Chana dal is made of Bengal gram, with the addition of several other ingredients. It is an inevitable part of the main course meals in many Indian households. People also prefer this food due to the presence of numerous healthy nutrients in the yellow split seeds of gram or chickpea.
Chickpea is a variety of pulse that is widely cultivated and sold all over India and other Asian countries. This legume is also known as Bengal gram in this region, apart from many other names used across the world. Indians use it to cook delicious cuisines, with the additions of many spices and other ingredients. Chana Dal is quite a common cuisine all over North and Eastern India, as it is boiled in water with all required spices to form this tasty dish.
Various health benefits of Indian Chana dal recipe
- Bengal gram or chana is known to have many essential minerals, for which it provides lots of energy when consumed in cooked state. Moreover, a large number of calories is available from chana dal recipe, making a person more energetic as these calories are released in his body system. This food also contains some forms of Vitamin B that help in glucose metabolism within the blood, resulting in producing energy.
- Chana or gram is an excellent source of protein and vegetarian people can fulfil their necessity of daily protein intake through a serving of chana dal. Greater protein intake is essential for children and aged people, as protein helps in making bones and muscles of a human body stronger and also repairs wounds faster by the formation of new cells. The protein content is not at all damaged even after prolonged boiling in chana dal cooking technique.
- Since the glycaemic index of Bengal gram is comparatively much lower than many other food materials, it can be safely included in the diet of diabetic patients. The nominal amount of carbohydrate present in this legume breaks down into glucose very slowly, due to the action of fibres present in this food. It also stimulates the pancreas to secrete more insulin for combating the high glucose level naturally. Thus, there is no risk of an increase in blood sugar level after consuming chana dal in all the meals.
- Chana dal has almost no fat content and it is cooked with the minimum use of oil. Thus, the cholesterol level of the body cannot shot up due to this healthy chana dal preparation method. Thus, this food is also ideal for patients suffering from high blood pressure and helps in keeping the blood pressure level in control.
Therefore, chana dal can be given to cardiac patients as well, as no harm is ever reported after consuming this delectable dish.
This author is interested in writing on different kinds of Indian foods. Hence, he has shared his insight about the health benefits of chana dal recipe, which is a favorite of many Indians.