From the 12th November, over 1.5 million people in the UK will come together with friends and family to celebrate Diwali, the ‘Festival of Lights’, to enjoy home decorations, sweet treats and more.
With so many classic recipes and new twists to tempt loved ones over the five days of Diwali, Tesco has turned to Product Development Chef, Neel Shah, for inspiration and advice on creating fabulous Diwali treats at home. Neel has worked alongside Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar in his early career and, more recently, developed award winning curries for Tesco. By sharing Tesco Diwali recipes alongside top cooking tips from Neel, Tesco hopes to help make this Diwali a joyous celebration for everyone involved.
Neel Shah says: “For me, Diwali is all about the food and the Tesco Real Food recipes include some of my best-loved Diwali treats.
My personal favourite is the Gulab Jamun, after all, Diwali is all about the sweets. The light, fluffy doughnuts are super moreish – the ultimate sweet feast!
If opting for something savoury, the Bhel Puri would be my go-to. It is packed with so many layers of different flavours and definitely one for wowing guests.
Tesco has everything needed for the perfect Diwali celebrations with a wide range of products across the world food, frozen, and chilled desserts sections, all with great taste and value.”
Tesco Diwali recipes and Neel’s top cooking tips:
Mithai
If there’s one food that captures the heart of Diwali, it’s ‘mithai’, a confectionery cross between a snack and dessert. Many families cook traditional sweets and exchange decorated boxes of mithai among family and friends during Diwali.
Gulab jamun is one of India’s most cherished festival desserts. Like doughnuts, these delicious balls are generously dunked in a cardamon and rose water syrup. They can be enjoyed hot or cold and are commonly served with ice cream or Kulfi (a frozen dairy dessert) making it a real treat.
Neel’s top tip: When it comes to frying gulab jamun, the ball-shaped dessert can crack in the process if not prepared properly. To prevent this, when rolling up the dough balls, knead until completely smooth before deep frying. If there are any cracks, the dough will need a few more minutes of kneading. Also, it’s worth checking the heat of the oil with a thermometer as gulab jamun is cooked at 140 degrees, slightly lower than traditional deep frying. These two top tips should help to create delicious (crack free!) gulab jamun for friends and family to enjoy this Diwali.
Cost per serving: 0.17p
When it comes to mithai it’s all about giving and receiving, and barfi is the perfect recipe to do so. Barfi resembles the taste of fudge and is commonly topped with nuts. This recipe uses milk powder and condensed milk to make it quicker and easier.
Neel’s top tip: The best thing about barfi is that once you have mastered the recipe, you can experiment and make it your own. My favourite flavours include desiccated coconut, dates or dried figs. Or why not add some cocoa powder to the mix.
Cost per serving: £1.36
Savoury snacks
Bhel puri with tamarind yogurt recipe
Bhel puri is a savoury snack made of puffed rice, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind sauce. Bhel puri is often strongly associated as a beach snack, commonly enjoyed on the beaches of Mumbai. This recipe includes Charlotte potatoes with mango chutney, chillies, pomegranate, and natural yoghurt, packing a flavoursome punch that’s bound to impress.
Neel’s top tip: When it comes to bhel puri, it’s all about that crunch. In this recipe, we use pomegranate, but this can easily be swapped for Bombay mix or roasted peanuts. For ease, we have also included mango chutney but in many bhel puri dishes, several different chutneys can be made such as green chilli chutney or garlic chutney. So why not try and make your own?
Cost per serving £1.47
Squash, carrot and onion bhajis recipe
Bhajis are the ultimate snack, and they really do taste best when homemade. This dish combines squash, carrot and onion creating a fritter that everyone will want to try.
Neel’s top tip: While many people in the UK associate bhajis with onion bhajis, there are many variations. Bhaji means vegetable so like this carrot and squash version, I would challenge you to experiment with lots of different vegetables to really wow your guests. Like bubble and squeak, leftover bhajis are also the perfect way to use up vegetables, helping families to avoid waste during the festivities.
Cost per serving: 16p
For more Diwali recipes, head to https://realfood.tesco.com/curatedlist/10-diwali-recipes.html
