Diwali 2023: 4 Festive Snacks & Desserts By Chef Gaurav Bansal

Every festival in India stands for fun, celebration and lots of good food. There are so many traditional dishes that we cook and eat during the many, many festivals that we celebrate. And the biggest of them all is Diwali! The entire country takes part in Diwali celebrations with full enthusiasm. And the best part about celebrating together is eating together. Delicious food makes Diwali better. So, we have 4 Diwali special recipes from Chef Gaurav Bansal, Executive Sous Chef, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway that you can easily make at home.

Ragi Anjeer Roll

This ragi roll stuffed with anjeer and nuts is the healthy dessert that you need to try. It is not only delicious, it comes together quickly and is guilt-free too.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 80 grams Dried Figs 
• 80 grams Ragi flour 
• 50 grams Jaggery
• 5- No Almonds
• 10 No Pistachios
• 5 No Cashews
• 4 tablespoon Ghee

For Garnish:

• Chop dry nuts

Method:

• Soak a fig in warm water for 20 minutes.
• After soaking, remove the water and blend the fig into a smooth paste without water.
• In a separate pan, cook ragi flour and jaggery in ghee until it forms a thick paste and keep aside.
• Cut up some pistachios, almonds, and cashews.
• In a non-stick pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee and add the chopped nuts. Fry them for a couple of minutes on medium heat, but make sure they don’t change color.
• Add the fig paste to the pan and mix it well, Keep cooking the mixture until it thickens and becomes difficult to stir.
• Once it cools down a bit, roll the ragi dough and the fig paste into a cylindrical shape on a piece of parchment paper.
• Cut in small cylindrical shape and garnish with chopped dry nuts. Serve.

Dahi Gujiya

This Dahi Gujiya is a soft, half-moon shaped snack that’s filled with nuts. It’s then topped with a layer of creamy, whipped yogurt. It’s so tender that it just melts in your mouth. Here is  simple recipe.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For Gujiya

• 1 Cup Urad Dal
• Salt To Taste

For Stuffing

• 20-25 No. Raisins
• 15-20 No. Cashews
• 1 Tbsp. Chironjee
• 1 Finely Chopped Green Chilly
• 1 Tsp Finely Chopped Ginger
• Salt To Taste
• Oil For Frying
• 1 Cup Fresh Curd
• Black Salt To Taste
•  5 Gram Red Chilly
• 5 Gram Roasted Cumin Powder
• Coriander Leaves Garnish
• Mint Chutneys

Method

• Soak the dal overnight.
• Blend the dal into a thick paste with a bit of salt and water.
• Beat the batter until it’s fluffy.
• Mix the stuffing ingredients.
• Heat up oil for frying.
• Use a bowl and a wet cloth to shape the batter into a flat disc, add some nuts to the disc. Fold the disc over to make a half-moon shape.
• Sprinkle some cumin seeds on top.
• Fry the gujiya in the oil until its golden brown.

Gulab Ladoo

Gulab Ladoo is a sweet Indian delicacy made with dates, figs, pistachios, edible rose petals. This sweet can truly add aroma and sweetness to your celebrations.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cup Cashew Nuts
• 2 tbsp. Milk Powder
• 1/3 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1 cup Sugar
• 4 no. Silver leaf
• 1/4 tsp Saffron
• 3 tbsp Oats powder (optional).
• Dried rose petals for Garnish

Stuffing:

• 2 tbsp. Gulkand
• 1.5 tbsp. Mixed Dry fruits
• 1/4 tsp Fennel powder
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method:

• Grind cashews in a grinder to make a powder. (If using oats, dry roast them in a pan or microwave for a minute and grind to make a fine powder. Add the oat powder to the cashew powder.)
• Make a sugar syrup as per your liking and add cardamom powder to it. Add cashew powder and milk powder to the sugar syrup and mix well.
• When this mixture cools down to room temperature, knead the dough until smooth, and then make small ladoos from the dough.

Stuffing:

• In a bowl, mix gulkand, crushed mixed nuts, fennel powder, and cardamom powder well. Then make small balls of the stuffing (smaller than ladoo).
• Take a cashew ladoo and flatten it on your palm. Stuff the gulkand ball in it and close it from all the sides to make a smooth ladoo (ball) shape.
• Stick silver leaf on the balls and make a ring of saffron paste by dipping a small bottle’s cap in the saffron paste and gently pressing it on the top of ladoo. Roll the ladoo with dried rose petals, Garnish with a pistachio slice on top and serve.

Palak Patta Chat

This delicious, traditional chat is made with batter fried spinach leaf loaded with sweet curd, tamarind & mint chutney. Truly a festive snack for every evening, learn how to make it this Diwali.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Chickpeas Flour / Besan
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Carom Seeds
• Pinch Of Asafetida
• 1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
• Salt To Taste
• Water For Making Batter
• Oil For Deep Frying
•  20-25 number Spinach Leaves (Palak Patta)

For Garnish

• Sweet curd
• Mint chutney
• Tamarind chutney

Method:

• In a bowl, combine besan, rice flour, red chili powder, salt, carom seeds, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and turmeric powder, add water and whisk well to make a smooth batter.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadhai.
• Dip spinach leaf (Palak Patta) one at a time into the batter and gently shake off the excess batter.
• Deep-fry until crisp and golden.(like a pakoda)
• Once fried, drain them onto a paper, and keep aside.
• Serve with sweet curd, mint chutney, and tamarind chutney.