Soya Nuggets Garden Vegetable Biryani

Divine Spice Box brings to you a Biryani dish today which is not just great for diabetic patients but just about anyone. If you think Biryanis is not for diabetic diet, you are in for a surprise !! Lets make Soya Biryani 🙂

This week the DFT team thought of bringing some Biryanis/Pulao to the table to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr. Frankly i was very apprehensive about creating rice dishes. The first rule i know about diabetic diet is to control the carbs and that meant going low on rice too. Usually diabetic patients do eat rice but in a very controlled portions. I personally wanted to create a recipe where the person can enjoy his/her meal and feel satisfied about it, not just restrict to a spoonful or two.

After a discussion among the team,i learnt that brown rice was favored over white rice. So atleast i had some direction to begin thinking. For the flavor pairing, i thought of drawing the inspiration from my pantry and started looking into options. After some mixed ideas, here it is – Mint flavored Biryani loaded with garden vegetables and enriched with protein rich Soya Nuggets ! Enjoy !!

Soya Nuggets Garden Biryani

Soya nuggets garden Biryani

Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients

1/2 cup of brown Basmati rice, soaked in 2.5 times water (1+1/4 cup) for atleast half hour
Oil- 2 tsp
onion- 1 medium , thinly sliced
low fat/ non fat yogurt- 1/2 cup
handful of mint leaves
dry fenugreek- 1 tablespoon
1 cup soya nuggets, hydrated (re-hydrate as per instructions provided on the package. Add in a fat pinch of salt to the water. Drain the water once cooked and squeeze out excess water from he hydrated soya nuggets)
1 carrot, thick sticks
6-7 baby corn
1 cup cauliflower florets
10-12 french beans, inch long sticks
1 inch ginger, grated
1 green chili, finely chopped
handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped for garnishing

Spices

Salt to taste
red chili powder- 1/2 tsp
garam masala- 1 tsp
dry mango powder- 1 tsp
pinch of turmeric
2-3 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf

Method

Begin with soaking the rice with 2.5 times water and whole spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf). In a separate pan, add in 1 tsp oil and bring to high heat. Add in the sliced onions and cook on high heat till they get brown and caramalized. Remove and keep aside.
Now, add in the rest of oil (1 tsp) and heat up. Add in the vegetables and cook on medium high with salt and red chili powder till al-dente / semi cooked. This will take about 7-10 minutes.
In a bowl, blend yogurt with mint leaves. Add in salt and turmeric. Mix well. Toss in the cooked soya nuggets and mix well. Let this rest for 10 minutes. Soya nuggets will soak in the yogurt-mint sauce.
Add the vegetables into the soya nuggets and mix well. Add in the dry fenugreek and combine. Switch off the flame and keep aside.
In a pan, cook the rice till par boiled. This will take approximately 7-10 minutes.
Mix the rice with the soya nuggets + vegetable mixture and toss in the coriander leaves. Cook on low heat for another 10-12 minutes. Soya Nuggets Garden Biryani is done. You can also make a traditional briyani with layering the vegetables+ Soya with rice alternatively and then cooking with a lid on.

Serve with cucumber Raita (made with low fat yogurt) or plain yogurt.

Serving size = 1 bowl. This dish will serve 2 full portions and 3 mid size portions easily.

Personally, i simply loved this Biryani. I was so surprised to see this dish coming together. Did you notice i used just 1/2 cup rice for 2 full servings… isn’t that awesome !! Also, I could not imagine that biryanis could be cooked in such less oil while retaining such amazing flavors ! Marinating soya nuggets with yogurt & mint worked really well as the nuggets soaked up the marination and were juicy to bite on in the biryani. Now, lets read about the benefits:

Brown Rice

Brown rice is considered a whole grain since it hasn’t lost its “wholeness” through the refinement process. Wholes grains are proven to reduce the buildup of arterial plaque and reduce the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol. Brown rice helps stabilize blood sugar levels; therefore, it’s an excellent food choice for those suffering from diabetes

Soy

Soy may be especially beneficial for diabetics, because it is a complete protein that enables better regulation of sugar levels. In multiple animal studies, soy foods have been shown to lessen insulin resistance by increasing the synthesis of insulin receptors. However, this increased formation of insulin receptors only appears to occur in the presence of other dietary circumstances, like a moderate amount of polyunsaturated fat intake.

Bell Peppers-

Most peppers contain about 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrates per cup of raw vegetable, although some, such as hot chili peppers, can contain as much as 9 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per cup. Peppers are also packed with vitamins A and C — just 1 cup of chopped red, yellow or orange peppers provide more than 100 percent of the recommended daily value for both vitamins. All shades of peppers provide plenty of fiber, folate, vitamin K, beta carotene and an array of minerals.

Carrots –

Rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, vitamin A, B, C and K, magnesium, folate, and dietary fiber, carrots are bright in color and provide a sweet taste. Carrots are a good choice if you have diabetes as their carotenoid and vitamin A content helps protect your eyes from diabetic retinopathy or damage to the blood vessels in the eye from long-term diabetes. Carrots are a great low-carb, crunchy snack.

Mint –

Mint may also be helpful in giving relief to diabetic individuals. Those affected with diabetes tend to suffer from complications such as bloating, indigestion and nerve problems. In order to relieve these symptoms, peppermint in the form of capsules, tinctures, topical applications, oils and teas may be used. A common outcome of diabetes is neuropathy where symptoms such as tingling and numbness are experienced in the hands and feet. Creams and other applications which contain menthol are helpful in alleviating nerve pain and soothing the body. However diabetics should consult their doctor before using any alternative remedies.

So, when are you making this dish and trying it out for yourself 🙂 Find more DFT recipes from Divine Spice Box HERE

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

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