{"id":317746,"date":"2023-11-09T04:27:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T04:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/?p=317746"},"modified":"2023-11-09T04:27:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T04:27:10","slug":"meetha-khazana-diwali-recipes-from-all-over-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/popularindinews.com\/celebrity\/meetha-khazana-diwali-recipes-from-all-over-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Meetha Khazana: Diwali Recipes From All Over India"},"content":{"rendered":"
A treasure of traditional Diwali recipes from all corners of our India.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A fortnight before the Diwali festivities begin, housewives all over India set about sweeping and scrubbing down their houses. Many have their homes repainted with sparkling white chuna<\/em> or lime. The practical angle of this being that the home and the kitchen is cleared of any dirt or micro-organisms that may have accumulated after a sweltering, hot summer and a long, humid monsoon.<\/p>\n And then, the herculean tasks of grinding, roasting, rolling, chopping, frying and basting to produce huge baskets of sweets begin.<\/p>\n Nuts are ground to a fine powder and kneaded with sugar, ghee or clarified butter and khoya<\/em> (a type of milk solid) to make barfis<\/em>. Besan<\/em> or chickpea or gram flour is roasted in ghee<\/em> and thickened with sugar syrup to make besan laddu<\/em>s.<\/p>\n Maida ka<\/em> dough is rolled out into all imaginable shapes, stuffed with raisins and grated cocounut, deep fried and then coated with sugar. And a legion of fragrant laddu<\/em>s, khaja<\/em>s, barfi<\/em>s and balushai<\/em>s emerge from the kitchens of every home.<\/p>\n Most of these recipes have been handed down over generations. Which is why, it is quite possible that, for the last five decades, besan laddu<\/em>s have been made in exactly the same manner.<\/p>\n Each region in India is famous for its own variety of sweets made specifically for Diwali.<\/p>\n A collection of sweet recipes from the various states and regions of India, including the former province of Sindh, where Diwali is celebrated.<\/p>\n These are all recipes for homemade sweets collected from grannies and amma<\/em>s and housewives in the know. And they are all very traditional — one hundred per cent!<\/p>\n Shubh Deepavali, Dear Readers!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n These chickpea or besan<\/em> balls are savoured with great relish all over the North, as well as Bihar and is a favourite at all auspiscious functions.<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 20-25<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is a typical sweet especially made for Diwali in many states, but it is known by different names. Though the ingredients are quite common, this delicate mithai, requires technique to turn out right!<\/em><\/p>\n This is placed as an offering for the Lakshmi puja as well as served as <\/em>prasad. In Maharashtra, they make it this way:<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 15<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the Rajasthani version of malpua but it is made slightly differently. Served with cream or garnished with pista, it is a Diwali favourite.<\/em><\/p>\n Serves: 5 Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the most popular sweets served by Gujaratis during Diwali or on the New Year, the day after Diwali.<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 30<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Editor’s Note<\/strong>: One-thread consistency sugar syrup: It is important to keep testing for consistency while the sugar syrup is boiling. <\/p>\n A typical sweet of the Konkan belt, these laddu<\/em>s are made from rice flour and jaggery.<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 20<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A very traditional Sindhi sweet, this dryish halwa should ideally be eaten hot and fresh. Kuti is cooked for most Sindhi festivals and pujas and for Diwali too.<\/em><\/p>\n Serves: 5-8<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This yummy sweet, a kind of a fudge made from rice flour, is a must for Diwali in Haryana and Punjab. If properly made and stored, it will keep for several days!<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 8-10<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Parts of northern and central Kerala are the only areas of the state where Diwali is celebrated. Residents of Palakkad have special rituals and cuisine that are very particular to their community. Rawa Laddus are standard Diwali fare.<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 18-20<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Editor’s Note<\/strong>: One-thread consistency sugar syrup: It is important to keep testing for consistency while the sugar syrup is boiling. <\/p>\n This is a sweet rice preparation from Tamil Nadu, which can be stored in air-tight tins, through all the days of Diwali<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 10-12 Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Balushais, khasta or crumbly doughnuts without holes are part of the traditional offerings at Diwali in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal for Kali Puja.<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 15-20<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n Method<\/strong><\/p>\n Editor’s Note<\/strong>: Two-thread consistency sugar syrup: It is important to keep testing for consistency while the sugar syrup is boiling. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This milk fudge is a favourite all over India. At Diwali, pedhas are a must in both, Uttar Pradesh as well as in Punjab. They are also known as peda or penda in other states.<\/em><\/p>\n Servings: 20<\/strong><\/p>\n Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Add the besan<\/em> and fry on a medium heat until it is a golden colour.
Take off the heat and add the sugar.
Mix.<\/li>\n
Keep aside to cool and harden.<\/li>\n\n
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Make flattened balls of about 2 cm in diameter.
Roll out into thick rounds, approximately 3 inches in diameter.
Sprinkle poppy seeds on top of the rounds.<\/li>\n
In piping hot ghee, lightly fry the rounds<\/li>\n
Take care, as the delicate texture may break.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Whip till smooth.
Add the 10 peppercorns.<\/li>\n
Drop large ladlefuls of the batter into the oil to form circles of 6-8 inches.
Typically the dough will sink and line the bottom of the kadhai<\/em> and rise up in the shape of a disc.
Fry till golden.
Drain onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate and pat off the oil.<\/li>\n\n
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Fry till besan<\/em> is golden but not brown.
Add the khoya<\/em>.
Stir over low heat.
Keep aside.<\/li>\n
Add the syrup and cardamom powder to the fried besan<\/em>.
Mix well.
Pour on a plate that has been greased with oil.<\/li>\n
Cut into diamonds.<\/li>\n
The test for this is: Dip a spatula, preferably wooden, into the boiling sugar syrup and take out.
Some syrup would have coated the spatula.
Let it cool.
Touch the cooled syrup with your forefinger. Some syrup will come onto your finger.
Touch that with your thumb and separate thumb from forefinger.
When one little continuous delicate thread is formed by the syrup, when the coated forefinger is pulled away from your thumb, you have a one-string or one-thread consistency sugar syrup.<\/p>\n\n
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In a bowl, mix the pounded coconut with the jaggery, which has been gently melted to syrup over low heat.
Add in the ground rice and cardamom powder and mix well.<\/li>\n\n
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Add the wheat flour and keep frying over medium heat till golden brown and dryish.
Take off heat.<\/li>\n\n
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Let it not burn or get ‘coloured but let it roast till it gives of a bit of an aroma and then take off the heat.
Add in powdered sugar, raisins and chopped nuts.<\/li>\n
Your fingers will leave a a ridged imprint pattern.<\/li>\n\n
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Keep aside.<\/li>\n
Add the ghee-roasted semolina to the syrup and the remaining 2 tbsp ghee, cardamom powder, cashews, raisins.
Cook till quite thick.<\/li>\n
And make little balls or laddu<\/em>s of 2-inch diameter while the mixture is still warm.
Cool and store in air tight containers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The test for this is: Dip a spatula, preferably wooden, into the boiling sugar syrup and take out.
Some syrup would have coated the spatula.
Let it cool.
Touch the cooled syrup with your forefinger. Some syrup will come onto your finger.
Touch that with your thumb and separate thumb from forefinger.
When one little continuous delicate thread is formed by the syrup, when the coated forefinger is pulled away from your thumb, you have a one-string or one-thread consistency sugar syrup.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Keep aside.<\/li>\n
Add to the powdered rice.
Mix and then spread out on a flat plate to cool for about 10 minutes.<\/li>\n
Add the rice flour mixture and keep stirring.
Add the cardamom or elaichi<\/em> powder.
Take off heat and let cool.<\/li>\n
Flatten them lightly with your palm.<\/li>\n
Deep fry these discs tills crisp and brown.
Drain onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate.
Serve warm or store.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
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Keep aside.<\/li>\n
Gently and lightly, knead in the flour mixture to the yoghurt mixture.
Do not do it vigorously.
Keep the dough aside for an hour and allow it to rise.<\/li>\n
Keep aside but keep warm.<\/li>\n
Divide it into small 3-inch diameter balls.
Flatten the balls by pressing lightly.
Make a depression in the centre of each with your thumb.<\/li>\n
Lower the heat and deep fry the dough cakes or balushai<\/em>s, 2-3 at a time allowing room for them to expand.
Ladle ghee over the balushai<\/em>s as you fry.
They will puff out and almost double in size.
Fry them till they are a light biscuit colour.<\/li>\n
Drain off the extra ghee by holding the slotted spoon against the rim of the kadhai<\/em>.
Slip the balushai<\/em>s into the sugar syrup or chaasni<\/em>.
When well soaked, drain and keep aside to cool.
As they cool they will have a thin sugar-coating on each balushai<\/em>.<\/li>\n
The test for this is: Dip a spatula, preferably wooden, into the boiling sugar syrup and take out.
Some syrup would have coated the spatula.
Let it cool.
Touch the cooled syrup with your forefinger. Some syrup will come onto your finger.
Touch that with your thumb and separate thumb from forefinger.
When two little continuous delicate threads are formed by the syrup, when the coated forefinger is pulled away from your thumb, you have a two-string or two-thread consistency sugar syrup.<\/p>\n\n