Heart Healthy Indian Cuisine

Indian Food Which Nurtures the heart

Two recipes from ‘Amrit: Luscious and Heart Healthy Indian Meals’ by Purnima Nandkishore with nutritional analysis by Karen Yee, MS, RD, LN. Read how the diet brought about dramatic changes in the health of Nanda Nandkishore who was at high risk for heart disease.

Punjabi Polenta—Polenta with Mustard Greens

Ingredients for Polenta

4 cups water

1 cup corn grits (polenta)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon fresh coarsely ground pepper

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Cheese Topping

6 oz. (¾ cup) Low fat ricotta cheese—Precious brand

2 tablespoons egg-whites (from free-range chickens)

½ tablespoon whole coriander seeds

¼ teaspoon paprika

Ingredients for Greens

15 oz. canned no-salt added garbanzo beans—Eden^Ò brand

2 oz. yellow onion (¼ medium)

(10.5 oz. mustard greens with stalks) 5 oz. mustard greens are actually used in the recipe

½ tablespoon kala garam masala (if you do not own a copy of Amrit, use one of your favorite garam masalas)

½ teaspoon avocado oil

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon turmeric

Ingredients for Soy Layer

2 tablespoons soy flour

Ingredients for Mustard Sauce (yields 6 tablespoons)

8 tablespoons orange juice and pulp

2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

⅛ teaspoon salt

A few drops of avocado oil for greasing the baking pan

Items Required

Vita-Mix blender (or other powerful blender)

Coffee mill

Rolling board

Rolling pin

11″ Non-stick sauté pan with lid

1 small thick-bottom stainless steel pan

2 quart capacity (11″ ´ 7.5″ ´ 2″) baking pan

3 quart capacity saucepan

Pressure cooker

2 quart capacity pressure cooker container

Small bowls for setting aside measured dry ingredients

Mortar and pestle

4 cup capacity measuring cup

1 cup capacity measuring cup

Colander

Spatulas

Large bowls

Spoons

Knives

Timer

Preparation

Grease the baking pan with a few drops of avocado oil.

Slice the onion into vertical strips and set them aside.

Cut the mustard greens into 1″ pieces.

Roast the whole coriander seeds using the thick-bottom stainless steel pan, then cool them and grind them using the coffee mill.

Roast the soy flour on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, using the thick-bottom stainless steel pan. Transfer it to a small bowl and set it aside.

Drain the liquid from the canned garbanzo beans and set them aside.

Take one medium sized orange (8.75 oz.), Peel off the skin and remove the pith. Blend the whole orange—the sections with their skins—using a powerful blender. This will give you 6 ounces of thick juice.

Pound the mustard seeds to a coarse powder using mortar and pestle. Pour in the orange pulp and soak the mustard powder in the mortar for 2 hours. After about one hour, use the pestle to make a smooth paste. The soaked seeds will give out more heat when they are ground further to a smoother paste.

Mix together the egg whites, freshly ground coriander powder, paprika, and ricotta cheese in a small bowl. Set the mixture aside.

Measure out and transfer the corn grits to a large mixing bowl. Crush lightly the ½ teaspoon cumin seeds to be used in polenta using a rolling pin on a rolling surface, and then add them and the coarsely ground pepper to the grits.

Method

To the 3 quart saucepan add 4 cups of water, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and then bring the water to a boil on a high heat setting. Meanwhile, place water in the pressure cooker bottom and place it on high heat to warm it, and have it ready to take the polenta for cooking. When the water in the saucepan is boiling rapidly add all of the polenta flour at once, and stir vigorously to mix it into the water. Use a large spatula to press out any lumps against the side of the cooking vessel and break them. Let the mixture come to a boil and thicken for about a minute, then transfer this

mixture to the 2 quart pressure cooker–safe container. Place the container in the warmed pressure cooker and close the lid of the cooker and start cooking it at a high temperature setting. Cook for 25 minutes, then let the pressure come down naturally. As soon as you are able to open the pressure cooker, transfer the polenta from the cooker to the greased baking pan and set it aside for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

When the polenta is no longer steaming hot, you can layer the egg white and ricotta cheese mixture on top. Then place the baking pan into the preheated oven and cook it for 20 minutes at 350°F.

While the polenta is cooking in the oven, cook the mustard greens as follows: place the 11″ non-stick sauté pan on high heat, add the avocado oil, and place the cumin seeds in the oil. They will first sizzle, then they will turn color; at this point add the sliced onions and let them cook for about 1 ½ minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the mustard greens and stir the mixture until the greens wilt. Next, add the drained garbanzo beans, salt, and all the spices listed for the mustard greens above. Stir to mix well and take the pan off the heat.

Take out the baking pan and sprinkle the roasted soy flour evenly on top of the baked ricotta cheese layer.

Transfer the garbanzo beans–mustard greens–onion mixture on the top of the soy flour layer.

You can cut the polenta into 6 squares at this point and transfer the pieces to a serving platter, or take the whole baking pan to the table.

Transfer the prepared mustard from the mortar to a serving bowl; add the salt, the turmeric and cumin powders to the mustard and stir to mix.

Serve one piece of the baked polenta with about 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard.

South Indian Chutney

Spicy Condiment with Peanuts and Cilantro

Ingredients

2 oz. cilantro (60 stems)

½ cup raw peanuts with skin-on

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons filtered water

1 tablespoon chana dal

1 tablespoon urad dal

1 green chili pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon canola oil

Items Required

Vita-Mix or other 700 watt blender

Toaster Oven

Preparation

Roast the peanuts at 350°F for about 4 minutes. Let them cool down to room temperature. If you want to preserve the benefit of vitamin E, which is present in the peanuts, and resveratrol which is present in the peanut skins, use the peanuts unroasted.

Place the canola oil in a 1 quart saucepan and heat the pan at medium heat. Add the chana dal to the pan and stir it for about 30 seconds or until it starts sizzling. Then add the urad dal to the pan and stir them both together for about 1 minute or until they turn golden orange. Immediately transfer them to a plate to cool down to room temperature.

Method

Place all the ingredients in the blender cup, and then blend until smooth.