Gur Chana Recipe and Its Super Benefits super food
As people become more and more health-conscious, many are turning towards superfoods instead of popping pills to compensate for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Gone are the days when people used to believe in having medicines for cough and old or even a headache. Today, people are adopting a lifestyle that promotes healthy eating habits that helps avoid the risks of many diseases later on. One such superfood, which is economical yet highly underrated, is gur chana. This interesting combination of jaggery and gram or chana used to be the first meal of the day across families in several parts of India. That’s because the benefits of gur chana are many, including weight loss, improved digestion, and healthy, glowing skin.
Before we dive deeper into the benefits of gur chana, let’s look at the nutritional value of these two ingredients separately.
Chana or Gram
Chana dal is a legume belonging to the Fabaceae family and is rich in protein, essential vitamins, and fibre, which is essential for improving digestion . Here is the nutritional value of chana or gram.
| Nutrition Facts | |
| Serving size 1/2 cup (100 g) | % Daily Values |
| Energy 350 Kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates 60 g | 20% |
| Protein 22 g | 44% |
| Total fat 2 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 22 g | 88% |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A 100 IU | 2% |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium 20 mg | 2% |
| Sodium 10 mg | 0% |
| Iron 3.6 mg | 20% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie need | |
Gur or Jaggery
Gur is non-centrifugal cane sugar. It is a traditional Indian sweet that varies from golden brown to dark brown in colour. Gur is high in iron and potassium and is a popular replacement of refined sugar. Here is the nutritional value of gur:
| Nutrition Facts | |
| Serving size 10 g | % Daily Values |
| Energy 38.3 Kcal | |
| Carbohydrates 9.8 g | 3% |
| Protein 0 g | 44% |
| Sugar 9.7 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0 g | 88% |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin B6 0.004 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 0.011 mg | 1% |
| Choline .23 mg | 0% |
| Folate 0.1 mcg | 0% |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium 8 mg | 1% |
| Sodium 3 mg | 0% |
| Iron 0.30 mg | 3% |
| Magnesium 16 mg | 4% |
| Potassium 13 mg | 0% |
| Phosphorus 4 mg | 21% |
| Selenium 0.12 mcg | 0% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie need | |
Top Five Benefits of Gur Chana
Now that we know the nutritional values of both gur and chana, let’s look at the top five benefits of gur chana:
Glowing Skin
Gur has anti-ageing properties and is a natural source of glycolic acid, which has various benefits for skin, including reducing fine lines and ageing spots as well as correcting uneven skin tone. When consumed with chana, the magnesium in the chana dal boosts the anti-ageing properties, thus reducing wrinkles and fine lines for healthy, glowing skin.
Stronger Muscles
One of the benefits of gur chana is that it helps strengthen muscles. Both chana and gur are a rich source of protein, which is good for muscle health. Gur also has potassium, which boosts metabolism and assists in muscle building.
Aids In Weight Loss
The benefits of gur chana extend beyond a healthy lifestyle. This superfood promotes weight loss by increasing metabolism, which helps avoid health conditions like obesity. Chana is a rich source of protein, while gur has potassium, a critical mineral that helps maintain the electrolyte levels of the body.
Fights Constipation
Consuming gur and chana together helps fight constipation. Gur and chana help ease the problem because of the high fibre content in chana dal and the minerals present in jaggery. Fibre aids in proper digestion, while digestive enzymes in gur stimulate bowel movements to relieve people from constipation.
Improves Heart Health
One of the most noteworthy benefits of gur chana is its property to improve the overall health of the heart. Gur has potassium that lowers the risk of having a heart attack and controls blood pressure. Potassium also helps in maintaining acid levels in the body. Since chana contains zero cholesterol, it supports the health of the heart by reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.
Recipe of Gur Chana
Now that we know the benefits of gur chana, let’s look at some of the most popular recipes that are easy to make and is liked by everyone.
The easiest way to make gur chana is by roasting the chana dal and letting it cool. Separately, break the jaggery blocks into small pieces and add to the chana dal once it is at room temperate. Consume this mixture as a snack or first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Gur Chana Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups – Roasted chickpeas
- 3/4 cups – Grated jaggery
- 1 tbsp – Cardamom powder
Method
- Wash the organic chana dal in running water and let it dry slightly.
- In a non-stick pan, dry roast the chana dal. You can also use a microwave oven to do the same.
- Empty the dal in a separate bowl and keep aside for it to cool.
- In the same pan, melt organic jaggery on a low flame and let it come to a boil.
- Stir continuously to avoid burning.
- Once the liquid starts pulling away from the edges, switch off the flame.
- Add roasted chana and cardamom powder and mix well for a few minutes.
- Mix until the chana dal has a coating of gur from all sides.
- Sprinkle a few drops of water on the mixture so that it binds together better.
- Once done, let the mixture come to room temperature.
- Roll the mixture into small balls and store it in an airtight container.
