Today in the era of nuclear families and the need to have a double income to sustain, it is common to see working couples struggling to manage life specifically in cooking food at home.  Coming from a professional household, we understand the difficulties of managing time and health in life where competition is high, performance holds the key, travel consumes a major chunk of time and working hours have gone beyond 8 hours. Though our lifestyle has undergone changes, certain elements have gained prominence and demands attention than it was a few decades back. One such issue is lifestyle diseases and the need for balanced nutrition.

The most common problem is Anemia, deficiency of iron in the body. Giddiness, tiredness, and hair fall are common symptoms found in women suffering from anemia. Simply put, Anemia, though a deficiency, can affect our quality of life. When there is a solution to prevent it, why suffer? The solution to Anemia lies in consuming iron-rich food as a part of our daily diet. Some of the common vegetarian iron-rich ingredients are Spinach, Raisins, Broccoli, Oats, Beans, Lentils, Beetroot, Almonds, Methi (fenugreek), Whole wheat bread, Mushrooms, and Brown rice.

When I discussed the same with my daughter, her first response was that cooking is a time-consuming exercise. The list of ingredients listed as iron rich was just not interesting. For the generation who are into fast food, everything should be presented so it is easy to cook. The fact is that most of our dishes are easy and quick to cook and with a little creativity can be made into an interesting balanced food.

Here is one such recipe which takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and makes a lovely spread for whole wheat bread or for hot Rotis. You can also mix it with rice and have it as a mixed rice.

Methi Curry

Baby Fenugreek Leaves (fresh) – 2 large bunch
Onions – 2 big size
Tomatoes – 2 big size
Green Chili – 2 (add one more if you like it spicy)
Ginger (optional) – ½ teaspoon
Jeera – ½ teaspoon
Coriander Powder – 1 teaspoon
Ghee – 2 teaspoons
Salt – to taste

1. Finely dice onion, tomato and green chilis and keep it separately
2. Cut the baby Fenugreek bunch above the tied thread and wash it in water such that no mud remains.
3. Add ghee to the heated pan
4. Add Jeera and onion. Add salt and cook till soft
5. Add tomato and sauté for few minutes
6. Add the Baby fenugreek leaves and coriander powder, sauté till the leaves become soft and the whole dish comes together.

Aromatic tasty Methi curry is ready.

Notes

1. If you intend to use it as a spread for bread, use pureed tomato instead of tomato slices.

2. If you do not like ghee, use coconut oil instead – do not use any other oil.

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