The Brunette Diaries

Shawarma – A Lebanese Delight

Carter’s Blue, Piccadily, Maroosh and Falafel’s – what’s the first thing that came to your mind after reading these names?

Let us guess … – It’s Shawarma!! Being a Mumbaikars, we all know that these restaurants serve some of the best Shawarmas in Mumbai.

This Lebanese wrap is also one of the top emerging street food snacks in Mumbai. While Mumbai swears by its Vada Pav & Ragda Patties, one cannot deny the strong influence some of the neighboring countries have on its palette and this particular dish is one such example having its own loyal fan base.

Some people may call it a Roll or a Frankie but this Lebanese wrap is made up of Pita Bread or Khubz and is stuffed with grilled meat/paneer, cucumber & tomatoes, along with a dollop of creamy tahini sauce or mayonnaise.

This sumptuous delicacy can be easily cooked at home with very little oil and can be turned into a wholesome and healthy meal.

Easy Shawarma Recipe

– Brine 500 gm boneless chicken with a pinch of salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Add enough water so that the chicken is immersed completely and leave it for approx 1 hour.

– Chop vegetables for a salad – 1 Onion, 1 Red bell pepper, 1 cucumber and Tomato, a bunch of lettuce leaves, and olives and jalapenos as per taste.

– After chopping the veggies, season them with salt & pepper and add 1 tablespoon of Tahini Sauce/Mayo.

– After an hour, transfer the chicken to another bowl and add to it ½ tablespoon of tandoori masala, 1 tablespoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1/2 cup Yogurt, 1/2 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste and salt & pepper to taste.

– Mix all the ingredients well and once done, brush the chicken with oil and cook it on a non-stick pan for about 20 mins.

– Once cooked, cut it into strips.

– Take a Khubz or pita bread and spread 1 tablespoon of Tahini sauce or Mayonnaise on the bread and then fill it with chicken and salad.

*Vegetarians can use Paneer instead of Chicken.

So what are you all waiting for? Surprise your clan with your culinary skills and you can thank us later.

The Kukkad Soup AKA Chicken Soup

‘Bhai, Chicken toh hoga na?’

This question has popped up innumerable times on various occasions because we Indians just love Chicken!!

Indian Chicken recipes with masalas have a huge fan base both because of their protein content and their taste! Keep a platter of tandoori chicken and people will devour it within minutes. That’s the power of chicken! But again, not all chicken recipes are healthy enough to be consumed on a daily basis.

So, we bring to you ‘The Kukkad Soup’ aka Chicken Broth in our own Jugaadu way!

Many of you must be wondering, ‘’Yaar, Healthy ke naam par bland and tasteless hoga!’. That was our reaction too but when we actually tried it, it was far from being bland and tasteless. In fact, it was delectable! Compliment this soup with multigrain bread or a salad and you have a wholesome meal ready.

To make the kukkad soup at home, just follow the simple steps mentioned below:

Steps

– To make this hearty soup, first put a large pan on medium flame. Add and melt 1 tablespoon butter in it.

– Once the butter melts add in 1 pod of garlic and 2 spring onions, finely chopped.

– Saute the mix on a low flame till it turns light brown. Then add the chicken meat and let it fry till the meat turns golden brown.

– Meanwhile, boil 6 cups of water in a heavy-bottomed pan on high flame. Once done, transfer the boiling water to the pan and let the meat get cooked and allow its juices to get released into the soup.

– Once cooked, strain the soup into a big bowl or pan and remove the fat from it after cooling it and straining it again

-Put the pan on medium flame again and add the soup into it. Break and separate 2 egg whites into a bowl. Now slowly pour the egg whites in a thin stream to the soup while stirring continuously

– Season the soup with salt and black pepper and allow it to boil again for 2 minutes.

– Turn off the heat and strain the soup one last time. Garnish it with chopped celery or coriander and voila! Our kukkad soup is ready to be served.

And we are sure, after eating this you’ll be singing,

‘Yeh Toh Kukkad Kamal Da’

Kimchi- The Korean Powerhouse

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish. One will find big jars of kimchi in every Korean household. The dish is made up of napa cabbage (a variety of cabbages) and Korean radish along with other fermented and salted vegetables and topped with chili powder and fish sauce.

Many Indians eat it in the form of salad sans the fish sauce and it is considered a vegetarian probiotic food. Kimchi is rich in vitamins A and C. Due to its fermentation process, it is also rich in gut boosting lactobacilli bacteria.

So in case, you are bored of eating your regular salads, why not try kimchi for a change? Its tangy flavor is sure to have a lingering effect on your taste buds.

Steps to make Kimchi

– Shred the cabbage finely, chop the green onions along with garlic cloves and ginger. Add the onions and cabbage in a large bowl. Take a separate bowl, add vinegar, red chilli powder, soy sauce and powdered sugar. Mix it well and then transfer this in a blender jar. Blend it well.

– Now, add the chopped garlic, ginger along with olive oil in the blender. Blend it well and add salt and black pepper in it. Blend it again and once done, add this dressing over the shredded cabbage and onions. Toss it well. Cover it with a cling film and place the bowl in the fridge.

Serve it chilled to enjoy!

Are You Obsessive About Healthy Food?

You have read countless articles on what to eat and what not to eat and you pride yourself in being someone who takes good care of yourself. You have the strict resolve to eat healthy food and rarely ever slip off the health plateau. Raw fruits, Boiled veggies and Salads are your best friends. But did you know that your extreme awareness (read obsession) about eating healthy can lead to an eating disorder?

Orthorexia (used as a parallel with other eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa) is a fixation on eating only healthy or pure foods, or what an individual perceives as healthy or pure. Nutritionists and doctors have seen an increase in number of people who seem to have an obsession about eating only those food items which they feel are healthy for them.

Aarti Shah, a 26 year old is one such person. Being health conscious, Aarti decided to restrict the intake of salt and sugar in her diet. “My mom’s got diabetes and my dad suffers from high blood pressure. Over time as I read up and realised that I could too suffer from the same ailments. Hence, I decided to restrict my diet of sugar and salt. It wasn’t even difficult as my parents followed the same routine. In spite of optimizing my diet, I fell seriously ill last year. I used to feel exhausted and drained all the time even though I wasn’t doing anything strenuous. Through body check up I was surprised to learn that told I had some imbalance of sodium and potassium in my body. Basically the lack of essential minerals like sodium and glucose made me feel lethargic. It was then that I realised that one needs to have things in moderation and not completely cut out things from your diet without proper consultation from a doctor.”

Practising gynaecologist, Dr. Darshna Thakker, has often come across people who are obsessed on eating right and in turn end up harming themselves. “The problem is with so much awareness, there are number of people who get too obsessed on what they are eating but then in their effort to eat healthy and pure food they tend to miss out on a balanced diet. Also each body’s requirements are different at different age groups. Everything needs to be done in a balance.”

Even though Orthorexia is not yet an officially recognised eating disorder, there are signs that one can note of suffering from it.
– Being overly concerned with your eating habits.
– Feeling the guilt of deviating from strict diet guidelines.
– Having critical thoughts about others who do not adhere to rigorous diets.
– Distancing from friends or family members who do not share similar views about food.
– Avoiding eating food bought or prepared by others.
– Worsening depression, mood swings or anxiety regarding food matters and habits.

“Eating healthy is always a good choice, but not at the cost of health and that includes psychological health. Nutritional deficiency can make one irritable and depressed. So make sure you choose right and be wise,” adds Dr. Darshna.