Delectable festivities

The festive season brings every kind of dessert you could want. Here's how to pick the healthiest one.
It's that time of the year when every house, every room and even office desks are stacked with mithai boxes, chocolate hampers, sweet wraps and various dessert options. While it is a common practice to do away with your diet during festivals, there are many who believe in practising moderation.For people who wish to keep their health in check, chefs and bakers around the country suggest healthier variations of Diwali sweets.
Health vs taste: However much you may you try, you can't abstain from sweets during Diwali. But the idea is to have sweets, which are healthier versions of classic desserts. Homebased baker Salika Bali says, “Eliminating sugar doesn't work in classic recipes. That's where substitutes work. Sugar can be replaced with stevia, natural honey, brown sugar and maple syrup. Butter can be replaced with olive oil. There are even delicious offbeat desserts, which focus more on natural flavours of fresh ingredients. Examples include dark chocolate raspberry bean brownies, flourless lemon poppy seed muffins, flourless cranberry chocolate chip cookies, strawberry oatmeal quinoa bars and blueberry peach quinoa crumble.“
A healthier version is to prepare desserts with fruits. “For instance, instead of preparing flour and sugar jalebis, you can look at making apple and pineapple jalebis.Slice the fruits, lace them in batter, fry in ghee and give them a honey bath. Then sprinkle some chopped dry fruits on them. This is both, healthy and tasty,“ avers Rana Dominic Gomes, executive chef at a well-known hotel. Replace refined flour with whole wheat or millet flour, and white rice with brown rice. Once your ingredients are in order, focus on preparation. “Instead of deep-fried sweets, consume sweets that can be baked, steamed, boiled or shallow fried. It is always good to use natural, in-season ingredients for a healthy body,“ adds executive pastry chef Anil Kumar. If you choose the ingredients wisely, any dessert can be made healthy.
Rashi Chowdhary, nutritionist and owner of a bakery shop, avers, “Diwali desserts are usually loaded with milk, refined sugar and sometimes refined oil. All of these are inflammatory ingredients and can be replaced with healthy counterparts. If you are lactose intolerant, you can use coconut milk. The fat content in this is the best form of fat for your heart, appetite and metabolism. The flavour of coconut further complements the taste of Indian desserts.“
Stylish designs:Everyone wants to eat attractively presented desserts.“People are experimenting with western desserts for Diwali gifting. Other than just a platter of laddoos or barfis; diyas, lanterns and pataka-shaped cupcakes made of chocolate are in demand. Platters with Diwali motifs like chakri, anar, phuljhadi are also trending.Sweets shaped as diyas, kalash, shankh, and so on are `in' this festive season,“ says Chef Mohammed Akhtar.
Desserts for diabetics:From phirni to mousse, almost all desserts can be made with sugar-free substitutes. ErriSantosh Reddy, a pastry chef at a well-known hotel, says, “One can do a healthy Swiss carrot cake made with sugar-free substitutes without com promising on the texture and taste.
Muesli baked custard oat and sunflower mousse cake can be considered for dessert options. Healthy breads like three seed bread, oat bran bread are some healthy bakery products as well.“
“Instead of refined sugar, you can use raw honey or dates. These aren't as addictive as refined sugar and provide a whole lot of nutrients like potassium, iron etc. Most importantly, don't opt for fatfree dessert. Adding healthy fat in the form of coconut oil, desi ghee or butter is one way to ensure a slow and favourable rise in blood glucose levels.Without healthy quality fat, your sugar level rises too quickly followed by a quick dip, which leaves you craving more sugar.Refrain from using refined vegetable oils as their cheap processing methods make them toxic to consume,“ adds Chowdhary.
Healthy substitutes:Elements like almond flour, coconut oil, dates, nuts and other natural foods like avocados not only make desserts tasty, but also very healthy in terms of their nutritional value. Fat found in ghee, butter, coconut oil and avocado oil are all extremely good for your heart and hormones and can heal your metabolism.
“Bakers are moving towards gluten-free, low carb, eggless and light desserts.
Whole grain desserts are also becoming popu lar,“ adds chef Sanjana Pa tel. With the inclusion of sugar free and low calorie sup plements, which are almost as good as sugar these days, it has become relatively easy for bakers and patisseries to come out with desserts, which are healthy.Vikram Chanana, executive sous chef at a popular hotel, says, “A lot of fancy ingredients such as sugar free gelatin, vegetarian gelatin, flours from grains such as quinoa and millet, natural leavening agents and organic preservatives are being used these days to create desserts and other baked products. Ingredients such as quinoa flour, palm sugar, maple syrup, stevia, natural fruit purees, lentil flour, low fat milk and natural sweeteners play a much larger role in preparing various desserts.“
Desserts of the season: Pastry chef RadheikaMittal says that `luxe desserts' in terms of design and ingredients are trending. “These use the freshest and the best quality chocolates and are beautifully wrapped and presented. Fusion desserts like masalachai chocolate bon bon and rasmalai tiramisu are varieties we are doing this Diwali,“ she says.
Avni Mehrotra