6 SWEET DELIGHTS FOR DIWALI
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is a major celebration for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. It signifies the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and heralds the start of the Hindu new year. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word ‘dipavali’, which means ‘rows of lighted lamps'. Celebrated annually on a date depicted by the position of the moon (so the exact dates change each year, usually falling between October and November), Diwali takes place over five days with rituals such as lighting oil lamps, exchanging gifts and feasting on festive foods, and culminates with fireworks and vibrant decorations, fostering joy and togetherness among families and communities. This year the festival starts today, 29th October lasting until the 3rd November, and through friends and acquaintances, and its connection to the celebration of Ayurveda, the spirit of this festival has caught my enthusiasm so I’m sharing some of my favourite treats that you can make to join in the celebrations.
I first cooked this recipe in the Himalayas under the close guidance of Chef Sandeep of Ananda holistic wellness retreat, India . It’s a gorgeous milky fudge called Burfi, which you can flavour with your choice of rose water, saffron, cardamom or even chocolate and garnish with all the trimmings. I love pistachio or almonds for a Diwali sweet treat!
This particular recipe is great for anyone allergic to nuts or just wants a break from nut and seed laden snacks. Its nutty flavour comes only from the toasted chickpea flour known as gram flour or besan - easily available from supermarkets. Gram flour is cheap and when toasted offers a significant source of easy-to-digest, high-quality protein, which is especially revered in Ayurveda for children and breastfeeding mothers and for those on the go all the time. Enjoy these fragrant bites.
This is the choc orange version of my recipe above incorporating the warming qualities of orange and cocoa which are great as we move into this colder time of year. In this recipe I also swapped out half of the chickpea flour for sorghum — a type of millet that is more Vata-balancing, which can be found online or in specialist stores. You can also just stick with the original amount of chickpea flour, since there is plenty of ghee and jaggery in this barfi to help offset its Vata tendencies! I also added some saffron and cardamom just for good measure, but go ahead and experiment as this recipe is endlessly versatile and the beauty of it is that you can taste and adjust before committing to the final sweet.
TOASTED OAT, TAHINI AND GINGER LADOO
Ladoos are a nourishing Indian sweet, think of them as the Eastern cousin to the Western modern-day energy ball. This recipe was created to celebrate the opening of the Indian beauty brand, Kama Ayurveda’s, new store in Notting Hill and is Vivek the founders favourite - a must make if you like tahini! Some energy ball recipes use raw oats but here the oats are first toasted to make sure they are well cooked and easier to digest which also gives them a deep nutty flavour. Simply pulse the ingredients together and listen to music while you roll the mixture into balls.
COCONUT, CORIANDER AND MAPLE BARFI
Another take on a besan flour barfi, and this time coconut oil makes a welcome change to ghee. I like to make these barfi in the summer to make the most of the ingredients' cooling properties but the rich flavours of coconut and maple are well worth sharing for the celebration of Diwali Also it’s worth trying coriander seed in a sweet recipe to share with friends - in my books it’s an absolute winner and makes these sweet treats so fragrant! And as a bonus coriander seed aids digestion and reduces inflammation.
CARDAMOM MILLIONAIRES WITH GRAM SHORTBREAD (Page 104 in East by West)
This is a millionaire recipe that makes you pay attention — from the medley of flavours to the sublime texture, with a hit of cardamom to add pungency and aid digestion. The deep, nutty and slightly bitter flavour is thanks to the toasted gram flour (also known as besan or chickpea flour), which creates the perfect biscuit-y base, contrasting beautifully with the sweet date layer and rich dark chocolate. Serve these cool, or at room temperature for melt-in- the-mouth chocolate. These are super-rich and sweet, so you can cut down on the jaggery and dates a little if you like.