Iron Rich Vegetables, Sabzi Recipes, Dals Recipes

Why and How Much Iron is Important?

Iron is a key nutrient required mainly for supplying oxygen to every cell of the body. It is present in the form of hemoglobin in the red blood cells (RBC). A deficiency of iron leads to ‘Anemia’ which shows symptoms of tiredness, pale skin and poor concentration.

Suva Masoor Dal, Zero Oil Healthy Dal

This definitely takes a toll on one’s daily chores. An adult man 17 mg or iron daily while a woman needs 21 mg of iron daily. While all the food items in a meal are difficult to be brimming with iron, subzis and dals, which are usually consumed in good quantity, can definitely be.

Green Moong Dal and Vegetable Idli, Healthy Moong Dal Idlis

This section is sure to delight one and all who wish to build their iron stores!

Iron Rich Sabzis

No Indian meal is complete without subzis. Whether lunch or dinner, the subzis play an important role in balancing the meal, not only taste and texture but also on nutritional front. Vegetable are nature’s gift to us. Begin your journey with common iron rich leafy vegetables like spinach and fenugreek to create simple subzis like Aloo Palak and Carrot Methi Subzi.

Aloo Palak

When bored of these regular subzis, feast on unique dishes like Suva Moong Dal Subzi (meets 8% of daily iron requirement), Cauliflower Greens Methi and Palak Subzi (meets 19% of daily iron requirement) and Mixed Vegetables in Palak Methi Gravy (meets 12% of daily iron requirement).

Cauliflower Greens, Methi and Palak Healthy Subzi

If you love sprouts, do indulge in them in the form of subzis like Matki Subzi and Cucumber and Mixed Sprouts Subzi. They help increase hemoglobin levels too.

Greens can be paired with sprouts or beans and spices to make more interesting subzi with an added dose of iron. Matki aur Palak ki Curry is an exciting subzi option to prove this.

Matki Aur Palak ki Curry

Iron Rich Dals

Dals too are a source of iron along with protein. Choose from the array of dals like moong dal, masoor dal, urad dal etc. to create tempting options like Rajasthani Dal and Dhan-saak Dal.

To add some more variety to your meals, you can try your hand on dal-green veggie combos to create unique recipes like Masoor Dal with Spinach, Chawli Masoor Dal and so on. All the ingredients perfectly complement each other in these aromatic dals to provide iron plus other nutrients like protein, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C and many other antioxidants.

Carrot Methi Subzi ( Vitamin A and Vitamin C Rich Recipe )

5 Do’s and Don’t for Iron Rich Subzis and Dals

1. Once a week at least try to cook with a unique green veggie which is an good source of iron like cauliflower greens. Try Cauliflower Greens Pitla (fulfills 15% of RDA).

Cauliflower Greens Pitla

2. Always add some lemon juice while serving. The vitamin C in it aids in further iron absorption.

3. Try and avoid pairing them with dairy products. They are a good source of calcium, which hinders calcium absorption.

Jowar Pyaz Ki Roti ( Healthy Breakfast)

4. Sprinkle a handful of sprouts before serving any variant of dal. It boosts iron intake.

5. Avoid intake of tea or coffee before and after meals. This hinders iron absorption too.

Have these nutritious dals and subzis with all the more nourishing rotis and parathas like Methi ki Missi Roti, Jowar Pyaz ki Roti and Herbed Capsicum Paratha to have a complete nutri-dense meal.

Herbed Capsicum Paratha