Discover sweeter side of fasting with special desserts

Kheer: It is usually made with rice and milk, but during fasts, the rice gets replaced with barnyard millet (vrat ke chawal) or fox nuts (makhane). While the process of making kheer remains the same, this special dessert is loaded with dry fruits such as figs, cashews, raisins, and almonds. The addition of saffron (kesar) enhances the taste further.

Halwa: During Navratri, this special halwa calls for soaking sabudana and cooking it with jaggery and milk. Once done, it is garnished with ghee-roasted almonds and cashews, powdered cardamom and some more ghee. 

Lemon mascarpone tart with Barrie's compote: Take a bowl and mascarpone cheese, lemon juice, ice sugar, lemon and mix it together well and keep aside. Place the mixture in a serving bowl or glass and keep in the fridge for next 40 minutes to set. Place Barrie's compote on it before serving and garnish with caramelised pineapple slice and top up with whipped cream.

Barfi: Dry fruit barfis are safe and yummy during fasts. These are popular among all age groups, especially cashew-based kaju barfi or katli and almond-based badam barfi. Barfis often make their way into homes and offices as the perfect festive gifts.

Pearls gulab jamun tart with vanilla ice cream: Take a bowl and mix maida, iced sugar, yellow butter and full cream milk and make a dough. Take the tart moulds and place the dough in it and bake for 6-8 minutes at 180 degrees. Take out the tart moulds and remove carefully.

Take another bowl and crush the digestive biscuit, yellow butter and honey and mix it together. Take a tart, make a bed of digestive biscuit mixture and place gulab jamun on it and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Laddoos: There are many varieties of laddoos, but the most popular ones during Navratri remain chickpea-based motichur ladoo, dry fruit laddoo, sabudana laddoo, and coconut laddoo. If you have the time, you can make them at home or step out to the local sweet shop. 

Fig and passion fruit shrikhand: Take a pan and reduce the passion fruit syrup, honey together. Take another bowl put some hung curd and syrup and mix it together. Take a serving bowl or glass, place the mixture in it and keep inside the fridge for the next 20 to 30 minutes to set the mixture. Sprinkle chopped fig, almonds and green apple on the side.