Click here to view. Basic White Gravy recipes. White gravy, this curd-based gravy is prominent in North Indian cuisine.

It is white to off-white in colour and bland in taste compared to other gravies. It is made richer and creamier with the extensive use of cashewnuts and cream.

Is Basic White Gravy healthy?

Yes, this is healthy. But restrictions apply to some.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Onions (pyaz, kanda) :  Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin in Onions promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. The sulphur in onions act as a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting too. This in turn would lower blood pressure and good for heart,  diabetics. Read the benefits of onions. 

2. Cashew Nuts (kaju) : In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pinenuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and good for heart. They are a healthy snack for Diabetics. Dietary intakes of cashew and other foods rich in magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure. See 9 amazing benefits of cashew nuts for complete details. 

3. Garlic : Garlic has been proven to lower cholesterol. The active ingredient allicin present in garlic aids in lowering blood pressure. Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood glucose levels for diabetics. Garlic is great for the heart and circulatory system. Garlic has an antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal function and can help in relieving common cold and other infections. The thiosulphate compound, Allicin found in garlic acts as a strong antioxidant and protects our body from damage of free radicals.  Read here for complete benefits of garlic. 

4. Curd + Low fat Curds :  Curds help in digestion as it has very good bacteria. Probiotics in curds acts as a mild laxative but, in case of diarrhoea and dysentery, it is a boon, if curd is used with rice.They help in weight reduction, good for your heart and build immunity. The only difference between curds and low fat curds is the fat level. Read the benefits of curds to include in your daily diet. 

What's the problem?

1. Vegetable Oils : To some vegetable oil is only soyabean oil, while some promote it as a mix of oils like soyabean, canola, sunflower, corn and other omega-6 rich oils. These are often cheaper options than many oils, but they are highly processed oils. They are undoubtedly not to be reached out for, whether you are looking for salad dressings, sautéing or cooking.  The 5 best oils used in cooking are olive oil (low temperature short time cooking), avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil and peanut oil. You must read the super article to find the facts of  which oil is the healthiest avoid vegetable oil. 

2.  Fresh Cream : 1 tbsp of fresh cream (15 gm) provides around 18 calories, out of which 16 calories result from saturated fat. Till late, saturated fat was always looked upon as that evil fat which would lead to high cholesterol levels and strokes. Offhand, studies have revealed no such association. So, the next question that arises is “Are saturated fats healthy then?” What’s more important is to look at your diet in totality. Fats, in reality, will keep you full for long time and avoid bingeing and weight gain. And yes, the body for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K, needs some amounts of fat. 

Moreover, this cream cuts down on bitterness of the coffee, so you won’t add any sugar to your coffee. Addition of sugar will anyways cause more harm to your body. If you have refined sugar, then your body has to produce insulin to digest it and this sugar has a high glycemic index so it is used up quickly in the body. This will be followed by feeling hungry more easily. 

You can add about a tsp of fresh cream once in a while to your meals to enhance the taste. Try and not to add it in bulk frequently. This holds true for a healthy individual or for those suffering from diabetes, heart problem etc. Remember that with any kind of diet to stay fit and healthy, you need to chalk a good exercise plan and follow it too on a daily basis. 

Yet looking for a healthier option? Then, rely on healthier type of saturated fats, which contain MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides), which is the real buzz currently. Coconut, coconut meat, coconut oil and coconut milk are the perfect example of this.

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Basic White Gravy?

Yes, this recipe is good for diabetics, heart and weight loss BUT in small amounts for diabetics. This is mainly an onion based gravy curds and cashew nuts. Raw onions are a very valuable source of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness.

Can healthy individuals have Basic White Gravy?

Yes. In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pinenuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and good for heart.

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss. 

Basic White Gravy is high in

1. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body. 

2. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

3. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

4. Calcium : Calcium  is a mineral that makes bones stay strong. Required from kids to adults.

5. Magnesium : Magnesium is required for formation of bones and teeth. helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium.

6. Phosphorous : Phosphorous works closely with calcium to build bones. 

7. Zinc : Zinc  is involved in collagen synthesis and this helps repair skin and helps build immunity. 

 Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 680 calories that come from Basic White Gravy?

Walking (6 kmph) = 3 hrs 24 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 1 hr 8 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 1 hr 31 mins               

Swimming (2 kmph) = 1 hr 57 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.