Many people find it difficult to control the urge for something sweet, and that craving becomes even harder to resist during festivals or special occasions. For anyone looking for an alternative to traditional sweets, desserts made from millets are worth trying. Grains such as ragi (finger millet), bajra (pearl millet) and jowar (sorghum) can be turned into flavourful desserts, though the amount of sugar and ghee that goes into them still needs to be watched carefully.
Ragi Halwa Offers Warm Comfort
Ragi halwa is not just tasty, it is also simple to make. Start by roasting ragi flour in a small quantity of ghee. Once it is roasted, add milk and jaggery according to taste and the consistency needed. Cardamom and chopped nuts go in next, and the mixture is cooked for a little longer until it comes together. Served hot, ragi halwa works well as a comforting dessert that can take care of a sweet craving without depending on refined sugar.
Bajra Laddus Make Portion Control Easy
To make bajra laddus, lightly roast bajra flour first. Jaggery, or jaggery powder, is then mixed in along with a few nuts for crunch. A limited quantity of ghee is added to help bind the mixture together, after which small laddus can be rolled by hand. Keeping the laddus small in size is a simple way to keep portions in check, since it becomes easier to stop after one or two pieces rather than eating a large single serving.
Jowar Kheer Turns Creamy on a Slow Flame
Kheer can be made in two ways using jowar, either with jowar flour or with jowar grains that have been cooked thoroughly beforehand in milk. Cardamom, a handful of nuts and a limited amount of jaggery can then be added for flavour and sweetness. The key to getting the texture right lies in the cooking process itself, since letting the kheer simmer on a low flame for a while gives it the creamy consistency that a good kheer needs.
Ragi Brownies Handle the Chocolate Cravings
Chocolate lovers do not have to be left out either, since brownies can also be made using ragi flour. The batter can include low-sugar cocoa powder, mashed bananas, milk and a few nuts. Instead of relying on refined sugar for sweetness, bananas or a limited amount of jaggery can be used, which keeps the overall sugar content of the brownies lower than the usual chocolate dessert while still delivering the same rich, chocolatey taste that most people look for.
Bajra Coconut Barfi Rounds Off the List
The last dessert on the list uses bajra flour again, this time paired with coconut. Lightly roast the bajra flour, then mix in coconut and milk. Jaggery can be added as required, and the mixture should be combined thoroughly so that everything binds together well. Once ready, it is set on a plate and left to firm up before being cut into small pieces, much like a regular barfi. The coconut and cardamom used in the mix add further to its aroma and overall flavour.
