5 Best East Indian Diabetes-Friendly Sweets Recipes

Diabetes-Friendly East Indian Sweets?

West Bengal, Odissa, Jharkhand, and Bihar are the various states that belong to East India.  Like every other region, this region too has its set of sweets recipes which are well known all over.  In the last 3 articles, we saw about breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes from East India.  Today, we are going to see the

What Are the Top 5 Diabetes-Friendly East Indian Sweets?

1. Makhane Kheer Recipe

Kheer is a well-known and ancient Indian dessert that is made in several versions across the country. It is a common dish that can be had at any time. Its main ingredient is milk which is not good for diabetes.  Hence FFD suggests kheer of the healthy item, i.e., Makhana.

Recipe Features

FFD suggests the use of coconut milk, dates, and stevia drops all of which are good for diabetics.  Do try this diabetes-friendly sweets recipe.

Here is the detailed diabetic friendly sweets recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Makhana (Foxnuts Or PhoolMakhana)
• 200 ml Coconut/ Vegan Milk + 200 ml Water
• 3-4 Green Cardamom/ Choti-Elaichi (Husked and Powdered in A Mortar-Pestle)
• 8 Almonds/ Badam (Blanched and Sliced)
• 1 Tsp Golden Raisins (Kishmish)
• 1 Tsp Dates Paste 
• Few Stevia Drops
• Pinch of Saffron (Kesar)
• 1-2 Tsp Oil

Method

• Roast all the makhana and almonds with 1-2 tsp oil, till crunchy, and keep them aside.
• Heat coconut milk in a saucepan or a thick-bottomed pan.
• Stir at intervals so that the milk does not scorch from the bottom, and boil. 
• While the coconut milk is getting heated up, reserve 1/3 cup makhana
• Add the remaining to a grinder or blender jar, and add cardamom seeds from 4 cardamom pods along with a pinch of saffron strands grind to a fine powder.
• Then add the dates paste, and stevia as per taste, ground makhana and the reserved 1/3 cup makhana and stir well.
• Cook on low flame for 9-10 minutes till it softens and thickens, scrape the evaporated milk solids from the sides and add to the coconut milk.
• Lastly, add the golden almonds and raisins. 
• Serve makhana ki kheer hot or warm or chilled.
• After chilling the kheer's consistency thickens a bit.

Disclaimer:

Eat only 2 tbsp per day, sometimes, if sugars are well in control.

2. Lobongo Latika Recipe

This dish also known as Laung Latika is a classic Bengali sweet where a stuffing made of milk solids is enveloped with pastry dough. The dough folds are sealed using a clove or lobongo, deep-fried, and dunked in thick sugar syrup. This has a crunchy texture on the outside with a juicy rich center.

Recipe Features

FFD has chosen all ingredients such that this recipe becomes 100% vegan.  We have eliminated the use of milk.  Plus chose dates instead of sugar and used khapli wheat instead of other acidic variety.  This too falls under one of the best East Indian sweets recipes category.

Ingredients

• 1.5 Cups Khapli/ Emmer wheat
• 2 Tbsp Vegan Curd
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 2 Tbsp Coconut oil
• ½Tsp Cooking Soda
• 8 Cloves
• Water - for kneading

For making the filling

• 1 cup coconut
• 1 Tbsp cashews chopped
• 1 Tbsp almonds chopped
• 1 Tsp pistachios chopped

For making syrup

• ½Cup date syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tsp cardamom powder
• 1 Pinch saffron

Method

• Sift wheat flour and baking soda together and keep aside.
• Add margarine, oil, and vegan curd to the sifted flour and mix it together to form a crumbly texture.
• Add water as needed, and start kneading to make a soft and smooth dough.
• The dough should neither be too soft nor too tight.
• It should bounce back when pinched.
• Cover the dough with a clean muslin cloth and leave it to rest for 15 min.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• Take a non-stick pan and add the coconut along with dates and chopped nuts.
• Mix all together till the coconut turns golden in color.
• Turn off the gas and keep aside to cool.

Assembling and folding

• Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll one out with a rolling pin on a dusted counter.
• The size should be the same as we make a puri.
• Take 1/8th of the coconut mix and place it in the center of the rolled dough.
• Now fold the opposite sides towards the center and make a square packet.
• Take a clove and press in between the overlapped folds to seal the pocket.
• Insert the clove properly such that the packet should not open while frying.
• Make 8 similar packets using the same technique. Keep all aside.
• Place the folded packets into the air fryer and fry till golden in color.

Making Date Syrup

• Heat water in a pan and add deseeded date, saffron, and cardamom powder and let it boil till it dissolves.
• Once the deseeded dates are dissolved, simmer the gas flame and let the syrup boil till it gets a one-string consistency.
• Turn off the gas and keep the syrup aside.
• Take the fried lobong latikas and immerse them into the date syrup for 1 min. Take them out and place them on a tray and allow them to cool.
• Store them in an airtight container and you can use them for 10 to 15 days.

Disclaimer:

Eat only 1 piece per day, sometimes, if sugars are well in control.

3. Khaja Recipe

Khaja is a deep-fried pastry soaked in sugar syrup. The batter is basically prepared from all-purpose flour or wheat flour, mawa, and oil which is then deep-fried until crisp.  This is then soaked in a sugar syrup before serving. 

Recipe Features

FFD has modified this recipe in such a way that all the ingredients chosen are diabetes friendly.  We have chosen khapli wheat, oil instead of ghee dates instead of sugar, etc.  This too can be considered as sweets for diabetic patient

See the detailed diabetic friendly sweets recipe here -

Ingredients
For Dough

• 1 Cup Khapli/ Emmer Wheat
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• ¼ Cup Water

For Dates Syrup

• ¼ Cup Dates
• Few Drops Stevia
• ½ Cup Water
• ¼ Tsp Cardamom Powder / Elaichi Powder
• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Method

• Mix the ingredients for the syrup and cook until it thickens slightly, and keep aside till needed.
• In a large bowl take 1 cup flour and 2 tbsp oil, and mix well making the flour moist.
• Add ¼ cup water and knead smooth and soft dough.
• Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
• Dust the dough with flour and roll with the rolling pin.
• Roll as thin as possible making sure to dust flour as required.
• Cut the sides evenly, forming a large rectangle.
• Dust the top with dry flour and start to roll tightly from one side.
• Roll the cylinder tight to remove any air gaps if present.
• Cut it into 1-inch pieces and slightly flatten.
• Fry in the air fryer till they turn crispy and golden in color.
• Immediately drop the fried kajas into the warmed dates syrup.
• Soak them in the syrup for 5 minutes, making sure that the syrup is coating the khaja on all sides.
• Can stored in an airtight container for 10-15 days.

Variation:

Can layer ½ cup of finely chopped nuts on top of the rolled-out dough before rolling it into a tight cylinder.

Disclaimer:

Eat only 1 piece per day, Sometimes, if Sugars are well in control

4. Narkel Naru

Narkel Naru recipe is an integral part of “Durga puja and”, and “Bhai Dooj” festive celebrations. It is one of the most popular Bengali sweets recipes which are prepared with only four ingredients - grated fresh coconut, sugar, khoya, and cardamom powder till it is sticky and can be shaped into small balls.

Recipe Features
FFD has carefully avoided the usage of sugar and khoya in this recipe which makes it more diabetes-friendly.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Fresh Grated Coconut
• 2 Tbsp Date Finely Chopped
• Few Drops Stevia
• ½ Tsp Cardamom Powder - Optional
• 2 Tsp Coconut Oil

Method

• Heat a heavy Kadai, reduce the flame to a low and add 1 tsp coconut oil and 2 cups fresh grated coconut.
• Stirring often, roast the coconut for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Do not brown the coconut.
• The roasting is just to get rid of some moisture from the coconut.
• Then add the dates and stevia and mix well with the coconut.
• Stirring non-stop, cook the coconut and date mixture for about 6 to 7 minutes.
• The dates will melt and the mixture will slightly thicken.
• Do not cook too much as then the ladoos can become hard.
• To test take a small portion and let it cool down a bit.
• Then try to form a tiny ladoo with it.
• If the mixture easily can be shaped into a tiny ball, the ladoo mixture is ready.
• Switch off the flame and keep the pan on the countertop.
• Add ½ tsp cardamom powder.
• Mix very well and let this mixture cool down completely.
• Divide the mixture into 8 equal-sized balls. Spread a bit of coconut oil in your palms and taking each ball in your hand, roll to make the ladoos.
• Store them in an air-tight container and refrigerate.

Disclaimer:

Eat only 1 piece per day, Sometimes, if sugars are well in control

5. Patishapta

Bengalis have great affection for sweets. Patishapta is one of them.  These are thin pancakes or crepes made with refined flour, rice flour, and semolina stuffed with a delicious caramelized coconut filling.

Recipe Features

FFD has modified the original recipe to make it diabetes-friendly.  We have used emmer/khapli wheat semolina and flour, dates instead of sugar, stevia drops, etc.

Ingredients

• The batter for making the Crepes
• 2 Cups Emmer/ Khapli Flour
• 2 Tbsp Emmer/ Khapli Semolina
• 1 Dates Chopped
• 1 Cup Water
• ½ Cup Coconut Milk or As Needed

For the Stuffing

• 1.5 Cups Grated Coconut
• 2 Dates Chopped
• Few Drops Stevia
• 1 Tbsp Coconut oil.

Method

To make the Crepes

• Take around 1 Cup of water along with dates in a pan.
• Cook on medium flame to dissolve the dates completely and make a syrup.
• Switch the flame off and strain the dates syrup and keep it aside till needed.
• Sieve Khapli Flour and mix the Semolina with it, in a deep bottom Bowl.
• Add the previously prepared dates syrup to the flour mixture bit by bit to make a lump-free, thick paste.
• If required, you can add little coconut milk to the mixture to make a medium batter.
• Cover the batter and let it stand for 30 minutes.

For the Filling

• Take freshly grated coconut in a Frying pan (preferably tempered to be non-stick) and cook on a medium flame for around 5 minutes or till the water content of grated coconut is reduced.
• Now add chopped dates and stevia and cook for around 5 minutes or till entire dates dissolves completely.
• Continue cooking on a medium flame for around 5 minutes to get a thick mixture.
• You need to stir continuously at this stage.  
• Switch the flame off and transfer the filling to a plate and allow it to cool.

To make Patishapta

• Take a tempered pan and put a few drops of coconut oil on it.
• Then drop a ladle full of the batter on it, and spread to make a thin pancake.
• Let it cook on one side, then flip over to cook another side.
• Spread 2 tbsp of the filling on the pancake and roll it up. 
• Similarly, make the remaining pancakes into rolls.
• Serve hot or cold.

Do you want to know more about  What are the Top 5 Diabetes-Friendly South Indian Sweet recipes.  Visit our blog.

FAQs

Yes, many traditional East Indian sweets can be adapted using natural sweeteners and healthier ingredients to make them diabetes-friendly.

Which East Indian sweets are best for diabetics?

Desserts like Makhane ki Kheer, Lobongo Latika, Khaja, Narkel Naru, and Patishapta made with natural sweeteners are excellent choices.

How can I reduce sugar in traditional East Indian desserts?

You can use sugar substitute with natural sweeteners, use dates or figs for sweetness, and reduce the overall sugar content in the recipe.

Can diabetics enjoy East Indian sweets occasionally?

Yes, diabetics can enjoy these modified recipes in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Disclaimer:

Eat only 1 piece per day, Sometimes, if Sugars are well in control.

Looking for east Indian healthy Diabetes-friendly Breakfast, lunch & dinner Recipes? Visit here:

1. East Indian Breakfast Recipes

2. East Indian Lunch Recipes

3. East Indian dinner Recipes