Sonali Pimputkar scours the city for Diwali treats with minimal calories
For some people, Diwali is all about crackers, shopping, and gifts. While for others, the festival is all about food, delicious food, and more food! If you are belong to the second category, know that Diwali delights go beyond the traditional chakli and chiwda. There are a range of unusual finger-licking snacks that will please your palate and your weighing scales. Go on then, whip up these healthy snack recipes that will leave everyone impressed at your Diwali get-together.
Baked Coconut Fudge Karanjis with Vanilla Ice Cream
A wholesome and delicious Diwali snack is a true Diwali bonus.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole fresh coconut, grated
- Half cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon milk powder
- Half teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoon almond and pistachio flakes
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, warmed and powdered
- 2 tablespoons warm milk
- 2 cups maida
- Half cup fine semolina
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ cup cold water
- 5 tablespoon ghee
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Method:
- Make the pastry dough. Combine maida, semolina, salt, and ghee in a mixing bowl and rub until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add a little cold water at a time to bind into a stiff dough. Cover and keep aside for an hour.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the coconut and sugar in a pan on medium heat and saute until the sugar melts.
- Add the green cardamom, nuts, and saffron milk. Combine.
- Add the milk powder and mix well until the mixture is almost but not completely dry. Leave to cool.
- Mix the ghee and cornstarch with a whisk until light and creamy.
- Divide the dough into 4-5 equal balls. Roll each one out to a thin disc; until you can almost see the work surface through the dough.
- On one disc, spread a thin layer of the cornstarch mixture using your fingers. Place another disc on this and spread the top of that disc with the cornstarch mixture as well. Stack all discs on top of each other with the lamination mixture in between.
- Press lightly to seal. Spread the cornstarch mixture on the topmost layer as well. Now roll the entire stack tightly and rock it back and forth to seal.
- Cut the roll in half across its length. Then, make 1-inch long pieces of each log.
- Place each piece (cut side down) on a working surface and press lightly. Roll it out with a light hand to about 4-5 inches in diameter. Fill 1 to 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each disc.
- Fold the disc in half to a half-moon shape. Seal the edges tightly.
- Trim the excess pastry using a pastry cutter. Press the edges to make sure they remain sealed.
- Prepare all karanjis in this manner.
- Place on baking parchment and bake at 170 degrees centigrade until golden.
Corporate Chef Vinod Garde, Pot Pourri, Sid Hospitality
Khajoor Pattice
The popular tea time snack can be the festive Diwali snack you have been looking for.
Ingredients:
For covering –
- 500 grams boiled potatoes
- 20 grams ara lot
- 20 grams green chilies
- Salt
For stuffing –
- 100 grams khajoor (dates)
- 20 grams cashew nuts
- 10 grams chopped raisins
- 10 grams pomegranate seeds
- 10 grams ghee
- 20 grams mawa
- Half teaspoon cardamom powder
Method:
- Heat ghee in a pan and mix dates, cashew nuts, raisins, pomegranate seeds, mawa, and cardamom powder.
- Take another pan and mix boiled potatoes, ara lot, green chillies and salt.
- Stuff the dates’ mixture in boiled potatoes mixture, and make small pattice.
- Deep fry pattice till golden brown in hot oil.
- Serve with green mint chutney.
Maharaj Jodharam Choudhary, Corporate Chef – Khandani Rajdhani
Baked Ragi Chakli
Why do you need crackers when your plate offers an explosion of amazing flavours?
Ingredients:
- 250 grams ragi flour
- 150 grams besan flour
- 5 grams ginger
- 5 grams chili
- 2 grams garlic paste
- 5 grams salt
- 20 ml oil
Method:
- Take the dry ingredients and knead them together. Add oil and water as required.
Let it become a semi-soft dough. Divide the dough into two equal parts. - Take one half of the dough into a chakli.
- Press out roundels of the dough.
- Take the other half and repeat the same process.
- Preheat the oven to 360-degree centigrade.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
Executive Chef, Gopal Jha, Grand Mercure Bangalore
Gluten Free Polenta Halwa
Ingredients:
- 500 grams gluten-free polenta
- 100 grams ghee
- 5 bananas
- 50 grams of dry fruits
- 50 grams nuts
- 750 ml milk
- 5 grams saffron
Method:
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan.
- Add ghee and gluten-free polenta on a low flame until it is aromatic brown colour.
- In a separate pan put 250 ml milk, ripe banana, and saffron. Mix well until mashed.
- When polenta is well roasted, add the banana mixture and stir well so that no lumps are formed.
- Add rest of milk and stir well again until desired consistency.
- Serve hot with chopped dry fruits and nuts to make look attractive.
Baked Multigrain Namak Para
On a hunt for a perfect Diwali snack? This multigrain munchie cannot be far behind.
Ingredients:
- 300 grams multigrain flour
- 100 grams sooji
- 5 grams salt
- 5 grams ajwain
- 2 tablespoon oil
Method:
- Mix multigrain flour, sooji, salt, ajwain and oil in a bowl.
- Add some water and knead the dough well.
- Cover the dough and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll out each ball into a roti and cut them into long rectangles or diamonds.
- Preheat the oven to 180-degree centigrade.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
Gajar Halwa Cheesecake:
This sweet-something can break the monotony set by Diwali mithai quite well.
Ingredients
- 150 grams of digestive biscuits
- 50 grams melted butter
- 2 gelatine leaves
- 100 grams Mascarpone cheese
- 130 grams whipped cream
- 30 grams caster sugar
- 5 grams French vanilla paste
- 1-kilogram grated carrots
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup mawa
- 4 tablespoon ghee
- 5 grams saffron
- 100 ml milk
- 5 grams green cardamom powder
- 30 grams raisins
Method:
- Heat ghee in a pan, add grated carrots and saute on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add milk, sugar and cook on a high flame for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add raisins, almonds and cardamom powder, and cook for another 2 minutes. Keep the halwa aside for cooling.
- Grease a 6 cm-round (base) ring mould. Using a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add butter. Process until combined. Press the biscuit mixture over the bottom of the ring mould. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes and then heat it up till dissolved.
- Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in gelatine mixture until combined. Fold in whipped cream and gajar halwa carefully.
- Pour mixture into pan, levelling with a spatula and then cover the topmost layer with gajar halwa.
- Refrigerate for an hour and serve cold.
Chef Michael Misquita, The Union Bar & Eating House, Vashi