5 Indian Sweets For Diabetics

Dessert – one of the few truly genuine pleasures in life. A majority of us eagerly wait for the end of our meals, just so we can sink our teeth into whatever scrumptious dessert is available. Unfortunately for a diabetic, this feeling is dampened by the worry of what the repercussions might be.

Living with a disease like diabetes is challenging enough, so why does dessert time have to ring alarm bells? Shouldn’t there be a reward for the hard work of maintaining sugar levels through a healthy diet and continuous exercise? Well, there is!

Here, We Give You 5 Recipes That You Can Enjoy, Guilt-free, Throughout The Year.

1. Oats Apple Phirni

If you’re craving for the cool, creamy deliciousness of phirni, this oats and apple phirni is the answer to your prayers. With just the right sweetness, it keeps the calorie count in check with low-fat milk and a substitute for sugar. Oats also health control cholesterol and other lifestyle chronic illnesses

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup coarsely powdered quick cooking rolled oats
• ¾ cup grated apple (unpeeled)
• 3 cups low-fat milk, 99.7% fat-free
• 2 tsp sugar substitute

Method:

1. Heat the milk in a deep non-stick pan and bring it to a boil.
2. Add the oats, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.
3. Remove from the flame, add the sugar substitute, mix well and keep aside to cool slightly.
4. Add the apple, mix well and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
5. Serve chilled.

2. Sugar-free Strawberry Ice-cream

Strawberry season is right around the corner and we can’t wait to dig into our favourite scoop. This ingenious recipe uses the natural sweetness of the fruit and reduced milk instead of full fat cream, giving you an all access pass to indulge that sweet tooth responsibly. This dessert is also served in restaurants for diabetics.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (½ litre) low fat milk
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 3 to 4 sachets sugar substitute

Method:

1. Mix the corn flour in ½ cup of cold milk and keep aside.
2. Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a non-stick pan and add the corn flour mixture.
3. Stir continuously and simmer over a slow flame till it coats the back of a spoon.
4. Cool completely. Add the sugar substitute and the strawberries and pour into an air-tight container.
5. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours.
6. Liquidise in a blender till it is slushy and pour back into the air-tight container.
7. Freeze till the ice-cream is set.

3. Diet Pumpkin Halwa

Good old, heartwarming, pumpkin halwa. Perfect Indian recipe for blood sugar to keep us warm on those chilly winter nights. This recipe perfectly imbibes the wholesomeness of this yummy favourite and is sure to bring back memories of your mom’s cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red pumpkin, grated
• 1 cup milk
• 3-4 saffron strands
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1tsp sugar-free
• 1tsp ghee
• Dry fruits, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a kadai. When it becomes hot, add the grated pumpkin and sauté for five minutes.
2. Add the milk and cook till it is almost absorbed.
3. Add the sugar-free, cardamom powder, saffron strands and mix well.
4. Cook on medium flame till it starts leaving the sides of the kadai.
5. Move the halwa to a serving dish and garnish with dry fruits.

4. Diabetic Caramel Custard

It’s the perfect way to end any meal for those who want to avoid a sugar-laden dessert. Our recipe of the all time favourite caramel custard is light yet delicious enough to make you crave a second serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups low-fat milk
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 3 sachets sugar substitute
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 5 gms chopped agar-agar
• 1tsp sugar for caramelising

Method:

1. Soak the China grass in ¾ cup of cold water for 15 to 20 minutes and cook on a slow flame until it dissolves. Keep warm.
2. In a pudding mould, add the sugar (for caramelising) and 1 teaspoon of water and continue cooking until the sugar becomes brown.
3. Spread the caramelised sugar all over the base of the mould, rotating the mould to spread it evenly. The sugar will harden quickly.
4. Mix the custard powder in ½ cup of cold milk.
5. Boil the remaining milk. When it comes to a boil, add the custard powder and milk mixture and continue cooking till you get a smooth sauce.
6. Add the China grass solution to the custard and boil again for 2 minutes.
7. Strain the mixture and cool it slightly. Strain the mixture if it is lumpy.
8. Add the vanilla essence and sugar substitute and mix well. Pour this mixture over the prepared pudding mould.
9. Allow to set in a refrigerator.
10. Before serving, loosen the sides with a sharp knife and invert on a plate.
11. Serve chilled.

5. Low-fat Sugar-free Christmas Fruit Cake

‘Tis the season to be jolly indeed! With Christmas almost upon us, what better way to ring in the festivities that with an old-fashioned Christmas cake to share with your family? Sit back, relish a slice and soak up the warmth and comfort of the moment.

Ingredients:

• 225 gms sugar-free seedless dates, chopped
• 275 ml water
• 450 gms mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, peel, cherries, etc.), chopped
• 175 gms flour
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, optional
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, grated
• Rind of orange or lemon, grated
• 40 gms almonds, ground
• 4-5 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1-4 tbsp Brandy, optional

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160° C. Line a 900 gms loaf tin with greased butter paper
2. Put the dates and water into a small saucepan and gently bring to a simmer and cook on low for a few minutes until the dates are soft and have absorbed the water.
3. Mash them up a bit with a wooden spoon. Add the orange juice.
4. Mix the dried fruit, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder along with the spices and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
5. Mix in the dates and lemon or orange zest and mix well to combine. If necessary add in a little extra orange juice to make a sticky’ish mix.
6. Stir in 1 or 2 Tablespoons of brandy if you like.
7. The mix should be stiff but not too dry.
8. Turn out into the prepared loaf tin.
9. Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Check after 1 hour 20 mins. Insert a skewer into the centre which should come out clean.

Recipe Credits –

Diabetic desserts,  Simpleindianrecipes.com and Diabetes.co.uk.

Activ Living Blog provides more such interesting recipes to keep you in shape while also enjoying to your fullest.

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