How many calories does one serving of Dum Aloo Banarasi have?

One serving of Dum Aloo Banarasi gives 261 calories. Out of which carbohydrates comprise 102 calories, proteins account for 13 calories and remaining calories come from fat which is 148 calories.  One serving of Dum Aloo Banarasi provides about 13 percent of the total daily calorie requirement of a standard adult diet of 2,000 calories.

Click here to view. Dum Aloo Banarasi recipe. Dum means cooking in steam. Dum cooking brings the oil or ghee, used for the preparation, to the top of the dish thus improving its appearance. This Dum Aloo preparation uses baby potatoes which are easier to cook. You may however, use medium sized potatoes, each cut into 2, if you do not find baby potatoes.

Is Dum Aloo Banarasi healthy?

No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend and are rich in Folate or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.   

2. Cashew Nuts (kaju) : In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pinenuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and good for heart. They are a healthy snack for Diabetics. Dietary intakes of cashew and other foods rich in magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure. See 9 amazing benefits of cashew nuts for complete details. 

3. Dried Fenugreek Leaves ( Kasuri Methi) :  Kasuri Methi gives only 4 calories from a tbsp. Dried Fenugreek Leaves is low on carb count. Kasuri Methi adds on some fiber. It is a healthy addition for weight watchers, diabetes, healthy heart, kids, adults, senior citizen and many more. See detailed benefits of dried fenugreel leaves kasuri methi. 

4. Honey : Honey, a natural sweetener, is a thick liquid made by honeybees which acts as an energy boost. A tbsp. of honey (20 g) gives 60 calories but virtually no protein, fat and fiber. It has been regarded as a traditional medicine since ages. It’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties are known to fight bacteria and prevent infections like cold and cough. Some research also shows that the polyphenolic compounds in honey help protect the heart. 

5. Fresh Cream : 1 tbsp of fresh cream (15 gm) provides around 18 calories, out of which 16 calories result from saturated fat. Till late, saturated fat was always looked upon as that evil fat which would lead to high cholesterol levels and strokes. Offhand, studies have revealed no such association. So, the next question that arises is “Are saturated fats healthy then?” What’s more important is to look at your diet in totality. Fats, in reality, will keep you full for long time and avoid bingeing and weight gain. And yes, the body for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K, needs some amounts of fat. 

6. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. 

7. Butter : Butter contains 80% fats and it comprises of many types of fatty acids. Butter has short chain fatty acids and medium chain fatty acids which are broken down and absorbed into the body directly and go straight to the liver and get converted to fuel to be used by the muscles. Due to this anti-inflammatory effect, it is said to have a positive effect in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Recent research shows that small amounts of butter has positive effects on heart health. So diabetics too can have small quantity of butter and balance it with other types of fats they consume. A tbsp. of butter fulfils 8% of your days requirement of vitamin A. This Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant which is essential for glowing skin health and immune function. We suggest you read about butter the super food. 

What's the problem?

1. Potatoes (Aloo) : Potatoes being high in simple carbohydrates will lead to weight gain and are not good for people with diabetes, heart problem and obesity. Potatoes are recommended for malnourished children and people with low weight. See full details on why potatoes are bad for you. 

2. Deep fried foods : This recipe is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. Processed food, Deep Fried Foods also increases inflammation in the body and shuts down the fat burning process. Most diseases from heart, to cardio vascular, diabetes, parkinsons, alzheimer, cancer and obesity result when the cells get inflamed and don't then function correctly. Inflammation in the arteries can cause heart attacks. So your diet should contain foods that fight inflammation in the body. That's how your body gets healthier by eating the right stuff. So you have given the cells in your body the right food to stay healthy and that is so important in staying disease free for the rest of your life.  

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Dum Aloo Banarasi  ?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. This recipe is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. Processed food, Deep Fried Foods also increases inflammation in the body and shuts down the fat burning process.

Can healthy individuals have Dum Aloo Banarasi?

No. stay away from deep fried food. Eat healthy fats instead. 

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.     

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss. 

Dum Aloo Banarasi is high in

1. Folic Acid : Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.

2. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

3. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 261 calories that come from Dum Aloo Banarasi?

Walking (6 kmph) = 1hr 18 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 26 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 35 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 45 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.