Recipes with a Spice,  Indian Cuisine for Balanced Nutrition   

By Kusum L. Gupta

Making the Change

Generally, it becomes a habit cooking and eating a certain way.  For example, you may be accustomed to adding extra salt to food, eating butter, enjoying different types of animal products, or relishing sweet creamy desserts that seem to dissolve in your mouth. I t requires a lifestyle change to focus on the super foods listed in the previous section.  It is a choice for better health, breaking some old habits and adopting agreeable ways to cook and eat.

Sample Recipe:     Cabbage Soup

Little tartness in this soup makes it very tasty. It can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen. Serve hot with crackers.

½ head (about 1½ lb.) cabbage

3 carrots

1 tart apple or mango

Garnish: Thin slices of apple or mango

1.      Cut the vegetables and apple (or mango) in ½–1" pieces. Boil them with the seasonings in 3–4 cups water as needed. Cover and cook until the cabbage is tender (about 10 minutes).

2.      When little cold, puree the soup in a blender. Heat and serve, garnished with apple or mango slices.

Variation: Swirl in some yogurt or sour cream before serving. May sauté the seasonings and some cumin seeds before adding to the soup.

Makes about 6 servings, ¾ cup each. Per serving –

Nutritive Value: 46 calories, 1.5 g protein, 11 g carb, 3.3 g fiber, 0.4 g fat, 0 mg chol.

Food Group Exchange: 1 Vegetable.