Diwali is fast approaching and most households are gearing up by cleaning, shopping, and planning. With the pandemic putting a cloud over the celebrations, most people are trying to make do the most with minimal stuff. While earlier, there was an ease in going shopping, nowadays, you may well be ordering stuff online or doing it less periodically. There is also a possibility that you may not get everything that you want, when you want, etc. But, you could still have yummy sweets and snacks done, for Diwali at home. These are done with minimal ingredients that are usually available in most Indian households. What makes it interesting is that these recipes are the instant versions of the more tedious preparations, some don’t even need you to put on the gas!
Doodh Peda
This happens to be one of the most popular Diwali sweets across India. There are many versions of this as well. However, all of these versions require a long time at the gas stove, reducing and thickening the milk to mawa and so on. Most often, we just prefer to buy it rather than make it. However, here is an instant version, which does not need any cooking as well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Roasted Chana dal (pottu kadala in South India)
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Ghee
- Pinch of Cardamom powder
Preparation
In a mixing bowl, mix cardamom powder, ghee, and sugar by blending well with a spoon by whisking thoroughly. Then add in the roasted Chana dal powder and mix with your hands into a soft dough that can be made into balls as in a peda. If required, you may add in a bit more ghee. Make the balls and press it a little with a finger to make an impression or create some design using a spoon, knife, or a flower imprint, as per your choice. If you prefer, you could press dry fruit bits into the middle of the peda for decoration.
Kaju Katli
The rich taste of cashew blended with sugar that these very popular sweet lends to our palates make it a very popular sweet across the country. Again, the traditional method of Kaju Katli may require lots of patience and focus. So, here is an instant, no-cook version that you can try out this Diwali.
Ingredients
- 250 gm Cashew nuts
- 50 gm Milk powder
- 70 gm Powdered sugar
- ½ tsp Essence ( Vanilla or Rose or Kewda water)
- 1tbsp ghee
- 3 tbsp milk
Preparation
Cashews should be powdered in the mixer using pulse mode to avoid the release of fat. Sieve this powder to remove the grains, if any. Into the sieved cashew powder, blend in the milk powder and the powdered sugar. Then add the essence, the ghee, and then the milk little by little, and blend into a soft and smooth dough. Roll this dough out flat in a sheet of butter paper and place the silver leaves or coverings if you have on to the top. Cut it out into the katli shape and it can be consumed immediately.
Pista Stuffed Roll
Stuffed rolls are a big favourite across people of all ages. The surprise of the stuffing as you bite into the middle of the sweet is something incredible that everyone savours. Here is an instant recipe that you can give a go at.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pounded pistas
- 150 gm Desiccated coconut
- 150 gm Condensed milk
Preparation
Gradually, mix the coconut and the condensed milk in a bowl to make a soft and smooth dough. Once done, divide the dough into two equal parts. Add some food colour of your choice or natural milk dipped kesar into one part of the dough for a yellowish colour. Divide the uncoloured dough into two parts; one less than half and the other a bit more. Blend in the rose essence into the bigger part.
To the smaller part of the dough, add the pounded pista bits. To make the roll, first, make a small portion ball of the pista dough. Then cover it up by using the rose essence dough, and finally by the coloured dough, so that the balls have three layers, one within the other. Slowly shape them into a small cylindrical shape and cut by the middle to see the layered stuffing.
