Most of us know the health benefits of vegetable consumption yet only few enjoy eating them.
Eating is a multisensory experience and is supposed to be enjoyable and hence the colour, texture, flavor and taste needs to be balanced well. Here are some practical tips which will help you in the process.
Colour:
It is said that we first eat with our eyes and then with our mouth. Hence the colour of the preparation plays an important function in the acceptance of the food. A dish with bright coloured vegetables will be enjoyed than a dull coloured vegetable. Food from commercial setups may enhance the colour by using additives such as soda-bi-carb or artificial colours, however they are totally avoidable for health reasons.
For cooking green leafy vegetables, the trick is to shred them finely and cook in an open pan till the vegetable shrinks and softens. Do not add water since they contain enough water in their structure. Do not cover since the acids released while cooking get back into the recipe through the condensate making the colour to a dull olive green. Also avoid adding sour ingredients like tomato during cooking. Your palak paneer/ palak rice will look appealing, a nice bright green without adding soda like in commercial cooking.
For mixed vegetables, do cut the pieces evenly and stew in just enough water to cover the pieces and cook in an open pan. Pressure cooking or cooking in a closed pan may change the colour, taste and texture.Your vegetable stews, pulavs and cutlets will not only look  great but taste great too.
For a recipe with Beetroot, addition of an acidic food like curd or lemon juice will enhance the colour. Try making a raita with boiled beetroot with curds and notice the difference.
Texture:
The right amount of crunch or doneness of vegetables is what makes veggies appealing.
This can be achieved by using techniques like stir frying in a small amount of oil/butter in a thick bottomed pan on medium to high heat. Slices of brinjals ,potatoes, bittergourd can be salted for 10 minutes and crumb coated with a mixture of semolina, rice-flour and red chilli, turmeric and salt and shallow fried till crisp on a thick bottomed griddle.
Salads can be great palate cleansers as well as snacks. Crispy, carrot and cucumber sticks served with dips like hummus or hung curd with herbs can be a great hit even with kids.
Vegetables can also be served as comfort foods in the form of rich creamy textured soups. In a pressure cooker, saute a few cloves of garlic in butter along with spices like a stick of cinnamon/cloves or a few peppercorns, add chopped onions and veggies of your choice. Carrots, pumpkins, spinach, lettuce leaves or even drumsticks can be used individually or in combination like carrot and pumpkin or carrot and beetroot. Cook for 3 whistles .Allow the pressure cooker to cool. Blender the contents. Do not strain except for drumstick soup. Adjust the consistency with water and milk for a rich, creamy texture. Add salt and simmer before serving.
Odours while cooking:
Some Sulphur containing vegetables emit strong unpleasant odours if not handled well. For example Cabbage and Cauliflower should be ideally cooked by sauting /grilling. The moment these are boiled, the cooking fumes will make the preparation unappetizing. Do remember to keep your exhaust system on while handling these and other vegetables like onion and radish.
Taste:
The litmus test for the acceptability of any successful vegetable preparation is it’s taste.
Palates are changing over generations. Traditional vegetable recipes may need to be tweaked along with newer versions that are enjoyed.
Using a variety of gravy bases like red (tomato), green (coriander/spinach), brown (fried onion paste) and white (boiled cashew-nuts and onions with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves) will help break the monotony of home cooked vegetable preparations. Try recipes from neighbouring countries like coconut-based gravies from Sri Lanka or Thailand. The younger generation has developed fondness for sweet, sour and spicy garlic and ginger based sauces in which a number of veggies can be added. Try substituting potato with sweet potatoes in parathas or cutlets and enjoy the variety in taste.
The fun is in experimenting till we find the right fit for our loved ones, where in everyone relishes their veggies to keep healthy.
