Every occasion calls for a sweet celebration. Diwali is almost here, which means only one thing! Sweets, Sweets & a lot more Sweets. There are lavish ranges of delights when it comes to festivals.

What is Diwali without Home Delights?

Celebrate this Diwali with your family with homemade sweets & delicacies. Homemade sweets are made with pure ghee, nuts, and unconditional love. Anything made with love can get into our heart and tummy so easily so step into your kitchen and start your Diwali preparations now.

Wondering where to start with?

There is a range of sweets and here we have come up with a few of our favorites. I am sure it is most of our favorite sweets. So, let’s start.

Diwali sweets include popular sweets like Rasagulla, Rasamalai and all-time favorites like Gulab Jamun, Ladoo, Jalebi, Kaju Katli, Kheer and the list goes on.

To start with,

What is Jalebi?

Jalebi is a spiral-shaped sweet made with Maida flour, Ghee, and Sugar syrup. Jalebi is a sweet that is loved mostly loved by South Asian Countries.   

 

How to make Jalebi?

Making Jalebi at home is easy and it is beginner-friendly too.
Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together flour (Maida), Chickpea Flour (Besan), Baking Powder and Baking Soda
2. Add Yogurt, Cardamom powder, and mix
3. Add food color9if using) and water to form a flowing consistency batter.
4. Cover the batter and let the batter sit for 10-1 hours to ferment. You see small bubbles on top of the batter once it is fermented.
5. Meanwhile, add sugar to a pan. Add water and mix with sugar and let it all come to a boil.
6. Once it comes to a boil, add cardamom powder, saffron strand, and lemon juice.
7. Let it simmer till the syrup becomes sticky and form a one-string consistency.
8. Transfer jalebi batters into a squeeze bottle. Meanwhile, heat oil or ghee in a pan.
9. Squeeze batter in hot oil, making spiral motions from inside to outside. Fry till crisp from both sides. Remove from oil and immediately dip in warm sugar syrup, few seconds on each side.
10. Remove jalebis from the sugar syrup and transfer it to a serving plate.

What is Gulab Jamun?

Gulab Jamun is a dessert of fried dough balls that are soaked in a sweet, sugar syrup. The sugar syrup dripping sweet will make you crave for more.       

 

How to make Gulab Jamun?

1. Boil sugar and water to prepare syrup to remove fire, add cardamom and keep aside to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl put the flour, paneer, sooji, milkmaid, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix gently to make a soft dough, do not knead too much.
3. Divide the mixture into 30-35 portions and gently roll into round gulab jamuns. Fry in the oil at a very low flame till golden brown.
4. Keep putting the fried gulab jamuns in the prepared sugar syrup, once all the gulab jamuns are in the sugar syrup bring it to a boil and remove from flame.
5. Serve warm

What is Kheer?

Kheer is primarily made with rice, milk, and sugar. Rice kheer is a version of rice pudding made with basmati rice, whole milk, sugar, nuts, and spices.

1. Rinse 1/4 cup basmati rice a couple of times in fresh water and then soak in enough water for 15 to 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile, when the rice grains are soaking, take 1-liter full-fat milk in a heavy wide pan.
3. Keep the pan on low to medium-low heat. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not burn at the bottom of the pan.
4. Let the milk come to a boil. 
5. Take 1 tablespoon milk from the pan in a small bowl. Let the milk become warm. Then add a few saffron strands to the milk. Keep aside.
6. After the milk begins to boil, drain all the water from the rice and add it to the hot boiling milk.
7. Mix very well with a spoon. 
8. Simmer and cook rice on low heat. No need to cover the pan when the rice is cooking.
9. Cook the rice grains till they are 50% done or half-cooked.
10. Then add 5 to 6 tablespoons of sugar or add as required. You can add raw sugar or white sugar. Mix the sugar in the milk.
11. Continue to cook rice on low to medium-low heat. Do stir at intervals.
12. Simmer till the rice is almost cooked. Then add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder.
13. Add 1 tablespoon each of sliced almonds, chopped cashews, and sliced pistachios. You can blend the almonds if you prefer. Mix well.
14. Then add the saffron dissolved milk.
15. Again, mix and continue to cook on low heat till the rice kheer thickens and the rice grains have completely cooked.
16. Switch off the heat when the rice grains are completely cooked. The kheer will also thicken. On cooling, rice kheer thickens more. Scrape milk solids and add to the kheer.
17. Ready to serve.

Here we have shared three recipes for you to try in this Diwali season. These are the common sweets made at home for Diwali. Do try out these recipes and bring the festival of light a great one.