Indian Staple Food & Health Facts

Indian food is delicious, rich in texture and it pampers your taste buds like never before. Indian food when cooked consciously using healthy cooking methods and minimal oil could be one of the most nutritious and healthiest cuisines. You could try out the tasty and healthy Indian food in one of the good Indian restaurants in Melbourne. Here are some of the staple Indian food and let us explore how healthy they are in reality.

Roti: Generally roti is made from wheat flour. Chefs are coming up with healthier recipes. Rotis should ideally contain a wonderful mix of black gram, soybean and a little portion of bran. These should be taken in equal ratios and grounded together into smooth flour. Roti is a good source of energy and offers carbohydrate. A medium-sized roti that is 25 grams in weight would be around 60 calories.

White Rice: White Rice is actually a polished brown rice that is known to have the cover intact. Generally speaking, brown rice is way better from the health perspective as it contains carbohydrates plus fibre. White rice, however, is supposed to be a nice source of fibre and energy. Remember that white rice weighing 200 grams would be containing approximately 420 calories.

Curries: The Indian curry though tastes great has often been criticised for using plenty of oil. But the new generation chefs are preparing Indian food using minimum oil and they are smartly cutting down the use of excessive oil, replacing fresh cream with healthy ingredients such as curd and coconut milk. All reputed Indian restaurants in Melbourne serve delicious but healthy Indian food without any use of unhealthy ingredients. Most spices are roasted or blended for the distinctive flavours. Enjoy Indian curries without any guilt pangs anymore.

Curd: Curd is actually a dairy product. Milk is fermented using certain bacteria. Today curd is made from the healthy toned milk that contains less fat. Curd or yogurt is really great for your digestive system simply because the bacteria present in them help in improving digestion. 250 grams of yogurt that is made from fresh toned milk would be around 150 calories. It is supposed to be a wonderful source of calcium, proteins, and carbohydrates. When you go to any Indian restaurant, you could order some raita made from curd while having biryani or you could enjoy the yummy dahi vadas or dahi puchkas or papri chaats that are drizzled with smooth and whipped yogurt.

Lentils: The dal is an authentic Indian dish that is enjoyed with rice or roti alike. The pulses contain protein including amino acids, lysine, and isoleucine. They are known to contain folate, dietary fibre, vitamin B1 and even minerals like iron.  Lentils are great for the proper functioning of the human body. They regulate the blood cholesterol, as well as, the blood sugar levels. Enjoy the authentic Punjabi delicacy kali dal or dal makhni when you order Indian food in any reputed restaurant in Melbourne.

Paneer: This is a dairy product and is prepared by curdling up the milk. Use paneer made from toned milk if you are a fitness freak. Children could enjoy paneer made from full cream milk. Paneer is supposed to be rich in proteins. It is a good source of calcium. Regular consumption of paneer helps in building strong bones and teeth and prevents osteoporosis. Paneer could be included in your diet as it promotes weight loss. Order some delicious and super-healthy palak paneer. You could enjoy some paneer tikka that is not only mouth-watering but also great for maintaining fitness and good health.