We all feel a surge of patriotism on Independence Day, and feel like doing everything the Indian way! For many, the day begins with a flag hoisting ceremony in their school, office, apartment complex or local park, followed by relaxing banter with friends and family, lots of nice television programs, our favourite melodies streaming on the radio, and of course, awesome desi food!
Independence, freedom, these concepts are all innately linked to choice. When you are independent, you have the freedom to make the right choices, not just about who will rule your country but also about what you eat. We help you pick healthy recipes and tasty recipes, which will help you live a happy and healthy life.
You can come up with a really enticing spread on Independence Day, as each region of India has several fabulous dishes. Every cuisine has its signature dishes, with classic masalas and characteristic ingredients that are abundant in that region. Some foods are very famous while others are lesser known, valuable treasures handed down from generation to generation. What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by cooking foods from different regions highlighting our cultural diversity. From Gujrat there is the Sprouts Dhokla, to Bengals Orange Chennar Payesh. Punjab is famous for its Palak Paneer, while South Indians love their Idli and Sambar, Maharashtrians love their Thalipeeth. At the same time, the caption ‘Unity in Diversity’ applies to Indian food too. However varied the cuisine of India is, you can always find a common note running through them all – when someone tastes a dish, they can instantly identify that it’s Indian!
We have come up with a special collection of recipes for Independence Day. Most of the recipes are Indian, but we have also picked a few fusion or International dishes to show the porous and evolutionary nature of our culture.
Your family will be in for a pleasant surprise too, when they find the patriotic hues of the Indian flag on their dining table! All these dishes have some element of the tri-colour in them – either saffron, white or green. So, mix and match the dishes such that you find a splash of all three colours on the table!
Healthy Indian Independence Day Recipes
You are free to decide what you want to eat – so why opt for junk. Take pride in choosing healthy dishes, from Indian or International cuisines. Traditional Indian dishes are ‘made for India’ – we are born with a taste for such dishes and enjoy them instinctively. So, we present you with lovely recipes, handpicked from different parts of India - right from North Indian subzis and parathas to South Indian Idli and Rasam, and East India's famous Spicy Spinach Dumplings to West India's Dal Pandoli and Sprouts Dhokla. That said, we also have a choice to relish foods from across the world, as a sign of our solidarity and adaptability. So, we have also included dishes like the Vegetable Oats Pancake for you to enjoy.
As a way of celebrating this special day, we have chosen recipes that bring the colours of independence to your table. Vibrant oranges and greens are achieved using ingredients that are naturally of this hue, and without using any artificial colours or flavours whatsoever. These recipes are also low-fat, so you can achieve both nutritional and weight-loss goals at one shot. We have made super-tasty subzis using very little oil, and once you try these recipes, you will get into the practice of reducing oil usage in your regular cooking. Another step towards good health!
Apart from being nutritious, low-fat and healthy, these recipes are also awesomely tasty and very visually-attractive with vibrant hues of green and orange. Your family will rejoice at the sight of all these yummy dishes on the dining table, to celebrate a special holiday!