Tangy Tomato Chicken - An iron enriched delight!

Iron is one of the most essential element for the human body. It is involved in numerous biological processes of the body. The average adult human contains about 0.005% body weight of iron, or abut four grams, of which three quarters is in hemoglobin- a level that remains constant despite only about one milligram of iron being absorbed each day, because the human body recycles its hemoglobin for the iron content.

Iron is most available to the body when chelated to amino acids and is also available for use as a common iron supplement. Glycine, the cheapest and most common amino acid is most often used to produce iron glycinate supplements.

According to World health organisation, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world, even through the mineral is present in a variety of foods.

Being a doctor, I come across patients with iron deficiency and low hemoglobin very frequently. 

The deficiency symptoms may range from nausea, weakness, ringing and buzzing sound in ears (tinnitus) and many other clear or vague symptoms.

But, a great deal of them can be covered by dietary changes alone. The good news is, iron is found in varying quantities in many a food items that we consume on a daily basis. 

In fact, most of the times, we don't even need to give special attention to our body's iron demand and needs as it is easily met on it's own.

Although, many a times, due to special circumstances specially in case of females, one needs extra iron as demanded by the body. Like in case of pregnant women, iron demand is increased and needs to be tackled by diet as well as supplements to keep the hemoglobin levels normal.

Talking about foods particularly rich in iron -Jaggary (gur) comes on top. It is regarded as the cheapest and richest source of iron. (Undoubtedly, delicious too).

There are many other cheap and easily available sources. Common ones being spinach,oats, nuts,soybean, fish, lentils, tofu , chicken, dates, bread etc. 

Out of these, I think, Chicken is my favourite source. Chicken is not just easily available but can also be cooked easily and is a very versatile food product.

One can eat it by simply boiling it or as a main dish, make rolls or fried snacks. The options are endless. And it tastes delicious early single time (remember KFC?) 

However, not all parts of a chicken provide the same amount of iron. Chicken liver supplies 11.63 milligrams of iron per 3.5-ounce serving, or about 65 percent of the nutrient’s daily value. Equivalent servings of chicken heart and chicken giblets supply about 50 percent and 36 percent of the daily value for iron, respectively. Chicken breasts and light meat broilers or fryers contain just over 1 milligram of iron each per 3.5-ounce serving, or roughly 6 percent of the daily value. Dark meat broilers or fryers have slightly more iron, providing about 7 percent of the nutrient’s daily value per 3.5-ounce serving. (Source -here)

Here I would like to share a very simple Chicken recipe that can be served as a main dish. It contains all the basic ingredients and can be cooked pretty quickly. No marination time, no lengthy procedures but a very delicious , tangy, rich and not to mention iron rich gravy.

I call it 'THE TANGY TOMATO CHICKEN'

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 35-40 minutes

Serves : 6

Ingredients

Chicken : 1/2 kg or about 6 pieces

Tomato : 3 Large (Pureed) 

Onion : 2 Medium ( Coarsely chopped) 

Ginger - Garlic Paste : 1 Tbsp

Red Chilly Powder : 1 tsp or according to taste

Coriander Powder : 1/2 Tsp

Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp

Salt : According to taste

Refined Oil ( you can use any other oil as well) : 2 tbsp

Water

Method

1) In a wok, take oil and add coarsely chopped onion. Fry it till golden-brown and then sieve through excess oil and keep it aside to cool a bit.( We need to grind it later) 

2) In the same oil , add chicken pieces, cook for about a minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste, salt and Red chilly powder ( I add it to the chicken directly as it provides enhanced flavour and colour).

3) Fry it till raw smell of spices as well as chicken goes away ( usually 10-12 minutes) and it becomes brownish like this ,

4) In a grinder, add roughly chopped tomatoes, golden- brown onion and grind it to a smooth paste.

5) Add this paste to chicken and also add garam masala here.

6) Simmer the flame and cover it after giving a nice stir. 

7)) Let it cook for about 20-25 minutes, till chicken is soft and oil comes on the surface. Occasionally stirring in between. 
Doesn't it look simply mouth-watering? And believe me, it is extremely easy to cook and tastes delicious while being equally nutritious at the same time. 
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8) Once the chicken curry is cooked completely, add a few drops of lemon juice if not sour enough. 

9) Take it off the flame and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. 

10) Serve hot with Roti or Naan. 

PS: I am helping in raising awareness against iron deficiency through these recipes with contain iron-rich ingredients in association with Livogen. 
For more details, check this out -  http://www.livogen.in/iron-chef/


Wishing you a happy, healthy and nutritious life!

Mixed Dal - Lentils deliciously 'mixed' with iron!

Did you know? Just 100 grams of lentils provide 45% of your daily iron needs!
Iron plays a integral role in the formation of hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in the muscles, both of which carry oxygen to the cells.
That is why fatigue and tiredness are usually the first symptoms people notice when they are low in iron. For vegetarians, getting enough iron, is particularly challenging. Regularly including lentils in your diet can help boost your iron intake. (As per www.lentils.org )

Lentils are a cheap and easily available  source of iron. It's easy and quick to cook and goes well as a main or a side dish with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines.

I chose 'Mixed Dal' because it contains four different varieties of Dals (Lentils) and tastes delicious.
It is extremely easy to make and not to mention that it requires all those spices and other ingredients which are readily available in our homes.

Now presenting you the recipe of Mixed Dal - A nutritious dish, rich not just in iron but also other minerals and vitamins necessary for the healthy development of our body.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15- 20 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients

Moong Dal (Split yellow lentils) - 1 Tbsp
Masoor Dal (Split Red Lentils) - 1 Tbsp
Urad Dal (Split Black Lentils) -1 Tbsp
Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram) - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 Tsp
Red chilly powder -1/4th Tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 Tsp
Coriander powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To taste
Ginger gastric paste - 1 Tsp
Onion( Finely chopped) - 1 cup ( 1/2 cup fried for garnishing)
Ghee - 1 Tbsp
Coriander leaves - Few for garnishing


Method

1) Wash and soak all the lentils, either separately or together for about 45 minutes to one hour. (If you are in a hurry then you can soak then in warm water for 15 minutes) This will reduce the cooking time.

2) In a pressure cooker, add all the four lentils, ghee, spices like turmeric, red chilly powder, garam masala, salt, coriander powder, finely chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Also add 2 cups of water.  Give it a stir to mix everything properly.

3) Now cook until 3 whistles and then on simmer for 5 minutes.

4) Switch off the flame and open the lid only when steam has completely escaped.

5) In a small pan, add about 1Tbsp of ghee and then add half a cup of finely chopped onions. Cook until golden brown.

6) Dish out the cooked Mixed lentils in a bowl and garnish with crisp onions and finely chopped green coriander leaves.

7) Your iron rich, nutritious dal is ready. Serve hot with naan or roti.

Nutritional information:

Iron : All lentils contain about 7.5 mg/ 100 grams

Besides being rich in Iron, they also contain nutrients like Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fibers, Folic acid, Calcium, Sodium , Potassium and Zinc. Also Vitamins like A, B3, C.


So, when are you cooking Mixed Dal at your home? 

If you want to know more about problems and health issues due to deficiency of iron, check out http://www.livogen.in/iron-chef/

Not sugary, just sweet!

A sweet dish almost always touches the deepest corners of our heart and soul. Be it a spongy, chocolate oozing cake or the hot gulab jamuns, our meals as well as our lives are incomplete without desserts. 

But somewhere, in this journey of inseparable bond sweets became synonymous with 'sugars' and health issues crept in.

As someone has rightly said that all good relations face the test(s) of time. Our relation with sweet dishes is facing one too. 

With more than 62 million people suffering from Diabetes Mellitus in India alone, sweet lovers are being forced to give up on this special bond with desserts. 

I think, its time now to realise that sugar can never be synonymous with sweet.

So, I decided why not give a sugar free touch to our bond with the ' dearest desserts'? 

Presenting you one of my favourite, extremely easy yet deliciously sweet recipe 

'custard trifle-the sugar free way'

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Refrigeration time: 2-4 hours

What you will need

1) Milk - 1 litre

2) Custard powder(Vanilla) - 

3) sponge cake - 5-6 pieces 

4) Sugar free Natura - according to taste

5) Mixed fruits

6) Whipped cream - 3 tbsp

7) Dry fruits - optional 

8) Colourful jelly - optional

Method

1) Warm about a half cup milk in a microwave or on the stove top. Then add 4 tbsp custard powder to the warm milk. Keep this custard powder paste aside.

2) In another pan, take half litre or more milk.  stir and heat this milk on low to medium flame. Just bring to a gentle heat and stir.

 3) Now add the custard powder paste and stir quickly, so that no lumps are formed.Keep on stirring continuously till the custard thickens.

For trifles you will need a slightly thick consistency. But remember that as the custard cools, it will thicken more. Allow the custard to cool at room temperature.

4) When you can taken the custard mixture off flame, let it cool slightly and then add Sugar free nature according to taste. 

5) In another bowl, take 1/2 cup chilled cream. I used amul cream here and whip it till smoothened. 

6) Now cut the fruits. You can use apples, bananas, strawberry or just about any seasonal fruits except the citrus ones. 

7) Next, slice out the sponge cake into small cubes or you can simple crumble them and spread generously. 

8) Now comes my favourite part. 

Take a glass dish or if you want to make separate portions in dessert glasses you can do that too.

9) first spread a layer of sponge cake and then moisten it with a layer of custard mixture.

10) Next add a dash a mixed fruits and then again the custard. 

11) Then a layer of dry fruits and whipped cream. 

12) You can keep on layering and repeating it till the top. 

13) Lastly,  make the top cream layer even with a spatula and start to decorate it. You can use fruits, berries, jelly or even chocolate shavings to decorate the top layer.

14) Cover with a foil or lid and keep the trifle pudding in the fridge to set for 2-4 hours or overnight.

Serve chilled. 

To know more and sweeten this relation with desserts visit http://sugarfree-india.com/