When was the last time you helped yourself to an extra slice of your favourite chocolate cake, or scarfed down a couple of cupcakes, absolutely guilt free? Desserts don’t have to always be sinful; loaded with butter, sugar and high in calories and cholesterol.
For all those of you who turned your faces every time mum decided to serve veggies for supper, behold! There’s now a better way to have your veggies and enjoy them too. For long, creative homemakers have incorporated vegetables in desserts, for example our famous Gajar ka Halwa or Doodhi ka Halwa, perhaps even a Moong Dal Sheera or Mawa Coconut ki Karanji. Now there’s a whole new way to satisfy your sweet tooth using different and unconventional ingredients. All you have to do is be creative enough and get the balance right.
For fussy eaters, from young to old, these recipes can get you your nutrition and satisfy your sweet cravings.
Carrot and Banana Cakes have been around for a while, but what’s getting popular these days are combinations like Chocolate Zucchini Cakes or a Chocolate Beetroot Cake. Yes I did say beetroot, a little unbelievable isn’t it. But you will be surprised how wonderful this sweet red vegetable, which is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol, a good source of Vitamin C, iron and magnesium, and a very good source of dietary fibre, folate, potassium and manganese can taste in a cake with chocolate.
You can make a cake with purple cabbage, which will lend the cake a lovely lavender colour. Just blend together the purple cabbage and add some oats to make it even healthier.
Ever thought of making a sweet pea mousse and pairing it with bits of sugar free chocolate chips? They make a wicked combination. Just sweeten it with honey and your guests will be licking their bowls clean.
Sweet Potato Pies, Pumpkin Puddings, Chocolate Avocado Ice-creams, Egg plant Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cauliflower and Raspberry cheesecakes are just some of the crazy combinations one can think of, and before you turn your nose and look away, I reckon you give it a try.
You will definitely not be disappointed.
Chocolate Beet Cake
■ Oil and flour for the pan
■ 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
■ 1 cup vegetable oil
■ 3 eggs
■ 1 3/4 cups organic raw sugar
■ 2 cups cooked pureed beets (3
medium beetroots)
■ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
■ 2 cups all-purpose flour (this can be part white whole wheat flour, too)
■ 2 teaspoons baking powder
■ 1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan (or two loaf pans) with oil and dust with flour.
2. Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat until just the chocolate melts; remove from the heat and stir until well combined.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining 3/4 cup oil, chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla.
4. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour into the egg and chocolate mixture just until the flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
6. Carefully remove cake from the pan and let cool on a rack.
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