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Like any other grand Indian festival, the Holi celebration revolves around a plethora of traditional sweets of the country. The first few names that pop up instantly are gujiya, malpuas, rabri, karanji, jalebi and kalakand. These sweets are meant to be decadent and thus are prepared using a lot of sugar, full cream milk, ghee, oil (for deep frying) and so on. When the festivities of Holi are in full swing, and people indulge in sweet treats, those who either have lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity and people who are weight watchers avoid these sweets. But to celebrate the true essence of Holi, i.e., inclusivity, Executive Chef Meraj at Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, has tweaked the recipes of two popular Holi sweets.
“I want everyone to participate in the Holi festival and enjoy the traditional sweets without guilt or fear. This time, I have curated recipes which include Sugar-Free Gujjiya and Guilt-Free Kalakand. I would be glad if celebrators try these delectable desserts,” shares Chef Meraj.
Sugar-Free Gujjiya
Gujiya is typically sweetened by dunking the fried dumplings in sugar syrup. Often the stuffing also has a lavish use of refined sugar. But this version chucks its use. Instead, it uses sugar-free sweetener ideal for any kind of healthy diet.
Healthy gujiya By Chef Meraj
Ingredients
For the filling
- 500 Gms of Khoya/mawa
- 6 tablespoons of sugar free diet sugar
- 3 ¼ tsps of desiccated coconut
- 15 Cashew nuts (blanched and chopped)
- 15 Almonds (blanched and chopped)
- 20 Raisins
- ½ Green cardamom or nutmeg powder
For the outer covering
- 4 cups of refined flour (Maida)
- ½ Salt
- 5 tbsps. Ghee
Method
- Mash Khoya and roast it in a deep pan on medium heat till pink. Take off the heat and let it cool.
- Add all the other filling ingredients and sugar-free to the Khoya and keep aside.
- To prepare the covering, sieve flour and salt and rub in five tablespoons of ghee. Add enough water and knead into a firm dough. Cover it with a moist cloth and keep aside for fifteen minutes.
- Divide the dough into small balls of equal size. Roll each into a small puri of four inches in diameter.
- Spread a Puri on a greased Gujjiya mould and fill a tablespoon of the filling mixture on one side.
- Moisten the edges of the Puri and fold one side of the mould over the other. Press the edges and remove the excess dough and reuse.
- Prepare all the Gujjiya and spread it on a damp cloth.
- Heat sufficient ghee in a deep pan and deep-fry the Gujjiya, in batches on medium heat, till golden brown.
- Drain onto an absorbent paper.
Cool and store in an airtight tin or serve.
Guilt Free Kalakand
Kalakand has been a favourite sweet of many. But, often, health watchers and those with diabetes prefer not to eat it because of its high sugar and richness. Here is a healthy kalakand recipe that is made with dates. It has no ghee, and no sugar, thus, can be devoured by all.
Delicious and healthy kalakand by Chef Meraj
Ingredients
- 1 cup paneer (about 1/4 kg)
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 cup Whole dates
Method
- Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the paste into a thick bottom pan and stir on medium heat continuously (about 15 minutes) until it solidifies and the mass starts pulling away from the pan.
- Pour into a pan and flatten it. Put it in the refrigerator and let it cool completely.
Once it cools, take it out, cut it into desired shape and serve.
