Healthy and Tasty recipes

Healthy food isn’t always the tastiest and it can be such a chore to be health conscious. Little by little, you can start making changes and to help, we’ve compiled a list of recipes that you can easily make at home that are both calorie-conscious and tasty. The sense of community one feels by cooking for the ones they love is unparalleled. We hope that you can cook these dishes for you and yours, that can harbour togetherness and help you take a moment
to appreciate the pure things in life. The balance of ‘healthy and tasty’ in the matter, is our gift to you.

Here are our top picks for dishes that you’ll want to cook many times over. We recommend using fresh ingredients and cooking them with an immunity boosting cooking oil. Emami’s new Smart Balance fortified oil is bursting with nutrients that help along the process. A blended edible oil with Soyabean Oil & Refined Rice Bran Oil, it has immunity boosting nutrients like vitamin A, C, D, E and omega 3 that can help improve your body’s natural
defense against diseases. It can be used to cook all of these recipes!

Recipe 1: Low Fat Chilli Paneer

Chilli Paneer is one of the most popular dishes and now you can make a healthy version so you don’t have to worry about counting calories while enjoying a delicious portion of this hot and spicy dish.

Ingredients for 2 servings:
● 225 grams paneer cut in cubes
● 1 capsicum/bell pepper, cut in cubes
● 1 onion large, cut in cubes
● 4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
● 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
● 2 green chilies, slitted
● Black pepper powder, to taste
● Salt, to taste
● 1 tablespoon soya sauce
● ½ tablespoon chili sauce (red/green)
● 1 tablespoon cornflour
● ¼ tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
● 1 teaspoon sugar
● 2 tablespoons Emami’s Smart Balance Oil
● 1-2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green part only)

Method: 

Step 1. Boil 2 cups of water and add paneer cubes in it. This will make paneer soft. Drain water and keep aside.

Step 2. Mix 4 tablespoons of water in cornflour and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan or wok. When oil gets very hot add garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds.

Step 3. Add slit green chilies and chopped onion. Saute for 10 seconds.

Step 4. Next throw in chopped capsicum. Sauté for 10 seconds.

Step 5. Add salt, sugar, black pepper, soya sauce, chili sauce, lemon juice, and cornflour mixture. Cook it for 30 seconds.

Step 6. Throw in paneer cubes. Mix well so that paneer cubes are coated well with spices and sauce. Keep it covered for 1 minute.

Step 7. Check salt and heat levels. Adjust if needed. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve. Be mindful of the salt because the soya sauce also contains sodium.

Recipe 2: Scrambled Egg Curry

Eggs are a great source of protein that helps build muscle and egg curry is a staple across India. It’s quick, easy and you won’t have to feel guilty at all!

Ingredients for 4 servings: 

• 4 cloves 4 medium cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated or minced
• 2 tablespoons Emami’s Smart Balance Oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (Sendha Namak)
• 6 tablespoons water
• 8 large eggs, beaten
• 4 warm parathas (optional)
• 1 Fresh coriander for garnish

Method: 

Step 1. Combine garlic and ginger in a bowl; press with a spoon to make a paste. 

Step 2. Heat oil in a large non stick Kadhai over medium-high heat. 

Step 3. Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Step 4. Stir in turmeric; cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is light brown, 5 to 7 minutes more. 

Step 5. Stir in the garlic-ginger paste, coriander, chili powder, and salt. 

Step 6. Stir in water, partially cover, and cook until the water evaporates about 5 minutes. Serve with parathas or enjoy all by itself!

Recipe 3: One-Pot Dal Khichdi

Dal Khichdi the healthiest nostalgia there is! It is super easy to cook and takes next to no time at all and it’s full of protein. Dal Khichdi is the perfect dish for a light dinner. 

Ingredients for 3 servings: 

• 1 cup Rice 
• 3/4 cup Toor Dal 
• 1 Onion medium size 
• 2 Tomato small size 
• 1 inch Ginger piece
• 2 Green chili 
• Salt to Taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder 
• 1/8 teaspoon Garam Masala 
• 1 tablespoon Emami’s Smart Balance Oil
• 2.5 to 3 cups Water 
• 1/8 cup Coriander leaves chopped 
• 3 cloves Garlic chopped  
• 1 teaspoon Jeera 
• 3 tablespoons Ghee 
• 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida 
• 2 Red chili Dried

Method: 

Step 1. Wash rice grain and Toor dal and soak in water while the preparation is in progress.

Step 2. Pour oil in a pressure cooker and add chopped onion, chopped green chili and grated ginger.

Step 3. Sauté this mixture until the onion turns slightly brown on the edges. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Fry until the rawness of the masala added goes away.

Step 4. Add the tomatoes and sauté until soft.

Step 5. Add the soaked rice and toor dal. Pour in the water and mix well. Cook for 3 whistles on medium flame.

Step 6. Wait until the steam releases off the cooker. Sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

Step 7. For the Tadka/Tempering: Heat ghee in a pan. Add the jeera and let splutter. Add in the red chili and chopped garlic. Reduce flame to low at this point. Wait until the garlic turns slightly brown. Remove the pan from heat and add in the asafetida.

Step 8. Pour the mixture over the prepared rice and mix well.

Serve hot with pickle, curd or chhaas (buttermilk) according to your preference. 

Recipe 4: Low Fat Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani is world famous for being the most delicious rice dish EVER. The process might take a little longer than other recipes, but it’s perfect for a Family dinner on a Sunday night. 

Ingredients for 6 servings: 

• 3 Garlic cloves finely grated
• 2 tablespoon Ginger finely grated
• ¼ tablespoon Ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon Turmeric powder 
• 5 tablespoons Dahi
• 600 gms of Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4-5 cm pieces
• 2 tablespoon skimmed milk
• A pinch of saffron
• 4 medium Onions
• 4 tablespoon Emami’s Smart Balance Oil
• ½ tablespoon Hot chilli powder 
• 1 Cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 5 pieces of Elaichi 
• 3 Cloves 
• 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds 
• 280 gm Basmati rice 
• 700 ml Chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Garam masala

Method: 

Step 1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and yoghurt with some pepper and ¼ tsp salt. 

Step 2. Dip in the chicken pieces and coat them well. Let it marinate in the fridge for 1 hour. Step 3. Warm the milk to tepid, stir in the saffron and set aside.

Step 4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Slice onions in half, reserve half and cut the other half into thin slices. 

Step 5. Pour 1½ tbsp of the oil on a baking tray, scatter over the sliced onions, toss to coat and then spread out in an even layer. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden.

Step 6. When the chicken has marinated, thinly slice the reserved onion. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan and fry the onion until golden. Stir in the chicken and cook. 

Step 7. Finally add the yoghurt. Add chilli powder and pour in 100 ml water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Step 8. Heat another pan with 1 tbsp oil, drop in the cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds and fry. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute. 

Step 9. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8 minutes. Allow the rice to fluff up. Step 10. Add garam masala into the remaining 1½ tsp oil and set aside. When the onions are roasted, remove and reduce the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Step 11. Spoon half the chicken and its juices into an ovenproof dish, then scatter a third of the roasted onions. 

Step 12. Remove whole spices from the rice, layer half of the rice over the chicken and onions. Drizzle some spiced oil. 

Step 13. Add the rest of the chicken and a third of the onions. Top with the remaining rice and drizzle the saffron-infused milk. 

Step 14. Add the remaining onions, cover tightly with foil and let it cook in the oven for about 25 minutes. 

Garnish with onions and enjoy to your heart’s content!

Recipe 5: Paneer Do Pyaza

A derivative of a Mughlai Dish, Paneer Do Pyaza is a comforting cottage cheese curry that goes well with rice or rotis. It’s a decadent dish that’s perfect for when you want to indulge. 

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 250 gms paneer
• 2 medium onions for blanching and sauteing
• 2 cup sized onions finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes
• ½ tsp inch ginger + 2 small garlic cloves made into a paste in a mortar-pestle
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• ½ tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ½ tsp cumin powder (jeera powder)
• ¼ tsp black pepper powder
• ¼ tsp Garam masala powder
• 2 pinches nutmeg powder/jaiphal powder
• 3 tbsp low fat cream
• 1 tsp butter for sauteing the blanched onions
• 1.5 tbsp Emami’s Smart Balance Oil for the remaining gravy
• Salt as required

Whole spices:

• 1 inch cinnamon/dal chini
• 3 green cardamoms/hari elaichi or choti elaichi
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 single strand of mace/javitri
• 1 medium Bay Leaf
• 2-3 dry red chilies

For garnish:

• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1-2 tsp grated paneer

Method: 

Step 1. Peel the onions and wash well. Now, wash the tomatoes. Cut the onions into halves or quarters. Alternately, you can also use pearl or button onions instead of regular onions.

Step 2. In a pan, heat water until the water begins to boil. Now, add the onions and tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. At this point of time, switch off the flame. Let the onions and tomatoes lighten or blanch in the hot water for 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 3. Now remove the water and let the onions cool. Once they are cooled, remove each individual layer of each onion and keep them aside.

Step 4. In a pan, add 1 tsp of butter. Once the butter is heated, add onion layers and stir until they are light brown on the sides.

Step 5. Now, take the tomatoes and remove the skin. Finely chop them. On the side also chop two medium onions into fine pieces.

Step 6. In a pan, add oil. Once the oil is heated, add cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, mace and dry red chilies. Stir them until the spices release their fragrance.

Step 7. Now add the finely chopped onions and saute until they turn golden.

Step 8. Now add the tomatoes and saute. Add ginger-garlic paste. Stir well and saute of very low flame until the oil is released from the side. Make sure the tomatoes are soft and completely cooked.

Step 9. Now add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, garam masala powder, nutmeg powder. If you would like the pyaza to be slightly spicy add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder.

Step 10. Stir and saute well. Now add the blanched onion layers that you had kept aside.

Step 11. Now you can add the paneer cubes.

Step 12. Add salt to taste and stir well. Let the paneer cook for 2 minutes.

Step 13. Now add low-fat cream. Saute gently and cook for a minute.

Step 14. Add 12 tsp crushed dry fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi.

Garnish with coriander leaves or grated paneer and serve!