The great thing about Diwali is that it is a festival for all of your senses. As well as the gorgeous colours and explosive fireworks, there’s also amazing food to excite your taste buds. Still, how do you achieve that delicious Diwali menu, without sacrificing your health and wellbeing in the process? We’ve got the skinny from Executive Chef Inder Dev from Fortune Select Excalibur, who has outlined some mouth-watering Indian dishes that are easy to prepare, good for your wellness and entirely suitable for Diwali’s pomp and show.
1. Adraki Lauki Palak: For this dish, you will need
- 200g Lauki
- 1 tbsp Ginger paste
- 1 tsp Garlic paste
- 1 cup Boiled spinach paste
- 1 tsp Green chilli paste
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp Mustard oil
Start by heating your mustard oil in a pan, and then add the ginger and garlic paste. Allow this mixture to cook for a moment, and then you can add the green chilli paste and spinach paste. Dice and boil your lauki and add it to the pan, making sure to mix well. Cook this together well and then add your remaining ingredients before you serve.
2. Kaddu Panki: For this dish, you will need
- 1 cup Red pumpkin
- ¼ cup Onion
- 1 tbsp Tomato
- 1 tsp Green chillies
- A pinch of cumin powder
- A pinch of Amchoor powder
- A pinch of Garam masala powder
- A pinch of Turmeric powder
- Salt, to taste
- 1 round banana leaf
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
To begin, boil and mash up your red pumpkin coarsely. Dice your onion and tomato, and then add this to the pumpkin mash. Chop up your green chilli and add this to the mix with the pinches of cumin powder, amchoor powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt. Heat a pan and cook the mixture over a slow flame until all the water has evaporated. Then, take your mixture and place it in a banana leaf. Using the mustard oil, cook on hot tawa on both the sides, and then serve.
3. Matar Bhari Mirch Tamatar Masala: For this dish you will need
- 4 Green chillies
- 1 cup Green peas
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- Salt, to taste
- A pinch of amchoor powder
- 1 tbsp Mustard oil
- 1 tsp Garlic paste
- 1 tsp Ginger paste
- 1 cup Tomato puree
- A pinch of garam masala powder
- 1 tsp Boiled magaz paste
Start by making slits in your green chillies and rubbing a little bit of salt on the inside of each one. Put these to one side and boil your green peas. Put the peas in a bowl and mix with the cumin powder, amchoor powder and a little salt to taste. Then, take your chillies and remove any excess water from the inside, before you fill them with your boiled peas mixture – also known as the matar mixture, if you’re interested. After this, you need to make your sauce. Boil your tomato puree. While that’s boiling, heat the mustard oil and add the ginger and garlic paste, allowing this to cook for a moment. Then, add the boiled tomato puree – as well as all the other ingredients – and cook well. You can arrange your chillies on a serving platter and finish by pouring over the sauce, or do things the other way around with the chillies on a bed of sauce to give it a more professional look.