ABOUT SHARAN

SHARAN, Sanctuary for Health And Reconnection to Animals and Nature,

is an organisation dedicated to spreading awareness about holistic health
and an ecologically sustainable compassionate lifestyle.

SHARAN comprises an ever-growing team of doctors, nutritionists, health

coaches, facilitators and volunteers brought together by a common vision
of building a culture of health.

Our mission is to help you regain and maintain an optimum quality of

life by guiding you to reconnect to your natural state of perfect, vibrant
wellbeing.

We empower you to make long-term lifestyle changes that will help you
achieve your highest health potential. Our methods are based on scientific
evidence. They have been used and tested by doctors all over the world
and are becoming a part of mainstream knowledge in India and other
countries too.

We have already positively impacted the lives of over 100,000 people

worldwide, through our books, talks, classes, workshops, retreats and
doctor/nutritionist consultations.

shara n-india.org
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 Photo by Deepa Ballal

NAVRATNA CHIWDA
Ingredients: Method:

• 2 cups red rice flakes (poha) Roast all the ingredients

• ¼ cup dalia (chana dal/ Bengal gram) separately on medium
• ¼ cup peanuts heat and mix them well
• ¼ cup broken cashew nuts together along with salt (if
• ¼ cup whole almonds required) and chaat
• ¼ cup thinly sliced dried coconut masala.
(optiona I)
• 2 tbsp unpolished sesame seeds (til) Serve or store in an
• 3 tbsp sunflower seeds airtight container.

•
• 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
Serves 4-6
• 1 tsp cumin seeds Ueera)
• 2-3 green chiIIies, slit lengthwise
• 2 - 3 sprigs of curry leaves, or
according to taste
• ¼ cup raisins
• 2 tsp flax seeds
• 1 tsp unrefined salt (if required, since
chaat masala also has salt in it)
• 2 tsp chaat masala
sharan-india.org
 Photo by Asha Sreedharan

NAMAKPARRE
Ingredients: Method:

• 2 cups whole wheat Grind ginger, garlic and red chillies with
flour enough water, until smooth. In a mixing bowl,
• 5 whole dry red chillies mix flour, salt and carom seeds and add the
• ½" pc ginger ground chilli mixture. Add 1 tbsp tahini and
• 4 cloves garlic mix adding sufficient water to form a stiff
• 1 ¼ tsp unrefined salt dough. Keep aside for at least½ an hour.
(or as per taste) Knead the dough again after it is rested and
• 1½ tsp carom seeds divide into equal-sized balls. Roll them out
(ajwain) thin - like chapattis and cut using a
• 1 tbsp tahini (sesame knife/pizza cutter - first into strips and then
butter) diagonally, to make diamond-shaped pieces
of dough. Preheat the oven at the 200 ° C ♦
mark for 10 minutes and line a baking tray
Serves 10
with parchment paper. Arrange the diamond-cut
pieces on the baking tray in a single layer and
bake for 7 - 8 minutes, depending on your oven.
Store in an airtight container.

sharan-india.org
 Photo by Deepa Ballal

RIBBON PAKODA
Ingredients: Method:

• 1 cup brown rice flour Mix together well the rice flour, gram
• 1 cup gram flour (besan) flour, pepper powder, coconut butter,
• ¾ tsp coarsely ground asafoetida and salt. Add water - a little
black pepper (kali mirch) at a time - and make a stiff dough.
• 1 tbsp coconut butter Preheat the oven at the 200 ° C mark for
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing) 10 minutes and line a baking tray with •�• ��"7
i·
powder parchment paper. � [ j:
C "---A �

• Unrefined sa It to taste Fix the ribbon pakoda disc (plate/cutter) •v "•

• Water as required in the chakli maker and fill the hollow of
the maker with the prepared dough.
Squeeze the dough onto the lined tray in
a circular manner, in a single layer - •

Serves 4-5 just one layer to ensure even and quick

cooking. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, turning it
over once, after about 6 - 7 minutes. Store in
an airtight container.

sharan-india.org
BAKED WHEAT AND RICE
CHAKLIS
Ingredients: Method:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour Mix all the dry ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice flour together. Add chii Ii-ginger paste,
• ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain) sesame butter, peanut-rice curd,
• ½ tsp red chilli powder lime juice and hot water and
• /s tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1
knead to make a soft dough.
• 1 tsp unrefined salt Use a chakli press to form
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chaklis on a parchment lined
coriander leaves (or to taste) baking sheet/tray.
• 1 tbsp chilli-ginger paste

•
• ¼ cup sesame butter Bake in a pre-heated oven at
• 2 tbsp peanut and rice curd 200 °C, until crisp and golden
• Lime juice as per taste brown (it takes around 20 - 25
• ¾ - 1 cup hot water minutes). Yummy baked chaklis
are ready to eat.
Makes about 25-30 Chaklis

sharan-india.org
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Recipe by Mr P V Narayanamoorthy

CHOCOLATE KAJU KATLI

Ingredients: Method:

• 2 cups cashew nuts Clean the cashew nuts and roast until crunchy
• 1 cup date paste (without discolouration). Once cool, transfer to
• 80 ml water a blender and make a fine powder. Take date
• ¼ tsp cardamom paste, cardamom and water in a
powder heavy-bottomed vessel. Heat on low heat.
• 1 tbsp Bring it to boil and simmer for a minute. Add
unsweetened cacao powdered cashew nuts and immediately
powder (a little remove from the heat. Mix well, ensuring that
more if you so there are no lumps in it.

•
desire) Sieve cacao powder onto this mixture and mix
well. Return to the stove and cook until you
are able to make a non-sticky, soft ball with
the dough.
Makes about Transfer the mixture to a parchment paper and
20 Pieces leave aside, until just lukewarm. While warm, cover
with another butter paper. Use a rolling pin to
flatten out the dough. Cut into desired shapes.
Allow to cool and transfer to an airtight container.
Serve for Diwali and enjoy!

sharan-india.org
KARANJI/ GHUGHRA/ GUJIA
Filling Ingredients: Filling Method:

• ½ cup desiccated Roast the cashew nuts, almonds and

/shredded dried coconut pistachios until light golden in colour.
• ¼ cup cashew nuts You will know it is done, when fragrant. •••
�
• � •,
• ¼ cup almonds Cool and coarsely powder them. Add the '•••/
• ¼ cup pistachios desiccated coconut, raisins, kharek
• ½ cup dry date (kharek) powder, cardamom powder and nutmeg �,�11.
powder powder and mix well and keep aside. �\,___,,1-h�
• 1 tsp cardamom (elaichi) -.,., ".
powder Dough Method:
• ½ tsp nutmeg Uaiphal)
powder Mix all the ingredients well. Knead a
soft dough with hot water and let it rest •
Dough Ingredients: for 30 minutes, covered. Take a small
golf-sized ball of the dough and roll it out into a
• 2 cups whole wheat flour thin disc. container. Place the prepared filling
• ½ cup cashew butter on half of the disc and fold the other half over,
• ½ tsp cardamom (elaichi) to make a half-moon shape. Apply water along
powder the edges and seal it tight. Using a fork, secure
• ½ tsp nutmeg Uaiphal) the edges by making imprints of the fork. Bake
powder in a pre-heated oven at 180 ° - 200 ° C.
• 2 tbsp coconut butter Bake until golden on both the sides. Store in an
• 2 tbsp date paste airtight container.
• Sufficient hot water to
knead the dough Makes 20-22 Pieces
sharan-india.org
BESAN LADDOOS
Ingredients: Method:

• ½ cup split Bengal In a heavy bottomed pan, roast the split

gram (chana dal) Bengal gram and cardamom together on
• 3-4 pods green medium heat, until it turns a lovely golden •.... ..•
•,
I \
•
cardamom colour. Cool and grind coarsely. Add grated • • • •,
• ½ cup grated fresh coconut and mix well. Transfer to a bowl,
coconut add dates a few at a time and knead into
• ¼ cup pitted soft dark the Bengal gram mixture. Keep doing this
dates until the mixture comes together to form a
• 10-12 almonds, dough. Adjust the sweetness by adding

•
chopped more dates if required. Add almonds, divide
the mixture into equal portions (about
12-15) and shape each portion into a

Variation:

Makes 12-15 Laddoos Substitute chana dal with red rice, whole
ragi, whole amaranth, green moong dal,

sharan-india.org
MALAI PEDHA
Ingredients: Method:

• ¼ cup almond flour Mix together the almond flour, cashew

• ¼ cup cashew flour flour, desiccated coconut, tofu, dry
• 2-3 tbsp desiccated dates powder, salt and cardamom. •.... ..•
•,
I \
•
coconut/ shredded dried Add the date paste and bring everything • • • •,
coconut together and roll into small balls. If the
• 3 tbsp crumbled extra firm mixture is not binding together well, add
tofu non dairy milk and form small balls.
• 3-4 tbsp dry dates (kha rek) Flatten the balls into thick discs.
powder Place a pistachio piece in the centre of

•
• 1/s tsp unrefined salt each disc and press in.
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder This can be consumed as is, or can be
• 2 tbsp date paste baked in a pre-heated oven at 180 ° C
• 2-3 tsp non dairy milk (if for 5-6 minutes.
required)
• Few halved pistachios, to
decorate

Makes 12-15 Pedas

sharan-india.org
COCONUT BARFI
Ingredients: Method:

• 2 cups desiccated Mix all the ingredients together (except

coconut/fresh coconut the raisins), very well. Mash the raisins
• ½ cup coarsely powdered and knead them into the coconut
cashew nuts mixture.
• ¼ cup dry dates powder Press this mixture into a wide stainless
• ½ tsp cardamom powder steel dish and cut into desired shapes.
• 1 cup raisins, or as Garnish with desiccated coconut.
required to bind the barfi Refrigerate the barfi for 6-8 hours
• 1/a tsp unrefined salt before unmoulding. Store in the

•
refrigerator.

Makes 20-25 Pieces

sharan-india.org
DELIGHTFUL DATE SWEETS
Ingredients: Method:

• 1 packet of the best Slit each date and carefully remove the seed
quality whole black from within, without breaking the date.
dates with seeds .....
•
'••, •:
.\

• 100 g walnuts Variety 1 •• •

• 100 g almonds In half the dates, in place of the seed, stuff a
• 1 tbsp date paste piece of walnut, so that a part of the walnut
sticks out. That's it! And it tastes great.

Variety 2
Serves 4-6 This one needs a little more effort but it is
nice to serve both the varieties together. Pour
boiling water over the almonds and wait for •
3 - 4 minutes. Peel them. Grind the almonds with
the date paste, form ovals and stuff the dates with
these. Serve.

Variations
Serve the dates stuffed with blanched whole
almonds or whole cashew nuts.
sharan-india.org
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RAW CARROT HALWA

Ingredients: Method:

• ½ cup finely grated, Take carrots, cardamom powder and

unpeeled carrots coconut in a bowl and mix well. Knead
• ¼ tsp green cardamom the ground dates into the carrot coconut
powder mixture. Repeat this process until all
• ½ cup grated fresh coconut the dates are kneaded into the mixture.
• ¼ cup pitted soft black Transfer to a serving bowl and chill in
dates, ground between the refrigerator for 2 hours. Decorate
fingers, a few at a time with slivered almonds and serve.
• 8-10 almonds, slivered

•
Variations

Substitute carrot with unpeeled grated

Serves 2 beetroot, pumpkin or bottle gourd.

sharan-india.org