Priya  Gupta

Faridabad-based Priya Gupta, founder of popular YouTube channel ‘Recipes tried and true’, shares three healthy and nutritious dessert recipes

Custard Shahi Tukda

Ingredients

For bread sandwich

• 4-6 slices of white or brown bread

• ¼ cup condensed milk

For custard

• 2 cups full-fat milk

• 2 tbsp vanilla custard powder

• 4 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)

• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

• Chopped pistachios, almonds, tutti frutti and rose petals

Preparation guide

• Trim the crusts from bread slices and cut them into triangles.
• Spread condensed milk on the bread slices and make a sandwich. Set aside.
• Whisk custard powder with ¼ cup of milk in a small bowl. Mix until there are no lumps.
• Heat 2 cups of milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the flame.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Slowly pour the custard mixture into simmering milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
• Cook for 4-5 minutes until custard has thickened. Let it cool.
• Place the bread sandwich on a serving platter. Pour cooled custard evenly over it.
• Garnish with chopped pistachios, almonds, and a few rose petals.
• Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Serve chilled.

Health benefits

Milk is rich in calcium and protein, aiding bone growth and health. Cardamom aids digestion, while pistachios and almonds provide healthy fats and vitamin E.

Ghiya ki barfi

Ingredients

• 1 kg tender bottle gourd (ghiya/lauki)
• 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cups milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 3 drops green food coloring (optional)

Preparation guide

• Peel the bottle gourd. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and grate the rest. Keep grated gourd in chilled water to prevent it from browning.
• Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or kadai. Add grated bottle gourd and sauté for 5 minutes.
• Add milk and mix well. Cook on a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until all milk has evaporated and the gourd is fully cooked.
• Add sugar and green food coloring (optional). The mixture will become runny as the sugar melts.
• Cook on medium flame until the mixture thickens and starts to leave the sides of the pan.
• Stir in chopped almonds and cardamom powder and mix thoroughly.
• Grease a tray with ghee or line it with parchment paper. Transfer barfi mixture to tray, and flatten the top with a spatula.
• Sprinkle the remaining chopped nuts. Set aside for 3-4 hours at room temperature. You can refrigerate it to speed up the process. 
• Cut barfi into square or diamond shapes and serve. Barfis can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Health benefits

Bottle gourd (ghiya) is low-calorie, hydrating, and rich in fibre, promoting digestion and weight loss. Milk provides calcium and protein for bone health and growth. Almonds offer healthy fats and vitamin E and cardamom aids digestion.

Mawa barfi

Ingredients

• 2 cups full-fat milk powder
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped almonds and pistachios 

Preparation guide

• Add milk and ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or non-stick kadai. Stir over low heat until the ghee melts.
• Add milk powder gradually, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
• Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Once it begins to thicken, add cardamom powder and continue stirring until it forms a soft, non-sticky dough. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
• Transfer mawa mixture to a wide mixing bowl. Let it cool. It is important that the mixture is not warm when you add the sugar, or it will melt.
• Mix powdered sugar to form a soft dough.
• Grease a tray or pan with ghee and line it with parchment paper. Transfer barfi dough into the tray and use a spatula to press it into an even layer, about half an inch thick.
• Sprinkle chopped nuts and gently press them into the barfi. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until the barfi is firm and set.
• Cut it into squares or diamond shapes and serve.

Health benefits

Mawa (milk powder) provides protein and calcium, supporting bone growth and health. Almonds and pistachios offer healthy fats and vitamin E and cardamom aids digestion.