Smartest Recipes for a Healthy Diwali

Smartest Recipes for a Healthy Diwali

Festivals and sweets are synonymous with each other in India. If we talk about Indian festivals, especially the upcoming festival of lights - Diwali, there are many varieties of sweets and snacks that are prepared by most Indian families.  
Visiting friends, inviting them over to your place and exchanging sweets is a tradition seen in Indian houses. With so many temptations around us during this festive occasion most of us tend to forget everything about health and weight. If you are on a weight loss diet, it is suggested to keep your taste buds in some control else all your weight loss strategy will go for a dive.
Instead of buying high calorie snacks and other Indian sweets you can make healthy sweets at home. Team Medimanage offers some tips on adopting healthy ways of eating this Diwali
1.    Anjeer Barfi:



gms anjeer (fig), 2 tbsp sugar, ¼ tsp cardamom powder (elaichi powder)
Procedure:

• Puree the figs / anjeer till they are soft and are broken down into very small pieces.
• In a pan, combine the sugar with 1 tbsp of water and prepare sugar syrup of 1 string consistency.
• Add the anjeer and cardamom powder and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring continuously.
• Remove from fire.
• Transfer to a slightly greased plates and cut diamond shape pieces.

Well Know Nutritionist, Vasudha Sainik says, “Anjeer is not only a good source of fiber but is also is very rich in calcium. Adding roasted almonds to this sweet would not only enrich its taste but also the nutrition value. Anjeer is nutritious but also energy dense, hence it would be ideal and apt to limit oneself to one piece at a time.”
Vasudha advices, “Anjeer barfi is any time more nutritious and safe on health, in comparison to kaju katli which is high in fats & also simple sugars.”
Vasudha Sainik adds, “No matter how healthy a sweet is, it should always be consumed as a snack by itself, than consuming it after a meal or post meal.”
2.    Rose Barfi
¾ cup low fat paneer or cottage cheese, 3 tbsp crumbled low fat mava, 2 ½ tbsp powder, sugar and 1-2 drops of rose color.
Procedure:

• Mix paneer, mava and sugar and knead it into soft dough. Add a tbsp of water if required.           
• Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions.
• Add rose color to one portion of the dough.
• Spread the white portion on a greased thali and flatten the surface with a spatula. Then spread the pink colored mixture over the white colored mixture and flatten the surface.
• Refrigerate the plate for at least 1 hour and cut into barfi sized pieces and serve.

Vasudha Sainik adds, “Rose Barfi is not only low in calories and fat but also rich in proteins and calcium. Addition of finely cut red rose petals to this dish would also help add some fiber content to this recipe, thus making it more appealing & complete on the health front.” 
Vasudha adds, “Comparing Rose barfi to the sinful gulab jamun, 1 medium sized gulab jamun with stuffing has approximately 250kcals ,whereas Rose barfi would give as approximately 100-125 kcals & that too with the nutrients in it.”



3.    Baked Chakli
1 cup rice flour, ½ tsp soya flour, 1 ½ tbsp low fat butter Low fat  butter,  urad dal flour( split black lentil flour) ¾ tsp ginger chillie paste, ½ tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp sugar, salt to taste and  ¼ tsp oil for greasing.
Procedure:

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead into semi soft dough using enough water. 
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
• Put one portion of the dough in the chakili mould and press out long whirls of the dough on to a greased baking tray.
• Bake these chaklis in a pre heated oven at 180° for approx 20 minutes or till they are golden brown. Gently flipping over once in between using a flat spoon. Cool and store the chaklis in an air tight container.

Vasudha Sainik says, “Baked Chakli is definitely a healthy alternative to the deep fried chakli. The traditional deep fried chakli is not only high in trans fats i.e. bad & harmful fat, but is also very high in calories. An average medium sized chakli gives about 200 to 225 Kcals per piece. Whereas the baked version is not only free from trans fat but also low on calories i.e. an average medium sized baked chakli would give around 105 Kcals.”

4.    Poha Chivda
2 cups thin poha (beaten rice), 1 tsp mustard oil, 1-2 green chillies, 5-6 curry leaves, 1 tbsp unsalted peanuts, 2 tbsp roasted chana dal or dalia, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp powder sugar, a pinch of citric acid, 1 tbsp oil and salt to taste
Procedure:

• Place the thin poha in a shallow microwave dish and microwave on High for 2 minutes.
• In another microwave bowl add oil and mustard seeds and micro wave for 2 minutes
• Add green chilies, peanuts and roasted chana dal turmeric powder and microwave on high for 1 more minute
• Add these to the poha bowl and mix well. Microwave for 1 more minute 
• Add sugar citric acid and salt and mix well.

Vasudha Sainik says, “Baked Chivda is the right combination for a healthy recipe and the best one for weight watchers. A cup or one katori to rice flakes chivda would give not more than a 80kcals. But it shall definitely give you some amount of protein and good fat from dahlia i.e roasted chana dal & groundnuts respectively.”





5.    Baked Papdi
1 cup whole wheat flour, ¼ cup bengal gram flour, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbs oil, and 1-2 tsp sesame seeds.
Procedure:

• Combine all the ingredients and knead into firm dough using very little water.
• Make small balls from the dough.
• Roll each ball into puris 1 ½ inch in diameter. (You can alternatively cut it into small diamond shapes and make namkeen para.)
• Place the puris in a microwave plate taking care that they do not touch each other.
• Prick the surface of each puri lightly with a fork.
• Microwave on a high for 1 minute, remove and let it cool. Store well in an air tight container.

Vasudha Sainik says, “Baked papdi is a good substitute to the traditional fat-laden papdi.  Adding Bengal gram flour increases the nutritional content of the recipe .Till( sesame seeds) being a good source of Omega-6 fatty acids & also of various other phytonutrients, thus enhancing the taste & also the nutritional value”Vasudha Sainik suggests, “A better and right selection could save you from gaining unwanted calories, during the festive season."
Here is a list to help you choose your sweets wisely:
 Rasgulla over Gulabjamun: 
Gulabjamuns are deep fried & are made of white refined flour, whereas rasgullas are made of paneer,not fried but boiled,& with less sugar.
1 piece Gulab jamuns-250kcals ,1 peice Rasgulla-100-120kcals 
Rasmalai or other chenna sweet over jalebi 
Jalebi is a sinful combination of oil,maida & sugar, whereas rasmalai has milk in it and is not fried.
2 medium sized Jalebi-250 kcals, 1piece Rasmalai with milk-150 Kcals. 
Besan ladoo over Bundi ladoo 
Bundi is fried and contains more sugar & less nutrients, whereas besan ladoo is made up of bengal gram flour and less sugar, comparatively good source of protein.
1 medium sized Bundi ladoo-270 kcals, 1 medium sized besan ladoo-180kcals. 
Vermicilli Kheer/Sevai over Rava sheera/halwa 
Rawa Sheera is a fatal combination of high fat & sugar with lots of carbs.  Kheer is an apt combination of carbs & protein, thus high in the nutrients and low on calories.
1 cup Halwa/sheera-270 kcals, 1cup kheer-180 kcals.
If you eat sensibly this Diwali, you can enjoy the festival without gaining weight. If you receive lots of sweets as gifts, practice generosity, and share it with people who are not as privileged as you. A smile of their face will surely light your Diwali.
 Have a Healthy and Happy Diwali!!!