Healthy, happy, Ve

A mum's desire to feed her young children healthy vegetarian food translates int she can share with other parents

BY _...::... SHERYL DI XIT

Vegebal?J. The title of this cookbook intrigued me, as I have a veget.'lrian husband and a notoriously fussy 5 year old, who is a staunch nonbeliever in healthy food. Author Pragna Parmita's extremely attractive cookbook is exactly w h at Indian families li ving in Australia can look for when it comes to ra ising their children ro be healthy vegetarians. But Vegehr,lry is much more than a cookbook; apart from indicating health benefits, iL states what kind of food to give a child at a particular age and has answers for minor concerns which are major cause of worry for new parents. Foods chat help digestion, immunity, anemia, growth, constipation, concentration, mood, memory, intestinal healtl1 or not sleeping well are all listed, as well as nutritional values for each rype of food, which I personally fom1d very helpful.

"l'vf)' original desire was to see a beaming healthy child and 1 was aware char what l gave m y child in hi s early impressionable years would stay with him for li fe," says Pragna, who lives in the USA ''1 tried \vhat seemed like a million food combinations, set a routine and keenly watched it's effects o n m y baby. The concept of Vegebai?J germinated when sharing observations about the effects of certain foods and recipes with otl1er parents, and I thought it would be great to include them into a comprehensive cookbook that could help establish healtl1y eating habits in children at a young age." Mum co two boys, she experienced and observed Erst- hand t he pos itive effects of greens and fresh produce on the mind and b ody

Vegebalzy is an easy resource guide to any health conscious parent across tl1e world. "Along wi th nutritious recipes, nutrition is simply explained with the sources, die common ailmems which are a cause of worry for a parent are dealt with, and all recipes include nutrient content and benefits:' she explains.

Pragna admits to researching tirelessly to make the recipes included in Vegebr11!J as comprehensive as possible. ''I spoke m n1)' mum, grandmw1.1, relatives, friends, almost all parents I knew, m y nutritionist and homeopath, read books and spent hours on the in ternet. I then devised and rested recipes based o n my so n's liking and mood keeping nutrition at the forefront. By tbe time I bad another child, I bad a better knowledge o f benefits of fresh produce and it's \Vonderful effects," she says ' ½ll the recipes are a product of what especially appealed to m y children and their friend s."

I was impressed with the variety and depth of Vegebal!J, and tl1e book has received an e ncouraging response from India and the USA. "The common theme of health)' living and establishing a healthy lifestyle of your kids is of universal interest," says Pragna. "I hope to reach om to as many parents as possib le, not just the ones who are vegetarian."

Although Vegebal!Y is nor available in Australia, the e-book version is on Google Books and the book can be purchased online from Amazon. com

I noticed mat the recipes in Vegcbal?J' can be adapte d for o lder children and even for tl1e family meal.

Sweet potato and tomato bisque

Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, K, B, Omega-3 fatty acid s, sulphur, manganese , magnesium., copper, potassium l tablespoon olive o il or bmter

½ onion, chopped

2'/2 cup vegetab le stock

1 cup tomato, finely chopped

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon parsley, minced Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onions, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Stir in the stock, sweet potaro puree, lemon zest and honey. Simmer until heated througb. Garnish witl1 parsley to serve.

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Bottle gourd paratha

Vitamins B, K, protein, calciwn, iron, potassium, manganese, magnesium, Omega- 3 fatty ac id s, copper

1 m ediu m bottle go urd (seeded and shredded along with tl1e skin)

2 cups wheat fl our

½ cup soy Elom

1/• cup El8"-.,;seed meal

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon coriander, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons carom seds

2 teaspoons turmeric powder l teaspoon asafecida

Oil/butter for cooking

Bmter

Salt

Co mbine all the ingredients in a lru:ge bm,vl , alo n g with the olive o il. Knead ro make semi- stiff d ough. Tbe water in the bottle gourd will bring tl1e do ug h together Additio nal water should be used sparingly as it might make finely chopped

'I• cup gree n beans, chopped into small pieces

'/. cup g herkins, chopped int small pieces

¼ cup green peas

½ cup carrots, cbopped into tiny pieces

¼ sweet potato, chopped imo tin y pieces

1 teaspoon cinnamon powde r

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

3 c loves g arlic, m inced

½ teaspoon saffron tl1e dough soft and sti cky. Roll into pamthas and lig htly fry on both sides w i rh a little butte r over low-mediu m beat. Serve with a dasb of butte r.

Super Seven Ric.e

N mrienrs: Vitamins A, B, C, K, iron, protein, thiamine, niacin , porassimn, phosphorus, Omega-3 fatty acids, calc ium, manganese

1 cup rice

2¼ cups water

¼ cup capsicum,

2 cinnamon sticks

Small p iece ginge r, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

'I• cup raisins

Few coriander and mint leaves, m inced

2 teaspoons pepper Sale

Warm the water and stir in tl1e saffron and cinnamon powder. Ser aside Me lt the butter and oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, mint and same for one minute. A dd mrmeric powder an d quickl y add vegetables, salt, pepper, coriander and rice. Same until the rice starts co scick co Lhe pan Add the water, cover and cook over low- medium heat until rice is tender. Remove from hear. Stir in the rais ins. Cover and set as ide for a few minutes be fore setving.

Cashews and peanuts cru1 be us ed instead o f di e raisins.

Cottage cheese and wain ut patties uti:ienrs: V itamins A, B, C, E, K, protein, calcium, po tass ium, phosphorus, zinc, Omega-3 fan:y acids, manganese, copper

Fur the .rea111

½ cup thick plain yogurt

I teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons basil paste

Salt

Fur the patty

¾ cup cottage cheese, grated

¼ cup cacrors, shredded

¼ cup bottle goll1'd, shredded l tablespoon flaxseed meal

2 bread slices

I tablespoon milk

½ cup walnuts o r peanuts

Oil for frying

1 tablespoo n white flour

Salt

To make the crean1, blend the yogurt with garlic, lemon juice and basil paste. Set as id e.

To make the pan:ie, heat the pan and roast tl1e walnuts for a few minutes. Coo l slightly and process in a blender. Set tbe powdered

INDIAN LINK nuts aside. Combine rhe powdered nuts, cottage cheese, carrots, bottle gourd, flaxseed meal and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Lightly soak tl1e bread in the milk. Qllickly remove it and squeeze the b read to remove the excess milk. Blend the breadcrnmbs with tl1e mixtll1'e in the bowl. Divide and shape into croquettes. Chill for l hour to firm for easy fr yi ng. Toss it in tbe

Aollr and fry in the pan over lowmedium heat until golden -brown on boch sides. Serve the patties with a few spoo nfuls of cream. This recipe can be served \vith a few spoonfuls of avocado sauce (mashed avocados, olive oil, Lime juice, sa lt and pepper)

Peanut and cardamom

laddoo

Nutrients: Vi tamin B, protein, manganese, copper, calcium, folate

3 cups peanuts

1 tab lespoon peanut butter

1 tabl espoon desiccated coconut

I tablespoon u nsalted butter/gbee

2 teaspoons cardamom powder

2 t abl espoons sugar

Roast the peanuts in a lacge pan until golden brown. Remove from heat and cool sligh tly. Peel off me skin w hen warm by rubbing between your hands. Granul ate the peanuts in a blender. Combine me granulated peanuts, suga r, cardamom powder, coconut and peanut butter in a bowl. Moisten the hands with unsalted butter, mix the ingredients well co shape into lemon size balls to make laddos Slightly flatten m serve.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR LOVE?