Indian dishes...their nutritive value

Cereal preparations

Preparation Wt/ Serving(g) Household measures Calories(Cal) Protein(g) Carbohydrates(g) Fat(g) Boiled rice 200 2 bowls 222 4.4 50.0 0.3 Pulao 300 2 bowls 358 9.5 57.0 10.3 Khichari 200    2 bowls 430 8.6 66.0 14.7 Parantha 100    2 297 8.3 47.0 8.3 Phulka 70 2 170 6.0    35.0 0.9 Puri 75 3 240 6.1 35.0 8.4

Dal preparations

Preparation Wt/ Serving(g) Household measures Calories(Cal) Protein(g) Carbohydrates(g) Fat(g) Chana dal 125 1 bowl 124 5.5 16.0 4.1 Urad dal 150 1 bowl 161 9.0 21.0 4.5 Moong dal 150 1 bowl 316 19.2 47.0 5.6 Masoor dal 150 1 bowl 248 15.5 37.0 4.1 Arhar dal 150 1 bowl 79 4.2 12.0 1.8 Cuddy (Kari) 150 1 bowl 150 4.7 15.0 7.7 Chole 160 1 bowl 119 6.8 8.0 6.6 Sambhar 81 1 bowl 4.0 12.0 2.1 1.5 Rajmah 150 1 bowl 153 7.1 16.0 5.1

Vegetable preparations

Preparation Wt/ Serving(g) Household measures Calories(Cal) Protein(g) Carbohydrates(g) Fat(g) Baigan ka bharta 175 1 bowl 123 2.2 10.0 8.3 Matar paneer 130 1 bowl 191 11.0 14.0 10.4 Alu curry 125 1 bowl    131 1.5 18.0 6.2 Vegetablekofta curry 150 1 bowl    217 3.9 20.0 13.7 Veg korma 150 1 bowl    132 2.1 13.0 7.9 Alu-beans 70 1 bowl    94 1.7 3.0 6.1 Alu-baigan 130 1 bowl     134 1.7 3.0 6.1 Shimla mirch-alu 125 1 bowl    116 1.9 16.0 5.1 Bhindi(ladyfingers) 125 1-1/2 bowl 226 5.5 17.0 15.0 Pumpkinsabzi 140 1 bowl    110 2.6 11.0 6.3 Ridge ground(torai) 165 1 bowl    97 1.8 6.0 7.3 Cabbage 150 1 bowl    131 2.3 7/0 5.0 Stuffed tomato 100 1     85 2.1 11.0 3.4 Methi-alu sabzi 100 1 bowl    121 2.2 16.0 5.4

Why we hate foods that others love....

Have you ever wondered why some foods taste good to you but make other people want to gag?

Our taste buds pick-up sweet, sour, salty and bitter flavours. 

The more taste buds we have the more intensely we experience flavour…and this happens to be especially true for bitterness.

There are 25 different genes involved in detecting a bitter flavour.  But not all of these genes are active in everyone.  The number of genes active will often affect what the person thinks tastes good or bad.

The Age Issue…

Humans lose taste buds with age and so it is possible that we can better tolerate, or maybe form preferences for certain foods later in life.

We also don’t just taste with our taste buds…

The old saying, “we eat with our eyes, not our stomachs” is true…but probably not complete. 

Yes, foods that look good to us tend to be more appetizing. 

But what about our other senses?

How food feels in our mouth is important. 

Food texture is an issue for a number of people not tolerant foods that are slimy, or maybe even the texture of fruits and veggies. 

Sense of smell is even more significant.  It is very closely connected to our sense of taste (think about how holding your nose affects the flavour of food).

Our nose can actually recognize 10,000 odours. If the food in front of us smells like our old gym shoes, are we likely to put it in your mouth?

No stinkin’ way! 

Balkan food....travel Europe

The Balkan Peninsula includes the state of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and European Turkey. These regions were once a part of the Roman & Byzantine Empire. The peninsula is very mountainous and blessed with thick forests and natural resources. Most areas of this Balkan region are very rich in history and contribute goods and services to the rest of the world. The people of the Balkan Peninsula make up several racial groups and you will find distinct ethnic and cultural groups following their own tradition of food, style and architecture. I’m a big fan of Balkan cuisine and traditional foods. Along my travels, I’ve noted a few small details about the varying dishes in the Balkan region:

• The best part of the Greek cooking is olive oil. Olives are a huge part of Greek culture, and can be associated with their cuisine from the ancient times. The region is rich in olive trees and the olive oil is frequently used in many Greek dishes. Wheat and Barley are the basic grains in Greek region, and major vegetables include tomato, eggplant, potato, green beans and okra. Dried oregano seeds are commonly used in Greek food to add flavors to the dish prepared.

• Bosnian dishes are rich in spices and cooked with lot of vegetables. Typical meat dishes include beef, lamb and pork. Some of the best wines are available from many of the large vineyards in and around Herzegovina, as the climate is quite suitable for growing grapes. Some of the local specialties include ajvar, burek, cevapcici, dolma, goulash, pilaf sarma, and delicious Eastern sweets.

• Montenegro’s cuisines are largely influenced by the Italian and continental European recipe. The coastal area of Montenegro yields Mediterranean dishes entirely different from the northern highland region’s recipe.

• Macedonia is famous for its rich Shopska salad, an appetizer and side dish which accompany almost every meal. This region is better known for diverse milk products, wines and ‘local beverages’. Pork is the preferred meat in Romania, but beef, lamb and fish is also used in many local dishes. Mamaliga is a common dish; cornmeal mush served separately or along with a side dish.

• Before Christmas, a pig is slaughtered by rural families of Romania, and variety of dishes are prepared from the meat and served with spicy sausages.

• A typical breakfast of Turkey consists of cheese, butter, olive, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers. Black tea is served along with breakfast in turkey.