Diwali Delight: Brighten Your Festival With These Must-Try Recipes

Celebrate the festival of lights with these classic and modern festive recipes

Diwali is a time of vibrant lights, beautiful rangolis, and, of course, delicious food! This cherished festival brings family and friends together to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, often over an array of festive treats that are as rich in flavor as they are in tradition. From beloved classics like halwas and laddoos to inventive twists on favorites, Diwali’s culinary offerings are a delicious reflection of India’s diverse and rich culture. So gather your ingredients, light the diyas, and get ready to make this Diwali even sweeter with these recipes that everyone will love!

Saeb Bajre ka Gujiya

Saeb Bajre ka Gujiya by Chef Varun Inamdar (ETV Bharat)

For Filling:

In a kadhai, add crumbled paneer, semolina and ghee and roast on medium flame well till light brown in color

Add chopped nuts, cooked bajra and apples and mix well

Transfer the mixture into the bowl to cool

When it cools down, add powdered sugar and cardamom powder

Mix well and keep aside

For Dough:

In a mixing bowl, add all -purpose flour, raagi flour, ghee, salt and water

Knead it into a stiff dough

Cover it with a damp cloth and leave it to rest for half an hour

For Shaping:

Pinch lemon-sized balls and roll into a thin disc

Add the filling and fold into a half moon-shaped dumplings

Pinch fold or crimp the sides to seal

Prepare the remaining gujiyas in the same way

Heat oil in a kadhai on medium flame

Fry till golden brown

Transfer on absorbent paper

MilletsLaddoo

Millets Laddoo by Chef Varun Inamdar (ETV Bharat)

Ingredients:

1 cup 9 millets flour, 1 cup peanut powder, 1 cup jaggery, 2 tbsp water, ½ tbsp cardamom, 2 tbsp ghee

Method:

Dry roast the 9 millets flour in a heavy pan on a low flame for 6-7 minutes until golden brown and fragrant

Set aside on a plate to cool

Heat jaggery in a pan along with water

Let the jaggery melt into golden syrup

Add in the flour, peanuts, cardamom powder and ghee and mix well

Roll into lemon-sized balls. Keep stored in an airtight container

Eat at room temperature

Recipes by: Chef Varun Inamdar, Godrej Vikhroli Cucina Millets Cookbook 2024.

Tri-Layer Halwa

Tri-Layer Halwa by Chef Ashwin Kadam (ETV Bharat)

Ingredients:

3 cups Beetroot grated, 3 cups Bottle gourd grated, 3 cups Carrot grated, 6 cups Milk, 1.5 cups of Mawa, 3 cup Sugar, 9 tablespoon of ghee, 6 cardamom crushed, 15 Cashew

Method:

In a pan, sauté the grated vegetable (beetroot, bottle gourd, or carrot) in 1 tbsp ghee for 3-4 minutes.

Add 2 cups of milk, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened.

Stir in 1 cup sugar and ½ cup mawa, and cook until the halwa turns glossy and leaves the sides.

Add cardamom, garnish with cashews, and remove from heat.

Layer each halwa in a glass, one on top of the other, and serve hot, garnished with nuts.

Recipe by: Sous Chef Ashwin Kadam of Via Bombay.

DabeliBruschetta

Dabeli Bruschetta by Chef Tanya Quadros (ETV Bharat)

Ingredients:

For Dabeli masala

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon amchur powder, Salt, to taste

For the Dabeli filling:

1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup sev (fried gram flour noodles), 1/4 cup chopped onions, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup tamarind chutney, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, peanuts, pomegranate

Instructions:

Mix the mashed potato with tamarind chutney and lemon juice and 2 tsp of Dabeli masala and keep aside

Slice a garlic baguette, butter toast it on one side crisp it, and keep aside

Apply 2 tsp of the potato mixture prepared prior

Sprinkle chopped Coriander, onion, sev, pomegranate seeds and peanuts on top

Recipe by: Chef Tanya Quadros, Banquet 18

Celestial Indigo

Celestial Indigo by Chef Yuvraj Jain (ETV Bharat)

Ingredients:

Almond paste, Blueberry filling, White chocolate (melted), Gold dust (for garnish)

Method:

Begin by blanching the almonds and grind them into a smooth paste. Let the paste cool to room temperature, making it easier to handle.

Once cooled, roll out the almond paste into thin sheets, ensuring they are of uniform thickness and suitable for molding.

Roll the almond sheets specifically based on the size of the molds. Place a small portion of blueberry filling in the center of each sheet. Gently wrap the almond paste around the filling to encase it.

Freeze the product to help it hold its shape. Once set, garnish it with melted white chocolate, and allow it to set. Brush off some edible gold dust for an exquisite final touch.

Recipe by: Chef Yuvraj Jain, J Oberoi, Jaipur