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Healthy Indian Recipes - the Spice Corner!

nutrition recipes Jun 04, 2020
By Dr. Prabhakar
 
Dosas are a staple food in south Indian cooking, and are popular as a breakfast , dinner item and are usually an entire meal in themselves . They are essentially crepes or pancakes made of a variety of lentils, whole grains and rice. They are usually paired with sides called Chutneys (savory relishes), Podis (spiced lentil powders mixed in oil), or Sambar ( lentil soups and veggies).
 
An extremely popular south Indian dosa is Masala dosa which is a crispy lentil crepe stuffed with spiced potatoes, onions and other veggies . There is a mind boggling variety of dosas out there and while the preparation might sound complicated, I will attempt to give you the easier and healthier versions to make a large batch of batter that will go a long way for several yummy meals!
 
These are 100 percent vegetarian and while not carb free, filled with healthy low glycemic index carbs, rich in fiber and protein and packed with whole grains
 

Oats Barley Dosa

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups of steel cut oats
  • 2 cups barley
  • 2 tsbp of brown rice
  • 2 tbsp flax seeds
  • 2 tbsp hemp hearts
Directions:
  • Soak all of these in a large bowl of water until fully immersed for 4 hrs
  • Grind together with enough water in a blender for a pouring consistency ,add salt as desired
  • If the batter is fermented overnight (leave outside) until it rises in the container , or looks a little frothy, it can boost the nutritional content- increase in B and C vitamins, and also gut friendly immune boosting good bacteria!
  • Pour like a pancake and spread it on a non stick pan , cook for a few minutes on both sides
  • Serve hot with a chutney of your choice. See a simple peanut chutney recipe below
 

Millet dosa

Millets are another form of whole grains that are good vegetarian protein sources , they are also fiber rich and are low glycemic index grains. You can find millet flour or whole millets in super markets or Indian stores. There are many varieties of millets, but any kid that is available can be used in millet dosa.
 
Ingredients:
  • Millet – 1 cup
  • ½ cup of steel cut oats
  • 2tbsp of brown rice
Directions:
  • Soak in plenty of water for 4-6 hrs
  • Grind to a smooth batter with salt and ferment overnight
  • For those wanting to experiment with spice- can add 2 green chillies ( small thai/Indian chillies ), 1 tsp of ginger , or 2 red chillies and ginger. OR ginger and ½ tsp of pepper corns
 

Lentil dosa

Lentils are another great vegetarian protein source, again available in most groceries – look in the rice/beans section.
 
Ingredients:
  • Black lentil- (called Urad dal)- 1 cup
  • Green lentil ( called Moong dal )- 1 cup
  • Red lentil ( masoor dal )- 1 cup
  • Brown rice – ½ cup
Directions:
  • Soak with water for 6 -8 hrs , grind with water, salt, 2 red chillies and ¼ tsp of cumin seeds
  • Grind to a smooth batter and ferment overnight
  • Pour like a thin pancake and cook on both sides for 5 min until golden brown – serve hot

 

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of raw unsalted skinned peanuts
  • 1 dry red chilli or ½ tsp of pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • ½ tsp of tamarind paste ( can substitute with 1 tsp of lemon juice
  • Coconut flakes – 1 tsp
Directions:
  • Grind with enough water to a smooth paste
  • Serve with dosa pancakes as a savory relish