Spinach, cabbage, karela - don’t say ’ugh!’ until you’ve tasted our makeovers, all designed to help you eat up and slim down.
When was the last time you cooked cabbage for dinner? Or served beets? If you’re as scared of these veggies as your children are, blame Mother Nature: The very phytonutrients that make some vegetables so healthy are what give them that "bitter" taste.
The good news: Here are some ways in which you can trick your taste-buds into liking - maybe even loving - five much-reviled vegetables.
(Plus point: These dishes will help you lose weight, especially if you use them to replace junk food.)
Brinjal (eggplant)
That piquant taste comes in part from chlorogenic acid, which helps prevent cancer and can also keep heart-threatening plaque from building up.
What’s more, lab studies show that eating eggplant lowers cholesterol and helps artery walls relax, which can cut your risk for high blood pressure.
Makeover
Prepare brinjal (baigan) with dahi (yoghurt) and fresh herbs such as dhania (coriander), pudina (mint) and parsley, to mask its acrid flavour.
Adding spices and meat may also mask the taste. Another option: Grill the veggie to bring out it’s sweet side.
Dishes: Baigan Bharta, Dahi Baigan.
Cabbage
Eating it a few times a week can cut your risk of breast, lung and colon cancers. In a study involving 300 Chinese women, those with the highest levels of cancer-fighting isothiocyanates (found in cabbage) had a 45 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels of the chemical.
Makeover
To mask the musty taste of red cabbage, mix it with pasta, raisins, ground laung (clove) and/or apple juice. Cooking cabbage with shrimps, tomato and spices too hides its pungent flavour.
Dishes: Red Cabbage Spaghetti with Golden Raisins and Cabbage with Shrimps.
Broccoli
A super source of vitamins C and K (one cup has more than what you need in a day), broccoli also helps ward off cancer. Sulforaphane, one of its compounds, disarms cancer-causing substances. In lab studies, a different compound, called indole-3-carbinol present in broccoli, prevented tumour growth in animals.
Makeover
Mash together broccoli florets, potatoes and processed cheese to wipe out any bitter flavour. You can also stir-fry the veggie with the sauce of your choice - Manchurian or Schwezwan, for instance. Stir-frying gives the veggie a crisp texture and the sauce adds flavour.
Dishes: Broccoli Gratin and Stir-fried Broccoli.
Technorati Tags: Love the Veggies You Hate
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Love the Veggies You Hate
