Depalu for Diwali

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 2 cups

Salt: 1/2 cup

Warm water: 1/2 cup

Food color: Few drops

Method:

Knead mixture. This mixture will be crumbly so you will have to add some water, but only add 1 tablespoon at a time.

The perfect texture is thick & pliable, but is not sticky. If it is too sticky, just add a touch of flour. Once it feels like cookie dough, you have the texture that you want, knead for 5 minutes.
Roll out your creations.
Bake in oven at 350F for about 10 minutes. Test & bake more if necessary.
If you have the climate & the time, creations can be left to 'air dry'.

Dried/cooked creations can be glittered and/or painted with acrylic paint.

paneer mutter with baby lima beans

Ingredients

Paneer : 1/2 lb
Baby lima beans : 1 1/2 cups (thaw and cook in microwave for 5 minutes)
Onion : 2 Chopped
Ginger garlic paste : 1tbsp
Red chilli powder : 2tsp
Dania powder : 1tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2tsp
Tomato : 1
Milk : 1/4cup
Poppy seeds : 1/2tsp
Water : 1/4 cup
Kasoori methi : 1tsp
Jeera : 1tsp
Oil : 2tbsp

Method

In a pan, heat oil and fry sliced onions till its color changes.

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 3 more mins.Put this into a blender along with red chilli powder,dania powder,turmeric powder,tomato,kaskas and grind well.

In a pan add 1tsp of oil and fry jeera.Add the grounded paste into this and fry till oil separates.

Add frozen peas and water into this and lt it boil.

Once the peas are almost cooked,reduce the heat and add milk into this.Add paneer pieces into this and cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Now open and add kasoori methi and cook for another 2 -3 minutes.Serve hot with roti/rice.

Enjoy

ChakraPongali

Ingredients:

Long grain rice: 4 cups

Moong dhal: 1 cup

Jaggery: 5 cups

Sugar: 1 cup

Butter: 2 1/2 sticks

Water: 8 cups

Elachi pwd: 1/2 tbsp

Sugar chips: 1/2 cup

Raisins: 1/2 cup (fry them in butter).

Coconut pieces: 1/2 cup (Remove the brown layer from the coconut pieces, cut them into small pieces, and fry them in butter).

Method:

Wash rice and moong dhal and cook them with 8 cups water and about 1/2 stick butter.

Mean while soak jaggery and sugar with about 1/2 cup water for about 1/2 hour.

In a heavy bottom pan fry raisins and coconut pieces in about 1/2 stick butter separately and keep aside.

Keep the jaggery and sugar mixture on heat and keep stirring until it starts to boil. Then filter the syrup to remove any impurities and keep it back on heat until you get the syrup to ball consistency. Remove from heat and add elachi pwd and the cooked rice to the syrup along with the butter sticks, raisins, and coconut pieces.

Let it cool and then add the sugar chips other wise the sugar chips may melt.

Enjoy.

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law who is an expert in making this dish. Thank you sasi for sharing this recipe with me.