Top 5 healthy South Indian recipes

Source :TOI :Priyanka Luthra, Health Me Up | Nov 24, 2011, 11.37AM IST

South Indian Cuisine is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in the four Southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

South Indian food is a delightful blend of flavors, colors, seasoning, nutritional balance, fragrance, taste, and visual appeal. 

Here's how you give this "Sapad" a healthy twist while keeping it mouthwatering as ever.

Upma: Originally from South India, Upma has travelled far and wide and become one of the most preferred breakfasts all over the country. Made from semolina or Rava traditionally, upma is great as breakfast, brunch or snack. Replacing semolina with broken wheat (dalia) is how it can be made healthier!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup broken wheat
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 slit green chilli chopped
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 1/4 cup carrot cubes
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp oil
- Salt to taste

Method

- Clean and wash the broken wheat thoroughly. Drain and keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the mustard seeds.
- When they crackle, add the onions, green chilies and ginger and saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Add the green peas, carrots, broken wheat and salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add 1½ cups of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
- Garnish with the coriander and serve hot.

Calorie count: 107 (for a serving of 100 gms)

Avalakki Oggrane: 

Avalakki or flattened rice is available and made nationwide but known by different names. It is Poha in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and most of the Northern states, Chida in Bengal and Chuda in Bihar and Orissa.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Thick Avalakki
- 1/2 cup Finely chopped onions
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 strand Curry leaves
- 1 tbsp Chana+Urad Dal mixture
- 1 tsp Peanuts
- 1 Green Chili
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Lime juice
- 1tbsp grated coconut
- Salt as per taste

Method

- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan
- Temper with mustard seeds, green chili, curry leaves, dal mixture and peanuts.
- Add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn lightly brown in color.
- Wash and soak Avalakki in water for about 3-4 minutes, Drain and keep aside.
- Add this with salt, sugar, grated coconut and mix well with onions.
- Cook for about a minute or two. Switch off the stove.
- Add lemon juice and mix again.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Calorie Count: 150 (serving of 100gms)
Tomato Rasam: 

Rasam is a popular dish and comes to us in roughly 30 recipe variants. To make it healthy and add a chunk of vitamins to it, adding tomatoes is a good idea. This goes best with rice, substituting that with brown rice or even rotis makes it even better!

Ingredients:
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 8 black peppercorns
- 1 kg tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tamarind water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 pinches turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp asafetida
- Salt to taste

Method:
- Roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns for 1 minute.
- Grind into a masala powder.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and place in 8 glasses of boiling water.
- Add the remaining ingredients including the masala powder and boil for a further 10 minutes.
- Break the tomatoes with a spoon. Boil it again for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

Calorie count: 25 (serving 1 small bowl)

Ragi Mudde: 

This delicacy from Karnataka is not just yummy to eat but also very healthy. It also happens to be one of the easiest things to prepare. This one recipe does not need to be given a healthy twist since the traditional one is as healthy as it can be! Accompanying this with sambar or beaten curd adds to the nutritional value.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Ragi flour
- 2 cups of water

Method:
- Take 1 cup of ragi and equal amounts of water and mix it to a smooth paste. Consistency should be thick.
- Meanwhile bring water to high boil, when water starts to boil add the ragi mixture.
- Keep stirring it until it all comes together. Then knead and transfer to a bowl/plate.
- Allow it to cool a bit.
- By wetting you hands with a little water, press the dough and make round shaped balls.
- That is Ragi mudde for you!

Calorie count: 340 (serving of 100gms)
Vegetable Rava Idli: 

As famous as the South's beloved Rajnikanth, the ever-popular Idli needs no introduction. Steaming makes this a healthy dish and adding vegetables to it give it an extra healthy twist.

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups semolina
- 1/4 cup grated carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped sweet corn kernels
- 1/4 cup finely chopped French beans
- 4 cups buttermilk
- 3 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 tsp chana dal
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp green chilli paste
- 4 to 6 curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp oil for greasing

Method:
- Combine the semolina, carrots, corn, French beans, buttermilk, 2 tbsp of oil and salt in a bowl.
- Keep aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a small pan and add the urad dal, chana dal and mustard seeds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the coconut, green chilli paste and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
- Pour the tempering over the semolina batter and mix well. Pour spoonfuls of the batter into greased idli moulds.
- Steam it in a steamer for 8 to 10 minutes.

Calorie Count: 208 (serving size 2 nos)