SUGAR FREE MISHTI

 THAT AN ANOTHER EUREKA MOMENT THIS MORNING!

Actually, this idea popped up on my mind earlier this week! In the past one month, my wish had been to share easily doable dishes in your homes, this festive season and always! This is not the time we would want to cook elaborate sweating in the kitchen instead of going out to shop, merry & celebrate! I believe in doing everything in moderation! I am not fond of the word 'excess'! Now that we are aging, we are intending to slow down the process of celebration! Given my passion, festival to me is more about creating a food magic & share it with the world! I am not getting time to do any kind of preparation for the upcoming festival in a planned manner, I am not an organised self either! Whenever I am getting some time, I am completing a project related to our Durga Puja! At this time I am tired, I came back from the Indian / Bengali Market late, took a shower & started to write this blogpost as late as 6:45pm or so!

I HAVE DECIDED TO EAT AT HOME THIS ENTIRE PUJO!

This is the first time in this twelve years of stay here that I would be cooking on the eve of Durga Puja and store so that every night we can come back from the festivity and eat home cooked food! This was my conscious decision because what the Indian restaurants serve here I can more or less cook; hence, I lack the interest to eat out! Most of the restaurants also get closed, also one does not go to the Clark Quay area wearing a sari in the midnight! The truest realisation is we are aging & we should reorganise our festive schedule as per our physical strength at this time! To me, there can be nothing as better than having a Hilsa curry with rice or a mutton curry with rice or roti around 11:30pm back home! Hence, today I went to shop for the raw ingredients instead of colouring my hair or do a face cleaning job! I went alone and at the end had a late lunch at Saizeiriya! A baked rice, salad & drink platter that was! Ain't that the son's favourite kind of platter?

I am not a cheese lover but once in a while I enjoy such dishes, the portions need to be small else my stomach revolts! 

WHAT IS THIS SUGAR FREE MISHTI?

As told earlier, this was on my plan for few days & I executed it today morning! Though various kinds of sandesh are our favourite, I mostly cook offbeat sweets that are easy to do! This SUGAR FREE MISHTI is almost no-cook, instant, vegan, gluten-free! What else do you want from me? I can assure you this would serve your sweet cravings whenever you have, it takes few minutes to do this! I thought this would be the best to serve on the Bijoya Dashami plate, during each day of Puja or at any time of the year! The few ingredients I used are there in our kitchen at all times! I did not use anything to flavour it, you can if you wish to!

INGREDIENTS :

CASHEWNUT : 200-250 GM

RAISIN : 100 GM

DATE : 7-8

OIL : 1 TSP [YOU CAN USE GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER INSTEAD]

ANY DRY FRUIT TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE : 

Because the raisins & cashew nuts were kept together, I roasted both of them at minimal heat for 4-5 minutes!

I took both in a mixer & blended to a paste, not too fine at this stage! Do pause in between!

I de-seeded the dates, washed & added to the mixer & blended well! The paste is ready now!

I transferred it to a plate, added few drops of oil to it and kneaded for a minute!

I greased my palms with oil & tried portions of the dough in a sandesh mould! But the design was not prominent! So I went ahead with the simplest ones! Cristine helped all along!

I garnished each with dry roasted pistachios!

Have it fresh or refrigerate! It is to be eaten at normal temperature!