Appetite Treats: festival

Sweet Diamond Cuts | A Diwali Recipe

Sweet diamond cuts are one of the popular sweet made during diwali.

These diamond cuts are quite addictive and you can't stop with a few, so i always make them in large batches and store them.

Other than the process of the rolling the dough and cutting them into small diamonds[which is quite time consuming if you make in large batches], the process of making these is very simple.

There is also a savory version of this diamond cuts, which are equally addictive as the sweet ones.

Now let us see how to make this delicious sweet,

SWEET DIAMOND CUTS

By Sathya Sankar

Yeilds 4cups

Ingredients

2 cups All-purpose flour/Maida
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten [optional]
water, as needed to form the dough
I cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Oil, for deep frying

Method

Sift the all-purpose flour into a wide bowl, add the salt and egg and mix well.
Slowly add water little by little and knead a firm dough.
Divide equal balls of the dough and set aside.
Using a rolling pin and rolling board, roll the dough into a circle, as you would for chapatis. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the rolled dough into small diamonds.
Remove the diamonds form the rolling board and place it on a baking tray dusted with flour, so that the diamond won't stick together.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough and now your diamond are ready to be fried.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, once the oil is hot drop the diamonds gently into the oil.
Do not overcrowd the pan or else they will stick to each other.
Once the diamonds puff up and comes to the surface of the oil, gently move them around, wait till they are nice and golden and drain them onto a paper towel.
Once you have fried all the diamonds, its time to make the sugar syrup.
In a wide pan, add the sugar and water and mix until the sugar dissolves. Bring the syrup to a boil and check for one string consistency.
When you touch the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger and stretch, a single thread should be formed and at this stage switch of the stove.
Drop the fried diamond into the sugar syrup and toss to coat well.
Let it cool down and store it in a airtight container.

Notes

Adding egg to the recipe makes the diamonds a little crispier , but it is totally optional.
Instead of adding the sugar syrup, powdered sugar can also be added to the fried diamonds.Keep in mind the diamonds should be warm for the powdered sugar to stick to it.
Oil should always be medium hot for frying the diamonds.

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, by sathya

Dessert/sweets

Ghee Mysore Pak | A Diwali Recipe

Ghee mysore pak is an easy and delicious sweet that could be made in no time. As the name suggests it is made with ghee, lots of ghee to be very specific, which gives this sweet a soft and creamy texture which literally melts-in your mouth.

When i was little, during diwlai days we used to get the mysore paks which are hard ones with a crunchy texture and i have always disliked them. There was a certain period when krishna sweets become talk of the town and everyone raved about their sweets and savories, especially the mysore pak. When i tasted their mysore pak for the first time, the soft texture with ghee oozing out made me fell in love with it instantly.

Recently i came to know that making a mysore pak closer to the one we get in krishna sweets was very easy and the secret ingredient was the ghee. I have made this several times now, and it always turns out perfect everytime.

Try this easy and delicious sweet for diwali and surprise your loved ones!

GHEE MYSORE PAK
By Sathya Sankar
Yeilds 15-18 pieces

Ingredients

1 cup besan / chickpea flour
1 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 cup ghee, melted
1/4 cup water

Method

Grease a square baking pan or a desired pan that you will be using to set the mysore pak and set aside.
In a heavy bottomed pan, roast the besan / chickpea flour until the raw smell disappears.
Transfer the besan to a bowl and add 1 cup of ghee, Using a whisk stir to combine without any lumps.
In another pot, add sugar and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil, check for the sugar syrup to reach one string consistency.
Now slowly add the began-ghee mixture into the sugar syrup and stir gently to combine.
Keep stirring until the mixture well incorporated and the you see tiny bubbles inn the sides of the pan.
At this stage gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup ghee and keep stirring until all the ghee is absorbed.
At this stage you will see the mixture leaving the sides of the pan, switch off the flame and transfer the mixture to the greased pan.
Smooth the top with a spoon and let it set.
When its still warm and not completely set, using the knife to cut tinto desired shape. Let it cool completely.
Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

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, by sathya

diwali

RIBBON PAKODA / RIBBON MURUKKU | A DIWALI RECIPE

Ribbon Pakoda also known as Ola pakoda/Ottu pakoda/Ribbon muruku is another variety from the murrukku family. It has pretty much the same ingredients as in murukku but varies slightly in proportion.

As the name suggests the dough is squeezed in the shape of a ribbon with a nozzle specifically for making ribbon pakodas that comes with the murukku press .

There are certain sweets and savories that are a must during diwali and ribbon pakoda is one such item. When i was a kid i have seen them being made in large quantities and distributed among friends and families.It was such fun to watch all the sweets and snacks being made during the festivals.

RIBBON PAKODA
By Sathya Sankar
Yeilds 4cups

INGREDIENTS

2 cups rice flour ( idiyappam flour )

1 cup besan flour/chickpea flour/kadalia maavu

1/4 cup roasted gram dal flour/pottukadalai maavu

2 tablespoons hot oil

1 teaspoon asafetida

2 teaspoons ajwain/omam

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon garlic paste (optional)

1 tablespoon red chili powder

salt to taste

oil, for deep frying

METHOD

In a wide bowl, sieve all the flours. Add in the asafetida, ajwain, sesame seeds, red chillies powder and salt, mix well to combine.

Add the garlic paste and hot oil, mix well to incorporate.

Add water little by little and make a soft dough, cover and set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, the oil should be medium hot.

Check the oil by dropping a tiny ball of dough, if it rises to the top then the oil is ready.

Grease the murrukku press and fill it with the dough.

Squeeae the dough into the hot oil, do not overcrowd the pan.

Let it cook on one side and then turn it over and cook until it is crisp and golden and the oil seizes.

Drain on to paper towel and repeat with the remaining dough.

Once all the pakodas are fried, store them in an airtight container. It keep well for a week.

NOTES

Adding garlic paste is optional, but it gives a nice flavour to the ribbon pakoda.

While frying the ribbon pakoda the oil should be in correct temperature, if the oil is too hot the pakodas will turn golden on the outside and raw on the inside, if the oil is not hot enough then it will soak up oil and will not crisp up.

You can adjust the quantity of chillies powder to your liking.

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, by sathya

Dessert/sweets

BADUSHA / BALUSAHI| A DIWALI RECIPE

Badusha as called in south or Balusahi in north, is one of the classic indian sweet that is made during diwali and special occasions. It is quite similar to glazed doughnuts in look but varies in its texture and taste.

At first i was very skeptical to try it thinking it wouldn't turn quite right, but somehow convinced myself and made it one fine day . It turned out amazingly perfect with crisp on the outside and flaky on the inside 😌.

There are so many recipes for badusha out there, some uses curd, some with a mixture of oil & ghee and some with just butter etc, follow which one works best for you. Once you have mastered the technique of making badusha it will be a breeze to make them.

BADUSHA/BALUSAHI
By Sathya Sankar
Yields 12

INGREDIENTS

For the Dough

1.5 cups all purpose flour/maida

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup milk

For the sugar syrup

3/4 cup sugar water, just to immerse the sugar

3 green cardamom. crushed

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Oil for deep frying

METHOD

Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda into a wide bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.

Add in the butter and mix until all the butter is incorporated, rub the mixture with the palm of your hands until resembles a sand texture.

Now slowly add the milk little by little and mix to form a dough.

Do not knead harder, the dough should be soft but not smooth.

Keep it covered when preparing the sugar syrup.

Making the Syrup

In a heavy bottomed pot, add the sugar and water.

Once the sugar dissolves and the syrup starts boiling, check for consistency.

The syrup should reach one thread consistency, check by pulling your forefinger and thumb and it should form a single thread .

Switch of the flame, add the lemon juice and cardamom, set aside.

Frying the dough

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.

Make small balls from the dough and shape it like small doughnuts or pinch the sides and fold as you would for Kozhukattai and keep it covered until you start frying.

Drop the shaped dough in to the oil, once the badusha starts floating, lower the heat to medium and keep frying until it cooked through and turns light golden.

Drain from the oil and immediately soak them in the sugar syrup.

Repeat the same with the remaining dough.

Let the badusha soak in the syrup for 20 minutes, turning them in between.

Remove from the syrup and enjoy!

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, by sathya

festival

BUTTER MURUKKU - DEEP FRIED RICE FLOUR STICKS | A DIWALI RECIPE

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, by sathya

Dessert/sweets

Kaju Katli - An Indian sweet made with Cashews

Kaju Katli is a popular indian sweet similar to a burfi which is made with cashews and sugar. Diwali is here and my blogger dashboard if filled with all kinds of delicious sweets from the wonderful bloggers around the world. With all that inspiration, i decided to make kaju katli for this year's diwali.

The one time i made it was a total disaster and never ever thought of making it again. But some how pulled up all the courage and made it perfectly this time. Well, you really don't need courage to make it but all you need is to follow some important tips while making it.

Let's get started on making kaju katli.

KAJU KATLI
By Sathya Sankar
Makes about 15-18 pieces

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water

1 table spoon ghee

1/4 teaspoon rose essence (optional)

METHOD

Place the cashews in a mixer or a spice grinder and process into a fine powder. Do not over do it, otherwise the cashews will release oil and turn to a paste.

Place the sugar, water and rose essence in a non-stick pan and let the sugar dissolve completely and comes to a boil.

Check for one string consistency, you can do this by stretching the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger and a single string is formed.

Once the consistency is reached, add the the powdered cashews and stir constantly on a low flame. Keep stirring until the mixture forms a thick mass at this moment just add ghee and mix, you can see the mixture starts leaving the pan.Switch of the flame.

Immediately transfer the mixture onto a greased plate and let it cool down warm enough to touch. Grease your hands with little ghee and knead the mixture for about 2 minutes. When you feel the mixture to be dry just add few drops of water and knead to smooth dough

At this point the dough should be very smooth and not grainy.

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper when still warm and roll it into 1/4inch thick. Let it rest and cool down.

Now cut them into desired shapes and enjoy!

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos without prior permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own words and link back to

Appetite Treats.

NOTES

If you have refrigerated the cashews, make sure you take them out and leave it in room temperature a day before.
The mixer jar used in griding the cashews must be dry.
The consistency of the sugar syrup should just reach one string consistency and leaving the sugar syrup boiling for more than a minute after that may result in crystalized cashew mixture and not smooth.
Adding rose essence is totally optional.
If the mixture looks all lumpy and grainy in the beginning, don't worry it will come alright when keep stirring. You can add edible silver sheet to make it look fancy.

HAPPY DIWALI EVERYONE!

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, by sathya

Dessert/sweets

Rava Kesari | Indian Sweet made with Semolina

Diwali is one of those festival which brings all the child hood memories back. As a kid, i have always enjoyed the process of preparing for this festival, being it from buying new clothes, crackers and to choosing what kind of sweets to be prepared at home, it had always been fun.

To keep up the tradition and bring the festive mood in the house, i made a simple and quick sweet for this Diwali.

Rava Kesari is one of the most popular sweet prepared in every household for any occasion. It is just made with only three ingredient, Rava, sugar and ghee and you can’t go wrong with that. Being said, there are few tricks to get it done in right consistency. The right amount of sugar and ghee gives you a very soft, melt-in-your mouth consistency keasri.

RAVA KESARI
By Sathya Sankar
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup rava / semolina / sooji

1/2 - 3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup ghee

2 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

few drops of yellow food coloring

a handful of broken cashews

METHOD

Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan on medium flame. Add the broken cashews and roast them until golden. Remove few pieces and set aside for garnish.

To the remaining ghee and roasted cashews add the rava and mix well. Keep stirring the rava until it is well roasted and slightly golden.

Add the sugar to rava mixture and mix well.Add in the water , food coloring and cardamom powder and stir gently, at this stage the mixture will get all bubbly, be careful as the mixture will splutter.

Once the mixture thickens and starts to leave the sides of the pan, put a lid on top and reduce the flame to low.Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame.

TO SET KESARI IN MOULDS

Grease the moulds with ghee and place a roasted cashew in the center.

Scoop the kesari and fill the moulds by gently pressing it on sides.

Leave the moulds to come to room temperature. Invert it into a serving plate and enjoy!

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my photos without prior permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own words and link back to

Appetite Treats.

NOTES

The amount of water you add is very important to get the smooth consistency.
To prevent lumps, add the sugar to the rava before adding water. Using fresh and homemade ghee gives a wonderful aroma and taste to the kesari.
Using food coloring is optional but traditionally kesari will be in orange color.
kesari can also be served as it is instead of setting in moulds.