Have fun with Indian superfoods in 2015, find out the benefits and try the recipes

JAMUM MOCKTAIL
Benefits: A low glycaemic index food, Jamun is great for diabetics, it keeps blood sugar levels in check and prevents common diabetes symptoms like frequent thirst and urination. The fruit has healthy amount of nutrients like calcium and potassium as well as Vitamin C and iron, which improve the body’s  immunity and bone strength.

Recipe: To 90 ml kokum syrup/60 ml juice, add muddled jamun (throw in some jaggery or brown sugar while muddling), pour the mix in a lovely glass and ring its rim with salt. Your refreshing, pulpy mocktail is ready!
–Ami Shroff, Freelance Flair Bartender

RAGI (NACHNI) COOKIES
Benefits: A highly nutritious glutten-free  food grain, it is rich in calcium (given to kids and those suffering from arthritis and osteoporosis; it can substitute milk), protein, fibre, iron, B complex and other vitamins and minerals. Its high fibre content prevents constipation and is great for weight loss.

Recipe: Cut 100 gm of butter into small pieces, add to it half a cup of ragi (which has been roasted on a low flame), half a cup of wheat flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder by sieving them together. Then mix it well with your fingers till the mixture has a crumbly texture. Add to it powdered half a cup of jaggery and 1/2 tsp vanilla essence to the dough and mix well. Little by little add to it 2 tbsp milk to make the dough smooth, refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes. Dust wheat flour and roll out the dough. The rolled out dough should not be too thin nor too thick. Using a lid, cookie cutter or a round bottle cap and cut it in desired shapes. Press it with a fork to give it a striped pattern. Alternatively, you can make small balls out of the dough, press it between your palms to give a round flat shape (just like cookies) and make striped design with a fork and then bake. Place the biscuits on a greased tray and bake (the oven has to be pre-heated for 15 mins at 1800C) for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits start browning slightly. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Once it cools it will become crisp. Store it in an airtight container. For a variation, you can replace the vanilla essence with 1/4 tsp cardamom.
–Pushpa Ladsariya

KIDNEY BEAN HUMMUS

Image: Paul Goyette (CC BY SA 3.0)

Benefits: White kidney beans are low in fat, low in glycemic level, high in lean protein (can substitute meat and dairy products), loaded with manganese and Vitamin C, contains good carbohydrates, soluble and insoluble dietery fibers as well as two insulin-regulating amino acids in abundance—arginine and leucine. So it’s great for digestion, diabetic patients, prevents several disorders and doesn’t cause gas like other beans.  

Recipe: You can easily substitute chickpeas with white kidney beans when making hummus. Blanche about 200 gm, strain and grind them in a mixer till coarse. Mix it first with 50 gm tahina or sesame paste, then 10gm garlic paste, 15 ml olive oil, 10 ml lime juice, salt and pepper to taste and garnish with coriander. Refrigerate immediately, if it’s for later use as kidney beans turn sour very fast. Consume the hummus on the same day.
–Rakhee Vaswani, Palate Culinary Studio

SPINACH & ORANGE SALAD
Benefits: Besides meeting your daily requirements of Vitamin K and lutein, Spinach is high in fiber, Vitamin C and potassium, which is good for your muscles and heart.

Recipe: Wash 150 gm baby beets, season with salt, a crushed clove of garlic, 10 gm rosemary, olive oil and cracked pepper; wrap in an aluminium foil and roast for 45 mins in an oven pre-heated at 160° C. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and 50 gm roasted pistachio; add to it finely diced shallots. Chop a small piece of ginger, mix it with 100gm lima beans, 100gm green beans and 200 gm blanched flat beans, olive oil and fleur de sel. Arrange a good amount of baby spinach in a salad bowl so that the salad has volume, place on it wedges of the roasted beet, add the beans as well as segments of blood orange and malta orange. Finish with pistachio vinaigrette.
 

BER COULIS with PANNA COTTA

Image: Pankaj Bhingarde, The Good Wife

Benefits: Nutrient-rich and high in antioxidants, this indigenous berry helps increase immunity and aids in keeping your hair and skin healthy. It is richer in Vitamin C than even oranges and also contains amino acids such as Vitamin B, calcium, iron and phosphorous.

Recipe: Prepare the ber coulis by cooking 500 gm ber and 200 gm sugar on a slow flame, till it reduces to half. Then discard the seed with a strainer, dissolve 2 gm xanthan gum in it and keep aside to cool. You can use it to make flavoured yogurt and it would go really well with panna cotta. For the panna cotta, cook 500ml cream and 120gm honey and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and add to it 8gm agar agar, 2tbsp cinnamon, 1250ml soy milk and 40ml coffee extract and again heat till it simmers and keep stirring. Pour the panna cotta mixture in desired cups, pour some coulis on a plate and once the panna cotta has cooled, place it on top of the coulis. You drizzle some coulis on top as well.
–Pankaj Bhingarde, The Good Wife