Organic recipes for diabetics

Diabetics needn't restrict themselves to boring soups and fat-free snacks. Try these simple recipes with unconventional grains that pack in flavour and nutrition.

Organic food is the buzz word and every nutritionist, model, health enthusiast is swearing by their daily dose of quinoa. Organic or not, grains such as polenta, couscous, barley and flax seeds suddenly find themselves in the limelight, outsing the good old rajma and chana. We get Chef Prakash Lopes, from Citrus at The Leela, to teach us healty and delicious variations using these grains.

Barley and vegetable broth

Ingredients
200 ml Barley (soaked overnight)
5 ml Olive oil
15 gm Carrots (chopped)
15 gm Onions (chopped)
5 gm Fresh herbs of your choice
200 gm Vegetable stock
1 Garlic (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
- Boil the soaked barley grains in hot water till they soften and keep aside.
- Boil all the vegetables and cook them until they are soft.
- Combine the boiled barley with the vegetable stock and bring the it to a boil.
- Let it simmer it for a few more minutes and season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with chopped herbs and serve hot.

Chef's tip for non-diabetics: Add a dash of balsamic reduction to the soup. Alternatively, you can also add a few drops of Tabasco sauce to spice up this preparation. If you want to indulge, substitute olive oil with butter.

Cous cous salad

Ingredients
100 gm Couscous
50 gm Onion (finely chopped)
25 gm Yellow bell pepper (finely chopped)
25 gm Red bell pepper (finely chopped)
50 gm Tomato (deseeded and finely chopped)
20 gm Parsley (finely chopped)
25 ml Lemon juice
30 ml Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
- Soak couscous in hot water and cover it with cling wrap.
- Keep it soaked until it softens. This should take about 10 minutes. Strain and let it cool.
- In a bowl, add all the chopped vegetables and tip in the cooked couscous once it cools.
- Season it with salt and pepper, followed by lemon juice and olive oil.
- Toss it gently with a spoon and serve cold.

Chef's tip for non-diabetics: You can toss in some boiled potatoes or red kidney beans to make it wholesome. You can also add a few pieces of fruit for a sweet tinge.

Vegetable and chicken stew with polenta

Ingredients
600 gm Polenta
600 ml Milk
100 ml Olive oil
20 gm Onions (chopped)
20 gm Carrots (chopped)
20 gm Garlic (chopped)
1 kg Chicken (chopped)
1 tsp Peppercorns
5 gm Sage leaves
1 tbsp Rosemary
2 Bay leaves
1 kg Tomatoes (chopped)
1 tsp Nutmeg powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
- Heat a litre of water and add the polenta to it.
- Cook this for five to six minutes, stirring continuously.
- The polenta might bubble excessively, so be careful. Once it is cooked, let it cool in an open vessel.
- In another pan, saute the garlic and add the vegetables and meat.
- Cook this mixture until the chicken is done.
- Add sage leaves, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns, tomatoes and nutmeg powder to this mix.
- Let the mixture simmer for six to seven minutes. You can add some vegetable stock to avoid browning.
- Continue to cook mixture for about40 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve it with polenta.

Chef's tip for non-diabetics: Butter, cream and cheese can be added to the polenta while cooking. This will give it a creamy texture, rich flavour and a smoother bite...

Quinoa salad

Ingredients
½ cup Quinoa (cooked)
¼ cup Yellow bell pepper (chopped)
¼ cup Red bell pepper (chopped)
4 tbsp Basil and thyme (finely chopped)
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
- In a salad bowl, mix all the vegetables with quinoa and herbs
- Drizzle it with olive oil and lemon juice. » Season with salt and pepper and serve cold.

Chef's tip for non-diabetics: You can drizzle the salad with some balsamic reduction for a more enriched, gourmet flavour.

By Sonal Ved