
Diwali is a time to celebrate with friends and family and indulge in sweets and numerous delicacies. While this year, amid the pandemic, the celebrations may not be as cheerful, you can always make it special by whipping up some healthy desserts. And if that is how you plan to celebrate your Diwali this year, we have chef Nita Mehta from Tata Sky Cooking sharing some interesting recipes.
Check them out below:
Fruity chia cookie crumble

Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream – whipped (two cups)
2 cups – Mixed fruit
Orange sauce
1½ cups – Orange juice, ready-made
1 inch – Cinnamon stick
1½ tbsp – Sugar, or to taste
1½ tbsp – Custard powder– dissolve in little water
1 tsp – Chia seeds
½ tsp – Butter
Cookie crumble
4 – Digestive biscuits, crumbled
1 tbsp – Softened butter
2 tbsp – Chopped walnuts
Method
*For orange sauce, heat juice with cinnamon and sugar on low heat till it boils.
*Once done, simmer for two minutes and add dissolved custard powder. Cook till thick. Remove from fire. Add chia seeds and butter.
*Mix walnuts and butter with crushed cookies.
*Put cookie crumble at the base. Press it.
*Put whipped cream on cookie crumble. Put fruits. Pour orange chia sauce on fruits.
*Garnish with a big dollop of whipped cream. Top with some cookie crumbles.
Paan Phirni

Ingredients
1 kg – Milk reduced to 750g
1 – Meetha paan
½ cup – Sugar
½ cup – Basmati rice – soak and grind to a paste
10 – Almonds – blanched and sliced
1 tsp – Kewra jal
5-6 – Green pista – soaked and peeled, for garnish
Method
*Add sugar and almonds to thickened milk.
*Dissolve the rice paste in half cup milk and make it thin. Now mix the rice paste with the thickened milk.
*Keep milk on fire and stir continuously on medium heat, till the mixture is of creamy consistency.
*Remove from fire. Cool slightly.
*Grind paan with a little phirni mix and add to the phirni.
*Add kewra jal; mix. Put in dessert cups. Top with almond and pista. Refrigerate.
Oat Coconut Cookies

Makes 10
1 cup – Oats
¾ cup – Desiccated coconut
½ cup – Maida
¼ tsp – Baking soda
½ tsp – Cinnamon powder
½ cup – Softened butter
¼ cup – Caster sugar
2 tbsp – Brown sugar
3 tbsp – Milk
1 tsp – Vanilla essence
2 tbsp – Black raisins
Coloured balls/sprinklers, for topping
Method
*Whisk butter and both the sugars together.
*Add milk and essence. Mix well.
*Mix together oats, coconut, maida, soda and cinnamon powder.
*Fold in the maida mixture. Add raisins. Mix lightly to form dough.
*Form balls. Flatten slightly and place on a greased baking tray. Sprinkle coloured balls and press lightly.
*Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
For more lifestyle news, follow us: Twitter: lifestyle_ie | Facebook: IE Lifestyle | Instagram: ie_lifestyle