Party Food Ideas to Make Your Event Light up This Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is much more than bright lights, rangoli and fireworks; it also means Homemade Diwali sweets! During this one week, kitchens all over India turn into professional commercial kitchens as families prepare a host of traditional sweets and savories for the festival. If you are planning to make you home smell like Diwali delights, here is your chance to know some of the most popular Diwali recipes that will make your festival celebration a special one.
Sweets: A Taste of Tradition and Love
Lilting Sweetness of Diwali doesn’t quite feel comfortable if you don’t have homemade Indian desserts on the platter. These caked are normally taken to families, friends and to neighbors hence they are associated with unity and positive gestures.
1. Ghee-Loaded Besan Diwali ladoo recipes: These golden globules of happiness just dissolve on the tongue, releasing joys of nuts.
Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour (besan) 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup ghee ¼ cup chopped nuts of cashew or almonds. 1 tsp cardamom powder
Recipe: In a pan heat ghee and then add the gram flour. Cook it gently on a low flame so that the raw smell of the flour and gets roasted and gives a nice brown color. Stir continuously to avoid burning and when almost done add the remaining portion of the marinade and simmer for five minutes. After roasting it, get out of the heat and allow it to cool just a little bit. Mix powdered sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts. Make small ladoos when the mixture is warm to the touch. There you have it, people, let the ladoos set for about 20 minutes and then you can serve it or put it in a ziplock bag.
Pro Tip: Pour a little bit of melted jaggery on top for an additional flavor, which takes these ladoos back to my childhood.
2. Silken Kesar Kalakand:
This is definitely a Diwali sweet recipes dish, which is thick like a beverage and has a scent of saffron in it. Ingredients: 1 liter milk 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup condensed milk 1/4 tsp saffron strands 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
Recipe: Heat the milk: whilst stirring occasionally. Pour the lemon juice in milk to help it curdle. Once the whey separates, use the muslin cloth to get the fresh paneer in a bowl according to MAA’s recipe. Heat a pan, then put the paneer and mix it in the condensed milk. Stir well until the mixture become thick. Then, insert saffron strands which has been soaked in warm milk. Transfer the batter to a greased tray and finally spread chopped pistachios over the mixture. Allow them to cool and settle for 2-3 hours, then you can easily cut the patties into squares.
Pro Tip: In case you do not have saffron, rose water can also be used for a rose flavored dish!
3. Coconut Burfi with a Twist A tender:
Edit Value that combines the flavors of sweetness and a soft texture, coconut burfi is a Diwali ingredient—while adding chocolate makes it a trendy twist.
Ingredients: 2 cups desiccated coconut 1 cup condensed milk 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g dark chocolate Recipe: Combine milk in a pan and put desiccated coconut in to cook. Stir far until the coconut is soaked up all the milk. Add the condensed milk and cook the mixture on low flame until the mixture becomes a thick one. Mix in the vanilla extract then put the mixture on a greased plate. Heat the dark chocolate until it’s melted and then pour it over the coconut layer. Let it cool and then let it set before slicing into squares.
Pro Tip: Finally decorate top with edible silver leaf (varak) to give it that traditional wining festive look.
Savories: Shiny, Crispy and Crunchy you just cant resist. When it comes to a feast what’s a meal without that crispy something to counter all the sweetness? A Diwali is incomplete without savories and the crispiness of these snacks complements the fun mood of Diwali extensively.
- Spiced Namak Pare These crunchy formations are diamond shaped, best taken with tea and they are truly irresistible.
Ingredients: 2 cups maida or all-purpose flour or wheat flour preferably freshly prepared. 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds) 1/4 cup ghee Salt to taste Oil for frying Recipe: Using a large mixing bowl, combine the flour to which ajwain, salt and melted ghee has been added. Using your fists, mix the ghee in the flour until you get a sand like consistency. Pour water progressively until you get a stiff dough. Take the dough and spread it and later divide it in small diamond or square shapes. Fry the pieces until they are brown in color. That will be drained, then paper towelled and placed in an airtight jar.
Pro Tip: Use a chili powder or black pepper for those who loves something a little spicy.
- Masala Chakli (Murukku) This snack is prepared throughout the Indians especially in the Diwali season, it is made in a spiral fruit shape deep fried outer skin and soft from inside.
Ingredients: 2 cups rice flour 1 cup gram flour 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp sesame seeds 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp red chili powder 2 tbsp butter Salt to taste Oil for frying Recipe: Mix all the dry ingredients together with a large bowl. Finally we add melted butter and mix them all to the point until they become crumbly. Adding a little water at a time, mix the dough should be slightly soft. Combine the flour and the boiled mixture and then use the chakli press to give the dough the spiral like formation required. Cook in simmering hot oil until brown and crisp. Serve on paper towels and enjoy it!
Pro Tip: Here is a twist to making the traditional bread by adding a bit of crushed garlic to the dough!
- Khasta Kachori This is a crispy, fried pastry, to be filled with spiced lentils or green peas which will undoubtedly prove enormously popular.
Ingredients: 1 cup of all-purpose flour or refined Maida is used for preparing this recipe. 1/4 cup semolina (sooji) 1/4 cup ghee This one; half cup of moong dal which is also known as yellow lentils. 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp garam masala Salt to taste Oil for frying
Recipe: With the help of ghee, knead the flour and semolina to make, soft smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Wash and cook the moong dal in water, with a pinch of soda added, mashing it afterwards for preparation of the filling and fry the cumin seeds, garam masala, and salt. Make small circles out of the dough and stuff them with the filling from the dal and then close nicely. Fry the kachoris until golden brown and crispy You may also like: 6 Secrets to Making the Perfect Pizza at Home
Pro Tip: It goes well with tamarind or mint chutney making foods richer in flavor.
A Partnership between SWEET and SAVORY Combining two of the basic tastes or the five fundamentals that everybody recognizes in taste sensations: SWEET and Diwali savory snacks are usually located at opposite ends of taste, but when both seasons are joined together they seem to be a perfect pair. So, Diwali is indeed not limited to illuminating the houses but also illuminating up the hearts; how better can they be lit than with good old traditional festive food?. While getting ready these janmashtami sweets and preparations do not forget to spread the joy, prosperity, and love of Diwali.
May these recipes make your Diwali delicious, and bring your home the fragrance of traditions, the voice of happiness and the light of Diwali cheer.
Happy Diwali!