Diwali is a festival of lights as well as sweets and gifts. While we enjoy the pomp and show of the festival, we also lose track of our dietary intake and gain a couple of pounds in the festival season.
Here is a great solution to your concerns!
Enjoy the festival without compromising the fun of sweets with these healthy recipes for Diwali to stay healthy.
CHOCO-ALMOND DATES
Dates are desired by everyone in the season of winters. Here’s a healthy way to make traditional nutrition rich dates. One can use it at home as well as package it beautifully to give to the near and dear ones on Diwali.
Ingredients:
-10 pitted Medjool dates
-10 teaspoons almond butter
-3 ounces dark chocolate (60-70%) chopped
Method:
Fill each date with almond butter.
Melt the chocolate in the oven.
Dip each date with the melted chocolate.
Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Ready to serve
HEALTHY BHEL
To add a little spice to the sweet season of Diwali festival, here’s a little recipe to make a healthy bhel for the children and the family to enjoy.
Ingredients:
Makhana – 40 gm
Onion – 1
Tomato (deseeded) – 1
Green chillies – 1 to 2
Asafoetida – a pinch
Ghee – 1 tsp
Rock salt – to taste
Chaat masala – to taste
Lime juice – 2 tsp
For garnishing:
Pomegranate – a handful
Fresh coriander – a handful
Method:
In ghee, roast the makhanas until they get crisp.
While roasting, add the asafoetida.
Add chopped green chilies, tomatoes, and diced onions as soon as they cool.
Stir in the lime juice, chaat masala, and rock salt.
Add some fresh coriander and pomegranate as garnish.
Savor it crisp and fresh.
NO BAKE CHOCO-OAT COOKIES
Cookies and pinnis (ladoos) constitute a major chunk of gifts exchanged on Diwali. Let’s make cookies healthy besides tasty.
Ingredients:
¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter
½ cup low-fat milk
⅓ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
In a medium saucepan, mix together peanut butter, milk, brown sugar, butter, cocoa, and salt. Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat until the butter and sugar are melted. Take off the heat and mix in the vanilla and oats.
Spoon the batter onto the parchment paper, let it cool, then place it in the refrigerator for approximately half an hour.
NUTRITIOUS KHEER
Let’s fill the sweetness of kheer with some nutrients and healthy ingredients to savor during the special festival of Diwali.
Ingredients (for 2 servings):
Sago – 70 gm
Vermicelli – 30 gm
Ghee – 1 tsp
Milk – 500 gm
Sugar – 50 gm
Cardamom powder (optional) – ½ tsp
Method:
Put some ghee in a pan and fry the vermicelli in it until it turns golden brown.
Cook in water in a different pan until they become soft and transparent. It is going to require five to six minutes.
Place the milk in a pot over a medium-low heat.
Stir in the vermicelli and continue to cook.
When fully cooked, combine the sago or sabudana with the milk. Stirring still in operation.
Add the sugar to the milk as it begins to thicken and becomes creamy.
At this point, you can add the cardamom powder.
Add saffron and pistachio strands as garnish.
GRILLED VEGETABLE KEBABS
Rather than going for traditional kebabs which are cooked unhealthy, healthy grilled vegetable kebabs are a good alternative for the season of Diwali festival. It is also a good appetite for the vegetarian population and the ones who want to avoid non veg food in the festival season.
Ingredients:
Though the choice of vegetables for this healthy recipe depends on your personal taste, still here are a few options that can be combined for a wholesome benefit and taste-
Mushrooms
Paneer
Bell pepper
Tomatoes
Carrots
Capsicum
Method:
This healthy recipe can be grilled on a homemade grill as well. Place the vegetables in order in a chopstick sized grilling stick. Use olive oil for brushing up the contents. This will add to the flavor as well as increase good cholesterol in the body. Heat it on a medium flame until golden brown. Squeeze some lemon on top of it and serve hot, preferably with a homemade sauce.
Hope you find the content useful. This Diwali, do try one of these and take care of your health. Stay tuned for such interesting updates.
