Diwali celebrations are synonymous with mithais and savouries. Every community and region has its own specialty sweets and savouries. If it is Mysore Pak, Jhangri, Wheat Halwa and Rawa Laddoo in the South, the irresistible Rosogolla, Chomchom, Ras Malai, Sandesh are West Bengal’s and Soan Papdi, Kaju Katli, Motichoor Laddoo and Namak Para can be found in the North. Nevris, Chakli, Flaky Fenoyros or Churmo are the treats from Goa. Bhujiyas, Potato Sev, Ribbon Pakodam, and Murrukku are some of the Diwali traditional savouries. But our taste buds are keen to experiment with the existing mithais and farsans. In an ever-evolving food scene here are some customary, time-tested festive delicacies getting a makeover from innovative experts.
Want to cut calories without compromising on taste? Malpua, the traditional Indian mithai gets modified as food vlogger and YouTuber Pinky Deshpande reveals, “Replace maida with whole-wheat flour, and sugar with jaggery to enjoy a guilt-free yet tasty treat.”
What if you get to taste two yummy goodies in one? That’s what Chocolate Mysore Pak aims to do. Mix in melted chocolate and gram flour with loads of clarified butter to make this famous South Indian Diwali essential. Instead of Pohe Ka Chivda opt for offbeat and healthy Makhana and Toasted Seeds Chivda. It is an innovation of food connoisseur Vinaya Prabhu, owner of the Vegetarian Culinary Delights website. “Makhana or foxnuts are a stellar Indian superfood,” observes Vinaya. “With the extra goodness of seeds, it is an extremely nutritious and palatable bonus!”
Kurmura Ladoo |
Jyoti Gupta, a health-conscious working woman from Bhopal, serves Oats and Nuts Payasam instead of the regular rice kheer in the festive thali. Garnished with almond slivers, nuts and raisins, with a pinch of cardamom flavour, the mundane breakfast ingredient gets converted into an appealing sweet dish.
Make Kurkure at home by kneading powdered poha, rice flour, besan, and maida. Add a bit of soda bicarb, salt, and oil. Make a stiff dough. Take the marble-sized dough in hand and roll it into an elongated shape. Deep fry, sprinkle red chilly powder and chaat masala. Relish with mithais.
Seven Cups, as the name suggests, consists of seven cups of ingredients — one cup besan, one cup maida, two cups sugar, one cup milk, one cup grated coconut, and one cup ghee. Prepare like Mysore Pak, transfer to a greased plate, and cut into squares. Garnish with almond and pista slivers.
“Peanut Laddoos or Chikkis can be given a blushing hue and a sweet, rosy fragrance by incorporating gulkhand with coconut or palm sugar,” shares Pune-based food expert Vaishali Sawant. She makes other traditional mithais with a twirl like Badam Katlis using almond paste instead of kaju/ kesar/ pista katlis. Her Namak Paras include healthful chia and sesame seeds.
Chocolate Mysorepak |
It need not always be Motichoor Laddoos. Go for puffed rice or Kurmura Laddoos this year. According to foodie Preeti Thakur from Lucknow,
“Prepare a one-string consistency chasni (sugar syrup), add crisp kurmuras and cardamom powder. Roll into balls for a crunchy munchy laddoo!”
Makhana & Toasted Seeds Chivda
Ingredients:
100 gm Makhana/foxnuts, 25 gm Flax seeds, 50 gm Pumpkin seeds, 25 gm Sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, 25 pieces of Almonds, ¼ cup Copra/dry coconut, 1 tsp Chilly powder, ½ tsp Turmeric powder, 2:1 tbsp Coriander and cumin seeds, 1 tsp Sugar/Stevia, 1 tsp Asafoetida, 2 sprigs Curry leaves, Salt, and 1 tsp Ghee.
Makhana & Toasted seeds Chivda | Vinaya Prabhu
Method: Heat a wide pan. Add half a teaspoon of ghee, makhana, salt, turmeric powder, and curry leaves. Roast on a gentle flame till the makhana becomes crisp. Set aside. Roast coconut slivers to a golden brown in half a teaspoon of ghee. Keep aside. Roast each of the seeds and almonds individually lightly, till they let out their aroma and/or change colour. Make a powder of coriander, cumin, asafoetida and sugar.
Heat a pan and add roasted makhana, toasted seeds, and almonds, and sprinkle the powdered spices. Add in chilly powder and heat the entire mixture till the spice powder coats the makhana well. Allow to cool thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
(Recipe by Food Expert Vinaya Prabhu; website www.vinayasculinarydelights.com)
Whole Wheat-flour and Jaggery Malpua
Ingredients for batter
1 cup Whole-wheat flour, 2 tbsp Semolina/Suji, 3 tbsp Curd, 1 tsp Fennel seeds, ½ tsp Elaichi powder, ½ Baking soda, 1¼ cup Milk
To make the batter: Take a bowl, add whole wheat, semolina/suji, baking soda, elaichi powder, fennel seeds, and curd. Mix well. Add milk in batches and make a smooth batter without lumps. Keep it aside for 10-12 minutes.
Jaggery Chasni: 1¼ cup jaggery powder, 1¼ cup Water, Few strands of Saffron,4-5 drops Lemon juice, 1 tsp Elaichi powder
lead wheat and jaggery Malpua | Pinky Deshpande
To make the chasni: Take a pan, and add jaggery, powder and water. Boil it for eight to10 minutes on medium-low flame. Add lemon juice, saffron strands, and elaichi powder. Stir until you get one string of mixture. Remove from the flame. Keep it aside till warm.
To make Malpua: Heat a wide pan. Add four to five tablespoons of oil or ghee. Pour a spoonful of batter each and fry until golden on both sides. Remove and place them on a plate. Let it cool and dip it into the jaggery chasni for two to three minutes. Remove from chasni, plate and garnish with pistachios and almonds.
(Recipe by food expert Pinky Deshpande; YouTube channel Art Bake n Cook with Pinky)
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