See Nutritious Idlis recipe. A variant of the popular South Indian idli, which is a perfect example of a complete protein combination, with the right proportions of cereal (rice) and pulse (moong dal).

Is Nutritious Moong Dal Idlis healthy? 

Yes and no, depends who is eating it. Made from rice and green moong dal. 

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

Moong Dal ( Green Moong Dal ) : Moong dal or green moong dal  is rich in Folate, Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially  red blood cells and is pregnancy friendly. Being rich in Antioxidants like Flavonoids, mung reduces the damage done by free radicals to the blood vessels and lowers inflammation. Moong Dal is heart and diabetes friendly. Moong Dal or Split Green Gram are high in Fibre and 1 cup of cooked Moong dal gives 28.52% of your daily Fibre requirements. See here for 9 fabulous benefits of Moong Dal.

What's the problem?

Rice : Here are the pros for rice. Rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which is an important source of energy for our body. Rice is low in fibre and therefore a good option for people suffering from diarrhoea. What's not good in rice. Foods like rice are high in Glycemic index are not suitable for weight loss, heart patients,  diabetics as they affect the blood sugar control levels. See details of is white rice and parboiled rice good for you?

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Moong Dal Idli ?

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 green moog dal and vegetable idli.

Can healthy individuals have Moong Dal Idli?

Yes, but don't eat too many as they are high in carbs. Read on to understand. Idli is a perfect combination of moong dal and  rice which make it a complete protein. A cereal pulse combo like in the case of Idli (  rice and moong dal 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. 

How to burn 41 calories that come from Nutritious Idlis?

Walking (6 kmph) = 12 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 4 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 5 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 7 mins

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