06 Oct, 2024

7 Healthy Sweets to Celebrate the Durga Puja Festival

It's October and it's raining festivals in India.

The whole October saga of festivals kicks off with Durga Puja–an irresistible magnetic force that pulls every Bengali to their home at this time of the year, even if you are not a Bengali you probably have seen either in person or through images or videos the breathtaking sculptors of Maa Durga in pandals floating amidst a stream of crowds.

Durga Puja: A Celebration of Tradition, Art and Flavours

Durga Puja is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil–Goddess Durga killing Demon Mahishasura. The 10-day festival also marks the visit of the goddess to her natal home and return to her divine abode, Kailash.

The whole festive days are abuzz with cultural activities like the iconic processions of beautifully crafted Pandals, Sindoor khela when ladies smear sindoor on idols and at each other, immersing the idols in water, performing puja at home and cooking sumptuous bhog, buying new clothes and visiting relatives.

It's a vibrant harvest festival celebrated with great enthusiasm and is a colourful fusion of art, tradition, flavours and exceptional craftsmanship– no wonder it entered UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Some of the most famous dishes made during Durga Puja include Khichuri, Labra, Beguni, Luchi, Cholar Dal and scrumptious sweets like Rasgulla, Sandesh, Misti Doi, Narkel Naru, Kheer Kadam, Payesh, Chom Chom, Pithe and Labong Latik.

With such varieties of treats beaming at you, it's nearly impossible to keep up with your fitness goals. Amidst such indulgence, if you are looking for some healthy sweets, we have a list for you.

It's a mix of classic Bengali sweets, a refreshing fresh fruit chat, and traditional laddus with a modern spin–Ideal to carry and convenient to eat while you are busy with ‘pandal hopping’ or waiting in queue for a pandal visit.

7 Healthy Sweets for Durga Puja Festival

1. Gur Sandesh

Gur Sandesh is an iconic Bengali sweet made with chana or a type of cheese made by curdling milk by adding vinegar or lemon juice, date palm jaggery locally called nolen gur and a dash of cardamom for flavour.

The cooked Chana and melted jaggery mixture is made into a thick, soft mixture and shaped into various forms like small discs or even fish-shaped using moulds.

You can top it off with grated nuts for a rich festive vibe. It's a perfect sweet finish after a savoury feast.

2. Nolen Gur Narkel Naru

Narkel Naru is a type of coconut laddu made in the Bengal region. Laddus are ‘naru’ in Bengal and ‘laru’ in Assam.

It's made by shaping a mixture of grated coconut and melted jaggery into balls. For authentic Bengali flavour, the date palm jaggery is a must. Additionally, Narkel Naru is a winter delicacy in Bengali homes due to the warming effect offered by jaggery.

There are two versions of Narkel Naru–one that looks whitish and another with a brownish appearance. We are sticking with the brownish version since it's made with jaggery instead of refined sugar. It is one of the durga puja sweets.

3. Misti Doi

Misti Doi is a truly desi version of sweet-flavoured yoghurt. If you're a yoghurt lover but worried about harmful flavour additives, you can try Mist Doi.

Made from milk, curd, nuts and sweetened with jaggery. Just with a handful of ingredients, this traditional Bengali treat gives you the perfect yoghurt plus sweet combo you are craving. It is also one of the durga puja special sweets.

4. Fruit Chaat

What's more refreshing than a bowl of sliced fresh fruits? Well-they are juicy, tasty and full of nutrients. You can pick fruits like bananas, apples, or any other fruits available that suit your palate.

Go for a homemade mix of spices, black salt and roasted cumin seeds to add flavour and top it off with a teaspoon of lemon juice.

In fact, fresh fruits are integral traditional offerings made to goddesses during Durga Puja.

5. No added Sugar Payesh

Payesh or kheer rounds off most of our festive feasts– its creamy, sweet taste gives the perfect wrap-up.

But, can we make a sugar-free yet sweet payesh? Yes! The dates will do the trick. The rice payesh or kheer in Bengal is made with special gobindobhog rice available in that region, you can substitute it with regular Basmati rice.

6. Til Laddu

Til or Sesame is not just seeds for Indians; rather, it's an integral part of our culture, traditions and culinary heritage.

Simple til laddu can be made with just two ingredients, melted jaggery and til or sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are high in protein and calcium and are known for many health benefits. You can elevate the taste and richness of the dish by adding dry fruits and nutritious seeds like pumpkin and melon seeds.

7. LadduBars

To put it simply LadduBars are traditional laddus in a bar format. Made only with kitchen ingredients like dry fruits, these are healthy alternatives to highly processed regular snacks high in refined sugar and other additives.

Pick the flavour of your liking, you can try dry fruit for fuelling up while you are pandal hopping. If you are millet-obsessed like most of the health-conscious buddies these days, try a millet laddubar.

If you are pandal hopping with many friends and wanna share a healthy treat, try laddubar mini– it's a laddubar in adorable mini format, making it fun to eat and share. This is a sweet for navratri fast.