Ghee-less biryani steals the show at food fest

Thiruvananthapuram: Can biryani be healthy? Students of the department of home science at the Government College for Women vouch for it. The ‘pothi biryani’ prepared by them was one of the highlights of the World Food Day event held at the college on Wednesday.
‘Pothi biryani’ is prepared with normal ingredients but the only difference is that ghee is not all used. Only a dash of oil is used, said Mini Joseph, faculty, department of home science, the Government College for Women.
Various items such as ‘chaat’, ‘bhel puri’, carrot halwa, cupcakes, lime juice-laced with carrot/beetroot/ginger/mint, ‘sulaimanis’, pickled-local vegetables, all made with low fat and low sugar, were the highlight of the food fest held at the college.
Several other educational institutions and organisations in the city too conducted events to mark the Food Day, where healthy food habit was seriously debated.
In the Kerala Agriculture University, department of Community Science organised a cookery contest for students in two categories: Healthy Plate and Nutritious Snack. Under Healthy Plate, the contestants had to prepare nutritionally-balanced lunch, suitable for college-going students. Under the second category, they were asked to make a healthy snack. Rainbow salad, rice flakes peanut laddu, tapioca noodles, raw papaya ‘kinnathappam’ were some of the major items prepared by the students. Chief scientific officer of state nutrition bureau Thara Kumari delivered a talk on healthy eating habits at KAU.
The NSS unit of the University College and Earth Foundation organised a celebration under the title ‘Kozhukatta’ at Manaveeyam Veedhi. Traditional food items such as ‘Kozhukatta’, ‘Ilayappam’, ‘Avil’ were among the major attractions at the exhibition. Students of LBS Poojappura launched a programme to distribute free lunch to bystanders of RCC patients to mark the Food Day.
At the Government LP School Chenkottukonam, various healthy foods and snacks were exhibited in banana leaves. Students got a chance to taste various items such as sprouts and yam, among others.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who inaugurated the World Food Day celebrations of the department of women and child development said the future of world depends on the health and welfare of children and that healthy eating must be a priority. The governor also inaugurated the valedictory programme for ‘Poshan Abhiyan’, a government mission to ensure nutrition for children, women and pregnant mothers in impoverished areas.
Health minister K K Shailaja said the state needs to focus more on health issues and stressed the need to promoting safe and nutritious food.