Oriya Thali For Diabetics/High B.P. (Detox Mondays)

Yes, Its Monday again. Time to makeup for the weekend sins/over-indulgences. But this time we will be sharing some real food instead of just a detox recipe. It is something that can be inculcated in our everyday diet for its long-term health benefits and not some one-off detox solution.

Oriya food is perhaps among the healthiest cuisines in the world. The emphasis on copious amounts of vegetables and the restrained use of spices and oil make it a delight for people suffering from various ailments. The only drawback seems to be too much of rice in our everyday diet. Though par-boiled rice which is consumed by most Odiya folks if better off than the polished raw rice consumed predominantly in Southern India, we need to include more whole grains in our diet. Making multi-grain rotis an integral part of our meal plans can easily address this problem.

Though almost all vegetables and pulses have their benefits, some are more beneficial for people suffering from diabetes and heart disorders (mainly high B.P. and cholesterol levels). For example, Chana dal is higher on fiber content and vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower are very low G.I.. Even the humble okra (bhindi) is known to reduce blood sugar levels. I have tried to include some of these in my thali (all of them are quite simple recipes that already exist on my blog but I have just put them together).

The items shown above are - Multi-grain rotis, Chana dal fry, Phula kobi kasa/santula (cauliflower curry), kalara bhaja (stir fried bitter gourd), bhendi bhaja (stir fried okra) and tomato-cucumber salad.

Neer Mor / Spiced Buttermilk / Masala Chaas (Detox Monday Recipe)

(A Big Sorry for being late by a whole day!!!!)

Surprised. How can buttermilk be classified as detox food ???? It is just another dairy product.

But that's the magic of this humdrum ingredient (Don't they say the most common/easy solutions are often the most overlooked ones) . Even though it is derived from milk, it is strong cleansing properties. Much revered in Ayurveda, buttermilk has more of lactic acid than milk and hence it is loaded with gastrointestinal benefits. With the digestion process improving, the excretion or throwing out of toxins from the body is increased. A glass of buttermilk with 1-2 teaspoons of coriander juice serves as a very good detox drink.

Now that you know where to search when looking for a quick detox, making some buttermilk is quite easy. Just add a cup of yogurt with 3 cups of water in your blender and buzz away for a few minutes. Voila....homemade buttermilk is ready. Most Indian homes use a hand churner for making buttermilk. It is a long steel/wooden rod with circular blades at the bottom. But a blender will do as well. (In fact we can make it using our hands too but it takes long time)

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -


2 glass buttermilk
1/2 tsp finely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp finely chopped curry leaves
1/5 of grated ginger
1/4 tsp finely chopped green chilli
a pinch of pepper powder
a pinch of roasted cumin powder
salt to taste


Preparation - Take all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.

Pop it into the fridge for 1/2 hour. Remove and mix once again.

Pour into glasses and served chilled.

Note - This can also be consumed by all those who are fasting for Shri Ram Navami .

Lettuce-Cucumber-Tomato Salad

Its Monday and time for yet another 'detox recipe'. The detox process puts a lot of emphasis of consuming lots of fruits and vegetables (preferably unprocessed) and any grains need to be consumed only in moderation. Meat and dairy are considered off-limits. Hence along with juices, salads are a very important part of any detox diet.

With Ugadi/Gudi Padwa falling on a Monday, most of you would be busy feasting for the extended weekend. Hence this week's detox recipe comes on a Monday. Quite simple and easy to assemble, it can also multitask as a quick snack.

So, here is an easy and yet filling salad recipe that consists of fruits and vegetables rated highly on the list of 'Detox foods'. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

1 big ripened tomato (to be thinly sliced)
1 small cucumber (to be thinly sliced)
1 small head of iceberg lettuce (to be torn roughly)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp pepper powder
salt to taste
1 tsp vegan mayonnaise (optional)

Preparation - Wash the vegetables carefully and wipe of excess water. Cut the tomato and cucumber into thin slices.
Tear the lettuce into small pieces.

Transfer everything into mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Chill for an hour before serving.

Note - You can also add some shredded red cabbage and blanched broccoli to make it more appealing.

My ABC Detox drink ( Apple Beetroot and Carrot juice )

Its Detox Monday. After the feasting and indulging on weekends, it is time to cleanse our body with this wonderful drink/smoothie. Give your body added ammunition with the ABC of detox: Apples, Beetroots and Carrots which figure high on the list of detox ingredients.

Apples are known to flush out toxins and give the digestive system a kick-start. Beetroot is the most potent detox juice known to mankind and is renowned for its blood purifying properties. But a word of caution. Always mix beetroot juice with other vegetable/fruit juices. Carrots are power packed with Vitamin A and are great for eyesight and skin. They also improve the immune system and help metabolize fats and lipids. This drink contains the combined goodness of all three with a dash of lime. No need for adding sugar as all three contain natural sugars. Read on:

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup apple (peeled & sliced)
• 1/2 cup beetroot (peeled & sliced)
• 1/2 cup carrot (peeled & sliced)
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation - Take all the fruits/vegetables in a blender along with 1 cup water. Blend well so that no chunks remain.

Drink it as it is (with the added benefit of fibers) or strain it to get the juice. Do not forget to add a dash of lemon.

Note - If you find the flavor of beetroot to be too strong, use apple-beetroot-carrot in 2:1:2 ratio. 

Beetroot Poriyal (Detox Mondays)

With my maid still not back from her vacation, I am loath to doing much cooking. A simple dal-rice with stir fries or some snack items like dosa-chutney/idli-ghuguni have been dominating the menu last week.

While trying to finish off any remaining vegetables from last week, I discovered this beetroot still sitting in the
fridge. And thought of making a quick and healthy 'poriyal' for dinner. As I have mentioned earlier, beetroot is considered to be a very powerful blood purifier and hence vital to every detox diet. That is the reason I have started consuming this vegetable only recently. If you find it repulsive in the raw form, this is pefect for you.

With this recipe, I am flagging off a 'Detox Series' wherein I will be posting about some detox recipe/information/tips on Mondays. Great start to the week, isn't it ?? Read on for the first recipe of this series :

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Preparation Time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 large beetroot ( chopped into small pieces )
• 1 1/2 tsp oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 pinch asafoetida
• 2-3 tsp whole urad dal (skinless)
• 2-3 green chillis (cut into long pieces)
• a pinch of turmeric
• 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
• 2 tsp coriander laeves (for garnishing)
• salt to taste

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

After the curry leaves have wilted a bit, add the urad dal and asafoetida. Fry till the dal turns a few shades dark.

Add the green chillis and fry for 1 minute.

Add the beetroot pieces alng with salt and turmeric. Mix the contents of the wok. Cover and cook till tender. (Stir 2-3 times in between. Add a bit of water in between if you find it getting too dry)

Finally add the grated coconut, mix in and switch off flame.

Remove from wok. Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis or rice and rasam/dal/pappu kura.

Note : You can also add a bit of chilli powder/grated ginger/finely chopped garlic during the cooking.