The Grow Fit team has put together healthy Indian recipes that we've tried and tested ourselves. We offer foods that are balanced yet easy to make. These recipes use lentils and vegetables. The resulting dishes have a low glycemic index.   Crêpe, Pancakes, Dosas, Uttapams, Chillas and Pudlas Chana Dal Crêpes (Chillas) Ingredients:

1. 1/8 cup channa dal (split Bengal gram)
2. 1/8 cup chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves
3. 1/8 cup chopped spinach
4. 1/8 cup grated carrot
5. 1 to 1 1/2 curry leaves, chopped
6. 1/4 tbsp low-fat curd
7. 1/4 sachet fruit salt
8. 1/4 tsp grated ginger
9. 1/4 to 1/2 green chillies, chopped
10. Salt to taste
11. 1/4 tsp oil for cooking

Preparation:

1. Soak the channa dal overnight, then drain.
2. Grind the soaked channa dal into a coarse paste, adding a little water if required.
3. Add the methi leaves, spinach, carrot, curry leaves, ginger, green chillies and salt and mix well.
4. Just before serving, add the curd and fruit salt and mix well.
5. Divide the batter into 4 equal portions, spread one portion of the batter on a non-­stick pan and make a pancake approx. 125 mm. (5") in diameter.
6. Cook on a slow flame until both sides are golden brown, drizzling a little oil if required.
7. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 3 more pancakes. Yummy chillas are done! Serve hot.

  Chola Dal Crêpes (Pudlas) Ingredients:

1. 1/8 cup chola dal (split cow pea)
2. A scant cup finely chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves
3. 1/8 tsp ginger
4. A scant tsp green chilli paste
5. A scant tsp heeng (asafoetida)
6. A scant tsp garlic paste
7. Salt to taste
8. 1/4 tsp oil for greasing and cooking

Preparation:

1. Soak the chola dal in warm water in a deep bowl for 3 hours.
2. Drain the water and empty the contents into a blender to make a coarse paste using 1⁄4 cup of water.
3. Transfer the paste into a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and 1⁄4 cup of water and mix well to make a batter of dropping consistency.
4. Heat a non­-stick tava (griddle) and grease it using 1⁄4 tsp oil.
5. Pour a ladleful of the batter on the tava and spread in a circular motion to make a circle 125 mm. (5”) in diameter.
6. Cook on a medium flame, using 1⁄4 tsp oil until it turns golden brown on both sides.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to make 7 more pudlas. Serve immediately with healthy green chutney.

  Varieties of Dosa (Dosai, Thosai, Tosey)  Basic Dosa Ingredients:

1. 3.5 cups rice
2. 1 cup urad dal (split black gram)
3. 2 tbsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
4. 2 tbsp channa dal (split Bengal gram) (optional)
5. Gingelly oil ­to fry
6. Salt ­to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash and soak the rice and urad dal with the channa dal and methi seeds separately or together. Traditionally, the lentils are soaked and ground separately. With modern blenders and grinders, it is possible to grind everything together.
2. Similarly, overnight soaking is good. But for urgent situations, even 1 hour of soaking will do for modern blenders. Soaking not only makes the lentils soft, it also rids the food of phytic acids.
3. After soaking, drain the water and grind the lentils into a smooth paste with salt and water to make a spreadable batter.
4. Let this batter ferment overnight until it rises to double its size.
5. Heat a traditional indalium/cast iron/non-stick dosa pan to the point where it makes drops of water sizzle right away.
6. Just add 3­4 drops of gingelly oil and spread it all over the pan using an onion slice or a clean kitchen towel.
7. Pour a ladle full of batter. Spread it using the back of the spoon using circular motions to make about a 6" round dosa.
8. Add a few drops of oil around the edges of the dosa.
9. Once it turns slightly brown and the edges start lifting, flip and brown the other side too.

  Uttapam

1. Regular dosa batter
2. Onion, tomato, carrot, coriander, beetroot, spinach, capsicum, cabbage, cheese or mixed vegetables, finely chopped
3. Idli podi (chutney powder)
4. Oil to fry

Preparation:

1. Pour and spread the batter into a thick dosa when the pan is warm.
2. Sprinkle onion to cover the dosa and spray a little cooking oil so that the dosa can be flipped easily.
3. Let it cook for 1/2 a minute or so before flipping.
4. Repeat the same process with carrot topping and chutney powder topping.
5. You can try the same with chopped frozen spinach, grated beetroot, chopped tomatoes and chopped coriander. It is very colourful, attractive and healthy for kids.

  Dal Dosa Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice
2. 1/2 cup masoor dal ­(split red lentil) You could also use toor dal (split pigeon pea).
3. 2 tbsp channa dal ­
4. 3 dry red chillies
5. 1" long ginger ­
6. A pinch of heeng ­
7. 2 carrots ­(optional)
8. Oil ­to fry
9. Salt ­to taste

Preparation:

1.  Wash and soak the rice and dal for at least 1 hour.
2. After soaking, drain the water and grind the contents into a smooth paste with heeng, dry red chillies, ginger, salt and water to make dosa batter.
3. If the batter becomes thicker, you can always add water later. (You can also grind the carrot along with the batter or add grated carrot to the batter.)
4. The batter should be a beautiful orange. Let it rest for at least 1/2 an hour.
5. Grease a non-stick dosa pan and pour a spoonful of batter. Spread it using the back of the spoon using circular motions to make about a 9" round dosa.
6. Add a few drops of oil on top. Once it turns slightly brown, flip and brown the other side too.
7. A nice orange-brown dosa is ready.

  Rice Flour Dosa Ingredients:

1. 1 to 1.5 cup rice flour ­
2. 1 to 2 eggs
3. 2 to 3 green chillies ­
4. 1/2 an onion, chopped
5.  A pinch of turmeric powder ­
6. 1/4 tsp chilli powder ­
7. 1/4 tsp ginger-garlic paste ­
8. Jeera (cumin seeds)
9. 1/4 cup coconut ­

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add water.
2. The batter should not be too thick or too thin but of medium consistency.
3. Grind the jeera and coconut and mix it with the batter. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the batter on a dosa pan and make yummy masala dosas.
5. It also goes well with chicken, mutton or fish gravy.

  Banana Dosa (healthy dessert) Ingredients:

1. 2 ripe bananas
2. 1/4 cup rice flour ­
3. 2 tbsp maida (refined flour)
4. 1 pinch elaichi (cardamom) powder ­
5. Sugar ­to taste
6. 2 tbsp raisins, chopped
7. 2 tbsp cashews, chopped
8. Ghee ­to fry

Preparation:

1. Mash the bananas nicely with a masher or with your hands.
2. Add rice flour, maida, sugar and elaichi powder.
3. Mix everything together to get a thick batter using a blender or your hands.
4. Mix the raisins and cashews with the batter.
5. Heat a tava and pour a spoonful of batter and spread gently. It should be thicker than a regular dosa.
6. Pour a few drops of ghee on top. Fry on medium flame until the dosa is completely cooked and golden brown on both sides.

  Oats Dosa (version 1) Ingredients:

1. 1 cup quick/rolled oats
2. 1 cup rice ­
3. A handful of cooked rice (optional) ­
4. 1/2 cup urad dal ­
5. 1 tsp methi seeds ­
6. 2 tsp salt ­
7. Oil ­to fry

Preparation:

1. Soak the urad dal and rice separately for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. Add the methi seeds to the rice while soaking.
2. Soak the oats for just about 5 minutes before grinding.
3. Grind the urad dal separately until it becomes fluffy.
4. Grind the rice, oats and methi seeds together with a handful of cooked rice. Adding cooked rice makes the dosas more fluffy.
5. Finally, mix everything together with salt to make a nice batter.
6. Let it ferment overnight or until it doubles in volume.
7. Make idlis or dosas and serve with chutney, sambar, korma or a non-veg curry.

  Quick Oats Dosa ­ (Most people do not want to go through the lengthy process of making traditional dosas and idlis. So here's a simpler method to make instant oats dosa.) Ingredients:

1. 1 cup quick/rolled oats
2. Chopped ginger for garnish
3. Chopped curry leaves for garnish
4. Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1. ­ Soak the oats for 5 minutes in water. Grind to a smooth batter with some sour yogurt.
2. Flavour the batter with some jeera, crushed pepper, chopped onions, grated ginger, curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
3. Make dosas immediately and serve with any chutney of your choice.

­(Tip: If you want to make the dosas crispy, add some rava to the batter.)   Oats Uttapam Ingredients:

1. 1 cup dosa batter
2. 1 cup quick/rolled oats ­
3. Chopped ginger for garnish
4. Chopped curry leaves for garnish
5. Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation:

1. Mix 1 cup oats with 1 cup dosa batter.
2. Spread the batter thick.
3. You can also top the uttappams with chopped onions, green chillies and coriander leaves.

  Jowar Uttappam Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup jowar flour ­
2. 1/4 cup rice flour ­
3. 1.5 cup boiling water ­
4. 1 tsp green chillies, chopped
5. 1 tsp ginger, grated
6. 1/2 an onion, chopped
7. 1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
8. Oil ­as needed
9. Salt ­to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix the jowar flour, rice flour and salt.
2. Add boiling water and mix it without forming lumps.
3. Add the chopped green chillies, ginger, onion and coriander leaves.
4. Heat a tava and prepare the uttappam crisp or thick.

Serves: 1 person   Millet Dosa Ingredients:

1. 1 cup bajra (pearl millet) ­
2. 1/4 cup rice (raw rice or parboiled) ­
3. 1/4 cup urad dal ­
4. 1/2 tsp jeera (fenugreek) seeds
5. 1 tsp salt ­

Method:

1. Wash and soak the bajra, rice, dal and jeera seeds in water for at least 2 hours.
2. Grind to a smooth and fluffy batter with the salt and water.
3. Let the batter ferment in a warm place for at least 6 hours.
4. Heat a tava, add 2­3 drops of oil and wipe it off with a clean kitchen towel.
5. Pour a ladleful of batter in the centre of the tava and spread it into a thin crêpe/dosa.
6. Drizzle 1 tsp oil around the edges of the dosa.
7. When the edges are cooked, you will be able to remove it. Flip it and cook the other side too.

  Ragi Dosa Ingredients:

1. 1/8 cup ragi (red millet) flour
2. A scant cup urad dal
3. A scant tsp methi seeds
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil to fry

Preparation:

1. Combine the urad dal, methi seeds and water in a deep bowl, cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 2 hours.
2. Drain the water and empty the contents into a blender to make a smooth paste using approx. 3⁄4 cup of water.
3. Transfer the mixture into a deep bowl, add the ragi flour, salt and approx. 11⁄4 cups of water and mix well using a whisk.
4. Cover with a lid and keep aside to ferment in a warm place for 12 hours.
5. Once fermented, mix well again.
6. Heat a tava, sprinkle a little water on it and wipe it off gently using a muslin cloth.
7. Pour a ladleful of batter on it and make a dosa.
8. Smear a little oil over it and along the edges and cook on a high flame until the dosa turns brown and crisp on both sides.
9. Fold over to make a semi­circle or roll.
10. Serve immediately with sambar and Mysore chutney.