Ring in Diwali with these delicious recipes
weeknight matar paneer; weekend faral (Diwali sweets!)
Saturday, October 22nd, marks the first day of the celebration of Diwali, so this week, I'm featuring a weeknight recipe for matar paneer and a weekend project to make kaju katli (cashew-based fudge with notes of cardamom and rose water).
A primer on Diwali
Diwali is a festival of lights, traditionally celebrated with brilliant fireworks and glorious earthen lamps, commemorating the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. It's also a time to express gratitude; historically, Diwali marks the end of the summer harvest, so farmers demonstrate appreciation for their crops and pray for bountiful future yields.
Diwali has always been a special celebration in my household. My mom marks the start of the holiday by drawing rangoli, or intricate designs made from vividly colored sand-like powders, by the various entrances of our home. As kids, we attended an annual party with our families, dressed up in traditional, brilliantly colored salwar kameez and kurtas, complete with choreographed Bollywood dances and a catered buffet of Indian food in a large school auditorium.
Unsurprisingly, Diwali is my favorite Indian holiday because of the diverse range of foods, from traditional sweets to savory dishes. Diwali “faral” are snacks and sweets served during the holiday; we grew up feasting on ladoos (sweet, "melt-in-the-mouth," fudgy treats), shankarpali (small, crunchy, diamond-shaped biscuits), chakli (spiky, spiral-shaped salty snacks), and kaju barfi/katli, to name a few. Every year, we prepare "faral" from scratch to share with friends and family.
Ways to celebrate
If you’re unfamiliar with the holiday, I encourage you to join in on the celebration! Try one of these recipes, order takeout from your local Indian restaurant, or find a sweets shop near you. You can even pick a Bollywood movie to watch on Netflix and light some candles in your home.
Weeknight dinner: matar paneer
Matar paneer is a traditional North Indian dish of creamy paneer (a soft, non-melting cheese) and peas swimming in a mildly spiced tomato sauce. I simplified and streamlined some of the steps in the classic version for a 30-minute recipe. It may not taste like a classic Matar paneer from your local Indian restaurant, but chances are you are going to love its delicious, creamy, comforting flavor layered with warm, earthy spices.
Here’s the basic gist of the recipe: Cook down some aromatics, blend them with canned tomatoes, then simmer the pureed tomato sauce with spices. Toss in the peas and paneer, and there you go! Serve the matar paneer alongside chapatis or hot rice.
Key flavors: Warm, earthy spices; creamy tomato sauce; soft, milky paneer
Tips & Tricks
Soak your paneer (or buy the premium stuff): If you’ve ever cooked with paneer and found it to be rubbery or dry, it’s likely due to the preparation. I cut my paneer into 3/4-inch cubes, then soak the pieces in hot water for 15 minutes. The soaking softens the paneer considerably. It truly makes a world of difference! Note: My favorite paneer is Sach Paneer (not sponsored, I truly do love it!) because it’s super fresh, soft, and does not need a pre-soak. You can purchase it from most Whole Foods stores and some online grocery delivery services (see their retail partners here).
Chill your tomatoes: This may sound like a strange step, but I promise it speeds things up! Before you start prepping, chill the tomatoes in the fridge. The cold tomatoes will cool down the hot aromatics, reducing the amount of time you have to wait to puree the sauce.
Adjust the spices as needed: Everyone’s spices are different. Yours may be one month old — or two years old. Fresher spices yield a more robust flavor. The spice levels I tested are based on the spices I have at home and my palate, so I encourage you to make this dish your own and adjust the spices to your palate.
Grab the full recipe, plus additional tips and tricks below ↓
Weekend project: Kaju Katli
Kaju katli is my ALL-time favorite Indian sweet. They are fudgy, not too sweet, and so beautiful! I love to serve them chilled, as I think it makes them ever so enticing.
In an attempt to be completely honest, I must confess that Indian sweets are notoriously tricky, especially if you’ve never made them before. This is the kind of project I recommend trying in a low-pressure situation with plenty of time on your hands. I’ve provided tips and tricks below to increase your chances of success. Personally, I think the pay-off is huge, and I prefer these homemade kaju katli to the store-bought ones. The texture is exquisitely silky and creamy, with just the right balance of flavors.
Key flavors: mild sweetness; nutty cashews; subtle notes of cardamom and rose water
Tips & Tricks
Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
Finely grind the cashews: The cashews need to be ground to a fine powder (similar to the texture of fine almond flour) for a smooth fudge-like consistency. You may need to sift them through a sieve, then process any grind any larger bits once more for an optimal texture. However, I would caution against grinding them so fine that the powder becomes sticky. To reduce the likelihood of sticking, I recommend freezing the cashews, which prevents them from warming up too quickly in the food processor.
Use a candy thermometer: When making the sugar syrup, a candy thermometer is your best bet. The sugar syrup should be between 230°F and 235°F before you add the cashews to form the dough. Anything higher and the kaju katli will come out with a hard texture.
How to know when the dough is “done”: In my opinion, this is the trickiest part of making kaju katli. During this step, stir the cashew-sugar-syrup constantly until the dough easily pulls away from the sides of the pan. To check if it's done, scoop a small spoon of the dough and let cool for a minute. When cool enough to handle, try to form a ball with your hands—it should not be sticky at all. If sticky, continue to stir on the heat. Err on the side of caution here - it’s much easier to continue to heat and thicken the dough than to fix the dough if it becomes too hard.
Grab the full recipe, plus additional tips and tricks below ↓
More Diwali treats!
My friend Shweta’s family owns a mithai (sweet confections) shop in India, so you know her treats will be delicious! Try this milk barfi or gulab jamun.
Check out the NYTimes for a large assortment of salty snacks and sweets recipes.
That’s all for this week! Happy Diwali to all who celebrate.
- Karishma