Festivals are typically a time for indulgences, both sweet and spicy! On Ganesh Chaturthi, which falls this year on September 10, people traditionally offer modak – a sweet dumpling – to Lord Ganesha as it is considered one of his favourite desserts. But who says sweets cannot be healthy?
A typical modak has a sweet filling made of freshly grated coconut and jaggery, with an outer soft shell made of rice flour or wheat flour mixed with maida. A modak may be steamed or fried, but these days, sweet shops are also full with a mava variety, which is made out of khoya. They are simply shaped like dumplings and are available in a variety of options.
Chef Amit Jham, Co-Founder of ACTIVeat, has shared this interesting recipe of a healthy version of modak that you can easily prepare at home and gorge on without worrying about weight woes. The diabetic-friendly recipe includes the sweetness of dates, and the crunchiness of khus-khus.
What are we waiting for then? Let’s jump to the recipe!
Recipe for Dates and Khus-khus Modak (10 pieces)
Ingredients – Quantity in grams
- Dates Fresh – 100
- Almond – 25
- Cashewnut – 25
- Walnut – 25
- Raisins 25 –
- Coconut Dry – 25
- Poppy seeds – 7.5
- Ghee (Cow) – 7
Method
- Roast all nuts in ghee individually and coarsely crush them
- Make paste of the seedless dates
- Combine all the above ingredients together to form a dough and mould it into modak
- Garnish with poppy seeds
Also Read: From gut health to fighting diabetes, here are 8 reasons why you should include dates in your diet
Nutritional value – Calories per piece
- Protein – 1.9
- Carbs – 7
- Fats – 6.4
- Total Calories – 94kcals
With no added sugar, and naturally sweetened, this modak is sweet enough for diabetics, and packed with healthy fats.
