Written by Bhavani Swaminathan @aakanksha_dfw
Jaggery is made from unrefined sugar, and is obtained by boiling raw, concentrated sugar cane juice till it solidifies. It is also made from the sap of coconut and date palm, the one made from sugar cane used most widely. Some of the health benefits of jaggery are listed below:
1. It prevents constipation by aiding digestion. It activates the digestive enzymes in our body, thus helps in proper digestion of food.
2. It acts as a detox, as it helps cleanse the liver by flushing out nasty toxins from the body.
3. Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals like zinc and selenium, which help prevent free-radicals (responsible for early ageing).
4. Eating a piece of jaggery daily can help women combat PMS symptoms including mood swings, menstrual cramps and abdominal pain.
5. Jaggery acts as a natural sweetener and provides energy.
Make a healthy home made ice cream using jaggery and no preservatives.
CARAMELIZED JAGGERY ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
Jaggery - 100gms
Unsalted cashews - 10 (crushed)
Milk - 500 ml
Butter scotch essence – 2 drops
Saffron – Few strands (mixed in 2 tsp milk)
Method:
Step 1 :
Heat jaggery in a pan adding very little water. once the jaggery starts to caramelize add the crushed cashews. Immediately, pour it on a plate and once its cooled down remove it from the plate and break into pieces using hands.
Step 2 :
Boil milk in a pan till it turns thick. Now add saffron strands to the boiling milk and switch off the flame. At this point of time add the broken caramelized jaggery and mix well. Finally add few drops of butter scotch essence. Let it cool. Then pour it in an air tight container and keep it.