KITCHEN TABLE

SO MANY SWEET WAYS TO CELEBRATE DIWALI

Celebrate Diwali with these recipes from Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai as he presents the local delicacies of different regions of India in Yatra (Nourish, $45.95).

CHURMA LADDOO

Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.

350g wholemeal/wholewheat flour

400g ghee

100ml/ scant ½ cup milk

200g mawa/khoya (dried milk product – buy ready-made at Indian grocery stores or online)

350g /scant 3 cups icing/ confectioners’ sugar

100g almonds and cashews or pistachios, finely chopped (optional)

Finely chopped almonds and pistachios, to decorate

Place the flour in a wide bowl and rub 125g of the ghee into the flour so that it is completely coated. Add the milk and knead the mixture into a tight dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized balls (around the size of a tennis ball) and press them with your palm to flatten them a little bit.

Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the dumplings to the pan in batches and fry for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Reserve the ghee in the pan.

Once the dumplings are cool enough to touch, crumble them up by hand to make a fine powder (or whizz in a food processor). Set aside.

Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat, add the mawa/khoya and dry-roast, stirring constantly, until it is light brown in colour and smells fragrant. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl to cool down.

When cool enough to handle, crumble the roasted mawa/khoya into small pieces by hand and leave to cool for a further 10 minutes, then transfer it to a food processor and grind to a fine powder. Add the icing sugar and mix well, then add ½ cup of the reserved ghee and mix well.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the dumpling powder along with the finely chopped nuts (if using). Mix well. Take a handful of the mixture and press to shape it into firm, round balls. Roll them in the finely chopped almonds and pistachios to decorate before serving.

The ladoos will keep in an airtight container for a few days.

MAKHANA KHEER

Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.

 2 tbsp ghee

100g puffed lotus seeds (phool makhana/fox nuts)

1 litre/ 4½ cups whole milk

½ tsp saffron strands

½ tsp ground cardamom

50g/1/4 cup jaggery powder

10-15 pistachio slivers, to decorate

Heat the ghee in a non-stick frying pan, add the lotus seeds and sauté over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until crispy. Do not let them burn. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

When cool, either break the lotus seeds into smaller pieces or place in a food processor and blitz to a coarse powder, as you wish. Some people prefer more texture in the finished dessert, while others like it smoother. Set aside.

In a large pan, boil the milk until it starts to thicken, then add the lotus seeds/powder and cook for a few minutes. Add the saffron and ground cardamom, then when the kheer has thickened to your liking, remove from the heat and stir in the jaggery powder.

Unless serving hot, refrigerate the makhana kheer for at least 1 hour and serve chilled, decorated with the pistachio slivers.

DOUBLE KA MEETHA

Image credit: Yatra by Rohit Ghai.

1 lt full-fat milk

200 ml condensed milk

¼ tsp saffron strands

½ tsp ground cardamom

300 g ghee

10 white bread slices, halved diagonally

200 gm white sugar

250 ml water

Topping:

10-12 skin-on almonds

10-12 cashews, roughly chopped

2 tsp ghee

To decorate:

Dried rose petals

Slivered pistachios

Heat the milk in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Once the milk comes to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the condensed milk and saffron. Cook or about 1 hour, stirring frequently, until the milk is thick and has reduced by half. Stir in the ground cardamom and set aside.

Heat the ghee in a deep frying pan over medium heat. When hot, fry the bread slices on both sides until just lightly browned (you will need to work in batches). Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Combine the sugar and measured water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the syrup has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the topping, mix the almonds and cashews with the ghee and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In an oven-safe baking dish, arrange the crispy bread slices over the base. Pour over the sugar syrup, then pour over the thickened milk mixture. Sprinkle over the topping. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned on top.

Cool slightly before decorating with dried rose petals and slivered pistachios. Either serve warm, or chill for a few hours before serving.

Yatra by Rohit Ghai is published by Nourish, $45.95.