5 easy anjeer recipes with no added sugar

Dried figs are sweet enough to replace sugar in many Indian sweets and drinks. These five recipes use no sugar or jaggery at all; the figs do the work. They still contain natural fruit sugar, so treat them as sweets and keep portions small.

Sugar-free anjeer barfi (dry fruit roll)

Makes about 16 pieces. Time: 25 minutes plus 1 hour soaking and 1 hour chilling.

• 15 Jumbo anjeer (about 300 g)
• ½ cup mixed nuts: almonds, cashews, pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• Optional: 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut or poppy seeds for coating

1. Soak the figs in warm water for 1 hour. Drain, remove the stem tips and grind to a coarse paste without adding water.
2. Lightly roast the nuts in half the ghee until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Set aside.
3. Add the remaining ghee and the fig paste to the pan. Cook on low heat, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.
4. Mix in the nuts and cardamom. Let it cool until you can handle it.
5. Shape into a log, roll in coconut or poppy seeds, wrap tightly and chill for 1 hour. Slice into rounds.

Keeps for a week in an airtight box in the fridge. It makes a lovely homemade Diwali gift.

Anjeer ladoo

Makes about 12. Time: 20 minutes plus soaking.

• 12 anjeer, soaked for 1 hour
• ¾ cup mixed nuts
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon ghee

1. Dry-roast the nuts and grind them coarsely.
2. Grind the drained figs to a thick paste and warm it in ghee for 3–4 minutes.
3. Mix in the nuts and coconut, cool slightly and roll into small balls with greased palms.

For young children, grind the nuts very fine. See anjeer for kids.

Anjeer milkshake

Serves 1. Time: 5 minutes plus soaking.

• 3 anjeer, soaked for 2 hours or overnight
• 250 ml chilled milk
• Optional: half a banana, 3 almonds, a pinch of cardamom

Blend everything until smooth and serve cold. For the warm version, see our anjeer milk recipe.

Anjeer overnight oats

Serves 1. Time: 5 minutes plus overnight.

• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup milk and 2 tablespoons curd
• 2 anjeer, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds and a few walnuts

Mix everything in a jar, close it and refrigerate overnight. The figs soften and sweeten the oats by morning. A filling, high-fibre breakfast: see anjeer for weight loss.

Anjeer chutney

Makes a small bowl. Time: 10 minutes plus soaking.

• 6 anjeer, soaked for 1 hour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or a small piece of tamarind
• ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder, black salt to taste

Grind everything with a little of the soaking water into a thick chutney. It is sweet, sour and spicy, and goes well with samosa, chaat, parathas or cheese.

Tips for cooking with anjeer

• Always soak first for smoother pastes; drink or reuse the soaking water.
• Cut off the stem tip, which stays hard.
• Soft, fresh figs give better texture; hard old stock makes grainy barfi. See how to store anjeer.
• Medium-grade figs are fine for cooking; save the largest for eating and gifting. More in anjeer prices.

Our Jumbo anjeer 1 kg has the lowest price per kilo, enough for the barfi, the ladoo and weeks of milkshakes.