Answers · Iron and anaemia
Which Andhra dishes are highest in iron?
The Andhra dishes that give the most iron in one serving, measured dish by dish, and how to absorb more of it.
The short answer
Leafy dals lead. One serving of erra thotakura pesarapappu (red amaranth with moong dal) gives 9.8 mg, about 34% of a woman's daily iron target. Amaranth and gongura dishes fill most of the top ten.
The ten highest
These are the Andhra dishes in the ULak Micros Food library with the most iron in one standard serving. Each serving is weighed and cooked the way the recipe is written, with cooking losses applied.
| Rank | Dish | Iron | Of the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erra thotakura pesarapappuRed amaranth with moong dal · Andhra | 9.8 mg | 34% |
| 2 | Erra thotakura pappuRed amaranth with toor dal · Andhra | 9.79 mg | 34% |
| 3 | Thotakura pesarapappu kuraAmaranth with moong dal · Andhra | 8.7 mg | 30% |
| 4 | Thotakura vepuduStir-fried Amaranth · Andhra | 8.43 mg | 29% |
| 5 | Gongura pappuGongura with toor dal · Andhra | 8.07 mg | 28% |
| 6 | Gongura mamsamMutton with gongura leaves · Andhra | 7.97 mg | 27% |
| 7 | Gongura kodi kuraChicken with gongura leaves · Andhra | 7.49 mg | 26% |
| 8 | Thotakura pesarapappuAmaranth with moong dal · Andhra | 7.09 mg | 24% |
| 9 | Thotakura pappuAmaranth with toor dal · Andhra | 7.08 mg | 24% |
| 10 | Gongura royyaluPrawns with gongura leaves · Andhra | 6.92 mg | 24% |
Greens do the work. Thotakura (amaranth), gongura and bachali kura (basella) carry most of the iron, and the dal adds a little more. Thotakura pappu, the everyday version, gives 7.08 mg a serving.
How much iron you need
ICMR-NIN sets the daily requirement at 29 mg for women and 19 mg for men. Women need more to replace what is lost each month, and much more in pregnancy.
Most Indian diets fall short. In the National Family Health Survey 2019–21, 57% of women aged 15 to 49 and 25% of men were anaemic, and iron deficiency is the most common cause.
Getting more of it in
Iron from plants is absorbed less well than iron from meat and fish, so how a meal is put together matters.
- Add vitamin C to the same meal. Tomato in the pappu, a squeeze of lemon, or guava or amla on the side all help the body take up plant iron.
- Keep tea and coffee away from meals. They reduce how much iron is absorbed. Have them an hour before or after.
- Eat greens often, not once a week. A serving of leafy dal most days does more than a large helping now and then.
If you have been told you are anaemic, see a doctor. Food alone may not correct it quickly, and iron tablets may be needed.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN (2020). Nutrient Requirements for Indians. National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
- ICMR-NIN (2024). Dietary Guidelines for Indians. National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
- IIPS and ICF (2021). National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019–21: India Report. Mumbai.
- Longvah T. et al. (2017). Indian Food Composition Tables. National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
This answer is worked out from the ULak Micros food engine and the sources above. A registered dietitian has not reviewed it yet. It gives general nutrition information and is not medical advice.