BRINGS YOU A BUMPER SELECTION OF DELICIOUS RECIPES
HAPPY DIWALI Image: Pixabay
DIWALI RECIPES Celebrity chef Yudhika Sujanani provides sweet treat recipes. (Instagram: @yudhika sujanani and @yudhikaco. Facebook: @yudhika sujanani)
Chana Magaj 500g chickpea flour 100ml full cream milk, boiled 500g unsalted butter or ghee 5ml ground cardamom 375g icing sugar 100g Klim gold leaf, to decorate pistachios, to decorate Place the chickpea flour in a large mixing bowl and add the hot milk. Rub the hot milk into the chickpea flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Leave aside to dry for an hour and rub the mixture between your fingertips to break into fine crumbs. Melt the butter or ghee in a 30cm AMC Gourmet Roaster over a low heat. Add the chickpea flour mixture. Stir continuously for an hour until the mixture turns gold and deep caramel in colour. Leave aside to cool to room temperature. Add the cardamom, icing sugar and Klim to the cooked
175g Taystee Wheat or semolina 1 small cinnamon stick 150g butter, melted 90ml Klim 150ml cold water 100g Nestle dessert cream 125ml evaporated milk 125ml full cream milk 45g condensed milk 120ml sugar 10ml ground cardamom flaked almonds and pistachios, to garnish edible roses, to decorate Place the Taystee Wheat or semolina in a 30cm AMC Gourmet Paella unit and add the cinnamon stick. Toast the semolina over medium heat, stirring often to prevent burning. Dissolve the Klim milk powder in cold water. To the Klim mix, add the dessert cream, evaporated milk and full cream milk. To test the Taystee
SYRUP: 150ml sugar 150ml cold water 2ml red food colouring drop of red food colouring BOONDI: sunflower oil, to fry 125ml chickpea flour 2.5ml baking powder 5ml melted butter 50 – 75ml cold water pinch ground cardamom MALAI MIXTURE: 185ml fullcream milk few strands of saffron 5ml cardamom 30ml butter ghee 125ml sugar 650ml Klim melted white chocolate, to decorate almonds, to decorate
chickpea flour. Mix well until the ingredients come together – if the mixture is runny, add a little more Klim. Grease a silicone mould with non-stick spray and spoon in the magaj mixture. Press down with the back of a teaspoon to compress and smooth the mixture. Place the filled moulds in a refrigerator and leave to chill. Press the magaj out of the moulds and garnish with gold leaf and slivered pistachios.
Malai Gulab Jamun
Wheat, it should be hot to the touch. It might be sometimes difficult to see the grains turning a shade darker. Add the melted butter and lower the heat. Pour the combined liquids into the pot and stir well to prevent lumps from forming. Once the moisture evaporates and the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the pan, add the condensed milk, sugar and ground cardamom. Stir continuously until the soji looks smooth and glossy. Grease a metal mould with butter. Press the soji into the mould and turn on to a platter. Drizzle dessert cream over the soji. Garnish with pistachios, flaked almonds, edible dried roses and gold leaf.
Almond Burfee
600g Klim 10ml ground cardamom 155g Nestle dessert cream 300ml milk few strands of saffron, optional 125g butter 250ml sugar tinted almonds, to decorate gold leaf, to decorate Place the Klim and cardamom in a mixing bowl and rub in the dessert cream until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Leave aside to dry for 2 hours and use a food processor with blade attachment to blitz until fine. Heat the milk in a 30cm AMC Gourmet Roaster and bring to the boil.
Add the saffron, butter and sugar. Stir continuously with a spatula to prevent scorching. Once the sugar dissolves, add the Klim and lower the heat. Stir well until smooth; the mixture should resemble a thick batter. Sprinkle tinted almonds over silicone baking paper Spoon the burfee mixture over the almonds and use the spatula to pat evenly into a square or rectangle. Leave to cool. Transfer on to a tray and leave to set overnight in the refrigerator. Slice into blocks and garnish with gold leaf.
November 1 - 5, 2023
Motichoor Truffles
CELEBRITY chef Yudhika Sujanani with her daughters Tanvi, left, and Benazir. | NEEL GOVENDER
Burfee Soji
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SYRUP: 750ml sugar 500ml water rose essence, to flavour syrup 385g Nestle Condensed Milk 60ml melted butter or ghee 90ml fullcream milk 10ml crushed green cardamom 10ml baking powder 2.5ml bicarbonate of soda 30ml semolina 60ml Klim 500 – 625ml cake flour sunflower oil, to deep fry 500g burfee, finely chopped 60ml hot milk tinted almonds, finely chopped edible dried roses, to decorate gold leaf, to decorate Prepare the syrup by combining the sugar and water in a 30cm AMC Gourmet Roaster pot. Stir well to dissolve and bring to the boil. Simmer until a thin syrup forms and remove from the heat. Add rose essence to flavour. Place the condensed milk into a mixing bowl. Pour the milk into the empty tin and swirl using a spoon to get as much condensed milk out of the tin as possible. Add the milk, green cardamom, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, semolina and Klim to the condensed milk. Stir well to combine and add the cake flour to make soft but slightly sticky dough. Grease palms with a little oil and roll small portions of dough
Combine the sugar and water in a 24cm AMC pot. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then bring to the boil. When the syrup thickens, remove from the heat. Tint the syrup with egg yellow and red food colouring. Place the chickpea flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and enough cold water to make a thick but runny batter. Heat the sunflower oil in a 24cm pot. Hold a slotted spoon or colander over the hot oil and spoon a little batter in allowing little drops to form. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water. Fry until pale golden in colour, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place in the warm prepared syrup. Repeat until all the batter is fried. Leave to cool and absorb the
syrup. Sprinkle with cardamom and mix well. While the boondi is cooling, prepare the malai mixture. Heat the milk in a 24cm saucepan. Add the cardamom, saffron strands, butter and sugar. Stir with a silicone spatula and scrape the pan to prevent the milk from scorching. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the Klim and stir until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. It should be smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Mash the malai mixture with your fingertips and add a little hot milk if it is crumbly. Add the boondhi and mix lightly to combine. Grease palms with a touch of butter and roll into balls. Dip in melted white chocolate and decorate with almonds. For this I used whole blanched almonds dusted with metallic gold.
Soji Laddoo
into balls and then fingers. Place the fingers on a greased baking tray and deep fry over medium heat until golden in colour. Turn the fingers often to ensure they cook evenly. Remove the fingers from the oil and soak in warm syrup. The gulab jamuns will begin to sink in the syrup when soaked all the way through. Remove from the syrup and leave to cool and set on a wire rack. TO DECORATE: Add the hot milk, a little at a time, to the chopped burfee and use your finger to mix until smooth. Use a sharp knife to slice the gulab jamuns through the centre but not all the way through to create a pocket for the filling. Place the burfee into the pockets created and garnish with chopped almonds, edible roses and gold leaf.
185ml sugar 250ml water 80ml sesame seeds 250ml semolina 125ml desiccated coconut 60g butter or ghee 150ml milk 5ml cardamom desiccated coconut, to coat edible roses, to decorate Combine the water and sugar in a 24cm AMC pot. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, and bring to the boil. The syrup should be thick and sticky. Prepare the dry ingredients while the syrup is on the boil. Heat the sesame seeds in a pan until fragrant. Remove from the pan and place between two sheets of baking paper, use a rolling pin to lightly crush the seeds. Heat the semolina in a 28cm AMC Chef’s Pan and once toasted and two shades darker, add the desiccated coconut.
Stir until the coconut is fragrant. Pour in the melted butter or ghee. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time to the hot syrup and stir well. Lower the heat and once the semolina absorbs the syrup, add the milk and cardamom. The semolina grains will absorb the milk and come together to form a ball. Leave to cool slightly and roll into balls, toss in coconut and decorate with the edible roses.
DIWALI RECIPES
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November 1 - 5, 2023
Govinda’s Pure Vegetarian Cafe, 17 St Andrews Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town (WhatsApp: 062 331 0208)
VEGETARIAN MEALS
Food for the soul
Easy Cream Doughnuts 1½ tsp instant dry yeast 2 tbs sugar 57g soft butter 3 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 tbs milk powder egg replacer: 2 tbs sour milk is equal to 1 egg 1½ cups lukewarm milk whipped cream for piping doughnuts (sweetened) Mix the yeast, sugar and butter into lukewarm milk. Set it aside. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the fermented milk to the dry
ingredients. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Proof the dough until it doubles in size. After proofing the dough, separate into 12 to 14 equal portions. Roll the individual portions into long or round doughnut shapes. Proof shaped doughnuts for 5 to 10 minutes. Deep fry the doughnuts on low to medium heat until golden brown. Once the doughnuts are completely cool, cut each lengthwise and pipe with cream or custard. ¡¡Makes 12 to 14 doughnuts.
IF THE Hare Krishnas are known for anything, other than chanting and dancing, they are known for their food. The establishment of the Govinda’s Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant makes a vegetarian/vegan diet easily accessible to people. There are more than 100 Govinda’s restaurants and take-aways globally and many have won culinary awards. However, Govinda’s is not just an ordinary brand of food outlet. It is connected to the deep Vedic tradition of cooking with love and devotion, following spiritual standards. The bhakti-yoga practices were widely introduced to the Western world in the 1960s and 1970s by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon). One of the main elements of bhaktiyoga is the preparation of sacred foods – foods fit for God. For thousands of years, priests in India have prepared divine vegetarian offerings for God. Cooking thus becomes yoga. The Sanskrit word for yoga carries the meaning of “connection”, specifically between the individual soul and the
SOME of food prepared by Govinda’s. | Supplied Supreme. For years, the tradition of cooking and sharing has been a practice in homes. Food is an integral part of the way we live, our culture and belonging. As a yoga tradition, Govinda’s offers a full sattvic menu – food rich in prana (life-force) – that is:
Govinda’s Pure Vegetarian Restaurant, Midrand, 135 Norfolk Road, Carlswald (064 625 4791)
Chum Chum 250g freshly-made soft paneer 1 tbs white flour or corn flour ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 drops saffron water 10 pieces crushed pistachios 1 tsp ghee Mix all the ingredients in a tray to a smooth texture. Roll into 5cm-long and 2cm-thick pieces. Boil 2 litres of water with 500g sugar for 10 minutes on a high flame. Lower the heat to medium and then add the rolled chum chum.
Leave for 10 minutes. Stir slowly so you do not break the chum chum. Increase the heat to high and then add 1 serving spoon of cold water and boil for 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave the chum chum in the syrup off the stove. After it has cooled to room temperature, remove the chum chum on to a tray. Sprinkle coconut, pistachios and chopped saffron on top. ¡¡Makes 10 to 15 pieces.
Butter Paneer
Choc Chip Cookies 80g sugar 1g salt 100g unsalted butter 4 tbs soured milk 1 tsp vanilla 160g flour 3g baking powder 100g choc chips 50g nuts (optional) Add the sugar and salt to softened butter. Mix in the soured milk and vanilla. Add the flour and baking powder. Gently mix until all the
ingredients are well incorporated. Add the choc chips and nuts (optional). Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour. After refrigeration, divide the dough into equal portions (8 to 10 pieces) and shape the cookies. Bake in a preheated oven at 190ºC for 13 to 14 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool before serving. ¡¡Makes 8 to 10 cookies.
Panjabi Samoosas
Methi Lagaan 1 cup oil 1 cup milk 2 tsp salt 2 tbs sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup frozen sweet corn ½ cup chickpea flour ¾ cup semolina 1 cup self-raising flour 2-3 tsp crushed chilli 1 cup freshly chopped methi or
½ cup dry methi Combine all the ingredients to form a cake batter. Grease a muffin tray. Pour the batter into the muffin tray and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. ¡¡Makes 12 muffins.
¡¡Nutritious. ¡¡Made of wholesome ingredients. ¡¡Free from meat, fish and eggs. ¡¡Cooked with love. ¡¡Blessed before being served, so you can taste the love. Therefore, the thought behind the
Govinda’s brand is to offer wholesome food that connects the body and mind. The food is prepared in the highest sattvic standards (no onion or garlic) and cooked by fully vegetarian cooks. The tried-and-tested recipes are timeless and suit every palette. The menus range from traditional Indian curries, Indo-Western cuisine, eggless cakes and biscuits, sweet dishes and breads and pastry. A variety of savouries are also available. South Africa has more than 10 Govinda’s eateries, allowing for easy access to a sattvic diet. The food prepared is offered to Lord Krishna and is therefore prasadam (mercy). You do not just enjoy a delicious meal that fulfils the needs of the body while the Govinda’s meal fills the soul with blessings. This is an age-old brand that is attached to high standards of preparation with the finest ingredients. Govinda’s is synonyms to bringing families together in a warm ambience and just as famous for the easy takehome orders. Enjoy a meal with a spiritual difference. | Krsangi Radhe dasi, Iskcon SA – Communications
500g white flour ¼ tsp ajawain ¼ tsp whole jeera ¼ tsp soomph ¼ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp whole methi ¼ tsp dhania seeds 1 tsp hing 1½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp jeera powder 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp chaat masala 1 tsp dhania powder ½ tsp mango powder 100g whole roasted peanuts 100g peas 1kg potatoes 2 litre oil 1.5 tsp salt for the dough 1 tbs salt for the mash 1 tbs sugar for the mash 1 tsp ginger paste Mix the flour, 100ml oil, 1½ tsp salt, sugar and ajawain into a dough. Add 1 cup of water to get a thick consistency. Rest the dough for an hour. Boil the potatoes until soft and then mash.
Place a pan on medium heat. Add 100ml oil and the dry spices. Roast for about 30 seconds. Add the chilli and ginger paste. Then add the hing. Add all the dry powder masala mix and 150ml water. Then add the frozen peas. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the mashed potatoes. Mix. Add 1 tbs salt and 1 tbs sugar. Cook for 10 minutes and add the roasted peanuts and fresh dhania. Mix together and switch off the heat. Roll out the dough into balls and place on to oval sheets. Cut into half. Place half the dough into your hand and fold one side across the other, then turn the folded dough 180º your in hand for the pocket to be exposed. Fill ¾ of the pocket with the mixture. Fold the extra dough on the top and press tightly to close off the pocket. Place the balance of oil on low heat in a pan. Fry 3 to 5 of the samoosas for 10 to 12 minutes until brown. ¡¡Makes 8 to 10.
50g cashew nuts 25g charmagz (melon seeds) 375g cloves 1.5 pieces cinnamon ¼ tbs green elachi 2 bay leaves ¼ tbs chaat masala ¼ tbs chhale/chana masala 800g paneer a pinch of methi powder 375g coriander powder ¼ tsp turmeric 375g butter ½ tsp garam masala 125g dhania powder ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder ¼ tsp chilli powder 1 tbs salt 1 tsp sugar 500ml fresh cream 250ml milk 1kg tomatoes
and cashew nuts for two hours. Rinse them and then blend into a paste. Wash and boil the tomatoes for 15 minutes. Cool and then blend until fine. Place the pan on a low heat. Add the butter and then add the dry spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, elachi and cloves). Roast for about 30 seconds. Add all the powdered spices and roast for 30 seconds. Add the blended paste of charmagz and cashew nuts. Boil for 2 minutes and then add the tomato purée. Keep stirring. When it reaches a boil, add the milk, salt and sugar (no water). To thicken, add the fresh cream. Boil and then add the paneer. Add the roasted methi powder.
Soak the charmagz (melon seeds)
¡¡Serves 10.
DIWALI RECIPES
Offerings of love
Eggless Lamingtons 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 4 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarb ½ cup carob ¼ tsp salt ¾ cup oil 1 tsp vanilla essence 4 tbs lemon juice 2 cups hot water Sift the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Place in an oven tray. Bake at 180ºC for 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into squares when cool, dip into the chocolate sauce and roll into the coconut. CHOCOLATE SAUCE: 3 cups icing sugar 2 tbs carob 1½ cups water Boil for +/- 10 minutes. The sauce thickens as it cools.
Eggless Carrot Cake
FROSTING: 250g cream cheese, softened ¼ cup butter, softened ¼ cup icing sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla essence Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Add the lemon juice to the milk to sour it. Cream the oil, orange rind and sugar, and add the soured milk and vanilla.
Milk Fudge (Mangal) Sweet 2 litres full cream milk 1 cup sugar nuts (pistachio, almond or walnut) In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and then add the sugar. Cook for about 25 minutes. You will notice that the milk mixture has reduced to half the initial quantity. Reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the mixture forms a dough-like ball. This will take about 15 minutes on medium heat. Once the mixture turns light brown and becomes a sticky ball, lower the heat further and cook for another 5 minutes. The dough will move away from the sides of the pot and stick together. Remove from the pot and place on a greased tray or a non-stick counter. Roll into a Swiss roll formation. Cut into 12 to 16 pieces. Flatten in the palms of your hand and press out in a cookie cutter shape of your choice. Decorate the milk fudge sweet with a nut (variations of pistachio, almond or walnut). ¡¡Yields 12 to 16 pieces, depending on the desired size.
November 1 - 5, 2023
SWEET DELIGHTS
Govinda’s Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant, Durban, Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple, 50 Bhaktivedanta Swami Circle, Chatsworth (078 849 4291)
3 tsp fresh lemon juice 1¼ cup milk 2/3 cup olive oil 2 tsp finely grated orange rind ¾ cup soft brown sugar 3 tsp pure vanilla extract 1½ cups wholewheat flour 1½ cups unbleached plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder 1½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp salt 1½ cups carrots, coarsely grated (packed) ½ cup chopped walnuts
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Sift the flours together with the baking powder, spices and salt. Add the liquid ingredients and beat until the mixture is smooth. Add the grated carrots and the nuts. Butter a deep 20cm cake tin. Pour in the batter and bake at 180°C for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin until it pulls away from the sides. Holding a cake rack over the pan, reverse the pan and allow the cake to fall out on to the rack. Let the cake cool some more, then carefully lift it from the rack and place it on a serving plate. Cream the frosting ingredients together with a beater and frost the cake. Use within two days.
THE auspicious month of Kartik began on October 28. During the month, the pastime of Mother Yashoda and Damodar Krishna took place. Kartik, also known as the month of Damodara, is a time for deepening one’s love for Krishna. It is considered by devotees of Krishna to be the holiest month of the year. During this time, devotees make extra vows, perform extra spiritual activities and generally worship Krishna in His form as a boy, Damodara, who was once bound at the waist by His mother, Yashoda, as punishment for His mischievous childhood pastimes. It is on Diwali (November 12, exact mid-way of the month of Kartik) that Mother Yashoda had bound Krishna. He broke the butter pot and shared the butter with his friends and the monkeys. Milk sweets were often the central focus of Lord Krishna pastimes – from Vrndavana to Mathura. Srimati Radharani, the consort of Lord Krishna, prepared the finest sweets to offer to Lord Krishna. The gopis (maidservants) and gopas (herd boys) of Vrndavana enjoyed sharing the milk sweets. There are several pastimes in the Vedas that describe the preparation of sweets and the offering of them to God before the devotees enjoy the traditional sweets. It is with this mood and spirit that sweets are now prepared and offered to God and then shared among family and friends. Not only are sweets distributed during joyous occasions but also during sad times. However, the meaning behind the preparation and sharing of sweets is that it has to be prepared with love and devotion as an offering to God and then distributed. No ingredients are tasted in the sweet-making process. The only time a devotee eats or tastes the sweet is once the offering to God is complete. Now, in the spirit of Diwali, the preparation of sweets within the home has become an integral part of the celebration. On Diwali morning, the family gathers to offer the prepared sweets (made with full cream milk, ghee, sugar, nuts and spices) to Sita and Rama and then enjoys the treat. As a symbolic sharing and creating the mood of celebration, the sweets are then distributed to family and friends. The distribution of sweets has
GOPIKA Manjari Ramkissoon, 8, offers a ghee lamp to Lord Damodara and Mother Yashoda. Deepavali is celebrated during the month of Kartik. During this month, devotees offer a clay lamp to Lord Damodar and Mother Yashoda. The Hare Krishna Temple has lamps available all day for offering. | SYAMALIKA DEVI DASI symbolic meaning of worship before consumption. This means that those who have prepared the sweets are servants of God (thinking about the offering to God) before their own enjoyment of taste; understanding that once God is pleased then everyone will be peaceful,
happy and content. Sweets are therefore prepared in this heartfelt and prayerful meditation to set the mind free, to connect with God and then to enjoy the wonderful taste. | Krsangi Radhe dasi, Iskcon SA – Communications
Govinda’s Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant, Phoenix, Iskon New Jagannath Puri Temple, 151 Longcroft Drive, Phoenix (031 507 3733 or admin@durbanjagannath.org)
Katchori KATCHORI POCKETS: 1 cup cake/plain flour ½ cup brown flour 3 tbs butter ½ tsp salt Mix the flour, brown flour, salt and butter. Add cold water accordingly to make a soft dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. FILLING: 1½ cups cut corn 1 cup scrambled paneer ½ tsp garam masala ½ tsp dhania (coriander) powder ½ tsp jeera (cumin) seeds ½ tsp mustard seeds ½ asafoetida (hing powder) ½ tsp hurdi (turmeric powder) ½ tsp green chilli paste salt to taste 1 tbs oil/butter 2 tbs finely chopped coriander leaves flour and water paste, for patching
Heat the oil in a heavy pan on a medium to
low flame. Add all whole seeds
until it splutters. Add all the powders and sweetcorn and cook for 5 minutes. Add the scrambled paneer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the chilli paste and coriander leaves. Mix the filling until evenly combined. Let the filling cool. Divide the dough into 6 portions. Knead into balls and roll into 10cm-rounds/ puris. Cut the puri into halves, overlap the edges and press to seal. Turn the pocket inside out, with the sealed slip centralised. Fill 1½ tbs filling into pockets. Press to seal the open edge. Spiral twist the sealed edge to secure the pocket from opening. Deep fry on medium heat until golden brown and crispy.
Simply Wonderfuls 500g Klim milk powder 125ml icing sugar 1 tbs orange rind 125g pure butter/ghee Cream the butter with the icing sugar and milk powder.
Eggless Royal Creams 250g pure butter ½ cup icing sugar ½ tsp almond essence ½ cup corn flour/Maizena 2½ cups plain flour Cream the butter and icing sugar until fluffy. Add the almond essence and sifted dry ingredients.
Form a soft dough. Add more flour if needed. Pipe with a number 34 nozzle into 4cm lengths on a baking tray. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 140ºC until lightly golden. Sandwich together using white glaze.
Fold in the orange rind. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. Roll into balls and decorate as desired before chilling.
DIWALI RECIPES
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November 1 - 5, 2023
Viveshni Joseph, owner of Madame Macaron SA (Facebook and Instagram: @MadameMacaronSA and www.madamemacaron.co.za)
Burfee Buttercream Filling 2 cups Klim milk powder 75g tin Nestlé dessert cream 250g butter (separate this into 2 lots of 125g each) 11/3 cup icing sugar + ½ cup icing sugar reserved ¼ cup milk cardamom pods and 2 tsp cardamom powder
Pistachio Macaron Shells 60g almond flour 40g pistachio flour 100g icing sugar 80g aquafaba (water from a can of chick peas) 80g sugar 15g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped Sift the almond flour, pistachio flour and icing sugar together and set aside. In a separate bowl, using an electric whisk, beat the aquafaba until frothy (similar to shaving cream). Slowly add the sugar to the aquafaba and whip on high together, until you have firm glossy peaks. Add the dry ingredients to the
meringue and gently fold the mixture. Mix until you have the consistency in which you can create the figure “8” with the batter. Be careful not to overmix. You do not want the batter to be runny. Pipe 3cm rounds on to baking paper-lined trays and drop the tray 2 to 3 times to release any air bubbles. Bake at 135ºC for 30 minutes or until the shells lift off the baking paper easily. Allow the shells to cool, match up similar-sized shells, and fill with chocolate-coconut ganache.
Place the milk powder and cream in a mixer. Mix on low speed until the cream is absorbed. Add 125g butter and mix on high speed until fluffy. Place 11/3 cup icing sugar, cardamom pods and milk on the stove and bring to a boil. Remove from the stove and let it cool. When the milk and sugar mixture have cooled, remove the pods, turn the mixer on high speed again and slowly add the milk mixture, a tablespoon at a time. Ensure that the mixture has cooled to room temperature before continuing. The mixture will still be runny, so add the reserved butter, icing sugar and the cardamom powder, and whip until fluffy and firm. Empty into a piping bag and fill the macarons.
¡¡Yield: 20 sets of macaron shells.
Burfee Macaron Shell
Dark Chocolate And Coconut Ganache Filling
100g almond flour 100g icing sugar 2 tsp cardamom powder 75g aquafaba (water from a can of chick peas) 75g sugar Sift the almond flour, cardamom powder and icing sugar together and set aside. In a separate bowl, using an electric whisk, beat the aquafaba until frothy (so it resembles shaving cream). Slowly add the sugar to the aquafaba and whip on high together until you have firm glossy peaks. Add the almond mix to the meringue and fold the mixture. Mix until you have the consistency of lava or cold honey. Pipe 3cm rounds on to baking paper-lined trays and drop the tray 2 to 3 times to release air bubbles. Bake at 135ºC for 20 minutes or until the shells lift off the baking paper easily. Allow the shells to cool, match up similar-sized shells and fill with burfee buttercream.
150g dark chocolate 75g fresh cream 30g dessicated coconut Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with the cream and place in the microwave in 30-second bursts until the chocolate has melted. Do not let the cream boil or the chocolate will seize. Using an immersion blender, mix the chocolate and cream together until light and airy. Gently fold in the dessicated coconut. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for an hour to set. Once set, transfer the ganache to a piping bag. Pipe the ganache to sandwich two macaron shells.
¡¡Yields: 20 sets of macaron shells
Shakila Singh is the owner of Shaarad’s Designer Sweets and Savouries (Facebook: Shaarad’s Designer Sweets and Savouries, and TikTok: @ shaaradsdesignersweets)
Jalebi 3 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup corn flour 2 cups double thick yoghurt ½ tsp baking soda ½ cup Clover butter ghee, for the batter 2-3 cups Clover ghee, for frying 3 cups castor sugar 3 cups water Large pinch of saffron, about 15 strands 4 drops zafran or rose essence ½ tsp powdered green cardamom 8 to 10 whole green cardamom pods ½ tsp edible food colour
it is thick but has a slightly flowing consistency. Keep it aside for 8 to 10 hours to ferment. This step is important to give that unique “khatta” taste to the jalebi.
Prepare the jalebi batter and let it ferment overnight. This is essential as it allows for a crisper bite. Mix together the all-purpose flour, cornflour and baking soda in a bowl. Add the ghee and food colour to the mixture.
FRYING THE JALEBI: Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy-based khadai or pan on moderate heat. Fill a batter dispenser and make swiggles in the shape of a circle directly into the hot ghee. Fry until golden. Soak in warm syrup for 2 to 3 minutes. To store, pop the jalebi into an airtight container.
BATTER: Add yoghurt and water. Mix well until
SYRUP: Heat water in a pan over medium flame. Add the sugar and mix until fully dissolved. Simmer the syrup until it attains a one-string consistency. Add flavourings. Stir well.
Fresh Cream Burfee
Mix the Klim with the dessert cream and set aside for at least an hour. Sieve the dry mixture at least four times. Discard the larger bits.
and bring to a light boil until thick. Add the ghee and remove from the heat. Allow the syrup to cool for about 25 minutes. Thereafter, whisk in the remaining half cup of dessert cream until fully combined. Combine the sifted dry ingredients and slowly add the syrup, until the burfee leaves the side of the mixing bowl. Shape and set as desired. It can be easily piped and set in silicone moulds. Refrigerate until required.
SYRUP: Mix the fresh cream and icing sugar
¡¡Do not pour in all the syrup at once. Use just enough to form a soft dough.
500g Klim ½ cup dessert cream (mix into the Klim) 1½ cups fresh cream (for the syrup) 2 cups icing sugar (for the syrup) ¼ cup Clover butter ghee ½ cup dessert cream (for the syrup) ½ cup almond powder 1 tsp elachi powder
Klim Gulab Jamuns Filled With Burfee 2 cups cake flour 1 cup Klim 2½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp nutmeg powder 1 tsp elachi powder 2 tbs Clover butter ghee 1 can condensed milk Clover butter ghee for frying SYRUP FOR DIPPING: 4 cups sugar 2½ cups water 8 elachi pods, crushed ½ tsp rose/saffron essence Place the sugar and water in a
heavy-based pot and bring to a rapid boil. Allow to boil for 10 minutes. Add the flavourings after the syrup is cooked and lukewarm. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Rub in the ghee and add the condensed milk and flavourings to form a soft dough. Heat the ghee to a medium temperature. Form small balls and roll out into finger shapes. Fry until lightly golden. Soak in syrup for about 2 minutes. ¡¡The gulab jamuns can be filled with the burfee.
Almond Mawa Ladoo 4 cups almond powder 1 cup dessicated coconut/powder ½ cup Clover butter ghee 1 cup mawa or khoya 1 tsp elachi powder 1 can condensed milk Lightly toast the almond powder and coconut. Add the ghee and lightly toast.
Cool and set aside. Crumble in the mawa with the dry ingredients. Add the condensed milk to form a soft dough. Grease your palms with the ghee, break off small balls of the mixture and roll into balls. The ladoos can be coated in coconut.
DIWALI RECIPES Pebbles Govender, a food blogger, says decorative ideas have evolved making life easier for families over the festive period (Facebook: Pebbles Kitchen and Instagram: @ pebbles_kitchen)
November 1 - 5, 2023
Sushen Naidoo, the owner of Le’Sush Treats: Banana Puri Specialists (TikTok: Banana.puri.by.sushen; Instagram: thebananapuriguy; Facebook: Le’Sush Treats; and WhatsApp 081 536 3506)
Soan Papdi 1 cup gram flour chickpea flour/besan 1 cup maida all-purpose/ plain flour 500ml ghee ¼ cup milk 2½ cups water 5 cups sugar 1 tsp cardamom, crushed coarsely 10cm squares cut from thin polythene sheets, optional a handful of chopped almonds and pistachios for garnishing
Rose, Pistachio And Saffron Naan Khatai 1 cup semi solid butter ghee ¾ cup castor sugar ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground elachi 2½ cups flour Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Cream the ghee and castor sugar until it changes in colour. Add the bicarb and baking powder. Do not add the elachi at this stage. Do not over mix. Gradually add the flour a little at a time to obtain a soft dough. If the dough is too soft, add a tablespoon of flour at a time. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Rose: Add half a teaspoon of rose essence and 2 drops of deep pink/red food colouring. Roll into balls and decorate with rose petals Pistachio: Add half a teaspoon of pistachio flavouring and 2 drops of green food colouring. Mix to combine gently. Roll into balls and decorate with crushed pistachio.
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Saffron: Take 12 to15 strands of saffron soaked in half teaspoon of warm milk. Add half of the saffron to the dough, reserving some for the garnishing. Add the ground elachi and yellow food colouring. You may
need to add a little flour to obtain a soft dough. Roll into balls, top with a saffron milk strand and bake at 180ºC for 18 minutes. Leave to cool completely in a tray as the biscuits are delicate.
Sift the gram flour and the maida together. Set aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan over medium flame. Add the sifted flour and roast until light golden. Remove and keep aside. Combine the milk and water in a pan. Place it over a low-medium
flame and add the sugar. Stir well. Simmer until it reaches a two-thread consistency. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix well – until the mixture forms thread-like flakes. This method involves mixing and pulling the mixture apart alternatively. Transfer this into a greased plate
and pat it flat to a 2.5cm thickness. Sprinkle the cardamoms, almonds and pistachios on top. Gently press them and even the surface. Allow it to cool. Cut it into 2cm squares. Cover with the polythene and store in an airtight container. Serve as a dessert.
Burfee 500g Klim powder 1 cup fresh cream Combine until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Set aside. SYRUP: 1 cup fresh milk ½ cup sugar 2 cups icing sugar 6 tbs butter ghee/unsalted butter ½ tsp each of elachi and nutmeg
BURFEE infused with flavours of strawberry and bubblegum, using sugar prints for decorating.
THREE diferent ways to decorate the banana puri.
Peacock Banana Puri
Combine the ingredients for the syrup and cook on medium heat until it comes together. Add the Klim mixture, lower the heat and stir to combine (I used a whisk during the cooking process to obtain a smooth result). Divide the burfee into two portions. Add a few drops of strawberry flavouring to one portion and mix until well combined. Add bubblegum flavouring to the other portion.
2 cup flour ½ cup Maizena 2 tbs ghee 1 tsp lemon juice in ¾ cup ice water
SHAPE AND DECORATE: Line a glass tray with cling wrap. Pat flavoured burfee individually and flatten with the back of a flat measuring cup. When cool, place the sugar print and pat down gently. Cut into the desired shapes. ¡¡Use sugar prints for decorative pieces of burfee and chana magaj. Follow the chana magaj recipe on this page, but decorate using the steps as above. Infusions of subtle bubblegum and strawberry flavours into the burfee give it a modern twist.
CHANA magaj decorated with sugar prints.
Chana Magaj 500g gram flour 2 tbs ghee ¼ cup fresh milk 2 cups butter ghee 500g icing sugar 250g Klim powder 1 tsp each ground elachi (cardamom) and nutmeg Combine the gram flour, ghee and milk to obtain a fine bread crumb texture. In a heavy base pot, add the butter ghee and cook the gram flour on low to medium heat until the mixture changes colour and has a nutty aroma. Cool completely. Add the sifted icing sugar, Klim powder, ground
Vermicelli Mithai 200g butter 400g crushed vermicelli 1 tin condensed milk ½ cup chopped nuts (almonds and pistachios) 1½ tsp elachi powder a drop of rose essence
elachi and nutmeg. Mix until well combined. Press into a silicone mould of your choice. Refrigerate until firm. Unmould and decorate.
Melt the butter and add the crushed vermicelli. Mix well, so the vermicelli is covered in butter, and allow it to roast a little to a golden brown. Add the condensed milk, nuts, elachi powder and rose essence. Mix well. Press the mixture into moulds or a greased tray. Decorate with dried
Banana Puri 2 cups flour ½ cup Maizena 2 tsp baking powder 60g butter or ghee ½ tsp salt 2 drops lemon juice in about ¾ cup iced water Make a pliable dough. Cut and separate 8 pieces of dough and stack them. Use the ghee to brush in between the layers. With the last layer, brush only with ghee and
roll it tightly into a Swiss roll. Seal the edges with water. Then cut out 1cm pieces of the roll. Roll it flat. The layers need to face the side. Fry on medium heat. SYRUP: Boil 1 cup each of sugar and water with a few drops of rose essence, until a sticky syrup forms. Let it cool. Drizzle over the puri.
Combine all the ingredients to make a stiff dough. Let it rest for an hour. Divide the dough into 10 balls and roll. Stack them over each other, while brushing melted ghee and sprinkling Maizena in between each layer. Then roll out the stack and fold, so you now have 20 layers. Roll out lightly again. Cut into 12x2cm strips. Fold the strip and twist the bottom or you can roll out some dough and use it to tie the strip. Fry on medium to high. Drain it and drizzle syrup over.
SYRUP: Boil 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar for about 10 minutes. Let it cool.
Sutherferni 2 cups flour ¾ cup water 1 cup Maizena 1 cup ghee SYRUP: 1 cup water 1 cup sugar a few drops of rose essence (gulab jamun consistency)
rose petals, almonds and pistachio. Cut while warm and set aside to cool completely. ¡¡Work quickly as the mixture starts to set as it cools.
Make a fairly stiff dough with the flour and water, and seal in an airtight container for about two hours. In a dish, mix the ghee and Maizena. Pinch out tennis ball-size portions from the dough and roll with your palms into a long rope, a width of 1cm. Do that with all the pieces of dough. You should get 8 pieces. Smear the ghee and Maizena mixture on the ropes. Gather all the ropes together. Gently stretch the ropes (not too much or they will break). Let it rest for 5 minutes, then smear more of the mixture on it and
stretch it. Continue until you see that the ropes are thin, as if knitting cotton, then wind it on four fingers on your left hand and break it off when it covers all your fingers. Set this aside and keep using the ghee mixture. Stretch it one more time and then
flatten and fry on medium oil. Do not let it change colour. When the sutherferni is crisp, remove it and drain it on a wire rack overnight. The next day, generously drizzle the warm syrup over it and decorate. In the Middle East, it is enjoyed with fresh cream poured over.