Diwali recipes: Apple coconut barfi to shahi tukda, 5 desserts with a twist

There’s a wide world of crave-worthy experimental desserts that don’t require you going to a culinary institute. This festive season, get inspired with these indulgent dessert recipes with creative spins.

Classic desserts are great and all, but this festive season get inspired with some crave-worthy dessert recipes with creative spins.

Here’s a list of five experimental recipes with a slight updated twist by Maharaj Jodharam Choudhary, corporate chef at Khandani Rajdhani and Maharaj Hemaram Choudhary, corporate chef at Rasovara, Bangalore. These prettiest and tastiest desserts will get oohs and ahhs twice - once when presented, and again when your guests dig in - so be informed.

1. Even the most delicious gulab jamun can look homely until you turn it into a beautiful gulab jamun custard. This dessert looks almost too good to eat.

Ingredients

For the gulab jamun

* 200 gms maida

* 150 gms khoya

* 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 2 tsp elaichi powder

* Oil to fry

For the sugar syrup

* 250 gms sugar

* 150 ml water

* 8-10 saffron strands

* 1/4 tsp elaichi powder

For the custard

* 250 ml milk

* 2 tbsp custard powder

* 2 tsp sugar

* 1/4 tsp elaichi powder

For the garnish

* Chopped almonds, pistachio and cashew nuts

* Saffron

Method

For the sugar syrup

In a pan , add the sugar, water, saffron , elaichi powder. Bring it to boil. Boil the syrup till it becomes sticky. Stir it occasionally. Keep the mixture in a bowl and allow it to cool at room temperature. The syrup should be warm .

For the gulab jamun

Mix together the maida , mawa , baking powder, elaichi powder. Knead the mixture in to soft dough. If the dough is thick add milk and bind it again. In a pan add oil and allow it to heat on medium flame. Grease your hand and divide the dough into equal small balls. Ensure the balls have smooth surface and there is no crack. Once the oil is hot add the prepared dough and deep fry them over low to medium flame. Fry till they are golden brown. Drain and transfer it on absorbent paper. Soak the jamuns in sugar syrup for at least 1-2 hours.

For the custard

In a small bowl add 2-3 tbsp milk , custard powder, elaichi powder and make a fine paste without lumps. Take a pan and add the remaining milk and allow it to boil. Reduce the flame , add the custard paste and mix well. Mix it continuously. Cook till the mixture thickens. Add the sugar and mix well. Cook until sugar has dissolved. Once the consistency is reached , pour it in a separate bowl and refrigerate.

Assembling

Take glasses . Place a spoon of custard. Sprinkle some pistachios. Drain the jamun from the sugar syrup and cut it into halves. Place the half jamun on top of the custard. Add one more layer of custard and place a full jamun. Refrigerate till it is set. Garnish with chopped almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts and saffron.

2. Apple and coconut make a heavenly combination in this decadent and divine dessert. This foolproof apple coconut barfi recipe is comfort food at its most delicious and will have everyone swooning.

Ingredients

* 2 tbsp, grated fresh coconut

* 3 tbsp Ghee

* 3 tbsp coarsely grated apples

* 2 tbsp milk powder

* 3 tbsp sugar

* 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

* A pinch of saffron (soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk or water)

* A pinch of salt

* 2 tbsp chopped pistachios

* 2 tbsp chopped almonds

* 1 tbsp dried rose petals

Method

Grease a plate with a bit of ghee and set aside. Roast the coconut in a large pan on low heat for a minute. Ensure it is not burnt. It should not be brown. Set aside. Melt the ghee in the same pan. Add grated apples and cook till dry. Then add the toasted coconut, milk powder, sugar, cardamom powder, salt and saffron. Mix well and cook till the mixture becomes dry and soft. Ghee will start separating on the sides. Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and spread the mixture. Sprinkle chopped nuts and rose petals evenly on top and press down slightly with a spoon. Allow it to cool down to room temperature, and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut the barfi into bars and serve.

3. If you can make perfect thandai shrikhand, you can win anyone’s heart. This recipe is your ticket. Simply irresistable. The dryfruits add a lift to this tasty recipe.

Ingredients

For shrikhand:

* 1 cup hung curd . .

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1 tsp cardamom powder

* 1 tsp charoli

* 1 tbsp chopped dry fruits (almonds and pista)

For thandai powder

* 1/3 cup almonds

* 2 tablespoons cashew nuts

* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

* 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

* 1 tablespoon melon seeds

* 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

* 4-5 green cardamoms

* 1 tsp of kesar syrup

* 1/2 tsp of thandai syrup

Method

For shrikhand:

Place a thin muslin cloth on a strainer and pour the curd over it and loosely cover it with the edges of the cloth. refrigerate this and let the curd sit in the strainer for a minimum of 4-5 hrs . Add sugar and mix well. Add the puree into the yogurt and mix well. Pour the mixture in sieve to yield smooth shrikhand.

For thandai powder:

Dry roast and grind all the ingredients into a fine powder.

Assembling

Mix the thandai powder, kesar syrup and thandai syrup in the shrikhand . Mix well. Transfer into a deep bowl. Set it for one hour in the refrigerator. Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios.

4. If you walk out of the kitchen with shahi tukda on your serving tray, you will turn heads for sure, with that beautiful bread drenched in sugar syrup and that gorgeous rabdi.

Ingredients

* 500 ml full fat milk

* 5 tbsp sugar

* 1/4 tsp elaichi powder

* A pinch of saffron

* 2 tbsp chopped almonds

* 2 tbsp chopped pistachio

* 2 tbsp ghee

* 6-7 slices of bread

* 200 ml water

* 2 tsp chopped almonds

* 2 tsp chopped pistachio

Method

For rabri

In a pan add full fat milk and bring it to boil. Add elaichi powder, saffron , 1 tbsp of sugar . If the sweetness is less add 1/s tbsp sugar or adjust according to your taste. Boil the milk till it reduces to half of its quantity. Keep stirring. Let the milk boil on low flame . Once it is thick, remove from the flame and add chopped almonds, pistachios.

For the sugar syrup

Mix 3 tbsp sugar with 200 ml water. Boil the mixture till you get one thread consistency. Switch off the flame and add little elaichi powder.

For the bread slices

Slice the crust of the bread . Cut it in triangles. Heat on 1 tbsp ghee in a pan. Place the triangle cut bread in the pan and toast till golden brown. Toast it on both sides. Once its ready drain it on absorbent paper. Repeat with all the remaining slices.

Assembling

Dip the bread slices in sugar syrup and remove it. Place the dipped sugar dipped bread in serving plate. Pour the rabri on the bread. Garnish with chopped pistachio and almonds.

5. There are about a billion ways to make kheer. But if you know how to make a good gulabi akhrot kheer, you will always have a wonderful dinner at your fingertips, whether it’s for a Diwali night alone or a cards party with loved ones.

Ingredients

* 2 cups rice

* 500 ml milk

* 2 tsp elaichi powder

* 1 tbsp chopped walnuts

* 1 tbsp chopped rose petals

* 2 tsp rose syrup

* 2 tbsp sugar

* 3 tsp chopped almonds

* 3 tsp chopped pistachio

* 1 tsp ghee

Method

Soak the rice in water for 10-15 minutes. Drain the rice. Heat one tsp of ghee. Add the soaked rice, walnut and stir fry it for few minutes. Heat the milk ,rice, walnuts together and cook for 20 minutes. Once the rice is cooked on low flame add the sugar, elaichi powder, almonds and pista. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool. Add the rose syrup mix well. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios and rose petals.

For recipes of 10 classic Diwali desserts, click here

The author tweets as @PanwarSanya

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