Brown basmati pulao with quinoa, red onions

and mushrooms Healthy eating,

North Indian
Serves 6
Quinoa is an ancient grain that provides many of the same nutrients

Cuisine
that are found in whole grains. Try making this recipe with just
quinoa and diced vegetables.

250 mL (1 cup) brown basmati rice

125 mL (½ cup) quinoa
15 mL (1 tbsp) oil
2 mL (½ tsp) cumin seeds
Dinnertime in North India brings families
2 whole cloves together at the table to eat, talk and
2 green cardamom laugh. The traditional meal is vegetarian,
2 cm (½ inch) stick cinnamon consisting of daal, sabzi, raita, salad, rice and
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced chapattis. Everyday dishes are simple, lightly spiced and
227 g (8 oz) sliced brown cremini mushrooms flavoured with fresh coriander and ginger. North Indians
550 mL (2 ¼ cups) water celebrate special occasions with deep-fried
puris and kachoris, almond-studded kheer and
1. Rinse rice then soak in enough water to cover for 1 hour.
halwa and lavish platters of barfi and jalebi.
2. Rinse quinoa. Drain rice and quinoa together in fine mesh sieve.
Greater affluence and busy modern lifestyles
3. Meanwhile, warm oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Add
have changed our traditional eating habits –
spices; sauté 30 seconds until they sizzle. Add sliced onion, sauté
not always for the better. Sweets are no longer
5 minutes until softened.
just rare treats and families pressed for time rely on prepared
4. Add sliced mushrooms, sauté 5 minutes until mushrooms release foods and snacks high in fat, sodium and sugar.
liquid. Add rice and quinoa, stir gently to mix.
5. Add water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat Many South Asians are not aware that they are at a higher
to low and cook 50 minutes. Let rice sit unopened for another risk for heart disease. Healthy eating and physical activity are
5 minutes before fluffing it up with a fork and serving. key to its prevention
and control. By
Nutritional Information per serving (250 mL/1 cup)
Calories: 212, Protein: 6g, Total Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg,
following some
Carbohydrate: 38g, Fibre: 4g, Sodium: 10mg, Potassium: 302mg simple healthy
lifestyle habits,
“For my at-risk South Asian patients, my first advice we can greatly
is change how you cook and what you eat” reduce the risk
for heart disease
Sudi Devanesen M.D.
The Ripple Effect Wellness Organisation
and stroke.

www.heartandstroke.ca/SouthAsian www.heartandstroke.ca/SouthAsian
Eat more vegetables Enjoy traditional Indian vegetables, Moong Daal Palak (whole mung beans cooked with fresh
but also experiment with local seasonal vegetables such as spinach and sautéed vegetables)
brussels sprouts, butternut squash, rapini, or broccoli. Cook Serves 6
them with spices like a traditional sabzi. Add finely diced or
grated vegetables in dishes such as pulao, daal, khichri, salad, For variety, use asparagus, fresh fava beans or roasted root vegetables.
Instead of spinach, try collard greens, swiss chard or kale. You can also
mixed into chapatti flour, stuffed into wraps, rotis or parathas.
serve this daal as a soup by adding low sodium chicken or vegetable
Eat more fruit Add fresh fruit to raita, kheer and salad. broth to thin it out.
Include them in dalia, pulaos, sabzis, raitas and salads. Make
lassi with fresh, sweet mangos and low-fat yogurt. 125 mL (½ cup) whole moong daal (whole green mung beans)
1 L (4 cups) water
Eat whole grains Replace conventional grain dishes with new 2 mL (½ tsp) turmeric
whole-grain kinds. Try making dalia or bajra khichri, barley or bulghur 15 mL (1 tbsp) canola oil
pulao with vegetables, substitute rice with quinoa, or replace 2 mL (½ tsp) cumin seeds
white rice for brown basmati rice. Try adding ground flax to atta ½ onion, finely chopped
when making chapattis or sprinkle it over dalia for breakfast. 5 mL (1 tsp) minced ginger
250 mL (1 cup) diced assorted vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots etc.
Choose healthy fats Use only a little bit of oil to cook spices 250 mL (1 cup) diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
and onions. Avoid store bought pickles as they can be high in 2 mL (½ tsp) cayenne pepper
oil and salt – making your own healthy pickles is very easy. Store 2 mL (½ tsp) garam masala
bought chapattis and parathas are loaded with fats; it is much 5 mL (1 tsp) Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
healthier to make your own, served without ghee on top. 500 mL (2 cups) fresh baby spinach
Use healthy cooking methods Steam koftas and bake mathries, 15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
25mL (2 tbsp) chopped fresh coriander
kachoris, samosas and namkeen. For special occasions when
you make boondi raita, soak boondi in hot water then gently 1. Rinse daal, then soak in enough water to cover for 1 hour. Drain,
squeeze out excess water. This washes away excess grease. put in large saucepan with 4 cups (1 L) water and turmeric. Cover,
Follow the same technique for pakodis for kadhi. bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cook 30 min, until dal is soft
and mushy.
Avoid adding salt when cooking rice, daals, chana or rajma
and cook them from scratch instead of buying canned. If using 2. Meanwhile, warm oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add
canned beans, rinse them before use. cumin seeds, sauté 30 seconds. Add onions and ginger. Sauté,
stirring for 5 minutes until onions are softened. Add diced vegetables
Make healthy choices when eating out Avoid dishes that (except tomatoes); sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and spices
are termed makhani or tarka as they contain cream and butter. and cook for 2 minutes. Add daal and spinach, mix well. Cover.
Ask for oil-free parathas. Avoid eating mithai such as gulab Bring daal to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook
jamun, jalebi, rabri, halwa, kheer and barfi. Choose plain fruit 15 minutes. Mix in lemon juice and coriander.
salad instead.
Nutritional Information per serving (250 mL/1cup)
Calories: 103, Protein: 5g, Total Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg,
Carbohydrate: 16g, Fibre: 6g, Sodium: 24mg, Potassium: 352mg
Eat more vegetables Enjoy traditional Indian vegetables, Moong Daal Palak (whole mung beans cooked with fresh
but also experiment with local seasonal vegetables such as spinach and sautéed vegetables)
brussels sprouts, butternut squash, rapini, or broccoli. Cook Serves 6
them with spices like a traditional sabzi. Add finely diced or
grated vegetables in dishes such as pulao, daal, khichri, salad, For variety, use asparagus, fresh fava beans or roasted root vegetables.
Instead of spinach, try collard greens, swiss chard or kale. You can also
mixed into chapatti flour, stuffed into wraps, rotis or parathas.
serve this daal as a soup by adding low sodium chicken or vegetable
Eat more fruit Add fresh fruit to raita, kheer and salad. broth to thin it out.
Include them in dalia, pulaos, sabzis, raitas and salads. Make
lassi with fresh, sweet mangos and low-fat yogurt. 125 mL (½ cup) whole moong daal (whole green mung beans)
1 L (4 cups) water
Eat whole grains Replace conventional grain dishes with new 2 mL (½ tsp) turmeric
whole-grain kinds. Try making dalia or bajra khichri, barley or bulghur 15 mL (1 tbsp) canola oil
pulao with vegetables, substitute rice with quinoa, or replace 2 mL (½ tsp) cumin seeds
white rice for brown basmati rice. Try adding ground flax to atta ½ onion, finely chopped
when making chapattis or sprinkle it over dalia for breakfast. 5 mL (1 tsp) minced ginger
250 mL (1 cup) diced assorted vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots etc.
Choose healthy fats Use only a little bit of oil to cook spices 250 mL (1 cup) diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
and onions. Avoid store bought pickles as they can be high in 2 mL (½ tsp) cayenne pepper
oil and salt – making your own healthy pickles is very easy. Store 2 mL (½ tsp) garam masala
bought chapattis and parathas are loaded with fats; it is much 5 mL (1 tsp) Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
healthier to make your own, served without ghee on top. 500 mL (2 cups) fresh baby spinach
Use healthy cooking methods Steam koftas and bake mathries, 15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
25mL (2 tbsp) chopped fresh coriander
kachoris, samosas and namkeen. For special occasions when
you make boondi raita, soak boondi in hot water then gently 1. Rinse daal, then soak in enough water to cover for 1 hour. Drain,
squeeze out excess water. This washes away excess grease. put in large saucepan with 4 cups (1 L) water and turmeric. Cover,
Follow the same technique for pakodis for kadhi. bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cook 30 min, until dal is soft
and mushy.
Avoid adding salt when cooking rice, daals, chana or rajma
and cook them from scratch instead of buying canned. If using 2. Meanwhile, warm oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add
canned beans, rinse them before use. cumin seeds, sauté 30 seconds. Add onions and ginger. Sauté,
stirring for 5 minutes until onions are softened. Add diced vegetables
Make healthy choices when eating out Avoid dishes that (except tomatoes); sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and spices
are termed makhani or tarka as they contain cream and butter. and cook for 2 minutes. Add daal and spinach, mix well. Cover.
Ask for oil-free parathas. Avoid eating mithai such as gulab Bring daal to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook
jamun, jalebi, rabri, halwa, kheer and barfi. Choose plain fruit 15 minutes. Mix in lemon juice and coriander.
salad instead.
Nutritional Information per serving (250 mL/1cup)
Calories: 103, Protein: 5g, Total Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg,
Carbohydrate: 16g, Fibre: 6g, Sodium: 24mg, Potassium: 352mg
Brown basmati pulao with quinoa, red onions
and mushrooms Healthy eating,
North Indian
Serves 6
Quinoa is an ancient grain that provides many of the same nutrients

Cuisine
that are found in whole grains. Try making this recipe with just
quinoa and diced vegetables.

250 mL (1 cup) brown basmati rice

125 mL (½ cup) quinoa
15 mL (1 tbsp) oil
2 mL (½ tsp) cumin seeds
Dinnertime in North India brings families
2 whole cloves together at the table to eat, talk and
2 green cardamom laugh. The traditional meal is vegetarian,
2 cm (½ inch) stick cinnamon consisting of daal, sabzi, raita, salad, rice and
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced chapattis. Everyday dishes are simple, lightly spiced and
227 g (8 oz) sliced brown cremini mushrooms flavoured with fresh coriander and ginger. North Indians
550 mL (2 ¼ cups) water celebrate special occasions with deep-fried
puris and kachoris, almond-studded kheer and
1. Rinse rice then soak in enough water to cover for 1 hour.
halwa and lavish platters of barfi and jalebi.
2. Rinse quinoa. Drain rice and quinoa together in fine mesh sieve.
Greater affluence and busy modern lifestyles
3. Meanwhile, warm oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Add
have changed our traditional eating habits –
spices; sauté 30 seconds until they sizzle. Add sliced onion, sauté
not always for the better. Sweets are no longer
5 minutes until softened.
just rare treats and families pressed for time rely on prepared
4. Add sliced mushrooms, sauté 5 minutes until mushrooms release foods and snacks high in fat, sodium and sugar.
liquid. Add rice and quinoa, stir gently to mix.
5. Add water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat Many South Asians are not aware that they are at a higher
to low and cook 50 minutes. Let rice sit unopened for another risk for heart disease. Healthy eating and physical activity are
5 minutes before fluffing it up with a fork and serving. key to its prevention
and control. By
Nutritional Information per serving (250 mL/1 cup)
Calories: 212, Protein: 6g, Total Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg,
following some
Carbohydrate: 38g, Fibre: 4g, Sodium: 10mg, Potassium: 302mg simple healthy
lifestyle habits,
“For my at-risk South Asian patients, my first advice we can greatly
is change how you cook and what you eat” reduce the risk
for heart disease
Sudi Devanesen M.D.
The Ripple Effect Wellness Organisation
and stroke.

www.heartandstroke.ca/SouthAsian www.heartandstroke.ca/SouthAsian