Diwali Sweets & Snacks Recipes

In  my chilly idly post , i got a comment from a fellow blogger asking for the recipes of sweets & onion murukku i prepared for diwali.So I am posting this for her & for my future reference. For kaju katli , i referred some blogs  , got some ideas and then followed Mrs .Mallika Badrinath’s method .For Wheat flour ladoo , i took the recipe from Vah chef’s site. Home made Gulab Jamun , Khus Khus Halwa & Onion murukku recipes from my friend Shalini.I tried everything for the first time and I was satisfied with the outcome. Though i made some small mistakes , i learnt the technique  of  making perfect sugar syrup for different sweets and i got the confidence of making all these sweets perfect in future Everything comes by practice ,especially sweets isn’t it ?

WHEAT FLOUR LADOO 

I prepared this sweet within 15 mins.. Very easy and ideal to prepare for surprise guests..
Ingredients :

• Wheat flour – 1 cup
• Besan flour – 1 tbsp
• Ghee – 1/2 cup (slightly less )
• Sugar – 1/2 - 3/4 cup  ( i used 1/2 cup only.. increase based on ur taste buds)
• Cashew nuts – a few
• Cardamom seeds – 3 nos

Method :

• Powder sugar along with cardamom in a mixie
• Melt ghee, add gram flour.Roast until color changes and leaves a nice aroma.
• Add the wheat flour and roast on a low flame till aroma spreads and it becomes a bit lumpy .Add the roasted cashew pieces and mix well.
• Remove from flame, cool it.
• Mix powdered sugar.
• Make ladoos by taking small portions of this mixture in your hands..
• Enjoy !!

Note :
If u r not able to shape the balls, add more melted ghee , mix well and then shape it..

 

KHUS KHUS HALWA 

Please try this  halwa only if u like the smell of khus khus. Some people hate the flavor of poppy seeds. Actually my frnd told me no need to add nutmeg  but i added just to enhance the flavor of halwa.

Ingredients:

• Khus Khus / Poppy seeds – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1.25 cups
• Ghee – 1/4 cup
• Milk – Little to grind poppy seeds
• Powdered Nutmeg & cardamom – Little.

Method :

• Soak poppy seeds in hot water for 4 hours.
• Drain the excess water and grind to a smooth paste using little milk.
• Take the paste in a vessel and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
• Add sugar to the  cooked paste and heat it in a heavy bottomed kadai stirring constantly.
• When it sticks to the bottom, add the ghee little by little.
• When complete moisture is absorbed and halwa gets a shine , add the rest of ghee , cardamom& nutmeg powders and remove from fire.

KAJU KATLI 

Ingredients :

• Cashewnuts – 100 gms ( 1/2 cup)
• Sugar – 1/4 cup
• Rose essence - a few drops (optional)
• Water – just to cover the sugar.
• Ghee - a tsp ( to grease)

Method :

• Dry roast the cashews in a hot kadai without changing the color.Switch off the flame and leave the cashews in the kadai for 10 – 15 mins to make it crispy.
• Dry grind it in the mixie to make a fine powder . Run the mixie continuously till it becomes a nice powder.Transfer it to a wide bowl .
• Take the sugar in a bowl and add the water just to cover the sugar.
• Heat till it reaches **one string consistency.Add the essence to it.mix it well.
• Add the cashew powder and mix well until it forms a thick mass like chapathi dough ( should be slightly sticky and test it by making small balls).Takes 4-5 minutes..
• Apply ghee on 2 thick sheets ( butter paper ) and transfer the dough to the sheet.It will harden in few minutes.Cover it with another sheet and roll out like a thin chapathi.(If the dough is too hard , add little milk , knead well and the roll it.)
• Peel off the top sheet and decorate with silver warq.

Enjoy with ur dear ones :)

TIPS:

• One more method suggested by mallika badrinath is , instead of adding the cashew powder in the sugar syrup, add sugar syrup to the powder. ie , after the single string is reached , remove the syrup from fire and add the cashew powder little by little like how u knead chapathi dough.It may not need all the syrup.Make a soft , smooth , non-sticky dough , roll and make shape. I've tried this method too. It will come out well..

GULAB JAMUN 

Ingredients 

• Sugarless khova– 3/4 cup
• Maida – 1/3 cup
• Milk powder – 2 tbsp
• Cooking soda - A big pinch
• Water - As needed

For syrup

• Sugar – 1 cup ( 250 gms)
• Rose essence – a few drops Or cardamom powder - 4 pods (crushed)
• Kesar color – a pinch (optional)
• 
  

Method :

• Mix all the ingredients given above and bring it to a soft , pliable dough.Add the required water.Keep it aside for 15 minutes..Do not knead the dough much..
• Make small balls without cracks and deep fry them in a low flame till it becomes soft.(plz dont fry till crispy and the ball should be evenly cooked) .Keep it aside.
• In  a broad vessel make take the sugar and add equal amount of water.Allow it to dissolve completely by constant stirring in a low flame.Make sure the sugar syrup does not start to boil before it dissolves completely.
• Once it is dissolved , raise the flame and allow it to boil for  5- 7  mins.Add the kesar color when it boils.Add a few drops of lime juice to retain the consistency.
• Finally add the rose essence and switch off the flame.Add the jamuns when the syrup is hot.
• Leave it for an hour and serve !!

SAVOURIES 

ONION MURUKKU 

Ingredients :

• Par boiled rice / Idly rice –1 cup
• Gram flour / pottukadalai maavu – 1/2 cup
• Besan flour – 1/2 cup
• Shallots / sambhar onions – 1/2 cup
• Red chilly – 6 nos
• Salt & water – As needed.
• Oil – to deep fry & 1 tbsp

Method :

• Soak the rice in water for 2 hrs.
• Drain the water and grind it along with shallots and red chilly , salt  to make a smooth batter .Add little water to grind.
• The batter should be thick & smooth.
• Then add the flours to it and mix well.Knead to make a chapathi dough.
• Put this in the murukku press with star mould in it.
• Press it in hot oil to make murukkus.

Note :

• If u feel the batter is watery, add little roasted gram flour / Pottukadalai maavu  to bring it to dough consistency.