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Five healthy yet scrumptious Holi recipes!

Here are five healthy yet scrumptious Holi recipes you can make for your family and friends!

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Brown Bread Dahi Vada

Dahi vada is a traditional Indian snack prepared by soaking fried vadas in thick curd (dahi). It is a must cook on festive occasions especially Holi. Replacing the fried vadas with bread makes this mouth-watering snack a healthy one without compromising on the taste.

Good For: Heart disease, women's health, post-menopausal health

Health Factor: High in fiber, vitamins, iron and minerals

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (Makes three servings)

• Brown bread, edges remove: 5 slices
• Milk:4 tbsp
• Plain curd (yogurt): 1 cup
• Black salt: 1/4 tsp
• Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin (jeera) powder, roasted: 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind (imli) chutney: 1 tsp
• Coriander (dhania) for garnish
• Carrot for Garnish, grated - 1/4 cup
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Whip the curd (to remove lumps) with little salt.
• Make a dough out of the bread slices by adding milk to it. You can grease your hands with little oil to avoid the dough sticking to your hands.
• Make balls out of the bread dough. Place the balls in a serving bowl.
• Pour the beaten curd over the balls to cover them completely.
• Sprinkle cumin power, red chili powder, black salt and tamarind chutney over it.
• Garnish with grated carrot and coriander leaves.

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Broken Wheat (Dalia) Kheer Recipe

A tasty and nutritious dessert made of broken wheat (dalia) cooked in milk. Broken or cracked wheat is an excellent source of fiber.

Good For: Heart disease, women's health, post-menopausal health

Health Factor: High in fiber, vitamins, iron and minerals

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

• Broken wheat (dalia): 1 cup
• Coconut milk: 1 cup
• Cardamom (elaichi) powder: 2 tsps
• Jaggery (gur): 1 cup
• Corn flour: 2 tsps
• Water: 2.5 cups

Instructions

• Grind the wheat in a dry grinder.
• Transfer the grinded wheat into a pressure cooker and add water.
• Cook till it becomes very soft (normally takes 7-8 minutes).
• Add jaggery to nearly boiling cooked wheat and simmer for one minute. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
• Remove from the flame. Mix corn flour with coconut milk and add it to the porridge.
• Add cardamom powder and serve it hot or cold.

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Lauki Barfi

Have you been avoiding sweets because you are conscious of your weight? Then Lauki Barfi is for you, try it.

Good for: Diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, weight loss

Health factor: Low sugar, low fat, high fiber

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients (Makes 10 Barfis)

• 2 cups Lauki (bottle gourd) grated
• 1 litre milk
• 1/2 cup khoya
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
• 1/4 tsp green colour

Instructions

• In a pan, boil the milk.
• Add the grated lauki in boiling milk and stir.
• When half of the milk is left, add khoya, sugar with color and stir.
• When the froth starts leaving the side of the vessel, transfer the mixture in a pre-greased aluminium tray.
• Add cardamom powder and garnish with dry fruits. Set aside for an hour.
• Cut into pieces and serve.

Moong Dal Cheela

Traditionally a Cheela (also called chilla, puda, pudla) is made with besan (chickpea flour), but there are several variations (with bajra, whole moong etc.). Using moong dal is a delicious way to include high amounts of protein in your diet.

Good for: Weight loss

Health factor: High protiens

Calories: 132 per 1 serving

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (Makes 2 to 4 serving)

• Split green gram (dhuli moong dal), soaked for 5 hours: 1 cup
• Cumin (Jeera) powder: 1/2 tsp
• Ginger chilli paste:- 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Instructions

• Drain and grind the split green gram in a mixer or on a stone slab. Add the remaining ingredients (except oil) and mix well.
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan; drop in a ladleful of the green gram batter and spread it evenly with the back of the spoon.
• Sprinkle some oil around the sides and lift the edges, so that the oil can slip under. Turn the pancake over, drizzle some more oil and cook till brown on both sides. Remove and repeat the same of the rest of the batter.
• Serve with green chutney or Tomato chutney.

Optional stuffing

• Make a mix of grated paneer (50 gms), grated carrot (1/4 cup), finely chopped capsicum, grated cabbage, salt, chili power and garam masala.
• Stuff the cheela with the above mix.

Thandai

A cool and refreshing milk based drink, Thandai is traditionally made in India during Holi.

Health factor: High in calcium, protiens, minerals and vitamins

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (Makes 6-7 glasses)

• Milk: 1 litre
• Water: 2-3 cups
• Sugar: 1/2 cup
• Aniseed (saunf): 1/2 tbsp
• Almonds (badam): 1 tbsp
• Peppercorns (kali mirch): 10-12
• Cardamom (elaichi) powder: 1/2 tsp
• Watermelon seeds, dried - 1 tbsp
• Poppy seeds (khuskhus): 1/2 tbsp
• Fresh rose petals: 1/4 cup
• Saffron strands (kesar): a few

Instructions

• Boil the milk in a pan and allow it to cool.
• Soak aniseed, watermelon seeds, almonds, poppy seeds and rose petals in 2 cups of water. Keep aside.
• Grind all soaked ingredients to make a very fine paste.
• Pour remaining water into this paste and strain through muslin strainer extracting the liquid into a vessel.
• Add sugar, powdered cardamom, peppercorns, saffron to the extracted liquid. Mix well.
• Blend the above-made mix with milk.
• Chill for about an hour before serving.

Video: Holi special: How to make Thandai