This is a super-simple, preservative-free, tasty dessert that you can make in literally 5 minutes of preparation time! Makes for a great pre or post workout snack, after-school snack, combining the natural goodness of figs, cashews and raisins. Enjoy these fig bars, guilt-free! No baking, no added butter/oil and the best part – the kids loved it!
Ingredients:
- Dry figs (I used the darker variety)
- Raisins (I used golden raisins)
- Cashews
Note: Use equal quantities of the 3 ingredients above.
Method:
- In a food processor, pulse the ingredients. I don’t have a food processor, so just used my Vitamix on low and it turned out just fine.
- Collect the ground mixture and place it in a bread loaf pan, pressing it to make it compact using your fingers.
- Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for 10 minutes or so.
- Take it out and cut into pieces.
Tips:
- You can add a dash of sea salt or kosher salt if you want a hint of saltiness, while grinding the ingredients.
- You can add dried ginger powder or cinnamon powder or cardamom powder, for some flavor while grinding the ingredients.
- You can vary the ingredients and include dates, almonds, seeds etc. The sky is literally the limit for this basic recipe, in terms of variations.
- I have fashioned mine as toffees, more than bars, but you can make these in whatever shape or size you like.
Tastes (Rasa):
Sweet (figs, raisins, cashews), sour (raisins), salty (salt, in case you do opt to use it), bitter (none), pungent (none), astringent (none).
Doshic Influence:
This is obviously a kapha aggravating dish, with its sweet, heavy, nutritive ingredients, but is great for young kids and active adults as an alternative to processed, white sugar laden desserts. Ayurveda recommends that dried fruits be soaked before eating since they are harder to digest than their fresh counterparts. But in small quantities, if the agni/digestive fire is relatively strong, these fig bars are nutritious, strength-imparting and a good source of fiber too.