Magical health benefits of Indian Food

There is no doubt in the fact that we Indians love to eat. Also every state has its own authentic flavour. Who doesn’t like extra ‘butter maarke’ Punjabi dishes or ‘idli-dosa-sambhar’ of south-indian cuisine. Not to forget the soft fluffy famous ‘dhoklas’ of Gujarat or ‘mishti-doi, rasgulla’ of Bengal. I bet your tummy is growling right now and your mouth is watery. What if I said that you could enjoy these and still won’t be breaking the ‘Healthy Food’ routine? Wouldn’t that be just great and yummy?

 In today’s fast changing world our eating habits are changing drastically. From homemade sabzi-roti we jumped to ready-to-eat food packs. Today, we are doing everything that would reduce our time. But these readily available foods lack the nutrients essential for our body to function properly. Our body requires certain levels of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Most of the Indian dishes prepared are healthy and full of nutrients, let’s have a look at a few of them:

Dhokla:

The very famous Gujarati dish is prepared from fermented batter of rice and chickpeas split. Being prepared from dal increases its protein and fibre levels. Moreover it is steamed and not fried, hence low on oil.

Idli:

the daily South Indian breakfast is another dish prepared from fermented rice and is steamed. It is a rich source of carbs and proteins. They are low in fat and are easily digestible.

Paneer:

Paneer is a milk product and thus rich in proteins and calcium.

 Pulses or Dal:

they are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Especially, moong dal which is low in fat content.

 Roti or Chapatti:

they are the staples of north indian cuisine. traditionally, the flour used to make rotis was made of wheat, but no-a-days we do get multigrain flours too. These include wheat, jowar, bajra and barley. These are rich in fibre and carbohydrates.

Curd/yogurt:

it is a milk product made from fermented milk and certain bacteria. Yogurt helps in digestion.

Spices not only give Indian food their necessary taste element, but also contain magical properties. 

For example, Turmericis known to reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure. Also it increases proper blood circulation and prevents blood clots.
Chilly: Indian dishes are known for their spiciness, no wonder chillies play a vital role. Chillies are a very good herb to burn fat. They contain a special ingredient called capsaicin that helps in improving metabolism and burn fat fast.
Curry leaves: Curry leaves reduce weight. They wash out all toxins and fats from your body. The fat deposits in your body starts cutting down gradually with the daily intake of curry leaves.
Garlic: Garlic possesses some anti-bacterial properties that reduce cholesterol and fat.

So here we are. Indian food not just provides us with tasty and at the same time healthy food, they also keep the balance through the intake of spices.

– Harshali Amin