With New Year’s eve just around the corner, we are sure you have got your plans in place. Some of us like to party and make the most of the last few hours of the year. For others, it might be cooking a delicious meal to share with the family, or curling up in their pyjamas with a mate, a good book or a furry friend. Regardless of your plans for New Year’s Eve, one thing that unites all the festivities is the delicious cuisine that serves as the focal point of the celebrations. While it is customary to overindulge in the New Year, none of us wants to wake up on the first day of the year with a headache caused by sugar or alcohol. (Also read: 3 irresistible recipes to welcome New Year 2024: Chicken Pops, Mutton Seekh Kebab, Garlic Prawns)
Low calorie recipes for New Year’s Eve
With these delicious and calorie conscious dishes, you can ring in the New Year in a healthier way and ensure a pleasant start to a promising year ahead!
1. Healthy Wrap
(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients:
¾ cup mixed sprouts (green moong sprouts and moth beans sprouts), boiled and mashed
4 ready-made whole wheat rotis
1 large sweet potato, boiled, peeled and grated
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp chopped garlic
½ tsp chopped ginger
2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves
½ tsp chaat masala
1 tbsp corn flour
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2-3 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp blanched spinach puree
½ tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying
Rajma humus for applying
Toppings
Ice berg lettuce leaves as required
Pickled carrot as required
Pickled white radish as required
Pickled English cucumber as required
Pickled beetroot as required
4-5 pickled gherkins, cut into thin strips
Crushed black peppercorn to taste
To serve
Salad as required
Method:
1. Take mixed sprouts in a bowl, add sweet potato, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, chaat masala, corn flour, turmeric powder, green chillies, spinach puree, red chilli powder, and salt and mix till well combined.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. Slightly flatten each ball to shape it like a tikki.
3. Heat sufficient oil in a non-stick shallow pan.
4. Place the tikkis and shallow fry till golden brown, and crisp from both sides. Drain on an absorbent pepper.
5. To make the wrap, place a whole wheat roti on a worktop. Apply some of the rajma hummus and spread it evenly. Place a few ice berg lettuce leaves, place 2 tikkis and lightly mash them. Arrange pickled carrot, pickled white radish, pickled English cucumber, pickled beetroot, and pickled jerkins. Sprinkle crushed black peppercorns and tightly roll it.
6. Diagonally cut the roll in half. Serve with salad.
2. Soya Kebab
(Recipe by Chef Kunal Kapur)
Ingredients:
Soya chunks(dried) – 1 cup
Onion chopped – 2 tbsp
Mint chopped – handful
Green chilly chopped – 1 no
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp
Sattu (Channa) – 2tbsp
Potato (boiled & mashed) – 2 tbsp
Coriander chopped – handful
Cumin – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder – 1tsp
Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
Ginger chopped – 2 tsp
Chaat masala – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – to drizzle
Method:
1. Soak soya chunks in hot water for half hour. Now squeeze the water out and place it in a blender.
2. Add channa sattu, chopped onions, mashed potato, mint, coriander, green chilly, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, chilly powder, garam masala, mustard oil, ginger chopped, chaat masala and salt.
3. Mix it well and divide into small portions of the size of golf balls. Heat a pan and add ghee and shallow fry the kebabs till it is brown on both sides.
3. Oil Free Chole
(Recipe by Chef Sanjyot Keer)
Ingredients:
2-3 nos. Green cardamom
1 tsp Black peppercorns (5-6 nos.)
5-6 nos. Cloves
1 no. Black cardamom
1 Cinnamon stick
1 tbsp Garlic (chopped)
1 tsp Ginger (chopped)
1 tsp Ajwain
500 ml Water
Black tea concoction (Boil 2 tbsp black tea powder in 500 ml water)
½ tsp Baking soda (optional)
1 tbsp Roasted besan
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Jeera powder
3-4 nos. Slit green chillies
1 inch Ginger (julienned)
2 tbsp Homemade chana masala
1 tsp Aamchur powder
1 tbsp Anardana powder
1 tsp Kasuri methi
Method:
1. Wash the chick peas with fresh water and soak them for 5-6 hours or overnight. Strain the excess water and wash it once again with fresh water.
2. Set a cooker on medium heat, add onions and salt and cook the onions until golden brown, add a splash of water if the onions start sticking to the pan.
3. Add the soaked chickpeas, salt, whole spices, garlic, ginger, Ajwain, water and strained black tea concoction, mix well and add mor water if required to cover the chole 1 inch above the chickpea.
4. Add baking soda stir once and pressure cook for 4 whistles on medium flame.
5. Switch off the flame and let the cooker depressurize naturally to open the lid. Give it a nice stir.
6. Switch on the flame once again and bring it to a boil, add roasted besan, coriander powder, red chilli powder, jeera powder, slit green chillies, ginger and homemade chana masala, stir & mix well.
7. Add amchur powder and anardana powder and cook for 8-10 minutes on low flame. You can add hot water to adjust the consistency of the gravy and bring it to a boil, add kasuri methi and stir once again for 1-2 minutes.
8. Your no oil chole is ready to be served, serve hot with paratha or roti and rice.
4. Kabuli Chana Biryani
(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)
Ingredients:
For Kabuli Chana Biryani
2 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped coriander (dhania)
1/4 tsp saffron (kesar) strands
1/4 cup warm low fat milk
salt to taste
For The Kabuli Chana Gravy
3/4 cup soaked and boiled kabuli chana (white chick peas)
2 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger (adrak) paste
1 tsp garlic (lehsun) paste
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
salt to taste
1/4 cup whisked low fat curds
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
2. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and 1 tbsp of water and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes and green chillies, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
4. Add the cooked kabuli chana and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute, while stirring occasionally.
5. Switch off the flame, add the curds and mix gently. Keep aside.
6. Combine the saffron strands and warm milk in a bowl and mix well.
7. Combine the brown rice, coriander, little salt and saffron-milk mixture in a deep bowl and mix well.
8. Put half the rice mixture in a baking dish and spread it evenly. Put the kabuli chana gravy evenly over it and spread it evenly.
9. Finally put the remaining rice mixture and spread it evenly.
10. Cover with an aluminium foil and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°c (400°f) for 20 minutes.
11. Serve the kabuli chana biryani hot.
5. Diet Chaat
(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)
Ingredients:
1½ cups dried white peas (safed vatana), soaked for 6-8 hours
½ tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 small onion
½ medium tomato
Green chutney for drizzling
Date and tamarind chutney for drizzling
Red chilli-garlic chutney for drizzling
Chopped raw mango as required
½ lemon
Black salt to taste
Chaat masala for sprinkling
Roasted cumin powder for sprinkling
Chilled yogurt for drizzling
Chopped fresh coriander for garnish
Method:
1. Take white peas in a pressure cooker, add turmeric powder, asafoetida and 3 cups water, mix well. Cover and cook till 4-5 whistles are released.
2. Finely chop onion and tomato. Set aside.
3. Open the pressure cooker once the pressure has reduced completely. Mix well. Transfer into serving bowls.
4. Sprinkle chopped onion, drizzle green chutney, and date and tamarind chutney. Drizzle red chilli-garlic chutney and sprinkle chopped tomato, raw mango and squeeze lemon on top.
5. Sprinkle black salt, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder. Drizzle chilled yogurt and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve immediately.
