This Father's Day, Try These 5 Healthy Recipe Ideas



A day dedicated to the hero of our lives, a day to show enormous respect and love we have for our dads. This Father’s day, let's make them feel special by cooking some delicious Indian recipes. It is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and these below-mentioned healthy recipes will surely help you win over your dad’s heart and health.

We have curated a father's day special menu with five simple desi ghee, honey & jaggery recipes with the addition of dry fruits, nuts, and natural seeds that will leave your father and everyone finger-licking. But you might be wondering how healthy it is to have all of this in a day, the secret to that lies in using natural, unprocessed food ingredients with high nutritive value. And it’s a promise that your father will love this gesture of yours.

Start with a healthy morning breakfast - Semiya Upma

Vermicelli or locally known as Semiya is used to make several dishes, popularly for a dessert called ‘payasam’ and also a snack called ‘semiya upma’. Start your father’s day with this simple healthy ghee recipe for breakfast

Ingredients:

• 1 cup roasted vermicelli (buckwheat)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• ¼ cup fresh green peas
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal (split Bengal gram)
• 2 tsp desi ghee
• Handful of almonds and cashews
• A few curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Lemon juice

Recipe:

• In a pan, add two teaspoons of desi ghee and add the seasoning: the lentils and the mustard seeds. Also, add the almonds, cashews, and sauté for three minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
• Now add the chopped chilies, ginger, and curry leaves and sauté for another minute.
• Add chopped onions to it, wait a minute, then add the carrots, peas, and other veggies.
• Add salt and turmeric and cover with a lid for a minute. Add water and let it be for another five minutes. Once the water starts boiling and the vegetables are cooked, add the roasted vermicelli. 
• Mix it very well, cover it and cook for two minutes.
• Drizzle the ghee and lemon drops and mix them well before you take them off the stove.
• Serve hot with chutney or sambar.

Followed by a perfect sumptuous Lunch - Stuffed Paratha with Desi Ghee

Stuffed paratha is a popular Indian lunch menu, vegetables rolled in healthy Indian bread! This paratha is special as it is made with pure buckwheat flour and roasted in desi ghee just the way we all like it.

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 2 cups buckwheat flour
• Water as required
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon desi ghee

For the stuffing

• Vegetables of your choice (boiled)
• Aloo or Paneer (cottage cheese)
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• 1-2 green chilies
• Salt as required
• Desi ghee for roasting

Recipe:

• If you are making a vegetable paratha, just boil the veggies followed by mashing them. 
• Add a little salt and garam masala, mix well and keep aside
• If you are making paneer (cottage cheese) paratha, crumble the paneer, and add chopped green chilies, garam masala, and salt
• Mix the buckwheat flour, salt, ghee, and water in a bowl for making the dough. Knead this dough properly & let it rest for about 30 minutes
• Make small balls of the dough and roll them into flat equal circles
• Fill these rolled dough sheets with stuffing or vegetable mix
• Place another sheet on top and press to seal the edges
• Start heating a pan and spread ghee on it. Roast your paratha from both sides, until it turns golden brown.
• Serve with curd and pickle or anything of your choice

A naturally sweetened mid-day dessert - Mango Honey Shrikhand

Try this unbelievable naturally sweetened honey recipe, Mango Shrikhand which will leave your dad and everyone in awe of its refreshing sweet taste. You might want to prepare a few things beforehand for this, but you need not worry as everything is mentioned in the recipe below.

Ingredients: 

• 1 kg low-fat yogurt
• 6 tbsp Honey (preferably Raw Wildflower Honey)
• 3 tbsp of your favorite nuts (cashews and almonds)
• few saffron strands and crushed cardamom seeds
• 1 Mango, cut it into cubes for topping

Recipe:

• Take 2 large square cheese cloths in a large bowl
• Now pour yogurt on the cheesecloth, and tie them up as a pouch
• Hang the pouch on top and let it drain in a bowl
• Now let the pouch sit for almost 4 hours
• Later, untie this pouch and scoop the yogurt now drained into a medium bowl
• Add mango cubes to this
• Now, add natural honey and nuts to this mixture
• Also, add saffron and cardamom to this honey dish for a naturally sweet taste
• Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it is thoroughly mixed
• Finally, cover and let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours
• Serve this chilled dessert to your dad for that afternoon's sweet refreshment

For a Healthy nutritious Evening Snack - Wheat Appam

This easy-to-make instant Wheat flour Appam jaggery recipe is delicious and perfect for a quick evening snack for this special day. This healthy tasty recipe will surely surprise your dad as it has jaggery as a natural sweetener.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Wheat flour
• 2 tbsp Rice flour
• ¾ cup Jaggery powder
• ½ cup Banana mashed
• 1 Cardamom
• 1 pinch Cooking soda
• Desi ghee - For frying
• Salt as per taste

Recipe:

• First mix all the ingredients jaggery powder, wheat flour, rice flour, mashed banana, cooking soda, cardamom, and salt with water.
• Mix till batter consistency gets thick.
• Heat ghee in an Appam kadai, pour the batter at perfect heat and remember the appam should not settle down.
• Cook in medium flame for even cooking, without burning. 
• Roast till golden brown and drain from oil to tissue paper and enjoy!

Finally for an exquisite healthy dinner - Dum Biryani

This has to be special, right? Now, this biryani is no ordinary biryani, it is made with premium basmati rice in desi ghee, dry fruits, and nuts with a touch of Himalayan salt. This is as healthy a biryani can get and your dad is going to just love it.

Ingredients:

for rice:

• 8 cups water
• 2 bay leaf / tej patta
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp cloves
• 1 star anise
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp ghee
• 1 tsp himalayan salt
• 1½ basmati rice (soaked for 20 minutes)
•  Handful of dried fruits

for biryani gravy:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ghee 
• 1 bay leaf/tej patta
• 2-inch cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp cloves
• 1-star anise
• 1 tsp shah jeera/caraway seeds
• 4 cardamom
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, gobi, peas, potato, beans, chopped)
• 1 cup curd/yogurt
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ tsp turmeric / haldi
• 2 tsp biryani masala powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp coriander-mint paste
• 1 cup water
• 15 cubes paneer/cottage cheese

Recipe:

• Spread in a layer of prepared biryani gravy in a cooker.
• Layer with premium basmati rice
• Then spread a few chopped mint, coriander, fried onions, and saffron water.
• Again spread biryani gravy as a third layer
• Later layer with cooked rice, saffron water, fried onions, and biryani masala.
• Definitely top it with a tbsp of desi ghee, mint, and coriander.
• Close and seal the container.
• Let simmer for 15 minutes.
• Your Veg Dum Biryani is ready to serve.

Summary: So cherish this special day with your father and try these healthy Indian recipes. Also, don’t just stop here, make it a regular habit of eating a healthy diet and maintaining one for your dad too. 

If you liked any of the above dishes, then we think you will love more of our healthy recipes like Healthy & Hassle-Free: Delicious Food To Satisfy Those Late Night Munchies including 100% Natural food products from Himalayan Natives.

Also check out this Instagram post for fun healthy eating tips.