Dry Fruit Rolls

I have a recipe featuring nuts back to back and my apologies if they are not your take. It simply shows how much I have been nuts about nuts these days! Seriously, the fact is that despite my profound love for them, thanks to this appreciation towards dry fruits and nuts I have inherited from my dear dad, they've always remained in the hind of this blog. For no particular reason, I have been on nut binge off late, indulging in them more than warranted, though I have rarely felt guilty about them. To an extent, the other day, I added roasted walnuts in a typical south Indian styled beans stir fry and felt mighty good devouring them. These Honey Loops & Nuts Chikki made up our sweet treats during mid-day breaks and post meal snack the last week through. Yet, I say, it doesn't justify my love for these roasted treats, almonds and cashews in particular.

Indeed, I have my freezer loaded with them in kilos that should last me a year. Dates, raisins, figs, almonds, cashews, walnuts and handful of apricots. Handful, because dried apricots are tough and not really my favourites. But among the rest it's hard for me to make a choice.

We are just back from a short vacation in Goa. A vacation to commemorate our wedding anniversary and his birthday. We basked in the serene beauty of Goa’s pristine beaches, green foliage and golden sand. Out there we soaked up the sun, got a massage in the spa and relaxed all day long. We discovered moments of togetherness with the sand castles we built together for our daughter as the frothy waves swept them gently, watched the sun go down the other side of the coast and took long strolls on the private beach. We revived our energies as we went swimming, biking and street hoping (Goan streets and markets never fail to amaze me). No vacation is worth the vacation without good food, so we certainly made our's worth as we binged on loads of delicious good food.

The trip though short (2 nights and 3 days) was packed with energy, fun and enthusiasm. Goa carries an ethereal realm of Portuguese culture that none other city in India has seen and it leaves me amazed each time. We are back home fresh and rejuvenated after this therapeutic vacation, much to an extent that we are craving for another trip soon. :)

Perfecting the holiday mood we were in, I decided not to bake or spend too much effort in the kitchen. Instead I made and carried these Dry Fruit Rolls for our trip. These rolls are not just healthy, but sugar free. They are well suited for toddlers and diabetics. Naturally sweetened with dates and figs, these have my coveted roasted nuts that make this a decadent anytime treat. Hope you'll enjoy them as much we did.

Dry Fruit Rolls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups pitted and chopped dates
1/2 cup dry figs
3/4 cup roasted cashew nuts
3/4 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup roasted walnuts
1 tsp. orange peel
2 tbsps. orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Chop dates and figs as finely as possible. This will help in easier blending of ingredients. Combine the chopped dates and figs along with orange juice in a pan and bring it to a boil for about 5 minutes on medium low flame. Using the back of a flat wooden spoon, mash them as much possible. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool. Medjool dates can be best used here. If not, use any moist date you have at hand. I used Lion seedless dates, which were moist enough for this recipe. Remember dried ones are tough and will not help here.

Pulse the dates-fig mixture along with chopped orange peels in a food process as much as possible with no additional liquid or orange juice. It should have a moist and sticky dough like consistency. Roughly chop the roasted cashews, almonds & walnuts and add it to the prepared date-fig dough. Scrape the entire mixture into a plastic food wrap (a butter greased aluminium foil will do alternatively). Roll the wrap over to encase into a roll. Chill for about an hour. Remove from refrigerator and using a serrated knife cut them into rolls of desired sizes.