Low GI Pasta for Diabetics: Fresh Atta Pasta in a Desi Masala
Pasta is one of those foods diabetics are told to simply forget. And with packet pasta, the advice is fair. Regular pasta is made from maida, refined flour that digests fast and pushes blood sugar up quickly, and restaurant versions drown it further in cream, cheese and butter.
This low gi pasta takes a completely different route. There is no packet and no maida. The pasta itself is rolled fresh at home from Diabexy atta dough, cut and folded into pasta shapes, boiled, and tossed in a light desi masala of onion, tomato and capsicum. The result is a proper pasta plate at an approximate glycemic load of just 4.2 per 100 g serving, as the video's own EGL table shows.
Regular Pasta vs Diabexy Low GI Atta Pasta
| Regular Pasta | Diabexy Low GI Atta Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Readymade maida (refined flour) pasta | Fresh pasta rolled at home from Diabexy atta |
| Flour EGL (per 100 g) | High, maida is refined starch | 7 (Diabexy atta) |
| Sauce style | Often cream, cheese and butter heavy | Light desi masala tadka with onion, tomato, capsicum |
| Glycemic load per serving | High | Approx. 4.2 per 100 g serving |
| Safe for diabetics | No | Yes, in portion |
Glycemic load tells you how much a food will actually raise your blood sugar, because it counts both the type of carbohydrate and the portion. Pasta's problem was never the shape. It is the refined flour it is made from. Swap maida for an atta with an EGL of 7 per 100 g and the whole plate changes. Here is the video's own EGL table for this recipe:
| Ingredient | Quantity | EGL per 100 g | EGL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabexy Atta | 100 g | 7 | 7 |
| Onion | 50 g | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Tomato | 50 g | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Capsicum | 50 g | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Total (approx) | 250 g | 9.1 | |
| Per serving (100 g, approx) | 4.2 |
The full batch totals EGL 9.1, and the video counts one 100 g serving at an approximate glycemic load of 4.2. That is pasta a diabetic can plan for, not pasta to fear.
A low glucose load atta made with 40% nuts and seeds, with an EGL of just 7 per 100 g against 50 for regular wheat atta and far more for maida. It kneads and rolls like regular atta, which is why it can become fresh pasta dough at home.
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Ingredients for Low GI Atta Pasta
For the pasta dough
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Diabexy Sugar Control Atta | 1 cup |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp |
| Water | About 1 glass, added little by little |
For the desi masala
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Oil | 3 tsp |
| Garlic | 4 to 5 cloves, chopped |
| Rai (mustard seeds) | 2 tsp |
| Jeera (cumin seeds) | 2 tbsp |
| Onion | 1/2 cup, chopped |
| Tomato | 1/2 cup, chopped |
| Capsicum | 1/2 cup, chopped |
| Red chilli powder | 1 tsp |
| Dhaniya (coriander) powder | 1/2 tsp |
| Haldi (turmeric) | 1/4 tsp |
| Garam masala | 1/4 tsp |
| Water | 1/2 cup |
| Salt | To taste |
| Spring onions | Chopped, for garnish (shown in the video) |
Notes: the ingredient list follows the video description. In the spoken narration a few quantities sound like tablespoons (oil, rai, red chilli powder, turmeric) where the description lists teaspoons; the tables follow the written description. The description lists dhaniya powder without a unit; the narration says 1/2 tsp, which is what the table uses.
How to Make Low GI Pasta: Step by Step
For the pasta
Step 1: Knead the atta dough
Take 1 cup Diabexy atta, add 1/2 tsp salt and about 1 glass water little by little, and knead a soft dough. This is the same dough you would make for rotis. A soft, smooth dough rolls thin without tearing, and thin sheets make better pasta.
Step 2: Roll a thin roti
Roll the dough out into one large, thin roti. Keep it as thin and even as you can. Thick pieces stay doughy in the centre even after boiling, while a thin sheet cooks through and holds the masala well.
Step 3: Cut circles and fold into pasta shapes
Cut multiple circular shapes from the rolled sheet and fold each one as shown in the video to form the pasta pieces. Dust the pieces lightly with dry atta and keep them separate so they do not stick to each other before boiling.
Step 4: Boil the pasta for 5 to 10 minutes
Drop the pasta pieces into boiling water and boil for 5 to 10 minutes, then strain. Check one piece before you strain the batch. It should be cooked through but still hold its shape, not dissolve into the water.
For the desi masala
Step 5: Make the tadka
Heat 3 tsp oil in a kadhai. Add 4 to 5 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tbsp jeera and 2 tsp rai, and let them crackle. This tadka is what gives the pasta its desi masala character, so let the garlic turn fragrant before moving on.
Step 6: Cook the vegetables
Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and mix, then 1/2 cup chopped tomato and mix again. Add salt to taste and 1/2 cup chopped capsicum. The vegetables should soften but keep a little bite, because they are the body of the sauce here, not a garnish.
Step 7: Add spices, cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes
Add 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp dhaniya powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp garam masala and a little of the 1/2 cup water. Mix, cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes till the masala thickens and the raw smell of spices goes away.
Step 8: Toss the pasta and serve hot
Add the boiled pasta to the masala and mix gently till every piece is coated. Top with chopped spring onions and serve hot. One 100 g serving carries an approximate glycemic load of 4.2, so serve a measured portion and enjoy it without the usual pasta guilt.
Is Pasta Good for Diabetics?
Packet pasta made from maida is not. Refined flour has almost no fibre, digests within minutes and sends glucose up fast, which is why is pasta good for diabetics usually gets a straight no as an answer.
This atta pasta recipe changes the base itself. The pasta is Diabexy atta, EGL 7 per 100 g, rolled fresh at home, and the sauce is a light vegetable masala instead of cream and cheese. At approx 4.2 GL per 100 g serving, it is pasta for diabetics in the real sense: planned, portioned and low load. Keep the serving at about 100 g, pair it with a salad if you like, and it fits into a diabetic meal plan.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Atta Pasta
- Roll the sheet really thin. Thin pasta cooks evenly in 5 to 10 minutes and never stays raw in the centre.
- Dust pieces with dry atta. A light dusting keeps the cut pieces from sticking together before they hit the water.
- Use plenty of boiling water. Pasta pieces need room to move. A small pot makes them clump and cook unevenly.
- Test one piece before straining. Atta pasta goes from firm to too soft quickly. Start checking at 5 minutes.
- Toss while warm. Add the pasta to the masala straight after straining so it absorbs the flavours instead of sitting dry.
- Serve immediately. Homemade atta pasta firms up as it cools. Plate it, garnish with spring onions and eat it hot.
A ready reckoner of the glucose load of 300+ Indian foods, colour coded green, yellow and red. Stick it on your fridge and plan portions without guessing.
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Diabexy is India's number one diabetes education platform, trusted by more than 2 million people. Diabexy makes India's first low glycemic load foods, including Sugar Control Atta, India's first atta backed by published clinical evidence. Our mission is to eradicate diabetes from India the way polio was eradicated, through the right knowledge and the right food. Visit diabexy.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular maida pasta is not, but this homemade version is, in portion. It is rolled from Diabexy atta and carries an approximate glycemic load of just 4.2 per 100 g serving.
Approx 4.2 per 100 g serving. The video's EGL table totals 9.1 for the full 250 g batch of pasta and vegetables, and counts one serving at approx 4.2.
No. There is no packet pasta in this diabetic pasta recipe. The pasta is made fresh at home by rolling Diabexy atta dough thin, cutting circles and folding them into pasta shapes.
Maida is refined flour with the fibre removed, so it digests almost like starch paste and raises glucose fast. Diabexy atta has an EGL of 7 per 100 g and keeps its fibre, which is why the same dish behaves completely differently.
The video keeps it a light desi masala with no cheese or cream, and that is a big reason the plate stays light. Cheese adds very little glucose load but a lot of calories and fat, so if you add any, keep it to a small sprinkle rather than a sauce.
5 to 10 minutes, as shown in the video. Start checking a piece at 5 minutes. It should be cooked through but still hold its shape.
About one 100 g serving, which the video counts at approx 4.2 GL. If you want a bigger plate, add more of the vegetable masala and a salad on the side rather than doubling the pasta itself.
Approx 4.2 GL per serving. Diabetic friendly. Family friendly.
