It's Diwali time! That means, it's time for sweets and indulgence. But who ever
said that you need to use table sugar and saturated unhealthy fats from oil’s and
ghee to indulge. Here are some fantastic recipes to try from which will keep you
glowing with good health and still satisfied. Now you no longer have to stop your
kids from eating too many sweets, if anything insist on having an extra serving.
Vegan dry- fruit laddoos
This is a simple 5- minute recipe and these laddoos can be stored with or
without refrigeration for 3-5 days. Since they do not have any milk or lactose,
they do not rot or smell bad in just a day or so.
Ingredients:
150 grams dates
1 cup dry fruits of choice (I use cashews/ almonds and walnuts)
1 tsp cardamom powder
½ tbsp. Mace (Javitri) powder
Blend all in a high- speed blender for 15- 20 minutes till the ingredients come
together well. You will not need to use any water or milk since the oil’s released
from the dry fruits will bind the ingredients well together. No sugar is necessary
either since the dates are naturally sweet and even loaded with fibre and
potassium!
FUN FACT: Potassium in dates help flush out the sodium from the
body which causes water retention. Essentially, it’s a great way to help get rid of
bloating.
Once the ingredients come together well, roll small laddoos and sprinkle some
kesar threads from the top to not only help garnish but also add a brilliant flavour
which will make you nostalgic and bring back childhood festival memories.
FUN FACT: The vitamin C in saffron aids in fighting infection, boosting immunity and also helps with iron absorption. We take multi- vitamin pills to help us get our vitamins but
really, all we need to do is look in our kitchens!
Vegan Rabdi
This recipe mostly steals the show every time I make it. I have made this for my
non- vegan friends and family members too and they cannot seem to stop eating
it. Knowing it is also very healthy and high in proteins, this is a once a week
staple at my home.
Ingredients:
75 grams dates
1/2 cup mixed pistachio/ almonds and cashews (unsalted)
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tbsp. nutmeg powder
4 cups soy milk or any store bought plant based milk
Salt to taste
Blend all of the above ingredients except for the soy milk or any store bought plant based milk in a high- sleep blender for 10 minutes. Unlike the laddoos, you do not want the mixture to be extremely fine and rather of a slightly crunchy consistency.
Heat the soy milk or any store bought plant based milk on a low flame making sure that the milk does not completely boil. You should still see small bubbles form around the rim, but that’s it. It should take about 3 minutes for the milk to reach this point.
Once you start seeing the bubbles form, add the blended mixture slowly while
constantly stirring. Stir for 5 minutes on low flame and you will start noticing the
milk thicken. At this point, add 1 tbsp of cardamom powder and few saffron
threads.
Turn the flame off and stir some more.
Let this cool before refrigerating the same for 2 hours before serving. Though
many people love the rabdi hot and it can be had hot too, I love it cold!
The beauty of plant- based dessert is that they wont leave you with a sugar- rush
later or make you feel sluggish which mostly happens when you eat desserts
with dairy and saturated fats. You will feel better and still get all the taste from
ingredients like almonds, cashews and more.
Give these a try and don’t forget to tag up on your social media if you re- create
them. We would love to give you a shout out.
Recipes created by Roshni Sanghvi
Health Coach and Personal Fitness Trainer
Website - https://www.roshnisanghvi.com/