3 Indian deserts every diabetic can eat this festive season

This Ganesh Chaturthi, here is how diabetics can indulge their sweet tooth!

Festivals are known for sweets but not for diabetics. This festive season where all the family and friends are relishing yummy modaks and kheer, most diabetics have a hard time resisting deserts, especially those who have a sweet tooth. But if your diabetes is under control and you are carefully monitoring your blood glucose level, then you can enjoy the celebrations plus the sweets. But beware, it should be low in calories and minimal in sugar. So to help you celebrate this festival just like others, our expert Ms Meenal Sharma Binani, Dietician, Apollo Sugar Clinics, Hyderabad, shares three Indian desert recipes for diabetics.

1. Modak: Modaks are an indispensable part of Ganesh Chaturthi festival and what can be best than adding fruits and nuts as filling for modaks. However, here is a simple healthy modak recipe for diabetics which has a calorie count of 24.7 calories.

Ingredients:

• Sorghum (Jowar) Flour: 1 Cup
• Jaggery: 10 gms
• Grated fresh coconut: Cup
• White sesame seeds: 2 tbsp
• A pinch of salt
• Ghee: 1 tsp
• Water: As required

Method:

1. Firstly, dry roast sesame seeds until light brown in color, cool and grind into fine powder.
2. Now, add jaggery in a pan and allow it to melt. Now, add ground sesame seeds and grated coconut in the pan, mix well. Remove from the flame, cook and make round balls.
3. In a bowl, add jowar flour and salt. Mix and then knead by add boiling water to make a soft dough.
4. Take a ball of jowar dough, flatten it and fill in the mixture. Now, close the sides to form a modak and steam for 10 15 minutes. Serve when cold.

2. Lauki/bottle gourd kheer: Unlike regular kheer which is made with rice and milkmaid and packed with calories, lauki kheer is easy on the stomach and low in calories (68 calories). Here s a quick and healthy way to make lauki kheer at home.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of grated bottle gourd
• 100 ml of low fat milk
• 1 teaspoon of sugar/jaggery (20 cal)
• Cardamom (elaichi) powder

Method:

• In a deep non-stick pan, add bottle gourd and milk, allow this to cook on a medium flame for 10 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
• Add a teaspoon of sugar (you can even use jaggery instead of sugar) and cook till the sugar dissolves completely. Cook on medium flame.
• Add cardamom powder once it is almost done. Remove from flame, cool and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

3. Chocolate Sandesh: An all time favourite desert for Bengalis, sandesh can be made in a healthy way. While traditional sandesh is full of milk cream and sugar, Ms G.S Sudha Dietician, Apollo Sugar Clinics, Hyderabad shares her nutritious sand healthy sandesh recipe, which contains only 40 calories (per piece).

Ingredients:

• 60 gms of freshly made low-fat paneer (homemade)
• 2 teaspoon of jaggery powder (40 cal)
• tablespoon cocoa Powder
• teaspoon Vanilla essence

Method:

• In a bowl, mix paneer and jaggery powder thoroughly.
• Add cocoa powder and vanilla essence and mix till the mixture becomes smooth.
• Now, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each into a flat circle.
• Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Also read about ABCDE of diabetes: 5 rules to control your blood sugar level

Image Source: From expert