Diwali recipes by Keenan Blake

Jalebi

For the batter

1 cup cake flour

2 tbs corn flour

2 tbs yoghurt

1 tsp yellow food colouring

2 tsp baking powder

2/3 cups warm water

2 tsp sugar

2 tbs oil

For the syrup

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups water

2 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp cardamom powder

a bit of saffron

1/2 tsp egg yellow powder

Add everything into a bowl and make a thick batter. Set the batter aside and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Make sure the batter is smooth.

Single thread sugar syrup

Boil the sugar and water together on medium heat. Once the sugar syrup come to the boil, simmer for about 5 minutes. So it takes total of about 12 to 15 minutes to get the sugar syrup done.

Add the lemon juice, cardamom powder, egg yellow powder, saffron and off the heat. It is  important that you prepare single thread syrup for best result.

How to check for single thread syrup: With the help of your thumb and point finger, take sugar syrup (make sure it is not too hot) on the tip of your point finger, and rub it between your thumb and point fingertip, and when you pull, you should see one thread.

Making the jalebis

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. To check if the oil is ready, put a drop of batter in the oil. The batter should sizzle and come up without changing in colour right away.

Fill the jalebi batter into a squeeze bottle or piping bag. You can also use an empty bottle (empty ketchup or mustard bottle). Squeeze the jalebi batter out in the medium hot oil in a pretzel shape. Fry the jalebis until the oil around it bubbles less. Immerse into the warm syrup.

Let the jalebi soak in the warm syrup for a few seconds and take out. Serve hot or warm or cold.

Banana Puri 

500ml cake flour

2ml baking powder

250ml water

3ml lemon juice

125ml melted butter (2 tablespoon for the dough)

125ml cornflour

Syrup

250ml sugar

1/2 tsp elachi powder

125ml water

Boil the sugar and water for 10 minutes. Make sure this is a thick syrup consistency like golden syrup.

Method 

Sift the dry ingredients. Rub 2 tablespoons of butter into the dry ingredients. Add the cold water with the lemon juice in it, to form a dough. Knead until smooth.

Divide the dough into 8 portion. Roll each portion into normal size rotis. Brush the first one with melted butter and then sprinkle with corn flour. Place another roti on top. Continue this until you use up all the circles, by stacking them on top of each other and placing the last roti on top (the top of the stack should not have butter or cornflour).

Roll into large rectangular shapes. Cut the edges to make it straight. Cut into 3cm size strips. Fold each strip 5 times. You can use a flour paste to seal it. Press down with rolling pin until it is flat (not very flat).

Heat the oil (not too hot, the banana puri should not brown), Place the banana puri in oil. Use two forks and control the banana puri as it fries. When they are frying open the layers with the fork. Do not let brown. Remove from the heat and place on a cooling rack to allow all the oil to be removed.

When cooled, dip into the warm syrup and garnish with almonds.

Chana Magaj 

600g gram flour

80ml milk

1 tsp nutmeg

2 cups sugar syrup

500g butter or ghee

1 tbso cardamom powder

1 1/2 cups Klim

colour almond nibs

Method

In a bowl, sift the gram flour and rub the milk in. Put through a processor and process until fine or you can use a sift.

Use a thick bottom pan and add 500g butter or ghee. Fry the chana mixture until golden brown on medium heat for around 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful. Do not burn the mixture.

Remove from the stove. Add the chana mixture into another bowl. Now add the cardamom powder, nutmeg and Klim. Mix everything together. Add enough sugar syrup to bring everything together. Mould and shape as you desire.

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