Stuffed Paratha with Greens ~ Diabetic Diet!

When you are ardent to follow some diet be it for diabetes or even on a diet regime, dry roasted rotis play a major role. Any day wheat based dishes are better than rice. And it really helps if you can plan on lot of varieties in order not to feel bored eating the same stuff. The thought that we will have to plan so much as to what to make, takes us so much time that I always feel having a planned menu on hand helps.

During my recent meeting with a dietician to discuss a well balanced diet for diabetes, she showed the menu they came about for people who had enrolled for a weight loss program! The menu was absolutely delicious. I was telling the dietician that given that kind of a menu, I am sure you will get lots of interested folks to order. And I also felt it must be heavy, given that multiple courses involved. She assured that it wasn't the case. It was more of a satisfying all senses with balanced diet. Surprising I also had a similar menu on mind, only it wasn't so elaborate as her's. But I am now motivated to prepare something on those lines.

Will surely share once its ready. But for today, I have a simple paratha made by stuffing greens in to it. This also works out more in lines of cleaning out the pantry too. We had these greens laying around for couple of days, finally not knowing what else to make, I decided the parathas would be best way to make clean and neat dish!

Since both greens of any type, with wheat is such a good diabetic food, thought to make the best of it by using very little oil and cooking in low flame, so that the nutrients are not lost.

As the gravy or curry is sauteed, it makes a very tasty paratha on its own. You need not really bother about making a side dish again. It really helps in those harried times, having to make so many varieties. After all we should ignore a diabetic need. Especially they end up saying they want to make things easy for us by eating regular food. Not at all, with little planning, we can make healthy food for diabetics no time.

There is no fixed recipe for my stuffing here, you can add/remove spices based on your wish.

Make roti dough as usual but a wee bit stiffer for stuffing to stay in place.

For the stuffing for two parathas

Greens of your choice, I used a bit of mint, couple of spinach, handful of Ponnanganni keerai,
A small Onions
1 medium Green chilie (if you prefer spicy)
Red chilies as per taste
Coriander a little
Cumin powder a little
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsps

Method to prepare:

Wash and pick the greens. Let it drain well.

Have the dough ready and let it rest for 10 mins.

Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil, add the chopped onions, saute well.

Then add the greens and the spices. simmer to low flame and cover with lid for 6 - 8 mins.

When the greens are cooked, remove to a plate and allow it to cool.

Then make equal balls of the roti dough, take one ball, make a dent in middle, stuff a spoon of the greens. Close well.

Roll out after dusting it with flour and cook on a hot tawa. If you are eating it right away, need not use oil to cook the roti.

This paratha packs good protein and energy as it includes greens and less oil.


Diabetes Diet:

Appey or Paniyaram with Jowar Four
Healthly Snack with Chickpea Salad
Gooseberry Rice
Guava ~ the Wonder Fruit