51 months ago
3 minute read.
You must have had Jaggery at many festivals, whh whh what...you don’t seem to remember where? Does the word sound unfamiliar? Okay let’s use a very basic word ‘gur’. Popularly used in chiikki and cultural sweets, jaggery has been the mantra to good health since many years. Our elders never missed a chance to include it, be it with chana or in ‘gur wali chaay’.
Jaggery is a healthy alternative to sugar as it is unrefined and processed in a natural way without the addition of chemicals. It is mainly prepared by concentrating sugarcane juice, while the other sources are palmyra, date palm and coconut. The sugar made from the sap of the date palm is known as gur, which is more prized.
Good quality jaggery has a light colour, good flavour, hardness, crystalline structure and good keeping qualities.
100 grams of jaggery contains 383 calories and when compared to sugar has more minerals especially calcium, phosphorus and iron. It is often considered as a medicinal sugar as it is found useful in common ailments like dry cough and indigestion.
Jaggery comes in different sizes or shapes and is used as an ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.
Jaggery has a special appeal in certain preparations like coconut burfi, groundnut toffees, holige etc. It is specially used when it has to act as a binder in the preparation of groundnut and puffed rice balls and other similar products. In western Indian homes, jaggery is added to most cooked dishes consumed on a daily basis.
Jaggery is loaded with many essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, that play a key role in many metabolic processes.
It has potassium that helps in reducing bloating and water retention.
Jaggery helps in treating conditions like indigestion and constipation.
Jaggery is also a good source of magnesium which is beneficial for the muscles, nerves and blood vessels and may also help relieve fatigue.
Jaggery is indeed a better option than sugar but that doesn’t mean one should consume it more. Monitoring consumption of Jaggery is as important as you would do it in the case of sugar. People on diet and with diabetes should continue to stay away from.
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