According to healthcare professionals, apart from getting vaccinated and maintaining all pandemic preventive protocols, it is also necessary to boost our immunity system in these troubled times. But most consider immunity boosting food as boring and unpalatable.
Therefore, we asked Subrata Kundu, Sous Chef at Grace, the restaurant at the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, if it is possible to prepare immunity boosting dishes at home which are easy to make, are tasty, and eye-catching. Grace is known for its ‘satvik’ menu which banks on fresh and seasonal ingredients.
Kundu believes that a low-fat, plant-based diet can help boost the body’s immunity to various illnesses. He reiterated that fruits and vegetables provide nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E, which can boost immunity. Because many vegetables, fruits, as well as plant-based foods are also rich in antioxidants, they help reduce stress.
Dawn and Chia
An immunity boosting drink which consists of fruit juices, vegetable and chia seeds
To blend
- Baby Spinach: 20gm
- Pineapple Juice: 70ml
- Apple Juice: 70ml
- Orange Juice: 20ml
- Honey Syrup: 5ml
- Chia seeds: 3gm
Finishing
- Soda (optional)
- Black salt to taste (optional)
Method
- Blend all the ingredients
- Pour it in a chilled glass
- Top up with soda (optional)
- Stir it properly
- Garnish with a dehydrated pineapple slice and pineapple leaf
- Sprinkle black salt to taste (optional)
Cracked Wheat and Lentil Fried Ball
A crunchy appetiser that every family member will love
Ingredients
- Cracked wheat (Dalia): 50gm
- Moong dal: 50gm
- Raisin: 10
- Garam masala: 1 teaspoon (tsp)
- Cinnamon powder: 1/2 tsp
- Salt: 1/2 tsp
- Ghee: 2 tablespoon (tbsp)
- Refined oil: 100ml
- Chana dal: 20gm
- Panko (flaky bread crumbs): 60gm
- All-purpose flour: 2 tbsp
- Corn flour: 2 tbsp
- Kasundi: 2 tbsp
- Curry leaf: 10gm
- Onion: 50gm
- Green chili: 3
- Chopped ginger: 15gm
- Chopped coriander: 10gm
Method
- Boil dalia (cracked wheat) in a medium pan but do not boil for more than 5 minutes
- Strain and dry for 10 minute
- Take a pan, put 3 tbsp of ghee and fry the lentils until they turn slightly golden in colour
- In another pan, heat oil, put chopped ginger, onion and chopped green chilli. Cook gently. Add dalia and lentil and cook till done
- Now add ½ tsp of cinnamon powder, 1 tsp of homemade garam masala, and salt to the mixture
- Finally, add chopped raisins and coriander leaf
- Transfer the entire content to another pan and let it cool down. The mixture must be non-sticky and not too dry
- Make roundels from the mixture
- Add 2 tbsp of corn flour and 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour to 3 to 4 tbsp of water to make a uniform mixture
- Sprinkle panko on a platter
- Dip each ball in the batter and then quickly roll them in the panko
- Heat oil in a sauce pan and fry the roundels until golden and crisp
For the dip
- In a mixer jar, blend roasted chana dal, chilli, curry leaf and kasundi together
- Serve the hot golden fried roundels with the dip
Carrot, Orange and Greens Salad
A colourful salad rich in nutrients
Ingredients
- Carrot shaves: 70gm
- Orange: 2 (large and fresh)
- Ginger: 15gm
- Beetroot: 50gm
- Iceberg lettuce: 100 gm
- Mint leaves: 3 to 4
- Coriander stem: 15 gm
- Black pepper: 5 gm
- Honey: 30 gm
- Balsamic vinegar: 30 ml
- Lime: 1
- Olive oil: 25 ml
Method
- Make a liquid mixture of fresh orange juice, crushed ginger, coriander stem and black salt
- Soak carrot shaves into the liquid overnight
- Cut beetroot round slice and marinate with Thai chilli, olive oil and lime juice
Salad dressing
- In a bowl, add balsamic vinegar, honey, orange juice, black pepper and mix all the ingredients together.
Garnishing
- Cut fresh slices of orange and dehydrate in the oven
Assembling
- Place lettuce on a plate
- Make a flower shape with soaked carrots and place it on the side of the lettuce
- Add round beetroot slices on the plate
- Place some fresh mint leaves and dehydrated orange on top
- Drizzle with some honey orange balsamic dressing on the plate
