Raksha Bandhan 2022: The festival of Raksha Bandhan is just a day away and if you are done with all the preparations from selecting the best rakhis, buying gifts, decorating your home for the festival with beautiful rangolis, and adorning your hands with mehndi designs, apart from choosing that perfect ethnic wear for the day, it's time to rustle up some homemade sweets to give Raksha Bandhan a personalised touch. Especially, if your sibling or any other family member is suffering from diabetes, it is imperative to go for sugar-free desserts that would keep their blood sugar levels in check. (Also read: Raksha Bandhan special: 9 vacation destinations for upcoming long weekend)
People with diabetes often have limited options when it comes to desserts on festive occasions but a healthy ingredient swap could make almost any sweet diabetes-friendly. Using ample amounts of fruits, nuts and natural sweeteners could help add much cheer to your festival.
Here are three sugar-free dessert recipes you could conveniently make at home on Raksha Bandhan for people with diabetes.
Apricot and Dates Barfi
(Recipe by Chef Ravneet, Fleurons)
Ingredients
Dried apricot - 400 gm
Dried Dates - 100 gm
Almonds - 200 gm
Oatmeal - 100 gm
Coconut Flakes - 50 gm
Method
- Soak apricots, dates and almonds in separate bowls for 15-20 minutes.
- Grind apricots and dates together.
- Drain the almonds and grind them along with the oatmeal.
- Mix both the mixtures and sprinkle in coconut flakes in the end and cut them in the desired shapes.
- Your barfi is ready.
Walnut Coconut Brownie
(Recipe by Chef Jerson Fernandes, Executive Chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach)
Ingredients
Butter Unsalted - 250 gm
Jaggery - 300 gm
Whole eggs - 200 gm
Melted chocolate - 140 gm
Refined flour - 120 gm
Chopped walnuts - 220 gm
Method:
- Cream butter and jaggery together until light and fluffy.
- Add the whole eggs gradually.
- Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture.
- Combine all the dry ingredients together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture to the lined cake ring mould.
- Bake it at 200 degree at 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool, cut into desired shape, microwave it for 2 minutes and serve on a hot sizzling plate with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Kaffir Lime infused baked cheese cake with fresh exotic fruits
(Recipe by Chef Jerson Fernandes, Executive Chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach)
Ingredients
For the Biscuit Base
Fibre biscuits - 220 gm
Unsalted butter - 140 gm
For the Cheese Cake mixture
Refined flour - 35 gm
Jaggery - 350 gm
Sour Cream - 150 gm
Cream Cheese - 450gm
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tbsp
Eggs - 4 nos
Kaffir Lemon Zest - 1 no
For the Garnish
Fruit jelly - 150gm
Fresh fruits - 300 gm
Tempered Chocolate - 50 gm
Method
- Break biscuits and blitz it in a food processor adding softened butter little by little until it forms a sand like crumbly texture.
- Pour the crumbly biscuit mix in the cake tin lined with butter and press it hard against the base and the walls of the tin till it sticks well.
- Blend the cream cheese in a beater until soft and add flour until combined. Add Kaffir lime zest, Vanilla, sour cream, jaggery and mix well.
- Add eggs one by one and continue beating in between till it is combined well. Do not overbeat to incorporate air.
- Pour the mixture into the biscuit mixture lined cake pan and bake at 325F for 1 hour.
- The cake is ready when it forms a golden-brown crust without any crack and must slightly jiggle when the pan is shaken.
- Allow it to cool at room temp for 1 hr and then 3-4 hrs in a refrigerator until firm and non-jiggly.
- Demould it onto a tray or plate, cut, coat with kaffir lime fruit coulis topped with freshly cut exotic fruits, edible flowers and chocolate garnishes of desires shape and size.
