Celebrate this Diwali with two healthy sweets

Low calorie & Low fat Sandesh

Sandesh, a popular Bengali sweet,is a sweet cousin of the syrupy ras malai & rasgulla. Here is a low-fat version of Sandesh using a sweet pulpy fruit and honey instead of sugar. We can use banana, peach, fig or apple. Ensure to balance the sweetness of the juice with honey.

INGREDIENTS

* 1litre  low-fat cows milk,

* 1 ripe banana,

* 30ml vinegar

* 50 almonds ground to a paste

* 2tbs honey

* 1 tbs kewda water

METHOD

Add vinegar to boiling milk. The milk will curdle. Drain the whey .Keep the paneer aside to cool.

When cool, make sure there’s no moisture in the paneer. Using the hand rub till it reaches a smooth crumble.

Peel and mash the banana. Add kewda water and honey and blend the mixture well.

Add the paneer and mix till it makes a sticky dough. Shape into one inch thick bite-size pieces,

Flatten lightly and wrap in ground almonds. Garnish with almond flakes.

Low fat Shreekhand

A popular Gujarati dish, the creamy sweet shreekhand is traditionally eaten as an accompaniment with puris. We are leaving out the cream and sugar and making a low fat & sweet version.

• Low fat yoghurt
• 20 pista
• 20 almonds
• 10-15 raisins
• 20 cashews
• 20 strands of Saffron
• 2 tbs dried rose petals
• 50ml low-fat cold milk
• 2 tbs rose water
• 50ml natural honey

In a clean dish towel hang the yoghurt or muslin cloth, for 2-3 hours to drain the whey.

Soak saffron in milk.

Roughly chop cashews, pista & almonds. In a non-stick frying pan lightly toast the nuts. Allow it to cool.

Put the yoghurt in a mixing bowl. Add honey,rose water,saffron-soaked milk, raisins and most of the rose petals. Add nuts but retain few for garnishing. Mix well & serve individually in glass bowls, top with toasted nuts and rose petals.

Remember to chill before serving.