Celebrate Diwali With Rich Healthy Treats

Diwali is just a few days away and we are all geared up to celebrate the festival of lights. We all know that no celebration in India is complete without the touch of sweets and rich savoury dishes.  Traditionally desserts are made with a lot of ghee, sugar and oil, but keeping the health of people in mind, we have come with some recipes from leading chefs with a healthy twist.

Chef Manish Mehrotra says, “Diwali is one of my favourite festivals and it is during this time we indulge in unhealthy eating. So, every Diwali I ensure that my family and I substitute the unhealthy ingredients with healthier ones. One good way of doing so is including healthy almonds to them. Almonds are a great source of 15 nutrients such as vitamin E, dietary fibre, protein etc. so with just one ingredient I increase the health benefits manifold.”

 Here we share some recipes with a healthy twist which will make your Diwali all the more special.

BANANA CARAMEL PHIRNI BY CHEF TARUN SIBAL

Ingredients:

Full fat milk 2 litre
Mashed ripe banana 1 cup
Rice flour 100 gm
Condensed milk - 250 ml
Brown Sugar 100 gm
Banana - 1 for garnish
Fine Sugar for caramelisation- 5gm

Method:

Boil 1.5-litre milk to boil in a heavy bottom pan
Add condensed milk to the boiling milk
Mix banana, rice flour and the remaining milk
Mix it in the boiling milk
Add sugar and keep stirring
Cook till desired consistency and switch off the flame.
Now pour this mixture and chill.
Before serving, top it with some fresh slices of banana
Sprinkle some brown sugar and with a blow torch caramelise the sugar

CARAMELIZED SESAME SMOKED ALMONDS BY CHEF AJAY CHOPRA

Ingredients:

Almonds whole 400 g
White and black Sesame 100 g
Sugar 150 g
Rosemary 10 g
Chilli powder 10 g
Sea salt or rocks salt (optional) 10 g

Method:

In a pan, dry roast almonds and keep it to cool down so that it becomes crunchy. In a separate pan, take sugar and let it caramelize then add roasted almonds in it.

When almonds are coated with syrup, add the chilli powder which will give glaze and binding. Remove on a clean tray and coat it with white sesame seeds and rock salt (crushed).
Take a charcoal, burn it on a fire and keep it on a bowl, add some rosemary and smoke the almonds which are coated with sesame. Store it in an airtight container.

BEET, MAPLE & SEMOLINA HALWA WITH RAISINS BY CHEF VICKY RATNANI

 Ingredients:

Grated beetroot 3 each
Grated Carrot 1 each
Grated Apple 1 each
Pure maple syrup 180ml
Semolina 3/4th cup
Ghee 1/2 cup (similar to clarified butter)
Coconut milk 1/2cup
Raisins 1/2 cup - plumped in hot water
Walnuts 4 to 5 - shelled and unsalted

Method:

Heat up half the ghee and roast the semolina until golden brown.

Transfer into a plate and set aside
In the same pot, melt the rest of the ghee.
Add the grated beet, carrot and apple and sweat for 15 minutes until soft and the juices are almost evaporated

ALMOND SWEET POTATO AND POMEGRANATE CHAAT, WHITE PEA RAGDA BY CHEF MANISH MEHROTRA

Ingredients:

Almonds (peeled) 15 g
Boiled sweet potato dices 30 g
Pomegranate pearls 5 g
White pea 20 g
Onions chopped 5 g
Tomatoes chopped and deseeded 5 g
Chaat masala 2 g
Green chillies 1 g
Lemon juice 3 ml
Coriander, fresh 1 g
Mint chutney 10 ml
Saunth chutney 15 ml
Red chilli powder 1 g

Method:

Boil white pea till cooked properly, for making white pea ragda. Mix chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, green chillies, fresh coriander, lemon juice, red chilli powder and chaat masala. Adjust the seasoning.
In a separate bowl, take almonds, pomegranate pearls and sweet potato. Drizzle with saunth chutney, lemon juice, chaat masala and chopped coriander. Toss it lightly.
Then, on a serving plate, mould the white pea ragda and arrange the almond chaat on top of it. Serve garnished with a coriander spring.

MAPLE DRY-FRUIT SANDESH BY CHEF MANISH MEHROTRA

Ingredients:
Full cream milk 1.9 litre
Lemon juice 3 tbsp
Pure maple syrup 125 ml
Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
almonds or pistachios to garnish 3 tbsp

Method:
Boil full cream milk in a thick bottomed pan, stirring occasionally.
Turn down the heat to add lemon juice and mix well until the milk curdles.
Drain off the curdled milk using cloth.
Rinse with cold water, making sure the paneer remains soft and removes lemon flavour.
Squeeze the paneer and drain off the water.
Hang the cloth along with curdled milk for about 30 minutes and then, mash it till it becomes soft.
Add pure maple syrup and mix well.
Cook the prepared paneer dough in a kadai on low flame for about 5 minutes.
Add in cardamom powder, mix well and let it cool for 5 minutes.
Cut out squares from the dough and garnish with some almond and pistachios.