THE
WHOLESOME
KITCHEN
Nourish.
Energize. Indulge.

POOJA DHINGRA
with VIDDHI DHINGRA
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL SHECHTER


First published in 2017 by Hachette India
(Registered name: Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd)
An Hachette UK company
www.hachetteindia.com

This ebook published in 2017
Copyright © 2017 Pooja Dhingra and Viddhi Dhingra
All photographs except on pages 63 and 127 copyright © 2017 Pooja Dhingra
Photographs on pages 63 and 127 courtesy Shutterstock.com
Copyright for recipes on pages 50–57, 90–101, 128–139 and 167–171 vests with the individual contributors.
Book design and layout © 2017 Hachette India
Book and cover design by Bhavi Mehta
Pooja Dhingra and Viddhi Dhingra assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work
All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system (including but not
limited to computers, disks, external drives, electronic or digital devices, e-readers, websites), or transmitted in any
form or by any means (including but not limited to cyclostyling, photocopying, docutech or other reprographic
reproductions, mechanical, recording, electronic, digital versions) without the prior written permission of the

publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and
without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
The views, opinions and recipes provided in this book are the authors’ own and the facts are as reported by them.
The publishers are not in any way liable for the same.
Print edition ISBN 978-93-5195-144-5
eBook edition ISBN 978-93-5195-145-2
Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd
4th & 5th Floors, Corporate Centre,
Plot No. 94, Sector 44, Gurgaon - 122003, India
Typeset by Manmohan Kumar, Delhi


CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
DELICIOUS + HEALTHY: WHAT MAKES THESE TREATS GOOD FOR YOU
THE WHOLESOME KITCHEN MANIFESTO
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
STOCKING UP

BASICS
Almond Butter
Cashew Butter
Peanut Butter
Hazelnut Butter
Walnut Butter
Cashew Turmeric Butter
Apple Sauce
Homemade Nutella
Coconut Butter
Banana Jam

Date Jam
SALADS 101

ENERGIZE
Banana Pancakes
Crunchy Granola
Fruit and Nut Granola
Yoghurt and Granola Smoothie
Chocolate Protein Shake
Power Bites
Oat and Date Bites
Raisin Cashew Bites


No-Bake Coffee Cookies
Almond Bars
Almond Cereal Bars
Chewy Banana Bars
Peanut Butter and Banana Parfait
Chocolate Espresso Tart
Coffee Loaf Cake
Banana Zucchini Muffins
Chocolate Chip Apricot Bars
Apple Cinnamon Bites
Green Blast
Goji Berry and Date Bliss Balls
Red Velvet-Inspired Brownie

NOURISH
Porridge

Coconut and Plum Cleanser
Ironman
Honey, Spinach and Walnut Salad
Mint and Edamame Dip
Whole-wheat Lavash
Spicy Rajma Dip
Cookie Dough Bites
Pumpkin Bites
Coconut Bars
Red Velvet Pudding
Apple Crumble
Chocolate Coconut Tart
Banana and Peanut Butter Cake
Upside-down Ginger Pear Cake
Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
Zucchini Blondies
Rajma Hummus
Curry Leaf and Almond Pesto
Dairy-free Super Creamy Miso-Tahini Dip
Soup of ‘X’
Carrot Cake


Zucchini Pasta

REFRESH
Beetroot and Avocado Juice
Pineapple and Orange Cooler
Chai-inspired Shake
Watermelon Slushy

Tzatziki
Zesty Yoghurt Dip
Arugula Salad
Pistachio Rose Bites
Orange Carrot Cupcake
Caramel Yoghurt Dip
Avocado Pudding
Chia Pudding Falooda
Chocolate Chip Bar with Peanut Butter and Apple Sauce
Chocolate Yoghurt Pie
Mixed Fruit Crumble
Lemon Loaf
Dijon Vinaigrette
Tahini Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Watermelon and Feta Salad
Spin Salad
Chilled Cucumber and Yoghurt Soup
Sweet Potato Chaat
Fruity Popsicles

INDULGE
Fig and Cherry Pancakes
Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
Uncooked Pad Thai
Caramelized Onion Dip and Sweet Potato Chips
Chocolate Avocado Truffles
Apricot Cashew Bites
Orange Chocolate Truffles



Chocolate Mint Truffles
Mock Brownie
Choco Coco Fudge
Chocolate Cupcakes
Faux Frosting Dip
Sneaky Cookies
Chocolate Almond Orange Tart
Chocolate Cake with Banana and Coconut Butter Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Bites
Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
CONVERSION TABLE
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS


INTRODUCTION


My life is, pretty much, an open book. I share so much of my day, every day, on social
media that those who follow me – on Instagram, on Snapchat, on Twitter – know what I
am working on, who I ate lunch with, what my snack was and what is keeping me busy. I
love the sense of community that social media allows, but there is a deeply personal
issue that I have held back for years – my constant struggle with weight.
As a child I was skinny and, honestly, even today, I don’t know how and when the
weight gain began. I did not overeat. I was always active. But the kilos began to pile on,
till I didn’t know myself any more. I was checked for hormonal imbalances, but there
were none. And so the spiral started. I tried every diet in the book. I went out and

exercised more than ever. But nothing helped. I remember going shopping for a pair of
jeans with my mother and crying in the changing room because none of the four largest
sizes fit me. To make matters worse, I began to get picked on in school and by members
of my extended family for not looking the way I ‘should’ look. I heard comments like:
‘You have such a pretty face! Why don’t you lose some weight? You won’t find someone
to marry you if you don’t!’
When I turned 16, I began consulting a top nutritionist in Mumbai and over two years I
lost nearly 30 kgs. I began to pay attention to the way my body worked, researching
exercise techniques and diet plans. I was such a regular at my gym that one of the
instructors suggested I sign up for a training programme and, three months later, I was a
Reebok-certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor. I even became a
spinning instructor and started taking classes at a gym in south Bombay.
And then?
My life changed. Because I enrolled in law school, quit it in two weeks and moved to
Switzerland to study at the César-Ritz Colleges. For a while, I continued to work out, going for a
daily evening run by the lake – exercise was an escape from the long days that were now a part
of my life in a new country. As the days got longer, though, the runs stopped and working in a
kitchen, tasting food all day, did not help. One day, something inside me snapped and I spiralled
out of control. Suddenly I was eating butter-laden baguettes at every meal and my room was
stocked with bags of M&Ms. Before I knew it, I was back to where I had started.

After I graduated I decided I wanted to make a career in pastry and moved to the land
of carbs, Paris, to study at Le Cordon Bleu. There, of course, every day started with a
croissant or a baguette with ham and cheese. My days involved working with large
quantities of chocolate and sugar. Don’t get me wrong, I loved every second of it and
have no regrets to this day – but, unfortunately, the weight I had fought so hard to lose
began creeping back on, despite walking a lot and taking the occasional long run around
the Eiffel Tower.
In 2009, I returned to India, leaving behind my full life in Paris, and had to figure out
what to do with myself, both personally and professionally. Of course, food is a great

friend when you are feeling a bit out of sorts, and as I was also developing the concept
of Le15 Patisserie at the time, many long days were spent testing recipes in my home
kitchen. I launched my business in early 2010 and the next three years raced by in a
cloud of flour, butter and sugar.
Soon, branches of the patisserie had opened across Mumbai, I had written my first
cookbook and started Studio Fifteen, but I woke up one day and realized that I had


regained all the weight I had lost. It’s sad and funny, isn’t it, how you could be doing so
well professionally – winning accolades and love from your customers and earning the
support and respect of your peers – but no award or amount of money can cheer you up
when you don’t know yourself any longer? What did not help was that I was working so
hard that I had no time for my family or friends and began to withdraw into a shell,
which was very unlike me.
Everything came to a head in May 2014, when I was visiting my best friend in New
York. Her apartment was on the fifth floor of a classic New York City building – a
walk-up – and my daily struggle on those stairs made me realize how unfit I had
become. That was my wake-up call. I could not ignore my weight and declining health
any longer. I was only 28 and that was not how I wanted to feel. When I got back to
Mumbai, I called my friend Shayamal Vallabjee, one of India’s best sports scientists and
physiotherapists. When we met, I broke down and told him what was bothering me. He
immediately started me off on an exercise routine. It helps that my sister-in-law, Viddhi
Dhingra, is a trained nutritionist – she put together a healthy eating plan for me. Together,
they helped me finish a 21-km half marathon in 2015. Deciding to run that marathon was
probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done but, as a person who needs goals to function,
it became the goal that helped me get my health back on track.
Since the marathon, I have continued to exercise – whether it’s in the form of dance,
yoga or spinning. There are times when my work schedule is completely crazy and I
have to skip working out for a few weeks, but I make sure I stay active and get back on
track when things settle down.

While on this new path, I also began thinking about the kind of food I wanted to make
at Le15. I absolutely love my work and creating delicious goodies brings me so much
happiness but, at the same time, I needed to focus on my health. I still had sweet
cravings but didn’t want to indulge in a creamy, sugary treat every single day. And I
knew I was not the only one who felt that way.
The way I looked at nutrition and my body slowly changed. Working with Viddhi, I learnt to
identify ingredients for their nutritional content rather than calories. However, the most important
lesson I learnt was that there is no cookie-cutter method to weight loss. As I spoke to friends,
customers and peers, I could no longer ignore the fact that each of us faces issues with our
bodies. The society we live in doesn’t make it easy for us to love ourselves, more so if you are a
woman.

When I looked around for healthy treats, however, there were very few options
available to me and I decided to do something about it myself. With Jump, a line of
healthy treats I launched in 2014, I wanted to give my customers healthy, delicious treats
they could indulge in without guilt or worry. The overwhelming response to Jump
convinced me that this book had to be written.
Accepting and working through my struggles, and channelling that experience to start
a new phase in my business has, I believe, made me more compassionate, kind and
patient. As a chef, it’s made me more open to experimentation and finding alternatives.
I’ve worked with ingredients I would never think of using in culinary school (lauki or
bottle gourd in a cookie?) and it has helped expand my knowledge and skills. This kind
of baking is tough, I won’t deny it. Not only did I have to omit every essential baking
ingredient, I also had to make sure that the end result was still tasty and that Viddhi


could certify its nutritional value. I understand how butter or sugar works in a recipe but
these new ingredients threw me several curveballs. Baking with the usual ingredients
now seemed so easy because it was forgiving – you could fix mistakes and everything
tasted so good! However, I’ve always loved a good challenge and, as a businesswoman,

I have learnt that the biggest opportunities sometimes lie in our greatest struggles.
My main message with this book is to help you find balance when it comes to food. You need
to approach it with the knowledge that a treat from this book will never taste the same as the one
you buy at a traditional bakery or make at home with regular ingredients.

So don’t hold it to the same standards, or you will be disappointed! But there are ways
to make healthier food choices that are also enjoyable, and these recipes are my attempt
to help you make those choices.
It’s taken me so many years to come to terms with who I am as a person and I know I
am a work in progress. I developed these recipes to help me in my quest to eat healthy
without ignoring or judging my sweet cravings. I hope they become a part of your
journey too.
Pooja


DELICIOUS + HEALTHY WHAT
MAKES THESE TREATS GOOD FOR
YOU
Our relationship with food is indicative of our relationship with our body and, by
extension, our relationship with ourselves.
As a nutritionist, this forms the centre of my food philosophy. Nine times out of ten,
clients who come to see me want to be a certain size, or want to follow a particular diet,
because someone else is the size they want to be, and follows that diet. What I really
want them – and you – to know is that each of us has a unique body and there is no onesize-fits-all solution to staying healthy and in good shape. Just because something works
for your sister or your best friend does not mean it will work for you. What does not
help is that today food and nutrition have become synonymous with that dreaded word
‘diet’, which, in turn, is associated with deprivation.
There is a new theory every week, and new lists of what to eat and what to avoid
follow every second day. The result, sadly, is that we have all forgotten how to eat.
We’ve forgotten how to use food to fuel and nourish our bodies and our minds.

Traditional foods, especially in a country as ancient and diverse as India, strike the best
balance between health, taste and nutrition. I firmly believe that we are all better off
eating what we ate growing up, and what is grown where we live. Eating local is now a
global movement, and if you think about it it’s how generations of our families ate. When
you eat local, your body assimilates the nutrients efficiently, keeping you in perfect
physical, emotional and mental health.
An important factor taken into account while developing these recipes was to ensure
that we only use ingredients that are easily and locally available. Eating locally grown
foods means you are eating what nature has produced for your body according to your
natural habitat while also contributing to the national economy. Hence, each recipe in
this book is delicious, good for you, and respects the local ecosystem.
Moreover, as a tool, I believe that the nutritional value of a food item is more than just its


calories. Let’s take a 4-inch–6-inch pizza versus a homemade paneer paratha, for example. Their
calorie content would roughly be the same, but the pizza is made of white flour, which has no
fibre, vitamins or minerals, and processed cheese, which also contains very few nutrients. Since
white flour has no nutrients of its own, it strips your body of those nutrients that are needed to
break it down, which will leave you tired and sluggish. On the other hand, the whole-wheat flour
in the paratha is rich in B-vitamins, fibre, calcium and iron. The paratha actually provides your
body with a whole lot of vitamins, minerals and energy. So when you think of calories, think of
how nutritionally dense those calories are before making your meal choices.

The best thing you can do for your body is to eat foods that are as close to their
natural form as possible. The more a food is processed, the lower its nutritional value.
This is the philosophy that we have followed throughout this book. Each recipe is made
with clean, simple, unprocessed ingredients that are easily available and very nutritious.
For example, we have used whole-wheat flour and oat flour instead of white flour
because these contain more fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein.
Since we’ve tried to avoid processed foods, sweeteners like dates, date syrup and

honey have been used instead of processed sugar. Dates are high in natural sugars, as
well as iron, minerals and vitamins. When you eat anything with dates or date syrup, the
natural sugars work very differently in your body as compared to refined sugar. They
cause less of a spike and break down at a slower rate, giving you a greater sense of
satisfaction with no cravings to return for more. Try this simple experiment to test it out
for yourself: Eat a date or a dried fig one afternoon and then eat a piece of commercially
produced chocolate the next. Record your cravings on both days. I’m certain you will
not go back and finish a packet of dates but you will finish a bar of chocolate. Our
recipes have natural sources of sugar because we want to offer you a way out of this
vicious cycle of cravings.
We’ve also included healthy fats such as coconut oil and nuts because the body needs
good fats in order to absorb important nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K. They
balance hormones and keep the skin and hair soft and healthy, apart from providing other
long-term benefits. So don’t be afraid to use the fats mentioned in our recipes; the
quantities we have recommended are nutritionally sound.
Food can be delicious, fun, easy to make and good for you. I hope this book helps you
reach that place of happiness with every meal and every snack.
Viddhi



THE WHOLESOME KITCHEN
MANIFESTO
Always choose natural food over processed food.
MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT ELIMINATE ANY FOOD GROUP entirely from your
diet. Include carbohydrates, especially complex carbs (whole-wheat flour, jowar, bajra,
sweet potatoes), proteins and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, pure ghee, pure coconut and its
products, avocado and fish. Good fats help burn stubborn body fat, keep you full for longer
and reduce the chances of heart disease and diabetes.
EAT ACCORDING TO YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL – more when you are active and

less when you are not.
AIM TO EAT YOUR LAST MEAL OF THE DAY at least three hours before bedtime.
Sleeping on a light stomach is the key to a flat belly and it also ensures a good night’s sleep.
LET YOUR STOMACH HELP YOU DECIDE HOW HUNGRY YOU ARE. Our
hunger patterns and levels change each day depending on our physical activities, hormones
and sleep patterns, among many other factors. To stay in tune with the messages from your
stomach, make sure you eat in peace without any distractions like television or the Internet.
MOVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Besides regular workout routines, just be more
active. Take the stairs at least once a day instead of the elevator. Get up to get yourself a
glass of water instead of asking someone else. Go vegetable and fruit shopping to the
market instead of ordering online. The more you move, the more physically and mentally
alert you will be.
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR BODY WELL HYDRATED. Do not wait until you are thirsty


to drink water because by then your body is already dehydrated. Dehydration slows down
your body’s fat burning ability, weakens your muscles and could make you irritable.
EAT SEASONALLY because seasonal foods are packed with the nutrients your body
needs at that particular time of the year. For example, mangoes are a summer fruit in India
and amla (Indian gooseberry) is available in winter. Mangoes are rich in beta-carotene
which will protect your skin from tanning in the summer. Plus, their high levels of fibre
keep your digestive system clean and healthy, making sure you don’t feel sluggish in the
heat. Similarly, the high content of vitamins A and C in amla builds immunity to guard you
against flu or colds in winter.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY ALL RIGHT TO INDULGE in your favourite foods every now
and then. A simple way to think about this is to apply the rule of Pi (22/7) to maintain a
healthy lifestyle. If you eat right 22 days of a month and work out for even 7 days a
month, you are on your way to better health.
DON’T WAIT TILL NEXT MONDAY or the first day of next month to start making
better choices. Today is as good a day as any.



HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
We have divided the recipes into four sections – Energize, Nourish, Refresh
and Indulge.
The categorization is based both on each dish’s nutritional value and on how you will
feel when you eat or drink it.
So you might choose to have a bowl of crunchy granola from the ‘Energize’ section
for breakfast or as a snack on a really busy day. Similarly, a ‘Nourish’ recipe might be a
great option for lunch, or even to start your day with. The lemon loaf recipe in the
‘Refresh’ section works well both as a dessert to serve at your next dinner party or to
have along with your cup of coffee in the afternoon. ‘Indulge’ is, well, all about
indulging yourself any time of the day.
Please use our categories only as a suggestion and feel free to play around with them
according to your day and your mood. For example, I love having a smoothie as a snack
because it’s so filling and delicious – plus, it gives you that hit of sweetness you need at
4 p.m. You can also choose to have a smoothie at breakfast along with eggs or a paratha.
We’ve also included calorie counts with each recipe. Personally, I feel that counting
calories is not a healthy way to live, but I understand that calories are a scientific tool
that many people use to follow their nutritional plans. I wanted to make sure that every
person gets the information they need to make this book a part of their daily lives.
Finally, what makes this book very special to me is the fact that my friends and
colleagues have chipped in and contributed their recipes to it. You would have noticed
that when you start paying more attention to a particular aspect of your life and see
others doing the same you easily build a bond with them. That’s exactly what happened
to me during my wellness journey. I began to observe and admire how many of my
friends and peers were finding the time and energy to make healthy choices without
making excuses, even though they are all busy people with demanding lives.
I had long conversations with Masaba Gupta, for instance, about enjoying dessert
without having to worry about sugar, which led to us collaborating on Jump, my line of

healthy desserts. I appreciate how chefs Kelvin Cheung and Karishma Dalal have


offered Mumbai healthy and delicious options at their respective restaurants. Celebrities
like Sonam Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Pernia Qureshi and
Shraddha Kapoor travel the world and have very busy schedules but they still focus on
eating right. These fantastic people continue to inspire me every day – they have fun and
occasionally indulge themselves but they also pay close attention to their general wellbeing.
Watching them, I’ve come to truly believe that excuses are simply excuses. We can all
find a way to prioritize our health if we put our minds to it.
Pooja


STOCKING UP
To help you get started, this is a list of where I buy the ingredients used in
these recipes. I’ve also suggested substitutes, in case of dietary restrictions or
availability issues.
COCONUT OIL

You need to make sure you use edible/food-grade oil. I prefer the cold-pressed coconut
oil from Health First, which is easily available on Amazon.in or at any large
supermarket.
CHOCOLATE

My first preference is the dark cooking chocolate from Whisq. For those who are vegan
or lactose-intolerant, I recommend Indian brands such as Earth Loaf, Mason and Co. and
Regal Chocolates.
COCOA POWDER

I use Dutch process cocoa powder, which is specially treated to lower acidity, change

colour and be more soluble in liquids. It works well with recipes that use baking
powder, as most recipes in this book do. You can find it in any well-stocked grocery
store or buy it online.
EDAMAME BEANS

Edamame beans or green soya beans are available at large supermarkets. If you have
trouble finding these, use green peas instead.
DATES

Buy the best quality dates you can within your budget – just make sure they are seedless
and not dried.
HONEY

I use Dabur honey, which is available everywhere. If you are vegan or Jain, you can
substitute honey with maple syrup, which is available online on websites such as
Amazon.in


ALMOND POWDER AND ALMOND SLICES

I prefer buying sliced almonds from a reliable local dried fruit store or wholesaler as
these are perfectly sliced into thin strips, something that is hard to achieve at home. Use
the almond slices to make almond powder by grinding them in a good food processor.
DESICCATED COCONUT

Any quality brand from your local grocery store will do the job.
BAKING POWDER OR BAKING SODA?

I get asked this all the time and it’s really very simple. All you need to know is that they
are both leavening agents. They help release carbon dioxide when added to baked goods

which makes our pretty cupcakes and cakes rise. So use either. It doesn’t matter!
YEAST

I use dry-active yeast from a brand like Bluebird. I do not recommend using fresh yeast
since the quantities required will vary.
OLIVE OIL

I use extra virgin olive oil for all the recipes. Buy the best option available within your
budget.
NUT BUTTERS

Use the recipes to make these at home instead of buying them. Making these butters is
quick and easy
CHIA SEEDS

Chia seeds are sold at most large supermarkets and gourmet grocery stores but feel free
to substitute these with sabja seeds (also known as takmariya or falooda seeds).
AVOCADOS

Buy these from a good vendor and ask for a ripe one. If you do end up with an unripe
avocado, all you need to do is wrap it up in a sheet of newspaper for a couple of days to
hasten the ripening process.



BASICS
The butters, jams and sauces covered in this section are used as the base for
or as accompaniments to the recipes in the pages ahead. When you are
making the butters, try using a high-powered blender (preferably a food
processor) for best results. Make sure the blades of the mixer-grinder are

sharp. Blunt blades will not grind the nuts evenly and might cause the
machine to overheat. Do not work the machine for too long at a stretch. Rest
it for 2–3 minutes every few minutes. If the container gets too hot while you
are processing something or if you detect a mild smell of something burning,
switch it off and let it rest.


ALMOND BUTTER
MAKES ½ CUP
150 g almonds
1 tsp oil of choice

1. Pulse the almonds into a powder in a food processor.
2. Then, blend them for 2–3 minutes, till the mixture is oily and sticky.
3. Add ½ teaspoon oil and grind for 10–12 minutes, till pasty.
4. Take frequent breaks to prevent overheating.
5. Add another ½ teaspoon oil and grind for another 10–12 minutes, till a smooth paste
is formed.
6. Spoon into an airtight container.
7. Almond butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Since almonds are quite firm in texture, they take the longest to break
down and release all their oils. It may take up to 20 minutes to get the consistency of
butter.
COOK’S NOTE:

Per tablespoon
CALORIES (KCAL)

CARBOHYDRATES (G)


PROTEIN (G)

FAT (G)

98

1.52

3.01

9.0