In today’s day and age, we have access to huge streams of knowledge that pours in from all social media pages, mobile apps and informative websites. Still, it remains a challenge when it comes to eating healthy. Let’s accept it, implementing a nourishing diet on a daily basis can be daunting, and one might feel the urge to remove the packet of noodles or ready-to-eat food item so that you can bring some kind of food to the table on time. Distraction is easy, but remaining attentive can be tough. Have a mother at home who likes to feed you good food? In that case, I envy you. As I and my husband have to depend on each other for this.

So, recently, I have begun keeping my breakfast the healthiest meal of the day. It’s usually multigrain rotis (I mix around five to six flours like jowar, bajra, chana, makki and wheat flour) that we have with curd and pickle. Multigrain rotis are filled with fibre and can also help those who have constipation.

During our breakfast time, we also like to have a fruit or two like banana, kiwi, pomegranate or chikoo (in season now), and a handful of soaked nuts like walnuts, raisins, almonds and figs. We finish off our breakfast with a glass of milk.

When I’m too lazy to cook, we like to have a banana with milk as our mini morning meal. During summers, it can be a filling smoothie comprising soaked nuts, seeds, banana, peanut butter and cocoa powder.

Also, before stepping out for work, my husband grabs a spoonful of pumpkin or flax seeds. I keep munching on them and on some salted watermelon seeds (we call it coolie in our language) that my mum keeps sending me.

Some days, I like to make stuffed Parathas (options like grated cottage cheese with onions, boiled potato masala, cooked radish or cauliflower, or some boiled and mashed green peas) and serve it with fresh curd and a tsp of lemon pickle. On other days, it’s Poha, Upma or even Dalia.

Also, a bowl of fresh, homemade curd is a must for me! I like to have it plain. Curd has good bacteria, and it is good for your gut health as well. Also, if you’re recovering from an illness or feel low in energy, a glass of coconut water can help too. I had it this morning myself. Usually, I struggle to finish off my fruits in the morning, but then, I have them during the day.

Today, I had a few veggies in the fridge, like half tomato, a small piece of beetroot and carrot, and a bowl of frozen green peas. So, I thought, why not make some vegetable Dalia and use the leftover veggies that can go ignored soon? Frankly, it’s rarely that I make Dalia, but I keep reminding myself of the resolution I took up this year: finishing off what I have in my kitchen pantry. And a jar of Dalia was stuck in one of the shelves since ages. So, it will be best if I finish it soon.

My recipe of vegetable Dalia is inspired by Pramila’s Cook Book, a YouTube channel that I follow for Rajasthani recipes. Pramila, who seems to be based in Jodhpur, is too good, and she deserves more followers than she already has. Do check out her channel if you like Rajasthani cuisine. This is my version of the vegetable Dalia and you can give it a twist with whatever is available on hand.

Having said all this, there are days when we go off track and end up forgetting the nuts or a fruit. But we should keep striving for a healthy diet, as much as we can, right? What did you have for breakfast today?

Recipe: Vegetable Dalia

Ingredients

¾ cup – Dalia or broken wheat (Pramila suggested toasting dalia before soaking it for an hour)
veggies of your choice – I used chopped onions, finely chopped carrots, a handful of frozen peas, half a tomato and half beetroot.
curry leaves (optional)
ghee
salt to taste
spices (½ tsp each – turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder)
2 tbsp – split green mung dal (soaked for an hour)
a pinch of asafoetida
¼ tsp – cumin seeds
coriander leaves – for ganish
½ tsp – ginger (crushed)
1 green chilli (chopped)

Method

1. In a cooker, heat some ghee. Add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. Let this crackle and give it a quick stir.
2. Next, add in the curry leaves, ginger, green chilli and onion. Give it a mix. After about a minute, add in the other veggies as well. Now, keep tossing it or stirring it every 20 seconds or so.
3. After about 2-3 minutes, add in the soaked Dalia (make sure you wash it thrice), split green dal, salt and spices. Give it a mix and keep roasting it for another minute.
4. Now, add in some water. I like to cover the Dalia so much so that I can see one and a half inch of water. Now, give it five to six whistles.