Diwali or Festival of Lights is that time of the year when everyone just wants to celebrate, have fun, and enjoy great food. One such ingredient that forms the heart of festive food recipes is desi ghee. Ghee, without doubt, tastes good and has several health benefits; it makes traditional recipes better too! Here are five ghee recipes that your family and friends will love this Diwali.
1. Ghee Ladoo
Ingredients:
1 cup roasted gram flour or besan
½ cup desi ghee
¾ cup jaggery (grated)
1 tsp cardamom powder
Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews)
Instructions:
Heat ghee in a pan and add besan roasted into it.
Stir continuously over low heat until golden brown and fragrant.
Add jaggery and cardamom powder, stirring well until it dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped nuts.
Let it cool a little and roll the mixture into small balls (ladoo).
2. Ghee Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp desi ghee
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2-3 whole cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods
To taste, salt
Instructions:
Rinse the basmati rice and let it soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
Heat ghee in a pot, add bay leaf, cloves, and cardamom to it. Sauté for one minute.
Stir in the drained rice and cook for a few minutes.
Add water and salt, then boil it. After boiling, seal the pot and cook on low heat until the rice is done.
Fluff it up with a fork and have it hot as a side dish for holiday meals.
3. Ghee-Rich Kheer
Ingredients:
½ cup rice (or vermicelli)
4 cups Milk
½ cup sugar
¼ cup desi ghee
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Chopped nuts: pistachios, almonds
Instructions:
In a pan, heat ghee and fry the rice or vermicelli until it turns golden.
Boil the milk in another pot and put the fried rice into it.
Cook the rice until it's soft and the milk gets thicker.
Add sugar and cardamom powder, stir well for 5 minutes more.
Serve warm or chilled topped with chopped nuts and a little ghee.
4. Ghee-Smeared Samosas
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds
¼ desi ghee cup
As desired, water
For the filling:
2 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
½ cup green peas, cooked
Spices (cumin, coriander powder, garam masala)
Salt to taste
1 tsp chopped coriander
Instructions:
Mix together flour, ajwain, and ghee in a vessel. Add water to make it a tough dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
In another bowl, mix mashed potatoes, peas, spices, salt, and coriander, in order to prepare the filling.
Then roll the dough into small circles, cut them in half, and form cones.
Fill in each cone with the potato mix and close the edges.
Heat ghee in a deep pan and fry the samosas till golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.
5. Ghee and Jaggery Halwa
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina (sooji)
½ cup desi ghee
1 cup jaggery grated
2 cups water ½ teaspoon cardamom powder Chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions:
Heat the ghee in a pan, add semolina and roast on a low flame until it turns golden brown.
Boil water in a pot and add to it the jaggery, stirring until it dissolves.
Add it to the roasted semolina; constantly stir while trying not to form lumps.
Cook until the mixture thickens, then add cardamom powder and mix well.
Top with chopped nuts and serve warm.
This Diwali, relish these delicious recipes prepared with desi ghee honoring tradition and delectable flavors. As each dish holds the fine flavour of ghee, they make great candidates for your festive meal. Share it with your loved ones, get them to dig into these goodies and let that warmth and happiness of the season spread. Happy Diwali!
1. Ghee Ladoo
Ingredients:
1 cup roasted gram flour or besan
½ cup desi ghee
¾ cup jaggery (grated)
1 tsp cardamom powder
Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews)
Instructions:
Heat ghee in a pan and add besan roasted into it.
Stir continuously over low heat until golden brown and fragrant.
Add jaggery and cardamom powder, stirring well until it dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped nuts.
Let it cool a little and roll the mixture into small balls (ladoo).
2. Ghee Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp desi ghee
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2-3 whole cloves
2-3 green cardamom pods
To taste, salt
Instructions:
Rinse the basmati rice and let it soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
Heat ghee in a pot, add bay leaf, cloves, and cardamom to it. Sauté for one minute.
Stir in the drained rice and cook for a few minutes.
Add water and salt, then boil it. After boiling, seal the pot and cook on low heat until the rice is done.
Fluff it up with a fork and have it hot as a side dish for holiday meals.
3. Ghee-Rich Kheer
Ingredients:
½ cup rice (or vermicelli)
4 cups Milk
½ cup sugar
¼ cup desi ghee
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Chopped nuts: pistachios, almonds
Instructions:
In a pan, heat ghee and fry the rice or vermicelli until it turns golden.
Boil the milk in another pot and put the fried rice into it.
Cook the rice until it's soft and the milk gets thicker.
Add sugar and cardamom powder, stir well for 5 minutes more.
Serve warm or chilled topped with chopped nuts and a little ghee.
4. Ghee-Smeared Samosas
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds
¼ desi ghee cup
As desired, water
For the filling:
2 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
½ cup green peas, cooked
Spices (cumin, coriander powder, garam masala)
Salt to taste
1 tsp chopped coriander
Instructions:
Mix together flour, ajwain, and ghee in a vessel. Add water to make it a tough dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
In another bowl, mix mashed potatoes, peas, spices, salt, and coriander, in order to prepare the filling.
Then roll the dough into small circles, cut them in half, and form cones.
Fill in each cone with the potato mix and close the edges.
Heat ghee in a deep pan and fry the samosas till golden brown. Serve hot with chutney.
5. Ghee and Jaggery Halwa
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina (sooji)
½ cup desi ghee
1 cup jaggery grated
2 cups water ½ teaspoon cardamom powder Chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions:
Heat the ghee in a pan, add semolina and roast on a low flame until it turns golden brown.
Boil water in a pot and add to it the jaggery, stirring until it dissolves.
Add it to the roasted semolina; constantly stir while trying not to form lumps.
Cook until the mixture thickens, then add cardamom powder and mix well.
Top with chopped nuts and serve warm.
This Diwali, relish these delicious recipes prepared with desi ghee honoring tradition and delectable flavors. As each dish holds the fine flavour of ghee, they make great candidates for your festive meal. Share it with your loved ones, get them to dig into these goodies and let that warmth and happiness of the season spread. Happy Diwali!
