What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights? Recipes to help you celebrate
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, is this weekend, on Sunday.
But the celebration has already begun.
There are various stories on the origins of this festival based on the religions or the region in India people are from, but the overarching meaning is the same: it symbolizes the victory of inner light over spiritual darkness.
It typically falls on the darkest night of the month and is celebrated for five days with the fourth day being the start of the new year according to the lunar calendar that Hindus follow.
It's celebrated all over the world by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.
There are three main parts of the celebration:
- Getting together with your family, friends, and loved ones.
- Feasting on delicious food - including the gifting of sweets called Mithai.
- And of course lights - People decorate their homes with lights or traditional diyas, clay lamps. Many households and towns set off fireworks.
So many people across the city celebrate this holiday, which is why it was such an important step to declare it a New York City public school holiday.
This year, it's observed on Sunday, but next year, students will have the day off.
RECIPES TO HELP YOU CELEBRATE DIWALI
Gulab Jamun
Ingredients:
Syrup:
Sugar:2 cups
Water: 11/2 cups
Cardamoms:6
Cinnamon stick :1
Rose water: 1/2 tsp
Gulab Jamun dough:
Dry whole milk powder:11/2cups
All purpose flour:2 tsp
Melted ghee:1tsp
Carnation milk:
Instructions:
1. In a medium saucepan, add sugar, water, cardamom, and cinnamon stick.
2. Heat the syrup mixture over medium heat slowly bringing it to a simmer while stirring for about 10 minutes
3. Once sugar is completely dissolved and clear turn off heat.
4. Add rose water, mix well, and set aside
Dough:
1. In a large mixing bowl, add whole milk powder, flour and ghee.
2. Mix well with dry ingredients to form a moist and crumbly mixture.
3. Slowly add carnation milk. Mix gently to form a soft dough.
4. Cover dough and set aside.
5. Next roll about 1 tbsp of dough between your palms, with light pressure to form a smooth and round ball without any cracks.
6. Roll into balls until dough is finished. Set aside.
7. Heat enough oil to completely cover the Gulab Jamun.
8. Once it's hot reduce to slow heat and then fry gulab jamoon balls into batches moving them constantly until golden brown.
9. Drain the oil and add fried gulab jamun into syrup.
Boil & Fry Chana
Ingredients
1 cup of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight then rinsed and drained
5 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin (geera)
1/2 teaspoon of salt or salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda (optional)
Instructions:
1. Drain and rinse soaked chickpeas, then add to a large saucepan with enough water to boil (about 4 cups of water) and 3/4 teaspoon of salt.
2. Place saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil uncovered
3. Boil until chickpeas are tender and can be crushed with your fingertips without having a grainy texture. This should take about 30 minutes. You may add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water for faster boiling
4. When the chickpeas cooks to your desired texture drain the chickpeas reserving 1/2 cup of the liquids, then set aside
5. Next, add oil to a large frying pan or skillet on medium heat. When the oil comes up to temperature add the green onions and the garlic and sauté until the garlic is a little brown. This should take about a minute
6. Then add the drained chickpeas, the cumin, cayenne pepper, and the liquids you reserved to the sauté pan and mix together well
7. Sauté until all of the liquid cooks off and your chana has a soft and creamy texture but not mushy
Gluten-Free Pholourie
Ingredients
1/4 cup split peas
1 1/2 cups Hot water
1/2 yellow onion chopped
3 scallions divided
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup water divided
1 teaspoon rapid-rising yeast
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon roasted ground cumin (geera)
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups Oil suitable for frying
Special Equipment
Food processor or blender
1 1/2 tbsp cookie scoop
Instructions
1. Rinse your split peas, then cover with 1 1/2 cups of hot water and let soak overnight. When ready to cook, drain and rinse thoroughly
2. In a food processor or blender combine rinsed soaked split peas, onion, garlic, and the white parts from the scallions. Add 1/4 cup of water and blend until it forms a smooth paste
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free all-purpose flour, instant yeast, curry powder, roasted ground cumin (geera), garam masala, and salt then mix together well
4. Next, add the blended split peas paste to the dry ingredients, along with the remaining water, and mix together to form a thick batter-like consistency. Then thinly slice the green stems of the scallions and fold them into the batter. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.
5. When you are ready to cook, add the oil to a small saucepan, deep enough to have 3 inches of oil. Add the saucepan to medium heat and bring up to temperature (about 300 F)
6. When the oil is hot, scoop tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil. The fritters should sink to the bottom but rise to the surface within 30 seconds. If they do not rise to the surface, use a spoon to free them from the bottom or they will burn
7. Working in batches, as needed, cook the fritters until golden brown, stirring often for even cooking. Then remove from the oil and rest on a few paper towel sheets.
8. Allow to cool completely then serve with some mango sour
Guyanese Sweet Rice (Kheer)
Ingredients:
1 cup of Arborio rice or Long grain white rice preferred, soaked overnight in 2 cups of water
4 cups of water
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 teaspoon of whole cloves
4 Cardamom pods
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
1/4 cup of golden raisins rinsed
1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract/essence
Instructions:
1. Add water and spices to a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil on high heat
2. Next drain and rinse the soaked rice, then add rice and raisins (if using) to boiling water
3. Continue to boil for 10 minutes then reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes without stirring
4. Then add evaporated milk, condensed milk and vanilla extract (essence) to the saucepan with the rice and mix together well
5. Continue to cook on low for another 10 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness, stirring often to prevent burning or sticking
6. Serve warm and enjoy
RELATED: Tagmo restaurant in Lower Manhattan preparing sweet treats for Diwali
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