Dussehra is much more than just a festival; it’s an occasion that evokes a sense of unity, devotion, and culinary delight across India. These celebrations not only mark the triumph of good over evil but also signify the victory of togetherness and communal spirit. From the culinary podcast, ‘The Tastes of India Podcast (Hindi),’ available on Audible, we bring to you a curation of easy-to-make sweet recipes that are sure to become the star of your Dussehra gatherings! So, fasten your apron and let the sweet aromas of tradition fill your home 🙂
Pink Coconut Laddoo
Ingredients:
- Freshly Grated coconut – 2 cups
- Condensed milk – ½ cup
- Beetroot juice – 2 tsp
- Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
- Ghee (for greasing your palms)
- Grated roasted coconut for garnishing
Method:
- Begin by gently toasting the grated coconut in a pan over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, ensuring not to brown it. This toasting is primarily to remove excess moisture.
- Once this is done, transfer the toasted coconut to a bowl and allow it to cool completely.
- Next, combine the cooled coconut with condensed milk, cardamom powder, and beetroot juice, making sure to mix everything thoroughly.
- Take small to medium portions of the mixture and shape them into round ladoos. If the mixture sticks to your hands, you can apply a bit of ghee to grease your palms.
- Roll each laddoo evenly in freshly toasted coconut.
- Place these laddoos in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours to allow them to firm up slightly.
- Finally, garnish the laddoos with roasted coconut and serve!
Mango Suji Cake
Ingredients:
- Suji – 1 cup
- Mango Pulp – 1 cup
- Sugar – ½ cup
- Baking Powder – 1 tsp
- Milk- ¾ th cup
- Oil – ¼ th cup
- Almond – ¼ th cup
Method:
- Begin by using a mixer grinder to combine mango pulp and sugar until you achieve a smooth paste. Set this mixture aside.
- In the same mixer grinder, grind suji into fine powder.
- Now, add oil and mango pulp into the ground suji, and whisk the mixture thoroughly.
- Add ½ cup of milk to the mixture and mix it in.
- Cover the mixture and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes have passed, add baking powder and mix well.
- Add the remaining milk, ensuring that the cake batter remains thick and not too loose.
- Transfer the mixture into a greased baking tin and sprinkle some chopped almonds on top.
- Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 55 minutes.
- After baking, allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour until it cools down completely.
- Your delicious mango suji cake is now ready to be sliced and enjoyed.
Khoi Laddoo
Ingredients:
- Moa/Khoi lava or popped rice – 100 gm
- Khoya – 350 gm
- Jaggery – 3-4 tbsp
- Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
- Roasted sesame seeds – 3-4 tbsp
- Ghee – 2 tbsp
- Raisins to garnish
Method:
- Add moa, khoya, jaggery, and cardamom powder in a large bowl or on a plate and mix them well.
- Next, add sesame seeds and ghee into the mixture and thoroughly blend everything.
- To form the laddoos, apply ghee to your hands and shape a small portion.
- Repeat this process for the remaining mixture.
- Once done, you can adorn the laddoos with raisins or your preferred nuts on top. You can store these laddoos in the refrigerator and enjoy them within two days or serve them immediately.
Sweet Caramel Poha
Ingredients:
- Poha – 2 cups
- Jaggery – ½ to 1 cup
- Sesame Seeds, roasted – 2-3 tbsp
- Ginger – 1 tsp
Method:
- In a kadai, dry roast poha over high heat, stirring until it becomes light brown. Once it reaches this color, transfer it to a bowl or plate and allow it to cool.
- To prepare caramel poha, use a heavy-bottomed kadai. Pour water and jaggery into it, and thoroughly melt the jaggery by stirring consistently.
- Continue stirring over medium heat until the jaggery thickens and becomes sticky. To check for the right consistency, drop a small amount of the thickened syrup into a bowl of cold water. If you can shape it into a small ball or it hardens without diluting in water, the jaggery is at the correct consistency.
- Add the roasted poha and toasted sesame seeds to the mixture, and stir continuously until they are well combined with the jaggery.
- Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Once it has cooled, store it in an airtight container.
