For breakfast, we all love to have South Indian dishes like idlis and dosas. But these are high in carbs, since they are usually made from rice or suji. Excess of carbs may result in weight gain and other health problems, so it is important to limit carb intake in one’s diet. In fact, there is a lot of push these days to replace these grains with multiple and healthier grain such as ragi, jowar and oats, as they are rich in various essential macro and micro nutrients. Including these grains in daily diet reduces chances of various non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cancer. Through this blog we aim to add a healthy breakfast recipe to your diet which has the richness of multiple grains and pulses, is light and easy to make, and will give you the right kick to start your day. Try replacing your regular idlis with these healthy Panchratna Idlis for your next breakfast and we are sure you would love this change.
Do you know?
Cereal and pulse combination enhances your overall protein intake. Amino acids are the building block of proteins. Pulses are deficient in one of the amino acids (methionine) but rich in another amino acid (lysine), whereas, cereals have high methionine and low lysine content. Thus, the combination of cereal-pulse is needed to ensure that the body gets the required protein from these sources.
Ingredients:
½ katori powdered oats
½ katori ragi flour (finger millet)
½ katori jowar flour (sorghum)
½ katori suji (semolina)
¼ katori moong dal
½ katori curd
¾ cup water
1 tsp salt (can be adjusted as per taste)
1.5 tsp eno or 3/4th tsp baking soda
1 tsp oil or ghee
Serving: 15 idlis
Calorific Value (per idli):
Energy: 64 kcal
Protein: 2.5 gm
Carbs: 12.05 gm
Fats: 1 gm
Fibre: 2 gm
Method:
In this recipe, complete the following preparation steps in parallel:
(a) Making dal paste (soaking of moong dal for 40-45 minutes so that it can be
grinded to a smooth paste); and
(b) Fermenting grain powders (mixing of all the grain flours together and fermenting
them with curd for 45-50 minutes).
Steps to make dal paste:
1. Wash moong dal properly and soak it in one cup of water for 45-50 minutes.
2. Drain out the water in which dal was soaked.
3. Put soaked dal in a grinder and add little water to make a smooth paste of flowing
consistency.
Steps to ferment grain powders using curd:
1. Mix ragi flour, jowar flour, powdered oats and suji together.
2. Heat a pan and once heated, put flour mixture in it as shown in the picture below.
3. Dry roast flour mixture on a low flame for 4-5 minutes till it slightly change colour
and starts emitting a nice smell.
4. Let this mixture rest for few minutes so that it cools down.
5. Transfer this mixture in a bowl and add curd.
6. Add some water and mix the mixture so that you get a batter of thick consistency
as shown in the picture below. Once you reach this stage do not add further water
(Note: Do not add too much water at this stage; later when we add dal paste
water can be adjusted to get a batter of smooth consistency).
7. Cover the bowl with a plate and let it rest for 45- 50 minutes.
Steps to make idli batter:
1. Add dal paste to the grains flour batter as shown in the picture below.
2. Mix them properly and if required add more water to get a batter of smooth
consistency as shown in the picture below.
Steps to prepare idli:
Your batter is almost ready; we just need to add salt and eno/baking soda to get the final batter. To get soft idlis, it is very important that after you add eno/baking soda you immediately transfer the batter to idli moulds and place them for steaming.
Follow these steps in the same sequence to get soft idlis:
1. Take your idli steamer and add half cup of water in it.
2. Close your idli steamer and put it on medium flame so that steam is produced
inside.
3. Take your idli moulds and grease them with oil/ghee.
4. Add salt to the batter and mix it well.
5. Finally, add eno/ baking soda with a few drops of water and whisk your batter
well. The moment you mix eno/ baking soda your batter will become bubbly and
fluffy.
6. With the help of a round spoon (karchhi), pour the batter to the greased idli
moulds.
7. Insert your moulds in the idli stand and place it inside the steamer. Be careful at
this stage as the steamer will be hot and will be emitting steam.
8. Close your steamer and let idlis get steam cooked for 10-15 minutes.
9. Check if the idlis are done by inserting a toothpick. If it does not come out clean,
then keep again for a few more minutes. When done, remove the idli mould from
the cooker. Don’t overcook as then they may become dry.
10. Remove idlis from the mould using the back (unsharpened) side of a knife.
Your Panchratna Idlis are ready! Serve them with coconut chutney.
Health benefits of Some Major Ingredients:
Ragi
Ragi is a millet which is packed with all the essential macronutrients - carbohydrates, fibers, fats and proteins, along with noteworthy levels of key micronutrients - vitamins and minerals. Ragi is a rich source of calcium which is required for health bones and teeth. In addition, ragi contains considerable quantities of vitamins C and E, to boost immunity, and skin and hair health.
Jowar
Jowar is a gluten-free millet which is packed with many health benefits. Compared to other cereal grains like barley or rice, jowar contains higher amount of dietary fibres and thus helps in digestion and reducing weight. Compared to wheat, jowar has low a low glycemic index, and it therefore takes more time to release glucose into the blood. This helps prevent spikes in blood sugar levels and reduces chances of diabetes. Jowar contains B vitamins, which help the body build new tissues and cells, as well as potassium and phosphorous. Additionally, jowar contains traces of zinc, copper and over 20 micronutrients as well as high levels of antioxidants. It also contains high levels of magnesium, and thus helps maintain calcium levels in the body (magnesium increases calcium absorption). It also has iron and protein in good amount.
Oats
Oats are one of the healthiest grains. Oats are a gluten-free whole grain rich in carbohydrates and fiber, but also higher in protein and fat than most other grains. They are high in many vitamins and minerals, and contain many powerful antioxidants. Oats are high in the soluble fiber beta-glucan, which has numerous benefits. It helps reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, promotes healthy gut bacteria and increases feelings of fullness, hence helping in weight reduction.
Pulses
Pulses are a great source of plant-based protein and fibre. In fact, pulses are made up of over 25%-30% protein, which makes them excellent sources of proteins for vegetarians. They are also good source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.