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Diwali 2024: 5 Indian Chefs Share Their Favourite Guilt-Free Sweet Recipes For The Festive Season
Diwali is finally here, and people are all set to indulge in some irresistible mithais and sweets on the occasion. However, if you are worried about the calorie-intake or avoiding dairy on the “festival of lights”, here are some yummy and easy sweet recipes shared by renowned Indian chefs that are ideal to add to your vegan or sugar-free menu.
Guilt-Free Diwali Sweets By Indian Chefs
Diwali is one of India's most celebrated festivals that is known for its radiant lights, vibrant colours and mouthwatering delicacies. This year, it falls on October 31st and on the festival of lights sweets take a centerstage. From juicy gulab jamuns to delicate kaju katli, there are numerous options that you can enjoy on Diwali. With all this indulgence, however, it can be easy to go overboard on treats.
Also Read: Diwali 2024: 8 Kolkata Restaurants To Visit For A Wholesome Festive Feast
For those who want to celebrate without compromising on health, here are some vegan or low-sugar sweet recipes shared by renowned Indian chefs for a guilt-free Diwali celebration. This collection of healthier Indian desserts is perfect to elevate your mood without affecting your diet. From multigrain barfi loaded with nutritious flours to guilt-free spin on shahi tukda, there is something for everyone here.
Multigrain Barfi By Celebrity Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi
This multigrain barfi is a wholesome and nutritious treat perfect for Diwali celebrations. Made with a mixture of flours like ragi, jowar, bajra, and rajgira, it’s lightly sweetened with jaggery and garnished with nuts and dried rose petals, adding a festive touch to the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut oil + for greasing
- 1 tbsp cashews, chopped + for garnish
- 1 tbsp almonds, chopped + for garnish
- 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped + for garnish
- ? cup ragi flour
- ? cup besan
- ? cup jowar flour
- ? cup bajra flour
- ? cup rajgira flour
- ? cup wheat flour
- a pinch nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp green cardamom powder
- ? tsp black pepper, crushed
- ? tsp ginger powder
- 1? cup jaggery
- ? cup roasted peanut powder
- ? cup warm water
- ? cup dried rose petals + for garnish
Method
- Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add ragi, besan, jowar, bajra, rajgira, and wheat flour. Mix well and sauté on low flame for 10-12 minutes.
- Add jaggery, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in roasted peanut powder and warm water. Mix thoroughly and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add half of the chopped nuts, black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger powder. Mix well.
- Grease a mould or tray with coconut oil, then sprinkle dried rose petals and chopped nuts.
- Transfer the mixture into the greased tray, patting it to a level. Set aside for 2-3 hours to cool and set.
- Once set, unmould and cut into desired pieces. Garnish with additional rose petals and nuts, then serve.
Guilt-Free Shahi Tukda By Chef Harsh Kedia, Founder - A Diabetic Chef and Conscious Mithaiwalla
Literally meaning a 'royal piece', shahi tukda is a Mughlai delicacy with deep roots in the city of Hyderabad. This version of the royal delicacy satisfies your sweet tooth without using any sugar or being deep fried. A quick, go-to recipe when you want to impress guests who can't indulge in sweets!
Ingredients
- 2 slices multigrain bread
- 50 gms butter
- 250 ml milk
- 1 tbsp stevia
- 100 gms khoya/mava
- 5-6 almonds
- A handful rose petals
Method
- In a bowl, melt the butter.
- Cut the slices of bread neatly into triangular pieces and spread the butter on both sides.
- Place the bread slices in the air fryer and fry them for 3-4 minutes at 200°C until they are dark golden brown in colour.
- In a saucepan, add mava, stevia and milk, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Keep stirring continuously to avoid the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the mixture until it is half of the original quantity. Then turn off the heat.
- Arrange the bread slices on a shallow plate, dip the bread in the milk soak mixture and top the dish using dry fruits of your choice.
Besan Halwa Mousse with Coconut Pancake By Celebrity Chef Nishant Choubey
Indulge this Diwali with a unique twist on a classic Indian dessert. This Besan Halwa Mousse with Coconut Pancake brings a modern flavour to your festive table. The creamy, cardamom-spiced besan mousse is paired with soft and golden coconut pancakes to make an elegant dessert that’s both comforting and delightfully refreshing.
Ingredients
For Besan Halwa
- 50 gm besan
- 50 gm coconut oil
- 500 ml coconut milk
- 150 gm coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
- 30 ml coconut cream
- 500 ml coconut milk
- 30 gm coconut milk powder
- 50 gm jaggery
- 50 gm maida
- 1 tsp baking powder
Method
For Besan Halwa- In a pan, cook the besan with coconut oil until fragrant.
- Gradually add the coconut milk, coconut sugar, and green cardamom powder.
- Add the whipped coconut cream, then whip the mixture well until light and airy to create a mousse texture.
- In a bowl, mix the maida, coconut milk powder, jaggery, and baking powder with coconut milk until smooth.
- Let the batter ferment for 1 hour.
- Pour the batter onto a heated non-stick skillet, cooking each side until golden.
- Serve the mousse with the coconut pancake and enjoy!
Guilt-Free Gulab Jamuns By Chef Natasha Gandhi, Founder-House Of Millets
This Diwali, indulge guilt-free with these healthier gulab jamuns made from sweet potato, oats flour and cashew powder. Deep-fried to a golden brown, these treats soak in naturally sweet date syrup and are garnished with saffron and dry fruits. It is a delicious twist on the classics, perfect for people on healthy diets.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup boiled sweet potato
- 3 tbsp oats flour
- 6 tbsp cashew powder
- A pinch of cardamom powder
- Date syrup
- Saffron strands (for garnishing)
- Chopped dry fruits (for garnishing)
Method
- In a large mixing bowl or paraat, combine 1 cup of boiled sweet potato, 3 tablespoons of oats flour, 6 tablespoons of cashew powder, and a pinch of cardamom powder.
- Mix thoroughly until a smooth dough is formed.
- To make oats flour, grind oats in a blender for 6-8 seconds, then pass the ground oats through a sieve to obtain a fine powder. Repeat the same process with cashews to make cashew powder.
- Once the dough is ready, divide it into small to medium-sized portions.
- Roll each portion between your palms to form smooth balls.
- Deep fry these balls in hot oil over low to medium heat.
- Fry until they turn golden brown, ensuring even color on all sides.
- Remove from the oil and let the excess oil drain on tissue paper.
- In a kadhai or a deep pan, heat 2 cups of water.
- Add 4 tablespoons of date syrup to the hot water and mix well until fully dissolved.
- Place the fried gulab jamuns in the date syrup while it’s still warm, allowing them to soak and absorb the syrup.
- Garnish the soaked gulab jamuns with saffron strands and chopped dry fruits before serving.
Vegan Rabri By Celebrity Chef And Author Shipra Khanna
This vegan rabri recipe is an ideal option for people who want to a dairy-free Diwali celebrations. Blending coconut and oat milk with soaked cashews and fragrant cardamom, this dairy-free rabri is thickened with almond flour and sweetened to perfection.
Ingredients
- 300 ml water
- 60 ml coconut milk
- 60 ml oat milk
- 50 gm sugar
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 15 minutes
- 2 tbsp almond flour
- 2 tbsp pistachio sliced
- 2 tbsp mixed dry fruits
- 7-8 saffron strands
- 1 green cardamom pod seeds
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Blend coconut milk, oat milk, cashews, pistachio, saffron and seeds of the cardamom pod together.
- Transfer this mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to boil, stirring occasionally.
- Now, add almond flour, salt and sugar. Mix well and cook until the mixture is thickened to preference.
- Turn the heat off and let it cool.
- Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Top it up with mixed dry fruits and serve.
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