Every season has a soul that defines it & so are the festivities that it brings. Festivals in our country are not mere celebrations but are the true essence of our culture, our values, our traditions and our civilisation. Every part of India is unique in its own way with so much heterogeneity yet holding in the heart, the same spirit of true indianness that binds us together as one. Each festival brings with it a distinctive feel and flavour that makes it special and one of its kind. With the change of seasons, the festivals and the customary rituals involved with those festivals also keep changing according to their cultural significance which make the indian festivals quite different from each other while still celebrated in a unified way across the country affirming the notion of ”unity in diversity”, that truly defines India. The winter months in India finally come to an end with the beginning of the month of Phagun marked with the celebration of Mahashivratri & Holi that comes subsequently. Phagun is an auspicious month in the hindu calendar which celebrates the triumph of good over evil & is a time of renewed joy & happiness. Holi also known as phagua in some parts of India, is also the festival of colours that embodies the colours of love, laughter, joy, compassion & positivity.

Since all celebrations are important for us and are an integral part of our life as Indians, we would like to leave no stones unturned to make it memorable and enjoyable in the best possible ways. Enjoying and feeding ourselves in the most satisfying manner becomes an important part of just any celebration and since Holi, the festival of colours is a major festival of India, food on this occasion should be something very special & suitable for the occasion . Among the food, the sweets and desserts are something which are a must and cannot be avoided at any cost. Also, any random person who has concerns on health and well being also indulge themselves during these festive moments. Thus they would definitely prefer sweetmeats prepared at home rather than the market bought ones. Since, I am also a health food lover, I do prefer home made sweets prepared with the healthiest possible ingredients. In this Holi, I have chosen the healthy protein packed and fibre rich quinoa seeds for my dessert.

As you might be aware, Quinoa seeds are pseudo cereals which are gluten free grains with high protein content and high antioxidant properties, high magnesium content and are excellent for your nerves and muscles. These seeds are rich in protein containing all nine essential amino acids, dietary fibers, vitamin B complex and dietary minerals especially potassium and magnesium in amounts greater than many other grains. Quinoa contains large amounts of flavonoids which are antioxidants, high fiber content, iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various other beneficial antioxidants.

So, these nutrient powerhouses can be a quite good option for trying out your desserts in these otherwise unhealthy sugary occasions, I have prepared this amazingly delicious burfis (sweets shaped like rhombus shaped cubes) for celebrating my festive occasion. This burfi actually reminds me of the delicious chana dal burfi that my maternal grandmother used to prepare, especially for my father during any festivities or during our visit to my grandpa’s home. Here, below is my recipe for quinoa barfi that you may want to know :↷

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1. Quinoa seeds (ground to smooth powder) – 1 cup & 1/4th cup.
2. Split Chickpea Lentils or Chana Dal (boiled & ground to powder) – 4 tbs.
3. Cashews – 15 nos.
4. Sugar – 6 tbs. or as per taste.
5. Milk – 250 ml (slightly thickened).
6. Cardamom powder – 1 tsp.
7. Almonds (chopped) – A few.
8. Refined oil or ghee – 1 tsp.

Preparation:

1. Wash the quinoa seeds thoroughly and let it dry out completely. You may sun dry it for few hours so that no water is remaining or simply slightly heat over low flame to make it dry.
2. Grind the dried quinoa seeds to make a smooth powder.
3. Grind the chana dal to make a smooth powder.
4. In a blending jar, add the desired amount of quinoa powder, chana dal powder and cashews and blend the whole mixture together to make a smooth powder.
5. Heat oil or ghee in a pan, add the above mixture and saute for a while over a low flame till it starts imparting a nice aroma of chana dal.
6. Add sugar and mix over a low flame.
7. Add chopped almonds and mix.
8. Add thickened milk in batches and mix everything together.
9. Mix & and the remaining milk to make the mixture moist. (Note: Add more milk if you find the mixture dry)
10. Stir the mixture until it is soft and moist and switch off the flame.
11. Grease a dish or tray and spread the mixture over it uniformly to cut out barfis from it.
12. Garnish on top with some chopped almonds.
13. Cut out barfis or diamond shapes from the mixture. ( Note: Cut the barfis immediately as the mixture gets dried quickly and your barfis may break).
14. You may also add a layer of caramelized sugar on top if you like, for a crunch.
15. Your mouth watering quinoa barfis are now ready for relishing.

Courtesy:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa
2. https://www.poshtik.in/products/quinoa-seeds?variant=15328583254104