The Big Book of Curry Recipes (48 page)

Diwali (the Festival of Lights) is the concatenation of the Hindi word
Deepawali
which literally means ‘rows of lighted candles’, though it’s more commonly translated as the ‘Festival of Lights’. It is the most popular of all the southern Asian festivals and is a time of celebration for Jains and Sikhs as well as Hindus.

The festival extends over five days and the date is dictated by the luni-solar Hindu calendar and it begins in late Ashvin (between September and October) and ends in early Kartika (between October and November).

Dates for the next ten years are:

2012 — November 13th;

2013 — November 3rd;

2014 — October 23rd;

2015 — November 11th;

2016 — October 30th;

2017 — October 19th;

2018 — November 7th;

2019 — October 27th;

2020 — November 14th;

2021 — November 4th;

2022 — October 24th.

Diwali
is popularly known as the ‘festival of lights’, as houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called
diyas
. These lamps, which are traditionally fuelled by mustard oil, are placed in rows in windows, doors and outside buildings to decorate them. The lamps themselves are lit to aid the goddess Lakshmi in finding her way into people’s homes. They also celebrate the legend of the return of Rama and Sita to Rama’s kingdom after fourteen years of exile.

In India, oil lamps are floated across the river Ganges and it is considered a good omen if the lamp manages to get all the way across. This is a practice that has been adopted on the Mersey in Liverpool.

Diwali is a time of feasting and the buying and exchange of gifts. Traditionally sweets and dried fruit were very common gifts to exchange, but the festival has become a time for serious shopping, leading to anxiety that commercialism is eroding the spiritual side of the festival. Diwali is also a traditional time to redecorate homes and to purchase new clothes.

A number of recipes appropriate for Diwali have already been given in other chapters of this book. To help you, here are links to those recipes below. After that there will be additional Diwali recipes published in this chapter:

Mani
(Rice Sweet Dish);
Arrowroot Halwa
;
Sattu
;
Sweet Sattu
;
Gajar Ka Halwa
(Carrot Halwa);
Gond Panjiri
(Nuts, Seeds and Tree Sap Fudge);
Barfi Badam
(Almond Cream Sweetmeats);
Khajoor ke Laddu
(Date and Fruit Sweetmeat Balls);
Bedam ki Burfi
(Almond Toffee);
Ras Malai
;
Ras Gulla
(Cheese Balls in Sugar Syrup);
Jalebis
;
Gulab Jamun
;
Basundi
(Thickened Milk Dessert) and
Panjeeri
. As well as these recipes, most of the other recipes in the
Desserts
chapter are also suitable for Diwali.

Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli)

Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli) is a traditional Bangladeshi recipe for a classic dessert of vermicelli pasta cooked in butter and milk with raisins, sugar and almonds that’s served chilled.

Ingredients:

250g (1 1/4 cups) butter

2 generous handfuls of fine vermicelli pasta

1l (4 cups) milk

600ml (2 1/2 cups) whipping cream

60g (2 oz) raisins

3 tbsp brown sugar

4 blanched almonds, very finely slivered

Method:

Melt the butter in a large pot or casserole (at least 4l [16 cups]) then break the vermicelli into pieces about 8cm (3 in) long and stir into the melted butter. Cook over low heat until the mixture turns a light brown then pour in the milk. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.

At this point add the almonds, raisins and sugar. Continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes then add the whipping cream and cook for a few minutes more.

Take off the heat and set aside to cool. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tusha Halwa

Tusha Halwa is a traditional Bangladeshi recipe for a classic dessert of spices and flour fried in butter that’s served drenched in a sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

140g (1 cup) plain flour

200g (1 cup) butter or ghee, melted

200g (1 cup) sugar

250ml (1 cup) water

2 small cinnamon sticks (about 3cm [1 in] long)

2 green cardamom pods

2 cloves

Method

Melt the butter in a medium pan. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and cloves and fry until lightly golden and aromatic. Whilst stirring constantly, pour in the flour. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture is red-gold in colour.

In another pan, bring the water to a boil then pour in the sugar to make a syrup (if this looks to thick then add a little more water).

Pour the syrup over the ‘halwa’ mixture and stir until smooth. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Gajjar Barfi (Carrot Fudge)

Gajjar Barfi (Carrot Fudge) is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic sweetmeat made from carrots cooked in milk that are blended with sugar, dried fruit, ground cardamom and almonds before being cooled, sliced into squares and served.

Ingredients:

1kg (2 1/4 lbs) carrots

1.5l (6 cups) milk

a few saffron threads

675g (1 1/2 lb) sugar

100g (3 1/2 oz) dried fruit (chironji (charoli) nuts, raisins and/or pistachio nuts), chopped

7.5g (1/4 oz) ground cardamom

60g (2 oz) blanched almonds, chopped

a few edible silver leaves, to decorate

Method:

Wash and scrape the carrots then either grate finely, or slice lengthways and put through a mincer. Combine in a pan with 300ml (1 1/4 cups) of the milk and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender then take off the heat and set aside until completely cool.

In a small mortar, grind together the saffron and a little of the milk. Pour the remaining milk into a pan, add the saffron mixture and the carrot mixture them bring to a simmer and continue cooking until the mixture is almost dry. At this point, stir in the sugar and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened.

Take off the heat and stir in the dried fruit, chopped almonds and ground cardamom. Mix well to combine then turn the mixture onto a greased baking tray. Spread out and garnish with silver leaves then set aside to cool.

When cold, cut into squares and serve.

Urunda (Sweet Coconut Balls)

Urunda (Sweet Coconut Balls) is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic dessert made from boiled coconut flesh sweetened with brown sugar and boiled until thick before being shaped into balls, dipped in batter and deep fried to cook.

Ingredients:

1 tsp vanilla extract

flesh of 1 coconut, finely grated

225g (1/2 lb) brown sugar

115g (1/4 lb) plain flour

pinch of salt

60ml (1/4 cup) water

120ml (1/2 cup) milk or water (about), for the batter

pinch of ground turmeric

oil for deep frying

Method:

Combine the grated coconut, sugar and salt in a pan. Add just enough water to moisten the ingredients (about 60ml [1/4 cup]) then bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture becomes thick and smooth. Take off the heat and stir in a vanilla extract then work in just enough of the flour to give the mixture a sticky consistency. Allow to cool then form the mixture into small balls by shaping between your palms.

In the meantime, sift the remaining flour into a bowl and work in enough of the milk or water to give you a thick batter. Season with a little salt and add a pinch of turmeric to colour.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pan to 180ºC (350ºF). When the oil is hot, dip the coconut balls into the batter then drop into the hot oil, a few at a time. Fry for a few minutes until nicely golden brown all over then drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to kitchen paper. Serve warm.

Strawberry Jujubes

Strawberry Jujubes is a traditional Sri Lankan recipe for a classic snack or candy of a gelatine base with flavouring and colouring that is set and served dusted with icing sugar.

On the Indian sub-Continent, Jujubes are soft, semi-gooey and sugar coated. In contemporary Tamil slang, the word “ju-ju-bi” means ‘easy pickings’. In the 1970s there was a commercial brand of jujubes, known as Moon Drops which were sugar-covered, with a somewhat sour tasting soft-gooey, fruit-flavoured core.

Ingredients:

30g (1 oz) gelatine

40g (1 1/2 oz) sugar

pink food colouring

strawberry essence

100ml (2/5 cup) strawberry purée, sieved to remove any seeds

300ml (1 1/4 cups) water

icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Measure out 150ml boiling water and stir the gelatine into this. Pour 150ml more boiling water into another bowl and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Once the gelatine has dissolved, mix it with the sugar bowl then work in the strawberry purée before adding a little pink colouring and adjusting the taste with a little strawberry essence.

Pour the resultant mixture into a tin about 1cm deep, lined with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and set aside until cooled and set. Once set, turn onto a cutting block and cut into squares. Dust the squares with icing sugar and serve.

Apple Peda

Apple Peda is a modern Indian recipe for a classic sweetmeat made from a blend of cheese, boiled milk and milk powder that’s coloured, shaped into apples and which is often served for Diwali.

Ingredients:

100g (3 1/2 oz)
Khoya
(also known as khoa)

100g (3 1/2 oz) grated
Paneer Cheese

100g (3 1/2 oz) milk powder

3 tsp icing sugar

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

food colouring

whole cloves

Method:

Grate the paneer and mix in a bowl with the khoya (this can be sweetened or not, depending on choice), milk powder, icing sugar and ground cardamom. Bring all the ingredients together to form a stiff dough and colour as desired with your choice of food colouring (you can either make them garish or natural).

Take apple-sized pieces of the mixture and shape. Place in paper cases and set an inverted clove in the top to form a stalk. Leave out over night for the surface to dry then store in an air-tight container until needed.

Basbousa

Basbousa is a traditional Indian recipe for a classic yoghurt and semolina flour cake that’s soaked in a rose water and honey syrup before being served as a dessert with coffee and which makes an excellent treat for Diwali.

In essence Basbousa is an Arabic desserts. It was brought to North Africa and is a common dessert in Egypt and Somalia. The Moguls brought the dish to India. In the Middle East it is more typically known as Hareesa or Ravani.

Ingredients:

210g (1 1/2 cups) semolina flour

250ml (1 cup) natural yoghurt

100g (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g (3/4 cup) sugar

120ml (1/2 cup) honey

4 tsp rose water

2 tsp lemon juice

18 blanched whole almonds, to garnish

Method:

Cream together the butter and 100g (1/2 cup) sugar until pale and fluffy. Work in the yoghurt and vanilla extract until the mixture is blended then add the semolina flour and baling powder. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon to yield a loose, sticky, dough. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the honey, remaining sugar an half the rose water in a pan. Heat gently for 10 minutes to form a syrup. Take off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and remaining rose water and mix thoroughly.

When the dough has rested, turn into a greased baking dish. Level the top with a spatula then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF) and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven (the cake will only be partially cooked at this stage) and cut into squares with a sharp knife. Press an almond into the centre of each square you made.

Heat your grill (broiler) to medium and place the cake under the grill, cooking for about 8 minutes, or until the top is coloured a golden brown (take care the basbousa does not burn).

Remove from under the grill and pour over the honey syrup. Set aside to cool so that the honey soaks into the cake.

When completely cooled, divide into squares and either transfer to a serving dish or store in an air-tight box. Like many Arabic desserts this tastes better if allowed to mature over night and consumed the following day.

Serve with strong coffee and whipped cream or yoghurt.

Sbiaat

Sbiaat is a traditional Moroccan recipe for a classic dessert or snack of filo (phyllo) pastry stuffed with an almond mix that’s fried to cooked, dipped in honey and cooled before serving.

Although this dish is Moroccan in origin it has gained popularity in many Indian communities and is often prepared as a Diwali snack, particularly in France and Britain.

Ingredients:

14 sheets of filo (phyllo) pastry

250g (9 oz) blanched almonds

150g (5 1/2 oz) icing sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of ground mastic

2 tbsp orange flower water

1 tsp butter

oil for frying (any neutrally-flavoured oil)

100g (1/2 cup, scant) acacia honey

1 egg white beaten with 1 tbsp water

Method:

Heat a little oil in a pan, take half the almonds and fry them until lightly browned all over. Turn the fried almonds into a bowl and set aside to cool. Add the unfried almonds to another bowl.

Divide the sugar, cinnamon, mastic and 1 tbsp orange flower water evenly between the two bowls and mix thoroughly. Now separately grind the two almond mixes, adding 1 tbsp melted butter to each, until you have a smooth paste.

Combine the two almond mixes in a bowl and mix well then shape the mixture into balls and roll these into ropes about 6cm (2 1/2 in) long and 1cm (1/2 in) in diameter.