Without a doubt, Samosa is among the most recognized Indian dishes. But on the other hand, it’s also notoriously known as a rather unhealthy snack that causes several health issues.
Does that mean you’ll have to avoid this wonderful tea-time snack? Fortunately you don’t have to, because there are surprisingly plenty health benefits of eating samosa. Furthermore, you can also make a healthier variant of samosa at home to further improve all the goodness.
With that said, let’s take a look at samosa first
This particular snack is basically a fried pastry, stuffed with spices, veggies, and meats fillings. While not very huge in size, a small samosa is surprisingly packed with 240 calories, saturated fat, and carbs. It’s also filled with trans fat due to it being fried.
Consequently, the health disadvantages are high LDL cholesterol rate, and risks of getting heart diseases, and obesity. However, that doesn’t mean there are no health benefits of eating samosa.
In fact, samosa is actually healthier than your average junk foods
Let’s compare it with burgers, fried chickens, or basically any junk foods. They’re ultra-processed and packed with flavor enhancers, emulsifier, additives, and preservatives.
On the other hand, samosa is made from fresh ingredients. You got cumin, chilies, potatoes, chicken meat, and peas to name a few. Not only that, there are health benefits of eating samosa thanks to the carbs, protein, fiber, sodium, zinc, and potassium nutrients you get from a single bite of it.
A piece of samosa can replenish your energy better than a cup of rice. It’s also a perfect natural heater for your body during cold days. And, it’s very easy to cook, making it a very versatile snack. Here are more about Benefits of Puri Bhaji
Even better, you can improve the health benefits of eating samosa yourself
That is correct; if prepared with care, you can make an even healthier samosa that also reduces the aforementioned health issues. Here are some tips when making one. Here are more about Health Benefits of Khaman Dokla
Believe it or not, some chunks of meat inside a samosa contain around 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of fat. To reduce them, simply swap the meat with more vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, and peas.
The good thing about these additional ingredients is that they add even more benefits to your body. Vitamin A for your eyes, more fiber to improve your digestive system, and better energy source thanks to the vegetable protein. Here are more about Benefits of Pav Bhaji Masala
Ordinary samosa is full of butter, which adds more than 5 grams of fat and around 150 calories. You can eliminate them by using phyllo dough for the pastry, which adds crispier texture and better flavor.
While frozen phyllo dough is available on the market, it’s always better to make one yourself. All you need is plain flour, salt, water, lemon juice, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix the ingredients to make a dough, rest it, then roll it several times with pasta machine or a rolling pin. The end result should be a thin layer of pastry, akin to the pie pastry. Here are more about Health Benefits of Chole Bhature
All the oils absorbed from the frying process are the main source of trans fat and additional calorie. Therefore, avoid frying the samosa and bake it instead.
You will definitely gain even better health benefits of eating samosa by following these tips. Dip it with homemade mint chutney for even better health benefits and flavor, and enjoy this healthy snack during your leisure moment.