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By Nikolina Ilic | | Oct 17, 2022
Otherwise known as the Festival Of Lights, Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness and is held over a five day period, each day celebrating a different theme. Among the festivities and gatherings is of course all the delicious dishes cooked up to celebrate!
“Diwali doesn’t have specific dishes. But it is always vegetarian so my favourite vegetarian dishes are black lentil makhni daal, crispy fried okra, vegetable biryani, shahi paneer, which is similar to a butter chicken sauce but a bit lighter, but also, dahi bhala. These are lentil dumplings that are cooked to be light and spongy and are submerged in flavoured yogurt with tamarind and coriander chutneys on the top,” explains chef Anjum Anand, the name behind The Spice Tailor. “We normally make an Indian desserts like kheer and my favourite is carrot kheer where there are strands of grated carrots cooked in the thickened milk. Also, is it the only time of the year that I eat Indian mithai, like gulab jamun, jalebi, rasmalai.”
While Diwali foods are traditionally vegetarian, the feasts involved celebrate bounty and includes the sharing of sweet treats, savoury snacks and perfectly spiced platters meant for sharing. Some of our curated list of recipes includes an easy paneer and spinach biryani, versatile tangy herb chutney and a crowd favourite sticky saffron gulab jamun.
“The best version of vegetarian food from South India would be Indian mithai and snacks for when guests come over such as; mysore bonda which is fried flour and spices stuffed with potatoes and yogurt,” she adds. “I also enjoy delicacies like Teepi Gavvalu, a traditional Diwali dessert made from flour, ghee and water deep fried in sugar syrup. It is delicious, very traditional and always a crowd pleaser!”
To help you experience the explosive flavours of authentic Diwali dishes, chef Anand shares eight of her favourite recipes.
“India has a whole genre of sweet desserts, which were once made in the home, but are now mostly made by specialised halvaies – Indian patissiers. Gulab jamun are one of India’s favourites: little syrupy doughnuts made from thickened milk instead of flour and soaked in sugar syrup rather than stuffed with jam or sweetened in the batter. I use dry milk powder, which I rehydrate, not the traditional thickened, solidified milk, as that takes too long and needs too much attention to make. There are only two tricks to getting these doughnuts right: the right consistency of dough (not too soft, not too hard); and frying them over a very low heat so they cook all the way to the centre, stirring the oil almost continuously so they brown evenly. I like them warm as they will be softer, and you can reheat them in their syrup, but you can equally eat them cold. Serve as they are, or with a little ice cream for Diwali.”
Makes 18 (serves 1 – 2 per person).
Ingredients:
For the Dumplings:
400ml whole milk powder (measure it in a measuring cup), plus more if needed
100g plain (all-purpose) flour
⅔ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp ghee, plus more to form the dumplings
5 tbsp plain yogurt
5 tbsp whole milk
Vegetable oil, to deep fry
Sliced pistachios, to serve (optional)
For the Syrup:
450g granulated sugar
650ml water
2 good pinches of saffron threads
½ – 1 tsp rose water, depending on strength
Method:
1.Mix together the dry ingredients for the dumplings. Spoon in the ghee, yogurt and milk. Mix well with your hands and bring the dough together; it will be moist. Set aside.
2. For the syrup, heat the sugar, water and saffron together in a saucepan, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Once boiling, simmer for around 3 – 4 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Add the rose water, using the smaller amount first and tasting until you have a strength you prefer.
3. Divide the dough n half. Wet some kitchen paper and place on top of the dough you aren’t working with. Grease your palms well with ghee, take half the dough and form into 9 small balls; I like to make them slightly oval rather than round, but you can shape them, as you like. The surfaces should be smooth and crack-free. (If the dough is too soft to shape, add a little milk powder). Repeat to make the shape and remaining dumplings.
4. To check if the oil is ready, put a tiny pinch of the dough into the oil. It should only sizzle very slightly. When it is ready, add the balls in batches so as not to crowd the pan, stirring the oil as you but them in. cook over a gentle head, stirring and turning them very often for even browning, they should take 15 – 17 minutes per batch to reach a lovely golden brown. Once done, take them out with a slotted spoon and place straight into the syrup. Repeat with the next batch.
5. Cover and leave to soak for 2 hours, or overnight, in the fridge. They should last 10 days or more. Serve as they are, or sprinkle them with sliced pistachios.
“Paneer tikkas are a great pre-dinner appetiser to make for Diwali. As dinner is often quite laden with meats of a sort, a vegetarian starter that is not too heavy or too potent a flavour and caters for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians is a great choice. It is so easy to do, even if you make your own paneer. It only requires whizzing together the marinade and then placing them all in the oven once your guests arrive. The mint is the dominant flavour but is not overpowering. I have left out the requisite garlic and ginger pastes that would normally be added to a tandoori dish because I wanted the flavours to remain delicate and light. These also make a lovely vegetarian starter once skewered with red onion and capsicum cubes (blanch well first) between the paneer and served with a side salad. In this scenario, serve as they are, perhaps on a wild bed of mint with some coriander and mint chutney in a little dipping bowl on the side.”
Serves 8
300g paneer (made from 3 pints of milk), diced into 1½” cubes or larger rectangles
120ml double cream
100ml Greek yoghurt
35g mint leaves
1-3 green chillies, deseeded
1 tsp. garam masala
1½ tsp. fennel seeds powder
½ tsp. green cardamom powder
½ tsp. carom seeds
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tbs. gram flour
4 tsp. lemon juice or to taste
3-4 tbs. water
Salt to taste
2 tbs. butter to baste
Method
1.Blend together all the ingredients except the paneer and butter. Taste and adjust seasoning, chilli and lemon juice to taste.
2. Place the paneer in the marinade, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to marinate for a few hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 190C. Bring the paneer back to room temperature. Oil the baking sheet. Place the cubes on them, on the upper shelf and bake for 8 minutes, turning half way. Baste with butter and bake another minute. They should be slightly browning at the edges. Serve hot.
“This samosa recipe is simplified by using shop-bought filo pastry, which gives a light and crispy covering, rather than the heavier gram-flour dough traditionally used. The filling is delicious with a mixture of sweet, spicy, tart and buttery flavours in each mouthful – perfect for Diwali. Indian tea-time snacks tend to be vegetarian, but we always have a batch of mini cocktail samosas made with minced lamb in the freezer for unexpected guests, to be served with drinks to whet their appetites. Serve with green or tamarind chutney.”
Makes 20
3 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
60g chopped onion
6g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
60g frozen peas
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp red chilli powder
½ – ¾ tsp garam masala
1–2 tsp dried mango powder, or to taste
salt, to taste
600g potatoes, boiled until soft, peeled
and crushed into large lumps
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 packet filo pastry
5 tbsp melted butter, for brushing
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional; you can
also use poppy or nigella seeds)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a small non-stick saucepan and fry the mustard seeds for about 10 seconds until they splutter. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 2 minutes over a high heat. Add the peas and give the pan a good stir, then add the spices, salt and a splash of water. Cook for 1 minute, then add the potatoes and coriander and cook for 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Unroll the pastry, peel off one piece, then cover the remainder with cling film and a damp tea towel to prevent it drying out. Lay the first piece of pastry flat on a clean surface and brush with melted butter. Fold in one third of the pastry lengthways. Brush again with the butter and fold in the other end to make a long triple-layered strip. Halve the strip crosswise – your strip needs to be only about 10cm long.
3. Place one rounded teaspoon of the filling at one of the short ends of the strip, leaving a 2cm border. Fold the right corner diagonally to the left, enclosing the filling and forming a triangle. Fold again along the upper crease of the triangle. Keep folding this way until you reach the end of the strip. Brush the outer surface with the butter. Place on a baking sheet and cover while you make the rest of the samosas. Before baking, sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30–35 minutes until golden and crisp, turning halfway. Serve with green or tamarind chutney.
“This is a lovely, versatile chutney that is tangy and herby rather than sweet. It is the cornerstone of all North Indian snacks. We love it with our samosas, bhajis, pakoras, kebabs and most other things during Diwali. There are many variations to this chutney, some will add a little sugar, some raw garlic and others will add yoghurt. This is how we like it in my family and it is a perfect base from which to experiment if you feel like.”
Ingredients
60g fresh coriander, leaves and some stalks, washed
2 tbs. lemon juice or to taste
1/2 green chilli, seeded
20g mint leaves, washed
25g pistachios (you can shell roasted pistachios but weigh the nuts)
Salt to taste
½ clove garlic (optional)
4 tbs. water
Optional – 1 tbs. yoghurt and ½-3/4 tsp. sugar to taste
Method
Blend together all the ingredients, adding only one chilli to start with as the heat varies a lot from one batch to the next. Blend until very smooth and creamy; it might take a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep in a glass jar in the fridge or freeze until ready to use.
“In this dish, pieces of sweetcorn cobs are coated in a punchy, tangy tomato curry laced with crunchy peanuts – every bite provides a burst of flavour and textures. Eat with your hands with chappati or roti to polish off the sauce. Should you have any leftover, cut the corn off the cobs and add to grain salads, stews, rice pilaf, or even raita.”
Serve size: 4 – 6 serves | prep time: 5 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
5 tbsp. of The Spice Tailor Malabar Paste or The Spice Tailor Tikka Masala Paste
4 sweetcorn cobs
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1½ tsp. cumin seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
1” piece of ginger, about 20g peeled weight, finely grated
200g tinned chopped tomatoes
75g roasted salted peanuts, coarsely crushed
3-4 tbsp. coconut cream
Handful of coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
1.Use a strong, sharp knife to carefully cut the sweetcorn cobs into 3-4 pieces each.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Tip in the cumin seeds and fry for a minute or so until they smell fragrant. Add the red onion, ginger and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and a splash of water and cook down until the masala is thick and cooked through and releases oil back into the pan, around 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the tikka masala paste, sweetcorn and 1 cup of water; bring to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-to-high heat for 7-8 minutes until the corn is tender. Stir in the coconut cream and 2/3rds of the peanuts and simmer for another minute or two.
4. Season to taste and serve with the remaining peanuts and coriander leaves
“Samosas were one of the first things I learned to cook, at about ten years old. My mother would sit me down at the kitchen table with homemade fillings and store bought pastry strips and I would try my hardest to form perfect triangular samosas. These would be fried up when guests came and I eagerly collected compliments for my efforts. While we made mini cocktail samosas for drinks, they are normally served as a teatime snack with a cup of masala tea where they are heartier and the pastry is shorter.
“This is a samosa with homemade crumbly pastry and made in the way they would be in those street stalls back in India. If you’re making it for Diwali, all you need is a cup of tea and some Proper Date and Tamarind Chutney or Tangy Herb Chutney (see pages 181 and 182 of ‘I Love India’).”
Makes 20 small samosas.
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
125g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose)
flour salt
5 tbsp vegetable oil, or ghee, or both, plus more vegetable oil to deep-fry
4-5½ tbsp water
For the Filling
⅔ tsp cumin seeds
⅔ tsp coriander seeds
¼ medium-small onion, finely chopped
¾ tsp finely chopped root ginger 350g (12oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 good handful of frozen peas
1 tsp chopped green chilli (chile), or to taste
¼ tsp chilli powder, or to taste
⅗ tsp ground turmeric, or to taste ⅗ tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur), or to taste
1½ tsp ground coriander, or to taste
⅓ tsp garam masala (fresh if possible), or to taste
large handful of chopped coriander
Method:
1.To make the dough, place the flour in a large bowl, add just under ¼ tsp salt and drizzle over 2 tbsp oil or ghee. Mix in with your fingertips until it resembles fine sand and clumps together a little. Add the water; the dough will be a little wet, but with some good kneading it should become a medium-soft dough. Cover with damp kitchen paper and leave to rest as you make the filling.
2. For the filling, heat the remaining 3 tbsp oil or ghee in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and cook until coloured and aromatic. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the ginger and cook for another minute, then tip in the potatoes and some salt, cover and cook over a medium-low heat until the potatoes are soft, stirring every so often; it will take around 10 minutes.
3. Now add the peas, chilli and ground spices and cook for another minute or so, mashing the mixture with the back of a spoon. You should see lots of potatoes and peas, but it should be held together with the mashed bits. Stir in the coriander. Taste and adjust the salt and spice as necessary. Leave to cool.
4. Take a large, deep saucepan or karahi and fill with 15-18cm (6-7in) oil. Heat gently as you make the samosas.
5. To make the samosas, make 20 equal balls out of the dough. Roll out each ball into an oval or round, around 5mm (¼in) thick. Cut this in half widthways. Spread a little water along the flat edge and – taking the piece in your hands – bring it together, folding one side of the straight edge to make a triangular pocket, sealing well. These are a little fiddly when small, so remember they don’t have to be perfect. Now place the pocket in your cupped hand and fill with the stuffing. Rub water on the open edge and seal to form a triangular samosa.
6. Once you have formed 10 samosas and the oil is nice and hot, add them to the oil. Fry over a medium heat until golden all over, 5-7 minutes. Repeat to form and fry the rest.
7. Serve hot with chutneys.
“This is a fabulous and delicious vegetarian biryani that is easy to make and so much tastier than it sounds.”
Serve size: serves 2-3 | prep time: 5 minutes | cook time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pack The Spice tailor Malabar Biryani
175g paneer – cubed
75g baby spinach
2 tsp veg oil
Method:
1.In medium sized pan, heat the oil and fry the dried spices from the spice sachet for a few seconds. Add the paneer and brown gently.
2. Add the sauce from the small sauce pouch and the spinach. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
3. Massage the rice in the packet to break up any clumps and pour out over the paneer.
4. Turn the heat to its lowest, cover, and steam the rice until heated through, around 5-6 minutes.
5. Serve with yoghurt or a raita.
“Rasmalai is definitely my favourite Indian dessert for Diwali. In its authentic form it is made from spongy balls of paneer that have been cooked and soaked in sugar syrup, then placed into a fragrant, milky liquor. I have never made proper rasmalai at home, as cooking the balls is an art form… and one I haven’t taken the time to master. So when a Twitter follower, Mandeep Obhi, insisted it was really easy to cheat with ricotta, I had to give it a try. She was right. This is super-easy and really hits the spot. I have shortened the cooking time by using a small can of evaporated milk, but, if you prefer to use only whole milk, add another 400ml milk to the quantity below and reduce the volume of the milk liquor to about 500ml before chilling.”
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the milk liquor
1 litre whole milk
½ tsp ground cardamom,
or to taste
2 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste
150ml evaporated milk
good pinch of saffron strands
For the ricotta balls
400g ricotta, fresh is always best
35g icing sugar
3 tbsp pistachios, left whole
if small, or halved or roughly
chopped if large
Serve the ricotta balls with some of their milky liquor, sprinkling with the
pistachios to serve.
Method
1.Make the milk liquor first. Bring the whole milk and ground cardamom to the boil in a very wide saucepan and reduce to just under half its quantity. If you do this over a medium-high heat, it should take around 20 minutes. Stir the milk every two or three minutes, making sure you scrape the base of the pan so the milk does not stick and burn. Any skin that forms on the surface should be stirred back in.
2. Add the sugar, evaporated milk and saffron and return to the boil. Simmer for two or three minutes, then take off the heat and stir in 40g of the ricotta. Cool, then chill in the fridge. (This can be done the day before serving.)
3. To make the ricotta balls, preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F/gas mark 3½. Mix the remaining 360g of ricotta with the icing sugar and spoon it into 12 mini muffin moulds. Bake for 20-40 minutes (fresh ricotta contains less water and cooks more quickly; long-life ricotta will take longer), or until the balls are springy when lightly pressed and can easily be removed from the tin. Remove from the oven. Cool, then place in the chilled milk liquor, cover and leave in the fridge for up to two days.
Nikolina is the web-obsessed Digital Editor at Men's and Women's Health, where she covers news, fitness, health, style, travel and pretty-much everything else. A lover of boxing, she was previously a Digital Editor at GQ and Vogue magazine and has contributed to Vogue Living and The Australian. She specialises in digital marketing, social media and branded and editorial content creation.
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