Indian chef creates 'world's healthiest meal'

An Indian chef claims to have created the "world's healthiest meal" - a curry and rice that can help fight diseases like cancer and dementia. According to 32-year-old chef Gurpareet Bains, the chicken and blueberry curry with goji berry pilau rice is full of natural healthy "superfoods" that fight off cancer and even diseases like Alzheimer's.

In fact, the spicy meal fights off the carcinogenic cells while other traditional ingredients like ginger, chilli, turmeric and garlic, are known for their antibacterial and antiviral properties, he said.

Each serving contains the nutritional equivalent of 49 helpings of spinach, 23 bunches of grapes or nine portions of broccoli, the British media reported. "It has long been known that some foods including spices and fruits have exceptional health benefits. Combining these two genres of foodstuffs seemed logical in any quest to find the 'world's healthiest meal'. "The curry I have created is brimming with health-beneficial ingredients that could if eaten regularly deal a devastating blow to many diseases," Bains was quoted as saying.

Bains, a nutritionist and former head chef who lives in Bedford, spent almost two years perfecting the recipe. Ingredients include blueberries, which have been linked with protecting against cancer and guarding the brain against the sticky protein that clogs brain in Alzheimer's. The pilau rice is flavoured with goji berries -- a Himalayan 'superfood' bursting with vitamins A and C and iron. Spices have anti-bacterial and antiviral properties and turmeric is said to help keep hearts, brains and joints healthy. Chilli can help relieve pain. Chicken was chosen because it is low in fat and has wide appeal, he said.

"Blueberries and goji berries add a lot of superfood value but the spices are muscling in too. The dish proves that curry does not have to mean greasy, fatty, unhealthy food.

"This curry is all about health, taste and budget. It can be thrown together for about 2.50 pounds per person, and the health benefits it offers are outstanding," said Bains, whose curry will be featured in a new book of Indian superfood recipes out next year.