Hot parathas, loaded with ghee and topped with dollops of butter, are a feast! They are delicious, fulfilling, and a staple breakfast for many. However, due to their excess oil (or ghee) and carbs, parathas can often make you feel heavy on the stomach, especially during the summer season. This can lead to indigestion, bloating and bowel issues. As a result, many people tend to avoid their favourite breakfast platter during this time of the year. But now, you don't have to! In this article, we will guide you through some genius hacks that will help you make parathas summer-friendly and light on your stomach. Sound fun? Check out these tips and make delicious parathas without worrying about the rising temperature outside.
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Why Are Parathas Considered Bad During Summer?
A quintessential Punjabi paratha is made of maida, along with spices and stuffing of your choice. It is then cooked in ghee and served with white butter (makhhan), achar, and dahi. Undoubtedly, the platter tastes delicious, but it can also create an imbalance in your body. How, you ask? Maida is high in carbs, and the excess ghee and butter make it hard to digest. This may lead to weight gain and gastric issues, and make you feel lethargic throughout the day. Moreover, consuming excess butter and ghee may reduce your desire to drink water, which can further affect the water balance in your body, leading to dehydration.
How To Make Parathas Healthy For Summer?
To put it simply, the easiest way to make parathas summer-friendly is by replacing ingredients and changing the cooking and serving style. Here are a few changes you can make to your paratha recipe to make it perfect for the summer season. Read on.
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Here Are 5 Easy Ways To Make Parathas Healthier:
1. Replace maida with atta:
We use atta to make our everyday rotis. Atta is not only affordable but also provides several essential nutrients to maintain a healthy diet regime. If you replace maida in your paratha with atta, the meal not only becomes healthy but also adds a cooling effect to your gut. That's right! Atta is cooling in nature, making it a perfect ingredient to consume during the season.
2. Add seasonal vegetables as stuffing:
Instead of the traditional aloo and gobhi, try to get creative and prepare your paratha stuffing with summer vegetables. This will not only make the dish seasonal but also add essential nutrients to your diet.
3. Use less ghee while cooking:
We agree that ghee includes several healthy nutrients that nourish us from within. Ghee, even during the summers, helps keep your body cool and moisturizes your skin naturally. But did you know that consuming excess ghee might have the opposite effect on your health? Ghee is high in saturated fats, which, if not digested properly, may lead to increased bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and affect heart health. This is why we suggest cooking your parathas in less ghee and on low flame to make them healthy for consumption.
4. Avoid having dollops of butter:
Parathas with butter are a match made in heaven. However, this combination can also be detrimental if not eaten consciously. Butter is loaded with fats and fibre that make you feel full for a long time. This can make you feel less thirsty, and as a result, you end up drinking less water throughout the day. The consequences are well-known to all of us: dehydration, indigestion, bloating, and unhealthy hair and skin. Be mindful of your butter consumption.
5. Control portion size:
We love parathas and often end up overeating them, which can result in feelings of bloating and discomfort. Hence, it is always better to enjoy your meal in moderation to savour it fully without any side effects.
Should We Pair Dahi or Raita with Paratha?
Many of you add a bowl of dahi, raita, or lassi to your paratha platter, thinking that it might help you digest the parathas. But to your surprise, it has the exact opposite effect on your health. Dahi, when paired with oily parathas, slows down the digestion process and makes you feel lethargic and bloated. Therefore, we suggest replacing dahi with achar to make your paratha healthier and tastier.
Happy Summers, everyone!