See Idli recipe. South Indian cuisine is almost synonymous with idli! Idli is not only easy to make but also extremely healthy and easy to digest.

Is Idli healthy? 

Yes, but read the restriction for some. Made from parboiled rice, methi seeds and urad dal.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

Urad Dal : 1 cup of cooked urad dal gives 69.30% of folic acid of your daily requirement of folate.  The folic acid in urad dal helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Being rich in Phosphorus it works with Calcium to build our bones. See here for 10 super benefits of urad dal. 

What's the problem?

Parboiled Rice : Parboiled rice is also known as ukda chawal. The parboiled rice is made with the rice grain soaked, steamed and dried with the hull and finally the hull is removed. In the process of steaming water soluble B Vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin and niacin from the bran integrate into the grain, thus making parboiled rice superior to white rice.  

Can healthy individuals have idli?

Yes, but don't eat too many as they are high in carbs. Read on to understand. Idli is a perfect combination of urad dal and par boiled rice which make it a complete protein. A cereal pulse combo like in the case of Idli ( par boiled rice and urad dal) would serve as a complete protein comprising of all the 9 essential amino acids,

It additionally is without gluten, so if you need to go gluten free, Idli would be the best option for you. It is also a low calorie recipe, thus making it a good option for people on weight loss. Parboiled rice has more fiber than white rice making  you feel fuller and this is a better choice than junk food or fried food.When you eat idli for breakfast or lunch, make sure your remaining meals in the day contain fibre and low in carbs.  Note that idli is high in carbs so don't eat too many of them. 

Is idli safe for Diabetics?

Idli is a moderate Glycemic Index (GI) recipe and since it is fermented it is pre digested by micro organisms, thus prove not a very happy food for diabetics. But we have a idli recipe which does not use par boiled rice and safe for diabetics. Try the barley idli or green moog dal and vegetable idli. 

Barley Idli

What is a healthy accompaniment to idli?

Yes, the sambar continues to be super healthy and have lots of it or have it with coconut chutney. 

How to burn 65 calories that come from Idli?

Walking (6 kmph) = 20 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 7 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 9 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 11 mins

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