Diwali (popularly known as 'Festival of Lights') is one of the most celebrated festivals in India where family and friends get together, share sweets, wear new clothes and have fun bursting crackers. It is a feast to watch all the houses well lit with diyas (lamp made from clay) and everyone living up to the spirit of the festival.
Diwali is always special to me as it reminds me of good old memories since childhood. My normal routine on diwali day would be to get together with my cousins at my grandparents house to celebrate diwali and spend the entire day with everyone. Back then, we were excited about wearing new clothes and getting ready to burst crackers and pack on some pounds by enjoying all the sweet treats, especially my grandma's badam halwa/burfi (almond fudge). Almost like a tradition in the family, every single year, diwali breakfast would be accompanied by badam halwa... it kinda felt incomplete otherwise. Well, this tradition stuck with me, so after marriage, I continue to follow it by making this sweet every diwali (of course, with few others too).
Diwali is meant to be celebrated with friends and family. Although, its been a while since I celebrated diwali with my family, after all, friends are like family too. So, I started making badam burfi and chivda (savory snack made with puffed rice, nuts and some spices) to share with friends.
Badam burfi is an easy dish to make but just takes a little patience. It is probably one of the few dishes (as far as I can think of) that can be enjoyed in either scoopable or fudge-like consistency. It also happens to be the first time I am making this without using ghee (clarified butter) which I tend to use a bit liberally in this recipe. After trying it, I didn't miss the ghee at all and most of all, lot less guilt without any of the butter fat that would normally be added to it.
Ingredients:
1 cup almonds, blanched
Few strands of saffron
1 tbsp vegan butter (optional) + little extra for greasing the pan (I used earth balance)
4 tbsp almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
Pinch of salt
For the sugar syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
Method:
Soak the almonds in hot water for one hour. Peel the skin and keep aside.
Make a paste with the almonds and little milk (not very fine but slightly coarse for texture). If you want a scoopable consistency (badam halwa), add about 6 tbsp milk.
As far as I know, the rule of thumb is to compare your almond paste and take equal measure or little less amount of sugar (the way I learnt it from mom) and add enough water to melt it for about 6-7 mins till it reaches a sticky consistency (also referred to as single string consistency).
Now, add the almond paste to the syrup and keep stirring. After 10-12 mins, add little vegan butter, pinch of salt and mix.
After 30-35 mins (around 25 mins for halwa), the paste starts becoming lumpy without sticking to the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and spread the paste on a greased cookie pan (lined with either parchment or wax paper) and smoothen the top to get an even layer.
Wait for about 6-8 mins until the mixture cools down and then cut into diamond shaped pieces or any other shape of your choice.
Here's a pic of the badam halwa (not sure if you can see the difference in consistency) which is softer than burfi but slightly firmer than halwa. This consistency works well if you want to send to friends, each wrapped individually in wax paper .
Makes 30-32 pieces (depends on how big or small you cut them).
Drunken noodles, also called Pad Kee Mao, is made with broad rice noodles, soy sauce, garlic, meat or tofu with some vegetables. The star ingredients are the basil leaves (this one ingredient seals the deal for me!!!) for the distinct flavor and thai chilli that gives the right amount of spiciness. Although the original recipe uses holy basil, I haven't really seen them in stores, so, I used thai basil which works for me. If you want to be all authentic, try using holy basil in this recipe. My version might seem like there are too many veggies but feel free to add/limit your own choice of veggies.
Ingredients:
7 oz oriental rice stick (banh-pho), medium size
1 medium onion, cut lengthwise
1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (only green part)
1/2 cup napa cabbage (although I used regular green cabbage), cut lengthwise
1/2 cup baby corn, cut into halves
1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced
5-6 broccoli florets
2-3 thai chillies, cut lengthwise
1/2 cup thai basil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4-5 tbsp light soy sauce (adjust to taste)
2 tsp light brown sugar (adjust to taste)
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp oil (I used canola but you can also use toasted sesame oil)
1 tbsp chilli paste (optional)
Method:
For the noodles, I used a medium sized flat noodles but you can also use a much broader rice noodles. Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. You can drizzle some oil to the noodles when cooking it to avoid it from sticking.
If you want to add tofu (like you didn't have enough veggies to begin with :)), shallow fry them in little oil, drain and set aside.
In a wok, heat oil, add the minced garlic, thai chillies and crushed pepper flakes. After the garlic turns slightly brown, add the onion and vegetables (carrot, napa cabbage, baby corn, water chestnuts and broccoli). Keep stirring and cook the vegetables until they are half done (to give a slight crunch) for about 6-8 mins (cook for 2-3 mins longer if you want your veggies nearly done). Add few tablespoons of water (you can use the water from the noodles) to avoid things from sticking to the wok.
Add the noodles and mix with all the veggies. Add little water if things are sticking to the bottom of the wok (make sure you don't add too much water otherwise your noodles will end up being a mushy disaster).
Fry the noodles and veggies for 2-3 mins and add the soy sauce, brown sugar and the chilli paste and mix well. Add the vinegar to the veggies and stir well. Finally, add the basil leaves (pick the leaves only, not flowers) and mix well with the noodles. When the basil starts to wilt, remove from heat and serve.
Fun Fact: When trying to look up on how this recipe got its name, pad kee mao in thai means stir fry ('pad') for someone who drinks too much ('kee mao'). Oddly enough, it happens to be a cure for hangover (personally, I don't think you should test it out but if you are still curious, go ahead and enjoy) but tastes good no matter what!!!
Makes 4 servings.
Tofu has been a common ingredient in Thai and Chinese cuisine, especially, if you are a vegetarian, most of the dishes have tofu in some form. Back home, when I tried tofu for the first time, I didn't like the taste much as it had a distinct flavor. But after I came to the U.S., it has been an ingredient that I started including more often in my cooking. I have used them in many forms from soups to desserts. A couple years ago, when I lived with my aunt's family, I had the chance to eat different kinds of foods which I wouldn't normally think of trying on my own. One day, she decided to make scrambled tofu for breakfast (FYI, it was exclusively for me as my aunt hates tofu). At first, I hesitated as I don't like the consistency of scrambled eggs and secondly, didn't know how the taste would turn out. Suprisingly, I enjoyed the scrambled tofu and ever since, it has been on my list of breakfast items. Generally, people use silken tofu to make this dish but I made some tweaks to my aunt's recipe and also used firm tofu as I like the texture better. This recipe can be used as a filling for a sandwich or you can make tofu rolls (similar to my paneer rolls) and coat it with crushed cornflakes or cornmeal (either fried or baked) to enjoy a crispy and protein packed appetizer.
Ingredients:
14 oz firm tofu (crush them with your fingers to get a crumbly texture)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
5-6 broccoli florets, finely chopped (fresh or frozen, if using frozen thaw before use)
3 green chillies, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Method:
In a skillet or a pan, on medium heat, add the oil, onions and green chillies. Sauté until the onions turn slightly brown.
Add the broccoli and red bell pepper and sauté until vegetables are half done (if you don't like the crunch, cook them longer). Add the tofu and stir well. Now, add the salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 mins until the tofu is done. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and add the nutritional yeast and fry well for 1-2 mins. Serve hot with toasted bread.
Makes 2 servings.
