Friday, October 24, 2008

Healthy Pumpkin Dosa




The bright oranged color of pumpkin is is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health.
Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging.
Pumpkins also contain potassium, fiber, and iron. Pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds are a good source of unsaturated fatty acids ("good fats"). Pumpkin seeds are very good sources of the minerals magnesium, manganese, and phosphorous, and good sources of tryptophan (an amino acid essential for growth and normal metabolism), iron, copper, zinc, and protein.
A study by the USDA indicated that diets high in pumpkin as a fiber source tend to curb the appetite, while providing high nutritional count for the calories consumed. Subjects also absorbed less fat and calories from their food.
So we saw that Pumpkin is a very healthy vegetable. But unfortunately it is not a favourite of many. My husband also does not like it. My children only like to eat pumpkins when I use them in kuzhambu. So I try to use pumpkins in such a way that they don't come to know that I have added it to the food.
One such recipe is Healthy Pumpkin Dosa.
Healthy Pumpkin Dosa 
Ingredients
Raw Rice - 2 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tb.sp
Shredded Pumpkin - 4 cups
Onion - 1
Mustard Seeds - 1 t.sp (optional)
Cumin Seeds - 1 t.sp (optional)
Salt to taste
Method
Soak the rice for about 3 hours. Grind it to a smooth paste along with coconut, chilli powder & shredded pumpkin. Add salt. And keep it covered for about 5 to 6 hrs. Better over night. Heat oil in a pan. Season the mustard and cumin seeds. Add finely chopped onion & saute for a few minutes, till the onion becomes translucent.  Add this to the dosa batter.  Heat a dosa tawa, smear it with oil slightly and make dosas. Try to make thin dosas as far as possible. Serve hot with the chutney or sambhar of your choice.
This Healthy Pumpkin Dosa is going to AFAM - Pumpkins event guest hosted by Madhuram of Eggless Cooking. AFAM (A Fruit A month) was initially started by Maheswari of Beyond The Usual to appreciate the goodness of fruits.
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5 comments:

  1. Wow.. such an innovative idea. looks very nice.

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  2. Actually I have tried dosas with the white pumpkin (poosanikai) but this one is new to me. We also regularly make sambar, kheer or halwa. So this recipe is definitely a keeper, because who doesn't like doasas?

    Please send a picture of the dish in (150Wx100H) pixel size.

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow! that's a wonderful dosa recipe! yummy picture! My first time here, came through zorra's blog. a nice blog you have here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks so innovative!..thanks for the entry!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks to all for your wonderful comments.

    ReplyDelete

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