Diwali special: Three must try recipes for the festive season by Khandani Rajdhani 

Jalebi

Ingredients 
o Refined flour (maida) 1 cup
o Yoghurt 1/2 cup
o Sugar 3 cups
o Milk 1 tablespoon
o Saffron (kesar) a few
o Ghee for deep-frying

Method
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk refined flour, yoghurt and sufficient water to a smooth and pouring consistency batter. Cover and keep in a warm place to ferment for 24 hours.

Step 2
Beat the batter with your hands again for 15 minutes. Cook sugar with 2 cups water in a deep non-stick pan on high heat, stirring continuously, till the sugar dissolves.

Step 3
Add milk and when the scum rises to the top, collect it with a ladle and discard.

Step 4
Add saffron and cook, stirring, till the syrup reaches one string consistency. Keep the syrup warm. Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai on medium heat.

Step 5
Pour some batter onto a jalebi cloth, gather the edges and make a tight potli.

Step 6
Squeeze round spirals into the hot ghee and deep fry, turning them over gently a few times, till they are evenly golden and crisp.

Step 7
Drain and soak in sugar syrup for 2-3 minutes. Take them out of the syrup and serve hot.

Shakarpara
For: 3 servings:

Ingredients:
 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
 1 pinch powdered saffron
 1/4 teaspoon ghee
 1 dash powdered green cardamom
 125 ml refined oil
 1/4 cup water
For The Main Dish
 1/2 cup sugar

Method:

Step 1
To prepare this Shakarpara recipe, take a wide bowl and add ghee and maida with little water. Combine these ingredients using your hands and knead into a thick dough. Take small portions of the dough and make large pooris out of it. Once done, cut these freshly prepared pooris into desired shapes (squares or
triangles).

Step 2
Meanwhile, take a pan and heat it over medium flame. Then add the remaining oil for deep frying and once the oil is sufficiently hot, carefully put the squares in the pan. Deep fry them till they turn slightly golden. Keep the flame low.

Step 3
Once done, drain the excess oil using an absorbent paper and transfer in plate. Meanwhile, take another pan and add the water and the sugar in it. Heat the pan over medium flame. Then add saffron powder and simmer the mixture till it gets thick and sticky in texture. Then remove from flame and keep aside.

Step 4
Add the deep-fried squares into the sugar syrup and mix so that the sugar syrup is well coated. Once the syrup is properly soaked, remove the Shakarparas and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle cardamom powder on it and let the Shakarparas attain normal room temperature. Serve the delicious sweet delight with tea or
coffee.

Kesari Shrikhand

Prep time: 8-10 hour
Cook time: 0-5 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients 
o Saffron (kesar) large pinch
o Yoghurt 1 kilogram
o Sugar substitute sucralose 1/3 cup
o Warm milk 2 tablespoons
o Nutmeg powder a pinch
o Green cardamom powder 1/4 teaspoon
o Almonds blanched, peeled and sliced 5-6
o Pistachios blanched, peeled and sliced 8-10

Method

Step 1
Tie the yoghurt in a piece of muslin and hang it overnight over a bowl, in a refrigerator, to drain.

Step 2
Transfer the drained yoghurt into a bowl. Add the sugar substitute and mix well.

Step 3
Soak the saffron in warm milk, cool and add to the yoghurt mixture. Mix well.

Step 4
Add the nutmeg powder and cardamom powder; mix well and chill in the refrigerator.

Step 5
Serve chilled, decorated with the almonds and pistachios.