Festive feasts

It is easy to over-indulge in your favourite sweets during the festive season. But why compromise on your diet For all you weight watchers out there, this Diwali, indulge your sweet tooth, with these delicious yet healthy, low-calorie dessert recipes.

Corn and Carrot Kheer

Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 30 mins Serves 4

Ingredients: 250gm carrot 1/2 cup corn kernels 2 cups water 1 tbsp ghee 1 ltr milk 1/2 cup sugar 15 nos almonds 15 nos pistachios 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder 1 pinch saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk

Method: Wash and peel the carrots. Using a grater, grate the carrots and squeeze the excess moisture and set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, add two cups water and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, add the corn kernels and cook it for about 5 mins on a medium flame. Drain the water and coarsely grind the corn, and set aside. Chop the almonds in small cubes and on a small fry pan, dry roast the almonds for about 3 mins or till it becomes crunchy. Follow the same process for pistachios. Set the nuts aside allow them to cool.

In a small bowl, soak the saffron and cardamom powder with milk, set aside.

In a deep non-stick pan, heat ghee, add carrots and sugar, sauté till the raw flavour of the carrot is gone.

In the same pan, add milk and allow the mixture to cook. Once the mixture starts boiling, slowly stir in the corn mixture, saffron mixture and mix well and simmer on a low flame for about 5 mins.

Keeping aside a few pistachios and almonds for the garnish, add the rest to the prepared kheer.

Let the kheer cool down to room temperature. Then keep it in a refrigerator to chill for about 1hour.

Garnish the kheer with reserved pistachios, almonds and serve chilled.

Dates and walnut kheer Ingredients: 1 ltr fresh milk 1/2 kg dates (deseeded and chopped) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup walnut (chopped) 3 tbsp oats 4 tbsp roasted almond (chopped) 300 ml fresh cream 2 cups water Method: In a non-stick pan, add dates and water and cook on a low flame till the dates turn soft.

Allow the dates to cool. Then using a blender, make a fine paste, adding 100 ml milk to the mixture.

Heat the remaining milk in a pan and cook it on low flame, then add the sugar and date paste and mix well.

Add oats and half the quantity of crushed walnut and almond, bring to a boil.

Cool the mixture and refrigerate it. While serving, stir in the cream and garnish with remaining nuts.

Custard Apple Kheer Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Serves 6

Ingredients: 5 nos custard apple (large) 100 gm jaggery A pinch of aardamom powder 1 cup broken green gram (roasted) 1 cup coconut milk 1 tbsp almond flakes 1 tbsp pistachios flakes 3-4 cups water

Method: Wash and peel the custard apple, separating the seeds and pulp. Discard the seeds and store the pulp in refrigerated condition.

In a pressure cooker, place the roasted green gram and add 3 cups water, cook it till soft and mashy (this will take about 3 whistles).

In a non-stick pan, place the jaggery and cardamom powder and cook till the jaggrey melts.

Add the cooked green gram & custard apple pulp to the jaggery mixture mix well, add coconut milk. Bring to a boil

Garnish with nuts serve chilled.

Chef’s Tip: Using khajoor ka gur instead of sugarcane jaggery, gives good texture and taste to the kheer.

Recipes Courtesy: Chef Praveen Gonsalves, Barbeque Nation