You can actually eat your way to a good mood! Certain foods are better than others at cheering you up. Bananas, for instance, are filled chocka- block with essential nutrients like vitamins A, B6 and C, as well as potassium and the amino acid tryptophan. Vitamin B6 helps convert tryptophan into the happiness hormone, serotonin, in the body. Lentils, our everyday dals, are also happiness superfoods. Eating a lentil-rich meal also helps one calm down and be free of anxiety.
Banana Coconut Muffins
Ingredients
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking powder • ¼ tsp salt • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted • A ⅔ cup of sugar • 1 large egg • ½ tsp vanilla • ¾ cup sweetened, flaked coconut
How to prepare
• Preheat oven to 1900. • Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking well to mix. • In another bowl, combine the bananas, butter, egg, sugar and ½ cup coconut. Stir until well mixed. • Slowly fold in the flour mixture until the entire flour mix is just coated with banana-mix. • Divide the batter into lined cupcake molds, and garnish with the rest of the coconut. • Bake for around 25 minutes, or until the muffins turn golden brown. • Remove, and allow to cool.
Spinach and Tomato Dal
Ingredients
- 1 cup masoor dal
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt (and more for seasoning)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, preferably cold-pressed
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onion, cubed
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- 1 bunch spinach, chopped
- 1 large tomato, cubed
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ¼ cup coriander leaves, freshly chopped
- Water
How to prepare
- Boil 4 cups of water, and add lentils and salt.
- Once it boils, reduce the heat to a medium flame
- and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Skim off any scum that appears, and continue to
- simmer until done; this might take an hour or so.
- Alternatively, you can use a pressure cooker to
- move this step faster.
- Heat oil in a saucepan. Add mustard seeds and
- cumin seeds.
- Once they crackle, add onion, garlic and turmeric,
- and stir until the onion is tender.
- Add the tomato, spinach and chilli powder.
- Stir and cook for around five minutes, or until the
- spinach wilts and the tomatoes are tender.
- Add cooked dal, and coriander leaves. Simmer for
- five minutes.
- Adjust the seasoning and water as required.