Top 5 Traditional Recipes for Diwali

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Diwali, the biggest holiday in India, is about more than just lights and fireworks But it is also connected to the many delicious, scrumptious delicacies prepared annually in every household Many look forward to the festival only to indulge in those renowned homemade, traditional delicacies and satisfy their palates.

Diwali snacks oer many health benefits in addition to being delicious Each dish is a perfectly balanced mixture of various flours, spices, oils, sweeteners, and binders needed to boost the immune system and combat colds in the winter

Without delay, we bring you 5 traditional, full of nutritional and tasty recipes.

Poha ( Flattened Rice) Chivda

Poha Chivda or Chivda is a famous Indian snack made with flattened rice, spices and some nuts It is easy to make and has a good shelf life Also, the multiple nutritional values of Chivda make it recommendable for people on a diet.

Here is an easy recipe for the famous Chivda for 4 to 5 people

Ingredients

500 gms Thin Poha ( flattened rice)

3 4 tablespoons ( ½ cup ) Cooking Oil

100 gms Peanuts

100 gms Dry Coconut (sliced thin in ½ inch pieces)

100 gms Dalya ( roasted grams)

100 gms Cashews ( split) (optional)

10 15 Curry leaves

5 to 6 Green chilies ( adjust according to your taste)

¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

¼ Cumin seeds

½ tablespoon Sugar ( optional)

Salt as per taste

Recipe

1. Take a wide, heavy bottom pan and heat it on high flame.

2. Reduce the flame to medium and add some Poha with a pinch of salt.

3 Stir them continuously with a spatula to avoid excessive cooking

4 Transfer them to another plate to cool them down

5 Roast Poha in batches until they turn crisp and light

6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat it.

7. Add peanuts to oil, roast them and keep them aside.

8 Roast dry coconut, cashews, and Dalya ( roasted grams) separately and mix them with peanuts

9. Once roasting is done, add the remaining oil to the pan and heat it on high flame.

10. Add cumin seeds, Asafoetida, curry leaves, and green chilies. Add turmeric powder to it last to avoid burning it

11 Turn the flames on medium and keep stirring the mixture

12 Add roasted peanuts, dry coconut, cashew and Dalya ( roasted grams) to it

13. Add salt and sugar to taste. Mix it well.

14. Finally, add roasted Poha ( Flattened rice) and mix it properly with a spatula.

15 Turn o the flames and let it cool down Shift them to a dry, airtight container

16 Your Poha Chivda is ready to eat

Shelf life

The shelf life of Poha Chivda is 3 to 4 weeks if stored neatly in dry, airtight containers

Chakli

Chakli, a classic, spiral-shaped, spicy and fried dish, is a favorite munching snack for many people. Crunchy and crispy Chakli is prepared with a mixture of dierent flours ( Bhajani) and spices, and deep fried in cooking oil

Ingredients

For Bhajani ( Chakli mix flour)

1 cup rice, ¼ cup urad dal,

¼ cup chana dal,

¼ cup yellow moong dal, 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon coriander, 10 gm Poha,

For Chakli

2 cups of Bhajani flour,

1 teaspoon Red Chili powder

1 ½ teaspoon Sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon Asafoetida

1 to 2 tablespoons of Cooking oil

Salt to taste

For frying

A deep frying pan Cooking oil

Chakli maker

Plastic paper Recipe

Bhajani

1 Heat the wide, heavy bottom pan and add rice to it Roast it on low flame for 8 to 10 minutes until it slightly changes color. Stir continuously. Remove it and keep it aside.

2. Dry roast chana dal until it turns golden brown.

3 Dry roast Yellow moong dal and Urad dal together until they turn golden

4 Dry roast Poha till it turns light and crisp

5. Roast Cumin seeds and coriander seeds until they turn aromatic and golden.

6. Mix everything and keep it aside to cool down.

7. Grind everything together to prepare a fine flour of Bhajani ( Chakali flour)

Chakli dough

1. Take 2 cups of Bhajani, red chili powder, Sesame seeds and Asafoetida and mix it well.

2 Heat cooking oil and add it to the dough mix

3 Take lukewarm water and mix it with the dough gradually

4 Start kneading dough slowly and add water if required

5. Make a tight dough that is harder than roti dough.

Chakli frying

1. Take a chakli maker and grease it with oil from the inside.

2 Take a small amount of dough and fill in the chakli maker

3 Make spiral shapes of Chakli by pressing the knob

4. Use plastic paper to put spiral shapes of Chakli to avoid sticking and breaking the shapes.

5. Heat oil in a pan on low flame.

6 Oil should be hot enough to deep fry Chakli but not smoking hot to burn it

7 Taste the oil by adding a small amount of dough If the dough pops up and bubbles appear, the oil is ready to fry Chakli

8. Add three or four Chakli (according to the size of the pan) in hot oil slowly without breaking the shape.

9 Fry Chakli on low flame while flipping occasionally

10 Once Chakli turns golden brown, remove it from the pan and keep it aside to cool down

11. Use tissues to place Chakli on it and to drain out excess oil.

12. Repeat the procedure till the last batch.

13 Store it in a dry, airtight container once cool down

Shelf life

Chakli's shelf life is 3 to 4 weeks if stored in an airtight and dry container

Sweet ShankarPali

Sweet Shankarpali or sweet diamond cuts are flat, crispy and sweet traditional savories from Maharashtra loved by the masses These sweet snack bites are made with sugar, all purpose flour, and Semolina neatly kneaded in dough and cut into diamond shapes, further fried deep in cooking oil.

Ingredients

500 gm all purpose flour (Maida), 100 gm semolina (Rava), 250 gm sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons of milk

3 tablespoons of cooking oil or ghee

cup of water

Recipe

Shankarpali Dough

1. Take sugar and grind it to a fine powder.

Take all purpose flour, powdered sugar, and Semolina in a plate or bowl.

Add warm cooking oil or melted ghee and give it a mix with the help of your fingertips

Give the mixture the texture of breadcrumbs.

Warm milk and start adding slowly to the mixture while mixing it.

Take some water and add to it.

Knead the mixture until it turns into a firm and sti dough

Keep it aside for 20 to 30 minutes to rest

Take a small portion of dough and make a ball by rolling in between your palms

Place the ball on a rolling platter and roll it into 5 to 7 inches thick circles with the help of a rolling pin.

Take a knife or pizza cutter and cut it into a diamond shape

Cover these Shankarpali pieces with a slightly wet kitchen towel till the next step

Fry Shankarpali

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium flame.

2 Take a small piece of Shankarpali dough and add it to the oil to check whether it's ready for frying If the dough pops up and bubbles occur, you can start frying the rest of the Shankarpali.

3. Start adding Shankarpali in medium hot oil in batches.

4. Turn over the Shankarpali as one side turns golden and fry the other side. Keep them turning over occasionally

5 Fry them until they turn dark golden brown on both sides

6 Take them out and place them on tissue paper to remove excess oil

7. Once they cool down, store them in a dry, airtight container.

Shelf life

Sweet Shankarpali can last for 3 to 4 weeks if stored properly in a dry, airtight container.

Besan Ladoo

Besan Ladoo is made almost across India with dierent variations in the recipe But the core of it remains the same, which has besan or chickpea flour, sugar and Dalda or ghee

For Besan or chickpea flour

500 gms chickpea,

Or ready made chickpea flour ( easily available in stores)

For ladoo

500 gm besan, 250 gm Sugar, ½ nutmeg ( powdered)

150 to 175 gm ghee or Dalda ( tree oil)

50 gm cashew or raisins ( split) (optional)

Tip: make sure to take proper measurements to avoid any binding or taste issues

Recipe

For Besan

1.

Take a wide heavy bottom pan and add chickpeas to it.

2. Roast chickpeas on low flame until it turns golden red and crisp.

3 Rest it to cool down, and then grind it to a fine powder

For ladoo

1. Take a deep, wide and heavy bottom pan or wok.

2 Add Dalda or ghee to it and heat it on a low flame

3 Once the Dalda or ghee is hot, add besan to it

4 Stir continuously with a heavy steel ladle to avoid causing any lumps or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Cook it until the mixture turns loose but with a thick consistency.

6. The best way to check whether it's cooked is that the mixture turns aromatic and does not stick to the pan Also, you can taste it

7 Once it's done, shift it to another flat platter and let it cool down

8. After cooling down, slowly add powdered sugar to it and mix it well.

9. Add nutmeg powder according to taste.

10. Start to knead the mixture slowly until you can turn small portions of it into balls with your palms, and they stick together without breaking

11 Decorate the Ladoos with raisins and cashews

12 Store them in a dry and airtight container

Shelf life

Besan Ladoos's shelf life is around 1 to 2 weeks if stored in dry and airtight containers.

Rava Laddo

Rava, sooji or Semolina Ladoo is another semi sweet delicacy prepared during Diwali in many parts of India. Semolina or Rava and sugar are prime ingredients in these recipes.

Ingredients

2 cups Rava or sooji or Semolina

tablespoon ghee

cup of water

cup of sugar

teaspoon cardamom powder

tablespoons cashews or raisins ( split) ( optional)

Recipe

In a heavy bottom, wide pan, take 2 tablespoons of ghee.

Add 2 cups of Semolina and roast it on low flame until it turns color slightly.

Keep stirring continuously

Remove the Semolina from the pan and keep it aside to cool down

In the same pan, add water and sugar

Bring it to a boil over medium flame, and the sugar melts completely.

Turn the flames o and add Semolina to it.

Mix it well and keep it aside for 2 3 hours until the syrup is soaked completely.

Add cardamom powder to it

Knead the mixture in little portions with your palms and make balls

Decorate Rava Ladoos with cashews and raisins.

Store them in a dry and airtight container.

Shelf life

Rava Ladoo lasts well for 2 to 3 weeks once stored in dry and airtight containers

So, prepare these delicacies at home and please your loved ones on the occasion of Diwali Don't forget to take lots of pictures and create happy memories that last long Happy Diwali!