Rasaswad

Thandai masala: blanch 1/2 cup almonds, peel, wipe and set aside. In a small blender jar (I used the vitamix small one), mix together 2 Tbsp. dried rose petals,  2 Tbsp. fennel seeds, 2 Tbsp. melon seeds, 2 Tbsp. white poppy seeds, 11/2 tsp green cardamom pods, 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, 1/4 tsp saffron threads, 1 1/2" cinnamon stick, small pinch of kosher salt. Grind into a fine powder. Remove into a bowl. Grind 1/2 cup cashews, 1/4 cup pistachios and the 1/2 cup blanched almonds into coarse powder. Mix everything and store in an airtight container.  Cake:  Preheat oven at 350, and spray 9X9 inch square pan with baking spray. Cream together 1 stick of unsalted butter, 3/4 cup sugar. Add 2Tbsp vegetable oil. Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp almond extract. Add 13/4 cup AP flour, 11/2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Add 1/2 cup whole milk, and mix until batter just comes together. Add 1/4 cup Thandai masala and mix until i...

 My friend P.'s recipe...easy and tasty.  Heat oil, add chopped celery and carrots. Saute. Add peas and corn. Add garam masala, boiled potatoes and salt. Form big burger patties, cover with breadcrumb and shallow fry. On burger buns, apply some sriracha Mayo, put the burger patty, and some cole slaw. 

 Take 1/2 cup Fada (broken wheat) in a pressure cooker container. Wash and add 11/2 cup water  + pinch of salt (optional). In another container, take 1/2 cup toor daal, wash and add 1 cup water. Pressure cook both of these (in separate containers) for 5-6 whistles. Once the pressure releases, use a wooden Ravai to slightly mash both the fada and the daal. Now mix both of them in a pot, along with 1 cup chopped jaggery (you could take slightly less or more according to your taste). Heat just until the jaggery melts. Make sure not to cook too much, otherwise the fada will get hard. Add crushed cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron. Add slivered almonds, pistachios and raisins. Can also add Charoli if available. Serve with a dollop of ghee. 

The cake recipe is followed fairly closely, with two 9 inch pans. Roast 3/4 cup pistachios for 10 mins in a 350 oven. Once slightly cool, blend into a powder. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans. In a mixer, mix two sticks of butter,  12/3 cup sugar, until slightly lighter. Add 2 cups cake flour, 1/2 cup pistachio powder, 1tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Then add 5 eggs, followed by 1/2 cup milk mixed with 2 tsp vanilla (note the order of eggs is slightly different, but this method works fine). Bake in 350 oven until done (about 25 or so minutes), and cool. I used store bought apricot preserve. Also made chocolate ganache with about 1 lb semisweet chocolate chips, 11/4 heavy cream, and added a spoon of corn syrup.  For the marzipan: In a clean mixer, add 11/2 cup fine almond flour (not meal), 11/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 tsp rose water,  11/2 tsp almond extract and 4-6 tbsp light corn syrup. The dough should barely be coming together. Knead by hand (it should be a tough do...

 Boil and peel beets, and cut into big pieces. for the dressing, mix some greek yoghurt, a touch of sour cream (optional), a handful of chopped dill, some chopped fresh parsley, whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mix. Add beets and serve. 

 Reminder of childhood diwalis... Soak a pinch of saffron in about 2-3 tbsp of milk for half an hour or so. Preheat oven to 350. Mix 2 cups almond flour (ideally freshly ground, but realistically, regular store bought), 1 cup sugar, a tbsp of milk powder (optional), 1 tsp of ground cardamom powder, and the soaked saffron + milk mixture. Start kneading a dough, and add milk a small tsp at a time (this dough needs very little milk, so be careful).  Knead a relatively hard dough (although, I'm not sure if this was the best texture. Next time I might try slightly softer). Divide in two, and roll into 1/2 in ch thick disk between two parchment paper sheets. Cut with a small cookie cutter, and bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating in between until light golden spots appear. I think I might have slightly under baked them, but next time..

 Chop 1 each of large white onion, green and red pepper and a tomato into large dices. Mix a tsp of whole cumin seeds, 1 tbsp of roughly crushed coriander seeds, 1 tsp red chilli flakes, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp black pepper together. Heat oil, add the kadai masala, once the cumin sizzles, add ginger garlic paste, saute for a few seconds, and then add onions, followed by peppers and salt. Once they all saute for a bit, add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, and a pinch of amchoor. Saute for a few more seconds, and add the tomatoes. Add 2-3 tbsp ketchup, and let the tomatoes soften a bit. In the meantime, dice paneer into small cubes, and add to the pot, along with salt, and a tbsp of crushed kasoori methi. Add a handful of chopped cilantro, and let everything cook for a few minutes. Garnish with more cilantro and serve with parathas/naans.