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Dates are a sort of sweet fruit that is tasty and very healthful. Dates originated in Mesopotamia or Egypt. Ripe dates have a bright yellow and red colour, while dates that have been dried have a brown appearance. Dates can readily be used in place of sugar because of their sweetness. The natural sweetness from dates is many times more beneficial than the processed sweetness of sugar. It is made into date palm, a sort of dried fruit that is included in Panch Mewa, by drying it. Date popular varieties include Khadrawai, Hayani, Ajwa and Medjool. Dates are sold both with and without seeds in the market. (Also read: Delicious chocolate recipes for gluten-free snacking )
Talking with HT Lifestyle, Cookery expert, Pratibha and founder of Pratibha's Tasty Kitchen, shared the benefits of dates and multiple ways to consume them in your diet.
Benefits of dates:
- Dates are rich in antioxidants which protect the body from free radicals.
- About 80 grams of magnesium is found in 6 dates, and magnesium keeps our body's blood pressure balanced and keeps us away from diseases like arthritis and Alzheimer's.
- Dates contain a sufficient amount of fiber, which keeps the digestive system of the body healthy so that there is no complaint of constipation.
- Plenty of iron is found in it, so regular consumption of them removes anaemia and increases the level of haemoglobin in the body.
- Apart from this, dates also work to enrich the muscles and make the skin and hair shiny.
Ways to consume it:
- Dates can be used in the same way as sweets, but by eating the same every day, boredom starts. So let us know some such measures by adopting which you can easily include dates in your diet.
- Make a milkshake by grinding dates with milk.
- Add finely chopped curd to the curd and keep it for half an hour and use it so that the sweetness of dates comes into the whole curd.
- You can make delicious barfi, rolls, and laddus by using dates in place of sugar.
- Finely chop 250 grams of dates and put them in 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Make pickles by adding black salt, black pepper powder, and roasted cumin powder as per taste.
- Make a delicious chutney by mixing equal amounts of tamarind and dates.
Delectable dates sweets recipe:
1. Date Laddus
Serves: 8 people
Preparation: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Seeded dates 250 grams
- Pure Ghee 1 tbsp
- Finely chopped nuts 1 small bowl
- Grated Coconut 1 tbsp
- Poppy seeds 2 tbsp
- Milk 1 cup
Method:
- Grind the dates finely in a mixer with milk.
- Heat ghee in a pan and fry the date paste on low flame till it becomes thick.
- In another pan, roast dry fruits, poppy seeds and coconut lightly so that their rawness comes out.
- When the date mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan, switch off the gas and mix the dry fruits and coconut well.
- Make laddus from the prepared mixture by applying lube to your hands and wrapping them in poppy seeds and keeping them in an airtight jar.
2. Coconut Dates Barfi
Serves: 6 people
Preparation: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Seeded dates 250 grams
- Milk 1/4 liter
- Ghee 1 tbsp
- Milk powder 1 cup
- Coconut sawdust cup
- Pistachio clippings for garnishing
Method:
- Grind dates in a mixer with milk.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add the paste and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now add milk powder and mix the coconut powder well after stirring for 5 minutes.
- When the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan, put the pistachio shavings stored in a greased square plate.
- After half an hour, when it sets, cut into square pieces and barfi is ready to serve.
