Organic food stuffs for an elaborate meal on Bhai Dhooj

Have you thought of your cuisine on the occasion of Bhai Dooj?  What treat are you planning for your lovely brother? Fried poori, gulab jamun, kheer, laddu, whatever it may be, we are sure it would be something special.

Bhai Dhooj, the festival that celebrates the affectionate bond between sisters and brothers is never complete without the delicacies prepared by you, wherein you instil all your love and blessings for your kin.

But the food items prepared with so much affection are detrimental to your brother’s health. Is this because they are fried and high in calories?  Not only this, the fundamental ingredients used in preparing the dishes are not organic. They are cultivated using, well, let’s not repeat it. You know it already.

But we were wondering why not give you an idea on organic options to make Bhai Dhooj cuisine a healthy delight for your brother.

Sweets

The celebration starts by offering sweets to your brother after performing the ritual. Common sweets used are besan ladoo,  gulabjamun and barfi. The basic ingredients used in these confectioneries are flour, be it wheat flour or gram flour, ghee, sugar and milk.

You just need to make a small change of replacing these ingredients with organic ones. Use organic flour, ghee, organic sweeteners like jaggery and maple syrup, condensed milk and organic dry fruits for your recipes. It will be worth doing so as you gain essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin C found in organic food.

Main Course Meal

Vegetables, chappatis, poori, paranthas and raita comprise an elaborate meal for this day. We know it’s difficult to take out time for such a luxurious meal but you won’t stop going to any extent to show your affection for your sibling. And choosing organic food is one way of achieving that purpose.

Loaded with the goodness of antioxidants and destitute of harmful organophosphorus compounds, organic vegetables ensure strong immunity and a happy heart. They are also superior in taste than their non- organic counterparts. Beans and pulses are no different when it comes to conventional cultivate.

Every time you choose organic, you not only ensure your family’s health but also lend a helping hand in agricultural management that promotes soil health and fertility; fosters species diversity, helps encounter climate change and prevents damage to the valuable water resources.

The flour that goes in making chappatis and paranthas can provide supplements like vitamin B, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc only if it’s organic. The conventional cooking oil needs to be replaced with an organic counterpart obtained by natural metabolic process from plants and animals. It strengthens your digestive system without compromising on taste.

After all, it’s your duty to take care of your brother’s digestive system by not making him feel bloated after a meal. Bloating is a common problem on Bhai Dhooj –ask your brother!

Be it plain yoghurt or raita, it always takes care of your teeth and bones by providing you calcium and phosphorus. You are also gifted with a healthy heart, digestion and immune system. Fruits like cucumber, pomegranate, apple or pineapple can be added to supplement the curd with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals present in organic fruits. Non-organic products are loaded with organophosphorus compounds that are detrimental to brain health.

And last but not the least, the spices and condiments you use in your recipes, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin powder etc. should also be derived from organic farms to complete your organic meal.

Small changes can make big differences. Just think about taking this small step of an organic meal this Bhai Dhooj and see the vibrant smile on your brother’s face.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/organic-food-stuffs-elaborate-meal-bhai-dhooj/

Give your husband an organic treat this Karwa Chauth

Karwa Chauth, the festival most near to a woman’s heart is celebrated with full vigour across Northern India. Food items, vibrant clothes, beauty products and puja thalis constitute the significant part of this day. Starting with Sargi comprising of vermicelli cooked with milk, matthis, paranthas, fruits and sweets are the usual items on the menu. Nowadays, couples also indulge in restaurant treats to celebrate this bond of love.

As it is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, every lady tries to prepare the best recipe to express her love and gratitude for her husband. Sabzi, poori, parantha, rice and halwa/kheer constitute the main meal of the day. But all these food items are loaded with high calories if prepared in a traditional way.

We provide you with alternatives to make your meal tasty and also ensure health.

Sabzi

Instead of going for high caloric foodstuff like potato, paneer etc. opt for beans like rajma, chole and dal makhani. Apart from being a rich source of proteins they also give you an advantage of consuming lesser calories. You gain strong immunity, low cholesterol and better control over blood pressure by consuming these beans.

On the top of it, choosing an organic variety of these pulses will save you from harmful effects of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and contaminants associated with the non-organic variety. Cooking with organic spices and condiments will add more flavour, taste and energy to whatever you make.

Poori/Parantha

Why are you disturbing the workout regime of your hubby? These food items are packed with saturated fats and toxins present in cooking oil, making you prone to heart disease and cancer.  Higher consumption of fried foods is associated with increased amount of visceral fat in your body, thus hampering your daily workout.

Better go for Tandoori Chapatis prepared from organic wheat flour. That’s a double treat with all the essential nutrients of wheat like vitamin B, vitamin E, iron, zinc and potassium minus, of course, pesticides and synthetic fertilisers.

Rice

Instead of the traditional jeera rice, try making a veggie pulao this season. You can use carrot, capsicum, beans, beetroot or any vegetable of your choice. Being loaded with the goodness of vegetables like vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, dietary fibre and potassium, it’s also easy to cook in a pressure cooker. But remember to purchase the organic variety of rice which is free from toxic and carcinogenic effects of Arsenic found in non-organic cultivate.

All the more, you can use organic cashews to garnish your serving, add flavour and texture to it. This pulao can be served with plain yoghurt or fruit raita. Yoghurt boosts your digestion by promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the intestines. Adding fruit charges it with vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Halwa/Kheer

No meal is complete without a dessert. You have been using refined sugar till now to prepare them but this carries the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood.

You can, instead, try making a laddu or halwa using jaggery? Organic jaggery tastes different!

So do not hesitate in using the natural sweeteners like jaggery, dates or raw honey in your recipes. They are far better than sugar in taste and destitute of its harmful effects. They will provide you with essential nutrients like iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium without compromising on taste.

So, give your husband an organic and healthy treat this Karwa Chauth, and celebrate the bond of love in its true essence.

Reference:- http://organicinsights.in/give-husband-organic-treat-karwa-chauth/