Mumbai street food Next time you feel guilty eating out on the streets, spare a thought for these overlooked benefits of the yummy street foods.

Food Nutrient value Mumbai  needs it because

Banana Potassium, fibre and phytonutrients to help body thermo regulate or to keep body cool in warm climate

High stress jobs increase sugar cravings makes you prone to obesity. Potassium keeps the blood pressure down and the Vit B in it helps you stay calm in panic situations and reduces sugar craving.

Peru or gauva Super source of Vit C and antioxidants, rich in fibre and immune booster

Vit C and antioxidants prevent sun tanning and keep the skin supple and glowing. The immune boosters are required as Mumbai is a high stress and polluted city

Bhel puri/ sev puri chaat family

Dates, pudina, kala namak that are integral to chaat items are good sources of potassium, iron and minerals like selenium, zinc etc. The combinations help maintain electrolyte balance.

Most chaat items because of the micro nutrients present in them provide a laxative effect on the system. And there are a lot of constipated mumbaikars

Wada Pav Complete meal of carbs, protein, fat and contains good profile of amino acids

The besan used has the ability to lower cholesterol and so does the lasoon chutney.

Pav bhaji Has combination of veggies, butter and bread with a dash of nimbu. Almost unbeatable in taste.

This is one meal that nourishes the tired mumbaikars soul and puts zest back into a monotonous life, that’s exactly what the spices do, they “spice up” a dull day.

Meetha pan or magai

Beetel leaf have analgesic and diuretic properties

Aphrodisiac, if you are too tired for action know what you must chew on

Bhurji & bread Protein and Vit D The tired Mumbaikar needs both the protein for recovery and the Vit D as a lot of Mumbaikars are actually deficient (specially the sobo

residents) in this sunshine vitamin

Sandwich Again a complete meal with veggies and cheese so rich in essential fats too.

Cheese has properties which allow the body to burn fat from the “stubborn areas”. The toasted and grilled version provide the mental satisfaction of “ghar ka khana” too

Dosa of all varieties

Perfect blend of amino acids thanks to the rice and urad dal combo. Most importantly good source of B12

Vit B12 promotes iron absorption. Low Iron and B12 levels are linked to weight gain and high cholesterol levels.

Nariyal pani The worlds natural and safest “soft drink” rich in electrolytes

Drink it when you want to flaunt a flat stomach as it rids your body of its bloating

Sugar cane juice Its alkaline in nature, hydrates the body and rich in minerals like iron and magnesium

Beats acidity, burping and farting. Offer it to your smelly colleague in office

Why is ghee important for one’s diet? 

Its one of India's heritage recipes and a therapeutic one at that. The method in which ghee is made gives it a unique colour, consistency, flavour and aroma, along with multiple health benefits. So from good looks to sharp brains, from overcoming constipation to spiritual evolution, ghee is celebrated in India for every reason - gross to subtle, small and big.

What are the health benefits of having ghee?

Great skin, lubricated joints, stronger immune function, better memory, heart

health, fertility, ant- carcinogenic and everything in between. Super crucial

these days is for assimilation of Vit D, because vit D deficiency is the rich man's

new disease.

How much ghee should one have in a day? 

As much as one wants, as much as is required to bring out the best taste, flavour, aroma and texture of food without making it greasy. 

The market is abuzz with many types of ghee. What type of ghee should one have? 

The one that is made at home following all the protocol - being distilled or

purified from milk to malai, from malai to butter, and gets churned and

heated, is the best one. The important thing to remember here is that the milk

should come from the Indian breed of cows, often called as desi cow and the

one who walks arounds and grazes on nutritious grass. Not the Jersey cow

that you saw in the DDLJ movie, who is fed corn and hormones. The

hierarchy here is - Indian cow followed by buffalo and last option is Jersey cow.

What are the things one should keep in mind while buying ghee? 

Answered in previous question, but to put in one line - that it comes from Indian cow milk and that butter has been churned while making it and not just heated or melted. 

There is also an alternative debate that ghee has disadvantages for people who are overweight, and also lead to cardiovascular diseases. How would you respond to that? 

The debate exists because people confuse ghee with any other saturated fat. Just like they have now learnt that all fat is not bad, they will also learn that all saturated fat is not the same. While it makes sense to avoid saturated fat that comes in "fibre rich"  biscuits and "iron enriched" cereals, it is important to understand that the saturated fat in ghee is different from the one that is found in packaged and processed food products. Ghee has a very unique carbon atom structure, much smaller than the usual and commonly found and rightfully feared saturated fat. This unique carbon atom chain is what gives ghee all its therapeutic, almost magical, properties. The "deabte" is a consequence of half information, one that overlooks the basics of chemistry.

How should one include ghee in everyday diet?  Ghee is versatile in nature, it can lend itself beautifully to deep frying, tadka or can be added to flavour dals, rotis, parathas, etc. You could even apply it to your toes or head as a relaxant and it works better than a sleeping pill. Its smoking point is high so you can have it cold, warm or hot, depends on individual preference and the type of cuisine involved. 

You can also check out my other column blog on ghee - http://rujutadiwekar.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-goodness-of- ghee .html

And youtube link from the DVD Indian food wisdom and art of eating right - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u9hChQtt6I

P.S: The questions were asked by a leading newspaper, but as happens quite often, the answers were too "boring" for them to carry it. So it makes it to my blog.