Who says desserts can’t be healthy? Or healthy desserts can’t be delicious? This sweet potato halwa proves it wrong.
Did you commit on eating healthy but now afraid to lose track as eid is coming up? I mean how can you avoid having dessert on eid? It’s called meethi eid (sweet eid) after all. But how amazing could it be if your dessert can actually be healthy. This halwa contains absolutely no sugar or additional sweeteners. We use the sweetness of sweet potatoes and cook it in a way to hit just the right tastebuds. So you can indulge guilt free.
This halwa is also an excellent option if you have family members or friends who are diabetic, as this does not shoot up the insulin as rapidly as refined sugar does.
Is this halwa sweet enough given that it does not contain any sugar?
I find the sweetness very appropriate. I did not find the need to add any extra sweetness to the halwa. However, if you like it sweeter you may add some maple syrup or honey towards the end.
To take the full advantage of flavors of sweet potatoes, we start by roasting them in the oven, which brings out their natural sweetness. We mash them and infuse the flavors from cardamom and saffron, which also enhances the sweetness. Adding ghee and roasting it until it’s caramelises, makes this halwa rich and smooth.
Is this halwa fancy enough for eid and special events?
I believe that if you serve the simplest food in a nice way, anything could be made fancy. It all comes down to presenting it beautifully and serving it lovingly.
To make serve this halwa in a fancier way, I like to use dessert rings to form it in a clean circle. Then I top it with some chopped pistachio and edible silver foil. Are we talking fancy yet? If you want a little more extravagance, add some home made khoya on top also.
Sweet Potato Halwa (sugar-free)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup milk
- a pinch of saffron
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 Tbsp Ghee
- 1/4 cup chopped mixed nuts of choice
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/8 tsp ground green cardamom seeds
- some chopped pistachio (for garnish)
Instructions
- Warm up the milk and add the saffron. Mix and keep it aside.
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Peel off the skin and slice into thick pieces (about 1 cm thickness).
- Set the oven to preheat at 180° Celcius.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the sweet potato slices so that they won't overlap with each other. Brush lightly with ghee. Flip and brush on the other side as well. Use up about 1 Tbsp of ghee and reserve the remaining ghee for later.
- Bake in the oven on the middle rack at 180° Celsius for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes of baking, transfer the sweet potatoes to a big bowl and mash them either using a fork or potato masher. Keep aside.
- Put a non-stick pan on medium heat and add the remaining ghee. Add the chopped nuts of your choice and roast for about 2 minutes on medium low heat.
- Add raisins and fry for about 2 more minutes on medium low heat.
- Add the mashed sweet potatoes and ground cardamom. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring continuously.
- Add the saffron infused milk. Mix and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat, stirring continuously.
- When your halwa becomes glossy and does not stick to the surface anymore, it's done.
- Serve it either in a big bowl or make it fancier by forming it into neat circles using a dessert ring and garnishing it with chopped pistachios and edible silver foil.
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