Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated with great enthusiasm and delicious food in various regions of India. The scrumptious treats are a great way for people to bond with one another and rediscover traditional delicacies that have been a part of Indian culture since time immemorial.
So, whether you're hosting a Diwali party or simply want to treat yourself and your loved ones, join us as we take you on this tour across India to discover the unique festive flavours of Diwali with these mouth-watering recipes!
First stop, the land of the Marathas, Maharashtra! Introducing the mouth-watering Shankarpali, a sweet snack that you can offer to every guest that visits you.
Guilt-free Rava Shankarpali from Maharashtra (West)
Shankarpali is a sweet Maharashtrian snack with a delicious flaky, melt-in-the-mouth texture. The name is derived from persian ’Shekarpareh‘. Its North Indian variant known as khurma, laktho, Murali or Lakdi mithai is also popular in states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
A healthy, guilt-free version of this addictive cookie can be made using an air fryer.
This version is easier to make because Rava adds additional crispiness and is much healthier than the traditional fried versions or the Maida based versions. Here’s a quick and easy recipe:
Make the dough using chiroti rava or upma rava, a tinge of wheat floor for binding, sugar, a pinch of salt, a dash of cardamom, water as needed, and some ghee. Mix all the ingredients together to form a dough like consistency and then knead it to create an airy, well mixed dough. Roll dough and shape into squares or diamonds.
To air fry, spray the Air fryer basket with some oil, and then place the shaped shankarpali in the basket. Spray with some more oil or ghee over it and air-fry.
Air fry the shankarpali at 150°C for 13 minutes. While the air fryer cooks the dough, make a sugar syrup and set aside.
Transfer the perfectly crispy shankarpali into a plate and dunk it in the sugar syrup. You can skip this step if you prefer a less sweet version.
Using
Hafele’s Noil Air Fryer, you can indulge in warm crispy Rava shankarpali without the guilt of consuming too much oil or maida. Also, Its Rapid air technology works by adjusting the temperature automatically to ensure the munch worthy, crispy texture for your shankarpali.
Now let’s head to the South for something savoury.
Crunchy Spinach Murruku from Tamil Nadu (South)
Murruku are crispy, savoury snacks that are perfect for munching on during the festive season. Originating from Tamil Nadu, its name means twisted, referring to its unusual shape.
Known for its versatility, Murruku or chakli as its also called enjoyed in a wide variety, such as: Ragi chakli, rice flour chakli, butter chakli, palak chakli, and much more
Today we’ll learn how to make the healthiest version of this, using Spinach known as the Palak Murruku.
To make these delectable spinach Murrukus, you'll need a few key ingredients such as rice flour, besan (gram flour), cumin seeds, sesame seeds, spinach leaves, green chillis and turmeric.
The process involves first mixing the dry ingredients together by hand using butter, while simultaneously blending Spinach leaves, water and a couple of chillis in Cuatro 1000,
Hafele’s 1000W Vacuum Mixer & Grinder that keeps oxidation at bay.
Then we add the spinach mix to the dry mix, adding more water slowly to form a dough, putting it in a piping bag and then shaping it into beautiful spiral shapes.
Once you've prepped the murrukus, it's time for them to take a dip in hot oil until they turn golden brown and crispy.
These are the perfect solution to tackle fumes from all the festive cooking with its powerful suction, reduced noise levels, and the Nautilus design for filter free ventilation
Once they’re just the right colour, serve these addictive spinach snacks alongside some tangy chutney or enjoy them on their own - either way, they're bound to be an instant hit!
Having travelled to both the west and the south for some coastal treats, it’s time for a royal touch from the arid land of Rajasthan. Let’s proceed to the ‘Place of kings’, for a mithai treat that looks like a honeycomb.
Decadent Rajasthani Malai Ghevar (Northwest)
Ghevar is a traditional Rajasthani sweet prepared during Diwali. This honeycomb dessert is made using flour, ghee, and sugar syrup. Ghevar is typically garnished with dry fruits and sometimes served with a drizzle of rabri (sweet condensed milk), or fresh malai. It's a unique and visually stunning treat for the festival.
To learn Malai Ghevar, we’ll first prepare the Ghevar batter separately with milk, flour, and water. Mix these ingredients to make a smooth batter with the
Hafele’s Klara kitchen machine.
Then take an aluminium or steel cylindrical container. Fill half of the container with ghee. Heat it and once the ghee is hot enough, then place a Ghevar mould in it to give it desire shape. Take the batter and pour in the centre of the ghee, slowly in one continuous thread-like stream. Allow the foam to settle.
Pour one more glassful into a hole formed in the centre. When the foam settles again, loosen the Ghevar with an iron skewer inserted in the hole.
Lift carefully at a slant and place on wire mesh to drain. Keep hot syrup in a wide flat-bottomed container to fit in the Ghevar. Then, dip the Ghevar in it and remove it to drain out the excess syrup.
As the Ghevar cools down, we’ll prepare some fresh malai by heating milk. Adding sugar, cardamom powder and saffron, we’ll reduce it to half so the malai coating settles down and thickens.
We’ll then add the coating to the cooled down ghevar, and garnish with chopped nuts and saffron strands. After splash a few drops of saffron milk and sprinkling some chopped dry fruits, this special malai ghevar is ready to be served.
Pretty and delicious! So far, it’s been quite the ride discovering these delicious Diwali recipes from around the country, but the one place we are yet to go to is the land of sweets - Bengal!
So how do our friends in the east celebrate Diwali? Let’s find out with a scrumptious sweet treat from Bengal.
Indulgent Kheer Lobongo lotika from Bengal (East)
These sugar-coated bite-sized Bengali sweets are crispy-fried, with a luscious center filled with either kheer, or a mix of khoya, sugar and coconut.
To start of, we can make a thick stuffing by mixing khoya, condensed milk, grated coconut and sugar, or prepare the filling (kheer) separately 3 to 5 days ahead of time, by storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, till needed.
In a bowl for mixing, we’ll separately combine 200 grams of flour, 40 grams of ghee, and 4 grams of salt. We’ll then thoroughly blend these elements until they achieve a texture similar to bread crumbs. The aim is to evenly disperse the fat among the flour particles, enhancing the crispness and flakiness of the pastry then roll them into balls.
Flattening these dough balls into wrappable discs, we’ll place the kheer or khoya stuffing at the center and apply water at the edges to seal it, before wrapping it into a parcel-like shape.
Folding opposite ends over one another, we’ll then overlap the sides and press gently to seal, using clove sticks as a pin up.
Then fry them in hot oil on medium flame using
Hafele’s Altius FS Gas hob. Because It comes with cast iron pan support and heat protectors which prevent the glass and knobs from heating up during long cooking hours.
After frying, dunk them into a sugar syrup (with a single thread consistency) for a few minutes. Finally, you can serve the mouth-watering delicacy while its hot.
And that’s it, the perfect ending to our Diwali delicacies tour through India!
We hope that these delicious festive dishes inspire you to celebrate the festival of lights with a culinary flair.
Whether you're hosting a grand feast or simply preparing a special meal for your loved ones, these traditional Diwali recipes from across the nation are sure to add an extra sparkle to your festivities.
Happy Diwali!