Here's How To Go Green And Healthy This Winters

When it comes to chilly winters, we always look for foods that are comforting and can protect us from the cold waves. Moreover, there are several chances of indigestion due to high intake of fat, slower metabolism, inadequate physical activity etc. Hence, it is better to keep your kitchen occupied with the winter vegetables that are beneficial for the health of your family and loved ones as they contain high fibre, protein and essential vitamin and minerals. Winter brings a variety of green vegetables along with their amazing nutritional value. There are surplus produce of certain vegetables rich in nutrients and flavor during this time of the year. These are known as winter vegetables. Consuming seasonal vegetables help us bear the cold weather and manage digestion problems. These green vegetables include spinach, mustard leaves, chenopodium, lettuce, celery, chard and kale, which grow and flourish in the icy temperatures or even outdoors.

Here are nutritious recipes to increase metabolism with seasonal green veggies:

Green raita

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled bhathu (chenopodium)
• 300 gm curd
• 1 cucumber grated
• 1 tsp Crushed dried mint powder
• Chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 tsp Red chili powder
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• Salt to taste

Method:

- Boil 1 cup of bathu in water. Strain the bathu and squeeze it properly.
- Beat the curd properly with all spices. Add boiled bathu and grind it with hand blender.
-Add grated cucumber in the prepared mixture and garnish with coriander and mint powder.

Healthy tip- You can boil all the bathu together and use it whenever required. Squeeze excess water from the boiled bathu and store it in refrigerator in airtight container

 Green quinoa tabbouleh

Ingredients:

• 2 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch of beet green/ spinach
• 2 cups of quinoa
• 1 tbsp. Ginger - Garlic paste
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot and capsicum
• Salt for taste
• Green chili
• Olive oil for cooking

Method:

- Cook quinoa well for about 15 minutes. Go ahead with blanching of chopped green separately.
- In a separate pan, pour oil; add garlic paste and sauté chopped vegetables well. Sauté the green properly and add seasoning on the top.
- Add partial cooked quinoa to the pan and add some water. Close the lid and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

 Beetroot Palak- wheat cutlets

Ingredients:

 • 1 cup chopped spinach
• ½ cup grated beetroot
• ½ cup chopped capsicum
• ½ cup grated carrot
• Ginger and chili paste
• 1 cup of curd
• 2 cup of whole wheat flour
• ½ cup of gram flour
• ½ tsp of turmeric
• Salt for taste
• 1 tbsp.Chili flakes
• 2 tbsp. of oregano
• 2 cup of grated cheese
• ½ tsp Cumin (jeera) powder
• Fresh coriander leaves
• Mint leaves
• Oil for cooking

Method:

- Roast whole wheat Atta and gram flour in a pan until the colour changes to light brown.
- Add all vegetables in the roasted flour mix. Then add all the seasoning and spices.
- Knead the dough well with curd and luke warm water. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll down to small round cutlets and shallow fry it in pan.
-Serve hot and Enjoy with coriander dip.

(The author is a lifestyle coach and diet counsellor. She tweets @Bipasha1sugati)