“In two decades I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.”
Erma Bombeck
I made this 2 days ago after the dieting diva was pestering me for dessert, with a condition that it must be healthy and low fat… and delicious of course. She has a penchant for strawberries, yet as I lazily dithered she loudly wished there was a diet food delivery service! I didn’t tell her that like pizzas, diet food here too is also just a phone call away. My belief often … what you don’t know, can’t hurt you!
As I learnt fairly recently, the concept of gourmet diet food delivery is catching on in India now as well. It’s a novel concept for folks on the go and customises a diet for individual requirements with consultation with nutritionist, keeping in mind individual dietary requirements, heart rates, lipid profiles and what not! 
It’s a concept that seems to work well here too as it breaks certain trends like fat and sugar laden meals which are traditionally prepared in Indian households where deep fried food and the lavish use of clarified butter is much the norm. What you get is a nutritionally balanced meal from each of the five food groups etc with a mix of complex carbohydrates, vegetables, lean protein {vegetarian or non vegetarian}, using a heart friendly oil like olive oil … with the promise to deliver delicious meals!
Making diet food is much my voluntary vocation at home these days, with the dieting teen refusing to eat otherwise. I dived into the fridge to put together a ‘healthy dessert’. Apples stared back at me and a box of strawberries. I knew just the thing I’d make… a fruit crumble. I find crisps and crumbles one of the easiest desserts to bake. They are therapeutic, satisfying and look pretty with fruit juices oozing out invitingly. For this recipe, use firm tart apples for this as they pair tantalizingly with sweet strawberries … 
We’ve bid a hasty adieu to winter and with it pears, apples. Even more hastily, we’ve welcomed summer. Spring was sweet and short , marked in India by the festival of colour, Holi, which as you can see above the kids enjoyed to the last drop of colour! Need I say more? {Just for the record, they are back to looking normal again!}. With Spring came strawberries that flooded the market for a bit.
What’s the difference between grunts, slumps, buckles, cobblers, crisps, crunches, pandowdies, and brown betties?
All of these quick and simple desserts are made of fruit topped with a biscuit dough or a crumbly mixture of flour, butter, and sugar.
If biscuit dough is dropped by the spoonful on top of the fruit, it makes a lumpy, “cobbled” surface–like a street paved with round stones–and so the dish is a COBBLER.
Traditionally, if the biscuit is stirred into the fruit during cooking, it’s a PANDOWDY.
To be a CRISP, a CRUMBLE, or a CRUNCH, the fruit must be topped with some variation of a butter, sugar, and flour topping. Typically, a CRUMBLE has flour, sugar, butter, and oatmeal; a CRISP has flour, sugar, butter and nuts; and a CRUNCH has sugar, butter, and breadcrumbs. There are also cake-like variations, which include BROWN BETTIES and BUCKLES. Read more at Food Network Kitchens
Think summer in India and think Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun … lyrics from a song I heard when I was a kid. It’s from the musical revue “The Third Little Show” (1924), Noel Coward and is about all I recall from the song. It paints a graphic picture of the blistering heat that beats down during the Indian summer, with Englishmen wearing sola topees {pith helmets often worn by the British in the tropics} walking about at noon! The song is amusing to say the least. Here are a few lines from the song …
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The Japanese don’t care to, the Chinese wouldn’t dare to
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve till one
But Englishmen detest-a siesta …
And as you hum the song, here’s a recipe for a heart friendly dessert with complex carbs, delicious fruit and low calories. Use fruit of the season, stone and pip fruit work great here, throw in a handful of chopped dry fruit, almonds, pistachios, walnuts etc, then throw in some tart cherries, craisins, raisins if you like, add some fresh herbs like thyme for a nice Spring feel … and bake until the juices begin to enticingly ooze out. ENJOY!!
Recipe: Strawberry Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 6 firm apples, diced {tart,crisp ones}
150gm strawberries, chopped {fresh or frozen}
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
Fresh thyme - Topping
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup butter; chilled
1/2 cup rolled oats
Instructions
- Toss the diced apples with the lime juice as soon as you chop them.
- Mix in the strawberries,sugar, raisins and walnuts.
- Put into 6-8 individual ramekins or a shallow pie dish (9” or 23cm or 1L), and press lightly into place.
To prepare crumble topping: - Mix plain flour and sugar with a spoon in a dry bowl.
- Put in cold butter cut into pieces and work with finger tips to make a breadcrumbs like texture. Now toss in the oats lightly with a spoon.
Assemble: - Preheat the oven to 180C for 10 minutes. {You can do this just as you begin chopping the fruit}.
- Put this crumble over the fruit mixture, pressing down gently to cover the top & seal the fruit in.
- Bake till top light brown and stewed fruit juice begins to appear on edges {about 30 minutes}
Notes
Use seasonal fruit. Crumbles and crisps are good destinations for overripe fruit too.
Baking time (duration): 30 minutes
Diet type: Vegetarian
Diet (other): Low calorie, Reduced fat
Number of servings (yield): 6
Meal type: Dessert
Culinary tradition: English
My rating:
Copyright © Deeba @ Passionate About Baking.
Microformatting by hRecipe.
Don’t miss a post 
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
So jealous of your herbs hehe. These crumbles look great – on a diet or not!
Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets´s last [type] ..Guest Post- Handvo Indian Savory Snack Cake
Nice blog u got here
some of the recipes mention preheating at a temp. But I’m clueless about the time. Help?
ok so I just put a apple crumble into the oven and then got on to my laptop to check my reader and email and I saw this….now I am wishing I had put strawberries in mine too
M
What a quick and yummilicious dessert that too low fat….cant get any better than this!!!
Njoyed reading ur post!! Great clicks as always!!
These look delicious! Perfect diet treat!
pigpigscorner´s last [type] ..Pea and Gammon Soup
I love your little pots!
Miriam/The Winter Guest´s last [type] ..Soldaditos de Pavía or codfish beignets
A great dessert when one is on a diet! Delicious and not calorie-ladden. Perfect!
Cheers,
Rosa
Apple crumble is one of my favorite go-to desserts..perfect results every time with minimal effort.Pairing it with strawberries sounds like a great idea..but alas,end of strawberry season,so no luck there.Planning a Mango crumble as soon as the Mango season starts..can’t wait!!
Divya Kudua´s last [type] ..Salted Fudge Brownies
Great Dessert. I was also planning a Apple berry crumble. Your addition of thyme is interesting and a great twist to the normal recipe. Great diet dessert as well.
Great Dessert. I was also planning a Apple berry crumble. Your addition of thyme is interesting and a great twist to the normal recipe. Perfect diet dessert as well.
CurryLeaf´s last [type] ..Brownie Squares with Praline Topping
Oooh, the beautiful desssert caught my eye, but then my gaze went to your lovely lush pot of thyme and I have gardening envy! The kids looked like they had a great time during Holi. Did it take much to scrub them clean ?
shaz´s last [type] ..Thumbs up for thumbprints
Perfect Apple crumble topped with the zest of sweet strawberries, simply awesome combo! Full of nutrition and fibre, hands down to this lovely dessert for all occasions!
sonia´s last [type] ..In a Quest of Stuffed Artichokes
What absolutely gorgeous pics and especially love how the strawberry juice runs down the side of the ramekins of the crumbles. That colour festival sounds incredible: your kids sure know how to put it on!
Jill´s last [type] ..A Fishy Start Ends in a Juicy- Creamy Finish
Dear Deeba How are you dear? I love crumbles always (and I made a crumble too)
This strwberries and apple crumble look delicious, and like always I love your picturse!!!
lots of huggs! gloria
gloria´s last [type] ..Plums Crumble
i love all your photos and the recipe is awesome too. yay for fruit coming together! thanks so much for sharing, looks lovely! as per usual
-meg
@ http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com
Meg Luby´s last [type] ..Thanksgiving Treats- Figgy-Peary-Cheesy Goodness
What a gorgeous dessert using strawberries. They are not in season in Canada yet. Can’t wait. Love your small dessert cups, they are so cute.
Helene´s last [type] ..Next Cooking Star
That crumble looks so yummy. Looking at it, I owuld never guess it’s diet food. I love the grayish slate background you’re using. Pretty pictures as usual.
Sukaina´s last [type] ..Lemon Bundt Cake
Wat a wonderful and gorgeous dessert, crumble looks super delicious..
Priya´s last [type] ..White Chocolate Puffs
I love a good crumble – thanks for sharing so much here, the background, the pictures, the recipe, the rituals, the festivals. Did you paint on the drips? They look so perfect!
Sally Prosser´s last [type] ..Ginger chocolate biscuits
Oh i loved that you incorporated Holi into this post. i wish i could go to india during this time seems like a blast
So interesting about the diet food delivery service, i am sure they have that here too just don;t know about it. 
Delishhh´s last [type] ..Pink Grapefruit and Campari Sorbet
Looks amazing and sounds amazing. I love crumbles and the like. They’re always filled with current produce and topped with crunchy goodness. Not to mention the a la mode variety I love so much!
Sharlene´s last [type] ..Samoa Bars
Crumble looks delicious! I see that your kids enjoyed Holi to the fullest! Good to know that they are back to looking normal again.
cool lassie´s last [type] ..Spinach- Roasted Peanut And Tamarind Chutney Spinach Thogayal
Oh Deeba, how I wish you were my mom! LOL. I’m probably much older than you though! Your crumble looks delicious! I hope your dieting diva thoroughly enjoyed it! I know I would!
Shelby´s last [type] ..Potato Masal and Masala Poori for Taste & Create!
What an absolute delight….
love the Crumble….
Just bid adieu to Apples and Strawberries with Strawberry n Almond Brownies and
Chocolate Apple Crumble
Cheers,
The Variable, Crazy Over Desserts – Nachiketa
Catch me on facebook @ Crazy Over Desserts
Wow nice recipes and pictures…looks appetizing!
spoonthat.com´s last [type] ..Dragon Shrimp with Steamed Rice-A Seafood Lovers Dream
Nice recipes and pictures.
spoonthat.com´s last [type] ..Dragon Shrimp with Steamed Rice-A Seafood Lovers Dream
Hi Deeba,
This looks yumm!! we are having it after dinner today.
Hugs
Andy
Gorgeous crumbles! You are right in that there is something so artistically beautiful in a cooked crumble with the juices running down the sides. And now that it is getting warmer here I have actually been craving something like this! And I am seeing our first strawberries on the market. And listening to your stories of the Dieting Diva, I am somehow glad I had boys. But then again, they may not diet but they are boys. xoxox Missing you honey!
Looks wonderful – nothing like fruit bubbling up through crumble – we are welcoming apples into season here so I am quite keen to cook with them – I am surprised that you don’t cook the apples first – my mum made lots of apple crumbles when I was young and always used stewed apples
Johanna GGG´s last [type] ..Cheesey bikkies- what not to do
Maybe I’ll do strawberry and apple. Our next week’s TWD is strawberry rhubarb crisp, but there is no rhubarb to be found yet this cold spring. Love all crisps.
Katrina´s last [type] ..Watermelon Salad with Tomato and Feta Recipe
Spring is here Deeba, and with strawberries follow the rest of the summer fruit:D Glad to hear these are low calorie:D
Whenever the thermostat climbs in the middle of the summer and my kids are begging me to go out and play with them after lunch, I always say “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun”. Lovely to see that quoted here. Your crumbles are gorgeous and your post is, as usual, thought-provoking.
Very delicious! I could eat this for breakfast!
beautiful photographs! ! sounds delicious!
nadia´s last [type] ..oh dear- its killing me
This looks awesome. I need a live in cook! LOL
rohan´s last [type] ..48 HR-57 Washingon DC Jazz
Well you certainly don’t have to be on a diet to enjoy a fresh fruit crumble like this!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen´s last [type] ..potatoes with crème fraîche sauce well dressed potatoes for a guest post
Every time I read a post here the first attraction is the quote. They are always so to the point and beautiful and thought provoking. It really gives me an intellectual high. Then comes the food. A crumble is probably my most loved dessert. Easy to make and the surprise that comes out from under that layer of cake always entices me. And who can miss those amazing photographs. They always make me feel hungry even on a full stomach. That diet diva doesn’t know what an amazing mom she has ……
I wish I was your neighbour
Hi Deeba,
Inspired by you I too made a crumble . Your idea of adding oats was brilliant.
SinFoodie´s last [type] ..Marie biscuit Apple Kiwi Crumble
my bad. Didn’t know that oats is used generally
)
SinFoodie´s last [type] ..Marie biscuit Apple Kiwi Crumble
Wonderful, wonderful dessert….and I love those baking cups
I think the US needs to start gourmet diet food deliveries. I’ve never heard of it, but it’s a great idea. As is your delicious crumble, especially love the pictures with it oozing out of the cup!
BarbaraBakes´s last [type] ..Daring Bakers
Great diet dessert Deeba
and your daughter reminded me a little of mine (the long flowing dark hair).
Love the oats and the fresh fruits in the crumble! The dessert look just the right choice for any dieting Diva.
Sanjeeta kk´s last [type] ..A Few Healthy Salad Recipes in Your Platter to Chill out in Summer!
We’re all dieting divas! Great dessert, Deeba.
(And your ramekins are adorable.)
what a treat for the eyes! love your blog Deeba n those ramekins….whr did u get them from ? gotta know
rahin´s last [type] ..Of Alexia- flowers and a small Giveaway!
Thanks for your sweet words Rahin. I got the ceramic ramekins from Tarini in DLF Gurgaon. Where do you live? Shall I get some for you?
Aww… u r too kind Deeba… I live in Boston …. but thanks for asking
Delicious recipe Deeba! I tried using strawberry with seedless black grapes and my daughters literally licked the dish clean. I always enjoy visiting your blog.
love your fruit bakes deeba,,, and this one’s fab. love the bowls looks like they playing holi too. the images have a lovely rustic feel to it. hmm… now i wish i was in gurgaon.
Rajani@eatwritethink´s last [type] ..House of Rice
This looks crazzzy good!!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Mary @ Delightful Bitefuls´s last [type] ..Chicken- Spinach & Tomato Pizza in a Cast Iron Skillet
I love the combination of strawberry and apple- I bet it is delicious!