Yudhika Sujanani L’Etang shares some of her favourite recipes for the festival of Diwali, which happens this year on Sunday November 3.
ROSE AND PISTACHIO BURFEE
Makes 14-16
175ml tinned dessert cream
500g full cream milk powder
375ml castor sugar
250ml cold water
7.5ml rose essence
2.5ml ground cardamom
25ml butter
a few drops of red food colouring
50g ground pistachios
gold leaf, to garnish
whole pistachios, to garnish
Use non-stick spray to grease a silicone mould.
In a bowl, rub the dessert cream into the milk powder until it resembles bread crumbs.
Leave aside for an hour to dry out.
Put the milk powder mixture in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds or until the crumbs are fine.
Combine the sugar and water and boil to make a thick syrup. Add the rose essence, cardamom, butter and colouring to the syrup.
Mix the ground pistachios into the milk powder, then add the syrup.
Stir well to combine. Working quickly, press the mixture into the moulds.
Refrigerate until firm. Unmould and garnish with gold leaf and pistachios.
DIWALI BURFEE MACARONS
Makes 16
100g ground almonds
180g icing sugar
pinch of salt
90g egg whites
25g sugar
pinch of cardamom
red gel food colouring
Filling
60ml fresh cream
100g white chocolate, chopped
60g burfee, finely chopped
Preheat your oven to 160°C.
Draw 4cm circles on silicone baking paper and turn it on to a baking sheet.
Put almonds in a coffee grinder and process until fine.
Sift the icing sugar with the ground almonds into a bowl, and then add salt.
Whisk the egg whites until foamy and gradually add the sugar.
When stiff peaks form, add the cardamom and red colouring. Gently fold the almond mixture into the egg whites.
Pipe mixture on the baking paper. Gently tap the tray to remove air bubbles. Leave aside for an hour so that the macarons set. Bake for 12-15 minutes and then leave the oven door ajar for 5 minutes. Leave to cool and then remove from the baking paper.
FILLING: Heat the cream and then add the chocolate. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, and then add the chopped burfee.
Stir the mixture until smooth and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Sandwich the macarons together with the filling.
Serve at room temperature once the filling has set.
FISH AND PRAWN BREYANI
Serves 6-8
15ml red chilli powder
salt
1kg firm white fish,
cut into portions
65ml sunflower oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5ml cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
7ml coarse salt
20ml crushed garlic
30ml red chilli powder
400g chopped tomatoes
10ml ground cumin
10ml ground coriander
2ml turmeric
125ml fresh cream
4 potatoes, sliced into rounds and fried
250ml cooked lentils
900ml cooked basmati rice, cooled
100g butter, melted
250ml boiling water
oil for frying
1kg prawn tails
Rub the red chilli and salt over the fish steaks and leave to marinate in the refrigerator.
In a large pot, heat the oil, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. When the spices are fragrant, add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the onion and salt. Sauté until the onion is light golden brown.
Add the crushed garlic, stir for a few seconds, and then add the red chilli powder. Add the chopped tomatoes followed by ground cumin, coriander and turmeric. Simmer until the tomatoes soften. Add the cream.
Layer the potatoes and half the lentils over the tomatoes in the pot. Next add the cold basmati rice and the remaining lentils.
Drizzle the melted butter over the rice. Add the boiling water and steam on low until rice is heated through.
In a separate pan, heat some oil and fry the fish until golden brown. Place the fish over the rice.
Lastly, sauté the prawn tails until cooked. Season with salt and scatter them over the rice. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and leave to infuse for a minute.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.
PANEER MAKHANI
Serves 6-8
600g paneer
60ml cashew nuts
125ml boiling water
15ml chopped ginger
15ml crushed garlic
2 green chillies, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
5ml cumin seeds
60ml sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
7.5ml coarse salt
20ml red chilli powder
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
15ml ground coriander
10ml ground cumin
5ml garam masala
pinch of ground cardamom
2ml turmeric
250ml boiling water
60g cold butter, diced
30ml fresh cream
coriander to garnish
gold leaf to decorate
Slice the paneer into pieces and set aside.
Soak the cashew nuts in boiling water for 10 minutes and liquidise until smooth.
Pound the ginger, garlic and green chilli together.
Fry the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and cumin seeds in oil until fragrant.
Add onions and salt and sauté until light golden brown.
Add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilli, and then the red chilli powder.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes.
Sprinkle in the ground spices. Simmer until the tomatoes soften completely. Use a potato masher to break down any lumps.
Add the cashew paste and boiling water.
Simmer until the sauce thickens. Whisk the cold butter into the sauce, and then add in the cream.
Gently place the paneer into the cooked sauce and heat through.
Garnish with fresh coriander and edible gold leaf. - The Star