Diwali Delights That Make Every Bite Special

While it is tempting to indulge in store-bought sweets, preparing them at home allows you to choose fresh ingredients and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Here are some traditional Diwali delicacies that you can prepare at home and enjoy with family and friends.

Gulab Jamun

Soft, golden-brown dumplings soaked in fragrant sugar syrup, gulab jamun is one of India’s most beloved festive sweets.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups khoya (dried whole milk)
• ¼ cup chenna (fresh cheese curd)
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp refined flour
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
• 2 cups sugar
• Ghee or oil for deep-frying

Method

• Grate the khoya and mash the chenna until smooth.
• Combine with baking soda, flour and cardamom powder. Add a little water and knead into a soft dough.
  Divide into 16 equal portions and roll into smooth balls, ensuring there are no cracks.
• Prepare a sugar syrup using the sugar and 2 cups of water. Remove any impurities that rise to the surface.
• Heat ghee or oil in a deep pan. Fry the balls over low heat until evenly golden brown.
• Drain and immerse in the warm sugar syrup for 15–20 minutes before serving.

Jalebi

Crisp on the outside and syrupy within, jalebi is a festive favourite that is best enjoyed warm.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups refined flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ tsp orange food colour
• Ghee or oil for frying

Method

• Combine the flour with approximately 1½ cups of water to make a smooth, light batter.
• Cover and leave in a warm place to ferment for approximately 20 hours.
• Mix the batter thoroughly. Add the food colour and 2 tbsp of refined flour, then beat until smooth.
  Prepare a sugar syrup using the sugar and 2 cups of water. Add 1 tbsp of milk, remove any scum and cook until the syrup reaches a one-string consistency.
• Allow the syrup to cool slightly, keeping it lukewarm.
• Heat ghee or oil in a frying pan. Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle and pipe spiral shapes into the hot fat.
• Fry until golden and crisp, turning occasionally.
• Drain and immerse in the warm syrup for 2–3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Mysore Pak

A classic South Indian delicacy, Mysore Pak is known for its rich flavour and melt-in-the-mouth texture. Made with gram flour, sugar and ghee, it is a festive treat that requires patience and careful stirring.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup gram flour (besan)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2½ cups ghee

Method

• Sift the gram flour twice to remove any lumps.
• Heat the ghee in a pan and keep it warm over very low heat.
• In another pan, combine the sugar with 2½ cups of water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring the syrup to a boil and cook without stirring for approximately 5 minutes, or until it reaches a one-string consistency.
• Add ½ cup of hot ghee to the syrup and stir.
• Gradually add the gram flour, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
• Continue stirring until the mixture begins to bubble.
• Add the remaining hot ghee, ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously after each addition.
• Once the mixture develops a pleasant roasted aroma and begins to leave the sides of the pan, pour it into a greased tray.
• Allow to cool slightly, cut into squares and leave to cool completely before separating.

Besan Ladoo

A popular Indian sweet dish made from besan (gram flour), ghee, sugar, and sometimes nuts, and flavored with cardamom, besan ladoos are often prepared for festive occasions, or as a sweet snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan flour (gram flour)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp ghee (melted)
• 4 tbsp assorted chopped nuts (optional)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 small pinch salt

Instructions:

• Heat a heavy bottom non-stick fry pan on medium heat. Add ghee and let it melt Add the gram flour and salt, and mix until the flour absorbs the ghee
• Keep stirring continuously till the mixture darkens to a medium golden color and the aroma of roasted besan arises
• Transfer besan to a mixing bowl to prevent over-roasting. Add chopped nuts (optional), and let it cool for 20-30 minutes
• When the mix is cool to the touch, add powdered sugar and mix well
• Take about a tablespoon of the mix in your palm and shape it like a ball
• Press the finely chopped or sliced nuts onto the ladoo surface and serve.

Kalakand

A sweet Indian fudge made with milk and often flavored with cardamom, Kalakand is a delicious sweet to make for special occasions such as Diwali.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups whole milk
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice
• ¾ can condensed milk
• 1 tsp rose water
• 3/4 tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped pistachios to garnish

Instructions

• Add the whole milk to a heavy-bottomed pan and place over medium-high heat
• Stir often and once the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat.
• Add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time stirring gently after each addition
• Add and stir until the milk curdles completely and whey separates
• Line a strainer with muslin cloth and pour the curdled milk over it
• Wash the filtered ‘chhena’ (basic cheese) under a tap to get rid of the lemony flavor
• Bring the ends of the muslin cloth together and tie them in the center
• Squeeze out nearly all the water from the chhena
• Place the chhena in a pan and add the condensed milk and mix well
• Cook the mixture over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and begins to leave the sides of the pan
• Add the rose water and cardamom powder, and mix well
• Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a greased pan
• Smooth out the mixture using a spatula, and sprinkle chopped nuts on top
• Let it set for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.
• Once set, cut kalakand into pieces
• Keep refrigerated, if not serving immediately

Boondi Ladoo

Boondi ladoo is a festive classic made from tiny gram-flour pearls bound together with fragrant sugar syrup. With cashews, raisins and cardamom, these ladoos bring a touch of traditional sweetness to Diwali celebrations.

Ingredients

• 2 cups gram flour (besan)
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 10 cashew nuts
• 20 raisins
• 15 green cardamoms
• 4 saffron strands
• A few drops of milk
• 500g ghee

Method

• Shell and powder the cardamoms.
• Combine the sugar with ¼ cup of water and heat until it melts and forms a syrup.
• To check the consistency, drop a little syrup into water. If it remains intact without dissolving, it is ready.
• Add a few drops of milk to the syrup to remove impurities. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
• Add the saffron and cardamom powder.
• Mix the gram flour and baking powder with water to form a smooth batter without lumps.
• Heat the ghee in a deep frying pan. Pour the batter through a perforated ladle into the hot ghee to make small boondi pearls.
• Fry until lightly golden, then drain.
• Fry the cashews and raisins separately.
• Add the boondi, cashews and raisins to the sugar syrup and mix well.
• Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Grease your palms with a little ghee and shape into round ladoos.
  
  Festive tip: Store the sweets in clean, airtight containers once completely cooled. Gulab jamun and jalebi are best enjoyed fresh, while Mysore Pak, peda and ladoo can be prepared ahead of time for festive gatherings.
• Enjoy these traditional Diwali delicacies with family and friends, and let the sweetness of the season bring everyone together.

Malai Peda

Rich, creamy and delicately flavoured with cardamom, malai peda is a traditional milk-based sweet that makes an elegant addition to any festive platter.

Ingredients

• 1 litre whole milk
• A few strands of saffron
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 pinches of citric acid
• 1 tsp cornflour
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
• 4–5 chopped almonds
• 7–8 chopped pistachios

Method

• Bring the milk to a boil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan.
• Reduce the heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the milk reduces to half its original volume.
  Soak the saffron in 2 tsp of warm milk and add it to the pan.
• Add the sugar and cook for another 4–5 minutes.
• Dissolve the citric acid in 1 tbsp of water and add gradually to the milk, allowing it to curdle slightly.
• Mix the cornflour with 2 tsp of milk and stir into the mixture.
• Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens and resembles khoya.
• Add the cardamom powder, mix well and remove from the heat.
• Allow to cool, divide into 16 portions and shape into small rounds.
• Garnish with almonds and pistachios before serving.

Badam Halwa

Badam Halwa is a sweet Indian pudding made with ground almonds, milk, sugar and flavored with saffron and cardamom. Traditionally badam (almond) halwa is made with whole almonds that are first soaked and then peeled and ground to a paste to form the base of the halwa.

Although this original process delivers a superb taste, it also involves slow tedious stirring and extreme care. Replacing the ground almonds with readily available almond flour speeds up the entire halwa making process without sacrificing much of the taste of the original.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
• Few strands of saffron
• 2 cardamom pods, crushed

Instructions

• Soak the saffron in two tablespoons of warm milk
• Heat one teaspoon of ghee in a pan.
• Once the ghee melts, reduce the heat to low and add the almond flour and saute for a minute, making sure to coat the flour with the ghee
• Add milk and sugar at room temperature to the flour and ghee mixture
• Mix well and cook for a few minutes till the halwa starts to thicken
• Stir often to avoid burning the bottom of the mixture
• Add the saffron milk and rest of the ghee and cook till the halwa comes together and no longer sticks to the pan
• Finally add some crushed cardamom powder and turn off the stove
• Serve the badam halwa warm.

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