Botanically named as Peucedanum graveolens, locally it has many other names in India - Sowa in Bengali, Suva ni Bhaji in Gujarati, Shepu in Marathi, Sathakuppai in Tamil and Sabsige in Kannada. It has significant amount of vitamin A, vitamin C and iron along with trace amounts of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins. These essential nutrients play a key role in maintaining overall health. Dill seeds have been used since ages to boost digestion and relieve flatulence, while the leaves are used are various medicinal purposes.
5 Health Benefits of Suva Bhaji (Dill Leaves)
Now that you are well versed about each nutrient that suva bhaji lends us, let’s check out how they help us individually.
1. Dill Leaves Exhibit Antioxidant Property: Antioxidants are the substances that help in removing the potentially harmful substances called “free radicals” from our body. They prevent or stop cell damage in your body and thus lowers the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. They are also a good way of flushing out toxins from our body. Dill leaves are rich in antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin C. A cup of chopped leaves fulfil 42.5% of day’s vitamin C and 29.9% of day’s vitamin A requirement. Experiment with Suva Palak Methi Subzi for a complete antioxidant boost.
Suva Palak Methi Subzi
2. Dill Leaves Maintain Bone Health: Osteoporosis is a disease which affects many people as they age. Protein and calcium are the twin pillars to keep the bones healthy. While protein and calcium can be sourced from sprouts, dals, pulses and dairy foods, we also get calcium from cereals like ragi, nuts like almonds and walnuts, seeds like sesame seeds and fruits and vegetables like broccoli, avocado and of course dill leaves too. So don’t forget to add suva bhaji to your list of calcium rich foods. Further to enhance calcium absorption, pair it with a source of vitamin C rich food. Out specially crafted recipes Suva Paneer Dip.
Suva Paneer Dip
You can also try Dill and Cucumber Raita suit this purpose perfectly. The Dill and Cucumber Raita is an unusual accompaniment to your meal, one that is sure to tantalize your taste buds. A simple tempering and addition of spice powders like cumin or chilli powder are common touches that you expect in any raita.
Dill and Cucumber Raita, Suva and Kakdi Raita
3. Boost Immunity: Our body needs to build white blood cells (WBC) to strengthen our immune system. Suva bhaji with its loads of vitamin C helps us achieve this goal. It enhances the body’s anti-microbial activity and helps fight infections. To benefit from its vitamin C the fullest, freshly chop the leaves and use them immediately. Also try and minimize the cooking time as vitamin C is highly volatile and is lost to some extent on exposure to air and heat. The heartiest way is to use them salad like Bean Sprouts and Suva tossed Salad, which makes a quick satiating snack by itself.
bean sprouts dill salad recipe | bean sprouts and suva tossed salad | healthy bean sprouts with dill salad
4. Support Weight Loss: A cup of suva bhaji has just 7 calories which barely adds on to your daily calorie count. Similarly it adds only 1 g of carb. Experiment with suva bhaji to not add calories but taste and flavour to your meals. Try our tested recipes like Suva Moong Dal.
Suva Moong Dal
You can also try Suva Buckwheat Roti. Mouth-wateringly tasty buckwheat rotis flavoured with aromatic dill leaves, this recipe is a delightful treat for your palate and your stomach.
Suva Buckwheat Roti
5. Dill Leaves Improve Vision: Suva bhaji is also a valuable source of Vitamin A has a major role to play in visual cycle. Try and include suva bhaji at least twice a week to boost your vitamin A levels and improve vision. We have specially designed a healthy vitamin A rich subzi for you – Moong Dal and Suva Bhaji, which has chopped tomatoes as an additional source of vitamin A and antioxidant Lycopene.
Moong Dal and Suva Subzi
Gujarati Suva Kadhi is another nourishing way to make up for your vitamin A and calcium needs. Do try it!
Gujarati Suva Kadhi
Let’s go through and understand nutrient profile of suva bhaji to begin with.
Nutritive Information for Suva Bhaji (Dill leaves):
1 Cup of chopped dill leaves is about 20 grams
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Energy - 7 calories
Protein – 0.6 g
Carbohydrate – 1 g
Fat – 0.1 g
Fiber – 0.2 g
See full nutritional details of dill leaves in Dill leaves (Shepu, Suva) glossary click here.