‘Diets don’t have to be boring’

Celebrity trainer and nutritionist Marika Johansson came to India three years ago to work with the Roshan family. By her own admission, Marika didn’t know much about Indian cuisine, beyond the fact that “it was spicy and (involved) a lot of rice”.

But as she worked at making desi khana healthier for her clients here, and explored our spices and ingredients in depth, she discovered that many of them were not just amazing to work with — they were also very healthy for the body.

“Many of these ingredients are now used all over the world, and are called ‘superfoods’,” Marika says. “It was hard in the beginning to find the ingredients I needed to create healthy food for my clients but by exploring the food stores and adding a twist, I made it work,” says Marika.

One of those “twists” is the paneer Marika makes with skim milk. “Paneer is such a popular food item for vegetarians and the Indian population has a high percentage of vegetarians, so we had to invent recipes with mixtures of protein sources to offer a healthy diet.”

Marika has recently released a book called Healthy Kitchen with Om Books Publishers. It is a collection of the recipes that she has created over the 15 years of her work in the field of fitness. The book has a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes, from Indian, Continental and Italian cuisines. Marika tells us that she has also included recipes that will let you indulge your sweet tooth — protein muffins, protein bars and desserts — without piling on the pounds.

She said the idea for her book came to her after she saw the results of her work with the Roshans. She began guiding Hrithik on nutrition in 2012, later working with Pinky, Rakesh and Sunaina Roshan as well. “They would all praise my food — saying it was so yummy even though it was supposed to be ‘diet’ food. It made them consistent with their diets and they didn’t crave junk food or sweets. Their energy level was high — even though Hrithik and Sunaina lost 10 kg each in less than 10 weeks,” Marika recounts.

Her philosophy, Marika says, is simple: Diets do not have to be boring. “You should be able to enjoy food and have a social life even if you diet,” says Marika. “Make healthy food your lifestyle. Have control of what you eat to nourish your body. Abs are made in the kitchen!”

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Protein Brownie

Serves: Makes 12 pieces
Prep time: 20 minutes;
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut flour substitute
• 8 egg whites
• 5 tbsp probiotic yoghurt
• 200 gm unsalted cooked black beans
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1-3 tbsp peanut butter (optional)
• ¾ cup chocolate protein powder
• 2 tbsp sugar substitute
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ¼ cup agave syrup, date syrup, honey or calorie-free chocolate sauce

Method: Blend all the ingredients together. You should end up with a thick, pancake-like batter. If the batter is too runny, add a tablespoon more of coconut flour until it thickens. If it is too thick, add an extra egg white or two. Once the mixture is perfect, bake it in a small brownie pan at 160°C for about 45 minutes to an hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

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Skinny Tandoori Chicken  
Serves: 1
Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 150 gm chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• ½ red bell pepper, seeded
• 100 gm fat-free yoghurt
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 pinch herb mix
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 50 gm kale    

Method: Mix the yoghurt, chilli, and ginger-garlic paste together. Roll the chicken in it so the mix covers the chicken evenly. Let it marinate for 10 minutes or longer. Cook in grill for 20 minutes at 200°C. Check and turn after 10 minutes. Chop the kale, peppers and onion into thin slices and mix in a bowl together with herbs and vinegar. Serve as a side dish to the chicken.