Diwali hampers and a whole lot of recipes

*LONG POST ALERT*

Diwali is my favourite time of the year.I love planning,prepping and decorating the house. S was born on diwali-dhanteras to be precise so I always think of him as my diwali present.I love planning an (tr)eats hamper.I started presenting them to friends in 2017.This was my first one:

It had:

1. Phenori
2. Coconut laddoo
3. Besan fudge
4. Nimki
5. Ajwain mathris
6. and what I call my 'showstopper' motichoor cheesecake

Recipe(s) as follows:

1)Phenori:
To make dough
Maida-1 cup
Fine rava-1 cup
Ghee- 2 tbsps
Salt- a pinch
Maida to dust
Oil to deep fry
For paste
Rice flour-2 tbsp
Ghee-3 - 5 tbsps
To Serve
Powdered sugar-1/2 cup

Powdered cardamom

Method:

• In a wide bowl take maida ,rava and salt.
• Heat ghee and add to the flour. The oil should be so hot that when you pour it on dry flour ,bubbles should form. Mix well.
• Next add water little by little to make a stiff dough.The dough has to be like poori dough i.e stiffer than roti dough.
• Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside for 45 mins to 2 hours.The longer the better.
• Next knead the dough well or beat it nicely with rolling pins to make the dough soft and pliable.Divide the dough to orange sized balls.Set aside.
• Make a paste by combining melted ghee and rice flour together and beat using a spoon until it becomes creamy and fluffy. This is used to apply between the rotis.
• Take the dough balls. Roll as thin as possible to make them crispy.Try not to apply flour while rolling.
• Take 3 rotis at a time.Take the first one,spread 1 tsp paste on top of it. Dust a little maida on it.
• Keep the second roti slowly on top, such that no folds are formed .Spread 1 tsp flour paste and dust little maida and place 3rd roti on the top. Now start rolling the rotis to make a tight cylindrical roll.
• Cut each roll to 1 inch slices .
• Roll each slice lightly into small poori like disc.Do not apply pressure while rolling so that the layers are retained.Keep these discs covered with a damp cloth until you are ready to fry them.
• Fry them on low to medium flame till light brown and crisp on both the sides. Once done, drain oil and transfer to a kitchen napkin.
• Sprinkle powdered cardamom and sugar all over the chiroti while still warm.

2)Coconut Laddoo

Ingredients:

NESTLÉ MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk-1 can
Fresh Coconut Grated-350 gm (4 cups)
Dessicated coconut to top

Method:

• Mix the condensed milk and grated coconut into a thick bottomed pan. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Once heated, cook on a slow fire till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan (approx 5 minutes), remove from flame and let it cool.
• Roll into laddoos with greased hands. Roll in dessicated coconut.

3)Besan Fudge
This was meant to be besan laddoo but I ended up with a fudgy consistency and everyone seemed to like it.
Ingredients:
Besan-1 cup
Sugar-1/2 cup
Cardamom-3
Ghee-1/4 cup
Cashews-halves for garnishing

Method:

• Powder the sugar and cardamom together and set aside.
• Add ghee to a pan and heat.
• Add besan and coat the flour.Begin stirring to roast the flour.
• When the colour begins to change,lower flame and continue stirring.
• Stir until the ghee starts to leave the flour mixture.
• Remove from flame and allow to cool.
• Add the powdered sugar-cardamom when cooled down.
• Mix well,at first the mixture will seem dry and crumbly.Knead till it starts to become greasy.
• Roll into laddoos garnish with cashew halves.

4)Nimki

(As adapted from nishamadhulika.com)

Ingredients:

Refined flour - 2 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp or as per taste

Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - more than 1/4 cup

Oil - to fry

Method:

• To start-knead dough for making layered sankhe. First, take refined flour in a big mixing bowl and add the salt, carom seeds and 1/4 cup oil to it. Mix everything well. Add water in small portions and knead till dough becomes stiff,usually takes about 1/2 cup of water.Cover and keep the dough aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• 
  
• After about 20 minutes,knead the dough some more to smoothen. Next, divide the dough into four equal parts. Then, roll out into thin square sheets.The layers are done in the following way. 
• 
  
• Spread 1 tsp oil over the rolled sheet. Sprinkle some dry flour over the sheet and spread evenly using a spoon. After this, fold the sheet. For this, fold the sheet from one side bringing it to the half. Now similarly fold from the other side as well. Again apply some oil over the rolled sheet and sprinkle some refined flour over it.(Check pic for details)After this, fold it from one side bringing it to the half and likewise fold the second side as well. This way a thick layered sheet will be ready. Now again roll out this square sheet lengthwise (roll out this sheet little thick). 
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• Again apply some oil over this rolled sheet, sprinkle some refined flour and fold again. This time make just three folds. Roll out lengthwise again.
• 
  
• Cut the Sankhe make 1/2 to 3/4 cm thick long chunks on the sheet. You can keep the sankhe thick or thin as desired. Keep the sankhe chunks on a plate. 

• Fry the prepared Sankhe over medium heated oil in a wok on low flame.Flip the sides and continue frying until golden brown in color from all sides.Drain out the fried sankhe on plate covered with absorbent paper.It takes 5 to 6 minutes to fry them to perfection. 
• Allow to cool down before storing them in an air tight container and can be stored upto 2 months. 

4)Ajwain mathris

Ingredients:

Whole-wheat flour – 1 cup
Maida – 1 cup
Sooji – 4 tbsp
Carom seeds (Ajwain seeds) – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Warm Water – as required to knead the dough
Ghee– 4 tbsp, melted
Oil – for deep-frying

Method:

• Sieve the whole-wheat flour, refined flour, semolina and salt together.
• Add the carom seeds and salt to taste.
• Add in the ghee and mix. It will become a little crumbly.
• Add water slowly and bring the mixture together to knead into a tough dough.
• Once the dough is formed, cover it with a damp cloth and set aside for half an hour.
• Heat the oil in a rounded saucepan.
• After half and hour, on a lightly floured surface, roll out a big dough ball into a 1 cm thick roti. Using a fork, prick the roti at various places. This will prevent the mathri from bloating up while frying.
• Take a cup the size you want your mathri to be .I used a cookie cutter. Cut out as many as you can with the cup or cookie cutter.
• Gently drop a couple of them in hot oil. Reduce the heat to medium and fry until the mathri turn golden brown.
• Once done, remove with a slotted spoon and place the cooked mathris on absorbent paper to drain all excess oil.

5)Motichoor cheese cake

Ingredients:

Motichoor ladoo:1/2 kg

8 oz cream cheese, softened

Powdered sugar 1/2 cup

Heavy cream, depending how light you want the cheesecake, I used 1/2 cup :1/2-3/4 cup 

Method:

• Crumble the laddoos,press the crumbs to the bottom of the jar or bowl using the back of a spoon or with your thumb until its compact. Place the jars in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
• Beat the softened cream cheese for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Then add powdered sugar to it and mix.
• In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula. Fold the whipped cream in 2 to 3 parts into cream cheese mixture until it's all combined.
• Pipe into the top of crushed laddoo.Alternate layers of cheesecake and crumbled laddoo with the cheesecake being last.
•  Cover and place them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

NB:I should have probably tried making a biscuit crust at the bottom which I completely forgot about.

Could have also used nuts for garnish

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So every year I decided my 'hamper' would be a combination of sweets,savories and a 'show stopper'. The 2018 hamper looked like this:

It had:

1. Beetroot and fenugreek Mathri
2. Chorafali
3. Thattai
4. Badam puri
5. Mini pooran poli
6. Rahash dessert balls
7. And the 'show stopper' was gulab jamun and custard layered dessert

Recipes as follows:

1)Beetroot and Fenugreek Mathri

I loved the combination of beetroot and kasuri methi in this.Adapted from mygingergarlickitchen.com.

Ingredients:

 all purpose flour (maida) - 2 cups

• whole wheat flour - 1⁄2 cup

• olive oil, or ghee - 3 tbsp

• fresh beetroot juice - ½ cup

• warm water, if needed

• carom seeds (ajwain) - 2 tsp

• ground black pepper - 2 tsp

• kasuri methi or dry fenugreek leaves - 2 tbsp

• a pinch of asafoetida

• a pinch of baking soda

• salt as per taste

• oil for brushing - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Take a large mixing bowl.
• Add all purpose flour, wheat flour, carom seeds, black pepper, salt, fenugreek leaves, baking soda and 3 tbsp oil.
• Mix everything well while rubbing the oil evenly in the flour with your fingertips.
• The whole mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.
• Add ¼ cup of beet juice at a time and knead the dough.
• Knead into a stiff dough. Add more juice and water if needed.
• Cover the mathri dough with the damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Divide the mathri dough into small balls and roll out all the balls into small circles of 2-3 inch diameter and about ½ inch thickness.
• Don't worry about the perfect shape.
• Prick them evenly with a fork, to prevent them from puffing while in the oven.
• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
• Arrange the mathri dough circles on a greased baking sheet, and brush them with little oil.
• Bake for 25-30 mins or till they nice are crisp.
• Turn over the mathris and bake them for 10 more minutes.
• Remove the mathri's out of the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

NB:I ended up frying these but should have baked them because the website shows these in a brilliant colour.

2)Chorafali

Paying homage to my husband's native-Gujarat, this was fun to do.

Ingredients:

Gram Flour :1 cup 

Urad Flour (split urad dal flour): 1/3 cup (I just made this using my mixie)

Baking Soda:1/8 teaspoon 

Oil :1 tablespoon + for deep frying

Salt to taste

Water:1/4 cup 

Red Chilli Powder:2 tsps

Black Salt: 1 tsp

Dry Mango Powder (aamchur powder):2 tsps 

Method:

• Boil 1/4 cup of water and add oil, salt and soda into it.When water gets warm, add the flours and knead to make a dough.Keep aside for 15 minutes. 
• If your dough is still dry, pound and stretch to make it soft and smooth. But do not add more water. Make small balls of dough and roll out into thin rotis.The rotis need to look semi transparent. Cut into strips.
• Deep fry in oil on medium flame.Drain and place on kitchen napkins.Sprinkle red chilli powder,black salt and amchur powder on top.

3)Thattai

This was a random find over the internet.I liked that it used nearly the same ingredients as chorafali yet was different.It was like a south Indian take on.Meant to be crispy but mine turned out a bit soggy.Nevertheless everyone said it tasted pretty good.Recipe adapted from jeyashriskitchen.com

Ingredients:

Rice Flour  4 cups

Urad dal flour  1/4 cup (I had lots left from the chorafali)

Roasted gram flour  3/4 cup

Red chili powder  1-2 tsp

Sesame seeds   1 tbslp

Channa dal  2 tblsp

Butter   2 tblsp

Asafoetida  2 pinches

Salt  as needed

Curry leaves    few

Oil   for deep frying

Method:

• Soak the channa dal in water for 30 minutes. 
• Mix the rice flour, urad dal flour and gram flour using a sieve.Drain the water from the dal and add to the flour.
• Add the curry leaves, salt, butter, red chilli powder sesame seeds.Mix well.
• Knead it into a dough by adding water in parts to make a firm dough.
• Make lemon sized ball,flatten into thin rotis,prick with a fork and deep fry.

4)Badam puri

Ingredients:

Maida-1/4 cup

Rice flour-1/8 cup

Almond powder-1/4 Cup

salt-a pinch

Baking soda-a pinch

Turmeric (optional)-a pinch or more for a deeper colour

Ghee-2 tsp

For Sugar Syrup:

Sugar-1/2 cup

Water-1/2 cup

Cardamom-5-6(powdered)

Few strands of saffron

Desiccated coconut for garnish 

Method:

• Start by making the sugar syrup-add sugar and pour enough water to just cover the sugar.Allow the sugar melt and come to a boil.Add powdered cardamom.The sugar syrup is ready when you get a 1 string consistency, add few strands of saffron, set aside.
• In a small bowl, take maida, rice flour.Add almond powder and mix well
• Next add 2 Tsp ghee and mix into the dry ingredients until it is well incorporated.
• Add little water, about 1-2 Tbsp, start mixing
• Lightly knead into a soft dough, do not over-knead
• Grease with some ghee and set it aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil for frying badam poori
• Pinch half the dough, lightly pat on a oiled surface
• Roll into a thin chapati
• Using a 2 inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds
• Repeat till the rolled out chapati has been completely used
• The pooris should be quite thin
• Now to make the layers, fold each round into semi-circle and then into a triangle
• Repeat till the dough is used up
• When the oil is heated up, on low flame, drop few layered pooris
• Fry till crisp and golden
• Dunk the fried pooris in sugar syrup for a 2-3 minutes
• Remove onto serving plate.

5)Mini pooran poli

This was like regular pooran poli just made smaller.Plenty on recipes online

6)Rahash dessert balls

This appealed to my middle eastern upbringing.Seemed perfect to throw into the mix.

Ingredients:

Digestive bisuits:500gms (Mcvities ALWAYS!!)

Tahini halva: 250gms 

Pistachio powder:50gms

Cardamom: 1 tsp

Thickened cream:250 gms

For the sauce:

Sweetened condensed milk:1 can

Cream:2 Tbsp

Tahini:3 tbsp

Method:

• Crush the digestives into a fine powder. Add the halva, pistachio powder, and cardamom; blitz in blender until uniform. Add the thickened cream and blitz again until a dough is formed.
• Shape the dough into bite-sized balls, and arrange on the serving platter. Refrigerate while preparing the sauce.
• To make the sauce, simply blend the sweet condensed milk, cream, and tahini until incorporated; drizzle over the balls in the serving platter. Refrigerate a couple of hours before serving.

NB:I'd go easy on the cardamom.It was too strong for my taste and probably blitz in some sugar the next time if I ever decide to make this.

7) Gulab jamun and custard layered dessert

I was beginning to run out of time and so I just bought gulab jamun from the store,used the syrup to make vanilla custard using custard powder and sliced the gulab jamuns and layered the jamuns and warm custard and refigerated it.Simple but turned out to be the best thing!

I have my plan in place for 2019 and cant wait to get started.Will post separately once I get to it.Till then....

Vive Valeque ❤️