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Healthy Recipes To Satiate Your Sweet Tooth This Vaisakhi

Summers bring a very special festival of Vaisakhi, the harvest festival. It is celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, and nearby areas with great fanfare and food makes an inseparable part of the celebrations. While you’re soaked in the merriment of the harvest festival, you may load yourself with signature Punjabi recipes like Makki Ki Roti with Sarson Ka Saag. Besides, post-meal desserts add up a few extra calories and make you feel guilty later. Thus, we decided to go a few extra miles to bring you some healthy dessert recipes to give a try on. Let’s start! 

#1. Gur Ka Halwa (Jaggery-Semolina Halwa)

Indian festivities are incomplete without sweet delicacies and halwa makes an inevitable part of the festival. While the traditional delicacy complements the taste buds, added sugar and unhealthy fats can wreak havoc on your health. Fortunately, switching certain ingredients while preparing the dish not only makes it more pleasing to the palate but healthier as well. This Vaisakhi, give Gur Ka Halwa a try to indulge in happiness and health altogether.

Ingredients

• 1 cup semolina
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoon almonds
• 2 teaspoon raisins
• 2 cup water
• 1/2 cup powdered jaggery
• 5 strand saffron
• 2 teaspoon cashews
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoon ghee

 How to Make Gur Ka Halwa:

Step 1- Heat a deep pan on a medium flame. Now, melt 2 tablespoons of desi ghee (clarified butter) and add 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds and cook until they crackle. Thereafter, add 1 cup of semolina to the pan and sauté at low flame until it turns golden brown. 

Step 2- Take another pan and heat 2 cups of water on medium flame. Once it comes to a boil, add powdered jaggery and let it melt and dissolve. Cook on a low flame for few minutes to thicken. 

Step 3- Now, add roasted semolina to the jaggery syrup and mix well. Cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes and then add milk and saffron to the mixture. Once the halwa begins to thicken, add dry nuts for garnishing. 

The healthy and tasty Gur Ka Halwa is ready. Garnish with nuts of your choice and serve hot.

#2. Mango Lassi

The summer season is here and you can’t miss out on a refreshing glass of lassi. Most people, indeed, are addicted to Punjabi lassi for its rich, creamy texture and coolness. While you may want to gulp down the thick and creamy coolant to satiate your sweet tooth, there are ways to make it more flavorful yet healthy by replacing refined sugar with the sweetness of mangoes. 

Ingredients

• 2-3 cup chopped ripe mango 
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons honey 
• ½ deseeded pomegranate
• Cardamom powder
• Mint leaves 

How to Make Mango Lassi:

Step 1- Peel mangoes and chop the pulp. 

Step 2- In a blending jar, mix mango fruit pulp, honey, thick yogurt, milk, and cardamom powder altogether. Cover the lid and blend everything to get a smooth mixture. You can add some more milk or water to get a thinner consistency. 

Step 3– Pour the lassi into the glasses and garnish it with pomegranate seeds, mint leaves, and saffron threads. Serve chilled. 

#3. Zarda Pulao/ Saffron Rice

Zarda Pulao, meethe chawal or saffron rice is another popular dish to satisfy your taste buds and soul. You can serve this dish as a main course or eat it as a dessert, post-meal. Let’s check out the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 9-10 saffron (Kesar) strands
• 3 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 2 tablespoon milk; hot
• 1-inch thick cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 4-5 cardamom pods
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 cup jaggery
• 2 tablespoon slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoon crushed pistachios
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins
• 2 cups hot water

How to make Zarda Rice:

Step 1- Soak the rice in water for one hour. Thereafter, strain the water

Step 2- Take a pan and boil water in it. Add saffron strands drained rice to it. 

Step 3- Cook the rice up to 90%, so that they’re cooked but not mushy. Thereafter, drain the water and separate the rice in a wide pan. 

Step 4- Once the rice is cooled, heat ghee in a pan on medium flame. 

Step 5- Now, add chopped nuts and stir fry until golden brown. Then, crush cloves and cardamom. 

Step 6- Add jaggery and pour 4 tablespoons of water. Stir well until it dissolves completely and cook it to a 2 string consistency. 

Step 7- Add the cool rice and coat them well with jaggery syrup. Layer it with dry fruits for garnishing. 

Step 8– Serve hot. 

These are three healthy recipes that can satiate your sweet tooth healthily. This Vaisakhi, incorporate any of these recipes in your festive menu and indulge in the flavors and merriment. We wish you a very happy and Healthy Vaisakhi.