It is easy to over-indulge in your favourite sweets during the festive seasons. But why compromise on your diet? For all you weight watchers out there, this Christmas, indulge your sweet tooth, with Barbeque Nation’s delicious yet healthy, low-calorie dessert recipes.
Corn & Carrot Kheer
Ingredients
Carrot 250gms
Corn kernels 1/2 cups
Water 2 cups
Ghee 1tbsp
Milk 1ltr
Sugar ½ cup
Almonds 15 nos
Pistachios 15 nos
Green cardamom powder 1/4 teaspoon
Saffron (kesar) 1 pinch. soaked in one tablespoon warm milk
Method
Step 1. Wash and peal the carrots, using a grater, grate the carrots and squeeze the excess moisture & set aside.
Step 2. In a medium sauce pot add 2 cup’s water and bring to a boil , once the water starts boiling add the corn kernels and cook it for about 5 mins on a medium flame. Drain the water and coarsely grind the corns, set aside.
Step 3. Chop the almonds in small cubes and on a small fry pan dry roast the almonds for about 3 mins or till it becomes crunchy. Follow the same process for pistachios. Set the nuts aside allow them to cool.
Step 4. In a small bowl soak the saffron & cardamom powder with milk, set aside.
Step 5. In a deep non-stick pan heat ghee add carrots& sugar, sauté till the raw flavor of carrot is gone.
Step 6. In the same pan add milk and allow the mixture to cook, once the mixture starts boiling slowly stir in the corn mixture, saffron mixture and mix well and simmer on a low flame for about 5 mins.
Step 7. Keeping aside a few pistachios & almonds for garnish, add the rest to the prepared kheer.
Step 8. Let the kheer cool down to room temperature. Then keep it in a refrigerator to chill for about 1hour.
Step 8. Garnish the kheer with reserved pistachios, almonds and serve chilled.
Preparation Time 20 Mins
Cooking time 30 mins
Serves. 4 portions
Custard Apple Kheer
Ingredients
Custard Apple 5 nos (large)
Jaggery 100g
Cardamom powder
Broken green gram 1 cup (roasted)
Coconut milk 1 cup
Almond flakes 1 tbsp
Pistachios flakes 1 tbsp
Water 3-4 cups
Method
Step 1. Wash & peel the custard apple, separating the seeds and pulp. Discard the seeds and store the pulp in refrigerated condition.
Step 2. In a pressure cooker, place the roasted green gram and add 3 cups water, cook it till soft and mashy. (3 whistles)
Step 3. In a nonstick pan place the jaggery and cardamom powder and cook till the jaggrey melts.
Step 4. Add the cooked green gram & custard apple pulp to the jiggery mixture mix well, add coconut milk. Bring to a boil
Step 5. Garnish with nuts serve chilled.
Preparation Time 20 Mins
Cooking time 40 mins
Serves. 6 portions
Chef’s Tips: Using Khajoorkagur instead of sugar cane jaggery, gives good texture and taste to the kheer.
Dates and walnut kheer
Ingredients
Fresh milk 1 liter
Dates ½ kg (deseeded and chopped)
Sugar ½ cup
Walnut ½ cup (chopped)
Oats 3 tbsp
Roasted Almond 4tbsp (chopped)
Fresh Cream 300ml
Water 2 cup
Method
Step 1. In a nonstick pan Add dates and water and cook on a low flame till the dates turn soft. Allow the dates to cool. Then using a blender and make a fine paste adding 100 ml milk to the mixture.
Step 2. Heat the remaining milk in a pan and cook it on low flame add sugar and date paste and mix well.
Step 3. Add oats and half the quantity of crushed walnut and almond, bring to a boil.
Step 4. Cool the mixture and refrigerate it. While serving steer in the cream and garnish with remaining nuts.
(Inputs by Chef Praveen Gonsalves, Barbeque Nation)
