Cheese, pineapple and amaranth topping

1 cup Navdanya's popped amaranth

1 pineapple, peeled and cut into bits and crushed

1 cup paneer

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp honey

milk to soften the mix if needed

cake wedges

Method:

Blend paneer, honey and vanilla in the mixie to a thick pouring consistency, adding milk if needed. spoon pineapple onto the cake wedges and pour paneer mixture over it. Top with poppped amaranth and serve

Amaranth cutlet

1 cup Navdanya's popped amaranth

250 gm potato

0.5 tsp garam masala

0.25 tsp kali mirch

0.5 cup peanut

salt to taste

0.25 cup coriander leaves

one or two green chillies

Method:

Boil, peel and mash potatoes and finaly chop coriander and green chillies. Add popped amaranth, chopped coriander, chilli and spices. Mix well. Make dough androll into egg-sized balls. Press between your palms to flatten into oval shapes. Fry on medium flame till cutlet turns golden brown. Serve with chutney/sauce.

Slow Food Cafe

The Navdanya Organic Slow Food Cafe is an eat­ing place where you can enjoy innovative and traditional platters and drinks. You can shop at the cafe's counter and take home brown, red or Dehradun Basmati rice millets, atta. daIs. spices. oils, breakfast cereals, jaggery, cookies, jams, pickles, squashes and herbs.

Navdanya, meaning Nine Seeds. started as a pro­gramme of the Research Foundation for Science. Technology and Ecology. founded by Dr Vandana Shiva, in 1987. Navdanya works with thousands of organic farmers in India and has established a number of seed banks in many states. It has saved more than 2000 varieties of rice. 31 varieties of wheat and hundreds of millets. pulses, oilseeds and veg­etables.

Navdanya brings to your table produce from farmers they work with. It markets organic grains. pulses, vegetables and more.

Organic farming and the marketing of biologically grown food benefit producers, consumers and the environment. Organic agriculture is not just a source of safer and chemical-free food; it is an answer to rural poverty and a guarantee for health and taste to consumers.

The King of seeds on your table

We introduce you to one of the most amazing grains in the world. It's called Amaranth. In India Amaranth is known as Ramdana, the grain of God. It is also called rajakeera. the king of seeds in some regions. In the Hindu culinary tradition Amaranth is classified as "phalahad' and is often used dur­ ing the Navratras.

Wwild and domesticated varieties can be found from the Himalayas to the south of India. Amaranth is nor­mally cultivated as part of a multi-cropping system. Amaranth is very nutritious containing protein, fat, minerals, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus and iron.

Wherever it is widely consumed there is little or no malnutrition. Amaranth is also an extremely picturesque plant. An Amaranth field in bloom on the ter­races of the Garhwal Himalayas is a sight of rare beauty.

Amaranth is a gastronome's delight for the sheer range of gishes it offers. It can be used to prepare unleavened flat bread or. in combination with other flours. to bake bread. Its grains lend an unctuous quality to gravies and soups. When popped they make an amazing breakfast cereal. laddus or crumble. And just a sprinkling of these popped grains can enhance the nutritional value of any pudding, bake or salad!

You can buy your organic grains from Navdanya's outlets at Stall No. 18. Dilli Haat and D-26, Hauz Khas, New Delhi.

This festive season surprise your near and dear ones with a sweet and savoury treat they've never tasted before. Prepare delicacies made with organically grown Amaranth brought to you by Navdanya.

Amaranth Nutritive Content Value: Protein                        : 14.7 9 Fat                                : 1.9 9 Mineral                       : 3.1 9 Carbohydrate             : 60.7 9 Calcium                      : 510 mg Phosphorus                : 397 mg Iron                              : 11 mg 1 kg of Amaranth flour added to 1 kg of refined wheat flour, increases its iron content from 25 mg to 254mg.