If diabetes is keeping you away from indulging in foods you love, try some recipes which have ingredients suited for those who have sugar issues.
Manish Kusumwal, Corporate Chef at Keys Hotels, suggests:
*Tilapia Tawa Masala (Pan Seared)
Ingredients
250 gm tilapia fillet (2 servings)
1.5 tbsp vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Kashmiri mirch
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp roasted jeera powder
One lime’s juice
1 tsp olive oil/or any preferred oil to grease the pan
Salt to taste
Cilantro and lemon wedge to garnish
Directions
Cut the fish into 2 inch long strips. Rub salt and then turmeric over the fish and keep it aside.
Mix the vinegar, ginger and garlic paste, garam masala, turmeric, Kashmiri mirch and lime juice in a bowl.
Dip each piece of fish in this mix and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
Set a non stick pan to medium-low heat. Use little oil to grease the pan for the masala to cook nicely.
Put the marinated fish on the pan. To make fish extra spicy, smear some left over mix onto each individual piece. The fish seared on one side for 2 minutes and then 2 minutes on the other side.
Use a toothpick to poke and check if the fish is done. Sprinkle the jeera powder and garnish with cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.
* Bharwan Karela (Baked)
Ingredients
6 medium-sized Karela (bitter gourds)
3 onions finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchur (dry mango) powder
1 tsp saunf (fennel seeds) crushed
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350 F.
Prepare the karela by washing and drying them (I don’t peel the skin, or apply salt to it, but you could if you feel it makes the dish too bitter).
Slice each karela in the centre (without going all the way through) and scrape out the inside including the seeds using a teaspoon.
Place the karela on a baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes (till it starts to shrink and brown a bit). If the karela is thick, it may require a bit longer, so keep checking.
In the meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and add the onions and fry until golden brown.
Add the spice powders and salt, mix well. Fry for a few seconds and remove from the heat.
Once cooled, use a spoon or your hands and stuff the karela with equal amounts of the mixture. Smear any extra stuffing or oil on the karela.
You can bake the karela again for a further 10-15 minutes or pan-fry the stuffed karela in a teaspoon of oil for 5-10 minutes.
Serve with rice and dal or with rotis and a sabzi.
Once cooked, the karela can be refrigerated for upto a week.
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Shrutika Koli, Mews cafe – Taj Wellington Mews, Mumbai, suggests:
* Sugarfree Rice Kheer
Ingredients:
Milk: 500 ml
Rice: 15 gm
Cardamom powder: 5 gm
Sugar free: (Stevia/honey if desired by guest)
Mixed dry fruits: 25 gm
Method:
Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan and let it reduce on slow flame.
Wash and presoak rice.
Add to the milk and let it cook till the rice is overdone.
Once done add cardomom powder and dry fruits slivers.
Cook it till it gets nice creamy finish.
You can add little sweetener instead of sugar, either sugar free, honey or stevia.
