Diwali's here. But you are tired dishing out the same menu year after year. Try these special Diwali dishes and floor your guests with new mocktails...

Zafrani Kofta (Serves-6)
Ingredients:

Kofta

- 150 gm paneer (cottage cheese) - grated n 2 small boiled potatoes - gratedn 2 slices of bread n ½ tsp garam masala (mixed spices)

- ½ tsp red chilli powder, salt to taste n 2-3 tbsp maida (plain flour) - to coat

Filling

- 1 onion - very finely chopped

- ½ inch piece ginger - very finely chopped n 4-5 cashewnuts- chopped n 10-12 kishmish

- ¼ tsp each of salt, red chilli powder, garam masala

Gravy

- Few strands kesar (saffron)

- 2 big onions, 1 inch piece ginger n 1 dry red chilli n 2 tej patta (bay leaf) n 2-3 chhoti illachi (green cardamoms) n 2 tbsp cashewnuts- powdered n ½ cup fresh curd - beaten with fork

- 2 tbsp desi ghee

- 1 tsp salt or to taste n ½ cup fresh cream n ½ cup milk mixed with ½ cup water

Method: To prepare the koftas, mix grated paneer, potatoes, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala.

Cut the sides of bread & dip in water. Squeeze them well. Add to the potato-paneer mixture. Mash well till smooth. Make 8-10 balls.

For the filling, heat 2 tsp ghee. Add onions and ginger and fry till golden brown. Add cashwnuts, salt, garam masala & chilli powder. Remove from fire.

Flatten each ball of paneer mixture; put 1 tsp of onion filling and 1 kishmish in each ball. Form a ball again. Roll each ball in maida.

Deep fry 2-3 koftas at a time in hot oil. Keep aside.

To prepare the gravy, soak kesar in 1 tbsp of warm water.

Grind onions, ginger & dry red chilli to a fine paste. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy bottomed kadahi & add the onion paste. Add tej patta & green cardamons. Cook on low flame till onions turn transparent & the ghee separates. Do not let the onions turn brown.

Add curd. Cook for 5-7 minutes, till masala turns brown again.

Add cashwnut powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes, add garam masala, red chilli powder and salt. Cook for ½ minute.

Add milk mixed with water to make gravy, boil, and simmer on low flame for 5 minutes.

Add kesar, keeping aside a little for garnishing. Add fresh cream. Mix well. Add a pinch of sugar if the curd added was a little sour. Remove from fire.

To serve, boil gravy. Add koftas; keep on low heat for ½ minute. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cream & dotted with soaked kesar.

Spinach and Carrot Rice
(Serves - 4)
Ingredients

- 150 gm palak (spinach)-discard stems and cut leaves into thin strips (2 cups) n 2 carrots - grated n 1 cup basmati rice - soaked for 1 hour n 2 tbsp desi ghee or oil n ½ tsp saunf n 2 brown cardamoms n 1 stick dalchini (cinnamon) n 2 laung (cloves) n 1 onion - sliced finely

- 1 ½ tsp salt n ¼ tsp red chilli powder n 2 tsp lemon juice

Method: Soak rice for an hour.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add saunf, brown cardamoms, dalchini and laung. Stir till saunf just changes colour. Add onions, stir fry till transparent.

Add washed spinach and grated carrots. Stir fry for 1 minute.

Drain the water from rice and add the soaked rice.

Add salt and red chilli powder. Add 2 cups of water and lemon juice. Mix very well.

Boil, lower the flame and cook covered, for 12-15 minutes or until the rice is done. Fluff it up with a fork to separate the grains.

Serve hot with refreshing raita (yogurt).

Shahi Tukre
(Indian bread pudding) (Serves - 6)
Ingredients

- 4 slices bread n 2 ½ cup milk
- 1/3 cup sugar n 5-6 green cardamoms-skinned and crushed
- A few strands of kesar (saffron) dissolved in 1 tbsp water
- 75 gm khoya (dried whole milk)n 4-5 almonds-cut into thin long pieces n 4-5 pista (pistachio)-cut into thin long pieces
- 1 silver leaf n 4 tbsp desi ghee

Method: Remove the side crusts of bread. Cut each slice into 3 pieces.

Fry in 4-5 tbsp ghee till golden brown. Keep aside.

Heat milk to which sugar and cardamoms have been added. Boil and remove from fire.

Dip 4-5 slices in the hot milk. Keep them soaked for a few seconds. Remove slices from milk and arrange in a flat serving plate. Repeat with the other slices.

Mash khoya and add to the left over milk. Cook this milk till it thickens and turns into rabri (15-20 minutes).

Pour the hot rabri over the toasts. Decorate with silver foil.

Sprinkle shredded almonds and pista. Dot with soaked kesar.

Serve warm or cold, according to the weather.

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