With Diwali happening this Saturday, South African influencers have decided to share with you some delicious recipes that you can easily recreate at home.
From Taystee half-moons to tres leches soji cake, we are sure you will find something you like.
Diwali - also known as the festival of lights is a five-day celebration that symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness. However, there is more to this event than just beautiful lights – delicious food plays an important role too.
Marketing Manager at Jungle, Kershnee Kallee says that although there are so many dishes that come to mind when you think of Diwali, the festival is most famous for its sweet goods.
“One of the most commonly baked Diwali dishes has to be soji cake, which is most commonly made with semolina, however, bakers can also use Taystee wheat which is a staple in so many homes due to its versatile nature. This Diwali, we want to encourage consumers to get creative and bake up a storm. In case a little inspiration is needed, we’re sharing a few tasty recipes that can be easily recreated at home,” says Kallee.
Below are the tasty recipes you can recreate this special day.
Taystee half moons by Derusha Naidoo
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1.5 cups of self-raising flour
3 tbsp butter or ghee
0.5 cups milk
0.5 cups Jungle Taystee Wheat
0.5 cup fresh coconut, grated
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp cardamom powder or elaichi
0.5 tbsp nutmeg powder
0.25 cups chopped cranberries
0.25 cups chopped pecan nuts
Oil or ghee for frying
Method
Making the Soji filling
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan (pan with a thick base) with 1 tablespoon of ghee and add Jungle Taystee Wheat.
Gently fry the Jungle Taystee Wheat until it turns golden or light brown. Once the colour has changed, add in the grated coconut.
Once the Jungle Taystee Wheat (Soji) is cooked, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a bowl.
Then to that bowl, add sugar, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, and chopped cranberries or pecan nuts. Mix everything thoroughly and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
Now the outer pastry shell or casing.
In a bowl, add the flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons of butter or ghee. Add the cold milk gradually to make a firm ball of dough.
Divide the dough into equal portions, dust in flour, and roll them out into two-inch diameter flattened rotis. Place them in a calzone maker and place a portion of the filling in the hollow centre part.
Apply a little milk to the edges, close the calzone maker, and press firmly.
Deep fry in the ghee or cooking oil to your liking and place it on absorbent tissue paper to cool. Then enjoy.
Soji cake pops by Bianca Naidoo.
Serves: 12-14
Ingredients
Cake
1 cup Jungle Taystee Wheat
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup self-raising
1 cup white sugar
½tsp elaichi powder
2 tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla essence
2 cups of milk
250g butter
Buttercream ingredients
100g butter
200g icing sugar
½ vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
300g white chocolate, melted
Sprinkles to decorate cake pops
Method for the cake
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a medium pan, melt butter on low-to-medium heat then adds milk and vanilla essence.
Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. Then, pour the mixture into a greased baking pan.
Bake for plus-minus 30 or 35 minutes, then allow cooling.
Method for the buttercream.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth - add the vanilla extract and milk and beat again.
Once the cake is cooled, crumble into large crumbs. Add the buttercream and stir together.
Take chunks of the cake mixture and roll into balls, then transfer each ball to a plate lined with a baking sheet.
Add a lollipop stick into each ball, then put it into the fridge for an hour to set.
Method for the dip
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, blasting it, and stirring at 10 seconds intervals until smooth.
Tip the sprinkles into another bowl. Take each of the chilled cake pops and dip into the white chocolate, allowing it to drip off a little over the bowl.
Dip into the sprinkles, then stand upright in a mug to dry at room temperature for an hour, or in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Tres leches soji cake by Naliyani Uma.
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
1 cup of self - raising flour
1 cup of desiccated coconut
1 cup of Jungle Taystee Wheat
3 eggs
1 cup of sugar
4 tbsp of margarine
½ a tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp egg yellow food colouring
¼ tsp cardamom powder
1 cup of milk to combine n mix ingredients
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
250ml fresh cream
Method
Melt butter then adds sugar and eggs - whisk until creamy.
Add the flour, coconut, Taystee Wheat, and mix well.
Add the vanilla essence, egg yellow, cardamom, and stir well until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Follow up with milk gradually to combine all ingredients.
Spray the baking pan non-stick and line with waxing paper.
Pour mixture into the baking pan and sprinkle coloured almonds on top.
Bake at 160 degrees for 25 - 30minutes until ready. Allow cooling for 15 minutes.
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and ¼ cup fresh cream in a small bowl. Pierce the cake surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle mixture leaving 1 cup aside of the milk mixture. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.
Whip fresh cream, 3 tablespoon sugar until thick, and it is ready to pipe on the cake.
Decorate with Almonds and Pistachio.
For more recipes and tips on how to look after your health on Diwali, you can feast your eyes on our very special Diwali digital magazine.