Happy Diwali 2014 with Spicy peanuts

Happy Diwali everyone! Hope you have a fun and safe and happy day! Enjoy the mithai and light those diyas and enjoy the crackers. And when done spend time chatting with your family and friends.

Growing up I remember mom making tins (huge tins) of diwali mithai and non mithai for weeks. Then the day of diwali huge boxes would be distributed to neighbors. I would wait for the evening for all my cousins to come for the grand fire cracker celebration. Though I was terrified of the noise, I just loved having everyone around, gossiping, chatting laughing and having a good time!

Now far away from home and cousins and noise, I try keeping traditions. I make mithai and non mithai, but it is by the handful. I share some of those with friends and spend evening eating good food and lighting diyas and sparklers! My kids know and look forward to Diwali every year now!

This year I made a few sweets and non sweets. Sweets : Besan Laddoo and Karanja and coconut burfi. Non-sweet I made nimki and spicy peanuts. Here is my recipe for the spicy peanuts or ground nuts!

Ingredients
1 cup peanuts/groundnuts
1/2 cup besan or chickpea flour
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
Salt and Black Salt to taste
1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon jeera powder
Oil for frying

How To
Mix all the ingredients other than oil well. Then sprinkle water to coat the peanuts with the besan nicely. Leave aside for 5 min to marinate.
Heat oil and fry in batches.
Keep aside for puja or else enjoy fresh from the stove.
Sprinkle some black salt again if you want !

Happy New Year 2014

The New Year brings new hopes and new aspirations and new resolutions. Here is wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! These New Year happy balls are inspired by the ball drop off from Times Square.
And also a happy birthday to my blog - 5th birthday - a big milestone for me and the blog!

Ingredients

Fresh paneer - 2 cup

2 grated carrots

handful of green beans - cut into tiny pieces

1/2 an onion - cut into tiny pieces

handful of coriander leaves cut into small pieces

2-3 table spoon of flour or maida

2-3 tablespoon of panko bread crumbs

Salt to taste

1/2 tea spoon of pepper

Oil for deep frying

 

How To

Mix the all the ingredients above other than the oil and make balls. Roll the balls in extra panko bread crumbs for crunchy texture (I don't have any in the picture), but have used them earlier and the balls taste much better! Leave aside for a few minutes.

Fry them ad serve with the sauce of your choice!

And chomp on them while watching the ball drop or enjoying your New Year's party!