5 low-cal Diwali desserts to keep sugar in control

Got a sweet tooth? Enjoy these festive preparations without excess sugar and calorie intake!

Don't we love this time of year! Lights, firecrackers, goodwill and of course, plenty of great food are what we look forward to every Diwali.

The downside of that last fun factor, though is that we tend to overdo it with the sweets and end up packing on the pounds or aggravating chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

But not to fear! This year, you can enjoy these low-cal desserts with significantly lessened sugar content -- here's how to prepare them.

Ras Malai

Ras Malai, originally from Orissa, is a very popular milk-based dessert. It consists of sugary, cream-coloured (it can be yellow too) balls of paneer (cottage cheese) soaked in malai (cream) and flavoured with cardamom. It is specially made during the festive season.

Good for: Diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, healthy bones, women's health

Health factor: Low sugar, low fat, low salt, high calcium, high protein, high minerals

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (makes 20 pieces):

• 1 litre milk
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 cup water
• 10 almonds
• 1/2 cup sugar or sugar-free Natura powder

Method:

• Boil 500 ml milk. Add vinegar, till paneer is separated.
• Switch the burner off and cover the paneer for a minute with a lid.
• Strain the water away. Do not press too hard on the strainer.
• Empty the paneer into a plate and add cornflour to it. Beat till it becomes a soft dough and make small balls out of it.
• In a pressure cooker, add water and sugar/ sugar-free powder. Let it boil.
• Put the paneer balls in and cover with the lid. Pressure cook till one whistle.
• Take the remaining 500 ml milk in a kadai and boil it. Remember to keep stirring the milk, or it will stick to the bottom and give a burnt flavour. Simmer on low flame for 15 minutes.
• Let it cool. Add the rasgullas (the paneer balls) to this mix and add sugar-free Natura powder. Decorate with chopped almonds.
• Serve cold.

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This low-calorie Badam Phirni recipe is a popular dessert made of almond, rice and milk. It has a smooth, rich and creamy taste. People who love payasam and kheer will surely like this easy and quick-to-prepare dish.

Good for: Diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, weight loss, healthy bones, women's health, post-menopausal health, gastrointestinal health

Health factor: Low sugar, low fat, high calcium, high protein

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients (for four servings):

• 5 tbsps rice (red rice)
• 5 cups skimmed milk
• 8-10 almonds, blanched and crushed
• 4 tbsps grated jaggery (gur)
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom (elaichi) powder
• 1 tsp rose water
• 4-6 blanched, silvered pistachios

Method:

• Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Remove the water and grind the rice to make a smooth paste.
• Dilute the rice paste in half a cup of water and set aside. Boil milk in a non-stick saucepan.
• Reduce heat and add the diluted rice mixture to the milk.
• Cook on a medium flame for about five minutes or till the mixture thickens. Stir continuously.
• Add jaggery, crushed almonds and green cardamom powder.
• Reduce heat and cook till jaggery has completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat and mix with rose water.
• Pour into separate serving bowls.
• Garnish with pistachios.
• Chill in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Jowar (sorghum) is rich in minerals (potassium, calcium and phosphorus, with small amounts of iron and sodium) and high in fibre. Since it is gluten-free, it also makes a healthy diet and is good in treatment of celiac disease and wheat allergies. It also keeps bones healthy and help control diabetes.

Good for: Diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, weight loss

Health factor: Low sugar, low fat, low cholesterol, high fibre, high calcium, high protein, high vitamins, high iron, high minerals

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (makes 10-15 laddoos):

• 1 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
• 2 cups sorghum (jowar) flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar or 1 cup sweetener
• 5-6 cloves (laung)
• 1-2 tsps cardamom (elaichi) powder
• 4 tsps vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup almonds (badam)

Method:

• Put a little oil in a wok and roast half the portion of almonds. Set aside.
• Pour 1/2 cup of water in 3/4 cup of sugar. Allow it to boil till you have one-thread consistency. To check the consistency, lift a small portion of the syrup and allow it to cool for a few seconds. Now touch the syrup with a clean forefinger and then touch your thumb and forefinger together and pull apart gently. A single thread should form without breaking.
• Remove from flame. Pour all the ingredients (besan, jowar, cloves and green cardamom powder) in the hot sugar syrup. Mix well and allow it to cool for one hour.
• Now make small round balls out of the mixture. Garnish with the rest of the almonds and serve!

These healthy muffins are made from 100 percent whole grains, including both wheat bran and oat bran (providing soluble and insoluble fibre at once), and yet they do not taste like sawdust.

Good for: Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, weight loss, gastrointestinal health

Health factor: Low fat, low cholesterol, high fibre, high protein, high iron

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (makes 10-15 laddoos):

• 1 cup wheat bran
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon (dalchini)
• 1/2 cup sugarfree apple sauce
• 1/2 cup dry milk powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Optional: 1/4 tsp grounded ginger (adrak)
• Optional: A pinch of nutmeg (jaiphal)

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Grease a standard-size muffin pan or line cups with paper liners.
• Mix dry ingredients (wheat and oat bran, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, milk powder, baking powder, sweetener and nutmeg) in a large bowl and set aside.
• Combine wet ingredients (eggs, applesauce and vanilla essence) in a small bowl and pour into dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.
• Fill muffin cups with batter.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean -- about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.

This pineapple-flavoured sweet-dish is prepared using grated pineapple slices, low-fat khoya and cardamom. It is a favourite for special occasions, garnished with grated almonds.

Good for: Hypertension, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal health

Health factor: Low fat, low cholesterol, high calcium, high protein, high vitamins, high minerals

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (makes four servings):

• 1.5 cups pineapple
• 1/4 cup grated low-fat khoya (mawa)
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1.2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
• A few saffron (kesar) strands, soaked in 1 tbsp low-fat milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2-3 almonds
• 2 tbsps Sugarfree

Method:

• In a non-stick pan, heat ghee and add the pineapple and Sugarfree. Let it cook for around 10 minutes on a low flame, stirring continuously.
• Now add the low-fat khoya and low-fat milk, stir well.
• On a low flame, mix the ingredients well and let cook for at least 10 minutes or till the mixture thickens.
• Remove from flame, add the saffron milk and cardamom powder and mix gently. Cover with a lid for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot or chilled, garnished with grated almond.