I love to make meals / dishes with veggies mixed in them, so my kids get to eat one thing and they still get loads of nutrients without knowing they are eating their veggies, protein and fiber all rolled into one.
I often reach for gluten-free flours and I make mostly gluten-free and dairy free recipes – this is because I feel much better with no gluten or dairy in my diet.
This hasn’t always been the case though. I grew up eating white bread and butter (not everyday though), then it was ‘brown’ bread and a butter like ‘spread’ (somewhat like margarine). However in India you don’t really eat that much gluten or dairy.
When I moved to Australia though, toast in the morning became a thing. I couldn’t find fresh dosa / idli flour in Brisbane. I would buy the MTR instant idli mix and I liked it, but it wasn’t the tastiest or softest. So I just ate bread and cereal. Then of course, I would make sandwiches, ate pizza, cheese, drank milk…I think this overdose of dairy and gluten in my diet led to my leaky gut and all sorts of issues like bloating, not being able to lose weight, brain fog, no energy, etc.
I’ve since experimented with ancient grains like spelt, khorasan, etc. and the results are still the same, albeit not so intense. So I’ve kept it out of my diet – I’m not a 100% strict about it though – I don’t eat gluten-free oats for example.
So, besan or chickpea flour has made a comeback in my life. My earliest memory of besan were the bondas that the local guy outside the booze shops used to sell. He would make a ball out of boiled potato mixed with spices and dip them in a chickpea batter, then deep fry them in hot oil. It tasted divine with some spicy chilli chutney. Anyway, I’m past the deep fried foods too. That is a post for another time.
Some nutrition info – besan flour is high in protein and a whopping amount of fiber. It contains magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, folate and so much more. It is an amazing gluten-free flour that helps keep you fuller for longer, gives you loads of energy, calms you down and takes care of your heart. I make egg free quiches with it (when I run out of eggs), make pancakes, coat chicken with it, etc. It has so many uses.
Buckwheat is especially good for menopause since it helps keep the heart healthy and prevents heart disease and breast cancer. It also has a high manganese content which helps reduce depression, anxiety, etc. The nutrients in buckwheat may help to control blood sugar.
Garlic is a superfood – it helps prevent heart disease, cancer, could treat alzheimer’s disease, reduces inflammation and high blood pressure and so much more.
It is an excellent source of manganese & vitamin B6 (keeps you nice and calm) and contains vitamin C (boosts our immune system and prevents the common cold).
Studies show that you need to use garlic 1-3 times per week to see any benefits. It can be used topically or taken internally. To increase the benefits of garlic, make sure you crush it around 5 minutes before you actually use it.
This is an absolutely yummy tasting roti which has a great mouthfeel. Try it, you might surprise your family!
Besan and buckwheat roti - flat bread
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini grated
- 1 large carrot grated
- 2 medium potatoes mashed
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp of fresh grated turmeric / ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried garlic granules / 3-4 fresh garlic cloves crushed
- 1-2 tbsps of water
- ½ cup of besan
- ½ cup of buckwheat flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Method
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl & knead well till you get a wet dough
- Make little balls and put them in between two flour dusted parchment papers
- Roll them out (I don’t bother rolling them – I put them in a sandwich maker and press down firmly – this acts like a tortilla/roti press)
- You could either dry fry them in a pan over the stove or use the sandwich maker (I always use parchment paper in a sandwich maker because I can’t find one that doesn’t have a non-stick coating on them)
- Serve with mashed boiled egg (mixed with salt & pepper) or with ghee and chutney puddi like my kids like it or with tuna maybe? Or serve them plain! The options are endless.
REFERENCES
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Pittaway JK, Ahuja KDK, Cehun M et al. Dietary Supplementation with Chickpeas for at Least 5 Weeks Results in Small but Significant Reductions in Serum Total and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterols in Adult Women and Men. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism. Basel: Feb 2007. Vol. 50, Iss. 6; p. 512-518. 2007.
Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): a review. Jukanti AK1, Gaur PM, Gowda CL, Chibbar RN. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 1:S11-26. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512000797. PMID: 22916806
Erkkila AT, Herrington DM, Mozaffarian D, Lichtenstein AH. Cereal fiber and whole-grain intake are associated with reduced progression of coronary-artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease. Am Heart J. 2005 Jul;150(1):94-101. 2005. PMID:16084154.
Nutritive value and chemical composition of pseudocereals as gluten-free ingredients.Alvarez-Jubete L1, Arendt EK, Gallagher E.Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009;60 Suppl 4:240-57. PMID:19462323 doi: 10.1080/09637480902950597.
He J, Klag MJ, Whelton PK, et al. Oats and buckwheat intakes and cardiovascular disease risk factors in an ethnic minority of China. Am J Clin Nutr 1995 Feb;61(2):366-72. 1995.
Ban JO, Oh JH, Kim TM et al. Anti-inflammatory and arthritic effects of thiacremonone, a novel sulfurcompound isolated from garlic via inhibition of NF-kB. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009; 11(5): R145. Epub 2009 Sep 30. 2009.
Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey. Josling P1. Adv Ther. 2001 Jul-Aug;18(4):189-93. PMID:11697022 DOI: 10.1007/bf02850113
J Neurochem. 2011 May;117(3):388-402. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.07145.x. Epub 2011 Mar 14.
Oxidative insults to neurons and synapse are prevented by aged garlic extract and S-allyl-L-cysteine treatment in the neuronal culture and APP-Tg mouse model. Ray B1, Chauhan NB, Lahiri DK. PMID: 21166677 PMCID: PMC3391571 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.07145.x
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