
To make healthy eating more fun and interesting, I love to share global cuisine that is Noshtopia-friendly.
My friend Amrita @Jawaani on Twitter has an Indian mother and an Afghan father. They have a beautiful story. Like many, mom had to change her diet becaue of some health issues but she didn't want to sacrifice eating the foods she's used to eating. I totally get that! I'm still fguring out how to make vegan adobo.

So, mom came up with some of the most amazing Indian and Afghan dishes that significantly cut down fat and calories from the traditional versions. She uses very little oil and uses spices as a way to really bring in the flavor. What impressed me the most was her use of turkey. What a great way to fuse in a food that is not only low in fat and cholesterol but that Americans love. And lucky me, mom and dad invited me over to eat with them and Amrita and I got to feast. So let me share what we ate.
We'll use the overview picture at the top, and in Part I, I'll tell you about the first three dishes, and then tomorrow in Part II, we'll go over the last three dishes. It's so good!
At the top in the small dish going clockwise is Daal an Indian dish made with split pea lentils. It's vegan and gluten-free. A better close up view of the Daal is coming up in the potsticker dish.
Next is Banjan Borani an Afghan dish which is sauteed Eggplant with tomato and onion topped with an organic homemade natural yogurt, garlic paste and dried mint leaves. Mom makes her own yogurt at home. How cool is that.

Mom made a plate for me without the yogurt because of my dairy allergy. So nice! Without the yogurt, this eggplant dish is vegan and gluten-free.

This is Mantoo another Afghan dish which is stuffed steamed pot stickers filled with ground turkey and onions, topped with the Indian Daal of split plea lentils and organic cilantro. I've never had turkey potstickers before and the use of turkey is truly awesome.

Tomorrow in Part II, we have stuffed flatbread, Afghan rice, and turkey kabab!