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Making vegetables ‘NOT BORING’

SOFIA NOOR RAFA | Wednesday, 22 May 2024



Fine-tuning food is an art that is nailed only when nutritious values are prioritised, along with tastiness that can satisfy the needs of the human body and mind. Should a vegetarian diet be completely off the table to fulfil that demand? There are ways to make vegetables look and taste delicious, at least for keeping ourselves healthy amidst the rise of health problems caused by cholesterol, fat, quality nutrition, an unbalanced diet, and improperly tuned food.
An easy start is Tofu. Yardlong beans and carrots paired with chillies are fresh and nice in your pan. Add some pre-processed, edible (recommended brown) Tofu and stir-fry the vegetables. Pair it up with your favourite rice and simmer away some soy sauce for an aromatic and flavourful fried rice experience but in a different way.
You can opt for more rice dishes. Vegan food enthusiasts and health experts worldwide much appreciate Khichuri. It is time to pay attention to nailing the art of cooking a delightful pot of khichuri. Try Khichuri more than you used to, but add different veggies each time. Alter the cooking process by adding seasonal vegetables before getting the rice off the stove. Mix brown rice with a handful of vegetables, like carrots, spinach, green onions, and some palatable sauce to get the taste right.
Iftar items are available all year; occasionally, trying each iftar item is considered healthier than eating fried chicken. Try fried okra one day and go for fried eggplants another day. Keep at least one meal of your entire menu completely made of green or colourful vegetables. Fried sweet pumpkins with rice flour or some ripe bananas dipped in rice flour and fried off tastes ubiquitous as afternoon snacks.
Another important thing is to use a variety of vegetable oils. Sunflower oil is an excellent choice for cooking a quick stir-fry of broccoli or cabbage paired with chilli peppers to bring a different flavour to the palette. Zucchini with potatoes in your regular daal for breakfast in a hotel goes well with fresh carrots, too. For frying zucchini fritters or simple potato-carrot fritters, use sunflower oil. Sesame oil works as a tasty dressing for noodle dishes.
Vegetable sandwiches are must-haves. A falafel sandwich is a Mediterranean dish traditionally made from chickpeas or fava beans that are ground, mixed with herbs and spices, and then formed into patties or balls. These are then fried or baked until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. One can also cook a yummy bowl of mashed potatoes and prepare the bread in the pan by tossing it in the residue of the mashed potatoes. Occasionally, cut some tomatoes, scatter some vegetable oil into the bread, add chillies and tomatoes, and cook in the oven or a pan.
Finally, desserts! Opt for rice-based desserts like Jarda, Kheer, mango sticky rice, Kiribath (milk rice made with rice, coconut milk, and spices), Wattalapam (a creamy custard pudding made with coconut milk, jaggery (palm sugar), cashew nuts, raisins, and sometimes cardamoms.
Variety brings life to your meals. Try vegetables, even if you don't like them much, in diverse ways to satisfy your taste buds while fulfilling your nutritional needs.

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