From Rajasthan to West Bengal: Adding variety and proteins to your life and diet
Focus on protein must continue
This is the final part of the three-part series
It is a given that protein is an essential part of a well-balanced diet. It is needed daily (as it is not stored in the body) for proper growth and repair of body tissues, enzyme function, and hormonal activity. Plus, it is a transport molecule and is responsible for all the oxygenated blood and energy to reach different parts of the body via the blood protein haemoglobin. That is why all of us need to proactively ensure that our everyday diet is rich in protein. The beauty of our traditional diet is that it has always kept the importance of protein into account, and some high protein dishes have always been part of the menus across the country from dalma in Orissa, makki ki roti of Punjab to machher jhol in Bengal. We just have to ensure that we continue eating these amazing high-protein dishes.
Odisha
Odiya cuisine is coastal and there is an emphasis is on fish and rice. They use relatively less oil and the food is very flavorful. Sattu is eaten a lot, and in many varied forms rich in proteins — sattu ka parantha, sattu ki kadhi, sattu tased with banana. Dalma — a very popular dish — is a kind of dal which contains nutritious vegetables like papaya, potato, banana, pumpkin and brinjal, to name a few. To make dalma, boil water add potato, banana, pumpkin, brinjal and papaya, and cook for 10 minutes. Now add toor dal to it with salt, minced ginger, turmeric, and cook till the dal is done. Heat oil, add spices, red chillies and then add the mix to the cooked dal and vegetables. Now sprinkle roasted cumin and chilli powder, and garnish with grated coconut and coriander leaves.
Punjab
Makki (corn) and mustard leaves are staples, and a heavy meat — primarily, chicken and eggs, legumes (rajma, kaali daal) and dairy (paneer, buttermilk, raita) based diet prevail. All these ensure enough protein intake. In fact even in the desserts, dairy is a mainstay (kheer, phirni).
Rajasthan
Laal maas is a high protein traditional dish in Rajasthan. Gatte ki sabzi with missi roti, both made with besan is a high protein meal too. Another famous dish in the region is daal baati, had in combination with panchmel dal (five varieties of lentils — slow cooked over coals and tempered with ghee, dry red chillies and spices) which is had with baati (balls made of wheat, thrice cooked, steamed, baked) is an excellent cereal and protein combination. They also eat a lot of bajra ke roti which helps in building muscle mass.
Tamil Nadu
A characteristic feature of this cuisine is rice and lentils. Rasam — had with almost every main meal — is loaded with protein. To make rasam, dry roast 2-3 dry red chilies, methi seeds, black peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and grind to make rasam powder. Cook arhar dal and mash a little with a wooden spoon. Keep aside. In another pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds urad dal, curry leaves and dry red chilies and fry the mustards crackle, and urad dal turns slightly brown. Now add turmeric powder, asafoetida, stir and add the roasted and ground rasam powder. Quickly add the above tempered mixture to the dal, and add tamarind pulp with salt. Bring to a boil first and then simmer for 8-9 minutes on a low or medium flame.
Uttar Pradesh
Predominantly vegetarian fare, though Lucknow is famous for non-veg Awadhi cuisine. Some of my picks for high protein options are potato raita, chicken reshmi kabab, galouti kabab.
Uttarakhand
People here eat rice and lentils primarily, coupled with lots of leafy vegetables (saag). Bhaat is a fermented soya bean saag that is high protein and easy for the body to absorb. T hey also eat a lot of buckwheat, which again is very healthy.
West Bengal
Fish and rice are the staples of this region. Machher jhol (fish in mustard sauce), and dhokar dalna (made of chana daal) are my two picks. To make dhokar dalna, daal is ground, and sautéed in oil and then spread across a thali till it sets. It is then cut into pieces, fried and made into a basic curry.