Celebrate the love and light of Diwali with these recipes

So many sweets and savouries to choose from. or maybe just make them all!

Baked Gulab Jamun
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 1.5 hrs
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup pancake powder
2 cups milk powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp whipped cream
1 tbsp ghee
Ghee, for frying
Pistachios, rose petals and silver leaf, to serve
For the syrup:
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp rose water
3-4 pods of green cardamom
For basundi:
1 L double cream milk
1 can evaporated milk, cardamom flavour
100 gm sugar, or to taste
Method
For the syrup, boil water with sugar, rose water and green cardamoms till the sugar dissolves. Cook the syrup for 5 mins more, then remove from the heat. Discard cardamom.
For basundi, boil milk in a heavy bottom pan till it reduces by half. Keep stirring and add evaporated milk; add sugar and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove and cool.
For gulab jamun, mix pancake powder with milk powder and cardamom powder. Add cream and ghee to make a soft dough.
Rest the dough for 5 mins, then make grape-sized balls out of it.
Heat ghee and fry all the balls on low-medium heat.
Dip them in the sugar syrup for 10 mins.
To serve, heat the oven at 200°C. Place 4 mini jamuns in each cup, top with 3 tbsp basundi and bake for 12 mins. Remove from the oven, garnish with pistachios, rose petals and silver leaf.
Serve.
Green Apple Walnut Halwa

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 cups walnuts
2 tbsp ghee
1 green apple, peeled, grated
1 tsp cardamom powder
½ cup warm milk
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
2 tbsp chopped pistachios
Silver leaf for garnish, optional
Method
Heat a pan and roast walnuts slightly; allow to cool. Grind the walnuts coarsely in a grinder.
Heat a pan and add ghee.
Add grated apple and sauté for 3 minutes. Add walnuts and cardamom powder. Cook and
keep stirring.
Add warm milk and saffron milk, and stir; add sugar and cook till it starts leaving the sides. Remove from heat.
Serve hot or cool, garnished with pistachios and silver leaf.
Angoori Rabree

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 2hrs
Serve: 2-4
Ingredients
2 L milk
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tbsp flour
Pinch of baking powder
100 gm sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
¼ tsp saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
¼ cup castor sugar
1 cup seedless grapes
2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped
For the syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp rose water
Method
Bring half the milk to the boil; once it begins to do so, remove from heat and add lime juice, till it begins to curdle.
Strain in a muslin cloth and hang for 20 minutes to make cheese.
For the syrup, boil all ingredients in a pan for 5-6 mins.
Mix cottage cheese, flour and baking powder together; shape into small grape-sized balls.
Drop the balls into the syrup and cover with a lid; cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep aside for 10 mins, then remove from syrup.
For the rabree, heat the remaining milk in a heavy bottom pan till it reduces by three-fourth; add sugar, cardamom powder and saffron. Simmer for 4-5 mins more.
Heat a pan and add castor sugar and grapes; cook till it caramelises. Stir continuously.
To serve, mix rabree with cottage cheese balls and pour into each serving dish. Top with caramelised grapes and serve chilled.
Chana Chaat in Papad Cone

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 papad
1 cup boiled chickpeas
½ cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup pomegranate
½ cup finely chopped pepper
2 tbsp mint chutney
2 tbsp sweet chutney
1 tbsp ginger julienne
1 tbsp chaat powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dry roasted cumin powder
Mint leaves, for garnish
Method
Cut papad in half with scissors and roast on a fire, quickly shaping them into cones with the help of rolling pins. Keep aside.
In a mixing bowl, toss chickpeas with tomatoes, pomegranate and pepper.
Add both chutneys as well as the spices, and quickly fill the cones.
Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.
Khatta Meeta Crisp

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
2 twigs curry leaves
½ cup raisins
¼ cup coconut slice
1 cup cashew nuts
1 cup pumpkin seeds
Salt to taste
2 tbsp sesame seeds
4 cups beaten rice
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp anardhana churan
1 tbsp roasted aniseed powder
Oil, for frying
Method
Heat a frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Fry curry leaves, raisins and coconut slices; remove from oil and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry cashew nuts till light brown; add pumpkin seeds and sauté. Then, add salt and sesame seeds. Stir and cook till the nuts are crisp. Remove from heat and keep aside.
Heat oil and deep-fry beaten rice on medium-high heat in batches. Drain on a kitchen towel.
Now, mix everything in a large mixing bowl and add all spices.
Toss and store in an air-tight container till ready to serve.
Peanut Butter Paneer Skewers


Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp ginger juice
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp pepper powder
Salt to taste
350 gm cottage cheese, cut into cubes
2 red bell peppers, cut into squares
20 cherry tomatoes
Oil, for brushing
For the dip:
¼ cup beetroot purée
½ cup Greek yoghurt
1 tsp mint powder
Pinch of salt

Method
Mix all the ingredients for the dip in a bowl.
Mix peanut butter, Greek yoghurt, ginger juice and lime juice together in a mixing bowl.
Add in all the dry ingredients and toss with paneer cubes, bell pepper and cherry tomatoes.
Chill in the fridge for about 20 mins.
Heat a grill pan and brush with oil.
Arrange paneer, bell pepper and cherry tomatoes on skewers and grill them on both sides.
Serve hot with the dip.