RDBS

DBS. Try googling it – no relevant information. A Wiki page – zilch. But it epitomises the staple Indian diet. In its  full form for all Gujjus – Rotli Dal Bhaat Shaak  or for the hindi speakers RDCS – Roti Dal Chawal Sabzi

The quintessential Indian diet consists of  permutations and combinations of

Roti in the form of chapati, paratha, puri,

Dal with the use of pulses and lentils

Bhaat / Chawal / Rice

Sabzi / Shaak / Bhaji  consists of all varieties of vegetables

Then there will be the quinoa salad or the MasterChefy recipes like osso bucco but the heart of our food, our comfort food, is the humble roti-sabzi.

RDBS is of importance when one reads about trends in the west. The Western diet is very different from the traditional Indian diet. Unfortunately there are not many nutritional articles that are written with the Indian diet as the hero. What we come across is mostly western studies that talk about  dietary changes,  but to incorporate those trends into our diet needs a whole lot more than just tweaking the existing diet. It would be a complete systemic change.

Consider a carbohydrate-free diet. In an Indian vegetarian scenario, would have the person eating paneer. Period. Cereals, pulses, soya, vegetables, fruits, nuts and milk all contain carbohydrates.

The Indian kitchen has enough variety to provide a solution for any nutritional problem. Lactose intolerant? Have curd instead of milk. Require a gluten-free diet? Substitute jowar, bajri, rice, ragi, makai for wheat. All these can be made into rotis. Need to eat raw vegetables for fibre but averse to eating salads?  Make sabzis with minimal cooking – just a tempering (tadka, wager, phodni) and a minute on the gas. The veggies stay raw but still have the taste of spices. The list is endless just like the variety in an Indian Diet. Refer the photo…and drool!!