Dharitri Ganguly
Idlis are a staple in Indian homes, but it is a little too carbohydrate forward as it uses more rice as compared to lentils. And just with a dip a chutney, the nutrition remains incomplete too. Here are five things that you my do to make it healthier and a complete meal.
Switch the ingredients
Instead of regular urad dal, use black gram (black urad dal) which is a nutrient powerhouse. Rich in protein, fibre, minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, and folate, people with diabetes too can consume this as this is low on glycemic index. One can also choose to replace regular rice with millets or oats.
Adding veggies to your batter
Once you have blended your batter and fermented it overnight, add chopped veggies like carrot, beans, capsicum, beetroot and even broccoli to the same and steam it. If you have picky-eaters at home who detest the sight of veggies, you can even puree 1-2 kinds of vegetables before adding it to the batter. It will not just increase the nutrition quotient of your idli, bu lso make it super flling, and apt for a long day.
Pair it with a vegetable sambhar
You can easily make your Idlis heathier by having it not just with chutneys but also with a side of vegetable sambhar. Dunk it in, or mash the idli in sambhar, or in any other way that you like, this would be an interesting inclusion.
Skip adding sugar to the coconut chutney
Last, but not the least, do not add sugar to your coconut chutney. Coconut has it's own sweetness, and it is pretty easy to retain that sweetness and balance the flavours while making a chutney.
Add that extra punch with a side of protein
If you are a non-vegetarian, add a side of eggs or a grilled chicken breast to your meal for that added protein punch. You can also swap your chutney or samphar with a chicken curry of your choice. You also also add a fruit of your choice, but make sure that is low on sugar and calories.