DIWALI sweets and snacks

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here Tarla Dalal shows us a quick way to make shrikhand (sweet yogurt)-

and a quick way to make rice kheer (pudding) -

CASHEWNUT FUDGE - makes 20 diamond-shaped pieces
1 cup of cashews
3/4 cup (or slightly less if you prefer) of sugar
1/4 cup of water
Method:
Finely grind the cashews to a powder. A coffee grinder does a great job of this.
Mix the sugar and water in a wide saucepan.
Heat till small bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
Stir gently and let it come to a rolling boil. No need to check for string consistency etc of the syrup.
Pour in the cashew powder and stir well to avoid lumps.
Keep stirring for a few minutes and you should notice the mixture getting a little thicker.
Put a little drop on a chilled plate and test to see if it hardens slightly. You should be able to roll it into a loose ball.
If it does, switch off the heat and move the pan away from the hot surface.
Let it cool slightly and dump out the contents onto a board or a clean countertop.
Knead well with your hands (much like you would knead bread dough) to make it smooth and glossy.
Roll out with a rolling pin into 1/4 inch thick sheet and cut into diamond shaped pieces.
Gather all the end bits and knead again and repeat the process. No wastage!!
Let cool/dry and pack in tins between sheets of waxed paper.
Store at room temperature for a week or in the fridge for longer.
Tips:
1.If the mixture remains runny after it has cooled down, you can heat it up a bit more or microwave it to get it to thicken up.
2.If you have over cooked it and the mixture becomes powdery, add a few drops of milk to knead it. This will reduce the shelf life a bit, but won't make any difference in taste.

Wtf?

Sensible people go to the sweet centre and buy these

I actually made cashew fudge last week, first time every and it was gorgeous, did this as being vegan it's hard to find dairy free fudge, everyone loved it!

The fudge is the one at the bottom :)

wow that's a luvly pic.
yes you're right, it's a vegan recipe!
you could try it with almonds or pistachios instead of cashewnuts for a luxury treat.
this is one of the yummiest sweets I have ever had -
GOL PAPDI
1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1 cup chopped jaggery (brown palm sugar, available in indian markets)
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus), optional
1/4 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
5 tbsp ghee (clarified butter), plus some to grease the thali or metal plate
Method
Grease a 8 or 9 inch thali or plate with a little ghee.
Melt the ghee in a frying pan and add the wheat flour, stirring continuously till it turns golden brown in colour.
Remove from the flame, cool slightly and add the jaggery and cardamom powder. Stir well.
When the jaggery melts and the mixture is still warm, pour it into the greased thali and spread it evenly with a large metal spoon.
Cut into 24 pieces while still warm.
When cool, separate pieces and store in an air-tight container.
Tips 1.You can add 1 tablespoon of milk along with the jaggery if the mixture becomes too hard.

wow that's a luvly pic.
yes you're right, it's a vegan recipe!
you could try it with walnuts, or almonds, or pistachios instead of cashewnuts for a luxury treat.
ALMOND FUDGE - vegan recipe!
1 cup (100 grams) almonds (badam)
1/2 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
Method 1.Soak the almonds in warm water for about 30 minutes.
2.Drain all the water, peel the almonds and blend them to a fine paste in food processor. Keep aside.
3.Dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup of water and prepare a syrup of 1 string consistency.
4.Add the almond paste and cardamom powder and cook over a slow flame, stirring continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan (approx. 5 to 7 minutes).
5.Transfer to a plate and cool slightly. Keep aside.
6.Cut it into pieces and serve.

QUICK DATE BARFI - vegan recipe!
1 cup dates, finely chopped (remove seeds first!)
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
1/3 cup finely chopped almonds
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp oil for greasing
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead well to form a soft dough (approx. 5 to 7 minutes).
Spread the mixture on a greased flat surface into a 100 mm. (4”) x 50 mm. (2”) rectangle and allow it to set for at least half an hour.
Cut into 8 equal sized pieces and serve.

this is one of the yummiest sweets I have ever had -
KIDS JUST LOVE IT!
GOL PAPDI
2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cup chopped jaggery (brown palm sugar, available in indian markets)
2 tsp poppy seeds, optional
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
10 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter), plus some to grease the thali or metal plate
Method
Grease a 8 or 9 inch thali or plate with a little ghee.
Melt ghee in a frying pan and add the wheat flour, stirring continuously till it turns golden brown in colour.
Remove from the flame, cool slightly and add the jaggery and cardamom powder. Stir well.
When the jaggery melts and the mixture is still warm, pour it into the greased thali and spread it evenly with a large metal spoon.
Cut into 24 pieces while still warm.
When cool, separate pieces and store in an air-tight container.
Tip You can add 1 tablespoon of milk along with the jaggery if the mixture becomes too hard.

GHUGRA a traditional Diwali sweet
For Filling:
1 cup grated copra (dried Coconut)
1 cup Powdered Sugar or grated jaggery (brown palm sugar, available at indian markets)
1 pinch Nutmeg Powder
4 Cardamoms, deshelled and powdered
2 tsp Poppy Seeds
2 tbsp Raisins and slivered Nuts
For Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp Ghee
Salt to taste
Warm milk to prepare dough
For Filling:
Cook Dried coconut stirring till light gold. Add sugar or jaggery, stir well.
Heat and add poppy seeds. Mix in nutmeg powder, cardamom powder, raisins and nuts.
For Dough:
Mix all the dough ingredients & prepare a firm dough (a little hard).
To Make:

1. Roll out ten rounds of dough evenly.
2. Fill with prepared stuffing and fold over to make half moons.
3. Wet inner edges to seal properly (don't apply too much of water as it will not seal properly).
4. Deep fry till golden.
5. Serve hot or cold.
6. Ghugras can be stored for weeks

thanks Redpriestandmozart for the tip, I shall look for good vegan recipes!

FIG FUDGE - CAN BE VEGAN
Ingredients: (makes about 20 squares, each approx. 1?x 1? x 1/2?)
2 cups packed dried figs (about 40)
2 cups milk, warmed (vegans can substitute almond milk, or even water)
1/2 cup almonds, powdered
1 cup unsalted nuts -almonds,cashews,walnuts, pistachios - lightly toasted + chopped (keep some for garnish)
2 tablespoons ghee/clarified butter + 1 tablespoon ghee
8 small green cardamoms, shelled and the seeds ground to fine powder
2 tablespoons sugar (only if you need)
Preparation:
Heat milk. Soak the figs in the warm milk for at least half an hour, covered. Make a paste with the milk and the figs.
In a large thick bottomed pan (or nonstick pan) add 2 tablespoons ghee and the fig paste, cardamom powder and the almond powder and cook at low to medium heat until it thickens and darkens, about 35-45 minutes. Stir often scraping the bottom and the sides of the pan to prevent sticking.
At the end of 35 – 40 minutes the mixture will be reduced, and leave the sides and the bottom of the pan, coming together in a lump/ball when moved around with spoon. Now, switch off the heat. Add toasted nuts (leaving a few aside for garnish) and a tablespoon of ghee to the pan and stir well together to combine the nuts and the fig paste. Let it rest for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile lightly grease a plate with ghee. Spread out the mixture onto the greased dish, about 1/2 inch thick. Flatten and even out the surface and garnish with toasted nuts. Allow to cool for half an hour. Serve or store.

Sad news.
Tarla Dalal passed away on November 6.2013.
A remarkable, unassuming and kind lady, she was perhaps the first Indian to write a cookery book. She had a giving nature and shared all her knowledge with others.
She shines like a beacon among India's greats.
Others were Premila Lal, Jeroo Sidhwa., Aroona Reejsinghani, pioneers in cookery writing. God bless them all.
They brought recipe ideas, methods, traditional and modern, all with devotion and care and research, into the ordinary housewife's reach.
They had a loving dedication to their readers