Weight Watching with Sabu'r Paayesh/Tapioca Pudding with Mangoes

I have a confession to make.

I have a serious problem. Seasonal ? yes, you can say that.

The season is SPRING. It’s upon me, and of course, I have to look the part. So I started this week by ceremoniously showing some sun to all my pretty, girlie, flowery and short wearable’s, which had been put away for the winter and stacked them back into my regular wardrobe. With only a step short of stepping into them and hop scotching my way into the market, with a bright tote dangling from my shoulder…I realized that the’ only step’  is the pigheaded winter weight.

It’s not that I did not try (err shedding it) before pouring it all out here. I religiously clicked on ALL the health newsletters that popped into my mailbox , with their eye catching headers ranging anything from ‘be bikini ready in 10 days’ to ‘get ready for the summer shorts’, but somehow all this reading up did nothing for my winter waistline. 

I was about to try the detox juice diet for the navratras , started and gave it up by the evening. I convinced myself that I’m a mother and need more calories than Miranda Kerr to sustain herself. Low carb makes me feel dizzy and high protein plays with my entire digestive system (how else could I delicately frame pukish).

If by now you are thinking about shaking the booty, you are right. Gym’s a great option for people my shape.  So finally ,today I  rubbed clean my dusty membership card along with chiding my willpower and  decided to run a few kilometers on the treadmill. After huffing and puffing for a few minutes I felt that my legs have started resembling toothpicks, and I needed some food. I started thinking of all the healthy post workout meals and rushed to the attached food court. There the salad looked stale and way too less for the growling stomach .

I return home (in a listless state!) to a cup full of soaked tapioca seeds and some mangoes in my refrigerator. Fully aware that my spring wardrobe is still waiting.I turn on my thinking cap.What do I do with my oh-so healthy tapioca and fruits , in a precarious self-induced fasting mode? Of course turn it to a feast.

The delicious part is that Sabu'r Paayesh or Tapioca Pudding with Mangoes is the best post workout meal one can have, high on carbs with added nutrients in the form of mango; it almost makes it feel like a plate of warm yellow gold. It’s great for kids and is a go-to meal during the fasting days. I'm so In love with this new mango infusion.

Sabu'r Paayesh/Tapioca Pudding with Mangoes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup tapioca/Sabu/sabudana
1 cup hot water
1 large fresh mangoes ( cut to bite size pieces)
1 large mango puree
3 cups milk (you can substitute with coconut, soy  or almond milk)
Sugar to taste (I substituted with 2 tbsp splenda)

Method:
Soak the tapioca/sabudana in hot water for an hour. One they are swollen and springy in texture, wash then with running cold water and set aside.

Heat the milk till its reduced to 11/2 cups, now add the tapioca, and mix well. Add sugar and cook till its of a desired consistency. Add the mango puree and let it cool. Refrigerate for a few hours and serve chilled, topped with a few slices of mangoes.

You can also serve in a glass by  adding one scoop of cooked tapioca in milk , then add a scoop of mango puree in glass and serve..

Time to switch to a Chire -Doi -Aam (Beaten rice with Mango Yogurt) breakfast

After skipping breakfast two days in a row, in an attempt to lose all the post-holiday love handles and ending up with a shaky knee by late noon, I openly admit that I LOVE breakfast.  I almost adore it. Luchi Alur Dom(fried puff bread with potato curry), Apple cakes with fresh preserves, savory French toast, masala omelet and bread, coconut muri (puffed rice) and on a bad day even the diet friendly Kellogg’s K cornflakes with milk works wonders. The truth is I feel weak in my head without breakfast and It’s just a matter of embracing my waist the way it is.

Even after knowing all these, I rarely devote any time to eating a sit –down breakfast in the morning. I’m almost always guilty of neglecting it in my house. I do feed my toddler, but can’t reach a consensus on eating ‘her breakfast’ in a guilt free manner. You know what I mean? Like Suji Halwa (semolina sweet) or Dalia Sheera (broken wheat sweet) are not exactly diet friendly but soooo good for soothing a toddler’s morning tantrum.

Perhaps it’s not the cooking or the time it takes. Maybe it’s time to admit another truth – a truth that makes me an owl rather than a lark.  I’m awake agile and alert post the sun sets, it’s just the opposite when it rises. All I manage to scramble is something on the run. Often an unhealthy overdose of crispy Marie biscuits and Darjeeling tea. Not good. I’m telling ya.

For me or a person like me to eat on a busy working day , I need something portable. Guilt free, and something that can be shared both by me , my husband and daughter. Wholesome. Yum.Just about right Calories. You don’t want to whine for the rest of the day right? I found my calling in these long lost Doi Chire Aam medley (Yogurt and beaten rice mixture with mango). On work days, we need a breakfast that’s easy to whip up. In winters, I happily replace the fresh mango in the recipe with dried mango,popularly called as Aamsotto.

They’re gooey, mushy, moist, flavorful and feel decadent with abysmal calories. I would hate to call them your regular Doi Chire Aam.  They feel like fruit yogurt smoothie with a bite. You can happily whip it up in a flash.  So come just hug ‘em with your teeth.

Chire Doi Aam

Ingredients 

Beaten rice /Poha - 1 cup
Plain Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Mango - 1 (you can replace it with the dried mango pulp )
Sugar or Jaggery - to taste


All you need to do it soak the beaten rice in water and thoroughly drain off the water. Should not take you more than 2-3 minutes, as Chire/Poha or beaten rice tends to get soggy very quickly.

Add the rest of the good stuff now. You are almost there.

Now mix it well with your fingers. As mushy as you'd like.

Lick up.

You are set.

It has just the right amount of carbs,fruity goodness of mango and blessing for bones in disguise of yogurt. Want crunch, go ahead top it with some nuts.

Finished a bowl , and packed the rest of goodness in a jar.