Diwali 2022 celebration is incomplete without these meetha-namkeen jodis

Diwali may be known for its lineup of traditional mithai laddoo and barfi but it is also incomplete without crunchy deepfried savouries that balance the palate In Maharashtra we call it farsan in the north itrsquos namkeenevery region has its own set of meethanamkeen pairs that make Diwali evenings more delightfulNimkis x NarusWest BengalIn Bengal the festive season starts with five days of Durga Pujo and stretches right into Diwali Chef and author Ananya Banerjee tells us ldquoAfter Dashami Dussehra till Diwali itrsquos a ritual for younger ones to seek blessings from elders in the family so every household has guests arriving almost every day Though the foods offered to guests differ from home to home a few recipes that have stood the test of time are nimkis and narus often served with tea during snack timerdquo Nimki is a diamondshaped traditional teatime snack that requires very few ingredients to make and has quite a few variations For instance kucho small nimki elo jhelo nimki and regular nimki ldquoThe elo jhelo nimki can also be dipped in sugar syrup to give it a sweet and salty taste Narus are like laddoos and come in quite a few varietiesmdashcoconut naru gurer naru made with sugarcane jaggery and tiler naru made with sesame seedsrdquo Banerjee sharesGhughra x ChorafaliGujaratAn interesting thought that Hetal Chheda founder of Not A Chef shares with us is what her mother would tell her during Diwali while making festive treats ldquoThe richest most timeconsuming and tedious recipes were made only during festivals because consuming these in winter made them easy to digestrdquo she says ldquoIn more modest times people would wait for the office Diwali bonus to spend on expensive ingredients and celebrate by making such dishesrdquo Chhedarsquos favourite sweet ghughra has a crust of allpurpose flour filled with dry fruits then deepfried in ghee ldquoWe knead the dough with ghee and make the filling out of crushed almond pistachio walnut and cashews elaichi powder nutmeg powder charoli nuts and crushed sugar Some add semolina to it some add coconut Gujaratis donrsquot and fold it in different ways These days there are stencils to do the job that was once done by handrdquo In savouries there is chorafali traditionally made of chora dal ldquoSince it is not very easily available people mix besan and urad dal flour We also add salt baking soda and oil and knead a very soft doughrdquo she says ldquoIt takes a while and is taxing These days speciality stores stock readytofry packets of chorafali that come from Gujarat All you do is deepfry them and sprinkle a mix of chilli powder black salt and amchur They are crisp and very delicaterdquo explains ChhedaRava Laddoo x Pappu ChekkaluAndhra PradeshHome chef Sravani Mellacheruvu of The South Social says that to make fresh and delectable food during the festivities is believed to bring good luck She loves pappu chekkalu a classic traditional fried snack from Andhra Pradesh thatrsquos crunchy for kids and addictive for grownups ldquoItrsquos that one snack that people tend to crave postfestive celebrations and it can be stored for a long time Made with spices chana dal and rice flour it is also called nippattu in Karnataka and thattai in Tamil Nadurdquo says Mellacheruvu It makes a perfect pair with the sweet rava laddoo made with jaggery ghee and nuts ldquoSimple and easy to make most regions in India and carry slight variations of the basic recipe Itrsquos the meltinmouth yet grainy texture that makes this ladoo loveable At our home they vanish within minutes and have to be hidden in containers to be served to guests a tradition that has been followed for generationsrdquo adds MellacheruvuChakli x ShankarpaleMaharashtraFor Hema Nakwe of Hemarsquos Veg Rasoi growing up in a Maharashtrian family meant that Diwali was about making faraalmdasha mix of traditional sweet and savoury snacks including karanji chakli poha chiwda shakarpale and laddoo While a faster life means most families prefer picking up readymade eats eating around festivals still has a sense of joy surrounding it From decorating the house to preparing sweets Nakwersquos memories involve her mother roasting bhajani a homemade flour of rice and lentils Nakwe explains how rice and lentils are washed airdried and dry roasted over low heat along with cumin and coriander seeds cooled and ground to a fine flour It is then seasoned with spices sesame seeds and carom seeds and kneaded into a stiff dough that is placed in a chakli maker and carefully pressed out into spiral shapes that are deepfried in hot oil till they turn crisp and golden brown ldquoChakli making is an art and one has to be really patient with the processrdquo adds NakweWith it comes deepfried khuskhusit Marathi for lsquoflakyrsquo shankarpale that are Nakwersquos favourite ldquoEasy to make and quite delectable these too can be prepared ahead of time and make for a perfect snack Our mother would store them in airtight containers meant to last for at least a month but theyrsquod be polished off within just a few daysrdquo she laughsTo order contactlog in toChef Ananya Banerjee 9820400222Hema Nakwe Hemarsquos Veg Rasoi 8976764660Sravani Mellacheruvu The South Social 8805024229Hetal Chheda Not A Chef 7700095161