5 sweets made with a combination of tradition and modernity

This Diwali, if you feel like making some special sweets at home, then here we have shared five such sweets, which are not only special in taste but also easy to make.

Saffron Coconut Barfi

Material: Coconut powder/dry coconut 2 cups, milk powder 1 cup, milk 1 cup, sugar ½ cup, ghee 2 tbsp, saffron 10-12 threads, hot milk 2 tbsp, cardamom powder ½ tsp, chopped pistachios/almonds 2 tbsp.

Method: First of all, soak saffron in 2 tablespoons hot milk and keep it for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan, add coconut powder and fry it on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Take care that the color of the coconut does not change. Now add milk powder to it and mix well. Add milk slowly and stir continuously so that lumps do not form. Add sugar and saffron milk and cook on medium-low flame while stirring continuously. When the mixture thickens and starts leaving the pan, add cardamom powder and turn off the gas. Spread the mixture in a greased plate or tray and add pistachios and almonds on top. When it cools down slightly, cut the barfi into desired shapes. The barfi will set once it cools completely.

Cashew Barfi with Dryfruit Stuffing

Material: For the cashew layer: Cashews 250 grams, powdered sugar 125 grams, water 50-60 ml, cardamom powder ½ tsp, ghee 1 tsp, saffron few strands. For dry fruit stuffing: Almonds 30 grams, Pistachios 20 grams, Cashews 30 grams, Walnuts 20 grams, Coconut flakes 1 tablespoon, Powdered sugar 1-2 tablespoons, Cardamom powder 1 teaspoon, Ghee 1 teaspoon.

Method: Without roasting the cashews, grind them lightly in a mixer and make a fine powder. Coarsely chop almonds, pistachios, cashews and walnuts. Add 1 tsp ghee in the pan and fry it lightly. Add coconut, sugar and cardamom to it and mix. Turn off the gas and let the mixture cool. Add sugar and water in the pan and cook on medium flame. Cook until about 1 thread of syrup is formed. Now reduce the flame and add cashew powder and cook while stirring continuously. The mixture will gradually thicken and start leaving the pan. Add cardamom and saffron. When the mixture becomes like soft dough and does not stick much when touched with hand, turn off the gas. Let it cool slightly. Place cashew mixture on butter paper and roll it. Spread an even layer of prepared dry fruit stuffing in the middle. Now roll out the cashew mixture on the other side and place it over the stuffing and set by pressing gently. Decorate with silver work and chopped pistachios on top. Let set for 30-60 minutes.

Doda barfi made from oatmeal

Material: Dalia 1 cup, full cream milk 1 liter, sugar ½ cup, mawa/khoya 200 grams, ghee 4 tbsp, milk powder 2 tbsp, chopped cashews 2 tbsp, chopped almonds 2 tbsp, pistachios 1 tbsp, cardamom powder ½ tsp, cocoa powder 1 tsp.

Method: Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan. Add porridge to it and fry on low flame till it turns golden. Now add milk to it and cook while stirring continuously until it becomes soft and the milk thickens. Add mawa and milk powder to it and mix well. Now add sugar. After adding sugar the mixture will be slightly thin. Cook while stirring continuously until the mixture thickens again and starts leaving the pan. Add remaining ghee and fry well. If you want, you can add 1 teaspoon cocoa powder to give it a color like Doda Barfi. Add chopped cashews, almonds, pistachios and cardamom powder and mix well. Grease a plate or tray with ghee and pour the mixture into it. Spread evenly by pressing well with a spoon. Put some dry fruits on top and press it lightly. Let it cool for 2-3 hours. After it sets, cut it into desired shapes. To get the real taste of Doda Barfi, fry the porridge well and fry the mixture on low flame.

Rose Gulkand Coconut-Mawa Sweets

Material: Mawa/khoya 200 grams, dry coconut powder 100 grams, powdered sugar 3-4 tbsp, gulkand 4-5 tbsp, cardamom powder ½ tsp, rose essence 2-3 drops, chopped cashews/almonds 2 tbsp, ghee 1 tsp.

Method: Add 1 teaspoon ghee in the pan and fry the mawa on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Take care that the color of the mawa does not change. Now add coconut powder to it and fry for 1-2 more minutes. Turn off the gas and let the mixture cool down a bit. Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, rose essence and chopped dry fruits and mix well. Apply some ghee on your hands, take a small ball of the mixture and flatten it slightly. Place ½-1 tsp gulkand in the center and close the edges and give it a round or desired shape. Garnish with coconut, pistachios or dried rose petals. Let the dessert set in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Tip: Gulkand is very sweet, so add sugar as per your choice in the outer mixture of the sweet.

Bengali Sweet Kacha Gola

Material: Fresh chhena/paneer 250 grams, powdered sugar 60-70 grams, milk powder 1 tablespoon, cardamom powder ½ teaspoon, few threads of saffron (optional), rose water ½ teaspoon (optional), pistachios/almonds for garnishing.

Method: Take fresh chenna in a plate and mash it well, so that no grains remain and the chenna becomes completely smooth. Now add powdered sugar and milk powder to the chenna and mix well. Put this mixture in a non-stick pan and cook on very low flame for 3-4 minutes while stirring continuously. Keep in mind that the mixture should not dry out. Turn off the gas and let the mixture cool down a bit. Add cardamom powder and rose water to it and mash it well again. Apply some ghee on your hands and take small portions of the mixture and shape them into rounds. Garnish with pistachios, almonds or saffron. Kacha Gola is ready. Let it cool and serve.