This Diwali, we bring you a handpicked collection of modern and unconventional recipes designed to add sparkle to your festive table. Each dish blends celebration with wellness—ensuring that what you serve is as nourishing as it is delightful.
Paneer & Peanut Seekh Kebab courtesy of Shreyas Bhat, Culinary Director at GAIA
A refined, Sattvik-friendly take on the classic seekh kebab—creamy paneer meets the nutty crunch of roasted peanuts, bound with potato and rajgira flour. Perfectly seasoned for the season, this is finished with a hint of smokiness.
Ingredients
- Paneer, grated, 8.8 ounces
- Roasted peanuts, coarsely ground 3 tbsp
- Boiled potato, grated 1 medium
- Sendha namak (rock salt / pink salt) to taste
- Green chilli, finely chopped 1
- Fresh ginger, grated 1 tsp
- Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped: 2 tbsp
- Amaranth (rajgira) flour or buckwheat (kuttu) flour 2–3 tbsp
- Roasted cumin powder (jeera) ½ tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- Ghee as required
Method
- In a mixing bowl, combine paneer, roasted peanuts, potato, green chilli, ginger, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and sendha namak.
- Gradually add flour until the mixture binds into a soft, firm dough. Finish with lemon juice.
- (Optional) For a smoky aroma, place the cooked kebabs in a covered bowl with a small katori containing hot coal drizzled with ghee for 1–2 minutes.
- Grease your palms with ghee, take a portion of the mixture, and shape it evenly around skewers into elongated kebabs.
- Heat a grill pan or tawa, brush lightly with ghee or peanut oil, and cook kebabs over medium heat, rotating until golden on all sides (8–10 minutes). Alternatively, bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes, turning once.
- Serve hot, finished with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Chef’s Notes
- For extra crispness, dust shaped kebabs lightly with amaranth flour before cooking.
- Best served with a marinated cucumber and yogurt salad.
- Complements perfectly with special chutney, a blend of cilantro, mint, lemon, and curd.
Broccoli Millet Salad courtesy of Pooja Masurkar—Founding Chef & Culinary Innovator, Pause (Mumbai)
“A vibrant, wholesome salad that combines the nutty goodness of foxtail millet with refreshing parsley, sweet dates, creamy avocado, and a hint of spice from broccoli. Finished with a zesty lemon vinaigrette, it’s festive, nourishing, and satvik. Made with foxtail millet/samak, this dish is a wholesome substitute for rice or wheat and uses fruits and nuts (dates, pomegranate, and almonds) for natural sweetness and energy. No onion, no garlic—just pure festive nourishment.”
Ingredients
For the Spicy Broccoli
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- A pinch of rock salt (sendha namak)
- A pinch of black pepper
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- Juice of 2 lemons
- ½ tsp rock salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp kandsari sugar (or jaggery powder)
For the Millet Tabbouleh
- 1 cup cooked foxtail millet (samak ke chawal can also be used for fasting)
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
- ½ tsp rock salt
- 1 tsp kandsari sugar (or jaggery powder)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the Salad Build-up
- ½ cup millet tabbouleh (prepared above)
- 2 dates, chopped
- 2 tsp roasted almonds
- ¼ avocado, diced
- 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
- Spicy broccoli (prepared above)
- A drizzle of lemon vinaigrette
Method
- Prepare the Broccoli: Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer to cold water to retain color. Toss with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Make the Lemon Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and kandsari sugar until smooth and emulsified.
- Cook the Millet Tabbouleh: Cook foxtail millet until fluffy and let it cool. Mix with parsley, pomegranate, salt, sugar, olive oil, and lemon juice.
- Assemble the Salad: On a plate, spread a layer of millet tabbouleh. Add dates, roasted almonds, avocado, and pomegranate. Top with spicy broccoli and finish with a drizzle of lemon vinaigrette.
Rose & Pistachio Besan Laddoos with Jaggery courtesy Bhawar Singh, Executive Chef, WelcomHeritage Cheetahgarh, Jawai
These are traditional laddoos, but with a rose-infused twist that makes them rich, aromatic, and festive.
Ingredients
- Besan (gram flour) 200 grams
- Ghee 100 grams
- Jaggery (grated) 150 grams
- Cardamom Powder ½ tsp
- Chopped Pistachios 25 grams
- Dried Rose Petals 1 tbsp
- Rose Water ½ tsp
Method
- Roast the besan. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan on low flame. Add besan and roast slowly, stirring continuously, until it turns golden brown and gives a nutty aroma (about 12–15 mins).
- Sweeten with Jaggery. Switch off the flame. Add grated jaggery and mix well until it melts completely and blends into the roasted besan.
- Flavouring. Add cardamom powder, rose water, chopped pistachios, and dried rose petals. Mix well.
- Shaping. While mixture is still warm, shape into small round laddoos using greased palms. Garnish with a few rose petals and pistachio slivers on top.
- Serve/Store. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
