Bread karanji to Dudhi Halwa Gulab Jamun Cake: Make these unique innovations of classic sweets this Diwali

The festive season is here and with Diwali around the corner, Mumbaikars and Indians are going to savour every moment of it, especially because they will be available to enjoy it like never before in a post-pandemic world. Commonly called ‘The Festival of Lights', people will not only be busy celebrating with firecrackers, but also with different kinds of faral (snacks) as well as irresistible sweets.

Interestingly, many people will soon get busy making traditional sweets but there are others who are looking for new ways to make these very sweets and Indian chefs may just have the solution. People will be enjoying karanji, anarse, laddoos and shankarpali every single day to indulge in the festivities.
While many people have the luxury of their mothers and family coming together to make sweets, there are others who will be celebrating Diwali alone. However, if you love cooking, there should be nothing stopping you from making your own sweets.

As many people welcome the festival soon, mid-day.com spoke to Mumbai chefs and asked them to share innovative recipes that people could follow to innovate with classic sweets. They say you can not only make karanjis differently but also reimagine the gajar-ka-halwa-gulab jamun combination; they even elevate malpua, make a healthy laddoo and even share a recipe for a mithai shaped like a diya. It is time to put on your chef's hat and try making unique variations of the classic for yourself and your friends to celebrate Diwali like you always do.

Chocolate Motichoor Laddoo
In India, people absolutely love delicious sweets like motichoor laddoo but what if you gave it a twist? Chef Rajiv Das, who is the executive chef at Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport in Andheri says you can make a Chocolate Motichoor Laddoo, which is all set to be on their festive menu this Diwali. He explains, "Motichoor laddoo is one of the most popular traditional sweets that is consumed during the festivities or any auspicious occasion in India. On the other hand, chocolates are also one of the most preferred sweets that are gifted during Diwali. Embracing tradition with a modern twist, we enrobed the beloved Motichoor ladoo with a layer of velvety white chocolate. The gentle sweetness of white chocolate harmoniously complements the rich taste of Motichoor laddoo creating a perfect harmony of flavours."

Ingredients:

For Motichoor laddoo:
Gram flour (besan) 2 1/2 cup
Ghee 2 cup
Baking soda 2 pinch
Green cardamom 1 1/2 tsp
Edible food colour 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Take around 2 1/2 cups of gram flour and mix edible orange colour. Then, add some water and a little baking soda. Blend the mixture well and make sure there are no lumps.
2. Now, heat ghee in a large deep-frying pan. Place a perforated ladle on top of the oil and add some of the batter. Slowly let the boondi batter fall in the ghee and cook them on a low flame, till properly cooked. Once done, place the boondi on a tissue paper to remove excess oil.
3. Then, take a pan and add some water and sugar, allow this to boil until it attains a two-string consistency. Then add some cardamom powder and let it cook.
4. Then add the boondis and cook till the sugar syrup and boondi is perfectly mixed. Cover it with the lid and turn off the flame.
5. Grease your hands with a little ghee and start shaping the laddoos.
6. Place them in an open tray.

For tempering chocolate (dark and white):
White chocolate
Dark chocolate
Chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews)
Edible silver leaf

Method:
1. Heat some water in a pan or vessel over low heat and place a heat-resistant bowl on top of the water pot.
2. Add chopped white chocolate into the top bowl.
3. Keep stirring with a spatula until it is almost melted.
4. Remove it from the heat and continue stirring until smooth and shiny.
5. Transfer it to a small bowl.
6. Arrange the laddoo on a lined plate or tray and let them chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
7. Take the laddus out of the freezer, once it is chilled and set properly.
8. Dip each chilled laddoo into the melted chocolate and coat it well.
9. Tap to remove the excess chocolate.
10. Place it back to the lined plate or tray.
11. Immediately, sprinkle chopped nuts on top.
12. Repeat the process with the remaining laddoos.
13. Garnish it with edible silver leaf.

Malpua with macerated fruits and saffron reduction
While the motichoor ladoo is a favourite throughout the year, the malpua is no different. So, it is no surprise that Chef Mozanne Karbhari, pastry chef at ITC Grand Central in Parel, wants you to make malpua this Diwali but with some additions. Karbhari explains, "Since my college days, making something new every year in preparation for Diwali has been a ritual. The malpua with macerated fruits is my personal favourite." The city chef not only adds macerated fruits to the malpua but also serves it with a saffron reduction, completely elevating the dish this festive season.

For malpua:
Flour 250 gm
Semolina 185 gm
Sugar 75 gm
Whole peppercorn 2 nos
Aniseed 1 tsp
Ghee for frying 500 ml

For layering:
Assorted diced fresh fruits (Green apple, oranges, muskmelon, pears) 250 gm
Orange sauce 200 ml
Red cherry compote 50 gm
Liquid glucose for garnishing 50 gm
Saffron reduction 50 ml

Method:
1. For malpua, soak semolina in 2 cups of water for at least half an hour. Mix soaked semolina with all the other ingredients except oil, water and sugar. Ensure that the batter is smooth and of medium thick consistency.
2. Pour a ladle full of batter and deep fry one at a time.
3. Soak the malpua in thickened sugar syrup.
4. Neatly dice all the fresh fruits. Boil the orange juice. Add chopped mint leaves for infusion. Let it cool down to room temperature. Mix the same.
5. Take a round mould and place it on the centre of the plate. Put one malpua on the base. Drain out macerated fruits and neatly arrange the same in the ring. Make sure that the fruits are arranged tightly. Put the second layer of malpua and repeat the same process with fruits. Finally put the top layer of malpua.
6. Bake the liquid glucose in the oven after spreading it thinly over the Baking Tray and use the same for garnishing.
7. Finish the dessert by decorating the plate with red cherry compote. Serve at room temperature.

Choco-mithai diya
There are Diwali sweets and there are Diwali sweets shaped like diyas to get into the festive spirit - and the latter is certainly going to amaze guests when they see it. Chef Jerson Fernandes, who is the executive chef at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, recommends making a chocolate mithai diya. He explains, "The chocolate mithai diya has the sweetness of milk cake, the tanginess of aamrakhand, and the indulgence of chocolate, crafted in the form of a diya." In fact, the city chef says, it is one of the simplest recipes with a twist of taste and flavour to try this Diwali.
For the milk cake

Ingredients:
Whole milk 4 cups
Sugar 1 cup
All Purpose flour 1 cup
Unsalted butter 1/2 cup
Vanilla Extract 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Pistachio for garnish 10 gm

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reduces to half its original volume.
3. Add the butter, flour, vanilla extract, and salt to the milk mixture. Stir continuously over low heat until the batter thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. This might take around 20-25 minutes.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Garnish with pistachios.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and centre cooked.
6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Aamrakhand:

Ingredients:
Hung Curd 4 cups
Ripe mango pulp 1 cup
Powdered sugar 1 cup
Saffron strand 1/2 cup
Ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp

Method:
1. Take the hung curd in a mixing bowl and add the mango pulp. Mix well until the mango pulp is fully incorporated into the curd.
2. Add powdered sugar, saffron strands, and ground cardamom to the mango-yogurt mixture. Stir thoroughly until the sugar is completely dissolved, and the saffron and cardamom are well combined.
3. Chill the aamrakhand in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavours to meld.
4. Garnish with saffron strands later while assembling.

For the chocolate diya assembling:

Ingredients:
Tempered chocolate 200 gm
Dried rose petals few petals
Silver leaf 1 leaf
Vertical Almond slice 5 nos

Method:
1. Pour melted tempered chocolate into a diya shape mould and refrigerate till the chocolate hardens and sets well. Do not demould the chocolate now. 2. Press the chilled milk cake mawa on the inside edges of set chocolate diya and flatten the inside.
3. Slowly spoon the set aamrakhand mixture into the centre of the set milk cake mixture.
4. Chill and demould the diya. Garnish with pistachio, saffron strands, silver leaf and dried rose petals.
5. In the centre of the set aamrakhand place an almond slice vertically to resemble the wick of the burning diya.
Gulab Jamun Dudhi Halwa Cake
Everybody loves gulab jamuns, and a lot of people love gajarka halwa. It is also why chef Jagdish Naidu at Ishaara says since mostly everyone makes gajar halwa and gulab jamun for Diwali, he wants you to make something different. He explains, "For a change, I made dudhi halwa and made a cake out of it. Then made a layer of dudhi halwa and gulab jamun in sponge cake and topped it with pistachio mousse. The innovative idea is to make a nice cake with Diwali dessert that is popular during the festival."

Ingredients:
For Dudhi halwa sponge cake:
Dudhi halwa 30 gm
Flour 60 gm
Butter 60 gm
Castor sugar 60 gm
Baking powder 1/4 tsp
Baking soda 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp

For dudhi halwa:
Dudhi 75 gm
Milk 75 gm
Condensed milk 15 gm
Sugar 10 gm
Ghee 15 gm
Gulab jamun
Mawa 25 gm
Flour 5 gm
Baking powder a pinch
Cardamom powder a pinch
Milk powder 10 gm

For frying:
Ghee
Channi
Sugar 50 gm
Water 30 gm
Lemon slice

For Pistachio mousse:
Pistachio 25 gm
Heavy cream 20 gm
Sugar 8 gm
Roasted pistachio and almond crumble

Method:
1. To make the vanilla sponge, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, add vanilla essence and dudhi halwa. Then add sieved flour, baking powder and fold with spatula. Then put in a butter greased tray and cook at 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes.
2. To make the dudhi halwa, add ghee in a pan, then roast grated dudhi until it's lightly brown. Then add milk, condensed milk and sugar. Cook until dudhi is soft.
3. For the gulab jamun, add all ingredients of chasni & bring it to boil in a pot. Don't reduce much as the quality of gulabjamun will get affected.
4. For the gulab jamun dough, put milk powder, flour and baking soda in a bowl and sieve it. Then add ghee, mawa, cardamom powder and little water. Make a dough out of it and then make a ball. Then fry it in ghee. At the end, put in chasni.
5. For the pistachio mousse, boil the pistachio in water. Then blend it until smooth. Whip heavy cream and sugar until fluffy. Then fold pistachio paste in whip cream.
6. For the pistachio and almond crumble, roast it and then slice it.

Bread karanji
If there is one sweet that defines Diwali in India, it is karanji, that almost every other Indian absolutely loves. Gorging on karanjis till the end of the festival is one of the most favourite things to do during the festival. Keeping it interesting, Aditi Handa, co-founder and head chef at The Baker's Dozen says you can make karanjis out of bread. With Mumbai's close connection with bread, making bread karanjis is definitely amust this festive season. She shares, "This recipe honours culinary traditions, embodying the warmth of homemade sweets. Made with whole wheat flour, khoya, sugar, raisins, cashews, and elaichi powder, it captures the essence of Diwali with crispy, sweet karanjis to create cherished memories."

Ingredients:
Whole wheat loaf 2 cups
Khoya 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Raisins 1/4 cup
Cashews, chopped 1/4 cup
Elaichi powder 1 tsp

Method:
1. Take a bowl, add khoya, sugar, raisins, cashew and elaichi powder and mix it well.
2. Take the whole wheat loaf and cut the edges.
3. Add the filling to the bread and mould it into karanji shape.
4. Deep fry the bread in oil until golden brown.
5. It is ready to serve.

Millet and Jaggery Laddoos
Among the many different types of sweets that people enjoy during Diwali, the different kinds of laddoos are always a favourite. Chef Raveena Taurani, who is also the owner of Yogisattva Cafe, says people can easily opt to make millet and jaggery laddoos. She explains, "Millets are an excellent source of protein. As a grain, they have a higher concentration of protein than most other grains. They also help regulate your blood sugar levels. When you end up fasting for a long period of time, your blood sugar tends to spike when you start eating, so these laddoos are a great way to regulate your blood sugar before you start eating your full meal." Taurani adds that the millet and jaggery variation works as an excellent pre or post-workout snack too and people can also make a big batch for on-the-go laddoos to take to work or on travel.

Ingredients:
Foxtail Millet 1 cup
Almonds 1 1/2 cups (I prefer using them with skin, you're welcome to use them without skin, just soak them in hot water for 20 minutes so the skin is easy to peel off)
Jaggery cubes/Raw Jaggery or Jaggery Powder 1 cup
Drinking water 4-6 tbsp
Cardamom (optional) a pinch

Method:
1. Rinse your foxtail millet thoroughly in drinking water, till the water that comes out is completely clean.
2. Spread it out in batches on 2 paper towels attached to each other. Ensure you spread it out evenly, so you can remove any small stones completely.
3. Leave out to dry completely for about 20 minutes.
4. In the meanwhile, take almonds and dry roast them on a pan on a low to medium flame, you can also roast them in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes. Ensure to turn the baking pan around 5 minutes after baking time has passed.
5. Once the almonds are well roasted, allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes and pulse in a blender till you have a coarse flour-like consistency. Don't over-pulse, as it will turn into nut butter. Place this in a bowl.
6. The millet mixture would have significantly dried up now, add to a pan on low to medium flame and dry roast till all moisture is absorbed.
7. Once the colour of the millet changes, switch off the gas, and allow it to cool completely before adding it to a blender to make flour. Place the flour in the same bowl as the almond flour.
8. In a pot, add some jaggery cubes and 4-6 tbsps of water, and begin melting the jaggery into a syrup on a low to medium flame.
9. Once the syrup has cooled, add to the same bowl with the almond and millet flour.
10. Mix it by hand or a spatula and you should be able to make round ladoos with the batter easily. If the batter is too soft, place it in the freezer to chill for about 30 minutes before making the ladoos.
11. You should get about 8-10 laddoos and these last in an airtight container in the fridge for one week.
12. Enjoy the festive season with these laddoos and indulge guilt-free.