XAGAVE AND PEANUT CHIKKI WITH XAGAVE

Dear friends, I will be posting my recipe for the diet-series this weekend. Actually, I was very much excited about today’s post, so I had to post it first thing in the morning. Recently I was contacted by Robyn Shulsky from BetterBody Foods and Nutrition about their product Xagave. They mentioned some facts about Xagave like this is an organic agave nectar, which is low on the glycemic index, and has calorie saving qualities; Xagave is different from most other agave's on the market in a number of ways. One of the most substantial ways is its excellent cooking and baking properties, which sounded really interesting, since I use low glycemic index sweeteners instead of sugars in my cooking.



Yesterday, I received a package from them with a big bottle of Xagave, a wonderful cookbook, and some interesting articles about Xagave. This cookbook changed my notion of using agave nectar only for desserts. The recipes in cookbook cover a wide range of menus including salad and salad dressings; gourmet meals like pizzas, ham, jambalaya; and some intriguing desserts and drinks and even chocolate syrup. I am planning to try out the recipes from this cookbook and I will be posting them all here. I am happy about this cookbook, can’t wait to try out all the healthy recipes :)

Here are some more interesting facts about Xagave, which I have quoted from the book. All brands of agave are not the same. Xagave is the only brand that brings the benefits of both blue and white agave. Both blue and white agave are low GI food and both will save you thousands of calories if use in lieu of sugar. Blue agave has more naturally-occurring inulin than white; white has more naturally-occurring calcium than blue. Xagave brand combines the inulin from the blue with the calcium in the white. The Xagave blend creates a powerful combination of a low GI sweetener with inulin that makes Xagave the healthiest, best tasting and most versatile brand of agave in the market.

Here are some interesting facts about inulin and more details on agave.

Agave nectar

Inulin



Since this was the first time I was Xagave, I wanted to try out a traditional Indian sweet, and out of the blue peanut chikki or kadalai urundai popped into my mind. It had been quite a while since I had this though this is a favorite snack for my hubby and I. We had stopped all these traditional sweets ever since we cut down sugars. Xagave really surprised me here. I was wondering whether the chikkis would set tight enough but it was totally worth try. The chikkis had set beautifully and I was able to even cut them. They were a little bit sweeter and had a gooey caramel texture. I had them out for 2 days and put the remaining inside the fridge. They were not too hard even when left in the refrigerator, so friends if plan on trying out this sweet, go ahead…it is worth the try, you’ll love it. Since I had used 1 cup of peanuts with 2/3 cup of Xagave, the carbohydrate serving of an inch of chikki is around 15 g, which is just one serving. This is ideal for a quick snack or dessert. Here goes my recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1. Dry peanuts, 1 cup. (I used a regular roasted and salted brand).
2. Xagave, 2/3 cup.
3. Cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon.
4. Ghee or canola oil, 1 teaspoon.
5. Salt, a pinch.

PREPARATION:
Add the Xagave to a pan and start stirring it under medium heat. Nonstick pan works best here for the contents to slide on to a plate without sticking. Once the Xagave starts bubbling, add the cardamom powder and salt and mix well. Then add the peanuts slowly and keep stirring continuously under low flame to prevent clump formation. The mixture will thicken gradually. Pour the contents over a plate smeared with oil or ghee and spread it evenly and let it cool. Once cooled, cut the chicks into small pieces and enjoy.