Indulge That Sweet Tooth This Diwali!

Diwali is here, and for everyone who celebrates, it's that perfect time to begin those cheat days and indulge in sweets. Here are a few good ones.

Anarsa, a special sweet of the Newari community of Nepal

Three days after Diwali, when Hindus worship Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of wealth), the Gorkha/ Nepalese community of India and Nepal, celebrates ‘Bhai Tika’. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers by putting a ‘tilak’; offering them garlands made of Marigold flowers. The food served includes authentic Gorkha/ Nepali delicacies such as ‘Anarsa’, ‘Selroti’ and different vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries and pickles.

Anarsa is special in the Newari community of the Gorkha/Nepalese people.

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

½ kg white rice

½ kg ghee

¼ sugar

¼ poppyseeds (Khus khus/posto)

Method:

Soak the rice overnight. Next morning, strain the water from the rice and transfer the rice grains into a muslin cloth (or any thin cotton cloth) and hang it. This is to let all the water in the rice drain so that the grains are completely dry. Once the rice grains are completely dry, crush them into a powder by grinding them in a mixer. If the rice powder is too dry, add 2 teaspoons of water and mix the rice powder with two hands for at least 30 minutes. Then, add sugar which should be half the quantity of rice powder. Then, mix the two ingredients well for 30 minutes.

In between, rub the mix, and after a few minutes, as the sugar starts to melt, you can make balls out of the mix.

Transfer the mix into a bowl and cover it with a plate, ensuring it’s airtight.

After four to six hours, mix the rice powder and sugar gently for the second time till no lumps remain. Softness comes after the sugar melts and blends well with the powder. Now, take the mix in your palm and shape them into small flat balls similar to puri-balls. Spread a good amount of poppy seeds on a plate and roll the balls in it. With four fingers, dab the balls gently on all sides till they become round like a puri. 

Heat 6 to 8 spoons of ghee in a wok. Lower the flame to add the round rice-sugar roti-like mix. Make sure the side which has poppy seeds faces upwards. Do not overturn the anarsa, and let all sides cook. Once you see the sides cooked, take a spatula and gently spread the heated oil on top of the poppy seeds at certain intervals. This will help the top portion of the anarsa to cook.

 Once they’ve cooked place a piece of paper in an airtight container and stack the Anarsa. You can enjoy this unique Diwali sweet even after two months as fresh and crispy as before.

Recipe courtesy: Shanta Pradhan

Hailing from Darjeeling, the author, who’s in her mid-sixties, is a home-maker. She’s an avid cricket fan who likes to complete all her chores before a match. She’s also a voracious reader with a very good IQ.

Here's a Mango Pudding recipe from Silver Talkies member Shobha Hebbar.

She learned this Mango Pudding recipe from her mother, who she calls "a whiz at desserts." 

Are there Diwali recipes that are a must-have in your kitchen? Let us know in the comments below.