Bye-Bye baby weight: Post-pregnancy weight has a habit of hanging on

Post-pregnancy weight has a habit of hanging on. Since the body is recovering from childbirth, metabolically, the effort is twice as much. And if you are breastfeeding — then your baby is relying on you for crucial nutrients. We bring you a few recipes that can help you maintain the nutrient value while still losing weight.

Spanish style chicken:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum
1 yellow capsicum
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
250 gm tomato, chopped
½ tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp black pepper
60 ml white wine
6 black olives
Bunch of coriander chopped
250 gm boneless chicken
Salt to taste  

Method:

Heat pan, add olive oil fry chicken till golden. Add onion and garlic slices and fry till golden brown. Add red and yellow capsicum and fry till soft. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients one by one and finally add black olives and salt to taste. Add water if required, simmer for 15 minutes. Serve it as it is, with a glass of orange juice or with roti, rice or crusty bread.

Chuncky fish soup:

Ingredients:

2½ cups fish stock
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tsp apple vinegar
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp thick cream
2 tbsp milk
400 gms fish, deboned
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Black pepper for seasoning
Salt to taste
Bunch of coriander chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a saucepan, fry spring onions till soft. Add bay leaf and fry a little more. Add fish stock and bring to boil. Add sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and tomatoes, let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add deboned fish, chopped coriander and let it simmer for 10 more minutes. Mix corn flour in milk and pour it into saucepan and cook for two minutes. Check for salt and pepper taste, add if required. Stir in the cream, garnish with coriander and remove from fire. Serve hot. You can have it as it is, or serve with crusty bread.

Beetroot Rice:

Ingredients:

1½ cups beetroot, diced
2 cups cooked rice
2 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup green peas
Coriander, chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ghee

Method:

Steam the chopped beetroot and retain the water. Keep aside. In a pan, add some ghee and cumin seeds. Add the green chillies and cooked beetroot to it. Mix well. Now add the coriander powder, peas, chopped coriander leaves and salt. Mix well. Add in cooked rice and the beetroot water. Mix gently. Temper with a little ghee and cumin seeds.

Daliya khichdi & curd:

Ingredients:

1½ cup daliya
1 cup moong dal
500 gm mixed vegetables, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
1 medium size onion, chopped
3 green chilies, chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
6-7 garlic, finely chopped
9 cups water
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp ghee
Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Heat ghee in the pressure cooker. Crackle cumin and mustard seeds, now add asafoetida, chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Fry till the onion becomes translucent. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Stir on low flame for a minute. Add all the chopped vegetables, daliya, dal, salt and water. Close the pressure cooker lid. Set the flame to full, once the first whistle is done, reduce the flame and cook for 5-6 whistles. Serve the daliya hot and garnish with chopped coriander and ghee.

Palak tofu curry:

Ingredients:

250 gm tofu
200 gm spinach
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp oil
3 garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
300 gm coconut milk
½ tsp cumin seed
½ tsp coriander seed
1 tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:

Cut tofu into small cubes and set it aside. Heat oil over medium heat and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and onions until translucent, then add garlic and ginger and let it cook for two minutes. Add salt, pepper, and chili powder to the mix. Add tomato puree, spinach and let it wilt, which should take 3-4 minutes. Pour coconut milk to the pot and let it simmer for additional 2-3 minutes before removing from the heat.

When it is cool enough to handle, puree the mixture using blender until it is smooth. Return it to the pan and gently simmer over low heat and slowly add tofu pieces into the pot. Simmer for additional 3-5 minutes.