Ask anyone recuperating from surgery or convalescing after illness, what they are eating, and they will grimace. But healthy and less spicy food does not have to be boring. Here are some recipes that will have the patient smiling once again.
Poosanikkai kootu
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White pumpkin (peeled, diced, boiled): one cup
Boiled dal (toor or yellow moong): one cup
Grated coconut: quarter teaspoon
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Cumin-pepper powder: A pinch
Coconut oil: a few drops
Mustard and jeera: for tempering
Coriander and leaves: for garnish
Salt: To taste
Method
In a kadai, dry roast mustard and jeera. Add the dal and boiled pumpkin. Bring to a boil. Add a pinch of cumin-pepper powder and salt to taste. Add the grated coconut and drizzle a few drops of coconut oil (optional). Garnish with coriander and curry leaves. Serve with hot rice, daliya or roti.
Tomato-onion chutney
Ingredients
Tomato (chopped): Two
Shallots: Four
Big Onion (diced): One
Bengal gram: a teaspoon
Urad dal: a teaspoon
Salt and jaggery: to taste
Asafoetida: to taste
Mustard: for tempering
Gingelly Oil: optional
Method
Dry roast Bengal gram and urad dal. Add asafoetida, shallots and diced onion. Cook using a little oil (optional) till the onions turn brown.
Add the tomatoes and cook till the mixture thickens. Add salt and a little jaggery to taste. Cool and coarse grind in the mixer. Dry roast mustard or temper using a little gingelly oil and garnish.
Note: Add salt at the end or serve it at the table to minimise salt consumption.
Sweetlime juice
(makes two glasses)
Ingredients
Sweetlime: 6
Honey: half a teaspoon
Method
Using a hand juicer, extract the juice from the sweetlime. Set aside. Transfer the fibre and seeds in the juicer filter into a bowl.
Manually extract the seeds. Add the fibre back into the juice.
Add honey for taste.