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AN IRON WILL
Anaemia and iron deficiency are very common among Indian women especially. But have we ever wondered why that is the case? It is because we women tend to neglect the matter of our health. In a society, primarily patriarchal, women used to be relegated to the very corners of the household. But things are changing towards betterment today. More and more women are coming out from the shackles of convention, going out to earn a living as much for others as well as for themselves. We have realised that the time’s arrived when the women of our society – future mothers, begetters of a future progeny – take the reins about their personal health and hygiene in their own hands.
For long we had never been able to gauge the importance of IRON in our daily food. Women, who experience their menstrual cycles, need this all the more. There are a lot of fruits and veggies available in the market today which are rich sources of IRON. So it’s about time that we implement a healthy dietary habit and inspire others to follow suit.
I never boast about being a culinary aficionado. But I always try to watch programmes on the telly hosted by Master Chefs or read recipes published in newspapers pertaining to easy culinary recipes. The following recipe is the one which is from my Mom’s kitchen and which try (often) to emulate so far as possible. In the winters especially, this dish is a perennial favourite in our house, lapped up by young and old alike.
CHICKEN ROAST WITH BOILED VEGETABLES:
Ingredients:
Chicken – preferably leg pieces, with adjoining lean areas
White vinegar
Ginger-garlic paste
Pepper powder
Whole Garam Masala
Carrots
Beans
Mushrooms
Potatoes
Babycorn
Broccoli
Whole Wheat Bread Loaf
METHOD:
Marinate the chicken in white vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, salt and pepper powder for seven to eight hours. The veggies like carrots, beans, mushrooms, potatoes, baby corn and broccoli are to be cut lengthwise, boiled with a pinch of salt and then tossed with a spoonful of butter and a teaspoon of pepper powder. After this, the veggies are to be put aside.
Now add two tablespoons of white oil in a kadai, add whole garam masala and the marinated chicken. Cook in a low flame with the lid on. Stir from time to time. When the moisture evaporates and the chicken is cooked, take off the lid and serve the dish, hot with the vegetables.
Slice the loaf of whole wheat bread. Spread butter liberally and enjoy a delicious hot and savoury meal anytime of the day. The dish is specially enjoyed in the winter months, as the fresh vegetables can be easily procured during this time.
As the prepared dish is a rich source of IRON, it can be had anytime of the year. But it tastes better with staples like the whole wheat bread that’s been used here. With rice, either white or brown, the preparation wouldn’t taste as good. It is a chicken preparation which can be relished by men and women alike. We, women tend to be iron-deficient because our social customs presupposes that men work harder than women. Hence men are to be fed more than women. Even today, a girl child when she is born into a household is looked down. But what we tend to forget is the fact these girl children are our future mothers. So there is as much a need to keep our girls and women well-fed as our men folks.
But these are easier said than implemented. What is needed is an overall social consciousness. The ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ is a campaign which promises and visualises a Utopian dream. Let’s hope that it can be successfully materialised into the mindsets of every citizen of the country.
This is my entry for The Livogen Iron Chef Contest being conducted on Indiblogger, the biggest platform for Indian bloggers.
Readers please go to the above link to get a better idea about the awareness campaign.
