DIWALI SPECIAL................. Now bite into chocolate diyas!

Now  bite into chocolate diyas!

                                                                                                               

Innovation is the keyword. Apart from the usual kaju katlis and laddoos, chocolate diyas and crackers, mithais in a jar and brownies are taking over as the new Diwali sweetmeats

    Diwali is coming up. And the gifting of sweets has got into full swing. While the mawa pedhas, barfis and besan laddoos make for traditional choices, what’s also making a splash are innovative desserts and fusion mithais. Try a thandai mousse, rabdi and boondi cheesecakes or even gulab jamuns in jars! Here’s what you can ch o o s e from ...

ADD FRUITS TO INDIAN DESSERTS TOO!

Food expert Bhuvanesh Kalburgi, suggests a Kathal ki tehri made with jackfuit! “Just reduce milk, boil sugar and make a rabdi. Add chopped jackfruit and pour the rabdi on this. Garnish with almonds and pista,” he says.

SUGAR-FREE MITHAIS IN DEMAND

Watching your weight and wary of even tasting a few mithais? Put the woes away with sugar-free sweetmeats that are in big demand this year too. From honey-coated almonds to sugar-free mawa pedhas, you can be guilt-free when tucking in. A popular sweetmeat manufacturer has “mithai bombs” with kesar, khajur and anjeer, and with no added sugar. “Just the natural sweetness of figs and

dates,” says Manish Bajaj. Innovation seems to be the buzzzword and traditional fare has also changed. A fusion of Indian mithais is flying off shelves. “Folks love kaju katli made with dark chocolate as well as a strawberry katli with white chocolate,” he adds.

WANT TO EAT DIYA CUPCAKES AND CHOCOLATE CRACKERS?

More than just a platter of laddoos or barfis,

it’s diyas, lanterns and phataka-shaped cupcakes made of chocolate that are in demand.

You can get really creative on the cupcakes —make rangoli designs or fireworks in sugarcraft on them, topped with silver sprinkles, chocolate buttons, cake balls and edible flares. And for taash parties, chocolatiers have come up with specially-themed cupcakes with hearts, clubs and spades, plus a chocolate dice! The desserts are easy to make too, says dessert specialist, Amal Farooque. “For the chocolate diyas, melt chocolate in a bowl and let it cool for five minutes. Pour this into chocolate diya moulds and let it set in the refrigerator till the chocolate hardens. Once set, unmould and decorate as desired and enjoy,” she adds.

Chocolate products have a greater shelf life than other sweetmeats like rasmalai and barfi as there is no milk product in it as opposed to mithais. “Diyas made

with regular chocolate can be kept for up to 10 days at room temperature,” informs ch o c o l at e e x p e r t A a n ch a l Ja g g i a . What’s popular this year? “Truffles are in huge demand for sure — in date and c o c o nu t , c a s h ew, almond, fig and pistachio flavours — as well as florentines,” she says.

NEW FAD: MITHAIS IN A JAR

The dessert is getting very popular owing to its advantages. Adds Amal,“Firstly, these jar desserts look really sexy and are superportable; instead of getting someone a whole one kg cake, you could just get them a dessert jar which is the size of a quarter kilo cake! You can have a gulab jamun with white chocolate mousse and salted dulce de leche, as well as gajar ka halwa with cream cheese and cinnamon sponge or even a baked strawberry cheesecake in a jar,” she says. The jars allow for more flavour, colour and are value for money for the number of different varieties one may choose to opt for.”

PRICE RISE

With the rates of desi ghee and milk mawa going up, the prices of mithais made of these are higher. Dryfruits and dryfruit mithais are also affected as the dollar rate has risen.

SUGAR-COATED CAKE POPS

How about a sparkly treat? “Sugar pops that resemble firecrackers are easy to make,” says sweet expert Ayushi Shah. “They are c o l o u r f u l with the i n s i d e s having red velvet and chocolate or cookies and cream. They work well with kids and adults and make for an apt Diwali g ive aw ay, ” she adds.

CHOCOLATE DIYAS

With people finding mithai a little too fattening, dark chocolate diyas have become the new indulgence! Made with a brownie base, it has gooey chocolate inside.

‘BLONDIES’ AND BROWNIES ARE THE NEW MITHAIS

Brownies are popular and have been taking over as the new edible gift. And of late, the big sell-out are ‘blondies’, which are the new b row n i e s. “These are just like brownies, but in wh i t e chocolate,” says baking expert Mitali Gupta. “You get them in flavours like butterscotch and pecan and they are in hot demand.”

PRICE CHECK PER KILO

Pista rolls: 800 Laddoos, besan and motichoor: 400 Mawa pedha: 500 Kaju Katli: 700 Fusion katlis: 800-1,000 Mithai bombs: Rs 800-1,000. Assorted dryfruit mix: 800-1,200 Chocolate truffles 2000 Florentines 1500 Blondies: 900 a kilo, ( 75) a piece Walnut or chocolate brownies: 650 a kilo, ( 55) a piece

HALWAS

Anjeer halwa: 700 Ice halwa: 360-500 Bombay halwa — white, kesari and golden: 360-500 Rubber halwas — kaju badam, mix dryfruit: 400-800

FUSION MENU IDEAS

Rabri apple tart — caramelised apple in rabri topped with vanilla ice cream Doodhi halwa chocolate rolls Elaichi pannacotta Baked yoghurts with fruits, cinnamon and cardamom

Ismat Tahseen TOI131031