Diwali is right around the corner, and we know you can’t get enough of the get-togethers, cards parties and luncheons. The mouthwatering savouries and sweets transport you to a different and delicious gastronomic world making you ditch your diets and indulge.
From creamy Badam halwa to fragrant gulabi sewiyaan, we bring you six recipes of delectable desserts to celebrate the festival of lights.
BADAM HALWA BY SUKESH KANCHAN, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT SANA-DI-GE, DELHI
Badam halwa is a simple sweet confection desssert recipe prepared from crushed almond paste. Badam halwa is prepared during Diwali.
Ingredients
1/2 cup almonds
hot water to soak
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp ghee
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp saffron milk
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Few dry fruits
Method
Firstly soak 1/2 cup almonds in enough hot water for 30 minutes
Further, peel the skin of badam and transfer to blender
Add in 1/4 cup milk. Alternatively use almond milk or water if you are vegan
Blend to a smooth paste
Transfer the badam paste into the large kadai
Add in a tbsp of ghee
Saute for a minute on low to medium flame
Add in 1/4 cup sugar and saute continuously
Stir continuously till the sugar dissolve completely
Add 2 tbsp saffron milk and stir. To prepare saffron milk, soak few threads of saffron in tbsp of warm milk for 10 minutes.
Keep the flame on low -medium and stir till the mixture thickens.
Add half tbsp of ghee and stir.
Stir till the mixture separates the pan and ghee oozes out from sides.
Add in 1/4 tsp cardamom powder and mix well
Serve badam halwa hot garnished with few chopped nuts
GULABI SEWIYAAN BY HOME CHEF NIVEDITA GANGAY
Ingredients
1 litre milk (preferably full cream)
1/2 cup ~ 50 gm roasted vermicelli (Sewiyaan)
1 tsp ghee
2 tbsp milk powder
1/2 ~ 200 gms condensed milk**
1/4 cup edible rose water
Some dried/fresh rose petals for garnish
2 drops of gel pink food colour (Optional)
Method
Heat the ghee in a pan and toast the vermicelli on low flame for a minute
In a large , heavy bottom pot , add the milk and toasted vermicelli
Continue to cook on low heat while stirring so that the vermicelli doesn’t stick to the bottom
After first boil , add condensed milk
Take around one ladle hot milk in a cup and mix milk powder to it
Return the mix to the vermicelli pot and continue to stir and cook till the vermicelli is cooked through Add the rose water towards the end and stir for another minute
Add colour , stir and switch off the heat
Serve hot or chill it in the fridge overnight
Please feel free to adjust the sweetness as pee your taste, you can also add ~ 1/2 Cup sugar / brown sugar if you don’t have condensed milk
KHAZOOR AUR TILL KE LADOO BY VIKRAMJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA, EXECUTIVE CHEF, RADISSON UDYOG VIHAR GURUGRAM
Ingredients
500 gms dates ( Khazoor)
100 gms Khoya
50 gms ghee
10 gms green cardamom
100 gms sesame seeds ( White)
Method
Take seedless dates and chop roughly.
Heat a pan and add white sesame seeds for roasting.
After cooling sesame seed, add green cardamom and put in the grinder.
Grind till the mixture is coarsely grounded.
Heat khadai, add ghee and saute the khoya.
Take a mixing bowl; add sesame powder, chopped dates and khoya mix.
Roll the mixture into round balls and coat them with roasted sesame seeds.
Ladoo are ready and can be served
JAGGERY THEKUA BY HOME CHEF NIVEDITA GANGAY
Ingredients
1.5 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup jaggery
1/4 cup water
1.5 tsp fennel seeds
3/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp crushed pepper
1 tsp dry ginger powder
2-3 tablespoon of milk
2.5 tbsp ghee or butter (Room Temp)
2 tbsp dry coconut powder
One pinch of salt
Method
Mix water and jaggery in a bowl and mix till it is dissolved completely
In a large bowl add all dry ingredients and mix well
Add ghee and mix till it gets collected upon pressing
Sieve the jaggery mix and use it to make the dough
Add milk as needed to form a stiff dough
Roll a small ball size dough mix and shape them as desired keeping the thickness of each thekua under 0.5 cms
Slow heat oil / ghee for frying and then fry the thekua on low heat till crispy golden on the outside
Lay it out on a wire rack and let them cool completely
SAMOSA AND KELE KA TIKKA BY CHEF MANOJ, NH 44
Ingredients
100gms ghee
250 gms flour
½ tea spoon carom seed (ajwain)
½ tea spoon salt
Oil for deep frying
Stuffing
3 teaspoon oil
½ teaspoon cumin seed
250 gms boiled potato
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon haldi
½ teaspoon green chillies
Method
Rub ghee in to the flour until mixture is crumbed.
Mix in the ajwain and salt, add water to make a firm but pliable dough and leave for 30 minutes
Prepare the filling, sauté the cumin seeds until they crackle, add remaining ingredients and sauté for 1 minute.
Leave it to cool
Roll out the pastry thinly, then cut into 8cm
Cut the circle in half. Put a spoonful of filling on one semi-circle of pastry and roll over the top, pressing the edges. Heat oil and deep fried the samosas till golden brown
