Festival Recipes

Healthy tips for Ganesh Chaturthi and Teej festival:

1. Portion control is the key. It’s not always about what you eat but rather more about how much. It’s most important to keep an accurate check on the meal size.
2. Try to avoid fried foods on Ganesh Chaturthi and Teej festival and look for healthier alternatives.
3. Stay hydrated. Smoothies, juices, coconut water, or lemon water, pick your drink and ensure that you have sufficient amount of it in order to maintain the level of fluid in your body.
4. Restrict the amount of sugar and salt intake. High salt intake might cause swelling, puffiness and water retention in your body. High sugar intake puts extra burden on your liver, so make sure to keep a check on it.
5. Cut down on your caffeine intake. Too much caffeine intake slows down the digestion process.

Here are some tips to follow on the festival:

1. Watch your dairy consumption. High intake of dairy products can lead to mucus formation in liver, which makes the digestion process slower.
2. Include plant-based protein sources like lentils and green vegetables in your diet. These will give your body a much needed break from the festive eating.
3. Switch to lighter oils (olive oil) instead of heavy oils like sesame oil and vegetable oil as those put extra pressure on the liver.
4. Include more of complex carbohydrates (oats, whole wheat flour, bran, porridge) in your diet. These will help you stay you full for a longer duration and reduce the possibility of over-eating.
5. Lastly, enjoy the festivity and enjoy the day and time, just being a little bit mindful will help stay happier and guilt-free.

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Easy Doodh Peda recipe in 10 minutes. This is a quick and instant version of making classic doodh peda with just 5 ingredients. Soft, rich, and melt-in-mouth peda without several hours of stirring! Perfect Indian sweet for Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan.

Ingredients required for make Doodh Peda at home: 

100 to 102.5 grams grated khoya or 1 cup tightly packed grated khoya (mawa or evaporated and dried milk solids)

0.25 cup sugar or 125 grams sugar, add as required

0.25 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 to 1.5 tablespoons milk

1.5 to 2 pistachios or almonds, thinly sliced

Method:

Step 1:

Grate or crumble 200 to 205 grams of khoya. Take the grated khoya in a heavy Kadai or pan. You will need 1 cup tightly packed grated khoya. You can use homemade or store brought khoya. I have used instant khoya. 

Add ½ cup sugar (125 grams) and ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.

Keep the pan on a stovetop on a low flame.

Mix the khoya with the sugar very well. 

Next, add 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. mix well.

You will see the sugar melting and the mixture getting a liquid consistency.

Continuously keep on stirring and simmer the peda mixture. You have to stir non-stop so that the mixture does not get browned from the bottom.

Stir often and the mixture will start bubbling.

Continue to stir and cook till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.

Step 2:

Then immediately pour the entire peda mixture in a steel plate or a tray. When you pour the mixture it will still be in a molten state but thickened. Do not over cook as then the pedas will become chewy.

Let it become warm at room temperature.

Now take small portions from the lukewarm peda mixture and roll them in small to medium balls.

Place a few slivered pistachios or almonds on top of each peda ball.

With a peda maker, press each ball to give a distinct design on top of it. If you do not have a peda maker, then just roll the mixture in balls and then flatten them. Press a few almonds or pistachios on top.

Make a design on all doodh peda with the peda maker. In case the doodh peda fall flat and do not hold shape, then they are slightly undercooked. Gather all the mixture together and heat again in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes or till the mixture leaves sides of the pan.

Now you can store the milk peda for a few hours at room temperature and then serve later. Leftovers can be refrigerated. This doodh peda recipe yields 12 medium sized pedas.

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Lauki ka halwa is one of the popular desserts, especially in North India. In India, we make lauki ka halwa with many vegetables and fruits like carrots, beetroots, ash gourd, apple, pineapple, banana, etc. Bottle gourd is known as ‘Lauki’ in Hindi and ‘Dudhi’ in Marathi. Making lauki halwa takes a bit more of time as it has more moisture content and it takes time to get rid of the raw smell.

how to make Low Carb/Low Fat Gajar ka halwa

Ingredients required for Lauki ka halwa:

• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 cup tightly packed grated lauki or 300 grams lauki (bottle gourd or opo squash or dudhi)
• 1 cup whole milk – milk can be pasteurized or boiled before and can be used at room temperature or chilled
• 3.5 to 4 tablespoons sugar or add as required
• 2.5 to 3 green cardamoms – powdered or crushed or ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1.5 to 2 tablespoons chopped nuts – almonds, cashews or pistachios
• 0.5 tablespoons raisins – optional Low Carb/Low Fat Gajar ka halwa

• Firstly rinse, peel and grate the lauki. Before grating taste the lauki. If it tastes sour or bitter then discard and do not cook it. 
• You will need 2 cups tightly packed grated lauki.
• Heat ghee in a heavy pan or kadai on medium-low to medium flame. Use a large kadai so that milk does not spill outside.
• Add the grated lauki. Mix grated lauki very well with the ghee.
• On a low to medium-low flame begin to saute the lauki. Stir often when sauteing lauki.
• Saute lauki till the moisture dries. Then add whole milk and mix very well.
• Continue to cook on a low to medium-low flame till the milk comes to a boil. In between do stir at times.
• The milk will start boiling. At this step be attentive and keep on stirring, so that the milk does not spill from the pan.
• Stirring often continue to cook till ¾ or 75% of the milk has reduced and absorbed.
• Add sugar and chopped nuts. Mix very well. You can even add 2 to 3 teaspoons of rose water or kewra water (pandanus water) if you want at this step.
• Stirring often cook till the halwa mixture starts coming together and thickens.
• The halwa will gradually thicken and you will see some ghee being released from the sides. There should not be any liquid in the dudhi halwa.
• Then switch off the heat and add golden raisins. Adding raisins is optional. Mix very well.
• Garnish with some chopped nuts and serve lauki halwa hot or warm. Refrigerate remaining halwa. 
• It stays good for a couple of days in the refrigerator.
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Following Method to make Lauki ka halwa:

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