their website  for health conscious people like me. 

Cooking Fish

If I can eat fish everyday I would, but I  limit it for  once a week.The reason behind this is that  my children detest the smell of  fish.I try hard to eliminate the fish smell with my cooking, using  a lot of flavouring and seasoning  and a good amount of  spices and condiments,yet though,the children hate the aroma that wafts through their nostrils. Mmm..I love it though..
We  eat a lot of  Kanad Fish once a week.My husband gets it fresh from the market, all washed cleaned and cut according to our preferred sizes.There are many health benefits eating fish regularly because fish is low in fat and has a high protein level and  is an excellent  source of omega 3 fatty acids.More over, eating fish at least once a week can  diminish  the risk of various health disorders.

Fish cooked with tomato paste

Here's how I cook Kanad fish

Ingredients

2 slices Kanad ( thick slices)
1 large onion sliced
4-5 cloves of garlic chopped 
a thumb size piece fresh ginger crushed
1 tomato chopped 
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon curry powder
1-2 teaspoon chilly powder ( according to your taste or you can skip this)
a stick of cinnamon
2 tablespoon oil
salt to taste 
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon tomato paste ( optional)
1 cup water
3 tablespoon coconut milk powder

(some extra  tablespoons of turmeric powder to clean the fish.)

Cut each sliced  Kanad into quarter.Gently Rub turmeric all over the fish pieces,wash well and rinse.Set aside .I recommend you to freeze the pieces till you make the gravy.By doing so ,the fish becomes firm and does n't break into flakes during the cooking process.

Now make the gravy-Heat the oil.Add the cinnamon stick,the cummin and fennel seeds.When they begin to cackle put  the onions,ginger,garlic and cook it to a light brown colour. Next add the coriander,curry,turmeric and the chilly powder.Mix it well.Add the tomato and cook till it becomes  soft.Pour in the water,salt and bring it to a boil.Take the fish off the freezer( remember you cleaned  it and placed it into the freezer to get a firm texture).Put the pieces of fish in the boiling liquid and cook for about 5 minutes. (don't cover with a lid).Throw in, the sprig of curry leaves.
Then add the tomato paste ( you can skip this  to get a light coloured gravy) and whisk  in the coconut powder.Lastly add the lemon juice.
Enjoy  this dish  with rice,chappati or bread.

Fish cooked without  the tomato paste

Cooking Bean Sprouts

Sometime back,while on our fortnightly grocery shopping,I came across beans sprouts,with was well packed and looked very fresh. Though I had never  cooked it before, I have had  read enough about bean sprouts that I didn't hesitate to pick one pack for my trolley. Back in the kitchen after having done all the grocery shopping, I decided to cook beans sprouts for lunch that day.I did n't even know how this was cooked but my basis culinary skills guided me to make an extraordinary dish.The taste was so good that I could n't help  indulging myself with more servings. My husband too took an instant liking to the new dish.

I put the sprouts in a colander.Washed them well and let the water drain.In a pan,I  added a little oil and sauteed an onion,which was finely sliced,with 2-green chillies and some crushed ginger/garlic.To this I added,a few mustard and fennel seeds.It took about 2 minutes to get them cooked to a light brown colour.Then I mixed a tablespoon of curry powder,a teaspoon each of turmeric and red chilly flakes.Once that was thoroughly blended I added one whole tomato chopped roughly. A sprig of curry leaves and then, went into the pan,the  washed sprouts.I kept mixing all the ingredients together so that all the flavours would blend in nicely.As I love gravy,I poured in about 3 tablespoons of water.Lastly,I added salt according to taste.By this time,a sharp aroma was wafting through the kitchen and believe me  I could n't wait patiently  till it was done.I must say it was absolutely delicious with red rice.As a matter of fact,I had to eat in moderation because of my diabetes.All in all,I enjoyed this new dish and eagerly awaiting to prepare  it again.

Beans Sprouts before cooking

Cooked Beans sprouts

Cooked red rice