The auspicious festival of Durga Puja ends with Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra, marking the end of the nine-day long Navratri celebrations and if you are looking for healthy dessert options to binge this festive week, we got you sorted with chef Ranveer Brar-approved recipes of Choco Gajak and Jowar Laddoo. Vijay Dashami marks the triumph of Maa Durga over the demon king Mahishasura while Dussehra or Dasara celebrates the victory of Rama over Ravana.
This year Durga Puja begins from Monday, October 11 (Maha Shasthi) and will end on Friday, October 15. As we pace through Navratri to reach Dussehra, blend yourself into the taste of sweet, traditional delicacies with these lip-smacking special recipes of Choco Gajak and Jowar Laddoo curated by Chef Ranveer Brar.
Choco Gajak
Ingredients
200 g sugar
50 ml chocolate flavoured syrup
3 tbsp ghee
100 g roasted peanuts
100 g sesame seeds (toasted)
5 g fennel seeds
30g icing sugar
20 g cocoa powder
Method:
Grease a rectangular tray with ghee and keep aside. Crush the peanuts and sesame seeds slightly and keep aside.
Heat sugar in a pan and add 2 tbsp water. Once the sugar has melted add in the chocolate flavoured syrup and cook till the mixture becomes thick.
Add ghee and cook for a minute. Add roasted peanuts, sesame, fennel seeds, cocoa powder and icing sugar.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, cook till all ingredients come together. Remove the mixture in the greased tray and spread evenly.
Make cuts when the mixture is hot/warm and keep aside to cool. Once it has cooled down, you can separate the pieces.
Serve or store them in an air-tight container once properly cooled.
Jowar Laddoo With Strawberry Flavour
Ingredients:
3 cups roasted puffed jowar
¼ cup slivered almonds
½ tbsp cardamom powder
½ tsp dry ginger powder
2 tbsp roasted chironji
1 tsp ghee
1 cup jaggery / gud
Strawberry flavoured syrup – ½ cup
Method:
In a large kadai, heat ghee and add jaggery. Keeping the flame low, stir continuously until the jaggery melts.
Add strawberry flavoured syrup and stir on low flame, till it turns frothy. Check the consistency by dropping syrup into a bowl of water. It should form a soft ball.
Turn off the flame and add dry roasted murmura and mix gently. Add roasted puffed jowar, slivered almonds, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and roasted chironji.
Mix until mixture is well combined and jaggery syrup is coated well. Grease your hand with ghee or wet your hand with water. Prepare ladoo when the mixture is still warm.
(Recipes: Chef Ranveer Brar)
Benefits:
Cocoa has the capacity to stimulate the brain to release endorphins that helps elevate one’s mood. The unsweetened cacao powder is a source of magnesium and other minerals and lacks the high-calorie cocoa butter or sugars found in garden-variety chocolate.
Almonds are packed with healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E and not only reduce hunger while promoting weight loss but also lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels along with reducing blood pressure. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating almonds in place of typical snacks may reduce the drop in heart rate variability (HRV) that occurs during mental stress, thereby improving cardiac function.
The molasses content in jaggery makes it more nutrient since this nutritious by-product of the sugar making process is removed while making refined sugar. Jaggery is rich in vitamins and minerals, makes for a great immunity booster, builds a shield against health ailments like cough and cold and leads to improved digestive health, anemia prevention, liver detoxification and improved immune function.
