Healthy Twist to Traditional Indian Sweets & Snacks for the Occasion of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is celebrated with delicious treats, but many are high in sugar. This blog shows how to make healthier versions of popular dishes enjoyed during this festival.

  1. Jaggery based Til Gul Laddo

 

Ingredients

1 cup sesame seeds

½ cup jaggery

¼ tsp cardamom

2 tsp ghee

 

Method: 

  1. Roast sesame seeds. Melt jaggery. Mix with seeds, cardamom, and ghee. Make small balls.
  2. Benefits: Tilgul, a traditional Makar Sankranti treat, is rich in antioxidants, fiber, iron, and calcium. Using jaggery provides natural sweetness and important minerals like iron.

2. Peanut and Sunflower Seed Chikki:

Ingredients

1 cup roasted peanuts

½ cup jaggery

1 tbsp ghee

1tbsp sunflower seeds 

 

Method:

  1. Roast peanuts. Melt jaggery. Mix with peanuts. Spread on a plate and let it cool. Cut into squares.
  2. Benefits: Peanut chikki is a good source of protein, healthy fats, and minerals. Reducing jaggery and using more peanuts and sunflower seeds makes it a healthier option for Makar Sankranti celebrations.

3. Moong Dal Pongal:

Ingredients

1 cup rice

½ cup moong dal

4 cups water

1 tsp ghee

1 tsp cumin

2 green chillies

a pinch of hing, salt.

 

Method: 

  1. Wash and soak rice and moong dal. Cook in a pressure cooker. Heat ghee, add cumin, chilies, and hing. Add cooked rice and dal. Season with salt.
  2. Benefits: Pongal, a traditional South Indian dish often enjoyed during Makar Sankranti, offers a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins and essential vitamins and minerals. Using less ghee and avoiding excessive spices makes it a healthy choice.

These recipes demonstrate how to enjoy traditional Indian sweets and snacks in a healthier way during Makar Sankranti. By making small adjustments like using jaggery instead of refined sugar and reducing the amount of ghee, you can celebrate the festival with delicious and nutritious treats.

References

  1. National Institute of Nutrition. Traditional Indian Foods and Their Nutritional Value. Hyderabad, India: National Institute of Nutrition
  2. Indian Council of Medical Research. Nutritional Guidelines for Balanced Diets in India. New Delhi, India
  3. Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Guidelines on Nutritional Modifications for Children and Adults. Mumbai, India
  4. Indian Agricultural Research Institute. Nutritional Composition of Sesame, Peanuts, and Moong Dal. New Delhi, India
  5. Singh K, Sharma R. Modern adaptations of traditional Indian recipes: Strategies for reducing sugar and fat in Indian sweets. Indian J Nutr Diet. 2021;58(3):45-50.

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Healthy Twist to Traditional Indian Sweets & Snacks for the Occasion of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is celebrated with delicious treats, but many are high in sugar. This blog shows how to make healthier versions of popular dishes enjoyed during this festival.

  1. Jaggery based Til Gul Laddo

 

Ingredients

1 cup sesame seeds

½ cup jaggery

¼ tsp cardamom

2 tsp ghee

 

Method: 

  1. Roast sesame seeds. Melt jaggery. Mix with seeds, cardamom, and ghee. Make small balls.
  2. Benefits: Tilgul, a traditional Makar Sankranti treat, is rich in antioxidants, fiber, iron, and calcium. Using jaggery provides natural sweetness and important minerals like iron.

2. Peanut and Sunflower Seed Chikki:

Ingredients

1 cup roasted peanuts

½ cup jaggery

1 tbsp ghee

1tbsp sunflower seeds 

 

Method:

  1. Roast peanuts. Melt jaggery. Mix with peanuts. Spread on a plate and let it cool. Cut into squares.
  2. Benefits: Peanut chikki is a good source of protein, healthy fats, and minerals. Reducing jaggery and using more peanuts and sunflower seeds makes it a healthier option for Makar Sankranti celebrations.

3. Moong Dal Pongal:

Ingredients

1 cup rice

½ cup moong dal

4 cups water

1 tsp ghee

1 tsp cumin

2 green chillies

a pinch of hing, salt.

 

Method: 

  1. Wash and soak rice and moong dal. Cook in a pressure cooker. Heat ghee, add cumin, chilies, and hing. Add cooked rice and dal. Season with salt.
  2. Benefits: Pongal, a traditional South Indian dish often enjoyed during Makar Sankranti, offers a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins and essential vitamins and minerals. Using less ghee and avoiding excessive spices makes it a healthy choice.

These recipes demonstrate how to enjoy traditional Indian sweets and snacks in a healthier way during Makar Sankranti. By making small adjustments like using jaggery instead of refined sugar and reducing the amount of ghee, you can celebrate the festival with delicious and nutritious treats.

References

  1. National Institute of Nutrition. Traditional Indian Foods and Their Nutritional Value. Hyderabad, India: National Institute of Nutrition
  2. Indian Council of Medical Research. Nutritional Guidelines for Balanced Diets in India. New Delhi, India
  3. Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Guidelines on Nutritional Modifications for Children and Adults. Mumbai, India
  4. Indian Agricultural Research Institute. Nutritional Composition of Sesame, Peanuts, and Moong Dal. New Delhi, India
  5. Singh K, Sharma R. Modern adaptations of traditional Indian recipes: Strategies for reducing sugar and fat in Indian sweets. Indian J Nutr Diet. 2021;58(3):45-50.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may also like

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