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  Life   Food  27 Oct 2019  Healthy treats

Healthy treats

THE ASIAN AGE.
Published : Oct 27, 2019, 12:54 am IST
Updated : Oct 27, 2019, 12:54 am IST

This festive season, indulge in healthy alternatives to our traditional sweets.

Pine nut, walnut and couscous gujiya
 Pine nut, walnut and couscous gujiya

This festive season, indulge in healthy alternatives to our traditional sweets.

Pine nut, walnut and couscous gujiya

Ingredients:

  • Refined flour 500 gm
  • 50 gm couscous
  • 150 ml milk
  • 150 gm icing sugar
  • 120 ml ghee
  • 100 ml vanaspati ghee
  • 10 gm walnuts
  • 10 gm pine nuts
  • 150 gm dry coconut

METHOD:

  • In a mixing bowl, add refined flour, icing sugar, ghee, Vanaspati ghee, and milk. Mix it well to form a dough and keep aside.
  • Take a thick bottom pan, and on a slow flame, add ghee, walnuts and pine nuts. Keep roasting the nuts and add couscous, grated dry coconut and sugar. Keep stirring the mixture and mix well.
  • Once done, remove it from the flame and let sit. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if required.
  • Take the dough prepared and divide it into little logs. Take one log, form it into small chapati using a little flour and a rolling pin. Now place 1 or 1.5 tbsp of the filling onto the circle, keeping the edges empty.
  • Carefully, bring one side onto other and press the edges well, so that the filling doesn't fall out. Make a pleated design on the edges.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Brush the prepared gujiyas with ghee. Place them in a baking tray and bake them for 20-30 minutes at 200 degrees C. Once golden, remove from the oven and serve hot with roasted walnuts and pine nuts.

Quinoa and fig phirni

Ingredients:

  • 100 gms soaked quinoa
  • 1.5-litre milk
  • 150 gms figs
  • 4 tsp almonds
  • 4 tsp pistachios
  • 150 gm palm sugar
  • 1 tsp green cardamom
  • 1 tsp raisins
  • 0.5 gms saffron

METHOD :

  • Soak the Quinoa for two hours. Then, wash and drain the excess water. Make a rough, grainy paste by running the ingredients in a grinder.
  • Finely chop the almonds and pistachios and keep aside. In a saucepan, add milk and heat it on a medium flame. Add quinoa and figs and allow it to cook on low flame, till the milk is reduced to half and the quinoa is completely cooked.
  • Add palm sugar and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the finely chopped nuts and the raisins. Reserve a little for garnishing.
  • Once the phirni acquires a brownish hue, add the cardamom powder and remove from fire. Mix well and pour into earthen cups. Garnish with nuts and allow it to cool.

— Recipe by Chef Saurabh Modi,  Ishaara

Tags: traditional sweets, diwali