Healthy Swaps for Chips, Pizzas and Vada Paav/s

Busting the myth that healthy can’t be tasty!

A question which all foodies perennially ask themselves is – why is junk food so tempting! Be it potato chips, pizzas or our humble vada paav we just can’t stop gorging on them, can we? And then we are besieged with the pangs of guilt … besides suffering from a plethora of health issues.

Well the solution to this lies in preparing these items with healthy nutrients without compromising on their taste quotient.  Foodism shares with you some recipes and healthy swaps for these ever-popular junk food items 

Potato Chips

Nothing can beat the devilish pleasure of tucking into yummy potato chips thanks to the combination of sugar, fat and sodium which give you a high owing to the release of opioids. But we all know the negative downside of potato chips, don’t we? 

Some healthy substitutes for processed potatoes to give you homemade vegetable chips that are nutrient dense and just as appetizing and crunchy include – apple, carrot, kale, sweet potato, Swiss chard, turnip and zucchini

Recipe - Baked Sweet Potato Chips 

Suparna Sur shares her light and delicious recipe of baked sweet potato chips with us –

Ingredients -

Large Sweet Potatoes - 2

Oil (for deep frying)

Salt

Chilli Powder

Method -

1. Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes and peel off their skin 
2. Heat oil until smoking point for deep frying 
3. Slice the sweet potatoes directly over the hot oil using a slicer or slice on a plate and slip into the hot oil
4. Stir once or twice very gently to prevent the pieces from sticking 
5. Wait until the noise settles down and the chips turn deep golden brown on both the sides
6. Transfer the deep fried chips to a kitchen towel, sprinkle some salt and chilli powder and toss well
7. Store the sweet potato chips in an airtight container

Tips -

Ascertain that the sweet potato slices are thin and of uniform size to ensure even cooking

Serve baked sweet potato chips with these delicious dips: smoked paprika aioli; maple mustard sauce; or chipotle lime dip

Vada Paav

Another Indian hot favourite and sinfully delicious snack is the Vada Paav. Initially consumed only during winter and monsoon now this fast food item is devoured round the year! 

Recipe – Healthy Vada Paav

Rashmi Trivedi shares with us a non-junk version of the Vada Paav which while satiating your taste buds doesn’t detract from the nutrition quotient as it’s fortified with cottage cheese (paneer) besides being baked and not fried.

Ingredients -

Whole-wheat Bread (4x4) – 8 Slices 

Double-toned Milk (1.5 per cent fat) – 1 Litre

Medium-sized Potatoes (boiled, peeled and diced) – 4

Garlic Cloves (finely chopped) – 2

Curry Leaves (chopped) – 10 to 15

Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) – 2 Tablespoons

Mustard Seeds – Half Teaspoon

Turmeric Powder – One-fourth Teaspoon 

Juice of 2 Lemons

Salt - As per taste

Oil – 1 Tablespoon

Method -

1. Bring the milk to a boil; turn off the flame; add the juice of one lemon and stir until the milk curdles
2. Strain this through a muslin cloth ascertaining that all the whey is removed – now what remains in the cloth is cottage cheese (paneer)
3. Preheat the oven at 160 degrees centigrade for 7-10 minutes 
4. Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds; once the seeds begin to splutter, add the garlic, green chillies and curry leaves; then add potatoes, turmeric powder and salt and mix it thoroughly
5. Transfer this to a large plate and let it cool
6. Crumble the paneer and blend it with the potato mix, along with coriander and the juice of one lemon 
7. Manually mash this mixture and divide it into 8 portions 
8. Lightly roast the bread
9. Spread the mixture on the toasted bread and bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes 
10. Serve hot with tomato sauce

Pizza

This fast food is a mandate for all households on all occasions and also for those days when no one is in the mood to cook! When it comes to pizza the danger lies in both the rich toppings as well as the pizza base.

A wise move would be to replace the all-purpose refined flour (Maida) of the pizza base with healthy low-carb alternatives like - whole-wheat; oats; cauliflower; multi-grain; or even chickpeas. 

Recipe – Whole Grain Pizza 

Ingredients –

For the dough:

Whole Wheat Flour – 3 Cups

Roasted Grams – 3 Tablespoons

Soya Flour – 3 Tablespoons

Multigrain Mix of Linseeds, Oats, Rye, Sunflower Seeds and Canola – 1 Cup

Dry Yeast – 1 Teaspoon

Sugar– 1 Teaspoon

Water – 2 Cups

Olive Oil – 2 Tablespoons 

Salt – As per taste

For the sauce:

De-skinned Tomatoes – 4

Olive Oil – 3 Tablespoons 

Tomato Paste – 2 Cups 

Fresh Mint – 10 Sprigs

Salt and Pepper – As per taste 

For the pizza:

Pizza Dough – 600 grams 

Grated Mozzarella Cheese – One-and-a-half Cup

Sliced Mushrooms (sautéed with olive oil) – One-and-a-half Cup

Sauce – Three-fourth Cup

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to drizzle)

Method - 

Pizza Dough:

• Mix the dry yeast with lukewarm water and sugar and keep aside for fermentation
• Mix whole wheat flour, roasted gram, soya flour, salt and multigrain premix in a bowl
• Add the fermented yeast and knead till it is smooth
• Finish the dough with olive oil and keep aside

Pizza Sauce:

• Puree the tomatoes 
• Heat oil in a pan and cook the tomato puree till the first boil and then let it simmer
• Add tomato paste, basil leaves, salt and pepper and keep aside

Pizza:

• Roll out the dough into 12'' flat round disc 
• Brush olive oil and spread the sauce 
• Then spread the cheese and scatter the mushrooms on top
• Bake it in a pre- heated oven for 10 minutes or till done
• Sprinkle some olive oil and garnish with basil leaves before serving

Never compromise on your taste buds by sacrificing your favourite fast foods…simply opt for their healthier versions. And hey … don’t forget to share the recipes with the Foodism Team!