Inexperienced banana flour, an acclaimed superfood has numerous well being advantages and is getting used as a substitution for wheat flour in numerous meals gadgets starting from bread and muffins to pizza and pasta.
To safe their well being through the coronavirus pandemic, many Indians have been turning to conventional wellness practices reminiscent of yoga and Ayurvedic therapies – together with strengthening their immunity by consuming grains, herbs, and spices.
A stunning ingredient that has taken over the web is inexperienced banana flour, manufactured from unripe bananas which are chopped, dried, after which floor.
Its reputation soared after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi endorsed the ingredient on his month-to-month radio program Mann Ki Baat (Internal Ideas).
Science authorised the advantages related to inexperienced banana flour. Social media sparked with fans’ recipes for easy-to-make dishes that incorporate the ingredient, from brownies to zucchini fritters.
Nutritionists declared the ingredient as a nutrient-dense, gluten-free substitute for wheat and refined flours. It may be made with or with out the peel, although if made with the peel it’s often finest utilized in savoury dishes.
When uncooked, it retains a slight banana style however has a nutty or earthy taste when cooked.
As a grain-free supply of complicated carbohydrates, it’s a nice alternative for anybody who seeks to shed some pounds because it helps regulate urge for food and stop overeating.
It’s wealthy in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and nutritional vitamins, and comprises little fats.
“The [green banana] flour’s excessive fiber content material not solely smooths the digestion course of but in addition retains you full for longer, aiding in weight management,” says Urvashi Agarwal, an integrative well being coach based mostly in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Agarwal says the healthful flour is loaded with resistant starch and prebiotic fiber that promotes intestine well being whereas whittling down stomach fats.
Integrative well being coach Urvashi Agarwal acknowledged, “The flour promotes digestion and enhances intestine micro organism. It’s simple to eat and for many who are quick on time, it may be combined in smoothies and drinks to make a wholesome, on-the-go drink.”
“For infants, it may be combined in child meals or porridge, whereas adults can incorporate it in rotis, pancakes, crepes, waffles, bread, or muffins. Wealthy in minerals, the flour can also be nice throughout being pregnant and post-pregnancy, and for treating circumstances reminiscent of diabetes and weight problems.”Banana flour isn’t a brand new product. “Folks in West African, Southeast Asia, and South and Central American nations have used it for hundreds of years,” Mukherji says. “It has additionally been utilized in components of Africa and Jamaica, as a less expensive different for wheat flour among the many poor.”
The flour’s admiration has additionally spiked in Southeast Asia. Madé’s Banana Flour in Bali claims to be the world’s first banana-flour bakery. Its Instagram account – with greater than 8,000 followers – options its workers with pancakes, bread, muffins, doughnuts, waffles, muffins, pasta, and pizza, all rustled up from banana flour.
“The attractive factor about inexperienced banana flour is that we use inexperienced bananas, we’re not on the lookout for perfection. Utilizing bananas to make flour decreases general banana waste consumption.”
Farmers say banana flour is an eco-friendly product that contributes to the planet’s well being. Vasundhara Hegde of Manjushree House Merchandise, in India’s southern state of Karnataka, says she repeatedly makes banana flour at dwelling on the market and consumption.
India grows 29.7 million tonnes of bananas each year, she says, and half one million tonnes are misplaced because the fruit is very perishable.
“Small-hold farmers within the villages who retail their produce domestically typically need to promote bananas at throwaway costs when the demand peters out within the low season,” Hegde says.
“Changing this surplus fruit into flour extends its shelf life by round six months, which helps farmers keep away from misery gross sales whereas providing individuals a more healthy different to subtle flours.”
