26 April 2011
With a little thought and care, you can make delicious meals, including dessert, for a diabetic. MEERA MURUGESAN finds out how.
MENTION “diabetic diet” and most of us will think of bland, tasteless dishes making their way to the dinner table. But how about oven grilled sambal fish, cool cucumber soup and lemongrass jelly with tropical fruit? Sounds delicious? When prepared with a little extra care, these tasty dishes can be a full meal for a diabetic and other family members may be unable to resist having a taste as well.
“A diabetic diet is actually a healthy diet, so it’s suitable for most people,” says consultant dietitian Goo Chui Hoong who conducts the Cooking For Health series in At 19 Culinary Studio, a new cooking school in Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.
The workshops target different health and nutrition issues such as preparing meals for people with high cholesterol, anti-cancer food, gluten-free meals and healthy meals for children. All sessions begin with an overview of the health condition and is followed by participants getting a hands-on cooking experience in preparing a three-course meal.
For diabetics, Goo says the diet should take into account their health condition but should not take it to the extreme.
Eating, she says, is a social activity and when a diet is too rigid, it becomes a problem, especially during family meals when everyone else is enjoying their meal so a normal but healthy diet is the way to go.
Goo says it’s wrong to assume that diabetics don’t need carbohydrates. They need it in moderation and it’s important that the intake be spread evenly throughout the day.
To prevent high and low blood glucose levels, they should not skip meals either. Eating at regular intervals also helps control hunger and overeating at the next meal. “I often tell people not to go grocery shopping before a meal because the hungry makes bad food choices like chocolate bars,” she says.
To limit sugar intake from drinks, opt for plain water, tea with lemon or use sugar substitutes.
Fibre is also important as it acts like a net to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates into the blood stream, so diabetics should eat whole wheat, bran, fresh and dried fruit and vegetables while reducing their fat intake.
Goo showed participants how to prepare a three-course, low-fat diabetic menu using ingredients easily found in the market.
She made grilled sambal fish and nasi ulam with just three tablespoons of oil. The sambal had no sugar or coconut milk and was cooked with just a tablespoon of oil. Roughly blended ginger, garlic and onion as well as chopped torch ginger bud gave it a nice aroma while low fat yoghurt and tomato puree added moisture and richness. The sambal went well with the grilled mackerel.
The nasi ulam was a combination of brown and white rice tossed with a paste of fresh herbs, belacan and two tablespoons of oil. Even the finely chopped dried prawns, used as a garnish, were oven roasted and not fried.
The blended cold cucumber soup was another simple, healthy dish that required no cooking at all. It’s a great soup or starter for diabetics as well as the whole family.
For dessert, the lemongrass jelly was both fresh and appetising. The lemongrass added a natural flavour and aroma to the dessert. Artificial sweetener was used instead of sugar and fresh fruit added the final flavours.
For more information on the Cooking For Health series and other cooking classes, go to www.at19culinary.com
Grilled Mackerel With Torch Ginger Bud Sambal and Nasi Ulam
You’ll need:
1 pcs mackerel (tenggiri batang), marinated with turmeric, salt and pepper
Pound together: 5 cloves garlic,
2 cm ginger and 1 small onion
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp fish curry powder
Mix a pinch of turmeric with 4 tbsp low-fat yoghurt and 2 tbsp tomato puree
1 torch ginger bud, chopped finely
2 tbsp pounded dried prawns
2 tsp fried shallots
½ cucumber, de-seeded and finely chopped
½ cup long beans, finely chopped and blanched
Three cups cooked rice (half white, half brown)
Blend together: 1 bunch each of kaffir lime leaves, young turmeric leaves, galangal leaves, Thai sweet basil and daun kesum (laksa leaves),
2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp toasted belacan to make herb paste
Cooking Method:
1. Fry pounded garlic, ginger and onion mixture with one tablespoon oil.
2. Add yoghurt-tomato puree and chopped torch ginger bud and cook well.
3. Leave sauce aside to pour on mackerel later.
4. Roast pounded dried prawns at 190ºC until brown. Grill the mackerel at the same temperature for 15 minutes.
5. Pour sauce over mackerel and grill for another 5 minutes.
6. Add blended herb paste to rice and mix well. Add in cucumber and long beans.
7. Add fried shallots and dried prawns as topping and garnish with sliced red chilli, lime and kaffir lime leaves.
8. Serve rice with grilled fish.
Lemongrass Jelly With Tropical Fruits
You’ll need:
1 ripe mango, chopped into small cubes
1 slice papaya, chopped into small cubes
1 passion fruit
2 stalks lemongrass
¼ cup powdered artificial sweetener
1 tsp konnyaku powder 400ml water
Method:
1. Put lemongrass in water and bring to the boil. Simmer for two minutes on low heat.
2. Add konnyaku jelly powder and stir until dissolved. Turn off flame.
3. Stir in artificial sweetener.
4. Pour jelly into a tray. Let cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
5. Cut jelly into irregular shapes and place in martini glasses. Serve with chopped mango, papaya and passion fruit pulp.
Cold Cucumber And Yoghurt Soup
You’ll need:
1 cucumber, de-seeded and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups low-fat yoghurt Fresh dill, fresh mint Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serve chilled.
This article was published in www.nst.com.my on 7 March 2011