Try these 5 SIMPLE INDIAN SWEET RECIPEs from HOME on Diwali

Desserts and Diwali are almost synonymous to each other. Well , who doesn’t enjoy some guilty pleasure through the festivities? For instance , staple Indian sweets such as barfis, ladoos and halwas are a certain find at all our households. However, the cookies, cakes and brownies are too making their way, especially as amazing home bakers are actively ruling kitchens now. One thing that is common across these indulgent sweets, is the overload of the ever-green  and nuts. Sometimes just a sprinkle or a garnish is enough, but other times they find themselves as the king of the recipe. So, let’s take a quick look at some simple Diwali sweets you can surprise your family with.

Healthy Jaggery Badam Halwa

Want to skip wheat, besan and semolina but still crave halwa ? This Badam Halwa is just the halwa you need. A dessert that skips sugar and carbs but not the taste. In addition to being an all time favourite of adults, Badam halwa is  a kid-friendly recipe for those who want to avoid sugar for their little ones.

Ingredients:

• Almonds- 1 cup
• Jaggery- 1 cup
• Water- ¾ cup
• Ghee- 4 tbsp
• Cardamom Powder- 1 tbsp
• Mixed Nuts (Pistachio, Almonds, Cashews)- 1 tbsp chopped

Peel the almonds soaked for 3-4 hours. To begin, coarsely grind them without water. Next, add 3 tbsp ghee, heat it and add the almond mixture. Roast for 3-4 mins. Simultaneously in another pan, heat jaggery and the remaining water. After 3-4 mins, add the strained jaggery into the almond mix. Let it cook until it thickens. After that, add cardamom powder and mix. Most definitely, garnish with Ambrosia premium nuts. And just like that , our healthy badam jaggery halwa is ready to serve. A Diwali sweet your family definitely won’t get enough of!

Walnut Brownies

The lockdown has sure unearthed some very talented home bakers and cooks. And needless to say, brownies are the first and most loved cakes that are easy to bake at home. Who said Diwali only belongs to ladoos and barfis?

Ingredients:

• Flour- 1 cup
• Walnuts- ¾ cup
• Butter- ¾ cup
• Cocoa Powder- 2/3 cup
• Dark Chocolate- 200 gm
• Sugar- ½ cup
• Yoghurt- ¼ cup
• Baking Powder- ½ tsp
• Vanilla Extract- ½ tsp
• Baking Soda-1/4 cup
• Salt- ¼ tsp
• Milk- ¼ cup

Chop the dark chocolate and pour melted butter into it. Next, stir till it melts completely. Then, add the sugar and stir well till it dissolves. To this, add the curd and vanilla extract and stir for a smooth consistency. Now for the dry ingredients, in a large bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda. Mix it well after adding salt. Thereafter, add the chocolate mixture into the bowl and mix till the batter is at a thick and smooth consistency. Lastly, add lightly toasted walnuts to the batter for the nutty and smoky flavour.  After that, transfer into a mould and bake at 180 degree for 30 mins. Aha! Your precious eggless brownie is ready.

Milk Cake

Somethings just scream of Diwali and comfort, and a homely piece of milk cake is one. This simple recipe is one that’ll definitely win your family over.

Ingredients:

• Full Cream Milk- 3 litres
• Sugar- 1 cup
• Lemon Juice- 2 tsp
• Ghee- 1 tbsp
• Cardamom Powder- 2 tsp
• Pistachio (sliced)- 1 tsp
• Almonds (sliced)- 1 tsp

Boil the milk on medium flame till it reduces to half. Next, add lemon juice and stir till it starts to curdle. To that add ghee and sugar while stirring continuously on low flame. Then, cook till it thickens and the water from the milk evaporates. Milk thickens and turns slightly golden brown. Subsequently, add cardamom powder and mix well. Then, transfer the mixture into a greased vessel, top it with chopped nuts and let cool. Once completely cooled, reverse the vessel, unmold the milk cake and cut into pieces with a knife. Most importantly, top it with some pistachio kernels for the extra crunch.

Kaju Katli

Is any Diwali ever complete without Kaju Katli ?

This Diwali sweet is like an added family member in all our houses during the festive season. We all love this mithai when gifted by relatives, why not try to ace it ourselves, given the Covid-19 situation?

Ingredients:

• Broken Cashews- 1 cup
• Sugar- 2 tbsp
• Water- 5 tbsp
• Ghee- 1 tbsp

Grind affordable broken cashews to make a smooth powder and sieve  on to a plate. After that, to make the kaju katli dough, take sugar and water in a bottomed pan. Let the sugar dissolve on low flame. After the sugar is completely dissolved, add crushed cashews and stir well on low flame to remove any lumps. Subsequently, as the mixture thickens enough to become a soft dough, transfer onto a flat surface.

Next, once heat cools add ghee and knead it. Most importantly, knead it lightly so as to make it neither dense nor too soft. Next, flatten the dough on a greased plate and gently use a rolling pin to get uniform thickness. Definitely, use a butter paper on top to remove the cracks.

Lastly, cut into desired shapes and dig in & you Diwali sweet is ready!

Oats Kheer

Just a little bit of health mixed with indulgence, an oats kheer is the perfect fusion recipe you should try for a quick and easy dessert fix.

Ingredients:

Ghee- 1 tbsp
Oats- 1/2 cup
Milk- 3 cups
Jaggery- 1/3 cup or as per taste (desired sweetener)
Almonds- 4-5 chopped
Cashews– 5-6 chopped
Pistachio- 4-5 chopped
Cardamom Powder- 1/4 tsp
Saffron strands- 1 pinch

Roast the oats with the ghee in a bottomed pan. Next, sauté well for 4-5 mins on low flame. After that, add milk, followed by  jaggery. Stir well and then simmer for 3-4 mins. Additionally, sprinkle cardamom powder and simmer for 2-3 mins more. Lastly, garnish with  saffron and Ambrosia dry fruits.

Try these simple recipes out and skip the mithai from outside this Diwali. Become the master chef your family never knew you were!