Dry Fruits Pudding (Sugarless)

# of servings:  4-6	Soak Time:  30 mins
Preparation Time:  20 mins	Cook Time:  None

A refreshing dessert made with NO SUGAR!  Yes, the sweetness is from the dates and honey in this recipe.  Full of nutritious fruits and nuts this is a wonderful treat for anyone! 

Ingredients:

• Pitted dates - 4 fistfuls
• Cashews - 2 fistfuls
• Almonds - 2 fistfuls
• Pumpkin seeds - 1 fistful (optional)
• Milk - 3 cups (divided)
• Basil (sabja) seeds - 2 tsp
• Tapioca pearls (Sago/sabudana) - 0.5 cup
• Desiccated coconut - 1 cup
• Chopped fruits of choice - Apple, pear, Asian pear, grapes, banana, mango, pomegranate, peach (only non-citrus fruit) - 2 cups
• Slivered nuts - Almonds, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, pecans - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom - 3-4 pods
• Honey - 2 tbsp (as per taste) 

Method:

• Soak pitted dates, cashews, almonds, and pumpkin seeds in 2 cups of warm milk for half an hour 
• In another cup, soak Basil (sabja) seeds in half a cup of milk 
• Powder the cardamom seeds and set aside
• In the meantime, dry roast the tapioca pearls till they pop and look white
• Add 2 cups of hot water and cook the tapioca pearls till they turn translucent
• Strain out the cooking water and catch the pearls in a sieve
• Rinse the pearls under cold water to stop the cooking and set aside to cool
• In a blender jar, make a smooth paste of the soaked dates, cashews, almonds, and milk 
• Add the remaining milk and whisk it
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl
• Add the finely chopped fruit, soaked basil seeds, cooked and cooled tapioca pearls, desiccated coconut, powdered cardamom seeds, and honey
• Garnish with some slivered nuts/fruit as per choice
• Serve chilled or at room temperature (as preferred) 
• Can easily be made and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days

Tips and Tricks:

• Citric fruit should not be used as they will curdle the milk
• Using warm milk expedites the soaking of dates, etc.  If not, they can be soaked in regular milk for 1 hr
• Though Pumpkin seeds are optional, it is beneficial to use them.  They are rich in zinc which is known as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and aids metabolism too. 
• When soaking the basil seeds, stir a little bit into the milk to avoid clumping
• Roasting the tapioca pearls before cooking makes them stay apart and not become sticky
• Washing the cooked tapioca pearls with cold water stops them from cooking further and becoming a lump

Pictures: 

Final Outcome: