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INTRODUCTION
Dear friends,
I know of people who eat light during the main course, so as to reserve space for the
dessert! I don't blame them. Sweets, whether halwa, basundi, barfi or chocolate mousse, are
the most awaited and relished course of most meals. “Low Calorie Sweets” offers a way
out for even health conscious people to enjoy delicious sweets without fearing about
calorie overload or compromising on the taste!
This book is a compilation of 43 delicacies to satisfy your sweet tooth - the low cal
way. It includes both traditional Indian as well as International recipes and has been
divided into distinct sections to help you choose the right dessert for the right occasion.
The book is broadly divided into INDIAN SWEETS, which includes sections like Halwas
& Barfis, Kheer & Phirni, Traditional Sweets with a Twist and Fruity Favourites; and
INTERNATIONAL SWEETS, which includes Fruit Delights, Ice-Creams & Frozen Desserts
and Choco Treats.
To make low calorie sweets, all you need to learn is the art of substituting calorie and
fat-laden ingredients with their low calorie counterparts. Dairy products (especially
milk) are one of the major ingredients for making sweets. But they contribute quite
generously to the high calories! So, use 99% fat-free milk available in the market. This
itself helps bring down the calories from 234 to 71, and fat from 6.5 gm to 1 gm. Make
low fat curds and paneer using this milk whereas make low fat mava (khoya) using
skim milk powder to ward off all worries about increase in waistline. The recipes for
all these low calorie ingredients have been provided in the Basic Recipes section, for
easy reference.
Another ingredient that makes the calorie meter shoot up is sugar, which in most
recipes has been substituted with sugar substitute. Choose the sugar substitute wisely.
Substitutes, which contain aspartame, cannot withstand the high temperature of
cooking, hence read the labels carefully. However, some recipes which call for very little
sugar have not been substituted with sugar substitute, so as to let you enjoy the actual
flavours without any guilt.
Other tips and tricks to reduce the calorie count are replacing high fat cream with low
fat cream or corn flour, butter with low fat butter, and so on. I have also carefully chosen
all-time favourite chocolate recipes, for all you chocolate lovers, and reduced the calorie
and fat content by using cocoa powder instead of the high fat chocolate.
Ah, and I am sure none, not even the health-conscious can resist the temptation to
binge on Rose Barfi (page 16), Angoori Rabdi (page 28), Shahi Poli (page 39), Pineapple
Crumble (page 68), Apple Cinnamon Ice-Cream (page 73), Eggless Chocolate Mousse,
(page 93) and so on, but now you can indulge in their low fat alternatives without any
guilt.
So go ahead and treat yourself with these mouth-watering low calorie sweets. But
remember that even low calorie sweets are best eaten in moderation, as an occasional
treat!
With warm regards,
CONTENTS
INDIAN SWEETS
Halwas & Barfis Traditional Sweets With a Twist
✽ Pineapple Halwa ................................ 11 ✽ Jaiphal Badai ....................................... 31
✽ Mixed Halwa ...................................... 13 ✽ Thandai Souffle .................................. 33
✽ Green Peas Kalakand ........................ 15 ✽ Soya Mango Falooda ......................... 35
✽ Rose Barfi ............................................ 16 ✽ Shahi Poli ............................................ 39
✽ Almond Pista Rolls ............................ 17 ✽ Baked Rasgullas ................................. 42
Kheer & Phirni Fruity Favourites
✽ Makhane Ki Kheer ............................. 20 ✽ Stuffed Peaches .................................. 45
✽ Lehsun Ki Kheer ................................ 22 ✽ Strawberry Shrikhand ....................... 47
✽ Kewra Phirni ...................................... 24 ✽ Orange Sandesh ................................. 49
✽ Fruity Phirni ....................................... 26 ✽ Anjeer Basundi ................................... 51
✽ Angoori Rabdi .................................... 28 ✽ Date Squares with Custard ............... 53
INTERNATIONAL SWEETS
Fruit Delights ✽ BlackGrapes & Banana Sorbet ........ 83
✽ Pineapple Dessert .............................. 57 ✽ Minty Lemon Sorbet .......................... 83
✽ Crunchy Peach Custard .................... 59 ✽ Strawberry Watermelon sorbet ........ 83
✽ Apple Pie.............................................. 61
✽ Summer Surprise ................................63 Choco Treats
✽ Mango Cheese Cake .......................... 66 ✽ Chocolate Coffee Fusion ................... 86
✽ Pineapple Crumble ............................ 68 ✽ Chocolaty Ice-Cream Sundae ........... 89
✽ Fruit Flambé ........................................ 70 ✽ Banana Pancakes with Chocolate
Sauce .................................................... 91
Ice-Creams & Frozen Desserts ✽ Eggless Chocolate Mousse ................ 93
✽ Apple Cinnamon Ice-cream ............. 73
✽ Bread Walnut Ice-cream ................... 76 Basic Recipes
✽ Black Currant Ice-cream ................... 78 ✽ Low Fat Curds .................................... 96
✽ Coffee Walnut Ice-cream ................... 80 ✽ Low Fat Paneer.................................... 97
✽ Green Goddess Sorbet ....................... 82 ✽ Low fat Mava (Khoya) ...................... 99
✽ Stewed Fruits .................................... 101
Rose Barfi 80 calories &
0.3 gm fat
per piece
This eye-appealing sweet is sure to appeal to your taste buds. Just relish its sweet and
fresh rose flavour without worrying about gaining those extra kilos, as it's not only low in
calories and fat but also rich in nutrients like protein and calcium.
Preparation time: 15 minutes. No cooking. Makes 8 pieces.
¾ cup crumbled low fat paneer (cottage cheese), page 97
3 tbsp crumbled low fat mava (khoya), page 99
2½ tbsp powdered sugar
A few drops rose essence
2-3 drops red food colour
Other ingredients
¼ tsp ghee for greasing
1. Mix all the ingredients except the red colour in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of water and
knead it till the mixture becomes smooth. Add a tbsp of water if required.
2. Divide this mixture into 2 equal portions. Add red colour to one portion and mix
well. Keep aside.
3. Spread the white mixture on a greased thali and keep aside.
4. Spread the remaining pink coloured mixture over the white coloured mixture.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and just before serving cut into 8 pieces.
Variation: Almond Pista Rolls
In the above recipe, substitute rose essence for almond (badam) essence.
Follow step 1, then divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, shape them
into cylinders and roll them in 2 tbsp of finely chopped pistachios.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Rose Barfi
Apple Cinnamon Ice-cream 68 calories &
0.3 gm fat
per serving
An age-old combination of apples and cinnamon combines here to make an ice-cream
which tastes equally great.
Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes. Serves 4.
2 cups low fat milk
1 cup sliced apples
1 tbsp skim milk powder
1 tsp cornflour
2 tsp low fat cream
2 tsp sugar substitute
A pinch of cinnamon (dalchini) powder
3 to 4 drops of lemon juice
For the garnish
A few apple slices
1. Add ½ cup of water to the apples and cook it in a non-stick pan for 8 to 10 minutes
till they turn soft. Remove from flame and keep aside.
2. Combine the milk powder and cornflour with 1 tbsp cold milk in a bowl and keep
aside.
3. Boil the milk in a non-stick pan, when it starts boiling add the milk powder and
cornflour mixture while stirring continuously.
4. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes till the milk thickens and keep aside to cool.
5. To the cooled mixture add the apples, cream, sugar substitute, cinnamon powder
and lemon juice and mix well.
6. Pour the mixture into an aluminium vessel, cover it and place in the freezer for 3 to
4 hours.
7. Once the mixture has set, remove from the freezer and blend in a mixer till it is
smooth.
8. Pour the mixture into the same vessel, cover and place it in the freezer again till it
sets.
9. Just before serving, place the scoops of ice-cream in 4 individual bowls.
Serve immediately garnished with apples.
Apple Cinnamon Ice-cream
Green Goddess Sorbet Even for the health conscious, sweets and
desserts happen to form the most enticing
part of any meal! This book is the best
solution for those of you who are torn
between limiting your calorie and fat
intake, and the temptation to enjoy
authentic Indian and International sweets
at the same time.
This book is a compilation of low calorie
versions of 43 all-time favourite
(traditional and new) sweets, such as
Angoor Rabdi, Shahi Poli, Rose Barfi,
Pineapple Crumble, Apple Cinnamon Ice-
cream and Eggless Chocolate Mousse.
Judiciously replace calorie and fat-laden
ingredients with low calorie alternatives as
shown in this book and satisfy your sweet
tooth without any guilt. So here’s a
surprise for all those health conscious with
sweet-loving taste buds.
ISBN 978-8-189491-34-5
“Padma Shri” awardee, Mrs Tarla Dalal is India's best
selling author in any field, with over 4 million cookbooks
sold to date. She is the first to launch a bi-monthly food
magazine, ‘Cooking & More’, which is the best selling
cookery magazine in India, under her own name.
