Sugar is present in a lot of food that we consume and sometimes we don't even realize it. That aside many of us suffer from a sweet tooth. Most processed food and soft drinks available in the market are alarmingly high on sugar. Oftentimes, we do not mind and consume these foods with nonchalance. However, we don't do our body many favors by consuming food like this! It is always a good idea to moderate sugar intakes even if you are not suffering from any illness. As they say, prevention is better than cure. The good news is, we don't have to let go of any of our desired food cravings. We just need to replace processed sugars with natural organic sugars! Trust me, I will walk the talk here. I am sharing three awesome recipes to use figs as natural sweeteners. You have to try these, and let me know which one you prefer. I can surely say from experience that your body will thank you for taking care of it!
Pure Mart Fun Fact: Figs commonly known as Anjeer in India is a sweet tasting fruit. The fresh fruit is perishable hence it is dried and preserved to enjoy the goodness throughout the year!
India is the diabetes hot zone of the world. And many other modern day diseases can in fact be related to high sugar intake as well. Once afflicted by such conditions, sugar is painfully cut off from the menu and we end up enduring tasteless foods for the rest of our lives. There are artificial sugar-free sweeteners available in the market but their side effects are always suspected. So, it is a great idea to use natural fruits as sweeteners. They are tastier and more beneficial than refined sugar (yes, your grandmother's gud is far better than the over processed sugar you put in tea!). Of course we cannot directly mix them with everything like sugar but with a bit of creativity we can surely find ways to curb our sweet cravings using these fruits!
Apart from the sweetness, figs are high in fibre content and they are also full of good minerals and vitamins that you can almost never expect in pure refined sugar.You can use fresh or dried figs as sweeteners in different ways. So let's get going!
Just soak some figs for a few hours till they soften. Put them in the blender and grind them to pieces. Add some red wine and grind again to get the perfect puree. You can add some spices such as cinnamon too as per your taste. This puree can replace most of your sugar rich spreads and can be applied over toasts and anything similar that you can imagine.
Editor's note: You don't need to travel far to get natural figs into your kitchen. You can buy Kashmiri dried figs online at Pure Mart.
For fig syrup, cut the dried figs into pieces and cook them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Now put them in a blender or a food processor. Keep the puree aside. Now make suji ka halwa like you normally do with very little sugar (you can also skip if it your sugar needs are not very high). Don't forget to add almonds for crunchiness. Now add the dried figs or pureed anjeer and mix it well! Your low sugar halwa with the goodness of dried figs or anjeer is ready!
For fig biscuits, keep dried figs soaked along with almonds and other dry fruits of your choice for a few hours. Later, grind the figs by adding a bit of water and then add the dry fruits in them. Take the batter and drain excess liquid. Then create the dough out of it with flour and roll it into a longish shape and allow it to refrigerate. Now preheat your oven to 170°C. Use baking trays with non-stick baking paper and divide your dough into small balls that you can make into the shapes you like with your fingers. Now set the shapes onto the baking paper and bake for about 20-22 minutes until they are golden. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes before having these crispy fig biscuits with your chai!
Which fig recipes have you been trying? Do share your favorites!
