The right serves

Even while Diwali Special takeaways and the quick-food-done-elaborately replace the traditional meals on a lot of dinner tables at Diwali and the host of other festivities before and after the day, festive fares like Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Rabri, Kesar Pak, Shahi Tukde, Shahi Pulao, Matar Mushroom, Puris still find a lot of takers ��� and more importantly, doers!
Radhika Khaneja, a mother of two and a PR executive, takes days off before the festival to do the ���proper��� preparations and have her serving trays ready with Masala Cashews, Gulab Jamuns and Paneer Pakoras for the guests on the D-day.���Those are just snacks and starters. We have an elaborate dinner later. This year we will have Paneer Khus Khus, Mixed Vegetable, Naan and Pineapple Raita. Then there will be Malpua for desserts.��� Even though more and more families turn NETTEL (Not Enough Time To Enjoy Life) and make the festive dinner a glocal affair with food as varied as Sushis, Mezze platters, Kathi Rolls, Shawarmas and Chicken Satay, there are still a lot of families which go the whole mile to serve the traditional Indian food on the day of Diwali.
���We have a help at home since both my husband and I work and she cooks most of the times. But Diwali is a special occasion, so between me and the help, we cook Pulao, Dahiwalla Chicken, Kachoris and a paneer specialty and a mithai,��� says Vandana Arora, an airhostess. Her husband, Sumit, adds, ���Diwali is the most important festival for us. It has to be as traditional as it gets. The takeaways that a lot of friends order, however special and well-presented they are, do not give the festival the same flavour like home-cooked food does. This is also how our parents did it.���
The singles in the city are also not left behind when it comes to celebrating Diwali the right way. Anshika Sharma, a single in the city, stays back in Delhi most of the times to celebrate Diwali as her parents stay in Qatar. She gets together with her friends who are alone like her and cook up a grand meal and burst crackers. ���We divide the job. Some are good with non-vegetarian dishes so they make the chicken and mutton. I am the dessert expert of the group. So I made Shahi Tukda last year. This year I am planning to make gajar ka halwa,��� she explains. And what does the final menu look like? ���There will be some non-vegetarian dishes. Vegetarian food will include Navratan Korma, Dal Makhani, plain rice and stuffed paranthas.���
When asked if all the effort to make the dinner a traditional affair is worth it, Radhika Radhika says, ���It is like saying, whether doing pooja or making rangoli is worth it! Delicacies add to the festivities and the family and friends are together, so it���s nice to do it the traditional way, even if it is more effort.��� Sumit also agrees with this. ���We don���t follow many traditions anyways. So spending so much time and energy on serving an elaborate Diwali dinner, kid of, takes you back to the roots,��� he says. After all, it is about ���staying connected���, like Anshika puts it.
Dahi Murg
Ingredients
1 chicken (800 gms) - cut into 8 pieces
1 cup curd (preferably from full fat milk)
1 tbsp mint leaves, minced or finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornflour mixed in 1 tbsp. curd
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion - chopped (1/2 cup)
2-3 green chillies (adjust to taste)
1 piece ginger
1 tsp garam masala powder.
Garnish: a few mint and coriander leaves chopped, some kasoori methi.
Method: Grind together onion, ginger and green chillies to make a paste.
In the dish, add 1 tbsp oil and onion paste. Mix well.
Add chicken and all other ingredients except cornflour. Mix well.
Microwave high, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir once after 5 minutes.
Mix cornflour in 1 tbsp curd. Add to chicken and mix well.
Microwave high, uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutess.
Sprinkle chopped mint, coriander leaves and kasoori methi.
Note: If thicker gravy is desired, increase cornflour to 2 tbsp.
Dum Aloo
Ingredients
1 kg Chicken cut into medium-sized pieces
�� cup plain yoghurt
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2-3 sliced green chilies
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
salt, to taste
�� tsp red chili powder
�� tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
�� tsp garam masala
1 �� tbsp fresh chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp cooking oil
Directions: Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds starts to sizzle, add ginger, garlic and green chilies and fry for a few seconds till fragrant.
Add onions and cook till they turn slightly brown. Add chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, and fry for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and cook till tomatoes start to soften and form the gravy base. Add yoghurt and cook for 2 minutes.
Add Chicken and salt and cover cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat till Chicken is tender.
Add chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle garam masala as garnish.
Shahi Tukda
Ingredients:
6 slices Bread
2 tbsp Ghee
1 cup Full Cream Milk
2 tbsp Pista, blanched and chopped
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
1 Cardamom, powdered
4-5 Almonds, toasted and sliced
Few strands of saffron
How to make Shahi Tukda: First you need to cut the edges of the bread. Thereafter, cut it diagonally to form 2 triangles. Keep the bread aside for about 2 hours, so that it becomes hard.
To make the sugar syrup, mix sugar and water and set the mixture to boil. Now, simmer the solution for about 10 minutes and add powdered elachi into it.
Take a pan and set the milk to boil. Simmer it until it reduces to 1/4th quantity. Simultaneously, keep stirring occasionally so that it does not stick to the pan. Now, add pista and few strands of saffron to the thickened milk.
Apply ghee on the sides of the bread and lightly fry them until they turn golden brown on both sides.
Arrange the fried bread on a plate. Pour the sugar syrup onto the bread and wait until it seeps down.
Now, spread the milk mixture onto the bread and sprinkle some almonds, pista and saffron strands over it. Freeze it and serve when it is chill!!