Sunday 9 August 2015

9 WHOLE LENTILS MIX WITH CHICKEN MINCE CURRY - HAPPY BEATS SERIES



Sitting in the warmth of my home, seeing my family all together, smiling happily, talking away endlessly is my biggest treasure, my hugest wealth and the greatest earning of my entire life. I know almost all of you will echo this feeling of mine. I thank Almighty and pray for this one thing every single day. I have however learnt that I as a family member have to contribute much more to keep my family happy both in body and mind. The incident of summer 2014 where I almost lost a family member to a massive heart attack has taught me that I have to ensure my family's GOOD HEALTH  foremost along with all the other responsibilities that I am entrusted with. 


Since I do not have any expertise on the technical aspect of health, not being a doctor nor on the nutrition quotient, not being a nutritionist, my priority activity has become to gather as much information as possible from certified sources , qualified practitioners and implement these in the one aspect that I have control on, the family's diet through my kitchen and cooking. 

In the first two posts of the HAPPY BEATS SERIES I have touched upon these two pointers

1) HEALTHY WEIGHT = HEALTHY HEART + HAPPY BEATS
2) MAINTAINING NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE = HEALTHY HEART + HAPPY BEATS 

In this post I shall be sharing another trivia but as I keep on reiterating I will again say on the cost of repetition friends please LOVE YOUR HEART A LITTLE MORE. 

Okay then today's pointer is CONTROLLING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR = HEALTHY HEART WITH HAPPY BEATS. I am putting down here exerts from a wonderful and very informative article HOW CONTROLLING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR BENEFITS YOUR HEART BY JOHN HOPKINS MEDICINE . When most people hear the word high blood sugar level the disease that first comes to their mind is Diabetes and not HEART disease. However according to a John Hopkins study type 1 and type 2 diabetes are some of the most harmful risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease. KEEPING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS UNDER CONTROL IS THEREFORE ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR HEART.


FRIENDS AIM FOR A FASTING BLOOD SUGAR READING OF LESS THAN 100 MG/ DL . To understand what this means completely, it is my earnest request that you speak to your doctor  and get all your queries answered.

Aiming for a normal BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL I was asked by my doctor to keep two things in mind 
1) LIMIT MY CARBOHYDRATES AND SUGAR INTAKE
2) DOING HEART PUMPING, HEAVY BREATHING AEROBIC EXERCISES 

What I was made to understand by my doctor was this "FOOD IS ENERGY." What goes into the body, if that does not get burned off then that gets accumulated in the body particularly in the abdomen area and in most cases could lead to diabetes. Therefore friends it's indeed a great idea to get started with diet changes and exercise by working closely with your Doctor by coming up with a combined plan that best suits your body type and needs. Also be sure to get your Blood Sugar Levels monitored as recommended by your Doctor.


Today's dish is a very wholesome, hearty 9 WHOLE LENTIL MIX WITH CHICKEN MINCE CURRY. This dish is another example of HEART HEALTHY food being supremely yummmy. Very little oil is used and chicken mince is lean protein which again is healthy. And legumes as mentioned in my earlier posts with links are indeed very HEART HEALTHY. (   REFER TO POST )

So let's get started on preparing this HEART HEALTHY YUMMY CURRY WHICH WILL ENSURE HAPPY BEATS...

9 WHOLE LENTILS MIX WITH CHICKEN MINCE CURRY RECIPE:


SERVES : 4
CUISINE : INDIAN
TYPE : MAIN COURSE/ CURRY
TIME : 15 MINUTES PREPARATION + 30 MINUTES COOKING + OVERNIGHT SOAKING OF THE LENTILS

INGREDIENTS : 

FOR 300 Gms of 9 WHOLE LENTIL MIX: 
( Available in Supermarkets/INDIAN stores or can be made at home )
There is no fixed ratio for creating this WHOLE LENTIL MIX. Just throw in more of your favourite lentils and less of the others to reach the total weight of 300 Gms 

1) Kala Chana/ Black Chickpeas
2) Kabuli Chana/Garbanzo Beans
3) Lobiya/Black Eyed Beans
4) Red Rajma/Red Kidney Beans
5) Chitre Rajma/Red Speckled Kidney Beans
6) Kala Sabut Urad Dal/Whole Black Gram
7) Sabut Hara Moong Dal/Mung Beans
8) Sabut Masoor Dal/Whole Brown Lentil
9) Kashmiri Rajma


FOR THE MASALA MIX POWDER :
(Grind everything below into a fine powder )

1) 1 Tbsp Coriander seeds
2) 4-5 Kashmiri whole dry red chillies
3) 1 brown cardamom
5) 1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds
6) 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
7) 3 cloves
8) 2 green cardamom
9) 1 bay leaf

OTHERS :

1) 400 Gms Chicken Keema/Mince
2) 2 Large onions minced
3) 1/2 Tbsp garlic paste
4) 1 Tsp ginger paste
5) 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
6) 2 Tsp kasturi methi/dried fenugreek leaves
7) 2 Tbsp of coriander leaves finely chopped
8) 2 Large tomatoes finely chopped
9) 2 Green chillies finely chopped
10) 1 1/2 Tsp of Oil
11) Salt to taste

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT :

1) Soak the 9 whole lentil mix covered with water overnight. In the morning drain the lentils and pressure cook them covered with water and 1/2 tsp of salt till they become soft. Set aside ready to use.

2) Chop finely Onion, Green Chilli, fresh coriander leaves, tomatoes all separately.

3) Get the masala mix powder ready by grinding everything under FOR THE MASALA MIX POWDER into a fine powder.

4) Now to start cooking. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds to the hot oil and let it crackle. Add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and sauté till onions become soft and ginger garlic paste aromatic.

5) Add turmeric powder and masala mix powder and mix well, saute for a minute and then add the chopped tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes become soft.


6) Add the Chicken mince now and mix well. Next add the kasturi methi/dried fenugreek leaves and mix well.

7) Add the boiled lentils now, mix and check for seasoning. Add salt if required. Let everything simmer for 5 minutes covered on low flame. Remove from flame add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or Indian  bread.


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9 WHOLE LENTIL MIX WITH CHICKEN MINCE /KEEMA CURRY RECIPE :


SERVES : 4
CUISINE : INDIAN
TYPE : MAIN COURSE/ CURRY
TIME : 15 MINUTES PREPARATION + 30 MINUTES COOKING + OVERNIGHT SOAKING OF THE LENTILS

INGREDIENTS : 

FOR 300 Gms of 9 WHOLE LENTIL MIX: 
( Available in Supermarkets/INDIAN stores or can be made at home )
There is no fixed ratio for creating this WHOLE LENTIL MIX. Just throw in more of your favourite lentils and less of the others to reach the total weight of 300 Gms 

1) Kala Chana/ Black Chickpeas
2) Kabuli Chana/Garbanzo Beans
3) Lobiya/Black Eyed Beans
4) Red Rajma/Red Kidney Beans
5) Chitre Rajma/Red Speckled Kidney Beans
6) Kala Sabut Urad Dal/Whole Black Gram
7) Sabut Hara Moong Dal/Mung Beans
8) Sabut Masoor Dal/Whole Brown Lentil
9) Kashmiri Rajma

FOR THE MASALA MIX POWDER :
(Grind everything below into a fine powder )

1) 1 Tbsp Coriander seeds
2) 4-5 Kashmiri whole dry red chillies
3) 1 brown cardamom
5) 1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds
6) 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
7) 3 cloves
8) 2 green cardamom
9) 1 bay leaf

OTHERS :

1) 400 Gms Chicken Keema/Mince
2) 2 Large onions minced
3) 1/2 Tbsp garlic paste
4) 1 Tsp ginger paste
5) 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
6) 2 Tsp kasturi methi/dried fenugreek leaves
7) 2 Tbsp of coriander leaves finely chopped
8) 2 Large tomatoes finely chopped
9) 2 Green chillies finely chopped
10) 1 1/2 Tsp of Oil
11) Salt to taste

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT :

1) Soak the 9 whole lentil mix covered with water overnight. In the morning drain the lentils and pressure cook them covered with water and 1/2 tsp of salt till they become soft. Set aside ready to use.

2) Chop finely Onion, Green Chilli, fresh coriander leaves, tomatoes all separately.

3) Get the masala mix powder ready by grinding everything under FOR THE MASALA MIX POWDER into a fine powder.

4) Now to start cooking. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds to the hot oil and let it crackle. Add chopped onions, ginger garlic paste and sauté till onions become soft and ginger garlic paste aromatic.

5) Add turmeric powder and masala mix powder and mix well, saute for a minute and then add the chopped tomatoes.



6) Add the Chicken mince now and mix well. Next add the kasturi methi/dried fenugreek leaves and mix well. 

7) Add the boiled lentils now, mix and check for seasoning. Add salt if required. Let everything simmer for 5 minutes covered on low flame. Remove from flame add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or Indian  bread.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

Disclaimer : The HAPPY BEAT Series is a result of my own experiences in my journey towards a healthier heart through food and also things learnt on the way from different certified sources and qualified professionals. It should therefore be noted that I have no expertise, neither am I qualified to advise anyone on health related issues. Please consult your doctor or nutritionist before incorporating any lifestyle changes.

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