From Jammu to Manipur: Adding variety and proteins to your life and diet

This is the second part of a three-part series

There is absolutely no doubt that protein is an essential part of a well-balanced diet. The beauty of Indian diet is that it takes this into account, and traditionally (and luckily) every region, every state of our country has their own fail-proof high protein dishes, many of which have lately been off the menu for most of us somehow. From the elaborate gushtaba of Jammu and Kashmir to the chilka roti of Jharkhand, high-protein dishes are a staple in kitchens across India. Indulge in these to buff up your muscle mass. Here we take a look at how the Indian states include proteins in their traditional cuisines:

Jammu and Kashmir

The food in this region is essentially meat-based and they use a lot of dryfruits, nuts and fresh fruits. Gushtaba — a dish of tender minced mutton balls cooked in yoghurt gravy — is as delicious as nutritious. It is usually the grand finale to the main course in the traditional Kashmiri wazwan, and the spices that go into gushtaba are all designed to help digest the meat better.

Jharkhand

This is very similar to Bihari cuisine and is a predominantly vegetarian fare cooked in mustard oil. In Jharkhand, they also add a lot of vegetables. Litti is a very famous food item in the state and savoured by the locals. It is eaten with yoghurt, baigan bharta (Chokha), alu bharta, or papad — a perfectly balanced meal. Another interesting combination is Rugra (a local vegetable that tastes like the mushroom and is rich in protein and minerals) eaten with Chilka Roti (made using rice flour and besan) and chana dal chutney.

Karnataka

Ragi, jowar and other millets are the staples along with seafood. A popular local dish is ragi mudde with soppina saru. Ragi mudde — as the name suggests, is prepared from ragi and soppina saru is a combination of green leafy vegetables and lentils. Kosambari is another a unique Kannadiga dish which is a no-cook salad made using lentils and vegetables. Soak moong daal for about an hour. Discard the water and add cut carrot, cucumber, grated coconut, and slitted green chillies to it. Add salt, lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and red chilli. Mix in the salad well.

Kerala

Coastal Kerala uses fish and seafood as the staple along with red rice and coconut. Go for tapioca and fish curry or moong (whole green gram) curry paired with wheat, ragi or rice Puttu (steam cake). To make the curry, pressure cook green gram with water, turmeric powder and salt. Grind coconut with cumin seeds and chilly powder, add to the cooked green gram and cook again for 3-5 minutes. Heat 2 tsp coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped onion, curry leaves and dry red chilly. Fry till onion becomes golden brown. Pour it over the cooked green gram.

Madhya Pradesh

Wheat is the principal staple in the state and milk products, protein-packed lentils, meat and fish feature predominantly. Bhutte ki kees is grated corn cooked with all spices and then simmered in milk to add a slightly sweet taste. Green chillies and mustard seeds are also added to give it a special flavour. It is good for building muscles as it is rich in protein and fibre.

Maharashtra

Rice is the staple foodgrain and there is extensive use of coconut and peanuts. Go for Pithale which is paired with bhakri — a bread made from either jowar or bajra. To make pithale, crackle the mustard seeds in a little oil, add finely chopped onions and sauté till it browns. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt as per taste, a pinch of asafoetida, a glass of water, and bring to boil. When it boils, add in the chickpea flour slowly till it thickens. Simmer and garnish with coriander.

Manipur

Rice is the main staple along with meat, fish and vegetables. Go for kangsoi — a combination of vegetables and dried fish is a high protein and fibre stew. Put potatoes cut into disk shape in a pot with just enough water to cover it. Bring it to a boil until it is just about cooked. Add in ngari (a fermented Manipuri fish) or any smoked/fried fish and boil for another 3-5 minutes. Now add chunkily cut tomatoes and sliced green chillies and a little bit of water and boil for 5 more minutes. Finally, add sliced ginger and coriander leaves to garnish.

Meghalaya

The cuisine is heavily tilted in favour of meat, particularly pork. Nakhmam Bitchi is a popular soup made with Nakham — a sun-dried fish, which is fried. It is then boiled in water, to make a thick, rich soup, and flavoured with lots of chillies and pepper.

Also read: How to add variety and proteins to your life and diet