Food Talk: Chefs from around the country share their favourite Diwali food memories

Food memories of Diwali holds a distinct place in our hearts.

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Food Talk: Chefs from across the u . s . share their favourite Diwali food memories

Diwali celebrations are incomplete without food especially sweets. Here now we have gotten got some chefs talking about their food memories and their favourite recipes which that are attempting at home too.

Chef Sachin Malik, Executive Chef at Radisson Blu, Noida
All through the festive season, I've always cherished Panjiri. It strikes a chord in my memory of the right kind old days when festivals were a time of celebration with close family and friends.
A standard Punjabi recipe which now that now not ditch this festive season is Panjiri. It truly is a dry sweet in the kind of powder. It truly is prepared by roasting whole wheat flour in desi ghee and adding jaggery once it’s done. In the same fashion, roasted dry fruits are added to boost flavour and texture.
Recipe: traditional panjiri with the twist of rose

Ingredients

Wheat flour 2.5 cup
Cashew 1 cup
Almond 1 cup
Pistachio 2/3 cup
Raisin 1 cup
Melon seed 0.5 cup
Fox nut (Puffed Lotus Seed) 2/3 cup
Dried rose petals four tbsp
Jaggery powder 1 cup
Cardamom powder 0.5 tsp
Ghee 2/3 cup
Rose Water : 2tbsp

Method
• Heat a pan first.
• Dry roast cashews, almonds, pistachios, melon seeds, fox nuts one after the other and keep in a plate.
• Next heat ghee in the pan and add in wheat flour.
• Fry till flour turns light brown in color and releases a pleasant aroma.
• Turn off heat and add the jaggery powder along with raisin and cardamom powder , Rose petals & water..
• Keeping 25% of every dry roasted ingredient aside makes a rough powder of rest.
• Roughly chop those whole dry roasted ingredients and add to the wheat flour mixture along with the coarse powder.
• Mix the overall lot thoroughly and allow cooling down completely.
• Keep in an air tight container and function desired

Chef Ajay Chopra

All through the festive season, my kitchen buzzes with excitement as I prepare my Milky Walnut Rose Bar. The rich aroma of melting white chocolate brings back memories of my grandmother’s holiday treats. I may perhaps still hear her laughter as we mixed sweet and aromatic spices together.

Recipe: Milky Walnut Rose Bar
Ingredients:
1 cup roughly chopped Chile Walnuts
2 cups white chocolate compound
0.5 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp green cardamom powder
2 tsp dried rose petals

Method:
Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler until smooth and creamy.
Stir in fennel powder, cardamom powder, Chile Walnuts, and cranberries. Mix well.
Spread the mix evenly over butter paper.
Sprinkle some dried rose petals on top for an attractive finish.

Let it cool completely earlier than breaking into pieces.

Chef Mohnish Kothare, Mazi, Coffee Bar & Kitchen

One in every of my fondest memories of Diwali is the heady scent of freshly made sweets filling the air, in particular the fragile mawa gujiya. These crescent-shaped, golden pastries packed with rich, sweetened khoya and nuts have always held a distinct place in my heart. Every bite brings back memories of childhood, sitting around with my family, shaping and filling the gujiyas, waiting eagerly for them to come out of the pan, crispy and golden. Even nowadays, I may perhaps’t resist running to clutch the first bite of mawa gujiya, savoring the nostalgia it brings with every mouthful. It’s these small traditions that make Diwali feel so special and connected to my roots.”

Recipe: Mawa Gujiya

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
four tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Warm Milk, as needed

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp Roasted Semolina

For the Filling:

1 cup khoya/mawa (dried milk solids)
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp saffron

3 tbsp Rice Flour

For Frying:

• Ghee or oil for deep frying

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Dough:

• In a gigantic bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, Roasted semolina , salt and ghee.
  • Rub the ghee into the flour until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Gradually add milk to form an organization but smooth dough. Cover with a humid cloth and set aside for Half-hour.

3. Prepare the Filling:

• In a pan, lightly roast the khoya/mawa on low heat until it becomes soft and light-weight golden brown. Let it cool.
  • In a bowl, combine the roasted khoya, powdered sugar, chopped nuts, cardamom powder and raisins(if using), Mix well.

4. Assemble the Gujiya:
   • Divide the dough into small balls and roll every ball into a thin circle (about four-5 inches in diameter).
   • Place a spoonful of the mawa filling in the center of every circle.
   • Moisten the sides with water and fold the dough over the filling to form a semi-circle. Press the sides firmly together and crimp them with a fork or pinch them along with your fingers to seal.
   • Repeat with the rest dough and filling.

5. Fry the Gujiya:
   • Heat ghee or oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
   • Fry the gujiyas in batches until they turn golden brown and crisp on either side.
   • Get rid of and drain on paper towels.

6. Serve:
   • Let the gujiyas cool a bit bit earlier than serving. Garnish it pistachios and saffron strands. Which store them in an airtight container for as much as per week.