Way before the gym bros, new-age vegans, and people losing muscle because of their love for Ozempic had discovered protein powder and whey, most of rural India had a natural protein substitute – sattu powder. is made by grinding roasted chickpeas or Bengal gram and is part of the cuisine in many parts of India.
All I hear around me is the cacophony of people adding ‘protein’ to their meals – they add it to their coffee, to shakes in the morning, even to their cakes. Processed protein powder, I have been told, is absolutely healthy, but for the life of me, I cannot understand how anything processed and made in a factory as a supplement can be good for your body. Why aren’t at least the meat-eaters eating normal protein in their meals? And if they must eat a protein substitute, why not opt for a natural one like sattu?
Sattu flour is loaded with plant-based protein. It’s rich in fibre, calcium, iron, manganese, and magnesium. It’s also a cooling agent that naturally brings down your body temperature. I remember my mother carrying a flask of sattu made into a shake when going to play golf in the afternoon, while also claiming it was delicious. It is not.
Sattu is essentially roasted Bengal gram or chickpea flour, ground to a powder. It’s also a staple in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh – and usually consumed by labourers and farmers given its cooling properties.
For vegans and vegetarians who keep overplaying how healthy a vegetarian or vegan diet is, but keep consuming protein powder by the kilo, here’s a small nugget of information: many people in India are protein-deficient, and this is because their meals are not balanced. Sattu’s nutritional value is quite impressive – 100 grams of sattu contains about 20 grams of protein and 65 grams of carbohydrates. It’s also a completely plant-based protein source, so the vegan bros can eat it happily.
It’s a very common sight in to see people clustered around roadside stalls or carts with large stainless steel urns covered in red cloth. The vendor will be dishing out glasses of a yellow liquid to the crowds – this is sattu ka sharbat. The original protein shake.
The other benefit of sattu is that it curbs hunger pangs and keeps you energised for hours. A simple enough sharbat, all you have to do is mix sattu in water and spice it up with roasted cumin, some chopped mint leaves, a pinch of chilli powder or black pepper, and salt.
It’s also great for , can keep constipation at bay, and helps with smooth bowel movements. It helps fight acidity, inflammation, and indigestion. And the low glycemic index (GI) makes it ideal for Type 2 diabetics.
While I may not be a fan of sattu and protein shakes — both trending on Google Search for over 24 hours — I would say if you’re opting for the latter, maybe it’s better to try a more organic homegrown option. You can even dress up the flavours and give it a posh makeover by making a sattu shake by blending sattu powder with roasted oats powder, almond milk, and add a bit of honey and chia seeds. Or keep it desi and have sattu paratha – just mix sattu with onions, cumin, salt, and a bit of chili, stuff this mixture into dough made from atta, and then roast the paratha. As they say – taste bhi, health bhi. And don’t be a protein shake bro, be a sattu powder bro.
Next week, I’ll be writing on India’s favourite sharbats and cooling drinks to beat the Indian summer.
