Desi Food, Eat healthy with Pride and Joy!
The Indian food narrative has been made out to be unhealthy for far too long. It’s time to unravel some Indian healthy food truths!
When it comes to culture and history India has been at the receiving end of the Western world looking down upon it or giving it a false narrative.
Sometimes it’s a colonial thing, sometimes it’s also pure business. It’s as simple as, when you project one is better than the other you drive business to the one which finds favor and hence becomes more profitable even in the food industry.
One day the latest trend will tell you to have sesame oil and the next day it will be to drop it to save your life.
Desi Food: The healthy truth
Indian Food is a complete food and no one knew it better than the traditional food geniuses inside our home, our very wise grandmothers.
Ancient Indian science was using the concepts of gluten-free, sustainable, organic, and completely natural way, much before it became trendy and marketable.
Indian food is generally perceived by the world as spicy, oily, and unhealthy. But is it really so?
Go to any Indian home and nothing could be further from the truth.
Moreover, for too long we have been fed lies about our own food which the West is now lapping it up and repackaging it with ownership.
The good old Haldi Doodh which every granny and mommy wanted us to drink as children and we shunned it. Now, it seems so much more drool-worthy now just because it comes in a firangi branded cup and is termed as ‘Turmeric Latte’.
Here’s serving up a funny food game with Food Journalist and Funny Bones Kunal Vijayakar and Chunkey Pankey taking a dig at us Indians and our food psychology. Does the delicious traditional South Indian Dosa taste any different when served with the western snobbery of calling it ‘Naked Crepes’?
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Reclaiming Indian Food: Ancient Science and Health
It’s time to reclaim our Indian food which is healthy, and full of flavors, culture, and variety.
When it comes to food science, the best was being practiced in the traditional Indian kitchen. Even the plates were organic and made of dried leaves which are now being replicated in modern labs today. Interestingly, our ancestors did it thousands of years ago with basic wisdom and science.
Glories of Ghee
Eating food at a restaurant is not the definition of staple Indian food. So next time when you want to showcase Indian food to your foreign friends with pride do it ‘home style’ or with ‘ghar ka khana’ and a dollop of love and the goodness of ‘Ghee’ as grandma would say.
We have all in our haste to get that thin waist given up on the wonder superfood ‘Ghee’ popularly now widely being used abroad as ‘clarified butter’.
Ghee was made out to be a monster for weight watchers. This amazing food was once lovingly put on top of all Indian foods which not only made it tastier but is great for digestion and gut health. Plus it is a healthy energy food and must be consumed daily as our grandmother’s lovingly wanted us to. It is great for weight loss and is full of good cholesterol and energy.
So grab a dollop of glorious ghee today!
Oats vs Paranthas: Make the healthy Indian choice
A breakfast of whole wheat Indian parathas with ghee is much more nutritious and healthy than the cereals in boxes that we have started to opt for in the name of being healthy and lighter.
Cereals are full of preservatives and sugar and parathas are better than any baked bread which has some form of preservative and is not fresh like your Desi paratha.
Ditch the bread and cereal and stick to the Indian paratha for a more energized and healthy day.
As shocking as it may seem it’s the healthier option and dietician Mac Singh, is doing his bit to showcase Indian food as the healthiest of them all.
The Desi Foodscape: Nutritious, Flavourful, and Scientific
Indian food is full of flavours and your regular home meal covers all food groups.
Even the concept of eating the lovely Pan ( Betel leaf) or tender Murabba ( Naturally made candy) or sweet Gud (Jaggery) at the end of a meal was to help digest all the food making it a complete meal with a scientifically designed digestive process.
Variety thy name is Indian food
The flavors of Indian food change across regions with local herbs and seeds from every region which are so diverse because of the geographical conditions and weather.
Indian home-cooked food is flavourful and very high on immunity. Basic ingredients like Ginger garlic, and coriander being put into every food make you healthier with each home-cooked meal you savour.
Spices and herbs viz. black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom have their origins in India. These have been used in both food and health by Indians for thousands of years.
The best part is the flavourful paradise called India can bring a new food delight just by going 40 kilometers in any new direction.
Every new region with its topography and weather also has some regional flavor to offer like the Bhutte Ka Kees in the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh again an extremely healthy Indian street food or the extremely nutritious, tangy, and delicious meal of rice, vegetables, and lentils called Bisibelebhat from Karnataka.
Contrary to popular belief Indian food is easy and fast to cook.
It seems so much easier to just boil some noodles and just throw in some vegetables than cook an entire Indian meal.
But noodles come to us ready-made and are not made from scratch.
You can, however, make a roti, knead its dough and cook it in a few minutes. Plus a protein-rich flavourful dal takes about 20 minutes to cook. That’s a great, fast, and healthy option to be served to even your foreign friends with love and the goodness of granny’s glorious ghee.
If you must showcase outside food then Sarson da saag and Makki ki Roti or Puran Poli and the aforementioned Bhutte Ka Kees and Bisibelebhat are just a few among the many tasty and healthy options.
Just like at the end of a good meal, there should be something sweet. I end this article on a sweet note by giving you some easy sweet swaps courtesy of dietician Mac Singh.
You can serve these to your friends who visit India or during the festive season.
Next time someone thinks of Indian cuisine it should leave a feel-good sweet feeling as a nutritious, healthy, and rich in flavor and superfood cuisine for the world to bite into with as much pleasure with the goodness of grandma’s wisdom and love.
