Pulses, especially mung beans and chickpeas are loaded with vitamins and nutrients like potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc. They also contain soluble fibers which helps in digestion, controls blood sugar level, and protects the heart by lowering the LDL which is bad cholesterol. However, most people stay away from pulses as they complain of gas or flatulence after eating them. There are lots of ways in which you could avoid flatulence caused by consuming pulses.
Why bloating?
The dietary fiber in pulses reaches the large intestine and gets fermented by the bacteria which produces gas. Consuming large quantities of fiber may cause diarrhea, stomach ache, and bloating. Soaking the pulses before cooking would help in reducing raffinose that irritates the tummy. Besides, your doctor could also prescribe supplements that contain alpha-galactosidase which aids in digestion. It must be noted that such food items shouldn’t be eaten in large quantities in one helping. In case you wish to include pulses in your daily diet, you should start with small quantities and gradually increase the intake. Here is a simple recipe of mung beans and papaya curry that is tasty and nutritious.
Ingredients
½ cup mung beans
½ raw papaya
½ cup grated coconut
Salt as required
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 green chilies
¼ tsp cumin seeds
Preparation
Wash the mung beans and soak them overnight
In the morning, cook them in a thick bottomed vessel or in pressure cooker until one whistle
You could add small papaya pieces if you are cooking in pressure cooker
Add salt and green chilies too
Grind the grated coconut with cumin and turmeric powder in mixer jar
Add this mixture into the cooked mung beans – papaya
Allow the curry to boil well
Heat coconut oil in a pan
Splutter mustard seeds and dried chilies
Pour this tempering into the curry
Mix well
