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Recipes for Indian Festivals: Diwali


SALTY KHAJA

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plain flour (maida)

  • 1 tbsp. ghee

  • 1/4 tsp. ajwain seeds

  • salt to taste

  • warm water to make dough

  • ghee for deep frying

Steps:

  1. Mix the ghee and salt in the flour.

  2. Add water little by little to make a smooth pliable dough.

  3. Make small thin rounds (4" diameter) out of all the dough.

  4. Prick them on both sides with a fork.

  5. Allow to dry a bit for 20-30 minutes.

  6. Deep fry in hot ghee till done to a tinge of brown only.

  7. Do not over fry of the khajas will lose their whiteness.

  8. Drain and allow to cool completely before storing.

Note: Make the yellow khajas similarly; only add some turmeric powder to the flour before making the dough.

KHARI PUDI

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups maida (plain flour)

  • 1/4 cup rice flour

  • 2 tbsp. rice flour separate

  • 1/2 tsp. ajwain seeds

  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

  • 1/5 tsp. asafoetida powder

  • 2 tbsp. oil

  • 2 tbsp. ghee

  • Salt to taste

  • Some dry flour for dusting

  • Oil to deep frying

Steps:

1. Mix together plain flour and 1/4 cup rice flour.

2. Add salt, seeds, 2 tbsp. oil, asafoetida, turmeric, mix well.

3. Add enough water to make a not too soft pliable dough.

4. Take a pingpong ball sized lump, shape into ball, roll.

5. While rolling use dry flour for dusting.

6. Roll into a large chappati. Apply ghee on top with back of spoon.

7. Sprinkle some rice flour all over.

8. Starting from one end, roll into a tight Swiss roll.

9. Cut into 3/4" to 1" thick slices.

10. Take one, roll over it lightly once or twice only.

11. The pudi should just flatten enough to stay together.

12. Do not roll to make thin again.

13. Place on a clean cloth, to dry a bi.

14. Keep aside. Repeat till all dough is over.

15. Heat oil in a heavy frying pan.

16. Let in few pudis at a time in hot oil.

17. Fry on med. To low flame till very lightly golden.

18. Flip sides and repeat above.

19. Drain and keep aside to cool.

20. Cool completely before storing.

SPICY KHAJA

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups gram flour

  • 1/2 cup plain flour

  • 2 tsp. red chili powder

  • 1/2 tsp. ajwain seeds

  • 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

  • 1 tbsp. coriander very finely chopped

  • 1 tbsp. oil

  • salt to taste

  • oil to deep fry

Steps:

1. Mix both flours together.

2. Make a well in the centre; add all other ingredients, except oil to deep fry.

3. Mix them well in the flour.

4. Add enough water to make a soft pliable dough.

5. Divide dough to make small (4" diameter) thin rounds.

6. Prick on both sides with a fork.

7. Allow to dry on a clean cloth for 25-30 minutes.

8. Deep fry in hot oil till a light browning appears.

9. Do not over fry.

10. Drain and cool completely before storing.

BONDA

Ingredients:

  • Gram Flour - 1 cup

  • Sodium Bicarbonate - a pinch

  • Salt - to taste

  • Rice Flour - 2 tsp

  • Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

  • Oil - to deep fry

  • Stuffing:

  • Potato - 2 (medium size)

  • Garam Masala - 1 tsp

  • Salt - to taste

  • Onion (chopped) - 1/2 (medium size)

  • Oil - 2 tsp

Steps:

1. Boil and smash the potatoes. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in the non-stick skillet, add chopped onions, stir and fry till golden. Add smashed potatoes followed by salt, chilly powder and garam masala fry them for a minute. Keep aside

3. Mix gram flour, rice flour, chilly powder, sodium bicarbonate and salt with water to a thick batter.

4. Make lemon sized balls out of potato masala. Dip them in the batter and deep fry till golden brown.

5. Serve crispy bonda with sauce.

CASHEW PAKODA

Ingredients:

  • Dalia Split - 2 cups

  • Sodium Bicarbonate - a pinch

  • Salt - to taste

  • Rice Flour - 1/2 cup

  • Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

  • Oil - to deep fry

  • Cashews (chopped) - 1 cup

  • Onion (chopped) - 1 (medium sized)

  • Green Chilies - 5 (chopped)

  • Ginger - 1/2 inch (chopped)

  • Curry Leaves - a bunch

Steps:

1. Powder the dhalia split into a fine powder using blender.

2. Mix dhalia split powder, sodium bicarbonate, rice flour, salt, chilly powder, curry leaves, chopped ginger, chopped green chilies, chopped onion, chopped cashews.

3. Add 1/2 cup of hot oil into the mix. Don't add more oil. Batter should be thick.

4. Mix thoroughly. Drop the mix in form of even size pieces in hot oil and deep fry till golden.

CUTLET

Ingredients:

  • Potato - 2 (medium sized)

  • Carrot ( finely chopped) - 2

  • Beans (finely chopped) - 10

  • Peas - 1/2 cup

  • Bread - 6 slices

  • Garam Masala - 1 tsp

  • Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

  • Onion - 1 (medium sized)

  • Oil - 3 tsp

  • Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup

  • Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp.

  • Salt - to taste

Steps:

1. Cook all the vegetables and keep it aside.

2. Heat the oil in pan over moderate heat add finely chopped onions, ginger garlic paste, garam masala. Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until aromatic and onions are softened.

3. Smash the potatoes, followed by beans and carrots. Add peas, salt, chilly powder and onion with masala. Set aside.

4. Soak the bread slice one by one in little water and squeeze well. Add this to vegetable mixture.

5. Make small balls out of this and then flatten the balls. Now dust the cutlet with bread crumbs.

6. Place a frying pan over high heat, when the pan is very hot. Place few cutlets round on the pan and sprinkle 1 tsp of oil over it and turn it over. Fry all cutlets till it gets golden brown on both sides.

7. Repeat the process until all cutlets are fried. Serve hot with mint chutney or ketchup.

MASALA VADAI

Ingredients:

  • Gram Dhal (chana dhal) - 2 cups

  • Toor Dhal - 1/4 cup

  • Red Chilly - 4

  • Salt - to taste

  • Asafoetida - a pinch

  • Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp

  • Onion - 1/2 (medium size)

  • Green Chilies - 4 (chopped)

  • Rice Flour - 1 tsp

  • Ginger - 1/2 inch (chopped)

  • Curry Leaves - a bunch

  • Sodium Bicarbonate - a pinch

  • Oil - to deep fry

Steps:

1. Soak gram dhal, toor dhal in water for an hour.

2. Grind the soaked dhal along with red chilies, asafoetida and fennel seeds into a coarse paste. Don't add much water. It should be fairly dry.

3. Add chopped onion, chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, salt, sodium bicarbonate, curry leaves and rice flour. Mix thoroughly.

4. Add two tablespoon of hot oil.

5. Make balls, flatten and deep fry in batches in hot oil.

6. Serve crispy vadai with coconut chutney.

MURUKKU

Ingredients:

  • Rice Flour - 1 cup

  • Moong Dal Powder - 1/2 cup

  • Butter - 100 gm.

  • Salt - 10 gm

  • Cumin Seeds - 10 gm.

  • Vegetable Oil - To deep fry

Steps:

1. Roast moong dhal and powder them using blender. Sieve and set aside.

2. Add moong dhal powder, rice flour, butter, cumin seeds and salt with water. Don't add much water. Batter should be thick.

3. Press this dough through murukku mould and deep fry in hot oil till crisp.

4. Drain and store in an airtight container.

SEEDAI

Ingredients:

  • Parboiled Rice - 1/2 kg.

  • Dhalia Split - 200 gm.

  • Coconut Powder - 3 cups

  • Butter - 100 gm.

  • Salt - to taste

  • Vegetable Oil - To deep fry

Steps:

1. Soak parboiled rice for 1 hour and grind them along with coconut powder into coarse paste. Dough should be thick.

2. Grind dhalia spit into fine powder and sieve. Add dhalia split powder, salt and butter to the rice paste. Knead well.

3. Make dough into tiny marble sized balls with greased palms. Balls should not be smooth.

4. Heat oil well and deep fry them till golden brown and crisp. Add balls in cluster.

5. Drain and store in an airtight container.

THATTAI

Ingredients:

  • Parboiled Rice - 1/2 kg.

  • Dhalia Split - 200 gm.

  • Coconut Powder - 3 cups

  • Red Chilly - 10

  • Salt - to taste

  • Gram Dhal - 1 tsp

  • Vegetable Oil - To deep fry

Steps:

1. Soak parboiled rice for 1 hour and grind them along with coconut powder and red chilly into coarse paste. Dough should be thick.

2. Grind dhalia spit into fine powder and sieve. Add dhalia split powder to the rice paste.

3. Soak gram dhal for an hour. Add gram dhal and salt. Knead well.

4. Make small lemon sized balls, flatten them into small rounds using a greased polythene paper and deep fry.

5. Drain and store in an airtight container.

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