“All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening”, Alexander Woollcott informed us several years ago.
We might not be sure about the first two, but hailing from a nation that considers eating desserts after every meal their religious duty, we sure agree with the fattening part. Since encountering people who make statements such as, “Oh I don’t like meetha” seriously dampers our mood, we have accepted our sweet tooth and are actually low-key defensive about it. We have heard people go all nihilistic on us with “Jab tak zindah hain, meethay se tu na roko.” Matlab ke kuch bhi!
However, this outlook will not save you from the dangerous diseases that are related to the unchecked overconsumption of sugar. In addition to the very infamous diabetes, excessive fats from the cheese, ghee, and cream used in preparing most of the desserts can lead to heart problems. We see your faces getting dark. Please do not lash out your anger on us, we are here to help. Also, we love meetha too! Let us cut the lecture short and give you the recipes for healthy desserts that will not disappoint your taste buds either!
1. Sooji Halwa (Low Fat/Sugar Version)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of semolina meal aka Sooji
- 2 tsp. of desi ghee
- 1⁄3 cup of sugar
- 2 1⁄2 cups of water
- 1 tbsp. of butter substitute. You can use 1 tabs of canola oil
- Cardamoms (elaichi) – 2 to 3 (powdered coarsely)
- Slivered almonds as per need
Directions:
- Mix sugar in water thoroughly and then let it stand.
- In a skillet, cook ghee and sooji for 5 minutes. Then add oil/butter. Cook it for 20 minutes at moderate heat. Wait till the sooji changes into a light brown mixture. Add coarsely ground powder of cardamom while keeping the skillet on the stove. Now add the water-sugar mixture from step 1. Stir using a spoon and let the water evaporate.
- Use slivered almonds for garnishing.
2. Healthier No-Bake Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup low-fat milk (1%)
- 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
Directions:
- Mix milk, sugar, cocoa, and butter in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil and cook until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from stove and stir in oats, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and coconut.
- Now roll the dough into walnut sized small balls. Place it on waxed paper.
- Allow them to cool as they harden.
3. Pop it with Healthy Watermelon Ice Pops
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup sliced strawberries plus 2 cups whole strawberries, divided
- 2 cups cubed seeded watermelon
- ¼ cup lime juice
Directions:
- Put slices of strawberries on to the insides of 3-ounce freezer-pop molds.
- Combine watermelon, whole strawberries, brown sugar, salt, and lime juice in a blender. Puree.
- Pour this mixture using a fine-mesh sieve which is set on a medium sized bowl. Press on the solids in order to press out as much juice as possible. Throw away the solids. Divide this mixture among the prepared mold. Now insert sticks.
- Freeze until solid. It usually takes around 6 hours
