Which idli is more beneficial, rice or semolina?Image Credit source: getty image
Idli and Sambar of South India is a tasty and healthy food combination, because while Idli is a steam food, many types of vegetables including Moringa beans are mixed in Sambar and very less oil is used. Idli batter is also formatted, hence it becomes a probiotic food. For this reason, besides being rich in nutrients, Idli is also very good for your gut health. Traditionally idli is made by soaking rice or preparing a batter from its flour, but people also make it with semolina and flour of many different types of grains. At present, most of the people eat mostly semolina idli apart from rice. In such a situation, you will know whether it is best to eat semolina idli for snacks or breakfast or whether rice idli will be better.
People consume Idli in their daily routine without any guilt because there is very little use of oil in it. This traditional dish of South India has become very popular all over the country and now people have started making it with a twist as well. Traditionally, rice is soaked and ground and then idli batter is formatted to make idli. At the same time, making idli from semolina is easier because there is no hassle of grinding it. For now let us find out which Idli made from rice or semolina is more beneficial.
Learn from experts
Payal, senior dietician, Dharamshila Narayana Hospital, Delhi, says that idli made of semolina or rice is beneficial for your health, because it does not contain oil and is a light food to digest, but she says that idli made of semolina is a little more beneficial than rice. Actually, more fiber is found in semolina which is good for your digestion. Apart from this, semolina is low in carbs and calories and its idli makes the stomach feel full for a long time, which helps in weight loss. Experts say that if we talk about rice idli, it has more carbohydrates, due to which you can get instant energy after eating idli made from it, but due to low fiber, fiber is less and simple carbs can increase blood sugar. For this reason it is considered less beneficial.
Nutrients of Semolina (Rava)
Most people do not know what semolina is made from. Actually, it is also made from wheat, but Durum Wheat is used for it. To grind these wheat, separate machines are used which instead of grinding the wheat directly, breaks it into fine pieces. Talking about its nutrients, according to Web MD, many other nutrients including protein, dietary fiber, iron, folate are also found in semolina.
rice nutrients
According to the data given in Health Line, many nutrients including protein, manganese, selenium, niacin, iron copper, magnesium are found in rice, but the amount of nutrients can be more or less in different types of rice. The amount of nutrients also depends on the quality of the rice.
Make rice idli healthy
If you like rice idli more than semolina, then you can make it healthy also. Like carrots, peas, beans, grind them finely and add them. These vegetables will not only increase the taste but also the nutrients. Expert Payal says that even though semolina idli is more beneficial than rice, but if you eat only semolina idli daily, it can lead to imbalance of nutrients, hence different things should be made a part of the diet in moderation.