As the festive season begins, don't forget the sweets and the savouries that add cheer to the celebration

Mohanthaal

Ingredients

2 cups coarse gram flour (jada besan)
u00bd cup milku00a0u00a0
3 tbsp ghee + 1 cup ghee
2 cups sugar
5-6 saffron strands
u00bc tsp green cardamom powder
10 almonds, blanched and slivered
10 pistachios, blanched and slivered

Method

Mix gram flour, milk and three tablespoons of ghee in a bowl. Cover and let it stand for about two hours. Then rub with fingertips to resemble breadcrumbs. Grease a thali. Heat remaining ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add the gram flour mixture and cook on medium heat till the aroma rises and the gram flour turns darker. Add green cardamom powder and mix.

Meanwhile make a one string syrup with sugar and one cup of water.u00a0 Add saffron and mix. Add the syrup to the gram flour mixture and cook stirring continuously till all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture thickens and becomes a little dry.

Pour the mixture into the thali and spread evenly. Smoothen the top. Sprinkle pistachios and set aside to cool and set. Cut into squares and serve.



Stuffed Khandvi

Ingredients
1u00bc cups gram flour (besan)u00a0u00a0
u00bd tsp turmeric powderu00a0u00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tsp ginger-green chilli pasteu00a0u00a0
1u00bd cups buttermilku00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp lemon juiceu00a0u00a0u00a0
1 cup grated cottage cheese (paneer)u00a0
1 cup scraped coconutu00a0u00a0u00a0
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0
u00bd tsp mustard seedsu00a0
2 tsp roasted sesame seeds