Health Fitness Food

Instant dosa saves time but lacks the digestive, nutritional, and gut-health benefits of fermented dosa. Learn why fermentation matters and how it impacts health. Fermented dosa batter undergoes several biochemical changes that offer significant health benefits. During fermentation, lactic acid bacteria and other microbes break down complex starches into smaller fragments, making them easier to digest. Phytic acid, which inhibits mineral absorption, is reduced, and gas-producing oligosaccharides are leached out. As a result, the risk of gas or bloating after eating dosa is greatly lowered. The proteins in urad dal and rice are partially pre-digested by enzymes produced by lactic acid bacteria. This process releases amino acids, making them more readily available. When you eat fermented dosa, your body absorbs essential amino acids more easily, supporting muscle repair and overall metabolism. Fermentation partially hydrolyzes starches into simpler sugars. Lactic acid and acetic acid for...

Shaping gluten-free rotis, especially ragi roti, can be quite challenging due to the lack of gluten, which provides elasticity and structure to dough. Many beginners, and even experienced cooks, struggle to get them perfectly round. My hack using a round, heavy-duty hot pot stand (or matka stand) is ingenious. It’s a clever way to repurpose kitchen items for a specific task. Mastering Gluten-Free Roti: The Challenge of Shaping Ragi Roti Crafting perfectly round rotis can be a significant hurdle for many home cooks, a challenge compounded exponentially when working with gluten-free flours. Unlike their wheat-based counterparts, gluten-free flours such as ragi flour lack the elastic protein network that gluten provides. This absence makes gluten-free doughs inherently more crumbly, less pliable, and notoriously difficult to roll out into uniform circles. Achieving a consistent, round shape in a ragi roti or other gluten-free chapati often demands considerable experience and a nuanced und...

 Instead of consistently purchasing dosa batter, consider preparing your own dosa premix powder at home. This approach ensures a healthier, more controlled product and offers significant convenience. Crafting Your Own Healthy Dosa Premix Making your own dosa premix is straightforward, requiring just three core ingredients. This homemade alternative eliminates concerns about additives often found in store-bought batters, offering a pure and wholesome option. Ingredients: Rice Flour 1 cup Homemade Urad Dal Atta (Black Gram Flour) 1/4 cup Methi Dana Powder (Fenugreek Seed Powder) 1 tsp Instructions for Premix: you can scale the ingredients accordingly but avoid adding too much of methi powder. Combine Ingredients: Measure out your desired proportions of rice flour, homemade urad dal atta, and methi dana powder. While specific ratios can vary based on preference, a common starting point might be 3-4 parts rice flour to 1 part urad dal atta, with a small amount (e.g., 1-2 teaspoons per ...

A snack made with ridge gourd and green peas that’s not only delicious but also surprisingly healthy—this dish is guaranteed to have everyone licking their fingers. Whether it's a chilly morning or a light dinner craving, this ridge gourd upma fits the bill. It’s satisfying, nutritious, and bursting with authentic, home-cooked flavor. To prepare this wholesome dish, begin by dry roasting brown semolina (sooji) and vermicelli (semi) in a little oil. This step is important because roasting brings out the nutty aroma and helps keep the final texture fluffy, preventing the mixture from turning sticky or clumpy during cooking. Ingredients: Brown semolina (sooji) – ½ cup Vermicelli (semi) – ½ cup Ridge gourd (turai), peeled and chopped – 1 cup Green peas (matar) – ½ cup Onion – 1 large, finely chopped Panch phoron (five-spice mix) – 1 tsp Green chilies – 2, slit curry leaves – a few Chana dal – 1 tbsp Urad dal – 1 tbsp Peanuts – 2 tbsp Turmeric – ½ tsp Salt – to taste homemade magic masa...