Whole Grains – Fusion Flavors | Blog

Posted on April 24, 2020 at 1:00 PM by Madhu Gadia

April 24, 2020
Whole Grains – Fusion Flavors

Dear Friends

For most of us, it has been about 6 weeks since the coronavirus became a reality and social distancing became a norm. I don’t know about you, but it’s starting to wear on me. I miss my friends and going out, just because. I know, I’m lucky, I can at least go for a walk as some people I know, around the world, are in total lock down. As the weather is getting better, I have been taking full advantage of the park near me. I’m even making a point to take an extra time and just enjoy the outdoors. Before this, I only did FaceTime with my grandson. But now, I have talked to family and friends on Facebook, Zoom and, WebEx. It’s not like I see my family that often, but the need to see faces, to connect, is different now.

I hope you too are finding ways to stay connected in these unprecedented times, as we don’t know how long this will last.

One thing for sure, we are all cooking more. It’s a necessity. Eating healthfully is important. Overall, make sure, you’re making good food choices; eat 5 plus servings of vegetables and fruits, choose whole grains and watch your portions.

Enjoy Whole Grains

You have heard the importance of eating whole grains. Whole grains are packed with nutrients including fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium). A diet rich in whole grains has been shown to improve bowel health and reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer. With all the emphasis on whole grains, the food companies and restaurants have jumped on the whole-grain wagon, and we have variety of good-tasting whole grain options.

Revival of Ancient Grains

With the increased whole grain acceptance and demand, many whole grains are readily available now. I remember, 10 years ago, when I was creating a recipe using farro (for the Diabetic Cooking Magazine, see below) I had to go to a specialist store, 30 miles away, to find it. Now it’s available in my local grocery store.

Farro (variety of whole wheat), quinoa, barley, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, bulgur, brown rice etc. are readily available today. The more we taste them, the more we like them.

In northern India, whole wheat roti (chapati) is an everyday staple. When I visit India, I have noticed, the use of millet, sorghum and bulgur have increased exponentially, compared to 20 years ago. My parents’ generation grew up eating these grains regularly. Look for recipes using these grains in The Indian Vegan Kitchen.

Testing Recipes – Fusion Flavors

Here, I am sharing whole grain recipes that appeared in the Diabetic Cooking Magazine. The magazine is now out of print. I tested each of these recipes; the goal was to create recipes using a variety of whole grains. I created recipes using whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, quinoa, farro and whole wheat flour.

Although the recipes are not your typical Indian dishes but have a wonderful international fusion of flavors. The focus was Healthy Whole Grains, featuring wholesome, low fat, low calorie, delicious main dishes and sides. I hope you enjoy these five recipes: For recipe, CLICK on the recipe name:

Whole Wheat Pasta with Seafood and Greens (305 calories)

Beans and Spinach Bruschetta (215 calories)

Quinoa Pancakes with Tomato Chutney (265 calories)