The wholsome kitchen

INTRODUCTIONDELICIOUS + HEALTHY: WHAT MAKES THESE TREATS GOOD FOR YOU THE WHOLESOME KITCHEN MANIFESTO HOW TO USE THIS BOOK Fruit and Nut Granola Yoghurt and Granola Smoothie Chocolate Pr

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THE WHOLESOME

KITCHEN

Nourish.

Energize Indulge.

POOJA DHINGRA

with VIDDHI DHINGRA

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL SHECHTER

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First published in 2017 by Hachette India (Registered name: Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt Ltd)

An Hachette UK company

www.hachetteindia.com

Photographs on pages 63 and 127 courtesy Shutterstock.com Copyright for recipes on pages 50–57, 90–101, 128–139 and 167–171 vests with the individual contributors.

All rights reserved No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system (including but not limited to computers, disks, external drives, electronic or digital devices, e-readers, websites), or transmitted in any form or by any means (including but not limited to cyclostyling, photocopying, docutech or other reprographic reproductions, mechanical, recording, electronic, digital versions) without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and

without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

The views, opinions and recipes provided in this book are the authors’ own and the facts are as reported by them.

The publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

Print edition ISBN 978-93-5195-144-5 eBook edition ISBN 978-93-5195-145-2

Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt Ltd 4th & 5th Floors, Corporate Centre, Plot No 94, Sector 44, Gurgaon - 122003, India Typeset by Manmohan Kumar, Delhi

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INTRODUCTIONDELICIOUS + HEALTHY: WHAT MAKES THESE TREATS GOOD FOR YOU

THE WHOLESOME KITCHEN MANIFESTO

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Fruit and Nut Granola

Yoghurt and Granola Smoothie

Chocolate Protein Shake

Power Bites

Oat and Date Bites

Raisin Cashew Bites

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No-Bake Coffee Cookies

Almond Bars

Almond Cereal Bars

Chewy Banana Bars

Peanut Butter and Banana Parfait

Chocolate Espresso Tart

Coffee Loaf Cake

Banana Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Chip Apricot Bars

Apple Cinnamon Bites

Green Blast

Goji Berry and Date Bliss Balls

Red Velvet-Inspired Brownie

NOURISH

Porridge

Coconut and Plum Cleanser

Ironman

Honey, Spinach and Walnut Salad

Mint and Edamame Dip

Whole-wheat Lavash

Spicy Rajma Dip

Cookie Dough Bites

Pumpkin Bites

Coconut Bars

Red Velvet Pudding

Apple Crumble

Chocolate Coconut Tart

Banana and Peanut Butter Cake

Upside-down Ginger Pear Cake

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Zucchini Blondies

Rajma Hummus

Curry Leaf and Almond Pesto

Dairy-free Super Creamy Miso-Tahini Dip Soup of ‘X’

Carrot Cake

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Zucchini Pasta

REFRESH

Beetroot and Avocado Juice

Pineapple and Orange Cooler

Pistachio Rose Bites

Orange Carrot Cupcake

Caramel Yoghurt Dip

Avocado Pudding

Chia Pudding Falooda

Chocolate Chip Bar with Peanut Butter and Apple SauceChocolate Yoghurt Pie

Mixed Fruit Crumble

Chilled Cucumber and Yoghurt Soup

Sweet Potato Chaat

Fruity Popsicles

INDULGE

Fig and Cherry Pancakes

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Uncooked Pad Thai

Caramelized Onion Dip and Sweet Potato Chips

Chocolate Avocado Truffles

Apricot Cashew Bites

Orange Chocolate Truffles

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Chocolate Mint Truffles

Chocolate Almond Orange Tart

Chocolate Cake with Banana and Coconut Butter Frosting

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Bites

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

CONVERSION TABLE

INDEXACKNOWLEDGEMENTSABOUT THE AUTHORS

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INTRODUCTION

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My life is, pretty much, an open book I share so much of my day, every day, on socialmedia that those who follow me – on Instagram, on Snapchat, on Twitter – know what I

am working on, who I ate lunch with, what my snack was and what is keeping me busy Ilove the sense of community that social media allows, but there is a deeply personal

issue that I have held back for years – my constant struggle with weight

As a child I was skinny and, honestly, even today, I don’t know how and when theweight gain began I did not overeat I was always active But the kilos began to pile on,till I didn’t know myself any more I was checked for hormonal imbalances, but therewere none And so the spiral started I tried every diet in the book I went out andexercised more than ever But nothing helped I remember going shopping for a pair ofjeans with my mother and crying in the changing room because none of the four largestsizes fit me To make matters worse, I began to get picked on in school and by members

of my extended family for not looking the way I ‘should’ look I heard comments like:

‘You have such a pretty face! Why don’t you lose some weight? You won’t find someone

to marry you if you don’t!’

When I turned 16, I began consulting a top nutritionist in Mumbai and over two years Ilost nearly 30 kgs I began to pay attention to the way my body worked, researchingexercise techniques and diet plans I was such a regular at my gym that one of theinstructors suggested I sign up for a training programme and, three months later, I was aReebok-certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor I even became aspinning instructor and started taking classes at a gym in south Bombay

And then?

My life changed Because I enrolled in law school, quit it in two weeks and moved to Switzerland to study at the César-Ritz Colleges For a while, I continued to work out, going for a daily evening run by the lake – exercise was an escape from the long days that were now a part

of my life in a new country As the days got longer, though, the runs stopped and working in a kitchen, tasting food all day, did not help One day, something inside me snapped and I spiralled out of control Suddenly I was eating butter-laden baguettes at every meal and my room was stocked with bags of M&Ms Before I knew it, I was back to where I had started.

After I graduated I decided I wanted to make a career in pastry and moved to the land

of carbs, Paris, to study at Le Cordon Bleu There, of course, every day started with acroissant or a baguette with ham and cheese My days involved working with largequantities of chocolate and sugar Don’t get me wrong, I loved every second of it andhave no regrets to this day – but, unfortunately, the weight I had fought so hard to losebegan creeping back on, despite walking a lot and taking the occasional long run aroundthe Eiffel Tower

In 2009, I returned to India, leaving behind my full life in Paris, and had to figure outwhat to do with myself, both personally and professionally Of course, food is a greatfriend when you are feeling a bit out of sorts, and as I was also developing the concept

of Le15 Patisserie at the time, many long days were spent testing recipes in my homekitchen I launched my business in early 2010 and the next three years raced by in acloud of flour, butter and sugar

Soon, branches of the patisserie had opened across Mumbai, I had written my firstcookbook and started Studio Fifteen, but I woke up one day and realized that I had

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regained all the weight I had lost It’s sad and funny, isn’t it, how you could be doing sowell professionally – winning accolades and love from your customers and earning thesupport and respect of your peers – but no award or amount of money can cheer you upwhen you don’t know yourself any longer? What did not help was that I was working sohard that I had no time for my family or friends and began to withdraw into a shell,which was very unlike me.

Everything came to a head in May 2014, when I was visiting my best friend in NewYork Her apartment was on the fifth floor of a classic New York City building – awalk-up – and my daily struggle on those stairs made me realize how unfit I hadbecome That was my wake-up call I could not ignore my weight and declining healthany longer I was only 28 and that was not how I wanted to feel When I got back toMumbai, I called my friend Shayamal Vallabjee, one of India’s best sports scientists andphysiotherapists When we met, I broke down and told him what was bothering me Heimmediately started me off on an exercise routine It helps that my sister-in-law, ViddhiDhingra, is a trained nutritionist – she put together a healthy eating plan for me Together,they helped me finish a 21-km half marathon in 2015 Deciding to run that marathon wasprobably the scariest thing I’ve ever done but, as a person who needs goals to function,

it became the goal that helped me get my health back on track

Since the marathon, I have continued to exercise – whether it’s in the form of dance,yoga or spinning There are times when my work schedule is completely crazy and Ihave to skip working out for a few weeks, but I make sure I stay active and get back ontrack when things settle down

While on this new path, I also began thinking about the kind of food I wanted to make

at Le15 I absolutely love my work and creating delicious goodies brings me so muchhappiness but, at the same time, I needed to focus on my health I still had sweetcravings but didn’t want to indulge in a creamy, sugary treat every single day And Iknew I was not the only one who felt that way

The way I looked at nutrition and my body slowly changed Working with Viddhi, I learnt to identify ingredients for their nutritional content rather than calories However, the most important lesson I learnt was that there is no cookie-cutter method to weight loss As I spoke to friends, customers and peers, I could no longer ignore the fact that each of us faces issues with our bodies The society we live in doesn’t make it easy for us to love ourselves, more so if you are a woman.

When I looked around for healthy treats, however, there were very few optionsavailable to me and I decided to do something about it myself With Jump, a line ofhealthy treats I launched in 2014, I wanted to give my customers healthy, delicious treatsthey could indulge in without guilt or worry The overwhelming response to Jumpconvinced me that this book had to be written

Accepting and working through my struggles, and channelling that experience to start

a new phase in my business has, I believe, made me more compassionate, kind andpatient As a chef, it’s made me more open to experimentation and finding alternatives.I’ve worked with ingredients I would never think of using in culinary school (lauki orbottle gourd in a cookie?) and it has helped expand my knowledge and skills This kind

of baking is tough, I won’t deny it Not only did I have to omit every essential bakingingredient, I also had to make sure that the end result was still tasty and that Viddhi

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could certify its nutritional value I understand how butter or sugar works in a recipe butthese new ingredients threw me several curveballs Baking with the usual ingredientsnow seemed so easy because it was forgiving – you could fix mistakes and everythingtasted so good! However, I’ve always loved a good challenge and, as a businesswoman,

I have learnt that the biggest opportunities sometimes lie in our greatest struggles

My main message with this book is to help you find balance when it comes to food You need

to approach it with the knowledge that a treat from this book will never taste the same as the one you buy at a traditional bakery or make at home with regular ingredients.

So don’t hold it to the same standards, or you will be disappointed! But there are ways

to make healthier food choices that are also enjoyable, and these recipes are my attempt

to help you make those choices

It’s taken me so many years to come to terms with who I am as a person and I know I

am a work in progress I developed these recipes to help me in my quest to eat healthywithout ignoring or judging my sweet cravings I hope they become a part of yourjourney too

Pooja

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DELICIOUS + HEALTHY WHAT

MAKES THESE TREATS GOOD FOR

YOU

Our relationship with food is indicative of our relationship with our body and, by

extension, our relationship with ourselves

As a nutritionist, this forms the centre of my food philosophy Nine times out of ten,clients who come to see me want to be a certain size, or want to follow a particular diet,because someone else is the size they want to be, and follows that diet What I reallywant them – and you – to know is that each of us has a unique body and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to staying healthy and in good shape Just because something worksfor your sister or your best friend does not mean it will work for you What does nothelp is that today food and nutrition have become synonymous with that dreaded word

‘diet’, which, in turn, is associated with deprivation

There is a new theory every week, and new lists of what to eat and what to avoidfollow every second day The result, sadly, is that we have all forgotten how to eat.We’ve forgotten how to use food to fuel and nourish our bodies and our minds.Traditional foods, especially in a country as ancient and diverse as India, strike the bestbalance between health, taste and nutrition I firmly believe that we are all better offeating what we ate growing up, and what is grown where we live Eating local is now aglobal movement, and if you think about it it’s how generations of our families ate Whenyou eat local, your body assimilates the nutrients efficiently, keeping you in perfectphysical, emotional and mental health

An important factor taken into account while developing these recipes was to ensurethat we only use ingredients that are easily and locally available Eating locally grownfoods means you are eating what nature has produced for your body according to yournatural habitat while also contributing to the national economy Hence, each recipe inthis book is delicious, good for you, and respects the local ecosystem

Moreover, as a tool, I believe that the nutritional value of a food item is more than just its

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calories Let’s take a 4-inch–6-inch pizza versus a homemade paneer paratha, for example Their calorie content would roughly be the same, but the pizza is made of white flour, which has no fibre, vitamins or minerals, and processed cheese, which also contains very few nutrients Since white flour has no nutrients of its own, it strips your body of those nutrients that are needed to break it down, which will leave you tired and sluggish On the other hand, the whole-wheat flour

in the paratha is rich in B-vitamins, fibre, calcium and iron The paratha actually provides your body with a whole lot of vitamins, minerals and energy So when you think of calories, think of how nutritionally dense those calories are before making your meal choices.

The best thing you can do for your body is to eat foods that are as close to theirnatural form as possible The more a food is processed, the lower its nutritional value.This is the philosophy that we have followed throughout this book Each recipe is madewith clean, simple, unprocessed ingredients that are easily available and very nutritious.For example, we have used whole-wheat flour and oat flour instead of white flourbecause these contain more fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein

Since we’ve tried to avoid processed foods, sweeteners like dates, date syrup andhoney have been used instead of processed sugar Dates are high in natural sugars, aswell as iron, minerals and vitamins When you eat anything with dates or date syrup, thenatural sugars work very differently in your body as compared to refined sugar Theycause less of a spike and break down at a slower rate, giving you a greater sense ofsatisfaction with no cravings to return for more Try this simple experiment to test it outfor yourself: Eat a date or a dried fig one afternoon and then eat a piece of commerciallyproduced chocolate the next Record your cravings on both days I’m certain you willnot go back and finish a packet of dates but you will finish a bar of chocolate Ourrecipes have natural sources of sugar because we want to offer you a way out of thisvicious cycle of cravings

We’ve also included healthy fats such as coconut oil and nuts because the body needsgood fats in order to absorb important nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K Theybalance hormones and keep the skin and hair soft and healthy, apart from providing otherlong-term benefits So don’t be afraid to use the fats mentioned in our recipes; thequantities we have recommended are nutritionally sound

Food can be delicious, fun, easy to make and good for you I hope this book helps youreach that place of happiness with every meal and every snack

Viddhi

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THE WHOLESOME KITCHEN

MANIFESTO

Always choose natural food over processed food.

MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT ELIMINATE ANY FOOD GROUP entirely from your diet Include carbohydrates, especially complex carbs (whole-wheat flour, jowar, bajra, sweet potatoes), proteins and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, pure ghee, pure coconut and its products, avocado and fish Good fats help burn stubborn body fat, keep you full for longer

and reduce the chances of heart disease and diabetes.

EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL – more when you are active and

less when you are not.

AIM TO EAT YOUR LAST MEAL OF THE DAY at least three hours before bedtime Sleeping on a light stomach is the key to a flat belly and it also ensures a good night’s sleep.

LET YOUR STOMACH HELP YOU DECIDE HOW HUNGRY YOU ARE Our hunger patterns and levels change each day depending on our physical activities, hormones and sleep patterns, among many other factors To stay in tune with the messages from your stomach, make sure you eat in peace without any distractions like television or the Internet.

MOVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN Besides regular workout routines, just be more active Take the stairs at least once a day instead of the elevator Get up to get yourself a glass of water instead of asking someone else Go vegetable and fruit shopping to the market instead of ordering online The more you move, the more physically and mentally

alert you will be.

ALWAYS KEEP YOUR BODY WELL HYDRATED Do not wait until you are thirsty

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to drink water because by then your body is already dehydrated Dehydration slows down your body’s fat burning ability, weakens your muscles and could make you irritable.

EAT SEASONALLY because seasonal foods are packed with the nutrients your body needs at that particular time of the year For example, mangoes are a summer fruit in India and amla (Indian gooseberry) is available in winter Mangoes are rich in beta-carotene which will protect your skin from tanning in the summer Plus, their high levels of fibre keep your digestive system clean and healthy, making sure you don’t feel sluggish in the heat Similarly, the high content of vitamins A and C in amla builds immunity to guard you

against flu or colds in winter.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY ALL RIGHT TO INDULGE in your favourite foods every now and then A simple way to think about this is to apply the rule of Pi (22/7) to maintain a healthy lifestyle If you eat right 22 days of a month and work out for even 7 days a

month, you are on your way to better health.

DON’T WAIT TILL NEXT MONDAY or the first day of next month to start making

better choices Today is as good a day as any.

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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

We have divided the recipes into four sections – Energize, Nourish, Refresh

‘Refresh’ section works well both as a dessert to serve at your next dinner party or tohave along with your cup of coffee in the afternoon ‘Indulge’ is, well, all aboutindulging yourself any time of the day

Please use our categories only as a suggestion and feel free to play around with themaccording to your day and your mood For example, I love having a smoothie as a snackbecause it’s so filling and delicious – plus, it gives you that hit of sweetness you need at

4 p.m You can also choose to have a smoothie at breakfast along with eggs or a paratha.We’ve also included calorie counts with each recipe Personally, I feel that countingcalories is not a healthy way to live, but I understand that calories are a scientific toolthat many people use to follow their nutritional plans I wanted to make sure that everyperson gets the information they need to make this book a part of their daily lives

Finally, what makes this book very special to me is the fact that my friends andcolleagues have chipped in and contributed their recipes to it You would have noticedthat when you start paying more attention to a particular aspect of your life and seeothers doing the same you easily build a bond with them That’s exactly what happened

to me during my wellness journey I began to observe and admire how many of myfriends and peers were finding the time and energy to make healthy choices withoutmaking excuses, even though they are all busy people with demanding lives

I had long conversations with Masaba Gupta, for instance, about enjoying dessertwithout having to worry about sugar, which led to us collaborating on Jump, my line ofhealthy desserts I appreciate how chefs Kelvin Cheung and Karishma Dalal have

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offered Mumbai healthy and delicious options at their respective restaurants Celebritieslike Sonam Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Pernia Qureshi andShraddha Kapoor travel the world and have very busy schedules but they still focus oneating right These fantastic people continue to inspire me every day – they have fun andoccasionally indulge themselves but they also pay close attention to their general well-being.

Watching them, I’ve come to truly believe that excuses are simply excuses We can allfind a way to prioritize our health if we put our minds to it

Pooja

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My first preference is the dark cooking chocolate from Whisq For those who are vegan

or lactose-intolerant, I recommend Indian brands such as Earth Loaf, Mason and Co andRegal Chocolates

COCOA POWDER

I use Dutch process cocoa powder, which is specially treated to lower acidity, changecolour and be more soluble in liquids It works well with recipes that use bakingpowder, as most recipes in this book do You can find it in any well-stocked grocerystore or buy it online

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ALMOND POWDER AND ALMOND SLICES

I prefer buying sliced almonds from a reliable local dried fruit store or wholesaler asthese are perfectly sliced into thin strips, something that is hard to achieve at home Usethe almond slices to make almond powder by grinding them in a good food processor

DESICCATED COCONUT

Any quality brand from your local grocery store will do the job

BAKING POWDER OR BAKING SODA?

I get asked this all the time and it’s really very simple All you need to know is that theyare both leavening agents They help release carbon dioxide when added to baked goodswhich makes our pretty cupcakes and cakes rise So use either It doesn’t matter!

Chia seeds are sold at most large supermarkets and gourmet grocery stores but feel free

to substitute these with sabja seeds (also known as takmariya or falooda seeds)

AVOCADOS

Buy these from a good vendor and ask for a ripe one If you do end up with an unripeavocado, all you need to do is wrap it up in a sheet of newspaper for a couple of days tohasten the ripening process

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The butters, jams and sauces covered in this section are used as the base for

or as accompaniments to the recipes in the pages ahead When you are making the butters, try using a high-powered blender (preferably a food processor) for best results Make sure the blades of the mixer-grinder are sharp Blunt blades will not grind the nuts evenly and might cause the machine to overheat Do not work the machine for too long at a stretch Rest

it for 2–3 minutes every few minutes If the container gets too hot while you are processing something or if you detect a mild smell of something burning,

switch it off and let it rest.

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ALMOND BUTTERMAKES ½ CUP

150 g almonds

1 tsp oil of choice

1 Pulse the almonds into a powder in a food processor

2 Then, blend them for 2–3 minutes, till the mixture is oily and sticky

3 Add ½ teaspoon oil and grind for 10–12 minutes, till pasty

4 Take frequent breaks to prevent overheating

5 Add another ½ teaspoon oil and grind for another 10–12 minutes, till a smooth paste

is formed

6 Spoon into an airtight container

7 Almond butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

COOK’S NOTE: Since almonds are quite firm in texture, they take the longest to break down and release all their oils It may take up to 20 minutes to get the consistency of butter.

Per tablespoon

CALORIES (KCAL) CARBOHYDRATES (G) PROTEIN (G) FAT (G)

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CASHEW BUTTERMAKES ½ CUP

150 g cashew nuts

1 tsp oil of choice

1 Pulse the cashew nuts into a powder in a food processor

3 After resting the mixer, pour in the oil and grind for another 3–5 minutes to form asmooth paste

5 Cashew butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Per tablespoon

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PEANUT BUTTERMAKES ½ CUP

150 g peanuts

1 tsp oil of choice

1 Pulse the peanuts into a powder in a food processor

5 Peanut butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Per tablespoon

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HAZELNUT BUTTERMAKES ½ CUP

150 g hazelnuts

1 Pulse the hazelnuts into a powder in a food processor

3 After resting the mixer, grind for another 5–7 minutes to form a smooth paste

5 Hazelnut butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Per tablespoon

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WALNUT BUTTERMAKES ½ CUP

150 g walnuts, roasted

1 tsp oil of choice

1 Pulse the walnuts into a powder in a food processor

5 Walnut butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Per tablespoon

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CASHEW TURMERIC BUTTERMAKES ⅓ CUP

100 g cashew butter (see p 4 )

3 Cashew turmeric butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Per tablespoon

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APPLE SAUCEMAKES 2 CUPS

2 Drain the apples and pulse them in a mixer till puréed; this should take 1 minute

3 Add the lemon juice, cinnamon and honey and mix till combined

4 Once no lumps remain, spoon the apple sauce into an airtight container

5 It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days Do not leave open since it willoxidize almost immediately

Per tablespoon

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HOMEMADE NUTELLAMAKES ½ CUP

150 g hazelnut butter (see p 7 )

50 ml milk

35 g honey

15 g cocoa powder

A pinch of sea salt

1 Grind all the ingredients in the mixer for 2–3 minutes till well combined

3 This nutella will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

COOK’S NOTE: Do not use a dark cocoa powder because it will add a bitter taste Use a neutral brand like Cadbury’s.

Per tablespoon

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COCONUT BUTTERMAKES ½ CUP

3 Coconut butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

Per tablespoon

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BANANA JAMMAKES ⅓ CUP

150 g ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

1 Mash the bananas in a pan till smooth and add in the lemon juice

2 Simmer over medium heat till thick; stir continuously

3 Remove and set aside to cool

4 Cover securely with a lid or cling wrap and store in an airtight container

5 Banana jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days

Per tablespoon

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DATE JAMMAKES ⅓ CUP

100 g seedless dates

Water, as required

1 Grind the dates in the mixer for 7–8 minutes Add a teaspoon of water at a time till it

is of spreadable consistency

3 Date jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days

Per tablespoon

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