Moroccan Vegetable Stew….DFT

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This recipe is part of Recipes With A cause for Diabetes Friendly Thursday.

This week DFT is not only diabetic friendly but has stepped up to go “GLUTEN FREE” . Enjoy the Gluten free diabetic friendly recipes from the DFT Bunch!!

This hearty Moroccan Stew is one of my families all time favorite especially during Fall and Winter .. Don’t let the list of spices and vegetables scare you . Most of the spices are easily found in Indian pantry and as far as vegetables goes use what ever you have on hand .. The use of turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and red chili makes this stew warming, very aromatic and gives it a deep flavor ..

Cooking time 30-40 mins
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 TBS oilve oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 cup cubed carrots
2 cups chopped in cubes sweet potatoes/ shakkarkandi or pumpkin
1 cups cubed eggplant/ baigan
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 medium zucchini sliced
2 large tomatoes, cut into medium pieces
1 cups boiled chickpeas, reserve the liquid
A big pinch of saffron
Salt as per taste
1/4 cup pitted olives ( optional )
1/4 cup currents or dried apricots optional
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Method
In a big enough pot heat 1 TBS olive oil and sauté the onions for a min or two .
Add the garlic and again sauté for about a min . Switch the stove on Medium Now ..
Now add all the spices (EXCEPT for Saffron) stir continuously so that spices do not burn .
Add the vegetables in the order given above, so that the starchier vegetables will cook the longest.
Sauté for 2-3 mins after adding each vegetable .
Stir in the drained chickpeas , saffron, and the currants or apricots .
There should be some liquid at the bottom of the pot from the cooking vegetables. However, if the stew is dry, add ½ cup of tomato juice, liquid from the garbanzo beans, or water.
Cover the stew and simmer on low heat until all the vegetables are tender.
Add the olives & chopped parsley just before serving.

You can serve this stew with brown rice , any whole grain or even with a slice of your favorite gluten free bread …

Benefits of the Ingredients Used In Making This Stew

Onion
Onions are a low-calorie, healthful food to include in your diabetic diet, providing you with fiber, iron, potassium, vitamin C and other micronutrients. Some evidence suggests that certain chemicals in onions may help you maintain blood sugar control. Adding onions to your soups, stews, sandwiches, salads and casseroles boosts your vegetable intake without adding a large number or calories or carbohydrates to your diet.

Garlic
Garlic is known to increase the amount of insulin released and regulates blood sugar levels. A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food [1] found just that — garlic was highly effective in increasing one’s insulin content in the body and improved glucose tolerance.

Carrots
Watching your diet is a big part of managing diabetes, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up healthy snacks like carrots. In fact, carrots can be beneficial to a diabetic’s health, so it’s a good idea to include them as part of your regular meal planning. Chopped carrots have just 12 grams of carbs per cup, so it takes a full cup of carrots to count as a single vegetable serving when using a diabetes carbohydrate exchange system.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are considered a superfood for diabetics, says the American Diabetes Association (AMA).They have been shown to stabilise blood-sugar levels by lowering insulin resistance. They contain a high amount of fibre, which also helps to reduce levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in the body.

Egg Plant
diabetes requires a healthy diet with an eye toward lower carb, lower glycemic index foods for good management. When checking out produce for healthy additions to your diet, don’t forget the eggplant. It’s a low-carb, high-fiber vegetable that has infinite

Bell Pepper
Peppers are packed with fiber and relatively low in calories and carbohydrates, they are an excellent choice on a diabetes diet.
peppers are considered a nonstarchy vegetable — which means that most of the carbohydrates found in peppers are in the form of fiber. MayoClinic.com explains that fiber not only helps regulate blood sugar levels, but also decreases the risk of heart disease…

Zucchini
The presence of the vitamin B complex group in abundance makes this fruit a good choice for diabetes. You develop diabetes when your body is unable to metabolize and regulate the level of sugar in your blood. Diabetes can be of many types, but zucchini is specifically found to be effective if you need to ward off type 2 diabetes. Zucchini for diabetes is very effective as the B complex in the presence of zinc and magnesium help in breaking down the sugars in your body. It has an abundance of fiber and pectin, which are vital in regulating your blood sugar levels. The B-vitamins, folates and fiber go a long way in stabilizing the level of sugar in your blood….

Tomato
Tomatoes, another superfood for diabetes, are packed with vitamin C and are good sources of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. They’re also low-carb and low-cal — just 32 calories per cup. The nutrient lycopene, which gives red tomatoes their color, is a powerful antioxidant and may protect against heart disease and prostate cancer. Add a slice of juicy tomato to your next sandwich or cook up a big pot of tomato sauce, a great topping for veggies, chicken, and other good foods in your diabetic diet.

Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are a healthy way to add more protein and other essential nutrients to your meals. They are good sources of fiber, iron, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B-6. These beans may also lower your risk for cancer, heart disease and diabetes, as well as limiting increases in blood sugar levels after meals.

Cinnamon
Use of cinnamon has been shown in clinical studies to improve both blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Olives
Black olives supply small doses of iron, calcium and vitamin A. They also contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats. While olives can have a place in your healthy eating plan, they also contain large amounts of sodium so you should limit how many you eat at a time.

Disclaimer
I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

Here is how you can substitute Gluten
You can make a few simple changes to recipes containing gluten. For 1 tablespoon of wheat flour, substitute one of these:

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
1 1/2 teaspoons rice flour
2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca

For 1 cup of wheat flour, substitute one of these:
3/4 cup plain cornmeal, coarse
1 cup plain cornmeal, fine
5/8 cup potato flour
3/4 cup rice flour

http://www.prevention.com/health/diabetes/foods-diabetes-celiac-disease

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