Mumbai: Indian festivals are as much about rituals and family as they are about food. Lay out these delicacies to have the perfect festival
Baked Namakpara
Ingredients
½ cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup refined flour (maida)
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup ghee
Salt to taste
½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
Method
Mix the two flours and baking powder. Add ghee and rub in with fingertips to get a crumbly consistency.
Add salt and crushed carom seeds. Add sufficient cold water to make a stiff dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for some time.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Sprinkle some refined flour on a flat surface and roll out the dough into a half centimetre thick diskette (chapati).
Grease a baking tray with a little oil and sprinkle refined flour on it.
Cut the rolled out dough into diamond shaped pieces. Place them on the baking tray and bake in the preheated oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or cool them down and store in an airtight container.
Prune and Pistachio Chocolate Rocks
Ingredients
20 prunes
300 gm pistachios
500 gm chocolate
Coloured sugar balls as required
Method
Melt the chocolate in the microwave for one minute.
Coarsely grind pistachios and transfer into a bowl.
Whisk the chocolate till smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
Chop prunes and add to the pistachios. Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
Place a butter paper over a plate and drop spoon-fulls of chocolate mixture on it. Sprinkle coloured sugar balls over them and keep the plate in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes to set.
Serve.
Kaalimirch Matthi
Ingredients
2 cups refined flour (maida)
Salt to taste
25-30 peppercorns
4 tbsp ghee + to deep fry
Method
Sift flour with salt.
Crush 10-12 peppercorns coarsely. Add to flour.
Melt four tbsp of ghee and rub into flour till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add just enough water to the mixture so as to form a stiff dough. Set aside, covered with a damp cloth, for at least 30 minutes.
Divide dough into small portions. Form balls and roll out to make matthis of two and a half to three inches in diameter. They should be slightly thick. Prick all over using a fork. Place a whole peppercorn in the centre.
Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai. Fry matthis in batches over low heat to a pale golden colour. They should not turn brown. Drain well.
Cool completely and store in airtight tins. These keep for two to three months.
Besan ka Halwa
Ingredients
2 cups gram flour (besan)
1 cup sugar
½ cup pure ghee
2 cups milk
2 tbsp raisins
10-12 cashew nuts, chopped
12-15 almonds, slivered
Method
Take a non-stick pan and roast gram flour on low heat, stirring continuously, for 10-12 minutes.
Add sugar and continue to roast, stirring continuously, for 10 more minutes.
Add ghee and mix well. Continue to cook for five minutes.
Add milk, mix well and cook till you get a halwa consistency. Add raisins, cashew nuts and three fourths of the almond slivers.
Mix well and serve hot garnished with the remaining almond slivers.
Shopping list for next week
Savoury Crispies with Creamy Onion Dip
2 pita breads, 1 bottle mayonnaise, 1 bunch spring onions with greens
Tomato Pasta Salad
150 gm cottage cheese, 30 gm pinenuts (chilgoze) or walnuts, 1 pack cherry tomatoes, 1 pack penne pasta, 1 medium broccoli, 1 bottle vinegar, few sprigs basil leaves
Citrusy Babycorn Rice
400 ml orange juice, 1 pack babycorns, 1 pack cornflour, 1 pack star anise, 1 pack cinnamon powder, 1 orange
Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake
400 ml fresh cream, 300 gm cream cheese, 250 gm plain chocolate biscuits, 200 gm white chocolate, 150 gm dark chocolate biscuits, 150 gm butter, 1 pack gelatin, 1 bottle vanilla essence
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