Snacking on a healthy treat every two hours is a recommended routine to follow for those looking to stabilise their weight. Fitness enthusiasts and celebrities follow this tip to stay in shape while munching on yummy treats. Many stars post about their diets on their social media, giving their followers a sneak peek in to their fitness routines and diets. A common perception about healthy eating is that it’s not as appetising as some high calorie foods out there. However, this is not entirely true. Healthy snacks needn’t always be boring and bland. There are various recipes you can try out, to make your evening snack delicious. Read here.
Malika Arora is one celebrity who often updates photos of her food on her Instagram story. From a scrumptious South Indian spread to her love for Turkish tea, the actress keeps her fans entertained with snaps of delicacies. Recently, Malaika posted a photo of a bowl filled with a golden brown snack and asked her followers to guess what she is eating. She captioned the Instagram story - ‘can you guess what I am eating??!?’ While you were able to guess the snack or not, we surely were! This healthy snack that Malaika was munching on is no other than lotus stem or kamal kakdi.
Resembling the shape of a long squash lotus stem is an underwater vegetable. With the ability to grow up to 4 feet, this vegetable is highly nutritious and fibrous. This is why it has found its place in many dishes across Asian cuisine. From Indian cuisine’s kamal kakdi ki sabji to the Chinese cuisine’s crispy fried lotus stem, this humble vegetable is eaten stir fried, steamed, sautéed and even raw. It is available in all seasons, through out the year.
While the health benefits of lotus stem are aplenty, some of the major ways it benefits you is in helping to reduce cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, helping in digestion because of its fibrous content and boosting the immune system. If you’re wondering how you can include lotus stem in your diet, there are ways aplenty. If you’re looking for a quick bite, you could always make lotus root chips just as Malaika had in her post. You could also make crispy honey lotus stem. This is a delectable Chinese appetiser and it is sweet and savoury in taste. You could also try lotus root soup, if not in a mood to eat a heavy entrée. Whatever be your pick, you’ll never regret eating kamal kakdi. If you’re looking to recreate Malaika’s lotus stem recipe, here’s how Chef Kunal Kapoor makes it:
Kurkuri Kamal Kakdi:
Ingredients:
- Lotus Stem (large) – 1 no
- Water – as required
- Salt – to taste
- Black salt – ½ tsp
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Green chilly paste – 1 tsp
- Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Corn Starch – 1 tbsp
- Gram Flour – 3 tbsp
- Chaat Masala – 1tsp
- Mint Powder – 1 tsp
Method:
Make sure to pick thick kamal kakdi. Peel it and using a mandolin and slice it thinly. Keep in water for 2 mins. Pat dry in a cloth. Add all the ingredients to the kamal kakdi and mix it. Immediately deep fry in hot oil. Cook till crisp. Remove and sprinkle chaat masala, pudina powder and toss together serve.