Mumbai chefs share Diwali special recipes of traditional and innovative desserts

Diwali is incomplete without sweets. From traditional Indian desserts to innovative ones, Diwali is all about trying your hands on sweet delicacies. As many of us like to restrict to indoors for a Diwali feast, we bring to you the recipes of some conventional and innovative desserts shared by popular Mumbai chefs. Take a look at the recipes below

Panjeeri

Panjeeri- By Chef Ranveer Brar

Ingredients:
1. Dried Dates (Cut in Quarters) - 15
2. Fox Nuts (Cut in Halves) - 35 gms
3. Ghee ( for pine nuts)- 2 tablespoon
4. Ghee ( for almonds)- 2 tablespoon
5. Poppy Seeds- 1 tablespoon
6. Watermelon Seeds - 2 tablespoon
7. Dry Coconut (Grated) - 2 tablespoon
8. Almonds- 20
9. Turmeric Powder - ½ tablespoon
10. Screwpine essence - 1/8 tablespoon
11. Sugar- 250 gms
12. A Pinch of Saffron
13. Ghee (in the end) - 2 tablespoon
14. Pistachios (Finely Chopped), Dry Coconut (Grated) and Gold Vermicelli for garnish

Method:
1. In a pan, heat 2-tablespoon ghee and fry 2-tablespoon watermelon seeds till light brown and keep aside in a bowl.
2. Roast 1- tablespoon poppy seeds and 2- tablespoon grated dry coconut until light brown and add to the bowl.
3. De-seed and cut the 15 dry dates in quarters and soak in water for some time.
4. Heat 2- tablespoon ghee in a separate pan, fry 20 almonds on low flame until golden brown, and add to the bowl.
5. Cut 1 cup fox nuts in halves and fry in ghee in the same pan till crisp and light brown in colour.
6. Add rest of fried ingredients to the pan with fox nuts, add ½ tsp turmeric powder, mix well and roast together.
7. Add the soaked dates with water into the pan.
8. Add 250 gm sugar, a pinch of saffron and cook the ingredients with sugar till sugar has reached 1 thread consistency.
9. Cook the sugar completely and remove the Panjeeri in a bowl and add 1/8 tsp screw pine essence and 2 tsp ghee.
For Serving:
Serve the panjeeri garnished with finely chopped pistachios, grated dry coconut and gold vermicelli.

Aloo ka halwa

Aloo Ka Halwa- Chef Ranveer Brar

Ingredients:
1. Ghee - 3 tbsp for making halwa
2. Large boiled potatoes 2
3. Milk- 100 ml
4. Sugar- ½ cup
5. Raisins- 1 tablespoon
6. Finely chopped pistachios - 1 tablespoon
7. Saffron- 5-6 strands
8. A pinch of cardamom powder
9. Finely chopped pistachios, rose petals, sesame chikki- for garnishing

Method:
1. Mash two large boiled potatoes and fry them in 2-tablespoon ghee in a deep pan until potatoes start leaving the corner of the pan.
2. Add 1- tablespoon raisins, 1- tablespoon finely chopped pistachios and a pinch of cardamom powder and keep stirring the halwa.
3. In another deep pan, boil 100 ml milk, ½ cup sugar with 5-6 saffron strands.
4. Pour hot milk gradually in potatoes and whisk continuously to avoid lumps.
5. Whisk until the milk is absorbed and halwa starts leaving the side of the pan.
6. Garnish the Aloo ka halwa with finely chopped pistachios, rose petals, and segments of sesame chikki and serve.

Anjeer and Dates Pannacotta

Anjeer and Dates Pannacotta - Chef Rakhee Vaswani

Ingredients:
1. Skim milk- 1/3 cup
2. Sugar-free- 1/2 cup
3. cups heavy cream- 2 1/2
4. Gelatin- 10gms
5. vanilla extract- 1 1/2 tablespoon
6. Readymade Dates and Anjeer pieces - 50 pieces

Method
1. Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set it aside.
2. In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar-free and set over medium heat.
3. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan.
4. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute by stirring it constantly. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour into individual dishes as per desire.
5. After pouring halfway, add dates and anjeer pieces. Cover it by pouring in and filling it.
6. Cool it at room temperature. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours and then serve.