Click here to view Low Calorie Dal Makhani recipe. Dal makhani, a flavourful robust lentil preparation, is a celebrated delicacy from punjab. Rajma and whole urad provide protein and calcium which are extremely important for maintenance of your body cells and healthy bones. Cooking the dal in tomato purée adds a little sharpness to this dish and also enriches it with folic acid and vitamin a. Try this dal with methi makai ki roti, to make a satisfying low fat meal.

Is Low Calorie Dal Makhani healthy?

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

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. 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, high in fibre and good for heart, good for lowering cholesterol and good for diabetes. See here for 10 super benefits of urad dal. 

2. Onions : Yes, its a great antioxidant. The phytochemical present in onions along with their Vitamin C help boost your immunity. The chromium in onions help regulate your blood pressure. The sulphur in the onion which brings you tears is actually good for your eyes. Raw onions keep your heart healthy and see here for total benefits of onions. 

3. Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend and are rich in Folate or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.   

4. Milk and Low Fat Milk : 1 cup of milk provides 70% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium. Milk promotes strong bones. Milk low in carbs and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels. One cup of Milk gives 10 grams of carbs. Low fat milk has lower fat and the same benefits of milk. 

5. Rajma : One cup of cooked kidney beans has 26.2% of your daily Magnesium requirements. Rajma is a complex carb and rich in Fibre which helps in Lowering Cholesterol levels. Rajma is rich in Potassium which is critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating rajma is good for diabetics due to being a  fiber rich food. See here for 10 health benefits of rajma and why you should eat it.

6. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Low Calorie Dal Makhani ?

Yes, this recipe is good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. There is no cream or full fat milk used in this recipe. Urad dal is rich in Phosphorus it works with Calcium to build our bones, high in fibre and good for heart, good for lowering cholesterol and good for diabetes.

What is a healthy accompaniment to the dal? 

We suggest a bajra roti, jowar roti, radish nachni roti recipe , basic ragi roti recipe, and whole wheat roti to make a healthy combination.

Basic Ragi Roti, Nachni Roti

Low Calorie Dal Makhani is good for

1. Healthy Recipes Lifestyle

2. Weight Loss Dals

3. Diabetics with heart issues

4. Healthy Heart Dals

5. Weight loss after Pregnancy

6. Kids

7. Cold and cough

8. Diabetic Dals

9. Pregnancy First Trimester

Can healthy individuals have Low Calorie Dal Makhani?

Yes, this is a healthy recipe. 

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.

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover.

Low Calorie Dal Makhani  are rich in below macronutrients, vitamins and minerals given in descending order (highest to lowest). 

1. Folic Acid (Vitamin B9): Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy. Folic acid rich Indian foods (kabuli chana, chana dal, yellow moong dal, urad dal, tooval dal, til ) 42% of RDA.
2. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds. Have citrus fruits, lemons, vegetables ( capsicum, broccoli, cabbage). 35% of RDA.
3. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 20% of RDA.
4. Phosphorus : Phosphorous works closely with calcium to build bones. 15% of RDA.
5. Magnesium : Magnesium is required for formation of bones and teeth. It helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium. % of RDA. magnesium rich Indian foods like leafy vegetables (palak, broccoli, kale), pulses ( rajma, chawli, moong ), nuts (walnuts, almonds) , cereals ( jowar, bajra, whole wheat flour, dalia). 13% of RDA.
6. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body. Have protein rich Indian foods like paneer, curd, Greek yoghurt, tofu, almonds, sprouts, chana, rajma, chick peas, quinoa, buckwheat ). 10% of RDA.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 10% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 100 calories that come from one serving Low Calorie Dal Makhani?

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