Traditional sweets to light up Diwali

GULKAND BARFI

Ingredients
Soft khoya or mawa      - 1/2 kg
Powdered Sugar          - 2 cups
Ghee                            - 3 tbsp
Cardamom powder      - 1/2 tsp
Gulkand                       -  5 tbsp
Dry fruits – Mixed and chopped to garnish

Method:
Set a pan on low flame and put gulkand into it. Stir gently for a while till the moisture evaporates. As it reaches the consistency of a ball, remove from the flame and leave aside to cool. Now, grease palms with some ghee. In a separate bowl, mash the khoya with your hands till it becomes soft and smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix.

Lay the mixture in a large non-stick pan. Add 2 tbsp. ghee and heat it on high flame for 2-3 minutes. Now, lower the flame as you stir continuously.

Once it starts changing colour and the ghee starts separating, remove the mix from flame.

To the above, add cardamom powder and mix well again. Add the prepared gulkand to it and stir. This will result in a red-coloured mawa mixture. Cool it. Lay the red gulkand mixture in a thali or sweet mould and spread it evenly. Garnish with chopped dry fruits. Once the mixture sets a little, make small diamond or squares shapes using a blunt knife, then set it into the refrigerator for about 10 mins.

Black Bean Burritos

BLACK BEAN BURRITOS

Ingredients
For Tortilla sheet-
Refined flour- 200gms
Water,
Salt - 05gms
Oil - 10ml,
Mix them all up into a firm dough ball; then cover it with a moist cloth and set aside.

Method
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer.

Now reheat a Tortilla sheet and sprinkle cheese on it. Then place lettuce, onion, tomato, rice, black bean, salsa and guacamole, and sprinkle a little lemon juice and olive oil on the tortilla sheet and then roll it tightly and serve with some fries on the side.

For Guacamole
Avacado (crushed) - 1piece
Chop onion -20gms,
Chop tomato- 20gms,
Chop coriander - 5gms,
Salt and pepper,
Lemon juice - 1tsp,
Olive oil -1 tps,
Mix all together in a mixing bowl and set the seasoning and keep aside.

Filling
Cooked black bean - 80 gms,
Cooked rice - 80gms,
Shredded lettuce -  5 gms,
Lime juice - 1tsp
Olive oil - 1table spoon,
Salt and pepper,
Salsa - 50gms,
Guacamole - 50gms
Onion Julien’s - 20gms,
Tomato Julien’s - 20gms
Cheese - 20gms

Paneer tacos

PANEER TACOS
For Taco sheets
Ingredients
Flour - 100gms
Sweet corn puree - 100gms,
Chilli flakes - 05gms,
Salt and crushed black pepper,
Water as required to make the dough.

Method:
Mix all ingredients and make a hard dough ball. Makes 30 g balls of the dough and roll them out into sheets. Then sear both sides and set aside.

Ingredients
Cut 100gms of paneer into cubes,
Marinate paneer with oil, garlic, salt, pepper, chilly flakes, and herbs then pan toss the paneer and keep aside.
For pico de galo/ salsa:-
Ingredients
Chop onion - 50gms,
Chop tomato - 50gms,
Chop green chillies 3
Chop coriander - 10gms,
Salt and pepper,
Lemon juice - 1table spoon,
Tomato snack dressing - 2table spoon,

Dahi ka halwa

DAHI KA HALWA

Ingredients
Full Fat Milk - 1 Liter
Hung Curd - 500 Grams
Semolina - ½ Cup
Milk Powder - 250 Grams
Khoya - 250 Grams
Caster Sugar - 250 Grams
Pure Ghee - 100 Grams
Green Cardamom Powder -1 Tea Spoon
Finley Chopped Pistachio - 10 Grams
Finely Chopped Almonds - 10 Grams
Finely Chopped Cashew Nuts - 10 Grams
Silver leaves - 1 or 2

Method
In a thick bottom vessel, boil the milk and cook till it reduces to half. Add the hung curd and mix it into the reduced milk. Ensure the flame is on low to medium. Stir continuously and cook till the water is completely evaporated. Add the semolina, but ensure no lumps are formed. Mix and cook till the mixture turns light brown.

At this stage, add the milk powder and khoya. Mix and cook till they get absorbed. Now add the caster or powdered sugar and mix it in. Then add all the finely chopped dry fruits and pure ghee. Mix all and cook till the oil gets separated. Garnish using silver leaf and finely chopped dry fruits and serve.